Previously…
"Your detention was terminated just an hour ago," Professor McGonagall said.
"How?" Harry said in surprise.
"Well," said McGonagall, "Hiei confronted Professor Snape and I and informed us that you had nothing to do with what had happened with Misters Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Professor Snape wasn't willing to let the detentions to slide, so Hiei offered to take on your detentions for you. He was persistent, so Professor Snape and I gave in, in the end."
"So," Harry said numbly, "Hiei is doing ten days of detention?"
"No," replied Professor McGonagall. "Because it was a rather bold and valiant sacrifice, we cut it down to only two additional days." Harry could only look at her, speechless.
"Do close your mouth, Potter, you look like a suffocating cod," McGonagall snapped, and she swept past him. "Besides, don't you have a detention with Professor Umbridge right now? It would not be wise to be late."
"Um…yes Professor." Harry turned and headed to Umbridge's classroom. Could McGonagall be playing some sort of joke on him? Had Hiei really?... no, it was impossible!...why would he?...
Harry shook his head when he realized he was standing in front of Umbridge's door. Maybe what all the newspapers were saying about him were right; maybe he was going crazy. At the moment, he honestly couldn't disagree with them.
Dokkou: Okay, here's where things get nasty. Prepare yourselves...FOR DESTRUCTION!! AND THE END OF THE HUMAN RACE!! I SHALL EAT YOUR BRAINS!! NONE CAN ESCAPE THE WRATH OF-- wait... (stares at script) oh wait this is a later chapter (sweatdrop) ... Ha!! haha...ha... awkward...
I'm drugged up!! On Invader Zim!! ZIIIIIIIIMMM!! HAHAHAHAAAA!! OH THE INSANITY!! IT'S DELICIOUS!! (runs in a happy psycho circle)
New Punishment: Welcome to the Forbidden Forest
Thursday came in a burst of sunshine and twittering birds. Too bad all the students were stuck inside. Albeit, breakfast was enjoyable, especially for Kurama.
Midway through a bowl of cereal the owls came streaming into the Great Hall and one bright-colored owl disengaged from the flock and dove down at Kurama. The fox demon looked up and pulled his cereal bowl away just in time before a tiny yellow owl landed hard on the table.
"Ohhh! An emopygmy owl!" Hermione squealed excitedly.
"His name is Brummer," Kurama smiled at her. The owl hopped onto his shoulder and let out a happy and rather satisfied hoot. There was a large envelope tied to his leg.
"Oh? For me?" Kurama said curiously. He pulled the envelope off the owl's leg and scanned the front. A delighted smile spread over his face and Brummer glowed a bright yellow.
"It's from my mother," Kurama said.
"What's it say?" Yusuke said curiously through a mouthful of bagel and cream cheese.
"Tell me later," Ron said, his eyes locked on something across the hall. He grabbed a garlic-and onion bagel and stood up.
"Ron where are you…?" Hermione began. Then she followed Ron's gaze to Hiei, who had just entered the hall. "Oh Ron you're not serious…" She let out an annoyed huff as Ron ignored her and swept off.
Kurama delicately slit the envelope open and smiled.
"Sooo?" Kuwabara said expectantly.
"Oh, just fussy mother stuff," Kurama responded, starting to put the letter in his bag. In a flash, Yusuke swiped it out of his hand and read out loud with a grin, "Dear Shuichi, I hope you're having fun at your college trial. Are you making any friends? Are you eating right? Are the grounds very big? How does everyone treat you? Are you making sure you're changing your underwear every—" In a blur the letter disappeared out of his hand and in the same second something bashed into his head and sent him face-first into Kurama's cereal bowl.
"You really should be more careful, Yusuke," Kurama smiled, slipping the letter into his bag. Brummer hooted cheerfully from the fox demon's shoulder. Hermione and Kuwabara were shaking from suppressed giggles. Yusuke slowly pulled his face out of the bowl and glared at Kurama. The intimidation was ruined by the cheerios plastered all over his face. Kuwabara couldn't hold back his laughter and he finally cracked up. Yusuke pounced on him with a snarl.
There was a gagging noise behind Hermione. She and everyone else looked around to see Ron standing behind her. He had a very large, whole, garlic-and-onion bagel shoved into his mouth and his flaming red hair had been doused with what looked like cranberry juice.
"So, how did it go?" Harry said casually, trying desperately not to explode into laughter. Ron pulled hard on the bagel and it finally came out with a spray of crumbs.
"Hiei doesn't like garlic," Ron said in a raspy, crumb-filled warble.
"Are you sure you weren't just too insistent?" Hermione said shrewdly.
"Of course not!" Ron said, highly affronted as he grabbed a napkin and mopped his hair. "It's not like I shoved it in his face!" Hermione stared at him. Ron ducked his head and muttered, "Well I didn't shove it in his mouth…"
By this time, most of the owls had left but suddenly one more owl swooped into the Hall.
"Hedwig?" Harry said in surprise as the snowy white owl settled on the table before him. Hedwig held out her leg, to which a piece of parchment was tied. Harry removed the parchment and Hedwig hooted once then took flight out of the Hall.
"What's it say?" Ron said curiously, looking over Harry's shoulder.
"It's from Professor McGonagall," Harry said to his audience. Out loud he read, "'Harry Potter, Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, and Hiei Jaganshi are to report to Professor Hagrid's hut at 7:30 tonight to fulfill the remainder of their detentions.'" Harry looked at all his friends curiously.
"We're not going to Umbridge!" Kuwabara said with a wide grin. "Awesome!"
Yusuke rubbed his chin. "But why Hagrid?" he said pensively. Harry shrugged.
"Dunno, but I bet it will be way better than Umbridge."
"Anything is better than Umbridge," said Ron, rolling his eyes.
Oh how wrong he was.
"Oh man, we're late," Harry panted as he, Yusuke and Kuwabara ran toward the wooden cabin on the edge of the forest. It was a little past 7:30 p.m. and it was already sunset.
Yusuke effortlessly pulled up next to the young wizard.
"So what? Who cares if we're ten little minutes late?" he said dismissively.
"Hagrid is my friend," Harry replied breathlessly. "I can't be late for him. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that second helping of pie…"
The three at last arrived at the cabin where they could see two figures waiting. Hiei was kicking at rocks and Hagrid was sitting on the front porch, softly playing a flute. Even sitting, he made Hiei look especially small.
"Finally," Hiei grunted without looking around as Harry, Kuwabara and Yusuke slowed to a stop before them. Hagrid put his flute down and said, "There ya are! I was wonderin' if you three would even show up."
"Sorry, Hagrid, really," Harry apologized.
"Harry insisted on pigging out first," Yusuke grinned. Harry elbowed him in the stomach. Yusuke snickered then pulled an innocent upward expression. Hagrid hauled himself to his feet.
"Why are we doing detention with you?" Kuwabara asked curiously.
" 'Cause I requested it," Hagrid replied. "I asked McGonagall if she could get you four out of Professors Snape and Umbridge's company an' into mine an' she arranged it. I asked yeh here because I can't find hide nor hair o' William, an' I figured I would get you four ter help."
"You want us to find Will?" Harry said, wide-eyed. "Why?"
"Well apparently he got spooked or sommat, because he won' come out of the water even If I toss in half a carcass," Hagrid said with a frown. "I feel like I know what spooked him but I just can't remember what…" He stroked his beard and Yusuke and Kuwabara traded smirks.
"Anyway," Hagrid went on, "I got you down here, Harry, because I understand that Professor Umbridge's punishment is pretty harsh, or so I've heard, and because I know you'll help me in my hour of need." He smiled at Harry who returned his smile weakly. "I requested Yusuke an' Kuwabara because, well…. I faintly remember them helpin' out with Will the other day durin' class…. I remember him getting rowdy and you two stepped in to stop him."
"That sounds about right," Kuwabara said.
Hagrid leaned over and smiled fondly at Hiei. "And you I requested because of what yeh did for Harry. I heard about the run-in with Malfoy…" here he paused to scowl… "and also about how yeh took Harry's detentions for him. Very noble for a Slyth—er, a new kid."
"Hn."
Hagrid straightened up and looked proudly at the group behind him. "So whaddya say? Will yeh help me find my little William?" Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other uneasily, then at the pitch black forest in front of them.
"Of course, if you're scared, yeh can go back and do your detention with Professor Umbridge," Hagrid said lightly as he scratched his hairy chin.
"We'll take the lizard," Yusuke said immediately. Hagrid let out a satisfied grunt and stumped into his cabin. He came back out with a giant swinging lantern.
"Isn't Fang coming?" Harry asked.
"Nah," Hagrid frowned. "It was weird. Right when Hiei showed up, Fang got all jittery and whiny and hid in his bed."
"Hmm, he must have sensed something evil," Yusuke said with an innocent look at Hiei. The fire apparition gave him an ugly look.
"The only evil thing here is your face," Hiei sniffed.
"Yeah. Scaring little kids with it is so much fun," Yusuke grinned. He pulled the corners of his mouth down and stuck out his tongue at Hiei. "Bleh leh leh leh!"
"...Detective, I suggest you put that thing away before it sticks out permanently."
Yusuke sucked in his tongue with a loud slurp.
"Alright you lot, enough messing around," Hagrid said. "Let's go find Will." And he stumped off into the Forbidden Forest, lantern swinging eerily.
"Finally," Hiei said with a note of eagerness, and he swept off after the half-giant. Harry, Yusuke and Kuwabara took one last look at the castle and its cheerily glowing windows before turning and heading after the groundskeeper with synchronized sighs.
From nearly the first step into the forest, the shadows seemed to close in around the group and threaten to strangle them. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Harry looked warily at the darkness around them as they trailed after the half-giant and his light.
Hiei walked with a suspicious spring in his step. He scanned the dark trees around him with more curiosity than nervousness and he looked more energetic than anyone had seen him since he had come to Hogwarts. He took a deep breath and reveled in the clear, moist, cool air. At last he was back where he belonged; in a dark forest untouched by human influence. The farther in they walked, the more he longed to break away and lope through the tall trees by himself.
"How are we going to find Will?" Harry sighed after about ten minutes of walking. "Isn't he in a stream somewhere?"
"Nah," Hagrid said, stepping on a fallen sapling and snapping it in half. "River drakes, at least young ones, spend the night on land because the water is too cold and there are quite a few marine animals that would love a midnight snack of drake flesh."
"What animal would be stupid enough to take a bite out of something twelve feet long?" Yusuke said incredulously.
"You'd be surprised," Hagrid said mildly. "Now Will likes to hang out around this area here. I've checked here before, but he might have come back between then and now. Therefore…" he turned and faced the group. Harry winced and thought, Please don't say we should split up...
"I think it would be best if we split up," Hagrid said, right on cue. Harry heaved a mental sigh. "Now, Hiei and Yusuke I think you two should go together because you both seem like you can take care of yourselves. Harry, Kuwabara, you stay with me."
"Hey!" Kuwabara shouted at Hagrid. "Are you sayin' I can't take care of myself?!"
"Well, if you'd rather go by yourself," Hagrid trailed off just as the mournful howl of some night creature floated around the trees. A shiver went up Kuwabara's spine and he said stiffly, "Well, maybe I should stay with you guys and protect you from… you know… stuff."
"Yeah," Yusuke said solemnly, "Dirt… flowers… trees… let's not forget those vicious squirrels…"
"Shut up, Urameshi."
"Alrighty then," Hagrid said, "The three of us will go down this path…" he pointed to an almost indistinguishable path in the undergrowth "…and you two go that way." Yusuke couldn't even make out the path he was pointing at.
"If yeh find Will or any recent sign of him, send up green sparks. If you get yourselves into trouble, send up red sparks."
As Harry, Yusuke and Kuwabara drew their wands and lit them with the Lumos spell, Hiei said, "Are you quite sure that drake isn't going to attack us?"
"Of course not!" Hagrid said with a wave of his hand. "Will's as gentle as a horse! Hm, I could swear I've said that before…"
"Even if we accidentally sneak up on him while he's sleeping?" Hiei said shrewdly.
"No, no…no."
"Hn. Fine. Let's go, Detective." And with that, Hiei fearlessly trudged off in between the dark trees.
"He's an eager one," Hagrid observed cheerily.
"Yeah, that's what scares me," Yusuke muttered before hurrying after the demon with his wand held high. He caught up with Hiei in a matter of seconds and heard Hagrid, Harry and Kuwabara crashing off in the opposite direction.
"Okay," he said with mock enthusiasm, "Let's go find a flesh-eating gecko!"
Harry and Kuwabara didn't have any trouble keeping up with Hagrid. The half-giant easily cleared a path through the underbrush for his followers. They were trying to follow Hagrid's directions of looking for signs of Will, but Harry and Kuwabara didn't have a clue as to what a sign of a giant lizard would be. Even if the drake himself was standing ten feet away they wouldn't see him in the darkness anyway. Hagrid however was turning his shaggy from side to side, searching avidly. Kuwabara and Harry just focused all their attention with keeping up with his giant strides.
After nearly ten minutes of walking, Hagrid froze and said hoarsely, "Stop." Harry and Kuwabara stopped walking.
"What is it?" Harry asked as Hagrid bent down. "Did you find a sign of Will?"
"No," Hagrid said, and there was something in his voice that sent a chill up Harry's spine. He and Kuwabara peeked from either side of Hagrid at the thing he was examining.
Pressed in the mud and covered slightly by leaves was what looked like a footprint, but it was the oddest footprint any of them had seen. It had three extremely long toes that ended in very sharp and very long claws. A fourth toe pointed directly backward. The toes were all extremely thin. They could have been twig imprints if they weren't so precisely placed. It was vaguely birdlike.
"What made that?" Kuwabara said nervously.
"I… I don't know," Hagrid said softly. "I've never seen anything like it in this forest, which means…" he stood up with a dark look. "It doesn't belong here." He glanced at Harry and Kuwabara who were both wearing fearful expressions. "Oh now now," Hagrid said. "Listen… this is groundskeeper business, so how about we join up with Yusuke and Hiei and you all go back up to the castle."
"By ourselves?" Kuwabara said in a slightly squeaky voice.
"Of course not! I'll guide yeh through. I just hope that…" he broke off as a light suddenly shone above them. The three looked up and saw a faint flurry of blood-red sparks shimmering through the dark trees.
"Oh no," Hagrid said weakly.
"Let's go find a flesh-eating gecko!" Yusuke said.
"Do let's," Hiei said, craning his neck back to look up at the black canopy above them. Yusuke's wand was the only light around them. Like a natural being of the forest, Hiei fluidly slithered through the underbrush, leaving only waving fronds in his wake. He sighed as Yusuke crashed through the brush behind him, leaving considerably more in his wake than waving fronds.
"Hiei, why didn't you light your wand?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't need to. I can see fine in the dark," Hiei replied.
"But I can't," Yusuke said in a whiny voice.
"Don't tell me the great Spirit Detective is scared," Hiei mocked.
"I'm not scared! I'm just saying this will go a lot faster if we have two lights."
"Hn. Then here." Hiei pulled his wand out of his robe and shoved it into Yusuke's hand.
"That's not really what I was getting at," Yusuke sweatdropped.
"Too bad. Improvise." He set off through the trees again. Yusuke grudgingly muttered the light spell and Hiei's black wand reluctantly lit up.
Yusuke had no idea where they were going, but Hiei was moving a peculiar sense of purpose. Yusuke gave up and simply followed after the demon. Eventually they came to the edge of a clearing. Hiei held out his arm and Yusuke stopped.
"What?" Yusuke said. Hiei put a finger to his lips and pointed. Yusuke raised the wands and squinted into the darkness.
A dark mound rose before them in the middle of the clearing. It had a very long tail and four legs which were stretched out straight. The thing was lying on its side. Hiei lightly stepped out of the bushes and approached the mound. Yusuke heard a sharp intake of breath.
"What? What is it? Is it Will?" he said quickly.
"Come. Bring the light." Yusuke stumbled out of the bushes and came over curiously. He gasped and took a fast step back.
Will was lying before them on his side, his flesh ripped off revealing bloody white ribs. One eye was missing, obviously from a brutal slash, and he was covered in bite marks. A few flies were buzzing around him, confirming Hiei and Yusuke's suspicions: he was dead.
Yusuke clenched his fists around the wands.
"What…the… hell…" he said weakly. Hiei gazed at the drake, his whole face stony. Yusuke began to take a step back when a chill crept over him. At the same time, Hiei grabbed his arm.
"Did you feel that?" Hiei said sharply.
"Yeah," Yusuke said, looking around the dark trees warily. "Something is here. Something alive."
The two waited for a long silent minute, back to back, staring into the dark void around them.
"I'm going to check it out," Hiei said quietly. "I'll be right back."
"Be careful," Yusuke said. He felt the pressure of Hiei's back leave him and he was left alone. He heard the demon leap into a tree and dart away.
Yusuke repositioned the wands and stuck his index finger out. There; now he felt better armed than with a couple of glowsticks.
A soft noise reached his ears; the gentle snap of a twig.
"Hiei?" Yusuke turned his head—
and his vision was filled with the image of two enormous, bulging green eyes and a perfectly circular mouth too wide and too full of teeth to be natural. Yusuke opened his mouth to yell but then he felt the teeth savagely sink into his neck and his voice seemed to leak out through the punctures. He vaguely felt himself fall to the ground and felt the creature pin him down. The teeth pulled free of his flesh and hovered above his head. There had to be more than a hundred: three rows on both jaws. Yusuke fought the sudden shaking that was coming over him and raised the wand in his hand; he'd dropped the other one without realizing it. Red sparks streamed out of the tip and skyrocketed up into the night sky. The giant mouth let out a hiss and drew back in alarm. Then it started to come forward again…it was going in and out of focus… someone was calling his name… and then darkness finally walloped him over the head and he thought no more.
Hiei's head snapped up and he saw the red sparks glimmering faintly only a short ways away. Yusuke was in big trouble.
Damn!! Hiei cursed himself furiously. He shot like a bullet across the tree branch and burst into the clearing.
He immediately spotted Yusuke, pinned down by… by… oh God what was it? The creature was a mass of darkness, humpbacked, with a huge chest and tiny waist, long skeletal arms and legs and a whip-like tail.
He didn't even need to think. Hiei grabbed a branch off the ground, snapped it diagonally so that it made a very sharp point and blurred across the clearing at the creature. As Hiei leaped over Will's dead body, the creature looked up, turning a massive and very wide pair of walleyed green eyes at him. It let out a hiss and leaped off Yusuke into the shadows of the canopy above. Hiei hurled the tree branch like a javelin at it but the creature seemed to vanish into the darkness. The branch went clear through a tree trunk with a loud splintering noise.
Hiei blurred over and knelt next to the Spirit Detective, a hint of worry gnawing at his heart. Yusuke was half-curled up, shuddering and twitching. His eyes were shut tight and he was covered in a cold sweat. Hiei pushed on his shoulder anxiously.
"Yusuke! Yusuke! Wake up! Can you hear me? Yusuke!!" Hiei got no answer. He clenched and unclenched his hands, for once at a loss of what to do. Medical stuff was Kurama's area of expertise, not his! Hiei gently lifted one of Yusuke's eyelids; his eye was clouded and distant, obviously unconscious. But from what? What could possibly incapacitate someone as strong as the Spirit Detective so quickly?
Hiei turned Yusuke's head and that was when he saw it: a perfect circle of puncture marks on the side of the Spirit Detective's throat.
Poison. That thing poisoned Yusuke! Hiei took a deep breath, remembering how to take care of poisoning and hating it. But he had to do it. The poisoning could be fatal.
Hiei lifted Yusuke's torso up, opened his jaws wide revealing extremely sharp fangs, and bit down on Yusuke's throat. He sucked hard and his tongue tingled as poison-rich blood filled his mouth.
"The sparks came from here!" Kuwabara shouted. Harry and Hagrid were close behind him as he ran through the bushes. The three burst into a clearing and Kuwabara shouted, "Urameshi! We're here! What's hap—pen—" he trailed off with a gagging noise. A wave of nausea rolled over Harry.
A huge dead body was slumped to their left, bleeding all over the ground. But even more horrific was Yusuke, laying unconscious. Hiei had him in his arms with his teeth sunk in Yusuke's neck and was obviously sucking the human's blood.
Harry stumbled back, forcing down bile. Ron was right, he thought in horror, Hiei really is a vampire!!
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO YUSUKE!?" Kuwabara screamed. "GET OFF HIM!!" he started running forward, his fist glowing orange. Hiei raised his head and spat out a mouthful of blood in a long arch. It spattered right where Kuwabara was about to step, steaming and hissing like acid. Kuwabara froze, his eyes wide.
"Yusuke was poisoned," Hiei said swiftly. "I'm sucking the poison out before it spreads through him and he dies so shut up and let me concentrate!" He sank his teeth in again and drew out more blood. Harry clapped a hand over his mouth.
Hagrid was the first to realize the scene was not what it seemed and he knelt next to Hiei and Yusuke.
"What happened?" he said breathlessly. "What poisoned Yusuke?" Hiei lifted his head, spat out more blood and said, "I don't know. We split up--I saw red sparks--by the time I got back I saw some sort of shadow creature above Yusuke but before I could do anything it escaped. I think we interrupted its meal." He bit down again.
"Meal?" Hagrid said with a blink. Without changing position, Hiei pointed to the dead body on the other side of the clearing. Hagrid looked over at it and the reality sunk in for the first time. The half-giant let out a mournful howl and ran over to the drake.
"WILL!!" He wailed. "WIIIILL!! NOOO!" He burst into tears and collapsed to his knees beside the river drake's body. Harry and Kuwabara stood together, too confused to speak or move.
"There," Hiei said breathlessly spitting out a small mouthful of blood. The red liquid was dripping down from the corner of his mouth. "I think I got most of the poison out." Harry and Kuwabara knelt next to Yusuke.
The Spirit Detective was no longer twitching. He lay utterly still, except for the faint rise and fall of his chest.
"You did get all of it, didn't you?" Harry said nervously. Hiei wiped his mouth.
"No, but nothing to worry about," he said with an odd tone.
"Are you sure?" Kuwabara swallowed.
"Yes," Hiei said in a strained, slurred voice. "It's just a...paralyzing poison. It'll...wear off soon. Oh my tongue… I can't feel...my tongue…" He swayed dizzily.
"Hagrid," Harry cried, "Hagrid we need your help!"
The half-giant blearily looked up from the drake's body and around at the four teenagers. "What?" he said in a pained voice.
"Oh forget it!" Kuwabara snapped. "If you won't help, I will!" he grabbed Yusuke and wrapped the Spirit Detective's arms around his neck. "Come on, you guys, we're getting out of here," Kuwabara said fiercely.
"And you... know the way out of here?" Harry said dryly.
Kuwabara opened his mouth wide. "Aaaauuuh….no!" Hiei and Harry sweatdropped.
"Hagird, please!" Harry tried again. "We can't help Will, but we can help Yusuke! If he doesn't get to the hospital wing soon he could be in serious trouble!"
Hagrid shook himself and stood up. His eyes were clouded with grief but there was also a spark of determination.
"Right," he said in a shaky voice. "Right, Yusuke… I can take care of…of Will later." He stumped over, grabbed Yusuke from Kuwabara and held him effortlessly in his arms bridal-style.
"Follow me," Hagrid said, and hurried through the trees. Hiei and Kuwabara quickly headed after him. Harry ran and grabbed the two wands Yusuke had dropped and hurried after them.
The trek back through the forest seemed to take hours. Kuwabara and Harry couldn't stop looking at Yusuke's limp body, both wondering if the poison really was harmless at this point or still fatal. At long last they came out of the trees and Hagrid's hut came into view. Fang was barking madly from inside. Hagrid ignored his home and led the procession right into the castle.
The hallways were eerily empty. Everyone had gone to their dormitories for the night. The group was glad; the last thing they wanted right now was attention.
Hagrid burst into the hospital wing, causing Madame Pomfrey to cry out in surprise.
"Professor Hagrid! What on earth!" she exclaimed. She spotted Yusuke's unconscious form in his arms and she gasped softly. "What's happened?"
"Yusuke's been poisoned," Harry explained breathlessly as Hagrid gently lay the Spirit Detective on one of the beds.
"Poisoned!?" Madame Pomfrey cried. She pulled out her wand with a wave and a stethoscope magically appeared. She inserted it into her ears and pressed the end to Yusuke's heart.
"Well he's alive at least," she said. She carefully turned his head and let out a noise of alarm at the circular bite marks on his neck. "Good lord! What made this?"
"Er…"
"Um…" Harry and Kuwabara looked at each other, at a loss.
"Spider," Hiei said faintly.
"Uh yes, a spider," Hagrid said loudly. "We were just inside the forest and out of nowhere a spider came down and bit Yusuke." Madame Pomfrey scrutinized Hagrid for a long moment. The half-giant squirmed under her gaze until she looked back at the bite marks.
"That was an awfully big spider. Thus being, it must have inserted a huge amount of venom. How is this boy even still alive?"
"Hiei sucked out most of the poison," Harry explained.
"Oh?" Madame Pomfrey said, turning her shrewd gaze to the short demon. "Did you swallow any?"
Hiei shook his head. "Paralysis…poison," he forced out. Madame Pomfrey came over to him and said, "Open your mouth, boy." Hiei glared at her for a second then decided this was not a time to be stubborn. He did as she said.
"Hmm," Madame Pomfrey said. "You'll be fine. You're not going to be able to eat anything for a while and your tongue is going to be that color for at least two days."
Hiei blinked. What color? He stuck his tongue out and went cross-eyed to see that his tongue had turned a very interesting shade of lavender. Despite everything that was going on, Hiei heard Kuwabara snicker. He quickly sucked his tongue back in.
Oooohh...perfect.
"Well this young man will make a full recovery in a day or so with some rest and painkillers, so no need to worry," said Madame Pomfrey as she took Yusuke's pulse. Kuwabara and Harry looked at each other with wide, relieved smiles. Hiei was leaning against a wall in a brooding position but he let out a small sigh of relief as well. "Congratulations to all of you," Madame Pomfrey. "This boy could have turned out a lot worse if it weren't for you."
"Just helping a friend," Harry replied.
The four were shooed out of the hospital wing and they stood together silently as the double doors to the ward closed with a creak.
"Well," Harry said tiredly. "He's going to be okay, at least."
"I was really worried about Urameshi for a while there," Kuwabara said. He added quickly, "But don't tell Yusuke I said that."
"Whatever," Hiei said, stretching. His voice was already sounding better, but it still had a hint of a slur. "I don't know about you all, but I'm not going to stand here like a scarecrow. I'm tired; see you all later." With a suppressed yawn Hiei turned and walked away.
"I hope your mouth feels better," Harry called after him. Hiei's only answer was a dismissive wave.
Seeing the demon leave made Harry realize just how tired he was too. The soreness and exhaustion finally caught up to him and his whole body slumped. Everything that had happened in the last hour and a half had felt incredibly long; yet there were many blurry and faded parts to it. Harry shook his head. Yusuke was alive and safe. That was the most important thing.
Hagrid exhaled a deep breath. "Well you two, thank you for helping me…find Will. At least now I know where he is." His voice was laced with pain and loss. "I'm sorry I made yeh go through all that…I never would have taken yeh into the forest if I knew there was even a chance of you getting hurt."
"We understand. Not a lot of chances to get hurt in a forest that's out-of-bounds to the entire school," Kuwabara said in a mock-casual voice. Hagrid was too tired to pick up on the sarcasm.
"I suppose it would be too much to ask if yeh'd come to Will's funeral tomorrow," Hagrid said. Harry and Kuwabara developed an obvious slump in their shoulders and Hagrid said quickly, "It was just a suggestion. Of course yeh don't have to come if you don't want to."
"Thanks," Kuwabara said gratefully.
"We're going to hit the sack," Harry said. "Good night, Hagrid, and I really am sorry about Will."
"Well," said Hagrid, attempting a smile that came out more like a grimace, "If Yusuke's condition is anything to go by, Will went out without feelin' any pain and…well I'm just glad that Yusuke is alright." He turned and stumped off with a heavy, tired tread.
"Come on," Kuwabara muttered to Harry. "Let's go to bed."
"Yeah." Harry and Kuwabara dragged themselves down the hallway toward the Gryffindor dormitory, a feeling of sadness settling in their hearts despite Yusuke's positive condition. That couldn't be helped when one knew there was some sort of unidentified monster in the forest outside that could rip a twelve-foot-long drake into pieces.
Dokkou: Okay obviously the story is taking an angsty turn. Sorry if you don't like it, but I'm just that sort of person. Trust me, it's only going to get more delicious--er, creepy. Hehe... but not the next chapter!! Next chapter's gonna be fun!!
Next Chapter: Quidditch at Last!!
Summary: At long last Yusuke and Kuwabara are going to fly. AH BALEEEEVE AH CAN FLY!! (sorry had to stick that in.) This is really just a happy, comic-relief chapter but it doesn't make it any less significant to the story. Besides, Kurama has to find out about this mystery creature too. After sensing it outside the forest, he decides to investigate. After all, he's going into his home turf: plants. Nothing in there can seriously hurt him, right?
Er...right?
ATTENTION ALL INVADER ZIM FANS!!
(sniffles dramatically) IIIIII have fought the temptation to post an invader Zim story for weeks now. But try as i might, the urge overpowered me, and flung me into a void of brainless, mindless, brainless typing. (puts hand to forehead sadly) Thus being, I was forced to write an Invader Zim Fanfic against my will! Said Fanfic, named DOOM and Stuff, has just been posted on my profile and I would like to know how good and/or bad the first chapter is. (sniffle) Oh woe is me, the pathetic specimen who hath been violently brainwashed by her own computer! Woe, for the sad creature whose fingers are almost pulled off by the terrible, overwhelming desire to type for you people-- Yes, pity me, for I am pathetic.