AUTHORS NOTE

Hey! Here's the new chapter! Sorry its taken so long, I've been really busy, I'll try to update faster, but when I go back to school, updates might only be once a week :(

Anyway, Enjoy, and review!

-Rach ;)

Max's POV

At first the Gryffindor's were confused when they passed the large hour-glass that held the rubies of the Gryffindor points. I heard them asking each other how there was a hundred points, and that maybe it was a mistake or a joke the Slytherins did. During breakfast, though, the story that five Gryffindor first-years had been out of bed at one o'clock in the morning, and how they had lost the points started spreading. For once, the people that were staring at Harry were doing it to glare at him. Even Huffelpuffs and Ravenclaws were giving us glares. They didn't want Slytherin to win the House Cup anymore then we did.

Speaking of the Slytherins, they were clapping and cheering when we walked into the Great Hall. When they saw Harry, they'd shout over things like, "Thanks Potter!" or "Your the best!" Ron and Iggy, who were let of hospital this morning, were the only people who stood by us. "Never mind them," he kept whispering to us, speaking of both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. Harry was so ashamed that he even tried to resign from the Quidditch team. Wood told him he was crazy and walked away. Harry was having a harder time then me, Fang, Hermione and Neville because he was better known, but no one would talk to us either.

We spent most of our free time in the common room studying for the upcoming exams. We would keep to ourselves and stayed up late into the night. A week before the exams, Harry and I were walking back from the library on our own. We were discussing the exams when I heard whimpering coming from a class room. Harry hadn't heard it yet, so I waited until we were close enough for him to hear it and by the time he heard it, I already knew it was Quirrell. Whenever I thought of Quirrell, or when someone mentioned him, an image always popped into my mind but it was always unclear. In the image, there was snow, and a cold voice talking about murder, then I was flying, and that was it. It really confused me and I didn't know what it had to do with Quirrell.

Harry pulled me closer to the classroom door as Quirrell began to speak.

"Please-no, not again-please-"

I raised my eyebrows at Harry. He was frowning and it looked like he was thinking hard. "All right, all right," we heard Quirrell sob and a second later, the door flew open and Quirrell came out, straightening his turban. He was about to burst into tears, and he was very pale. He didn't even notice me and Harry, and before I could do anything, Harry was peering into the classroom. I followed him and looked in.

It was empty but a door stood open on the other side of the room. Harry turned to me and said very fast, "Quirrell gave in to Snape. He's told him how to get to the Philosophers Stone." Before I could even open my mouth, Harry had ran off back to the library, and I followed him. I was nearly there when I bumped into something- or someone- and I fell onto the floor and banged my head off the hard ground. I cried out and closed my eyes.

"M-Miss R-R-Ride?" someone stuttered over me and I opened my eyes an inch. Professor Quirrell was standing over me, with a worried expression, but his eyes were cold and lifeless. "Are y-y-you alright?" he asked. I nodded and stood up and put my hand on my head. I could feel a bump forming already.

"Yes Professor, I'm alright." I muttered. There was something odd about Quirrell, I thought as I looked into his eyes. As I watched, his eyes flashed red, but when I looked again, it was gone, and his eyes were once again pale blue. The image flew into my mind again, but this time Quirrell was in it himself, asking me what I was doing. I looked back at Quirrell, frowning, and said, "I really must be going Professor." I ran off, looking over my shoulder as I went.

I burst into the library, panting and started looking for my friends. I found them in the corner, and Harry was just finishing telling them what happened when I reached there table. I was clutching my side as I told them about Quirrell, and I was stating to get a headache where I banged my head. Ron, as usual, came up with an odd conclusion.

"Max! What if Snape attacked you that night during the Christmas holidays and Quirrell was there!" Hermione rolled her eyes and said in a matter-of-fact voice, "Even if thats true, which I highly doubt, Quirrell would of told Professor Dumbledore. And besides, Max even said that she fell over. She did just find out that the man who was like her father died." She finished and looked at Fang, Iggy and I and mouthed `sorry'. We haven't spoken about Jeb since he died.

Ron was about to say something else, but was cut off by Professor McGonagall. She was standing behind Hermione's chair and was looking quite upset about something. "Yes, Miss Granger it was the shock about Mr Batchelder that made Miss Ride collapse that night." We all stared at her, expecting her to give out to us for suspecting a teacher of attacking a student, but she didn't say anything else. Maybe all she heard was Hermione saying I fell because Jeb died.

"Now, then," she continued, "your detentions are this evening. You are to meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall at eleven o'clock. Is that clear? Mr Weasley and Mr Griffiths may stay in the common room studying until the rest of you come back, if they wish. Yes what is it Mr Potter?" she asked as Harry opened his mouth to speak.

"What are we going to be doing Professor?" he asked, his green eyes wide with curiosity and suspicion. If we had detention with Filch, I think I'd jump off the astronomy tower and keep my wings folded. "I believe you are going to be doing some business with Hagrid. I must find Mr Longbottom and Mr Malfoy. Have a good day," she said and she strolled away to the door of the library. Harry was beaming.

"If were doing something with Hagrid, it can't be that bad! I was worrying when she said Filch!" he said and the rest of us nodded our agreement. "Yeah, but Malfoy's gonna be there too," Fang said in an expressionless voice. We all grimaced and then continued studying, my mind wandering to Quirrell and what could possibly be happening. Was I going insane? Why was I suddenly suspicious of a teacher that was frightened of the students?

When it was nearing eleven o'clock that night we said goodbye to Ron and Iggy, and joined Neville and made our way down to the Entrance Hall. Filch was already there holding a lamp and looking very angry that he had to be doing this job. Malfoy was there too, and I was pleased to see that he looked terrified.

"Well, come on then!" snapped Filch. He opened the front doors and we followed him out into the grounds. "I bet you'll think twice before you break a school rule now. Oh yes...hard work and plenty of pain are the best punishments if you ask me, its just a pity that they let the old ones go. Hang you to the ceiling by the wrists for days, and I've still got the chains in my office," he leered and I glared at him. Neville looked mortified and Malfoy looked like he was going to wet himself.

We walked down to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid was outside, with a crossbow slung over his shoulder. We stopped next to the hut and Filch smiled at us. It was a horrible sight.

"Have fun in the Forest," he chuckled and Neville did a little squeaking noise and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "The Forest?" he whimpered, "but we can't go in there at night! There are monsters in there!" Filch laughed and said, "More and worse things then monsters in that Forest boy. Have fun," he said and hobbled off back to the castle. Hagrid watched him go and muttered, "Ruddy lunatic,"

He took us over to the edge of the Forest and my mind was blank. We can't be going into the Forbidden Forest, it was...well, Forbidden. Hagrid started explaining that there was a unicorn injured somewhere in the Forest and we had to find it. He split us into two different groups, I was with Harry Hermione and Hagrid, and Fang, Neville, Malfoy and Fang the dog were the other group. Fang wasn't happy with his group but he kept quiet.

"Whats happens if the thing that hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Malfoy asked, fear dripping out of every word. "Nothin' in that Forest will touch yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid answered and we all looked at Fang in surprise. Even he looked shocked and surprised. Hagrid chuckled and said, "No, Fang the bloody dog!" "Oh right..." we all said, embarrassed. Even Fang's cheeks looked slightly pink in the night light. Hagrid leaned in to us so that only Harry, Fang Hermione and I could hear him. "Although, with the way you and Max fight, everythin' in the Forest should be afraid of yeh." I smiled and rolled my eyes. Every Saturday, Fang, Iggy and I would go to a small padock near the woods and continued our fighting training. Hagrid watched us sometimes, and sometimes watched us as we flew every morning. Malfoy was still trying to get people to believe we have wings, but no one would listen to him. I wonder how he know...

Hagrid gave us more instructions and we set off. Fang Malfoy, Neville and Fang the dog going on the right path and me, Harry, Hermione and Hagrid taking the left. We walked in silence, our eyes trained on the ground. Every few minutes, the light from the moon would shine through theoverhead branches and would light up some silvery blue unicorn blood on the ground, and on leaves. Hagrid looked worried. It was obvious he didn't want us here with him while he did this, but I guess he didn't have a choice. After some more silent moments, Harry asked, "Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?"

"Not fast enough. Unicorns are really hard to catch, it's not easy," he answered. If a werewolf wasn't fast enough to get to a unicorn, then what was, I thought, and I could see Harry thinking the same thing.

After a while, the trees were getting thicker and the sky was quickly disappearing. Suddenly, Hagrid shouted, "GET BEHIND THAT TREE!" He seized the three of us and dropped us behind a tree. He had his crossbow raised and was ready to fire it a seconds notice. We all listened and we heard something slithering over leaves nearby...It sounded like a cloak trailed on the dead leaves. After a few seconds, the sound faded away and there was silence.

"I knew it," whispered Hagrid. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

We walked more slowly, and when a clearing came into view something definitely moved. Hagrid raised his crossbow again and shouted, " Who's there? Show yerself!" A person then walked calmly into the clearing as if he was used to having crossbows pointed at his face. When he came closer, I saw that he was only half human. From the waist up, he was a man, with red hair and below the waist he was a horse with a chestnut body and long tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped open, but I stayed still, trying hard to block the rush of memories that were trying to force there way into my mind, but it didn't work.

I was seven years old when they brought him in. He was only about four, and he was terrified. I wanted to comfort him, tell him that it was all going to be alright, but I couldn't lie. That night, the whitecoats took him away. He was gone for days and I was started to think he would never come back when the doors opened and the whitecoats came in, holding someone unrecognisable. It was the little boy, but they had changed him. He now had the lower body of a horse. He was in pain, but he couldn't scream. The whitecoats left, giving him disgusted looks as they walked passed. A few hours later, the boy died, and for some reason the whitecoats blamed me. They told me that I should of tried and help him, that it was my fault a little boy was dead. They tortured me and did the most painful experiments on me and it was then that I realized that the little boy had been a test designed for me to see how good I was at saving people. Ever since I have tried to save everyone I could.

I was brought out of my flashback when Harry shook my shoulder. "Max? Are you alright?" I nodded and looked at Hagrid who was talking to the centaur. It sounded like he was trying to get him to listen. "Yeah, ok Mars is bright Ronan, but have you seen anythin' unusual?" he asked but Ronan just stared at the sky. There was more rustling and another centaur stood beside Ronan. This one was black haired and more wild looking then Ronan.

"Hullo Bane," said Hagrid.

"Hello Hagrid. You are well I hope?" he said and Hagrid looked like he was about to lose his patience. "I'm alright. Look, have you seen anythin' strange lately?" Bane looked at the sky and said in a dreamy voice, "Mars in bright tonight."

"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "If yeh see anythin', let me know." Hagrid walked off and Harry, Hermione, and I followed him. Hagrid seemed to be in a very bad mood after the encounter with the centaurs. "Never ask a centaur a question, 'cause yer never gonna get a straight answer. Not interested in anythin' except the ruddy stars," he said darkly.

"Are there a lot of them in the Forest?" Hermione asked quietly. "Quite a few. Keep ter themselves and if I want a word, they'll come," Hagrid muttered.

We walked through the dark Forest and I saw Harry looking over his shoulder nervously. I had the feeling someone was watching us. Suddenly Hermione shrieked and grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Hagrid! Look, over there! There were red sparks, the others must be in trouble!"

"Yeh wait here, an' stick on the path! I'll be back for yeh in a moment!" he said and ran off into the trees. We could hear him calling out for the others as he ran, but after a while it all became silent.

"Have they been hurt?" Hermione asked fearfully. "I don't give a crap about Malfoy, but if somethings happened to Fang, or Neville, I'm going to kill Hagrid for ever keeping that stupid dragon!" I said and Harry nodded in agreement. Hermione wasn't listening, she was too busy looking at the space where Hagrid disappeared.

The minutes went by, and I was straining my ears for the tiniest sound, but there was none that indicated Hagrid was returning with the others.

At last, there was a crunching sound and Hagrid reappeared with Fang, Malfoy and Neville. I ran at Fang and pulled him into a hug. Surprisingly, he returned it, and I knew he was probably as worried as I was. It turns out that when Fang wasn't looking, Malfoy had sneaked up behind Neville and scared him, making Neville panic and send up red sparks.

"I'm changin' the groups. Fang, Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Max and Harry will go with this moron, and yeh can have Fang the dog," Hagrid said and I glared at the back of Malfoy's head. "I'm sorry, but he'll have a harder time trying ter scare one of yeh," Hagrid whispered before we separated again.

We walked for nearly half an hour and we went deeper and deeper into the Forest. It was getting really cold and I was shivering. The path was becoming almost impossible to follow and the blood that was splattered on the ground was getting thicker. There was a clearing ahead and Harry threw his arm out to stop Malfoy and me from walking further. "Look-" he muttered. I looked to where he was pointing and I saw something gleaming on the ground.

I walked around Harry and walked closer to the clearing. It was the unicorn, but that wasn't the only thing in the clearing.

Out of the shadows came a hooded figure, and it began crawling towards the unicorn. It hadn't noticed me yet, and I stood still, watching as the figure lowered its lips to the gaping wound in the unicorns side and began to drink its blood.

Hey, so as I said at the start, I am soooooooo sorry that it took me this long to update. I've been busy.

So what did you think of the chapter? I'll try and get the next part up tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises. Please review and tell me what you think :)

-Rach ;)

P.S has anyone watched A Very Potter Musical on Youtube? It is so funny, and if you haven't seen it, go watch it! :D