Harry Potter 05 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

picked up a crossbow that was leaning against a tree. When he realised they were no longer with him, he turned.
    ‘We’re goin’ in here,’ he said, jerking his shaggy head behind him.
    ‘Into the Forest?’ said Hermione, perplexed.
    ‘Yeah,’ said Hagrid. ‘C’mon now, quick, before we’re spotted!’
    Harry and Hermione looked at each other, then ducked into the cover of the trees behind Hagrid, who was already striding away from them into the green gloom, his crossbow over his arm. Harry and Hermione ran to catch up with him.
    ‘Hagrid, why are you armed?’ said Harry.
    ‘Jus’ a precaution,’ said Hagrid, shrugging his massive shoulders.
    ‘You didn’t bring your crossbow the day you showed us the Thestrals,’ said Hermione timidly.
    ‘Nah, well, we weren’ goin’ in so far then,’ said Hagrid. ‘An’ anyway, tha’ was before Firenze left the Forest, wasn’ it?’
    ‘Why does Firenze leaving make a difference?’ asked Hermione curiously.
    ‘’Cause the other centaurs are good an’ riled at me, tha’s why,’ said Hagrid quietly, glancing around. ‘They used ter be – well, yeh couldn’ call ’em friendly – but we got on all righ’. Kept ’emselves to ’emselves, bu’ always turned up if I wanted a word. Not any more.’
    He sighed deeply.
    ‘Firenze said they’re angry because he went to work for Dumbledore,’ Harry said, tripping on a protruding root because he was busy watching Hagrid’s profile.
    ‘Yeah,’ said Hagrid heavily. ‘Well, angry doesn’ cover it. Ruddy livid. If I hadn’ stepped in, I reckon they’d’ve kicked Firenze ter death –’
    ‘They attacked him?’ said Hermione, sounding shocked.
    ‘Yep,’ said Hagrid gruffly, forcing his way through several low-hanging branches. ‘He had half the herd on to him.’
    ‘And you stopped it?’ said Harry, amazed and impressed. ‘By yourself?’
    ‘Course I did, couldn’t stand by an’ watch ’em kill ’im, could I?’ said Hagrid. ‘Lucky I was passin’, really … an’ I’d’ve thought Firenze mighta remembered tha’ before he started sendin’ me stupid warnin’s!’ he added hotly and unexpectedly.
    Harry and Hermione looked at each other, startled, but Hagrid, scowling, did not elaborate.
    ‘Anyway,’ he said, breathing a little more heavily than usual, ‘since then the other centaurs’ve bin livid with me, an’ the trouble is they’ve got a lot of influence in the Forest … cleverest creatures in here.’
    ‘Is that why we’re here, Hagrid?’ asked Hermione. ‘The centaurs?’
    ‘Ah, no,’ said Hagrid, shaking his head dismissively, ‘no, it’s not them. Well, o’ course, they could complicate the problem, yeah … but yeh’ll see what I mean in a bit.’
    On this incomprehensible note he fell silent and forged a little ahead, taking one stride for every three of theirs, so that they had great trouble keeping up with him.
    The path was becoming increasingly overgrown and the trees grew so closely together as they walked further and further into the Forest that it was as dark as dusk. They were soon a long way past the clearing where Hagrid had shown them the Thestrals, but Harry felt no sense of unease until Hagrid stepped unexpectedly off the path and began wending his way in and out of trees towards the dark heart of the Forest.
    ‘Hagrid!’ said Harry, fighting his way through thickly knotted brambles, over which Hagrid had stepped with ease, and remembering very vividly what had happened to him on the other occasion he had stepped off the Forest path. ‘Where are we going?’
    ‘Bit further,’ said Hagrid over his shoulder. ‘C’mon, Harry … we need ter keep together now.’
    It was a great struggle to keep up with Hagrid, what with branches and thickets of thorn through which Hagrid marched as easily as if they were cobwebs, but which snagged Harry and Hermione’s robes, frequently entangling them so severely that they had to stop for minutes at a time to free themselves. Harry’s arms and legs were soon covered in small cuts and scratches. They were so deep in the Forest now that sometimes all Harry could see of Hagrid in the gloom was a massive dark shape ahead of him. Any sound seemed threatening in the muffled silence. The breaking of a twig echoed loudly and the tiniest rustle of movement, even though it might have been made by an innocent sparrow, caused Harry to peer through the gloom for a culprit. It occurred to him that he had never