A/N: I think this is my favourite chapter of the story, this is a pivotal turning point in the relationship between my characters and the Golden Trio. I couldn't have them at constant odds forever!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters; those all belong solely to JK Rowling. Due to the nature of this story, sections of the text have been copied verbatim from the original text; the idea being that a ripple effect causes events within the universe to diverge from the original storyline. Being that this is the first story, everything is more or less canon, but as the stories progress, they will shift further and further away from the books. As for what I do own, I own the Drake family and all related characters. I also own the concept of Gifts as they're used in this story.

DRAKE: The Philosopher's Stone

CHAPTER 11: Into The Woods

The forest was black and silent. Azriel's fingers twitched over the pommels of his daggers as he walked; he kept alert and looked around cautiously for any sign of danger, already overly tense from the weakening of his connection with Alex. A little way into the thick gathering of trees they reached a fork in the earth path; and Potter, Bookworm and Hagrid took the left path while Azriel and the others took the right.

They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.

Azriel noted that Draco and Neville looked very pale, and Neville was shivering. Fang kept up a slow pace, sniffing at the blood spots to try and get a scent. Azriel himself couldn't suppress the chill running through his veins at the thought of what they were sent to look for.

'C-could a were-w-wolf be killing the u-unicorns?' Neville stuttered, reminding Azriel disturbingly of Professor Quirrell. Azriel shook his head.

'Werewolves aren't fast enough, it couldn't have been a werewolf unless the unicorn was already injured,' he said. 'It's not easy to catch a unicorn though, let alone kill one. They're very powerful and resilient creatures. I've never known one to be hurt back at home; any reports of such would have gone through the American Ministry of Magic, and I would have heard of them through my dad. And nothing of the sort has come up.'

They walked past a mossy tree-stump. Azriel could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. So far, the trail had gone straight, so Azriel wondered if Potter and the others were going in the opposite direction along the same stream. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the path, which was beginning to wind. Neville was starting to look faintly green.

'You all right, Neville?' Azriel asked, concerned. 'Keep it together now; we should be done fairly quickly. The unicorn won't have gotten too far if it's as badly hurt as Hagrid said it was, and we'll be able to – LOOK OUT!'

Azriel seized Draco and Neville and dragged them off the path behind a towering oak. Fang yelped and followed them. Azriel pulled out his daggers and looked out from behind the tree, ready to strike once whatever it was showed itself. They listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground.

Azriel tried to see something in the distance but it was too dark to see beyond a few feet. After a few seconds, the sound faded away. Azriel stepped back onto the path, looking around cautiously.

'Someone else is in the forest,' Azriel said gravely, 'someone who's shouldn't be here.' He looked over at Draco and Neville, who were tentatively rejoining Azriel on the path. Fang trailed behind.

'Who do you think it could be?' Draco whispered, ignoring exactly who was his present company. Azriel had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly who it was, but he kept silent, instead shaking his head. He got Fang back on the blood trail and they resumed walking.

They paused again when they heard the sound of hooves. Neville was afraid there might be wild horses running through the forest, but Azriel didn't think there would be horses awake at this time of night, especially in this type of environment.

They could see shadowy shapes however; one got close enough for them to see that the things were, in fact, centaurs. The creatures didn't even notice the small group as they went past.

'Where are they off to?' Azriel wondered out loud. The only response he got was from Neville who screamed. Azriel whirled around to find the other Gryffindor stumbling backwards in a panic – and then he saw why.

A wolf had found them – a real wolf. It was vicious; teeth bared and snarling at them. Probably extremely territorial - and it had just found trespassers on its land. Even Fang was trying to get away. The wolf leapt at Neville, knocking him over and causing him to drop his wand. Draco was too frightened to move, so Azriel had to act.

He pulled out his daggers and lunged at the wolf; just before the beast was about to take a large bite out of Neville's throat, it saw the flash of the silver daggers and jumped out of the way. The beast howled before changing targets.

Azriel repelled the wolf's attack on him with his telekinesis, slashing at the creature with the dagger in his right hand. The wolf let out a cry of pain when the dagger sliced past its side. The wound was only shallow but it enraged the wolf anyway, and it prepared to renew its attack when it was frightened off by a large horse-like creature leaping over the students' heads.

All Azriel could see was that centaurs had heard the noise and had come investigating. He couldn't see what had been used to drive the wolf away. The centaur turned to face the students. From the waist up, it was a man with red hair and a beard. Below the waist, he had a gleaming chestnut body and a long, reddish tail.

'Foals, what are you doing here in the forest at night?' The centaur asked after a few moments, in a sorrowful tone.

'We're serving detention for Hagrid,' replied Azriel, looking over the centaur, not having seen one up close before. 'There were five of us, so we split up. Hagrid is with the other group, and we're with his dog Fang. I suppose you heard the wolf?'

'Yes, we heard the wolf,' the centaur said. 'It was dangerous of you to attack it like that.'

'I know it was, but I had to do something; that thing was ready to rip us to shreds,' Azriel countered.

'True,' the centaur acquiesced, 'however it is not safe for you to be traversing these woods on your own. Come, we will escort you back to Hagrid.'

Azriel eyed the centaur warily, yet he motioned for the others to follow as the centaur turned around and rejoined the rest of his group. Neville ran after Azriel, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. Draco was reluctant to follow, but since he wasn't about to be left on his own, he pursued. They walked in tense silence for a couple of minutes.

'Who's there?' Someone called in the distance; it was Hagrid. 'Show yerself – I'm armed!'

They found themselves stepping into a clearing. Potter and Bookworm's jaws dropped at the sight of the centaur.

'Oh, it's you, Ronan,' said Hagrid in relief. 'How are yeh? An' where'd you find this lot?'

'Good evening to you, Hagrid,' said Ronan, in that same sorrowful tone from before. 'I found these foals elsewhere in the forest; they'd been attacked for a wolf, but they are uninjured. Were you going to shoot me?'

'Can't be too careful, Ronan,' said Hagrid in response to the centaur's question, patting his crossbow. 'There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school; just like this lot over with you. Azriel Drake, Neville Longbottom an' Draco Malfoy. An' this is Ronan, all o' you. He's a centaur.'

'We'd noticed,' Azriel said dryly.

'Good evening,' said Ronan. 'Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?'

'A bit,' said Bookworm timidly. Trust her to get modest now.

'A bit. Well, that's something.' Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. 'Mars is bright tonight.'

'Yeah,' said Hagrid, glancing up too. Azriel wondered how the hell the centaur could say that; he'd be surprised if you could see anything through all the thick foliage of the forest's trees.

'Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt – you seen anythin'?' Hagrid said, looking back at the Centaur.

Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upwards, then sighed again.

'Always the innocent are the first victims,' he said. 'So it has been for ages past, so it is now.'

'What does that even mean?' Azriel muttered to no-one in particular. Ronan didn't appear to have heard this, for he did not respond.

'Yeah,' said Hagrid, 'but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?'

'Mars is bright tonight,' Ronan repeated while Hagrid watched him impatiently. 'Unusually bright.'

'We know; you said that already,' Azriel said. 'Something unusual a little closer to home, perhaps?'

Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, 'The forest hides many secrets.'

'I'm sure it does, but how is that useful to us right now?' Azriel muttered darkly. Hagrid glared at him, but Ronan didn't appear to have heard the boy once again.

A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, and Azriel instinctively reached for his daggers, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and bodied and wilder looking than Ronan.

'Hullo, Bane,' said Hagrid. 'All right?'

'Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?'

'Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? Only there's a unicorn bin injured – would yeh know anythin' about it?'

Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skywards.

'Mars is bright tonight,' he said simply.

'So we've heard already,' Azriel rolled his eyes. 'That doesn't help us find this unicorn though.'

'Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh?' Hagrid said. 'We'll be off, then.'

Hagrid led Potter and Bookworm out of the clearing as the two centaurs trotted off elsewhere into the forest. Azriel looked over at Draco and Neville.

'Okay, where should we go now?' he asked the two of them. Draco pointed down another earth path. Azriel nodded and they walked off. Azriel made sure Fang was taking the lead.

'Those centaurs weren't too helpful,' Draco said.

'Of course not,' said Azriel gruffly. 'Never try getting a straight answer out of one; they're a bunch of stargazers. They barely have a clue what's going on around them at ground level. The closest thing of interest to them is the moon!'

'D'you think there's many of them in here?' Neville said quietly.

'There's bound to be more than just Ronan and Bane,' Azriel replied. 'You saw how many of them passed us by back there; there had to have been at least a dozen that we could see.'

'That wasn't a centaur we heard earlier, was it?' Draco asked this time.

'Unless one of them is in the habit of wearing an extra large cloak,' Azriel said sarcastically, 'I would say no. It had to have been someone human. I can't think of anyone crazy enough to be in the forest at any time, especially at night.'

They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Neville kept looking nervously over his shoulder. Azriel couldn't blame him; he had the nasty feeling they were being watched by something hidden just beyond their view in the nearby trees. They had just passed a bend in the path when Neville cried out again. Azriel whirled around to see Neville shooting up red sparks. Draco was looking pleased with himself.

'Draco, what did you do? You can't scare Neville like that, this is serious business!' He snapped angrily.

'Calm down, Drake. Nothing happened. It was just a joke.' Some of Draco's swagger had returned.

'Well, it's not funny and you have no idea what else you could have alerted to our presence. For all we know, you've just given our position away to the person who hurt the unicorn.'

Draco paled a little, having been put back in his place. They heard a twig snap somewhere in the distance and Azriel froze for a second, listening hard for another noise to alert them to the direction the noise came from, and where it was headed.

Hagrid emerged in the clearing a minute later, looking slightly panicked. He looked among the small group, gasping, 'What's happened?'

'Nothing,' Azriel scowled. 'Except Draco's being an idiot. He thought it'd be fun to give Neville a fright. We're just lucky you turned up before something else did.' Azriel glared at his cousin, who was starting to look uncomfortable. Neville stood just a way off, wheezing as he tried to get his nerves back under control.

'Are yeh daft, Malfoy? Yeh know there's dangerous things in the forest. Yeh can't just fool around like that, especially at nigh'.' Hagrid fumed. 'Now come on, I'm takin' yeh back ter the others.'

Neville was quick to join Hagrid, as was Fang. Azriel had to give his cousin a hard nudge in order to get him to follow. He glared at Draco as they walked. When they got back, Hagrid explained to Potter and Bookworm what had happened and why he was upset.

'We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin',' Hagrid said with a glare directed at Malfoy. 'Right, we're changin' groups – Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Harry, you go with Azriel, Fang an' this idiot.'

Draco looked appalled at being called an idiot by the half-giant, but Azriel ignored this as Hagrid was whispering something to Potter and he was trying to overhear.

'I'm sorry,' Hagrid was whispering, 'but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done.'

So Potter set off into the heart of the forest with Draco, Azriel and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick.

'Hold up, guys,' said Azriel, noticing something on the edge of his vision. He held up his hand as a motion for them to stop. Azriel walked over to a few splashes of silver blood on the roots of a tree. He crouched down to examine it.

'It looks like the blood spots are getting thicker,' he said, looking up at the others, who were also peering down at the splatter he had found. 'It must mean we're getting closer.'

The pattern of the blood spots suggested that the unicorn had been thrashing around in pain close by. Potter pointed out a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak tree. Azriel got up, and he, Draco and Fang followed Potter toward it.

'Look –' Potter murmured, holding out his arm to stop Draco. Azriel stopped as well and looked at where Potter was looking at. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.

'Oh my god,' Azriel muttered, covering his mouth in shock and revulsion at the sight. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Its long slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves. It was almost a beautiful sight and Azriel felt sick with anger that someone had tarnished that beauty.

Potter had taken one step towards it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered ... Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Potter, Draco, Azriel and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, it lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink his blood. Azriel was horrified at the sight.

'AAAAAAAAAAARGH!'

Draco let out a terrible scream and bolted – so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at the two figures left – Potter and Azriel – unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly towards them – Potter couldn't move for fear.

Azriel, meanwhile, whipped out his daggers as the figure charged them; he stepped back in alarm, but he lost his balance in his haste, falling backwards as the figure rushed past him. He propelled himself back up and turned around to follow the figure which had almost reached Potter – who for some reason looked crippled with pain – when a horse-like figure vaulted over Potter's head to ward off the figure, who darted off into the trees elsewhere. Azriel didn't pursue it, putting his daggers away to approach Potter.

Potter had fallen to his knees; Azriel tried to help him up but Potter stayed down, so Azriel turned his attention to the newcomer. It was another centaur; this one looked younger, and he had white-blond hair not dissimilar to Azriel's own, and a palomino body.

'Are you all right?' said the centaur, pulling Potter to his feet. He must have been a little better now.

'Yes – thank you,' Potter gasped.

'What was that?' Azriel asked, looking around the clearing for a sign that the figure was returning. The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires, which Azriel noticed when he turned his attention back to the centaur before him. The centaur looked carefully at the two boys, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out, livid, on Potter's forehead.

'You are the Potter boy,' he said, 'and you are one of the Drakes.'

Azriel shared glances with Potter. How could this centaur, that they had never met, know their names?

'You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time – especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.'

'Can you handle two of us?' Azriel asked. The centaur nodded.

'My name is Firenze, by the way,' the centaur added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Potter and Azriel could clamber onto his back.

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Azriel reached for his daggers again when Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

'Firenze!' Bane thundered. 'What are you doing? You have two humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?'

'Do you realise who these are?' said Firenze. 'This is the Potter boy, and this is a Drake. The quicker they leave this forest, the better.'

'What have you been telling them?' growled Bane. '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?'

'Firenze only just got here; he hasn't had the chance to tell us anything at all, planets or otherwise,' Azriel said, watching the centaur warily and knowing that Bane didn't quite believe him. Ronan pawed the ground nervously.

'I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best,' he said, in his gloomy voice. Bane kicked his legs back in anger.

'For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!'

Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Potter had to grab onto his shoulders to stay on. Azriel let himself fall back onto the forest floor, walking round to stand beside Firenze.

'I'm not sure if you noticed,' Azriel said, 'but there's a dead unicorn here. I'm sure that must count for something in whatever the 'planets' told you.'

'The boy is right,' Firenze bellowed at Bane. 'Do you not understand why this unicorn 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.'

Firenze knelt down to let Azriel back on; when he was secure, the centaur whisked around and plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind. Potter was clutching onto Firenze as best he could, while Azriel had a secure grip on Potter.

Potter didn't have a clue what was going on, because he asked, 'Why's Bane so angry? What was that thing you saved us from, anyway?'

Firenze slowed to a walk, warning the boys to keep their heads bowed in case of low-hanging branches but did not answer Potter's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Azriel thought Firenze didn't want to talk to them anymore because of Potter's question. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.

'Harry Potter, Azriel Drake, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?'

'No,' said Potter, startled by the question. 'We've only used the horn and tail-hair in Potions.'

'That is because it's a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn,' said Firenze. 'Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime.'

'Because it keeps you alive,' Azriel said quietly, looking down at the ground. Potter twisted around to look at the other boy. 'Even if you're an inch from death, it'll keep you alive.'

'Yes, but it costs a terrible price,' said Firenze, nodding his head. 'You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.'

Potter was staring at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight. Well at least he had a better understanding of why it was such a terrible crime to kill a unicorn, Azriel thought.

'But who'd be that desperate?' Potter wondered aloud. 'If you're going to be cursed for ever, death's better, isn't it?'

'It is,' Firenze agreed, 'unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and powers – something that will mean you can never die.'

Azriel was caught off guard by the centaur's comments. He was clearly referring to the elixir of life, which could only mean he was talking about the Stone.

'Mr Potter, Mr Drake, do you two know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?'

Potter was silent; Azriel could judge from his face that he really didn't want to say because he thought Azriel didn't know, so Azriel was the one to speak up.

'The Philosopher's Stone,' Azriel spoke up. 'To overcome the curse of the unicorn's blood, you'd need to drink the Elixir Of Life which is made from the Stone.'

'How do you know about the Stone?' Potter asked, shocked.

'Bedtime story. You?' Azriel quipped, raising his eyebrow and challenging Potter to admit he'd been snooping. Potter ignored this.

'But I don't understand who –'

'Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?'

'But that's impossible, isn't it?' Azriel said, realising the implication. 'He's long since dead; I mean, we never even heard the stories back home, but from everything I've heard since we came here everyone says he's dead!'

Potter seemed to have been greatly affected by this suggestion, because he looked like he was remembering something.

'Do you mean,' Potter croaked, 'that was Vol –'

'Harry! Harry, are you all right?'

Bookworm was running towards them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.

'I'm fine,' said Potter, hardly knowing what he was saying.

'The unicorn's dead,' Azriel said. 'It's in that clearing back there.' Azriel jerked his head in the direction they'd come from.

'This is where I leave you,' Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. 'You are safe now.'

Potter and Azriel slid off Firenze's back; Azriel landed gracefully but Potter was slightly off balance. Out of pure instinct, rather than a newfound sense of comradeship (or so he told himself), Azriel helped Potter steady himself.

'Good luck, Harry Potter, Azriel Drake,' said Firenze. 'The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times.'

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Potter shivering behind him.

Hagrid came back a few moments later, looking like he was near tears at the sight of the unicorn. He silently led them back to his hut where Filch was waiting for them.

The caretaker was exceedingly bitter that all of the first years had come back alive. Azriel hissed at Mrs. Norris to dissuade her from glaring at him as they were dismissed.

Bookworm and Potter had gone on ahead, with Neville chasing after them wanting to get as far from the forest as he could. Draco was walking slowly by himself up to the castle. From where he stood, Azriel noticed that his cousin was still a little pale, and he chased after him.

'Draco!' Azriel called, sprinting toward the Slytherin. 'Are you okay?'

'What do you care, Drake?' Draco sneered, turning to face the other blond.

'I was there, remember?' Azriel said bluntly. 'When you saw that guy with the unicorn, you freaked.'

'What was I supposed to do?' Draco snapped. 'Whatever that was, it wasn't natural! If my father only knew what was going on –'

'If your father knew you'd even been in trouble in the first place,' Azriel reminded. Draco glared at him.

'I don't need comfort. And I certainly don't want your charity,' Draco hissed.

'Good, because you're doing a very bad job of earning it,' Azriel countered, patience already worn thin.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know I needed to earn anything from you.'

'Y'know what? Maybe daddy dearest should find out about your little indiscretion,' Azriel said acidly, 'it'd do wonders for that ego of yours.'

'That's rich, coming from you,' Draco scoffed. 'Strutting around the castle like you're so important.'

'Oh, so I'm a mirror now?' Azriel spat. 'What's the matter, Draco, don't like your own reflection?'

'I could hex you wear you stand,' Draco said venomously. Azriel just laughed coldly.

'Gifted, remember? I could rip your wand from your hand before you even opened your mouth. That, or slam you into the nearest tree. And I wouldn't even have to lift a finger.'

Draco would tell from the dangerous glint in Azriel's eye that the Gryffindor was serious and that we was just as likely to deliver on his threat if pushed far enough.

'You wouldn't want me as an enemy, Draco,' Azriel warned. 'I'd be very careful if I were you, because you're already well on your way.'

Azriel stalked off past Draco back into the castle, trudging back to Gryffindor tower in a terrible mood. He growled the password to the Fat Lady when he reached her portrait, startling her awake; she grumbled as she swung open to let him in.

Red was in the common room when he got inside, probably because he'd been waiting for Potter and Bookworm to return. The others had already arrived; Neville had presumably gone straight to bed, but Potter was frantically telling Red and Bookworm exactly what had transpired in the forest.

Potter couldn't sit still. He paced up and down in front of the fire, unaware that Azriel had just arrived, and diverting the attentions of Red and Bookworm so they didn't notice him either. Potter was still shaking.

'Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort ... and Voldemort's waiting in the forest ... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich ...'

'Stop saying the name!' said Red in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

Potter was ignoring him. Still none of them noticed Azriel as he made his way to the stairs leading up to the boys' dormitory.

'Firenze saved us, but he shouldn't have done ... Bane was furious ... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen ... They must show that Voldemort's coming back ... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me ... I suppose that's written in the stars as well.'

'Will you stop saying the name!' Red hissed.

'Oh, get over it,' Azriel snapped as he stopped halfway up the stairs, startling the others into realising he was there. 'It's just a name.' Red looked affronted.

'All you have to do is wait for Snape to steal the Stone,' Azriel said darkly as he returned back down, 'then Voldemort will be able to come finish you off. One happy centaur, one evil wizard returned to power, and one dead doornail. Would that satisfy you?'

Red glared at him, but Bookworm looked frightened. She spoke up timidly.

'Everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who –'

'- Voldemort –' Azriel interjected.

'- was ever afraid of,' Bookworm ignored Azriel. 'With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch Harry.' Azriel didn't bother to correct her again on Voldemort's name. 'Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic.'

The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. Since the others were now aware that Azriel knew about the Stone (this was the first thing Potter told them once he reached the common room, apparently), the four compared notes and shared what they'd learned, and Azriel told them how to get past Fluffy, which Bookworm hoped Snape didn't know yet. By now, Azriel figured Snape might have finally worked it out.

They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over. When Potter pulled back his sheets, he found his invisibility cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was note pinned to it:

Just in case.

'You got it back?' Azriel asked, mildly surprised. Potter stared at him.

'How'd you know about the cloak?' Red asked suspiciously, so Azriel pulled out his own to show them, giving Red a pointed look as he did so.

'How do you think I was out there that night, with the dragon? I followed you,' Azriel replied. 'Well, I was trying to get to Draco first, but McGonagall took care of that.'

'Who gave it back to you?' Red asked Potter. He picked up the note and looked at the other side, looking for same clue to its origin.

'It had to have been a staff member,' Azriel said, 'since it was a confiscated item. I don't know how many staff members would recognise what that was, but I'd hazard a guess that Dumbledore would.'

'So Dumbledore gave it back to me?' Potter asked.

'It's the only explanation I can think of,' Azriel replied. 'Now, we should get some sleep. We still have preparation to do for our exams, and we especially have to keep an eye out for Snape now, to make sure he's not about to go after the Stone.'

'Won't your brother be able to do that?' Potter asked, looking at Azriel.

'Can we trust him?' Red asked gruffly. 'He's a Slytherin, after all.'

'I can assure you, Alex is loyal to his family before his school house,' Azriel said, sick of Red's distrust. 'Besides, he's already been monitoring Snape for ages now. I'm surprised the slime-ball waited this long before he made his move.'

'I don't think we're going to have to wait much longer,' Potter said gravely. Azriel nodded. Since Quirrell had seemingly given in already, and Snape knew how to get past Fluffy (which they assumed he had) there was nothing stopping him from going down there right now – except for maybe Dumbledore.

'Let's get some sleep. We've got exams in a few days, and they'll probably be keeping Snape busy enough for the present that he won't be able to try anything.'

After their incredibly long night, it wasn't difficult for any of them to sleep that morning.