Dear readers, with the end of the week-end we are nearing the end of Jade's adventures; at least, her adventures in first year. I realize I have been spoiling you by posting chapters after chapters this week-end but this will end as I will be going back to class starting tomorrow. I hope you will like this chapter and I promise I will try to continue posting regularly.


Jade was indulging in the fascinating activity of doing nothing. She loved doing nothing, especially when she was around someone working. It had the tendency to unnerve the worker deeply which highly amused the raven haired girl. So she was staring out the window with a completely blank stare, while Hermione was frantically writing her History of Magic essay. At some point, Hermione snapped. Jade, who had predicted and awaited this moment, hid a smile.

"Jade! Isn't there something else you should be doing?" asked the girl positively furious.

The raven haired girl had to hold herself back from laughing.

"And what, exactly, could be more interesting than staring nostalgically at the distant fog?" asked Jade with the air of a misunderstood poet.

"Oh let me think…Doing your homework maybe?" asked Hermione sarcastically.

Jade looked at her as if she had said the stupidest thing possible.

"Hermione, why should I need to work, when I am already the epitome of perfection?" she asked calmly.

She heard Seamus snicker behind her but ignored the boy, gazing relentlessly at her friend. Jade had to fight extremely hard not to laugh as she looked at the girl's dishevelled appearance and angry stare. This was just too good! Not to mention, Hermione would be even more disgusted when she saw the perfect work Jade would give to Professor Binns the following day. Truth be told, she had spent hours the night before doing the blasted essay so that she could have her bit of fun.

"Jade! McGonagall asked me to pass this to you."

The raven haired girl welcomed the distraction, namely Alicia Spinnet a Chaser for Gryffindor, with a dazzling smile.

"Thank you." she said taking the note the older girl was holding.

Alicia rolled her eyes at Jade and left to join her friends by the fire. The raven haired girl unfolded the paper and read the message.

"Our detention is tonight." she told the girl facing her. "We're supposed to meet Filch in the Entrance Hall at eleven."

Hermione who had gone back to her essay, nodded quickly not averting her eyes from her paper. Jade rolled her eyes at her friend and left to tell Neville about the detention. She found the boy and quickly passed the message to him. Then as she still had a little time before dinner she decided to go and take a walk. She stepped out of the Common Room and walked down the stairs. She didn't really have a particular destination in mind so she simply wandered the corridors randomly. As she rounded a second floor corridor she heard two voices arguing in low voices. She flattened herself against the wall and got as close as she dared to.

"…don't know why you wanted to meet here of all places, Severus"

Jade tensed. This was Quirell's voice. And Severus? That would be Severus Snape.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private, students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone after all." said Snape's voice. "Have you found out a way to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"but, Severus, I-" Quirell sounded more frightened than usual which would not normally have thought possible but now that she was faced with the facts…

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Snape's voice was threatening.

"I don't know what you-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean." snapped the Potions Master before lowering his voice so that Jade could only hear a few words. "- your little bit of hocus pocus. I'm waiting"

"But I don't-" said Quirell with a quivering voice.

"Very well. We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie." said Snape in a tone that promised hell.

Deciding that she had heard enough, Jade quietly fled the scene of the crime…fine the scene of the blackmail. She decided it was probably wiser to go back to the Common Room rather hang around and possibly get caught by either of the two. She climbed back up to Gryffindor Tower and stopped in front of the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout." said the raven haired girl.

The portrait swung to the side and the girl entered the common room. She hurried over to Hermione and dragged towards the boy's dormitory where she knew Ron and Christopher were. The raven haired girl told them about the conversation she had just heard.

"Snape was threatening Quirell?" asked Hermione for the third time.

"Yes, Hermione. And yes, I am sure I heard correctly." snapped Jade. "Anyway this confirms our suspicions on Snape."

"Should we tell Dumbledore?" asked Christopher.

"We don't have proof, Chris! He probably wouldn't believe us." said Jade shaking her head.

"Jade's right. We need proof." agreed Hermione.

"How about we find proof later?" suggested Ron. "I'm starving."

"Not to mention we have exams starting tomorrow." added Hermione.

"Yes, because exams are so much more important than the Philosopher's Stone." grumbled Jade under her breath but she followed her friends down to the Great Hall anyway.

After dinner, Hermione and Jade stayed and studied until it was time for their detention. It wasn't that Jade wanted to study but seeing as Hermione was the only person left and she just happened to be studying, there wasn't much left to do. And they did have exams the day after so she might as well study a little. At precisely quarter to eleven, Hermione snapped her book and the two girls walked down to the Entrance Hall. They joined Neville and Malfoy there and Filch arrived moments later.

"You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight." said the man with a delighted expression. "In the forest." he added gleefully, which was actually rather creepy on him.

The forest. At night. Well, that was just dandy, wasn't it? Jade had always dreamed of having detention at night in the bloody forest! No really, what in Merlin's name were they thinking? Did they realize that safety in numbers didn't apply for excursions in the forest? They probably didn't, or else they would have made them write lines or scrub cauldrons.

The Caretaker led them down the stony path, towards Hagrid's hut. As they neared the wooden cabin, the half-giant came out with his dog. After exchanging greetings, Filch left the group and marched back to the castle.

"Right." said Hagrid. "There's been somethin' killin' unicorns in the forest, so we'll be lookin' for that tonight."

He glanced at the four children.

"Ya all know how to make sparks with ya wand?" the students nodded. "Right. So we'll make two teams. Jade ya can go with Malfoy and Hermione an' Neville. One group will go with me and the other can take Fangs."

"Alright." said Malfoy quickly. "But we're taking Fangs."

"Suit yarself, but he's a bloody coward." said Hagrid motioning to the dog.

Malfoy paled but didn't say anything.

"If ya find anything send red sparks." said Hagrid.

The man gave Malfoy a lamp and ordered Fangs to follow them. Jade walked into the forest with Malfoy by her side and the dog slightly ahead.

"Wait until my father hears of this." complained Malfoy.

"Your father is not here right now, Malfoy." snapped Jade before he could say more. "Too bad but you will have to do something for yourself, for once."

The boy didn't reply and retreated in an angry silence. Jade didn't really mind, she wasn't going to insist on having a conversation with someone she hated.

The two children walked further into the forest. From time to time they would hear a wolf howling or some other kind of wild animal. Malfoy would dart glances all around and move a little closer to Jade. The girl wasn't so obvious about her fear, she simply clenched her teeth and continued walking, her hand never far from her wand. They walked cautiously between the trees. They passed a tree that seemed to have been struck by thunder and entered in a clearing.

The two children froze. In the middle of the clearing was a shadow bent on a unicorn's body. The unicorn's blood, a thick silver liquid was forming a puddle in the grass. Slowly, as if it had been put in slow motion, the shadow turned towards them. The unicorns blood was dripping where Jade figured was the…the thing's lips. She couldn't be sure as its face was covered by a hood. Malfoy let out a piercing scream and ran away with Fangs on his heels. Jade vaguely thought she should do the same, but her legs refused to move. She stood there frozen on the spot and shaking slightly as the shadow slowly moved towards her. She barely realized the centaur had entered the clearing. In her confused daze she saw a man with the lower body of a horse chase the shadow away.

"Are you alright?" asked the centaur coming back towards her and extending his hand.

Jade looked at him confused. She finally realized that she had fallen to her knees. Embarrassed, she grabbed the hand that was offered to her and pulled herself to her feet.

"Thank you." she said.

And she was thankful, she could have shed tears of gratitude there and then, but because she was proud she pushed the tears back and smiled instead. It was a stiff smile, but it did the trick anyway.

"Come I will take you back to Hagrid." said the centaur. "My name is Firenze."

"I'm Jade Potter." said Jade quickly. "It's nice to meet you."

The centaur motioned her forward and she took a few steps not understanding what it was thet he wanted.

"Climb on my back." he said simply.

"Are you sure?" asked Jade frowning.

She didn't know a lot about centaurs but somehow she had never thought that they would allow a human to ride them. They seemed too proud to allow it.

"Yes." replied Firenze.

Carefully, Jade advanced and lifted herself onto the centaurs back. It helped that the centaur grabbed her back with one of his arms to help her. She still felt a bit shaky from her encounter.

"What was that?" she whispered as the centaur started walking.

"Do you know what unicorn blood does?" asked Firenze.

"Yes." said Jade remembering the assignment she had done at the beginning of the year. "It keeps you alive but gives you a cursed existence."

"Exactly. Do you know who would want to stay alive badly enough to risk being cursed for life?" asked the centaur again.

Jade thought. Who would want to live that badly? Somehow she couldn't imagine Snape being on the brink of death and never desperate enough to resort to drinking unicorn blood. Not Snape. The who? Someone who was on the brink of death. She knew someone like that, and even one who would drink unicorn blood even if that meant being cursed for life. But no it couldn't be…

"Voldermort is dead…" she whispered more to herself than the centaur.

"Ah! He would certainly one who would drink the blood of the unicorn or try to acquire the Philosopher's Stone." remarked the centaur.

"How do you know about the…"

Jade's question was cut by a loud cry.

"Firenze! What are you doing?"

Another centaur was galloping towards them looking furious. He was followed by yet another centaur who looked slightly alarmed.

" You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?" said the first centaur.

"Do you realise who this is? This is the Potter boy's twin sister. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better." replied Firenze.

"What have you been telling her? Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!" countered the centaur.

"Bane, I am sure Firenze is trying to do what is best…" started the second centaur.

" Leave it Ronan." intervened Firenze, he then turned to Bane. "Do you not see that unicorn? Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

On these last words, Firenze turned his back on the two centaurs and trotted away. Jade didn't dare say a word. She understood that the centaur had gotten himself into trouble for letting her mount him.

"This is where I leave you. You are safe now. Good luck, Jade Potter. The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times." said Firenze as they reached the edge of the forest.

The raven haired girl slipped to the ground and turn to look at the centaur.

"Thank you, Firenze. I will never forget that you saved my life tonight." she said at last.

The centaur bowed its head and trotted back into the forest.

"Jade!"

Jade turned to see Hermione running towards her. The girl was followed by Hagrid, Neville, Malfoy and Fangs.

"I'm all right Hermione." said Jade smiling. "Really."

"Malfoy told ma what 'appened. I'll go and take a look at dat unicorn. All f ya go to bed." said Hagrid.

The four students hurried back to Hogwarts glad that it was over. Neville, Hermione and Jade walked back to Gryffindor Tower.

That night, Jade dreamed of a green light. It flashed brightly in front of her eyes and she could hear the cries of a child. She woke up screaming, her hands scratching her face around her eyes. Hermione hurried to her side and stopped her from ripping her eyes out. Jade finally fell back to sleep, sweaty and trembling, with one name repeating in her mind over and over. Voldermort.