"They only started flashing, as if it were like.. light bulbs, turning off and on. It wasn't proper.."
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We are so close to ending first year. I have a massive plot for second year! Also, this story seems to be growing! Views are going up!! Please share and recommend it!
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Third Person POV
(Y/N) woke up bright and early, something she usually wouldn't do, but she was desperate to know what happened last night. Hermione seemed to be up as well, but trembling.
"Hermione!" (Y/N) called out, scrambling out of her bed to join Hermione on hers. Hermione however, did not answer.
"Hermione, what happened? You won't believe what happened with me! Neville, he knew! Malfoy, he was planning everything and --"
"I know." Hermione said, very quietly (Y/N) had to strain her ears to hear her, her voice being barely above a whisper.
"You do?"
"We got caught. Neville as well." Hermione said, now speaking up. She explained everything, about them leaving the invisibility cloak, Malfoy being caught, Neville coming along and what seemed to be horrific to Hermione, losing fifty house points, each.
"Fifty?! But -- our Quiddich match! All the points we earned, she can't -"
"She has," she replied, looking down, "I'm going to keep my head low in classes today. I expect news will start spreading."
"Oh it's all my fault! I could've stopped Neville! Fifty points less would have been taken." (Y/N) cried, throwing her arms in the air.
" 'S too late now. I'm not sure I want to go to breakfast."
(Y/N) frowned. "No. You're going to breakfast! And we'll earn our points back! You're really good in class so it'll be easy."
"Yes but I plan on raising my hand less. It'll draw too much attention."
"Then I'll do it for you. And I'll make sure I'm adressed as Hermione Granger whilst I'm at it." (Y/N) added, this seemed to cheer Hermione up as the two went down for breakfast
At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday?
And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.
From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated.
Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering,
"Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"Only Ron and (Y/N) stood by him.
"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."
"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably.
"Well - no," Ron admitted.
"Well, they may not have lost a hundred and fifty in one go, but imagine all three years of their Hogwarts experience! Altogether, they've bound to have lost way more. Don't beat yourself up about it." (Y/N) kindly added.
Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying. He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.
"Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"
But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they called him "the Seeker." (Y/N) didn't take this and doing her snarky remarks again with things like, "he's got a name you know!" or "hey, keeper! That's your name, right?" and Harry was forever grateful for that, but he didn't want (Y/N) to spend her time defending him.
Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class (like she'd said with (Y/N) ) keeping her head down and working in silence.
Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, (Y/N) and Hermione, kept to themselves, working late into the night, revising.
Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to a test. 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 --"
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. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had 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 toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling.
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. Harry went back to the library, where Hermione, Ron and (Y/N) were learning astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard.
"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell --"
"There's still Fluffy, though," said (Y/N).
"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"
The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could.
"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should've done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."
"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor - who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."
Hermione looked convinced, but Ron and (Y/N) didn't.
"If we just do a bit of poking around --"
"No," said Harry flatly, "we've done enough poking around." He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons.
The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:
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Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.
Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor McGonagall
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Harry had forgotten they still had detentions. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.
At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron and (Y/N) 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 gotten a detention, too.
"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 said, leering at them. He started rambling about the old punishments and how they should've kept them.
They marched off across the dark 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, 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. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, "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."
At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.
"The forest?" he repeated, "we can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."
Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.
"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "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?"
"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."
"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "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," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward 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 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 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 narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees.
"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," 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 bin staggerin' around since last night at least."
"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So, Neville, Hermione, you'll come with me. An' Harry, you'll go with Malfoy."
Harry's smile faltered. Why did he have to go with Malfoy? It was his fault that they were here.
The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path. 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 and Malfoy walked through the forest, leaves crunching beneath their feet, twigs snapping as they step forward and Fang cooing beside them.
"Wait until my father hears about this!" Malfoy said, outraged, "this is servant stuff!"
"If I didn't know better, Malfoy, I'd say you were scared." Harry snapped back.
"Scared, Potter?" he snarled, emphasising the "Potter" But before any of them could say anything, there was a noise.
"Did you hear that?" Malfoy said, fear evident in his tone of voice, he eventually brushed it off, calling for Fang again and then muttering "scared" again, as though mocking it.
After walking a little further, neither of them speaking, Fang growled.
"What is it, Fang?" Harry asked, cautiously.
Harry looked again and he saw some hooded figure in the woods. Immediately, Harry clapped his sweaty palms onto his scar, as it burned like mad. His head felt as though it was going to rip open right there and then. He couldn't take it.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH" Malfoy's yell came, awakening the hooded figure and revealing their presence to it. He ran off along with Fang leaving Harry, very much alone.
The figure stood up and walked towards Harry, who was petrified and taking several steps back, in hopes something could save him.. anything.
Unfortunatley, he's fallen over something on the ground and landed right onto his bottom, but he kept moving backwards, far from the menacing figure, who was stepping closer and closer to Harry. Harry shut his eyes tight, the pain in his head made him half blind, piercing his head.
He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure. The pain still there. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, he had white-blond 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 that 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 - 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 onto his back.
"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? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, with humans alongside me if I must."
And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.
"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 question. 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?"
"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. "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?"
Hermione was running toward 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."
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.
(Y/N)'s POV
Whilst Harry and Hermione went to their detentions, Ron and I took this time to study so that Hermione wouldn't nag us as much tomorrow. I was already ahead in the practical, it was History Of Magic I needed to fix. Herbology, Astronomy and Potions, subjects of which I scored average grades in.
"I don't understand how you're so good at Charms!" Ron sighed, dropping his wand.
"Here, take this book," I picked up the Standard book of Spells Grade 1 to him and flipped to Chapter 7, "here are a few spells and wand movements. Just start of simple."
We worked through this together and eventually Ron had learnt how to do alohamora. All of a sudden, Ron jumped off his seat and grabbed the book, holding it in front of me as though defending himself from something. I blinked.
"What? What are you -- Ron! Put that wand down!" He had now grabbed his wand and pointed it at me, "Ron, what are you doing? Do you expect me to hurt you? I'm not going to hurt you, why would I do such a thing?"
Ron put his arm back down to his sides, still clutching his wand. He then pointed at my nose and started stuttering,
"Your -- your -" he lifted his finger up to my eyes, that's when I knew something was off.
"What is it? What happened?!" I asked, raising my voice a little, "did they - ?"
He nodded his head slowly.
"No they - that's not possible! It -- you're seeing things!" I exclaimed, trying to reason.
He sat back down and whispered, "They only started flashing, as if it were like.. light bulbs, turning off and on. It wasn't proper.."
"But I can't feel a thing, I'm not even mad." I whispered back, now really worried.
"Yeah, but remember, the chain, you can't feel it, it happens."
"So explain how I wasn't even angry." I snapped.
"I don't know! It just did? You've probably activated it then!"
"You're speaking as if we're playing some Muggle video game and we 'activate' some power." I frowned.
"Muggle video game? What - ?"
"Nevermind." I said quickly, "we have to tell Harry and Hermione about this. What d'you reckon it means?"
"I don't know but I know for sure that I'm done studying for one night!" said Ron, packing his books and quills away. He then grinned at me, "And anytime Malfoy wants to piss us off, we'll have your eyes to show him."
I smirked, he wasn't wrong. But it still scared me how I just have this power.
A few minutes later, with a game of Wizards Chess, and losing countless times to Ron, the portrait hole opened and in scrambled Harry, Hermione and Neville. Neville ran up to the dormitories without a second glance whereas Harry looked stunned and Hermione looked petrified.
Harry began to tell us what had happened in the forest. He couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He 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 Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them. Harry wasn't listening.
"Firenze saved me. The centaurs must know that Voldemort's coming back..."
"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..."
"Harry.." I went on.
Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.
"Hang on a minute, we're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard you-know-who always feared?"
Ron and Harry exchanged looks of confusion.
I gasped, "Of course! How could I be so stupid! Hermione, you're onto something!"
"Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."
Harry smiled at her, but this was put to an end with Ron's facial expression. He was sitting leg crossed on the carpet and he had a look of.. pride?
"Well.. (Y/N) and I discovered something too."
"You did?" Hermione asked, leaning forwards.
"Yes and.. I think I know why, Ron."
Ron looked utterly confused but gave me a look as to say "go on, tell me why."
"It happened at the same time Harry had encountered Voldemort (Ron twitched) in the forest, didn't it? Just a few moments before they got here. His scar was hurting, and mine.."
Ron's mouth was left open and Harry frowned.
"Want to tell us what you're talking about?"
I rolled my eyes but then bit my lip. How was I supposed to tell them? "Hi!My eyes just started flashing out the blue" Yes, because that makes a perfect way to say it.
I took a deep breath and then said, "While you were gone, Ron and I, we were studying.." I paced across the room, "until.. he jumped up and pointed his wand at me. I thought he was bonkers, honestly, you should've seen the way he was staring at me! It was --" Ron was glaring at me so I coughed just to cover it up, "sorry, anyways! Uh -- I asked him what was wrong, and he just said that my eyes.. were.."
"What was it?" Harry asked,
"Were they - ?" Hermione questioned.
Ron and I nodded, very slowly. Hermione gasped and Harry stood wide eyed.
"And it was at the same time?" said Hermione.
"Roughly." Ron answered.
"Do you think that means anything?" Harry asked, scratching his head.
"I'm not sure.. besides, I thought something was to happen if my eyes lit up?"
"That's only when you're angry. You weren't.. angry, were you?"
"No. I wasn't happy? But I - I was just studying! I didn't have much emotion there! It -"
"Should we go to Dumbledore?" Hermione interrupted, worried.
"No. It's probably just her powers starting up. Anyway, it's not a specific reason. Her eyes just flashing, that could mean anything." Harry observed.
The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted.
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Woah! I finally added something to do with her.. your.. (Y/N)'s eyes! Also, thanks for people who vote in this story, I appreciate it more than you know. Your actions don't go un-watched
Guys! I reached two-hundred views! It's not much but it's SOMETHING! Thanks!
Word Count: 4245