(A/N) Hello! So this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I'll admit, I'm not the best author out there, but, hey, I tried. Um, anyway, enjoy. And please review, I love constructive criticism. Also, a giant thank you to Lisa Michelini, one of my best friends and perhaps the best editor anyone could ever ask for.

Chapter One

The night air was cool against her pale face as she stepped gingerly through the forest undergrowth. She disregarded that nobody would be able to hear or see her anyway, due to a disillusionment charm and a silencing charm she had placed on herself earlier. Extra caution was never a bad idea. Her wand was gripped tightly by her side, and she looked for any signs of life amongst the towering trees. It was a week after the Battle of Hogwarts, and Hermione, being one of the few uninjured fighters, had been sent to look in the Forbidden Forest for any refugees or hidden Death Eaters. She had come in a small group along with Neville, who had recovered quickly, Luna, and Ginny. They had split up to cover more ground, but Hermione couldn't help but feel dreadfully alone.

She knew that there were quite a few Death Eaters that had mysteriously disappeared after the battle, and were probably lurking around the school, waiting to foolishly attack again, trying to cling to whatever morale they had left. It was likely that they would dissipate after a while, but Kingsley urged them to find anyone they could to bring justice down upon them. She walked past the corpses of a couple first years who appeared to have been killed as they sought a safe haven from all the fighting. Hermione's breath wavered as she knelt down and placed a thin chain around their necks, one of the many potential portkeys she was carrying around with her. She whispered the incantation in a soft voice, "portus," and sent the two back to the Great Hall.

Minutes later, she stepped into a small man-made clearing. There was dried blood on the mossy ground, and clear evidence of a campfire. She reached down and let some of the ashes sift through her fingers. To her surprise, they were still warm. She mused for a while on the fact, when she was roughly brought out of her reverie by a rough, bellowing voice.

"Who's there?" Hermione froze, slowly turning to face her aggressor, her eyes wide in trepidation, mouth slightly ajar. She fell back with in shock as she stared right into the eyes of Rodolphus Lestrange. He was searching the clearing, eyes narrowed, looking right through her. She stood and turned to run for help, when her protective spells were broken.

"Finite Incantatem," The half-crazed Death Eater tilted his head towards her with a smirk. "Well, what have we here?" he took steady, deliberate steps towards her, his wand casually held between two fingers. "The precocious mudblood from before, eh?" He was now barely a foot away from her, wand pressed under her chin. Hermione staggered away, looking up into a pair of demented eyes that leered down at her mockingly.

"Try as you might, there's nothing you can do," she stated, startling herself with how robustly the words came out, continuing to step back. "We've defeated you. Voldemort's dead." His face turned rigid with anger.

"You dare take his name?" he snarled.

"We've killed your wife," she added on, now pressed against a tree and fearing for her life. He glared at the girl, raised his wand, his mouth forming a curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" Hermione let out a shriek as he fell to the ground. She didn't want to believe what she had just done. She carefully prodded him with her toe, expecting him to get up and murder her. When he made no sign of movement, she closed her eyes and rested her head back against the tree, sinking to her knees. She had just killed a human being. Fingers knitting through bushy hair, she groaned in frustration. How could she have done that? How could she have lost control so easily? How could she have killed him?

A sob formed in the back of her throat, and for the first time since the battle, she cried. She cried over the deaths of Fred and Tonks and Lupin and of countless others whose faces swam before her eyes. She was letting out all of her frustration and remorse. Tears sprang from her eyes before she could stop them. After all this time, holding everything back, she didn't want to stop them.

_..o0O0o.._

Bane shifted uncomfortably as he talked with his peers from behind the trees.

"When do we strike?" the words fell from his lips before he could think about what he was saying.

"Are you suggesting that we allow ourselves to be drawn in to the humans' conflict and lower ourselves to their darkness?" Magorian trembled with rage looking down at his clan-member.

"N-no. Simply to punish those who need to be faced with the consequences of their actions,"

"Silence, Bane," another one of the centaurs stepped closer. "Not all humans are the same," Magorian turned around to face the startlingly blue eyed centaur who had just spoke.

"Of course. How very likely of you to say that, Firenze. You'd even let them ride you, like a common mule."

"He's right, Magorian" a fourth centaur joined the conversation, red tail flicking calmly behind him. "You remember the Granger girl? She saved your life. You would do well to remember that."

"Ronan, they killed your brothers, your father, your children. How can you stand to defend them when-" Magorian was cut off by a rustling in the trees. The man had returned, and it was now time to go and carry out their plan.

"He's back. Let me at him," Bane shook his wild mane furiously, pushing past Ronan and Firenze. He stopped in awe. It wasn't the man. It was a girl, the Granger girl, looking around precariously. He quickly stepped back into the shadows, glaring at her form.

Firenze strode closer to the edge of the clearing, confused. She was clearly disillusioned, hiding from someone. Being a centaur, he could see through the protective incantation. He watched as she gently picked up a small handful of the ashes the man had left behind. A bemused look appeared on the girl's face, pondering over something. Firenze had seen that look countless times before in his classes.

From the opposite side of the clearing, the man stumbled through. Sensing someone's presence, he drew his wand out. Firenze grimaced at the sight of the man's black aura. He had done terrible things; unspeakable things. He turned to see Ronan again restraining Bane from rushing out and trampling the man.

The Granger girl was unaware of the man's threatening proximity. Firenze had half a mind of taking her away to safety. She let the rest of the ashes fall from between her slender fingers. That was when the man smelled something like mint in the air.

"Who's there?" he asked, before sending out a quick spell, revealing a shell-shocked Hermione. Firenze shut his eyes not wanting to watch the confrontation. The man called her foul things, and then the centaur heard the two words he dreaded the most. He opened his eyes a few seconds after the killing-curse had been said. To his utter astonishment, it was not the girl that had fallen, but the man. He faced the three centaurs behind him, two looking murderous, the other greatly disappointed.

"I told you the humans weren't to be trusted," Magorian spat.

"As we no longer have the man at our disposal, we might as well use the girl. Evidently, she isn't as innocent as we thought, either." Bane added harshly. Firenze turned to Ronan in a plea for help, but he avoided his gaze.

As Firenze turned back to the girl, he found her crying desperately. Before he knew it, the other centaurs had shifted so that they formed a circle around the clearing. As the last centaurs in the forest, they summoned the magic of the stars and galaxies, concentrating all of their power solely onto the task at hand. Ronan sent Firenze a last, apologetic look as he too joined in. Firenze had no choice left but to accompany his clan-members. The last thing he saw of the girl was a heart wrenching, doleful, sobbing mess. Then she disappeared.

(A/N) So there it is. The first chapter. I wonder what the centaurs did... o_0 Read on to find out! :D