A/N: Honestly, this used to be part of chapter eight, but it got a bit too lengthy, therefore I decided to split the chapters in two. I suppose I thought it was easier to read this way. Anyway; please enjoy chapter nine.
And like always please comment. I love comments!
Anyway, Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling
oOo
Chapter nine, The forest
The week passed by fast, and their classes went by in a blur. Exams were coming closer, and Draco spent long hours sitting in the Slytherin common room reading through his notes. He had been ignoring the three Gryffindors and was pleased to note that no letter from his father regarding his detention came. At Friday, during breakfast, a white notecard was delivered to Draco. He noticed the same notecards being delivered to Harry, Hermione and Neville. Dread filling his insides, he opened the card slowly.
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall.
Prof. M. McGonagall
"Weather forecast for tonight: dark." Draco muttered, before folding the note with the time and place of his detention. Blaise gave him an amused smile, before shaking his head.
The rest of the day went by slowly. Potions lecture dragged on and on and Snape appeared to be in a very bad mood as he stalked through the dungeons. When they were finally free Draco, glumly made his way to the Great Hall.
Just before eleven Draco met up with Filch, who glared at him with an intensity that made him shiver. The old man stood in the Entrance Hall, holding a lantern. When the three Gryffindors joined them — 'You are late,' Filch huffed darkly — Filch gruffly lead them towards the Forbidden Forest. As Hagrid's hut came closer, Filch muttered profanities under his breath. Grumbling about old punishments and how 'hanging students by their wrists for a few days on the ceiling' were much more reliable methods.
Glowering at the caretaker, Draco noticed Hagrid waiting for them at the edge of the forest. A dog was sitting next to him and the half-giant was holding a huge lantern. The latter not really necessary as the moon was bright, although the sky somewhat cloudy. The intermittent light threw shadows over the grounds, but Draco supposed everything was visible enough.
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." Hagrid's voice called out.
Harry's face broke out into a grin. Filch sneered as he marched across the dark grounds. "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy — it's the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll al come out in one piece."
"Wait, the forest?" Draco repeated, stopping death in his tracks. His nerves resurfacing and a sense of cold dread winding its way up his spine. "We can't go in there at night! There's all sorts of things in there— werewolves, I heard." he said, falling over his own words.
Neville bumped into him, while letting out a terrified whimper.
"Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" Filch cackled with obvious glee.
"Right, that's enough, Filch!" Hagrid snapped. "Dumbledore put me in charge with tis."
Filch gave them all a cold look, muttered something under his breath and took hold of his lantern. "I'll be back for them at dawn, for what's left of them f'course." He turned around., stalking back to the Castle they saw the man disappear.
Hagrid led them to the edge of the forest; presenting them with an image of dark outlines from trees with spooky almost spidery bare branches. Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Draco shook his head, before turning to Hagrid. "I'm not going into that Forest." he said, the wind tousling his blond hair.
Hagrid cleared his throat. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."
"Yes," Draco sneered. "By writing lines or something… Not by going into the forest." he glared at the half-giant, who looked unimpressed.
Pretending like he hadn't spoken, Hagrid pointed at some silver liquid splattered against the bark of a tree. "See that stuff shinin'? The silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood." he explained. Draco felt someone grab onto his sleeve and looking next to him he saw a quivering Neville Longbottom grasping Draco's sleeve between his chubby fingers as if his life depended on it. Sighing, Draco decided to let it slip and returned his attention back to the incompetent oaf.
"We're goin' in ter the Forest teh look for an injured unicorn." Hagrid explained. "He's the second this week."
"Wait, please slow your horses," Draco snapped, uncaring that the half-giant turned his head to glare at him. "You want to go look for a unicorn, while there is a thing in that forest, that harms them?" Longbottom's fingers tightened around his robe and hindered Draco in his movements.
"Whatever, we're lookin' for the unicorn and I'll split you in ter pairs." Hagrid sighed, as if he had a few centuries too many of dealing with difficult students. Draco snorted, eying the forest with disdain. Perhaps if he was lucky, he would run into his older self, telling him how he could get out of this mess.
"Neville, you can go with Malfoy." Hagrid said gruffly. "Hermione and Harry, you come with me."
Sending a fleeting glance towards Hagrid's hut, Draco shrugged. "Fine, but then I get the dog!"
"Sure, jus' so ye know, Fang's a coward." Hagrid muttered, by now glowering at the young Malfoy heir.
After practicing sending up green sparks, if they were to find the unicorn and red when the got into trouble, they split up. Draco kept a firm grasp on his wand and after a few minutes stopped walking. Longbottom jumped for the umpteenth time at his shadow and Draco sighed. He felt somewhat bad for the boy and when Longbottom let out a whimper he grabbed his wrist. Longbottom was half ready to raise his wrist, when Draco grabbed the other too and pulled him back towards Hagrid's hut.
"Seriously, get a grip!" Draco hissed as the other boy squealed when the shabby looking hut came into view.
"Are we not going to get into trouble for this?" Longbottom whispered, apparently finally gathering his wits.
"I thought the forest was out-of-bounds to students?" Draco sneered back. "So I wish them good luck with nailing us with this."
"Your father is on the board huh?"
"Yes," Draco curtly admitted. "And if necessary we just return to the edge and say we didn't find anything." Although he would not admit it to Longbottom to all people; his father was his last resort. He really didn't want to owl him, if he didn't have to.
Longbottom nodded, seemingly very comfortable with that idea.
"Say we have going into circles and thought it to be wise to wait for the others." Draco continued. "And don't you have— a guardian as well?" he continued, remembering an old witch standing on platform nine-and-three-quarters, massaging her temples.
His relaxed position was gone. "I don't want my gran to know about this!" he gasped.
"Okay," Draco muttered, opening the door to the cabin and stepping inside.
It wasn't much. Then again it hadn't been much to even begin with. There was only one room inside, with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling. There was also a fireplace, which had a copper kettle hanging above the orange fire. In the corner was a massive bed with a patchwork quilt and a moleskin coat hung from the edge. Draco took a seat near the window, and glanced outside to the forest edge. The only sound, except from the soft crackling from the fire, was the chattering of Longbottom's teeth. Massaging his temples he decided against saying anything about it.
He sighed, and then got much more alert when red sparks overhead caught his attention. "Longbottom!" he hissed, pointing at the sky.
Longbottom's eyes widened comically and he all but hugged Fang, while shaking his head. "I'm not going out there again!"
"That's not what I mean, lets wait for the other at the edge, that way they won't get suspicious." Draco sighed, realising staying pleasant was getting easier. He still wanted to rip someone's head off — preferring Weasley's — but he managed to stay polite and kept the insults to a minimum.
Leaving Longbottom in Hagrid's hut, Draco slowly stumbled outside, pulling Fang along with his collar. The dog howled loudly upon noticing the red sparks as well. Absentmindedly scratching the beast behind his ears, he moved closer towards the forest's edge. Bushes rustled and feeling a shiver run down his spine, he stared unblinkingly towards the dark shadow appearing. Pulling the dog away, he hid behind the thick bark of a tree; pressing himself so hard against the rough bark he felt the muscles in his back constrict. Although the forest was dipped into silence, the rustling of leaves echoed thorough the coppice.
Not noticing, or perhaps plainly ignoring, Fang laid down, and hid his head under his big paw. Draco shivered again, before propping himself up and peeking around the corner to watch what came through the bushes.
It was big, moving slowly through the bushes; branches seeming to part as he passed. Draco swallowed, squinting his eyes, as he glanced at the obviously cloaked figure. A strange slithering sound overpowered the soft rustling of the leaves and Draco pressed himself more strongly against the bark. The rough wood scratching at the soft skin of his cheek. The hooded figure stepped out into the light of the moon, and Draco felt his stomach twist. From under the hood unicorn blood dribbled down its front, and red eyes, dangerously illuminated by the silver light, glanced straight at him. He wanted to run, but he felt frozen to the spot. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and Fang finally seemed to analyse the danger closing in on them. Howling loudly, the dog shuffled to his legs and ran away.
That seemed to shake Draco out of his reveries as well, and the boy bolted. His foot slipped on something slippery and he felt himself lose his balance. With a painful thud, he smacked down onto the ground, hitting his head on a tree-stump. He saw stars.
"Malfoy!" a small voice yelled, and it took Draco a few seconds to find his bearings. "What happened?"
Neville Longbottom, quivering from head till toe, stumbled closer. A lantern clutched between his fingers and his face pale. "What was that?"
"You saw it too?"
"The figure?" Longbottom asked frightfully. "Yes, it moved away."
Draco propped himself up on his elbows and slowly stood to his feet. His head ached slightly and he leaned against the side of Hagrid's hut. The silence that befell them was not necessarily unpleasant and he exhaled loudly.
"Neville! Malfoy!" Hagrid's voice cut through the silence. "Are you both all right?"
"It would appear so," Draco muttered, apprehensively touching his throbbing temple. His fingers came in contact with warm sticky liquid. Swallowing he closed his eyes and yawned largely.
He heard more than saw Hermione approach him. "Are you really okay, you're bleeding!"
"Yeah, I'm just tired." he answered, his voice becoming garbled. "I need some sleep."
She nodded and Hagrid glanced down at them with a suspicious look. "I think it would be best for you to head back to ter common rooms!" he boomed, rubbing his aching temples.
Sighing Draco, waved at the three Gryffindors, before limped back towards the dungeons, his head aching. The hectic evening was finally over, and the only thing he wanted to do now; was sleep it off.
To be continued….
