Harestar

Harestar is a supporting character in the Warriors book series, and the current leader of WindClan. He was once a Dark Forest trainee who turned against his mentors to fight alongside the Clans, and was then made Onestar's deputy as a sign of trust. He became leader after Onestar's death, and became a relatively agreeable leader, usually going for whatever the other leaders suggest, though is occasionally made anxious by his duties.
== Appearance ==
Harestar is a small, lithe tom with sleek, brown-and-white fur.
== Biography ==
=== The Power of Three ===
==== The Sight ====
Harepaw is a warrior apprentice who first appears at a Gathering with his mentor, Tornear. The ThunderClan apprentice Berrypaw announces that he's going to go talk to him, and his sister Hazelpaw follows. Later, after ThunderClan and WindClan work together to drive a pack of dogs away from the latter's territory, Harepaw appears briefly with Tornear as well as the ThunderClan warriors Graystripe and Millie.
==== Dark River ====
Harepaw and his Clanmate Breezepaw chase after a squirrel near the ThunderClan border, nearly crossing it before a warrior of the neighboring Clan named Dustpelt calls for them to stop. The two are surprised and stop, and when their mentors come to join them, they're angry at the two for nearly crossing the border. Harepaw then lets it slip that he and Breezepaw were hunting squirrels because they couldn't find enough rabbits in the moorlands.
During a border skirmish between WindClan and ThunderClan, Harepaw and Breezepaw get into a fight with Brightheart. Lionpaw then starts battling Breezepaw, and Harepaw fights Hazelpaw, who chases him away before his Clan retreats from the battle. As he runs, Hazelpaw tauntingly calls out to him that he should go back to living in the nursery like a kit.
While patrolling near ThunderClan again with Tornear, Nightcloud and Owlwhisker, Harepaw happens upon a patrol from the neighboring Clan waiting for them. The two patrols talk, and the WindClan cats agree to take the ThunderClan medicine can Leafpool and her apprentice Jaypaw to go see Onestar, with Tornear telling Harepaw and Owlwhisker to stay at the border to make sure the rest of ThunderClan's patrol doesn't try to trespass.
==== Eclipse ====
Harepaw is now a warrior named Harespring, and is the first to confront a trespassing ThunderClan patrol while he's out with Ashfoot and Owlwhisker. He hisses at the patrol's leader Brambleclaw to stay where he is, attacking when the brown tabby tries to move forward anyways. Brambleclaw easily pins him down, but releases him when Ashfoot tells him to, and takes his patrol back to ThunderClan. Later, as WindClan raids ThunderClan, Harespring fights Lionpaw as he and his Clanmates try to cover up an entrance to an underground tunnels system connecting the two Clans. Soon RiverClan and ShadowClan get involved as well, and all four retreat when a solar eclipse interrupts the battle.
=== Omen of the Stars ===
==== Fading Echoes ====
While training in the Dark Forest, Breezepelt brags to Tigerstar that he can already defeat both Harespring and Leaftail in battle. Later, when Dovepaw and Ivypaw of ThunderClan are caught sneaking into WindClan camp, Onestar orders Harespring to go search for any more ThunderClan cats in the territory with Owlwhisker and Leaftail.
==== The Forgotten Warrior ====
Harespring, Breezepelt, Heathertail, Weaselfur, Whiskernose and Furzepelt all meet with Sol in the underground tunnels in privet, where the rogue tells them of a pan to ambush ThunderClan through the tunnels. This plan goes awry however, when Hollyleaf uses her knowledge of the tunnels to teach her Clanmates how to fight in them, allowing them to counter the ambush.
==== The Last Hope ====
Harespring, Sunstrike and Larkpaw are all revealed to be training in the Dark Forest when Ivypool, Birchfall and Mousewhisker go to meet them at the border to practice the moves they've learned. When the battle against the Clans begins, Harespring turns against the Dark Forest will all of the other trainees, aside from Breezepelt and Redwillow.
=== Crowfeather's Trial ===
Following Ashfoot's death in the battle against the Dark Forest, Harespring is made the new deputy of WindClan. While the Clan honors their fallen Clanmates, Onestar tells him to set down the final stone for Ashfoot, and Harespring says that she served her Clan well. Crowfeather wonders why the brown-and-white tom was chosen as deputy over himself after training in the Dark Forest.
When Crowfeather's apprentice Featherpaw suggests the apprentices and their mentors all hunt together, the newly-named deputy agrees, which irritates Crowfeather, as Harespring was the last cat he wanted to hang out with. When the hunting party is about to head out, Harespring gathers them together with a sweep of his tail and tells them that Onestar wants them to go by the ThunderClan border, as he had caught weird scents and noticed a lack of prey in the area, suspecting the neighboring Clan of stealing. As he leads the patrol, he comments cheerfully that he has a good feeling that prey will be bountiful today. Crowfeather thinks about how the deputy should be aware of the tension between him and his ex-mate Nightcloud, meanwhile, Harespring falls silent when he sees a rabbit across the moor. Nightcloud runs after and catches it, which both the brown-and-white tom and Crowfeather congratulate her for, though she only thanks the former for his praise.
As the group continues to hunt, Harespring stops and asks Featherpaw if something's wrong, to which she says she spots a rabbit's ears poking out, and he tells her she answered correctly. He then remarks that the rabbit will catch their scent and flee before they can get close enough to pounce, asking what her what they should do, praising Hootpaw when he answers that they should hunt as a team to cut it off as it flees. The deputy then tells Crowfeather to chase the rabbit towards him when he gives the signal. The dark gray tom gets a different idea on how to catch it, but reminds himself that Harespring is the deputy. Harespring then tries getting into position, but before he can, a gust of wind carries his scent to the rabbit, and it runs away. The brown-and-white warrior yowls in frustration while Crowfeather catches the rabbit and drops it at his paws. Looking a but discomforted, the deputy suggests they go to the stream to let the apprentices try hunting. As they go there though, he halts and comments that Onestar said there was something strange around the area, suggesting they should go find out what it is. he doesn't recognize the scent though, and concludes that whatever it was is long gone now.
As they continue hunting, Harespring tells Nightcloud that if the scent from before was stale, then the prey has probably come back by now, though she isn't convinced. Soon after the group splits up, Harespring and Slightpaw rush over to Crowfeather and Hootpaw, saying they saw something that looked like glowing white cat in the tunnels. Hootpaw is convinced that it's a ghost, but Crowfeather doubts this, even after the deputy says that a kittypet named Smokey told him that some kittypets stay in the living world as ghosts after they die to visit their owners. The two then stare at each other for a moment before Harespring looks away, embarrassed. Crowfeather thinks that Harespring is a mouse-brain who can't catch rabbits and now believes in wandering spirits. The deputy is about to argue when the dark gray tom tells everyone to head back to camp, but quickly snaps his mouth shut and sends the apprentices home first. he then says that he believes what Hootpaw said about it being a ghost. He disagrees that it was just a white animal, but decides to tell Onestar anyways since they were supposed to check that area anyways, and the Clan needs to be prepared in case its something important. Crowfeather thinks that Harespring might not be so bad after all.
Back at camp, Harespring tells Onestar about what they saw in the tunnels and what Smokey had said about ghosts. The leader objects to his idea of sending a patrol to search the tunnels, causing Crowfeather to once again question his choice of deputy, and wonder if he chose Harespring to send a message that he trusted the former Dark Forest trainees. After Kestrelflight tells the Clan that he had a vision of the tunnels during a Clan meeting, Weaselfur worries that it means the tunnels will flood again, and Harespring says that he could be right, adding that he scented something weird at the entrance. Onestar then changes his mind and sends a patrol lead by the deputy to investigate.
Harespring gathers Crowfeather, Nightcloud, Breezepelt, Heathertail and Furzepelt other cats to investigate the tunnels with him at sunhigh. At the entrance, he has everyone pair up, pairing Crowfeather and Heathertail, Nightcloud and Breezepelt, and having Furzepelt stay with him. Crowfeather asks what they'll do next, to which the deputy explains that it depends on what they'll find, and all of them will meet back up at the entrance soon, hoping StarClan will watch over them. The group then splits up and starts searching, their deputy warning them to be careful.
Soon four of the six cats meet up outside the tunnels, with Breezepelt and Nightcloud not there. The deputy notices that both Crowfeather and Heathertail are hurt, telling them to go to Kestrelflight when they get home. When asked if he and Furzepelt found anything, he reports that they got lost and didn't see anything important, not keen on going back in. The group waits until sunset for Nightcloud and Breezepelt to return, with Harespring wondering if they got lost as well. Soon an injured Breezepelt bursts out of the tunnels, followed by a hoard of white stoats. The patrol tries fighting the stoats off, but are overwhelmed and must flee. Breezepelt then explains that the stoats attacked him and his mother, which resulted in them getting separated. Despite multiple search parties being sent out for her over the next few days, no one is able to find Nightcloud. They then mourn her when she is presumed dead after Crowfeather finds a pool of her blood with the scent of foxes nearby.
=== Bramblestar's Storm ===
Bramblestar sees Harespring trespassing into ThunderClan and heading towards the stream with a patrol of his apprentice Slightpaw, Heathertail and Crowfeather. He thinks about confronting them, but decides against it, as he couldn't fight them off with only a kittypet sheltering in ThunderClan named Jessy at his side. A patrol lead by Squirrelflight then chases the intruders back over the border soon after, with the WindClan cats looking disheveled but unharmed. As they flee, Harespring stops for a moment to turn and hiss at the ThunderClan cats.
=== A Vision of Shadows ===
==== The Apprentice's Quest ====
At Alderpaw's and Sparkpaw's first Gathering, the latter's mentor Cherryfall points Harespring out to them, telling them that he's the deputy of WindClan. When Kestrelflight announces that a new prophecy has been delivered from StarClan - "Embrace what you find in the shadows, for only they can clear the sky" - Harespring is the first to speak up about it, asking what it means. Kestrelflight responds that the medicine cats aren't sure yet, which disappoints him.
==== Thunder and Shadow ====
At the Gathering, Harespring is speaking with the other deputies, commenting that all of ShadowClan's apprentices have left to join a group of rogues known as The Kin. Harespring later escorts Kestrelflight to the Moonpool for the half-moon meeting, with Jayfeather and Alderpaw nodding to him as they pass by. At the meeting, Kestrelflight glances to the deputy as he says that there may be a peaceful way to get Onestar to lend some lungwort to the sick ShadowClan warriors, but they'll need to ask StarClan first. After visiting StarClan, the medicine cat says that their ancestors said it was ok, 
==== Shattered Sky ====
As Sleekwhisker, one of the ShadowClan cats who joined The Kin, notices the Clans approaching The Kin's camp, Harespring shakes his head and says they've lost the element of surprise while looking at his paws. When The Kin later attacks WindClan, Harespring leaps to his leader's aid, but is blocked Nettle, a member of The Kin. He then asks The Kin's leader Darktail how he could know Onestar so well, to which Darktail announces that his knowledge about their leader is going to make every WindClan cat's fur stand on end, the deputy asks Onestar what he's talking about.
After The Kin's retreat, Harespring tells his Clanmates to keep an eye out for Darktail and his warriors as he assigns patrols, warning them not to fight any they find unless as a last resort. When the Bramblestar and Rowanstar visit WindClan, Harespring tells them that Onestar won't speak to them until RiverClan's leader Mistystar has arrived as well. Once she does show up, the deputy slips into the leader's den, and comes out with Onestar a moment later. 
During the final battle against The Kin, Darktail and Onestar drown each other in the lake, causing The Kin to disband, and Harespring succeeds Onestar as the leader of WindClan.
=== Onestar's Confession ===
Harespring goes to the Moonpool to receive nine lives from StarClan. There, the spirit of Onestar witnesses him being given his sixth, seventh and eighth lives from Windstar, Gorsestar and Moth Flight. Finally, Onestar approaches to grant him his final life, giving him a life of honesty and telling him to always speak the truth. Harespring then officially becomes the new leader of WindClan, earning the name Harestar.
=== Crowfeather's Trial (cont.) ===
After becoming leader, Harestar returns to camp to call his first Clan meeting. He announces that Crowfeather will be the new deputy, which stuns the dark gray tom. Harestar asks for his answer, and he says that he'd be honored to be deputy.
=== A Vision of Shadows (cont.) ===
==== Darkest Night ====
At his first Gathering as a leader, Harespring makes his way to the leader's tree as Bramblestar dips his head in respect at him. During the meeting, as cats challenge Rowanstar's leadership and blame him for letting Darktail rise to power, Harestar defends him and Onestar, Darktail's father, by pointing out that The Kin's leader chose his own path. Mistystar responds that he speaks wisely, saying she's glad StarClan has given him nine lives and wishing him a good leadership. A bit later, when Mistystar announces that RiverClan won't attend the next Gathering, he asks why that is and is shocked when she explains that her Clan will be closing their borders for a while. The leaders then talk about SkyClan's arrival and whether or not they should move to the lake or go back to their old home at a far away gorge, with Harestar saying that them staying at the lake would make the Clans stronger overall. Eventually they reach an agreement that SkyClan's territory will be between ThunderClan and ShadowClan.
After Alderheart gets a vision about a cat with six toes, Kestrelflight says that his leader thinks it means that the Clans' problems will get worse, an as a result has started organizing more patrols. Alderheart later visits WindClan to talk about this six-toed cat, and notes that Harestar is looking at him nervously the whole time. When he leaves, Alderheart thinks that the only thing the visit accomplished was making the leader anxious.
==== River of Fire ====
As an outbreak of illness sweeps through ThunderClan, RiverClan and WindClan, Alderheart notices that his Clan's herb supply is running low because Harestar doesn't want to start trouble with RiverClan by gathering herbs by their closed borders. Later, after Twigpaw and Finpaw sneak out to hunt, the former accidentally crosses into WindClan and is caught by a patrol, with Smokepaw being sent back to camp to tell Harestar what happened while the rest of the patrol escorst Twigpaw out.
After a fire burns down RiverClan's camp, Nightcloud tells the evacuated warriors that Harestar would be willing to shelter them in WindClan for a bit. At the next Gathering, Harestar announces that his Clan is doing well, and that Smokepaw and Brindlepaw have become warriors, earning the names Smokehaze and Brindlewing. Bramblestar asks him to send a patrol to help rebuild RiverClan's camp, which he agrees to.
==== The Raging Storm ====
At the Gathering, the medicine cats announce that they've gotten a message about the five Clans needing to stick together, including SkyClan. This starts an argument among the leaders, with SkyClan's leader Leafstar deciding angrily that her Clan will be returning to the gorge due to ShadowClan constantly antagonizing them. Harestar and Bramblestar offer to give up some of their territory for SkyClan, but Mistystar and Tigerstar insist that the fifth Clan doesn't belong at the lake, making Leafstar sure of her decision to leave. Once the Clan departs, the cats of WindClan and RiverClan wish they had stayed, so the leaders send a search party to brig them back. Once they return, the leaders all come to an agreement at the next Gathering to give up a bit of their territory to make room for SkyClan.
=== Squirrelflight's Hope ===
Harestar calls for an emergency meeting between all the leaders and deputies of the Clans, and on the way there Squirrelflight wonders if he'd called them all to complain about the territory WindClan had lost while making room for SkyClan, thinking that he couldn't complain now that that land belonged to ThunderClan. She asks Bramblestar why he thinks he called one, and he responds that the brown-and-white tom's messenger Emberfoot didn't say. Squirrelflight wonders if the WindClan leader actually has something important to discuss, and Bramblestar says that there wouldn't be any other reason to call a meeting.
At the meeting, Harestar is sitting next to Leafstar and Tigerstar, nodding to Bramblestar and Squirrelflight to sit at the pool of moonlight they've gathered around when the two arrive. Squirrelflight looks into his eyes, but his gaze is unreadable, and the deputy is unnerved by the tension she senses from him, Tigerstar and Leafstar. Mistystar then arrives, bowing her head as she greet the WindClan leader, to which he greet her back with a blink. Harestar then tells everyone that he's called them together because there's a problem with SkyClan, which surprises Leafstar, and Squirrelflight wonders if he's already spoken to Mistystar and Tigerstar about this judging by the looks they give Leafstar. 
The brown-and-white tom then explains that it's been three moons since SkyClan had moved in, and in that time he's come to see the problem with having the other Clans shift their borders. Leafstar asks what he means, and he continues that though StarClan has approved of the fifth Clan living at the lake, the other four having to adjust their borders to make room has left them with territory they can't use, which Mistystar and Tigerstar agree on. He then gives an example of ThunderClan taking some of WindClan's moor, which they're unable to use, and is unconvinces when Bramblestar says that they do use it, and how Larksong caught a rabbit there yesterday. Harestar narrows his eyes at this, asking why he only caught one, and when Bramblestar responds that one was all he needed, the WindClan leader says that his warriors would've caught three. Bramblestar angrily asks if that's an insult, but Harestar says it isn't, he's just pointing out how ThunderClan cats aren't trained to hunt on the moor.
Leafstar asks irritably if he wants SkyClan to leave again, saying he'll have to tell StarClan if he does. He assures her that he doesn't want her Clan to leave, and in response to Squirrelflight telling him that SkyClan has moved enough already, meets her gaze and says that WindClan is growing and Featherpelt is expecting kits, so they'll need land they can use. Leafstar replies that her Clan is growing as well with Violetshine also expecting, to which Harestar says that all of the Clans are growing, so none should hold on to territory they can't use. Bramblestar retorts that ThunderClan uses all its land, and Squirrelflight suggests that SkyClan moves to the big patch of land near the abandoned twoleg house, with Harestar backing this idea up, as SkyClan is now apart of the lake and shouldn't be left out. The leaders start to argue however, so he dips his head and says that they should at least hear Squirrelflight's idea out. Tigerstar says he hopes SkyClan will come around to the suggestion after Leafstar leaves, with Harestar agreeing that it'd solve all their territory problems.
As they head back to camp, Bramblestar and Squirrelflight quarrel about the latter's idea, with the orange she-cat telling him to remember what Harestar and Mistystar said about the Clans growing. In camp, the deputy overhears Mousewhisker and Thriftpaw discuss trying to hunt on the moor, admitting that the WindClan leader was right about the patch of land going to waste. She later meets up with Leafstar to tell her this, and later still Sparkpelt tells her mate Larksong that Lionblaze said Harestar was causing trouble, to which the black tom responds that him being the one to cause trouble is a first. Soon after, Squirrelflight and Leafstar find that the land near the abandoned house is being occupied by a large group of she-cats known as The Sisters, who agree to let SkyClan have the land once their pregnant leader Moonlight's future kits are old enough to journey with them somewhere else. Squirrelflight wonders if Harestar will be patient enough to wait until then.
At the next Gathering, the leaders begin conversing about The Sisters, with Harestar convinced that they're a threat to the Clans, agreeing to Tigerstar's decision to battle them. He yowls that StarClan has declared for the Clans to be united, and that WindClan honors this by standing with ShadowClan. He then comments on how StarClan has been silent recently, concluding that it must mean they want to Clans to make their own decisions, but Bramblestar protests that StarClan wouldn't be silent on a matter of war, and that their plan to attack The Sisters isn't unified, as SkyClan disagrees with it. Tigerstar then exchanges glances with Harestar and Mistystar before the three climb down the Great Oak.
Bramblestar and Squirrelflight go to speak with Harestar after the latter catches a patrol lead by Breezepelt tressspassing onto ThunderClan's part of the moor. When they arrive in camp, they tell Slightfoot why they're there, and Harestar slips out of the leader's den, nose twitching. When he sees the leader and eputy, he tells his warriors to bring them over, asking what they want to talk about. bramblestar explains how Breezepelt's patrol was trespassing, and Squirrelflight accuses the brown-and-white tom of sending them over the border on purpose. Harestar falls silent at this, saying that ThunderClan has no use for the moor when Bramblestar asks if he's trying to reclaim it. He then explains that the winds of the moor carry the ThunderClan cats' scent, which scares the prey into fleeing to WindCLan territory, then asks why bramblestar is wasting time instead of just giving the land back already. Bramblestar reuses, saying that they all agreed to give up a bit of land for SkyClan, and that ThunderClan had given up the most. Harestar replies that they could just take the land they've given back, and that by delaying SkyClan's move, he should be the one to suffer the consequences. Lashing his tail, the brown tabby retorts that as long as it's greenleaf, there is enough prey to feed his Clan, and that the borders will be adjusted once The Sisters leave.
Squirrelflight wonders if Harestar demanding his land back was him trying to get ThunderClan to agree to ShadowClan's plan to attack The Sisters, while the WindCLan leader asks why they should wait to give the land up if they have enough prey. The brown tabby hesitates for a moment, with his deputy silently agreeing that it's hard to argue with that logic. He then dips his head and allows WindClan to hunt on the patch of land until SkyClan moves, but until then the borders will stay the same, meaning they'll have to share it with ThunderClan. Crowfeather then inquires as to why they should let ThunderClan mark their land, to which his leader replies ominisly that it won't be for long, the two seeming to share a thought as their eyes meet. Harestar then turns back to Bramblestar and agrees to the terms, agreeing to the amber-eyed leader's request to keep it a secret from the other Clans as well.
At the next Gathering, Harestar looks at Mistystar and Tigerstar suspiciously as they all sit on the Great Oak. The leaders then talk about The Sisters, with Harestar asking Leafstar why SkyClan should wait to take the territory. Bramblestar asks the others to respect Leafstar's decision to wait for The Sisters to leave on their own, the brown-and-white leader flattens his ears and replies that she clearly wants their land, and ThunderClan's leader says she only wants it after they leave. SkyClan's mediator Tree then begrudgingly agrees to talk to his mother Moonlight to see if The Sisters can leave earlier, Harestar nodding and adding that they shouldn't fight if they don't need to. Despite this, in a later meeting Harestar says that they could drive The Sisters out in a single battle, doubting they'll leave when Squirrelflight says they'll be gone in about a month, saying that they know the Clans want that land. Mistystar agrees with this, and Bramblestar says they must be driven out, the brown-and-white leader saying they should do so sooner rather than later. The ThunderClan leader tells his deputy that The Sisters need to go, with Harestar adding that they won't go until they're driven out, to which Squirrelflight asks if it's worth attacking Moonlight and her unborn kits.
Leafstar suggests the drive them out through intimidation instead, Harestar goes back to agreeing that they shouldn't fight, hopefully asking Bramblestar if the plan is settled on when the brown tabby agrees to this, and Bramblestar says they should bring patrols with them in case a fight breaks out. Leafstar then says that she won't be bringing one, making Harestar exclaim that it was her suggestion, though she ignores him. As the leaders leave, Harestar says that it's nice to see Bramblestar taking charge of his Clan again, to which Squirrelflight snarls that ThunderClan cats can have their own opinions.
The Clans go to confront The Sisters, where Harestar says they've come to speak to Moonlight while looking hostile. Squirrelflight begs them to leave The Sisters alone, to which Harestar hisses that warriors never back down, preparing to pounce. Sunrise retorts that The Sisters never back down either, lunging for Harestar. The two wrestle, and a battle erupts between the two groups, both of them sinking into the fighting cats. The Sisters refuse to leave, and Harestar tells her that she's outnumbered, but she retorts that The Sisters won't back down. As they fight in the caves, the Clans realize that Moonlight's kits have already been born and hesitate to keep fighting. After a cave-in kills Moonlight and Leafpool, the battle is stopped and the two groups eventually agree to have SkyClan and The Sisters share the territory for the time being while Violetshine nurses Moonlight's kits.
=== The Broken Code ===
==== Lost Stars ====
Harestar reports at the Gathering that WindClan is suffering through leafbare just like all the other Clans, with little shelter and all the prey fleeing. He worries what they'll all do, as it's the worst and longest leafbare that anyone can remember, with Jayfeather adding that it's also the longest the medicine cats have gone without any messages from StarClan. Harestar then shares some good news by announcing that Woodpaw and Applepaw are now warrior apprentices, mentored by their older sisters, Smokehaze and Brindlewing respectively. ShadowClan's new medicine cat apprentice Shadowpaw is then revealed to have gotten a vision from StarClan about a darkness in the Clans, Mallownose of RiverClan says that it's odd that he's the only one their ancestors contacted, with Harestar agreeing and wondering why that is.
When the medicine cats find at their meeting that the Moonpool has been frozen over, Mothwing suggests they don't tell their leaders, but Kestrelflight protests this, saying he doesn't want to lie to Harestar. Later, the five leaders gather at the Moonpool with some of their other cats to try and thaw or break the ice, thinking that's why StarClan is silent. He and the other leaders glance towards Squirrelflight when her son Alderheart asks what they should do. SkyClan's medicine cat Frecklewish then remarks that they need to do everything they can to get rid of the ice, which the brown-and-white tom agrees with, adding that WindClan has suffered the hardest through the leafbare as his cats are starving and unable to catch anything, and they need StarClan's guidance.
At an emergency Gathering, Harestar wonders why StarClan is only choosing to talk to Shadowpaw and not any fully-trained medicine cat. Shadowpaw then says he had received another vision about fire in the center of the lake, the leader of WindClan asks if it's connected to the vision message. Squirrelflight then admits that Bramblestar has been acting very strange recently, and Harestar responds that once he recovers, they can discuss what the visions of fire and darkness mean, and how to drive them out.
At another emergency Gathering, Harestar is the first leader to speak, looking down warmly at Shadowpaw and saying he's impressed by what he's heard about the apprentice being able to cure Bramblestar by burying him in snow, even if it cost the ThunderClan leader a life. He then tells Tigerstar that he now believes his faith in his son's unique connection to their ancestors, with Shadowpaw being glad that he finally has a little bit of support. 
Bramblestar then begins to talk about how he lost his first of nine lives while being cured, Harestar asks him if StarClan spoke to him before he was revived, to which the brown tabby says yes. The other leaders are silent for a moment, causing Bramblestar to angrily asks if they're questioning him. The five then begin discussing the vision of darkness, with Harestar fearing that it means the Dark Forest will attack again, though Kestrelflight doubts this. Mosspelt then suggests it could be about cats who've broken the warrior code, and the brown-and-white tom looks over the crowd below, asking if any of them want to confess to codebreaking. He then says that the codebreakers admitting their mistakes may bring StarClan back, which makes the crowd uneasy. As the leaders continue to converse, he says that it would make sense for StarClan may be upset about codebreaking, and it may mean that the Clans were too forgiving to codebreakers in the past.
==== The Silent Thaw ====
Harestar gestures to Kestrelflight to speak at the next Gathering, and the medicine cat reports that StarClan is still silent, wondering if the simply have nothing to share. At the Gathering after, when Bramblestar announces that StarClan will only come back if cats who broke the code are punished, Harestar wonders what kind of punishment they have in mind. Bramblestar then accuses Mistystar of being one such codebreaker due to being born from a forbidden relationship between a ThunderClan warrior and a RiverClan one, but Harestar defends her, calling Bramblestar a bully. When Squirrelflight tries convincing WindClan's leader that Bramblestar has been possessed ever since he lost his first life, he doesn't believe her, simply turning her away.
==== Veil of Shadows ====
Harestar is conflicted when Bramblestar presses for him to banish Crowfeather for being a codebreaker at the Gathering. He reluctantly does so, thinking that doing so may bring StarClan back and end the famine and heavy rain WindClan has endured. Nightcloud and Breezepelt protest against this, to which Harestar exasperatedly yowls that he doesn't have a choice. Crowfeather then tells his leader that he'll leave if it will help the Clan, but doubts it will. After finding out from Rootspring and Shadowsight that Bramblestar is in fact possessed, Kestrelflight is hesitant to tell the brown-and-white tom. When he does, Harestar dismisses it, saying that Rootspring and Shadowsight have always been odd.
WindClan joins ThunderClan and RiverClan in a battle against ShadowClan, SkyClan and the exiled rebels. Harestar fights Lionblaze, one of the exiles, and sustains a fatal slash to the throat, losing his first life. This causes the fight to almost completely halt, with the warriors of WindClan fearful that StarClan's silence means that their leader will not be revived. He does come back though, and leans against Crowfeather's side for support, visibly shaken. He says that while he was being revived by StarClan, the ancestors were hazy and blurred. Crowfeather then challenges Bramblestar for lying about StarClan, but the tabby tom dismisses Harestar as a liar. Harestar then announces that StarClan had also told him that Bramblestar really is possessed by an imposter, causing his supporters to turn against him immediately. The false leader is then defeated by Tigerstar and taken prisoner by ShadowClan.
At the next Gathering, Harestar announces that Crowfeather has been welcomed back into WindClan and is now deputy once more. He then says that while the spirit possessing Bramblestar is evil, he wonders if they were right about punishing codebreakers being the only way to bring back StarClan. Tigerstar then reports that Shadowsight had visited the Dark Forest and seen stars trapped in a pond there, and Harestar says in dismay that he had seen StarClan in distress when he had lost a life.
==== Darkness Within ====
At the Gathering, Harestar is skeptical when Squirrelflight announces that the spirit possessing Bramblestar is likely her ex-mate Ashfur, thinking that Ashfur would only have conflict with ThunderClan, not all five Clans. He helps in the orange she-cat's plan to trich Ashfur into revealing himself though, and once he's convinced he sends some of his warriors to ShadowClan to guard him until the five leaders can all decide what to do with him. Harestar then attends a mass vigil for Ashfur's victims, during which Rootspring recalls how he described StarClan as hazy.
The leaders then meet with Tree and Rootspring when the two yellow toms express concerns about all of the recently killed cats being in danger and unable to pass on to StarClan. As they speak about Bramblestar's spirit, Harestar suggests that he may just be waiting for a chance to take his body back from Ashfur, though Tigerstar disagrees, thinking that the brown tabby may be gone forever. Tree then suggests going to The Sisters for help, and Harestar is suspicious, but agrees so long as they won't stay in WindClan.
Once The Sisters arrive, Harestar, Crowfeather, Breezepelt and Kestrelflight go to SkyClan's camp to see them performing a summoning ritual there. The Sisters and Rootspring briefly witness the ghosts appear while crying out in agony, while Ashfur's spirit gives a pleased look, which shocks everyone else. At an emergency Gathering, Harestar agrees with everyone but Squirrelflight to kill Bramblestar's body to get rid of Ashfur, and she concedes to let them. When they arrive at ShadowClan's camp though, they find that the prisoner has disappeared with the leader's body.
==== The Place of No Stars ====
Harestar and Tree go to the Moonpool, where Bristlefrost of ThunderClan tells the latter that his son Rootspring has been taken captive in the Dark Forest. That night, after Shadowsight is sent to the Dark Forest to save Rootspring, Harestar goes home with everyone else, leaving Bristlefrost, Tree, Dovewing and Tigerstar at the Moonpool.
==== A Light in the Mist ====
When Shadowsight returns from the Dark Forest, he tells the leaders that they need reinforcements to stop Ashfur, though they're all hesitant to send any of there warriors to such a dangerous place. They're also skeptical of trying to save the rapidly-shrinking Dark Forest until Shadowsight explains that it's connected to StarClan, which is being destroyed as well. At Ivypool's and Tree's insistence, the leaders eventually agree to send some reinforcements to rescue Bristlefrost and Rootspring. Though reluctant to endanger his deputy, Harestar agrees to let Crowfeather go in with the others.
Half a moon after Ashfur's defeat, the other leaders welcome the real Bramblestar back at the Gathering. Afterwards, the leaders all agree to revise the warrior code so that cats like Ashfur could not abuse it in the future.
=== A Starless Clan ===
==== River ====
At the Gathering, Harestar and the other leaders approve of the revised warrior code, and say that now StarClan needs to approve of it as well before it can become final. Later, when Hootwhisker steals a vole from ThunderClan and Bramblestar refuses to do anything about it, Squirrelflight takes Sparkpelt and Flamepaw to speak to Harestar about it. Crowfeather talks to them in the leader's place though, and promises to give them some prey in exchange. At the next Gathering, Harestar asks Bramblestar if his Clan enjoyed the shrew WindClan gave them to make up for the vole. The leaders then announce that StarClan has approved of the revised code, and the brown-and-white tom then says that Fernstripe is leaving WindClan to be with her mate Shellfur in ThunderClan.
==== Sky ====
An emergency Gathering is called to discuss the shortage of catmint in the Clans, however during the meeting, Harestar, Leafstar and Tigerstar instead question the athority of RiverClan's new leader Owlnose and his deputy Splashtail. After Owlnose admits that StarClan had denied giving him nine lives, Tigerstar suggests that he lead RiverClan until they could find an official leader, though this idea is protested by the other Clans. Later, after Leafstar sends Fidgetflake to RiverClan to help Owlnose get nine lives, he asks the Clan's medicine cat apprentice Frostpaw why she didn't tell WindClan about a dog pack nearby as the pass the spot the dogs had killed her mother Curlfeather on the way to the Moonpool, adding that Harestar has reported finding the bones of prey in his Clan's territory.
==== Shadow ====
At the Gathering, while Leafstar chastises Tigerstar for taking over RiverClan, Harestar and Bramblestar agree with the ShadowClan leader's reasoning that the Clan needs someone to keep it organized until it can get a new leader.
== Trivia ==
* Harestar is one of author Kate Cary's least favorite characters, since she sees him as selfish and is annoyed by his lack of altruism.
* He is mistakenly called Harespring after becoming leader on pages 263 and 265 of Darkest Night.
== External links ==
Harestar on the Warriors Wiki
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