Disclaimer: Anything in which you recognize is J.K. Rowling's and the things you don't
perhaps belong to me.
Chapter 11: Taking a Stand
With much reason, the Gryffindors were all quite miffed over the fact that Harry and Hermione had lost them a hundred points and more importantly, their lead over Slytherin. Ron was quite happy about the fact that Hermione had made him stay behind, he didn't much fancy his housemates wrath.
The Potters kept their noses down and out of trouble for the few weeks leading up to the final exams. Harry attempted to pay more attention and even raised his hand more in class to answer questions, in order to redeem himself and earn some of the points back that he had lost. Dorinda was of course pleased by this and took it as a sign to push them all harder in studying material that the rest were sure wouldn't be asked of first years.
Quirrell was looking skinnier and rather more pathetic looking as the days grew on. Harry and Ron had taken it upon themselves to give the man encouraging smiles and told off those who spoke ill of him. Harry was convinced that Quirrell was days from cracking under the pressure and revealing how to get passed his obstacle that was guarding the stone to Snape. Dorinda had laughed at this explanation and told Harry to concentrate more on his work than the horrid Professor. Julian had backed Dorinda, saying he was sure Snape wasn't trying to steal the stone. Rose did her best to stay neutral and often volunteered to keep a closer eye on the older man.
It was the end of May and the week before the exams was due to begin. McGonagall had scheduled Harry, Hermione and Malfoy to serve their detention with Hagrid on Friday night. None of them was particularly looking forward to it. However, it would be nice to relax for the night and take a day off from the unrelenting studying schedule that they had been following the last two months. When out of classes and between meal times, Hermione and Dorinda hardly ever left the library. Often they could be seen grilling each other or discussing the twelve uses of dragon blood ruthlessly. It was a bit terrifying in the least.
"Ronald how do you honestly expect to pass these tests?" Hermione whispered rudely as Ron answered yet another question incorrectly. He had given Hermione the wrong incantation to the jelly legs jinx.
"I figure I will just look off one of your lots paper." Ron laughed quietly, still earning a warning glance from Madame Pince, the librarian. Hermione looked furious and Dorinda glanced up, her eyebrow raised in disgust.
"Everyone knows that all the Professors put loads of cheating spells on the exams." Hermione shook her head, barely glancing at Julian who had just come to sit down. He looked slightly out of breath.
"Alright there Julian?" Harry asked his brother amusedly, looking up from his Beginner's Transfiguration book. The Slytherin boy smiled grandly.
"I might have just accidentally landed myself in detention." Julian announced proudly. Dorinda sighed in disappointment but this wasn't anything new. Julian often found himself in detention.
"Did you finally get that bloody cat of Filch's?" Ron asked excitedly, surprising everyone when he directly talked to Julian. He avoided having conversations with the Slytherin at all costs, preferring rather to ignore his best friend's brother whenever he came around.
"Actually my dear Gryffindor it was more of a heroic adventure." Julian explained his face alight in mischief. "I heard from a little birdie that tonight's detention was being served with Hagrid and some of my more loving first years would be in attendance." Dorinda rolled her eyes. "I didn't have much time to think of a clever prank. So I simply went and kicked the old sneaky cat right in her smashed face."
"Julian you didn't?" Dorinda gasped, abashed at her brother's antics. She thought of her own cat, Annabelle, how angry she would be if he did that to her cat! "Filch must be furious!"
"Course he is! Made sure I landed in detention this very night." Julian laughed as he high-fived his brother.
"Mr. Potters!" Madame Pince warned, her expression severe and her hands angrily on her hips. "This is a library, refrain yourselves if you may!"
"Of course Madam, I apologize sincerely." Julian said charmingly, his hand running through his shaggy hair out of habit. "Won't happen again."
"Make sure that it doesn't Mr. Potter." Madame Pince nodded, her expression still quite severe but an amused glint in her bespectacled eyes.
"Enough of this nonsense already, we need to get back to studying." Dorinda reprimanded, her face serious once again. "Julian explain the importance of the Goblin Rebellion of 1712."
"No, no, not again please?" Rose stopped as the whimpering voice reached her ears; she quietly made her way closer to the cracked open Defense Against the Dark Arts door. "All right, all right!"
The voice was desperate and horribly fearful. Rose bounced off quickly as she heard the quiet footsteps coming towards the door. She forced herself not to glance back as she hurried to the Great Hall for dinner. Harry had been right! Snape was after the stone, she hadn't heard his voice behind the door but she was confident that only Snape could terrify a man to such a degree.
"Harry!" Rose hurried over to the Gryffindor table to where her brother was already seated, enjoying the hardy meal. "Harry!"
"What's wrong Rose?" Harry instantly asked, concern written all over his face. He could tell when his sister was bothered; her face was always very expressive.
"Harry I heard him!" Rose whispered urgently, squeezing in between Harry and Ron, the latter sending her a dirty look as he finished stuffing his mouth with a buttered roll. "Quirrell and Snape."
"What are you on about?" Harry asked calmly but he was obviously reeling inside.
"I heard Quirrell blubbering to Snape and he has given in Harry!" Rose whispered anxiously into her brother's ear. Looking around the Great Hall in paranoia as she did so, she could feel more than a few pair of eyes on her. "He told Snape how to get passed his spell!"
"Are you sure Rose?" Harry's eyes were wide as he glanced at the Head Table; Snape was in a conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, Harry." Rose nodded looking at the Professor too as Harry glanced away. Snape seem to feel her eyes and they met one another's gaze for what felt like many minutes but couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Rose broke the eye contact, her face blushing in embarrassment at being caught staring. "It was obvious; Snape had Quirrell whimpering at his feet."
"It's dangerous what were goin' to be doin' tonight." Hagrid explained to them as he led them out of the castle. It was eight and the darkness already surrounded Hogwarts, all four of the first years were more than a little on edge. "Somethin' out there is killin' the unicorns."
"Unicorns?" Julian asked, his face surprised. What would honestly wish to kill such a peaceful creature?
"This is servant work!" Draco complained. "My father will hear about this!" Draco's eyes were steel but his body language was betraying his own fear as he kept glancing on the impending forest. "We can't go in there!"
"We can and yer are!" Hagrid declared as Fang came to join them from over by the hut. "Yeh landed yerselves in trouble now yer gonna pay fer it."
"Oh come now Draco, surely you aren't scared of the dark?" Julian boasted, trying to perhaps boost his own confidence. Draco gave his friend a cold look and Julian just laughed as he slapped his fellow Slytherin on the back.
"Hagrid?" Harry looked away from his brother. "What happens when you kill a unicorn?" Even Julian shut his mouth and paid attention to Hagrid as he answered grimly.
"Ter kill a unicorn, a creature so pure is 'orrible." Hagrid began. "From the moment the blood touches yer lips, yer cursed."
"Cursed?" Hermione inquired, her face perplexed in curiosity. "Cursed to die, Hagrid?"
"Worse." Hagrid cleared his throat. "Yer left ter live a half life." Hagrid stopped as they came to the edging of the forest. "We'll be splittin' up from here."
"What?" Draco asked abashed at the thought of being left alone in the forest. "You can't be serious!"
"I'll be takin' Julian and 'ermione." Hagrid said. "Bes' to split yeh Slytherins up." Julian shrugged but sent both Draco and Harry an apologetic look. He was sure they all wished to be with Hagrid; it seemed quite a bit safer.
"Fine but we get Fang!" Draco declared his chin up and his voice demanding but Hagrid didn't put up a fight.
"Take 'im, he's a bloody coward." Hagrid laughed, the said dog let out a whimpering growl. "Yer be takin' that path." Hagrid pointed to the path that split to the right. "Stay on the path if yeh know what's good fer yeh!"
"What exactly are we looking for, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, pulling her robes tighter around her body as an unnatural chill hit her. Hagrid went into the forest a few steps and bent down by a nearby tree before ushering them quietly over.
"Unicorn blood." Hagrid swiped some of the silver liquid up on his fingers, it glowed slightly. "This one's been hur' badly. We'll be lookin' ter save it if we can."
"We're first years; we can't do much good for a unicorn." Julian expressed his face for once serious.
"Send up sparks wit' yer wand if yeh find somethin'." Hagrid stood up addressing Harry and Draco. "Now get goin' yeh two."
"Hurry up Malfoy." Harry said as he bravely set down the path, Malfoy sent him a scathing look but he wouldn't dare be shown up by a Gryffindor.
The two boys traveled down the path silently, each keeping the ears alert for the slightest sound. The darkness of the forest was upon them suddenly, the trees all seemingly quite large and grim. Harry led the way feeling an unnatural ease in the forest despite the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Draco seemed to be twitching along and his pride was the only thing that kept him from dropping the lantern Hagrid had given him and running all the way back to the castle.
"Malfoy." Harry whispered, putting a hand out to stop the Slytherin from walking, his eyes darting back at forth. "I heard something."
"Sod off Potter." Draco sneered but he didn't push pass his enemy's arm. He too glanced around nervously trying to hear the sound that had made the brave Gryffindor stop.
"I think I see something." Harry took a slow step forward, to better peer beyond a large tree. Whatever it was hadn't seemed to notice the two young boys just yet as they had heard it. Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped forward courageously until he got a full view of exactly what had made the breathtaking noise.
"Bloody hell!" Malfoy yelled as he dropped the lantern and with Fang at his heels took off at a sprint back down the path.
Harry was frozen however, staring in fearful shock at the robed creature as it finished off its evening meal. Slow whinnies came from the unicorn, its breath ragged as the creature feasted off its dwindling blood supply. At Malfoy's scream, the creature apparently realized that it was no longer alone in the forest. It looked up, listening for a second, before it turned around quickly and gazed at the intruder.
Harry couldn't move, he told his legs to run but he was rooted to the ground. His emerald eyes searched for any resemblance of a face but if there was one, it was shrouded in the darkness that the hood of the black cloud provided. Time stood still as they gazed at each other and then, Harry's scar gave off a horrible burn. It brought him to his knees, his hand instantly coming up to try to futilely stop the ache that was shooting through his skull.
Suddenly, the creature began to stalk forward. The steps slow but deliberate, hesitant perhaps knowing that the boy wasn't alone. Hearing the almost nonexistent sounds of the steps, Harry opened his eyes again and trying to ignore the piercing pain of his scar, he rose to his feet. Stumbling backwards, he tripped over a large unseen tree root. Landing roughly on his bottom, all he could do was stare horribly as the creature moved ever closer.
And just as Harry began to accept that he was about to die, he heard the sharp sounds of hooves. He looked around wildly and gasped in horror as a horse galloped over his very head. Only it wasn't just a horse, it was a man with a body of a horse; a centaur. Harry watched as the man fearlessly ran straight for the robed creature which took off instantly into the blackness of the forest.
"Hurry Harry Potter!" The handsome centaur turned back towards him, galloping to the side of a still sitting Harry. "You must ride, it is not safe here." Ignoring the fact that he knew his name, Harry hurried to stand and threw himself clumsily onto the kneeling centaur's back. The man took off at once, as Harry struggled hold on, finally grasping the man's broad shoulders.
"Excuse me but what was that thing you saved me from?" Harry asked as the centaur slowed his gallop. Harry slid off and walked to face his savior head on.
"To drink from a unicorn is of the most horrid crimes. Even if you were on the brink of death, the blood would save you but you would be forever cursed." The man's alert eyes were scanning the dark forest. "The forest is not safe for you Harry Potter, nor the rest of your family. Do you know what is hidden up at the school at this very moment?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone." Harry whispered in confusion. "But what has that got to do with who is killing these unicorns? Who would want to live that kind of life?"
"Can you think of no one? Someone who has waited years to return to power? Clinging to life, waiting for a chance to become whole once more." Firenze's stunning sapphire eyes pierced his very soul seriously.
The breath in Harry's chest got caught and he felt as if he couldn't breathe anymore. It was as if he was punched cheaply, too shocked at the revelation. Could it really be? Did he dare to believe it, Voldemort attempting to return? He was supposed to be dead. He had to get back to his brother to tell him, to warn him!
"That was Vol-" Harry began to ask, speech returning to him but he was cut off by the booming voice of his friend.
"Firenze!" Hagrid's booming voice made Harry spin around hurriedly. He barely had time to catch his balance before Hermione threw herself into his arms in relief.
"Oh Harry are you hurt?" Hermione stood back and surveyed him with worried eyes. Harry shook his head before turning to give his brother an encouraging smile. Malfoy trailed behind Julian, looking particularly arrogant for being such a pansy. "Malfoy sent up sparks and led us back towards where you were."
"Good man isn't he?" Julian slapped the glaring Slytherin on the back almost proudly. A smug smile lighting up his face.
"Everthin' alright Firenze?" Hagrid eyed the centaur warily, peering around the forest nervously.
"The forest is not safe Hagrid." Firenze repeated his warning. "Another unicorn has been killed." Firenze looked particularly bothered by this news. "Mars is bright; hopefully us centaurs are wrong this time for we have been wrong before." A searching look was sent towards Harry and then to Julian.
Both boys glanced uneasily at one another.
"He's back?" Dorinda asked skeptically, however her voice was quite fearful. "But how?"
"I don't know." Harry shook his head in frustration. "But he's out there, somewhere close and he wants the stone."
"And Snape is going to steal it for him." Rose whispered in horror. Julian was quiet for once, a look of intense concentration on his face. "What are we going to do!"
"What can we do Rose?" Dorinda scoffed. "We are but first years!"
"But we can't just wait around while Snape helps bring back out parent's murderer to life." Harry whispered angrily, looking to Julian for help. Said boy sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.
"Look Harry, I'm all for protecting the stone." Julian agreed, earning a grand smile from his brother. "But I don't think its Snape who is attempting to steal it."
"He's an evil git Julian!" Harry said outraged. "He hates us, all of us. Why wouldn't he want a man who wishes us dead to come back to finish the deed!"
"Hush Harry." Dorinda whispered, glancing over at a glaring Madame Pince. "We can't be sure."
"I'm sure as is Hermione and Ron." Harry declared defiantly. He knew it was Snape, it just had to be. It all fit. "Look at this." Harry placed a small piece of paper on the table. Dorinda grabbed it, read it and handed it on to Rose.
"Just in case?" Dorinda breathed, her mind confused. "What is this?"
"I found it, attached to the invisibility cloak." Harry explained. "It was placed beneath my blanket. What do you make of it?"
"Someone else knows." Dorinda bit her lip taking the paper from Julian and staring at it intensely as if there were more words there. "The person who gave us the cloak, they must know the Stone is in danger. That we would need the cloak soon."
"Who though?" Rose wondered aloud. Everyone shook their head in thought. "And how could they know?"
"So what now?" Ron and Hermione came to join the table, already knowing what they were discussing. Harry had told them earlier back in the common room the night before.
"Now, we wait for Snape to try to steal the stone." Harry spoke.
"And we stop him." Dorinda finally relented. They all stared at each other, a group of First Years, just kids.
Yet they were already willing to save the Wizarding World.
Voldemort could not return.