Harry searched the thousands of books in the library, trying to find anything on centaurs. He skimmed the bindings in the magical creatures’ section, looking closely at the titles. There had to be at least one book on centaurs.

               “What are you looking for, boy?” Madam Pince came around the shelving.

               “Oh,” Harry stepped away from the books. “I’m just looking for books on centaurs.”

               “Why?”

               Harry shrugged and said, “Research.”     

               Madam Pince rolled her eyes but used her want to summon a few books from a higher shelf. “While a lot of the magical creatures’ books reference centaurs or provide a little information, these three will give you a complete history and understanding of the centaurs. Much more fitting for research, don’t you agree?”

               “Yes, ma’am,” Harry smiled, eagerly accepting the three books.

               “Do not ruin them. And when you are finished, please bring them to me so I may properly return them to their rightful place.”

               “Yes, ma’am.”

               Madam Pince left Harry at that. Harry carried the three books to a secluded table and looked over the titles. A Complete History of the Magnificent Centaur, The Proud Centaurs, and Chiron: The Wisest and Justest of all Centaurs. These three books sounded amazing! Harry eagerly opened the first one on the complete history – best to start getting the basics down at least. The first couple of chapter talked about the centaur’s features and anatomy and where and when the creature may have originated. Harry flew through the first sections, skipping over large parts (though he didn’t really understand the anatomy chapters anyway) and excitedly read the next chapter on the social status of centaur herds. This was more interesting than anatomy. Harry stared at the image of a centaur herd, smiling at the little centaur – a filly, the book referenced her as. She was so little and adorable.

               “What are you doing?” barked a voice above him.

               Harry snapped his head up, staring at Severus. He held the book a bit closer to him as though to hide the pages he was reading. Severus was frowning down at him, holding a couple books to his chest himself. Why did the man always seem to find him? Didn’t he have better things to do?

               “Just research, sir,” Harry answered.

               “Research?” Severus looked down at the two other books on the table, his frown deepening. “For what class?”

               Harry shrugged, and Severus rolled his eyes.

               “Eloquent, I see,” the man sneered. “Last I knew, you’re not taking Care of Magical Creatures yet. So why all this research? And on . . . centaurs of all things.”

               “I’m just . . . interested in centaurs. Is that a problem?”

               “Watch your attitude with me or I’ll take points,” Severus glared now. “Perhaps even give a detention with Mr. Filch to see if that shapes you up.”

               “No sir,” Harry tried to keep the growl out of his voice. “I’m sorry, sir.”

               Couldn’t he just read in peace? What was Severus doing here anyway? Harry squinted at the books Severus was holding. He could only see the back of one. He frowned at the title he read.

               “Curses of Ancient Egypt? What are you reading a book on that for? Are we learning something about that in Potions?”

               Severus gripped the book tighter and glared at him.

               “I believe this would better fit your Defense against the Dark Arts class. And I don’t believe what I am reading is any of your concern, Potter.”

               “So, what I’m reading is a concern to you?” Harry couldn’t help but mutter.

               Severus’s face tightened, as did the man’s grip on the books he had.

               “Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter,” Severus spat before turning away and leaving with a slight limp in his walk.

               Harry watched Severus walk away. The man was limping! And last night, he had seen Severus head to the third floor instead of going to the dungeons with the other professors. And Harry knew what was behind that door . . .

               Had Severus tried to – steal whatever that dog was guarding! Oh no! He had to tell – well, he had no one to really go to. He could inform Hermione and Ron later. Right now, back to his research. Harry pulled out a parchment and began taking notes on every little piece of information he found interesting.

               He worked most of the morning and into the afternoon. He was learning so much about centaurs and centaurs from the past. Ajax was going to be so impressed with him! Harry hoped Ajax was all better. That wound last night looked like it hurt something awful. He missed Ajax just thinking about him. Too bad the centaur never wanted to meet during the daytime. Ajax always seemed so concerned about the dangers of nighttime, so wouldn’t it just be easier to meet during the day? Oh well. Ajax was sure to know what he was doing.

               Harry felt bad that Ajax had no herd or family. All of these pictures of herds and foals and families, it was sad to think Ajax had no one. Maybe . . .

               Of course, why didn’t he think of that before? It was such a brilliant idea. And it would make Ajax feel better. According to The Proud Centaurs, all centaurs loved being considered a part of a herd – it was in their blood.

               “Hey, Harry,” Hermione greeted, joining Harry at his table, Ron sitting down too. “Ohh, extra research! I love doing research! Why didn’t you invite me?”

               “Oh, please, Hermione,” Ron rolled his eyes. “This isn’t extra. It’s for a class, obviously. Let’s see, A Complete History of the Magnificent Centaur? What is this, Harry?”

               “What Hermione said,” Harry smirked. “Extra research.”

               “Oh no!” Ron groaned. “We’ve only been her friend a night and you’re already turning into her! She’s got some magical influence on us. Stay back, Hermione! I’m warning you! You will not use your witchcraft on me.”

               Hermione gave Ron a look before looking over the books and parchment of notes Harry had on the table. “But really, what is all of this for, Harry?”

               “I’m just curious is all. I wanted to learn more abut centaurs. They seem so fascinating.”

               “Well, yes,” Hermione stated, looking at some of the pictures in the books. “They’re very intelligent creatures. But they’re not very safe. They don’t trust wizards or muggles alike. And they can be very violent.”

               “But there’s so much more to them,” Harry insisted, holding up the book he was currently looking through, the one on Chiron. “Some do like humans. And they become like . . . great mentors and all.”

               “Chiron’s just a myth, Harry,” Hermione said, taking the book from Harry and flipping through it. She paused at a certain page and showed it to Harry. Harry read that the legend was in fact a myth, but it had some truths about centaurs and their interactions with humans. And Chiron was still one of the most memorable and most well-known centaur in muggle and wizarding communities alike. “Even in the wizarding world, there are still its stories. They are just meant to be enjoyed. I’m not sure how much of this you can rely on.”

               Harry still wondered about Chiron and Ajax. Ajax could be a mentor, too, right? Ajax could do great things like Chiron, couldn’t he? Well, it was better to be well read than know nothing at all about the species of his new friend. Ajax would know that he could trust Harry. Harry already trusted Ajax, especially after the centaur had saved him.

               The three sat and looked over the books and notes for a while longer before Harry remembered something.

               “Snape was here earlier,” Harry said. “Ron and I saw him last night when we were looking for you, Hermione. Instead of going down to the first floor, he went to the third floor. He was limping when I saw him. I think he tried to get past the . . . you know,” Harry leaned in to whisper, “the dog.”

               “You don’t think he wants to steal what it’s protecting, do you?” Ron asked in a hushed tone.

               “Well, why else would he go there?” Hermione added. “He must be after it. And he’s the one that must have let the troll in! As a distraction!”

               “I don’t trust that Snape,” Harry stated.  

               Severus hissed as he applied more of the dittany to his leg. At least it was looking much better. This third application seemed to do the trick. Everything was healed, and he would no longer limp. Finally.

               Severus sighed and set the dittany aside. He looked at the passage he had marked in the book on the curses of ancient Egypt.

               “Sphinx is indeed reported to have had many Riddles, but this offered to Oedipus was the chief, "What is that which in the morning goeth upon four feet; upon two feet in the afternoon; and in the Evening upon three?" What was answered by Oedipus is not known. But they who interpret concerning the Ages of Man are deceived. For a Quadrangle of Four Elements are of all things first to be considered, from thence we come to the Hemisphere having two lines, a Right and a Curve, that is, to the White Luna; from thence to the Triangle which consists of Body, Soul and Spirit, or Sol, Luna and Mercury. Hence Rhasis in his Epistles, "The Stone," says he, "is a Triangle in its essence, a Quadrangle in its quality.[i]”

               Severus studied the passage. Sphinxes and their damn riddles! He had heard this story too many times – the answer was the Philosopher’s stone. A simpleminded could solve it. But that was such an easy riddle! What was the answer to his? Why was his more complicated than Oedipus’s! Well, Severus knew his situation was a little more complicated than what Oedipus had been trying to accomplish. And though a Philosopher’s stone would give him many great things, freedom from this curse was not one of them. But . . . damn it, this book was useless. There was such little information about Sphinxes. Someone needed to do more research on them. Where the bloody hell was Newt Scamander when you needed him?

               Severus sighed, holding his head in his hands. What difference did it make now? He was trapped like this till the day he died. At least he was smart enough to avoid having children. He would hate to put another son through this torture. How could his own ancestors have been so careless and cruel? He had nothing to do with this curse, yet he had to live with it. He had to endure it.

               For years, several members of the Prince line searched for the answer to the riddle. The answer that would break the curse. The secret was kept in the family, shared only amongst the closest members, and together everyone spent more precious time looking for Sphinxes, which were rare to come by once – forget twice, and looking through books for potential answers. Other families knew the Princes were hiding something, and this forced secrecy led to many Pureblood families out casting the Prince line – believing the secret to be a potential halfblood or a muggleborn had married into the family. The rumors were endless, really. Just endless and ridiculous. But because of it, suitors for Prince members died down, and so did the Prince family line.

Not that Severus cared. He was the last of his ancestors and he would die the last. But if he could break this curse for his own sake – his own peace of mind – he would be happy to die the last member. He just didn’t want to die being half a beast. But he needed more clues than just:

               “For he who slays what he calls a monster must beware the monster inside. And he shall be the hunted outcast come each and every night. And all his sons shall be cursed as long as prejudice thrives. When met again, his fate will depend on who he helps revive.”

               Technically, his curse wasn’t exactly a riddle, more like some kind of prophesy, if you would. And several conclusions had been drawn about the solution, hence why his family hunted for Sphinxes in order to accomplish their theories. Severus had read over all the potential answers, but without a sphinx, he’d never be able to test any out. And he was sure the majority would fail anyway. For now, he would transform each night.

               And soon, too. As the sun had to be setting by now and Harry would no doubt be out there waiting, Severus stripped in his room, threw on a thick robe and headed outside. Why the boy insisted on continuing to meet was beyond him. Honestly, how interesting was a centaur?

               Severus thought back to Harry in the library, with all those books on centaurs Harry had collected. Why was the boy researching centaurs anyway? Was he really just some specimen to study? How insulting! And yet here he was, waiting for the last bit of sunlight to disappear so he could go and greet the boy. Why did he even indulge Harry? These meetings were a waste of his time. He needed to sleep until sunrise, so he could get back into the castle well rested at the very least. Besides, not being able to just hide away in his quarters made things more complicated. Though massive as a centaur, he could still work on grading essays by lying down in front of his desk. And he could sleep on the floor in his living room as that would be where he’d have to stay since he couldn’t fit through doorways. But that was fine. It was also the reason he moved his desk from his study to the living room.

               He figured he could cancel a meet some nights. Would Harry obey him? Severus really didn’t trust that boy to not enter the forest looking for Ajax. Severus could windlessly defend himself. Harry – perhaps in a bout of accidental magic – could not. Severus arrived at the forest and hid in the trees, waiting for the inevitable.

               The last of the daylight disappeared and Severus shifted painfully once more into a centaur. He stretched out his muscles, giving the leg that had been bitten a hesitant step on. He trotted briefly without a limp before deciding it was time to go see Harry. He took his time to walk over to the designated greenhouses.

               There Harry was, sitting patiently in the grass, mindlessly pulling on some blades.

               “You know,” Severus began stepping out of the trees, “you keep doing that each night, you’ll leave behind a patch of dead grass.”

               Harry smiled up at Severus as he jumped to his feet and, without really thinking about it, wrapped his arms around Severus’s lower torso since it was all the boy could grasp on his tippy toes.

               “You came back!” Harry said warmly. “I missed you! And you’re all better!”

               Severus didn’t return the hug, a bit shocked by the boy’s action. Harry seemed to realize his mistake and quickly released Ajax and backed up.

               “Umm, sorry,” Harry said. “I forgot. But I did miss you.”

               How? Severus snapped in his head. He just saw the boy last night! What was there to miss? Severus shook away his comments and the shock of the surprise hug.

               “You just saw me last night,” Severus reminded.

               “I know,” Harry smiled. “But I like our meetings. And I like spending time with you.”

               “Hmm,” Severus commented, thinking: I wonder if he’d feel the same knowing who I actually was.

               “I’m glad your leg is all healed! I was worried about you.”

               Severus shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I . . . appreciate your concerns.”

               Harry smiled more at him before speaking again.

               “Today, I went to the library and did a lot of research! I learned that centaurs are herd animals – it’s like . . . in their blood! But they’re very territorial. And they have these complicated social statuses – it kind of reminds me of wolves but without the whole alpha-beta-omega thing, you know, and little centaurs are called foals, just like horses! A girl is a filly, a male is a colt. And males are stallions and females’ mares! It’s all so cool and just like horses! But then not like horses because terms get really complicated after that – like the chief and the . . . well, I don’t remember all of it, but I also read that they don’t really trust humans all that much – I read something on past conflicts with them and how settlers would kill off centaurs for land! How terrible! And I read that centaurs are gifted in –”

               “Harry, enough!” Severus said, his ears falling back.

               Harry quickly shut his mouth and gave Severus a wary look.

               Severus sighed. Did all boys talk that fast? Severus figured Harry just wanted to share all the information he had read in the library that day. But why? Severus was a centaur, wouldn’t Harry know to think that he might already know this information?

               “Is there a reason you’re telling me all of this?” Severus asked.

               Harry blinked then his cheeks flamed red as he stared down at his feet, digging his shoe into the grass.

               “Well . . . I wanted to learn more about you, I guess. And . . . maybe impress you . . . a little?”

               Harry gave Severus a hesitant and expecting look.

               Severus was . . . impressed. Honestly, all that research the boy had done, all the work and time and memorizing to understand a creature like him was all for his approval. Severus didn’t know what to think of Harry. One minute the boy was talking back to his professors disrespectfully and the next he was memorizing three books on centaurs for approval.

               “I can honestly say I am impressed,” Severus finally said. Harry beamed up at him. “But why go through all that trouble? I am . . . not a normal centaur.”

               “That’s okay,” Harry nodded, “I’m not a normal wizard.”

               Severus tilted his head at that.

               “Well, I mean,” Harry shrugged, looking at his feet once more. “I’m not as normal as I could be. I’m supposed to be a hero or something like that. Everyone looks at me like I’ve done something incredible and like I’m supposed to do something else incredible. Incredible is Hermione. She’s super smart! And Ron, he has so many brothers. And then there’s me. I’ve got nothing but a stupid scar from when I was a baby.”

               “You know why you have that scar, correct?” Severus asked. The boy did know his history, right?

               “Yeah, I know why I have it. And it’s made me a celebrity.”

               “And you want to just be Harry,” Severus remarked remembering that conversation he had had with the boy.

               Harry nodded eagerly. “See? You get it! Exactly! But that’s hard when the whole world wants you to be someone else. A hero here, a freak back home, a –”

               “Excuse me?” Severus asked sharply. Did he hear that correctly?

               “Uh, I mean an orphan,” Harry quickly said. Severus frowned down at his, flicking his ears slightly. Harry smiled at him innocently before sighing again. “It’s a long story.”

               “You’ve said that before.”

               “I know. But it is a long story.”

               “And I have all night.”

               Not really, just till sunrise. And he did need his sleep at some point. Honestly, why did he say stupid things like this?

               “Well,” Harry looked down once more. “Maybe we can talk more about it another night?”

               Of course, Severus sighed himself, delaying the story.

               “Fine. A story for another time.”

               Harry smiled then said, “You know, Ajax, since we’re both not normal, I was thinking we could make our own herd!”

               “What?”

               “You know, since centaurs like belonging in a herd, I was thinking maybe you and I could be our own herd.”

               “I don’t believe you understand what a herd is . . .”

               “I do! For centaurs, it’s usually a group of maybe three to five families, depending on the size, and –”

               “But that’s just it, isn’t it? Size? Two does not make a herd.”

               “I didn’t say we’d have to be a normal herd. I can add in Hedwig, if you’d like.”

               “Hedwig?”

               “My owl.”

               Severus couldn’t resist rolling his eyes. Where on earth did this child come up with these ideas? A herd? Just because he read about it did not mean he had to reenact it. Severus sometimes forgot just how young first years were.

               “And why do you want us to be a herd?” 

               “Well, because you don’t have one. Why aren’t you in a herd? I know you said you don’t do friends and you like to be alone, but it just seemed against what all the books said.”

               Severus sighed. He wanted to snap at Harry that it was none of his business, but if they were to meet again, he figured he did owe the boy an answer.

               “I . . . am not really welcomed by other centaurs.”

               “Why?”

               “Concerns that don’t really matter to whatever you are trying to do. Surely me not being in a herd isn’t the only reason you have for this silly idea.”

               “Well,” Harry blushed again and scuffed his shoes on the ground. “I thought it might be cool if we could be considered a herd. It’d be like we were a family or something.”

               Bingo. That was exactly it. The boy was craving a family and anything that seemed remotely similar to one. From the pieces Severus was gathering, Harry clearly wasn’t as spoiled by his own relatives as Severus had originally thought. And if “freak” was anything to go by, he wasn’t exactly welcomed by his family either. But Severus couldn’t offer this fantasy to the boy. He’d never be able to. He had to snap the boy back to reality. He had to deny this. It wasn’t right, and it certainly wasn’t fair to Harry. Yes, Severus knew exactly what the boy wanted, but he couldn’t allow Harry to grow attached to every little thing that offered him some kind of friendly response. It wasn’t healthy. Was it?

               Why wasn’t he saying anything? Severus opened his mouth, but Harry started talking first.

               “I mean only if you’d like to be in a herd with me. I’ll understand if you don’t. Maybe it is a stupid idea. I just thought it might make you feel less lonely. You could say you have a herd now and I could say I have a herd and you –”

               “Alright, Harry.”

               “. . . what?”

               “Alright,” Severus repeated. “I’ll be in your herd.”

               What the bloody hell was he thinking? But the look on Harry’s face went from unsure and insecure to bright and beaming.

               “Really, Ajax? It’s not a stupid idea?”

               Of course it was, Severus’s mind screamed at him. Ignore the eyes. Take it back! Take it back!

               “Not at all, Harry,” Severus said. “Not at all.”

               Harry’s smile grew impossibly more. “We could be like Chiron and Jason!”

               “I see you did do your research,” Severus snorted.

               “I did! Did you know that Chiron raised Jason from a baby! He had to because Jason’s half-uncle Pelias killed all of Aeson’s children and then overthrew Aeson! So Aeson – oh yeah, Aeson is Jason’s father – you see, he gave Jason to Chiron and . . .

               And so, Severus was told the story of how Chiron nurtured Jason to adulthood. Later, after Severus sent Harry on his way to bed, Severus paced the trees. What had he gotten himself into? He was supposed to have ended these sessions with the boy by now, but instead he dug himself too deep. Way too deep and there was no backing out now. A herd! He allowed the boy to consider them in a herd. It didn’t even make sense – maybe to a desperate, lonely eleven-year-old’s mind, but not to another living soul. This was ridiculous. He couldn’t allow this. He had to tell Harry the next time they met that this whole del was off. Everything – the meetings, the talks, the herd . . .

               How devastated Harry would be. No, how crushed the boy would be. Why was he even stressing about this? What was so wrong with being in a herd?

               But it wasn’t the herd part that was bothering Severus – no, it was the family part. Harry craved a family, something Severus would never be able to offer him. Harry only knew him as Ajax, the lonely centaur – a centaur who could be like Chiron who took in orphaned Jason. That was what Harry wanted from him, wasn’t it?

               The boy was creating his own fantasies. He was new to the wizarding world, so the idea of a centaur raising a child sounded real enough to Harry. But Severus knew the unlikeliness of the ministry allowing such a thing. He’d have to tell Harry that. Besides Severus didn’t need a family. He didn’t want one. Severus was better off alone for life. He couldn’t put himself in a family situation – he hadn’t been in such relationships in a long time. And if Harry pushed this relationship too far – Severus didn’t want to think of the outcome of that. Luckily, Harry didn’t know him as Severus Snape. If that secret ever spilt, he was sure the boy might try and use it to his advantage.

               Or hate him.

               What was wrong with the latter? Then the boy would be out of his hair for good. He would have to be extra cruel as Professor Snape – he was sure the boy would fit the clues in at some point. Ajax couldn’t suddenly start acting cruel, the boy would think he was sick or something equally so. It had to be Professor Snape. And when Harry figured it out, these sessions would surely end. Or, if he was really lucky, he himself might slip up and reveal who he truly was. He might – he hadn’t spent this much time with a human in his centaur form in ages – not since his mother passed of illness fifteen years ago.

               Severus drew to a stop. He was stravaging, but it was getting him nowhere. At least he had a plan. He’d put on a show as Professor Snape – one that would surely show Harry hatred and how unwanted he was. And when the boy made the connection – he would hate Ajax just as much.

               It had to work. He had no other choice.   

               This had to come to an end.

[i] This is an actual passage taken from Michael Maier’s book, Atalanta Fugiens (1617) in which the solution to the Sphinx’s riddle for Oedipus is the Philosopher’s Stone.