I own nothing. J.K.R Owns everything :(
Chapter 23: First Year (Part 12)
6th, August, 1998. 5.30pm...
"Okay this one is of me hearing Quirrell talking, supposedly to himself, in a classroom." Harry explained.
Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead.
As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.
"No - no - not again, please -"
"What's going on?" Minerva asked, "It sounds like he's begging for something to stop."
"You will find out soon. I promise." Harry said.
It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer.
"All right - all right -" he heard Quirrell sob.
Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom, straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry.
"Why does it look like he's been tortured?" Cissy asked.
"I'm not telling." Harry said simply.
"We don't know everything." Ron said.
Hermione nodded, "We only know the basics the same as what Dumbledore knew." she added. "We didn't bother asking."
He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end.
Harry was halfway towards it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling.
"Damn." George muttered, "What a stupid thing to promise yourself." he smirked.
"How long did it last?" Fred asked.
"Um... Not long, probably about 3-4 weeks." Harry shrugged.
All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Philosopher's Stones that Snape had just left the room and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step - Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.
"Were skipping a bit. This is the morning after the day I heard Quirrell." Harry explained.
The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the Entrance Hall.
Prof. M. McGonagall
"It's detention time." sighed Hermione.
"Oh well, you still had a better record than us." Ron shrugged.
"Yeah, I think you only ever got like 25 detentions through our whole time at Hogwarts." Harry shrugged.
"How many do you think you got?" James asked curiously.
"Um..." Harry frowned, "I lost count at 100." he admitted.
"I think everyone lost count." Minerva sighed, "I counted to 213 and gave up." she added.
"I'll count them from now and hopefully we'll have an approximate number by the time we're done." Hermione smiled, "I'll count for Ron and I too."
"Good plan, I'll help." Harry smiled. "I know it was a lot since I know more than half the things the Marauders got detention for thanks to sorting out Filch's filing cabinet."
"That is a lot." Lily nodded, "I know the Marauders had roughly 890 during our whole 7 years." she added.
Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost.
He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of revision lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they got.
"You got that right." Hermione scoffed. "We were just plain stupid to get caught."
"I agree 100% with you 'Mione." Harry smirked. "We were stupid to get caught but I'm glad we got rid of that stupid dragon." he added making her nod.
At eleven o'clock that night they said goodbye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there - and so was Malfoy.
Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had got a detention, too.
"Of course I did." Draco pouted.
"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he continued, leering at them.
"Couldn't count the number of times he used that useless, tired old line on us." Sirius said.
"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 incase they're ever needed..."
"He's weird." Regulus said.
"Took you long enough to realize." James scoffed.
"Well he tended to avoid the Slytherin's." Regulus defended himself.
"It's true, he'd usually disappear if there were large numbers of Slytherin's walking down the corridor." Cissy frowned.
"It's because he's a squib. He knows about the reputation of Slytherin house and how a few of them are about blood purity." Minerva explained making them nod. "He was terrified if anyone pointed a wand at him." she added making them all chuckle or giggle.
"Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."
They marched off across the grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.
The moon was bright,
"Full moon?" Remus joked.
"Yes actually." Harry replied amused.
"What!" Remus, James and Sirius shouted looking at Minerva for answers.
"Don't look at me it wasn't me who set the detention it was Albus." Minerva said defensively. "I didn't know he was sending them into the Forbidden Forrest until they were in there already."
"Didn't he realise that's when the forest is most dangerous?" James demanded, "Even when Moony isn't there."
"True." Sirius said frowning, "But Werewolves aren't the only dangerous thing that come out on full moons." James nodded.
"Very true." Remus frowned, "There are loads of nocturnal animals that are most active at the full moon. I've got distant memories of hunting them down with Padfoot." he explained and Sirius nodded.
"I think I'll save you all the panic and worry and tell you that we were all fine if a bit frightened." Neville commented glaring at Draco who blushed.
but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout. "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."
Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad.
"Brilliant." James said, "Almost nothing will attack Hagrid."
His relief mush have shown on his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?"
"He is not an oaf!" most of the room shouted.
"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."
"That's nice of him. Creepy old git." James growled.
At this, Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.
"Wuss." James muttered.
"Be fair Prongs, we didn't start going into the forest until we were in second year." Remus pointed out.
"Fine." James admitted sulkily.
"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things there - werewolves, I heard."
"Wonder where kids got that idea?" Remus asked sarcastically. They all laughed.
Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.
"That's your lookout, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"
"And why would we think that?" Ron asked sarcastically. "'Oh no we better not get in trouble or we might be eaten by a werewolf'."
"Like that would stop anyone causing trouble." Remus said sarcastically. "I think I was the only werewolf that actually went to Hogwarts." he added as an afterthought.
"You were." Minerva smiled. "But I doubt even the smartest of students would automatically think they'd be sent out-of-bounds for rule breaking." she frowned, "I don't know what Albus was thinking."
"I know he was thinking 'These students were caught out-of-bounds so lets send them even more out-of-bounds as punishment'." Harry smirked. Everyone laughed.
Hagrid came striding towards 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?"
"I wouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they are here to be punished, after all."
"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'S'not your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back towards the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.
Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.
"I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.
"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 was terrified." Draco admitted.
"I would be too." Astoria assured him.
"I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this,"
"Does the ickle baby Malfoy need dada to make the bad forest go away?" Sirius said in a voice one would use while talking to a baby.
"Shut up." Draco snapped.
"he'd -"
"- tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Writin' 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 looked at Hagrid furiously but then dropped his gaze.
"Right then," said Hagrid, "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."
He led them to the very edge of the Forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a long narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the Forest.
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood."
Lily shrieked. Molly gasped. Dora clutched Remus's arm in horror.
"Merlin! How'd they manage to hurt a unicorn?" Sirius cried shocked.
"That's not the question we need to be asking, Padfoot." Remus said solemnly.
"We need to know who they are that did it." Regulus said quietly.
"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."
"That poor unicorn!" Lily whispered sadly.
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Little scaredy-cat," James taunted, but this time he didn't sound so convincing.
"I'd bloody well be scared too!" Bill said. "There's something out there fast and strong and evil enough to kill a unicorn! You'd be an idiot not to be a bit scared!"
James nodded his head.
"There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "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 been staggerin' around since last night at least."
"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.
"Idiot. He's a right coward." Sirius laughed. "Hagrid would be way better."
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville 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' practise 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 way into it they reached a fork in the earth path and Harry, Hermione and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville and Fang 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.
Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.
"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.
"Why jump to werewolves?" Dora asked curiously.
"I didn't know much about them." he admitted quietly.
"None of us did." Hermione added.
"Are werewolves even fast enough to catch unicorns?" Astoria asked frowning.
"Nope, they're not." Remus told her. "I tried it once with Padfoot I think."
Sirius nodded, "I couldn't get him to stop chasing it so I followed him instead with Prongs not far behind."
"We ran for about an hour before Moony gave up and chased a rabbit back to the edge of the forest instead." James chuckled, "For a werewolf you were a softie when it came to rabbits Moony."
Remus grinned, "Probably because the side of me in control figured out it was more fun to chase them than eat them."
"Like with Prongs?" Sirius suggested, "You tried to eat him until I tackled you."
"Making Moony realise you were the Alpha and he'd better not eat the stag because it was with you, making the four of us a pack... I tried to eat Wormtail too I think."
"You did." James smirked, "And you stepped on him once, broke three ribs and a leg."
"Somehow I don't feel very sorry about that." Remus shrugged.
"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."
They walked past a mossy tree-stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.
"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "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 seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. he pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby; it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground.
"What is it?" Lily gasped quietly.
Hagrid was squinting up that dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.
Sirius, who had been sitting on edge, said, "Damn. Got away."
"Damn?" Lily said incredulously, letting go of James. "You should be glad whatever that was went away!"
"I knew it," he murmered. "There's summat in here that shouldn't be."
"A werewolf?" Harry suggested.
"You shouldn't keep saying stuff about werewolves." Dora frowned.
"Dora you've got to remember most werewolves are seen as monsters." Remus reminded her gently. "Besides I'm fine with it, I've heard it all before and I'm not a werewolf anymore." he added.
"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."
They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.
They all gulped. Those who knew what happened looked mildly amused.
"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself - I'm armed!"
And into the clearing came - was it a man, or a horse?
"Just a centaur." breathed Lily, thoroughly relieved.
To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped.
"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid, 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. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."
"I think we realized that." Harry commented. Everyone chuckled.
"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.
"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"
"Erm -"
"A bit," said Hermione timidly.
"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. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?
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."
"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"
"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."
"He meant something on earth." Luna stated, "Though Mars being bright could be a bad thing."
"It means trouble and war." Astoria nodded, "And that's not Divination." she added at the skeptical looks she'd been getting, "It's Astrology and fact. In history every big battle has happened when Mars was very visible and very bright. And if there wasnt a battle there was trouble all day."
Luna nodded, "The final battle happened and Mars was brighter than it's been in years. The fact that it's always bright when something very bad happens proves it's a sign. Mars is the 'Red Planet' for a reason you know, red usually symbolises fire and fire is destruction most of the time."
"I don't think that ever came up in our Astrology classes." Hermione frowned, "I've never heard of it."
"It's in the advanced book, for people wanting to do their Mastery in it." Astoria explained, "I'd considered getting my Mastery in it so I got the book. I'll admit it's got a lot of history mixed into it, if you want I'll let you have a look sometime." Hermione nodded looking interested.
"And I was just curious." Luna added. "I've always found planets and stars interesting."
"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home," said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"
Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The Forest hides many secrets."
A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, 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?"
"He's going to say the same thing." Remus sighed.
"You don't know that." Sirius said.
"Oh yes I do."
Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skywards.
"Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.
"Told you so." Remus smirked as Sirius huffed and the others laughed.
"Padfoot you have to learn that Moony is almost always right." James grinned.
"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 until the trees blocked their view.
"Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy star-gazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."
"And believe me, that gets annoying." Sirius said.
"How would you know?" Minerva asked suspiciously.
"Well, you can't expect us to have gone into the Forest and not have seen any centaurs." James smirked.
"Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, a fair few... Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if I ever want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs... they know things... jus' don' let on much."
"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry.
"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns - never heard anythin' like it before."
They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched.
"Urgh. I hate that." Sirius shuddered.
He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them.
They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.
"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks"
They all looked at each other worriedly.
"the others are in trouble!"
"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted.
"What? Take them with you!" Lily cried.
"And let them see whatever it was that the others are facing?" Andy asked.
"I guess not." she sighed.
"Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"
They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.
"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.
"I don't care if Malfoy has,"
"That's the way to think, Harry." James grinned as Draco pouted.
"Sorry Draco." Harry said smirking.
"but if something's got Neville... It's our fault he's here in the first place."
The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where were the others?
At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville and Fang were with him.
"Thank Merlin." breathed Lily.
Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him for a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.
"Bloody, slimy little Slytherin git!" Sirius snarled.
"Hey!" the Slytherin's in the room shouted.
"Sorry."
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups - Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we gotta get this done."
"That was true." Neville chuckled. "You always have been more difficult to scare than me."
Harry smiled at him. "Your courage was just hiding, all you needed was a confidence boost." Neville nodded gratefully.
So Harry set off into the heart of the Forest with Malfoy 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.
Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker.
"I thought that too." Draco admitted.
There were splashes on the roots of a tree as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by.
Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.
"A... Clearing?" Remus frowned.
"Stay away from it!" James warned.
"Yeah, any clearings in the forest are creepy and leave you open for attack." Sirius said worriedly.
"Look -" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.
Something bright white was gleaming on the ground.
"The unicorn." Remus muttered.
"Get away from it!" Lily cried.
"That isn't the Potter way, Lily." James smirked.
"Who gives a damn about the Potter way? If something happens to him -"
"He'll be fine. It's just an injured unicorn."
"But what if the thing that hurt it is there too!"
"Oh. Right. It... er... let's just see."
They inched closer.
It was a unicorn all right, and it was dead.
"At - at least it's out of it's misery." Percy said solemnly.
Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. 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.
Harry had taken one step towards it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood.
They all froze.
"Oh no!" Lily cried.
"Please let it be a snake or something!" James begged.
"Snake would help." Harry snorted sarcastically, "Especially a big poisonous one that could kill me in seconds. I doubt any snake would listen to me anyway if I spoke to it."
"Okay... No snake..." he muttered.
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.
The women screamed. Even Dora, who was hardly scared of anything, what with being an Auror.
The men stared wide-eyed at the memory.
Harry, Malfoy and Fang stood transfixed.
"Run," muttered James.
"RUN!" Lily yelled.
"SEND UP THE BLOODY SPARKS!" Sirius cried.
The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, it lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.
Everyone looked disgusted.
"What kind of a monster drinks unicorn blood?" James spat in disgust.
"A very, very, very evil and desperate one." Remus said.
"Unicorn blood. Doesn't that give you a cursed life or something?" Andy asked.
"Yes. Yes it does." Luna answered quietly.
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted -
"Idiot!" James cursed. "Now it's gonna see you. Damn it!"
so did Fang.
The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry -
They froze again.
"RUN HARRY!" they all yelled.
Harry looked amused.
unicorn blood was dribbling down its front.
It got to its feet and came swiftly towards him - he couldn't move for fear.
Then a pain pierced his head like he'd never felt before, it was as though his scar was on fire -
"Your... scar?" Remus said thoughtfully. "Why would that be hurting?" he asked.
"Well I know the reason but you will find out when I do." Harry told them.
half-blinded, he staggered backwards. He heard hooves behind him, galloping,
"Hooves?" James asked hopefully. "Is it one of the centaurs?"
and something jumped clean over him, charging at the figure.
"Thank Merlin." Lily sighed in relief.
The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees.
Lily and James' eyes widened.
It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blonde hair and a palomino body.
"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.
"Yes - thank you - what was that?"
The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.
"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time -"
"It is never safe!" Lily yelled.
"Easy, Lily. I might go deaf." Remus winced.
"Sorry." she said as Remus, Harry and Ginny rubbed their ears.
"especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber on to his back.
"Aw, they never let us ride them." James moaned, happier now that he knew Harry was safe.
"Not that we asked," Remus added. "But Padfoot did... hint at it a lot, to say the least." Sirius rolled his eyes.
There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Uh Oh." James and Remus said together.
"What?" asked the twins.
"Centaurs are... very proud creatures. The others won't like the fact that there's a human sitting on his back. Not one bit." Luna explained.
"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a man on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves the Forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" 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?"
Ronan pawed the ground nervously.
"I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said, in his gloomy voice.
"Exactly! He's a big boy, he can do what he wants to." Jame said cheerfully.
Bane kicked his legs 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 Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret?"
James and Sirius snickered.
"Hah! This centaur has attitude!" James cried.
"I set myself against what is lurking in this Forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."
"Thank God at least one of 'em is normal." James snorted.
"Normal-ish." Harry corrected. "He's still a little odd."
And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"
Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches but did not answer Harry's questions.
They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
"Does he honestly expect a firstie to know that?" James scoffed.
"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail-hair in Potions."
"That is because it is 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. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.
"But, who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud.
"Voldemort." most of them said.
"If you're going to be cursed forever, 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 power - something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
"The Philosopher's Stone! Of course - the Elixir of Life! 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?"
It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."
"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol -"
"Harry! Harry, are you all right?"
"Luckily, he is." Lily smiled at her son who grinned back.
Hermione was running towards them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.
"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."
Harry slid off his back.
"Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."
"They are hardly ever wrong, though." Remus sighed.
"Hm... Did you ever find out what the planets told him?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, same thing Trelawny told me in her class." Harry sighed.
Ginny poked his shoulder then patted his head, "You don't look or feel like a ghost to me, I think they got it wrong." she smiled.
"Good to know." he chuckled as the others laughed a little.
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the Forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him. Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake.
In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the Forest.
Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.
"You need to calm down a bit." Ginny commented.
"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..."
"So it was Voldemort?" Remus asked, Harry nodded. "I'd heard rumors but I wasn't sure." he explained.
"Stop saying that name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.
"Ron," James said, "Fear of a name only... er... something, something, something, I forgot."
Remus laughed. "It's fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
"I know it just took 7 years to learn that." Ron grinned.
Harry wasn't listening.
"Firenze saved me, 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..."
"Oh, that's nice of him." James said angrily.
"I can't believe you managed to figure all that out." Minerva said. "You must have more of Lily in you than we all thought."
"Not many people have seen that side of Harry." Hermione explained, "It's really only me and Ron."
"I've seen bits of that side too." Ginny added.
"That's because I don't use it much." Harry admitted.
"Why not?" Lily asked.
Harry shrugged, "No idea."
"I suppose that's written in the stars as well."
"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.
"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."
Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a work of comfort.
"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. 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."
"It is though, the future can always change." Minerva frowned.
The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.
"Oh Merlin, what could possibly happen now?" Lily cried.
When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his Invisibility Cloak folded neatly underneath them.
"Ah. Brilliant." James grinned.
There was a note pinned to it:
Just in case.
"Okay everyone we will have a short 10 minute break again we need to discuss what to show next." Hermione announced motioning for Ron and Harry to follow her into the kitchen.