The 37th chapter of The Peculiar Pair and we finally reached the Forbidden Forest! So without further ado, we hope you enjoy!

- Aloof Avengers

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.

Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor McGonagall

I stared at the note in apprehension, it had arrived in the middle of breakfast and a quick glance at the Gryffindor table confirmed that the others had gotten theirs as well, and they looked as afraid as I was. Detention with Filch, that late at night? The grumpy man had often been overheard muttering about the good old days where he could torture students, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to spending time with someone who liked childrens pain.

But at least detention would mean the end of their punishment, and maybe appease some of the incredibly angry Gryffindors. I was lucky to only lose fifty points for Ravenclaw, something which I did get dirty looks for, but Emma, Neville, Harry, and Hermione had lost two hundred. That was probably the highest number of points anyone had lost in one night in the history of Hogwarts, and the rest of the lions house were making sure the four who had lost them those points knew their displeasure.

At promptly eleven that night I stood, shifting nervously from foot to foot, with the delightful company of Malfoy and Filch. My friends arrived only a minute later and got a baleful glare from the old man for even daring to be late.

"Follow me"

We set off after Filch, and from everyones somber faces it looked remarkably like a funeral march. The castle glowed warmly behind us as we strode across the darkened lawn towards off to an unknown destination and I tried to ignore what Filch was muttering to himself.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh? Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me... It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed."

I gagged at his tone, no one should ever sound that excited when discussing such a topic, and Filch was almost starry eyed at the thought. I put an arm around Neville's shoulders as he was making small mouse like whimpering noises and he gave me a thankful glance.

"Is that you Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started!"

At the sound of Hagrid's voice nearly everyone in the sagged in relief, especially Harry, if he was here then it wouldn't be as bad. "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece." Filch said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

I perked up and Emma glared at me, knowing the detention suddenly wasn't a detention for me but the excuse to go into the forest I had been looking for all year, after all my friends couldn't very well keep me out if I was being 'forced in' now could they? Everyone else however was suddenly in a panic. Neville clung tighter to my side and looked ready to faint, and Malfoy had stopped suddenly, staring at Filch like he had just told him to kiss Mcgonagall.

"The forest?" he repeated, and his voice cracked. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard." Neville was suddenly choking and I patted his back concerned he wasn't breathing.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, Emma?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid, they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at him. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn for what's left of them," He cackled and walked up towards the castle, a little hop in his step. Malfoy whirled to look at Hagrid, his face a sneer.

"I'm not going in that forest,"

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

"- tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

Malfoy didn't move, he was certainly paler than normal, and his glare lacked its usual fierceness, I almost felt bad for the kid as he dropped his gaze.

"Right then, now listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

I bit down a smile as he led us towards the forest, and was thankful for Neville's fierce hold on my arm, keeping me from skipping. Finally I could go into the forest, and with any luck do a little investigating about the thing. I took pity on Neville though and ruffled his hair playfully with free hand.
"Don't worry Nev, it's not a full moon so there aren't any werewolves tonight" He sagged in relief and the others who must have heard me did as well, even Malfoy relaxed to a small extent.

We had just barely passed the first trees when Hagrid stopped, pointing out something I knew quite well, after all I stared at it's stain on my now unused outer robe at least once a week.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," or me, I added mentally, except that den of spiders of course they still wanted to eat me. Hagrid continued, "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy too fast for anyone to protest.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Stephanie, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, Emma, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

The forest was black and silent. A little farther in the group broke up, and I smirked as I suddenly felt the forest spirits presence, tree branches smacking me in the face too often to be a coincidence and she was obviously showing her displeasure. I wasn't safe but she couldn't very well force me out without showing herself to everyone else and more than likely getting me expelled for being in the forest before now. The fact that our detention was investigating the thing couldn't have been better and the wind swirled angrily before finally swishing off, nearly blowing Hermione over.

"You all right, Hermione? Tha' was a right weird wind" Hagrid whispered before being distracted by another dot of blood. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter - GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Hagrid harshly shoved us behind a large tree, and stood in the middle of the path, crossbow raised and ready to shoot. I frowned, if he even tried to hurt one of my friends I would hex him, risking expulsion or not. But that was pushed aside in my mind as we heard something, a quiet slithering noise like when Archer came into the forest with me but bigger. The sound faded away after a moment but Hagrid didn't relax any, "I knew it, there's summat in here that shouldn' be."

I twitched, well no shit sherlock, I had known that since the first month of school and he was just barely figuring it? To be fair he probably didn't have the contacts I did but still..

"That wasn' no werewolf" Again I twitched, had the man not noticed it wasn't a full moon? "an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."

We walked slowly, and a good five minutes later we came upon a clearing, and there was something moving in the dark trees on the other side.

"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself - I'm armed!"

Suddenly a ginger centaur walked into the clearing, and I gulped, the herd was going to kill me for entering the forest, even with an escort from the school. Not to mention Ronan, the centaur, had full rights to kick all of us out of the forest as it was their territory, and I had no doubt that the forest spirit had brought him to us after her huffy departure. Damn cheater.

"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"

"Good evening to you, Hagrid. Were you going to shoot me?"

"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter, Stephanie Herbert, an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you three. He's a centaur."

"We'd noticed," said Hermione and looked a bit in awe, I snickered silently and Ronan shot me a glare while the others were distracted, I shrank and gave a hesitant smile.

"Good evening, Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"

"Erm-"

"A bit," Hermione was still in shock to be her usual bookworm self and I sighed, very eloquent friends I have, but in general I was glad Ronan wasn't showing that he knew me.

"A bit. Well, that's something." He sighed wearily and turned his head up to look at the stars "Mars is bright tonight."

I flinched, that was a direct comment to me, to remind me of exactly why I wasn't allowed in the forest this year. Referencing what Bane had told me when I was with the dead unicorn.

"Yeah," said Hagrid, looking up to where Ronan was looking and trying to see whatever held the centaurs interest. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?"

Ronan didn't answer for a long while, obviously choosing his words carefully as most of his breed tended to do.

"Always the innocent are the first victims, so it has been for ages past, so it is now."

Ahh there was the noncommittal member of the herd I knew and loved, you could always count on a centaur to speak in riddles if they had to talk when they didn't want to. Hagrid looked a bit exasperated.

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

"Mars is bright tonight, unusually bright." Ronan repeated, and I sagged until I was almost the same height as harry, stupid centaurs making me feel guilty. While the other three were confused, and in Hagrid's case impatient, I knew what he meant. There was danger tonight, and more than there had been before, which meant the thing was probably in the forest. It was a plea for me to leave and I felt suddenly horrible for worrying my friends.

"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home, so yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

Hagrid really shouldn't be pushing the centaur for answers, they could get very testy if pushed, he was lucky Ronan was one of the more patient members of the herd so Ronan just sighed heavily before answering "The forest hides many secrets." But Hagrid's luck had just run out, and probably mine for that matter, Bane had just entered the clearing, and he was very mean when he wanted to be, which was most of the time when around strangers.

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

"Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?" Bane made no move to hide his glare at me like Ronan had, and I attempted a feeble smile and half wave. Hagrid glanced at him and then me strangely before coughing to get the dark haired centaurs attention. Harry and Hermione had seen the exchange and stared before whispering to me sharply and ignoring Hagrids question to Bane.

"What was that?" Harry asked and his eyes flickered to Bane,

"Yes he looked like he hated you!"

"Errr... I don't... get on with horses?" I answered lamely and they watched me disbelievingly. Ronan made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and Bane was suddenly twitching, his tail flicking back and forth in agitation. They had heard our whispers, well shit, I know I'm getting payed back for that comment later, centaurs being compared with horses was like cardinal sin to their race and Bane would probably dump me over a waterfall for merely suggesting he was one of those, and I quote "Under Evolved snorting creatures who only cared for eating hay and allowing humans to ride them!"

"Mars is bright tonight," I snapped out of my thoughts at Banes words, of course he would say that. He sounded very harsh though, the words almost growled out and Hagrid looked rather taken aback. I wasn't sure if he was angry because I was here or about my comment, probably both.

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

Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane and not noticing that I had lingered behind, Hagrid in too much of a huff over the two centaurs non answers to notice either.

"Erm, hi guys?" I was met with two fierce glares and I paled, perhaps staying behind wasn't the smartest idea.