Mara didn't sleep that night. She tossed and turned, looking at the moonlight coming through the open window. She listened to the soft breathing of her roommates, of Lavender Brown's snores, of the hoots of owls in the distance.
The warmth of Breena curled up at her feet, her purrs vibrating through the warm fabric. She laid awake, staring at the canopy as her anxieties kept her eyes from closing.
Mara was no stranger to insomnia. Her guilt and fears made shadows into monsters behind her eyelids. Every sound was a threat to her anxiety-ridden mind.
There would be no sleep tonight.
Hermione's sobs quieted into deep breaths sometime ago but Mara still heard them ringing in her ears, calling her out for her negligence. She thought for a moment of writing to her mum or dad but the guilt kept her from picking up the quill.
All she could do was stare at the ceiling and wait for morning to come.
After a while, time lost all meaning to her. Her eyes began to itch and burn as fatigue took hold but still, her eyes never closed.
And then Mara heard the creak of a door.
She sat up in bed, her heart pounding and thoughts racing as a small dim light came into the room. The figure holding it was hidden behind her drawn curtains but Mara could see the slinking shadow as it crept into their room. The floorboards never creaked, as if the person knew where not to step and had done this a thousand times before.
Mara quietly reached for her wand, always hidden safely underneath her pillow. She was careful to use slow movements, making no noise as she wordlessly crawled to the end of her bed. She was careful not to wake Breena as she drew the curtains back slightly, enough that she could spy on the figure moving through their room.
It was dark but Mara's eyes had long adjusted to the darkness before her. A figure, one wearing a cloak drawn up to the face, was moving around one of the beds. A wand was in the figure's hand, a dim Lumos casting on the end of it.
Mara silently cast a soundless spell on her own movements, stepping out of bed and onto the cold hardwood floors. She shivered from the sudden cold but moved quietly. Mara kept her wand lowered at the figure, trained on its movements.
"You're certainly jumpy," A quiet voice spoke. Mara flinched as she recognized the voice.
"Peyton?" Mara asked, cautiously as she lowered her wand.
The figure flipped off her hood revealing a waterfall of brown hair. Peyton Bell raised an eyebrow at her, her eyes flicking to Mara's wand and then Mara herself.
"What are you doing out of bed so late?" Mara frowned.
Peyton chuckled as she unclipped her cloak. "I could ask you the same thing. Weren't you and you're friends sneaking around only a few hours ago?"
Mara flinched. She dropped her gaze to the side, holding her arm to her side.
"How do you know about that?" She asked, the guilt coming back to eat her alive.
"I have my ways," Peyton shrugged. Mara frowned at her, eyeing her attire.
"You mean you saw us on your own nighttime adventure," Mara crossed her arms looking at Peyton determinedly.
Peyton turned to Mara with a raised eyebrow.
"You're pretty observant. How long have you known?"
"Since the first week of school."
Peyton huffed. "And you didn't tell the professors?"
"Why would I?" Mara tilted her head, confused. "I don't know why you're sneaking out but you probably have a good reason."
Peyton's brown eyes widened. A look of genuine shock came across her face as Peyton and Mara stared at one another in the darkness of their room at three in the morning.
Mara shuffled on one foot, her cheeks turning pink as Peyton blinked a few times at her as if her brain had rebooted. Mara wasn't sure what she said that was so shocking but apparently it was. She mentally ran through the conversation, analyzing every word she said worriedly.
Finally, Peyton huffed a laugh and turned away.
"Your blind optimism is both refreshing and terrifying," Peyton shook her head amused.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mara huffed.
Peyton didn't answer. She turned back to her trunk as she folded her cloak and what looked like a pile of books into the trunk.
"I'm assuming you guys got caught?" Peyton eyed her from the corner of her eye.
Mara hunched in on herself. She didn't confirm it but she didn't need to. They both knew it.
"How'd you know?"
"It's written all over your face," Peyton replied. "How many points did you lose?"
Peyton pulled out a bundle of clothing and Mara quickly realized they were pajamas. Peyton pulled her shirt over her head and Mara turned away, her cheeks flushing as Peyton changed her clothes with no concern for Mara's presence.
"A hundred a person," Mara murmured.
"And how many got caught?"
"Four."
Peyton whistled, fully dressed now. "Ouch. That's gotta hurt. Did you tell your parents yet?"
"No, my mom will be...upset." Mara shifted uncomfortably.
"Yeah, she probably will," Peyton said. She turned to Mara with an unreadable gaze, "But she'll forgive you. That's what moms do."
Mara frowned, not sure she believed that at the moment.
Peyton sighed and sat on the edge of her bed and pulled off her socks. "Look I won't tell you what to do but it might make you feel better if you told her why you snuck out before she hears it from the Professors."
Peyton gave her a small smile and with a flick of her wrist and wand, the curtains around her bed closed.
Mara climbed back in bed to stare up at the canopy ceiling once more.
With a heavy heart, Mara reached under her pillow and grabbed her journal. The night sky on the cover shone brilliantly, the stars twinkling as the dark trees of the forest on the edges swayed softly with an imaginary breeze.
Mara took a deep breath, sat up in bed, opened the journal, and grabbed the quill. Both the Lily and the Stag were dark and for a moment, Mara hesitated, almost putting down the quill entirely but as if hearing her turmoil, the lily lit up.
With no excuse or escape, Mara began to write.
Harry hadn't been surprised in the least when he woke up to a pile of letters on his footstool. Hedwig looked quite proud of herself all morning for the deliveries.
Mara was never good at keeping a secret.
He was at least relieved his mum had refrained from sending him a howler, no doubt due to his sister's interference.
His Uncle Sirius had sent him a full-page congratulating him and six more on escalating ideas on how to fulfill the Marauder's legacy.
Uncle Moony had sent him 3 pages of reprimands that were more reprimanding the fact that he and Mara had been caught and not that they snuck out. It also included a few hints about secret passageways he hadn't known about so "this doesn't happen next time".
His Mum and Dad sent him one letter together, most likely because Mum didn't trust Dad to properly reprimand him. It basically said one thing.
'We understand why you did what you did but you still broke the rules so you must be punished.'
And punished they were but not by his parents.
If Harry learned one thing through this experience, it was to never underestimate the Hogwarts rumor mill.
Harry wasn't surprised by how quickly the school turned on them. He wasn't affected by the whispers as he passed the students in the hallways, nor by the taunts and jeers thrown his way by three of the four houses.
Surprisingly, The Slytherins had suddenly become the friendliest bunch, throwing thanks to him and Mara every time one of them passed.
Though he wasn't bothered by the sudden isolation by their peers, it took a toll on his friends.
Ron had been furious when he found out, but not at them, at McGonagall. Ron luckily was spared most of the bullying, instead only being given the silent treatment. Ron didn't seem to mind much though as luckily Dean and Seamus still talked to them, albeit coldly.
The main issue was Neville.
Kind-hearted Neville who already had trouble standing up for himself. He was a quick target for bullies.
Harry had taken to walking Neville to and from classes, making sure he was never alone to prevent the students from bullying him. Neville was in tears most days and this made him very timid, especially when faced with Snape.
Neville, of course, had gotten a howler from his grandmother and luckily had managed to avoid it opening at the Great hall, instead of taking it to their dorm. Harry waited outside the door and pretended not to hear Neville sobbing as his grandmother's harsh words tore his self-esteem down.
Harry wasn't too worried about Mara. She had been through this for years. The public opinion changed faster than the weather and this wasn't the first time she had dealt with slander. Compared to the press, the childish taunts and merger spells were child's play.
Anytime someone said something to her, Mara brushed it off easily. He'd caught her snickering a few times about how dumb their taunts were. Mara had a tough skin, this much wouldn't bother her.
Compared to the daily death threats she receives, Mara probably found their taunts more cute than threatening.
Hermione, however, was a problem.
She'd completely distanced herself from them, spending her time in the library studying. When she wasn't in classes, she had her nose in a book. She ate her meals quickly, was up before any of them, and went to bed early. Harry had barely any time to talk to her except for studying quietly in the library with her. They studied for the upcoming exams in the library but that was pretty much all they did together.
She was taking this the hardest.
Hermione stopped answering in class, she stopped speaking to anybody except for curt replies about homework or assignments. Her cold behavior was upsetting but Harry knew it was her way to deal with it.
Most likely, she'd never been scolded like that before.
Luckily, Mara was quick to earn points back in Charms class. As she mastered spell after spell, uncaring about the sabotage from the other students. She outshone everyone and it delighted Professor Flitwick to no end.
Unfortunately, the points they earned in charms were minimal due to the harassment of Snape in potions class. With Neville so quick to tears and Mara too quick to anger, the combination was detrimental for their health. Even earning 15 points a day, they'd have more than half taken away by Snape.
"Cheer up, Harry," Fred had said one morning as he and George passed by.
"We've lost 100 points in a single day before," George grinned.
"They get over it eventually!" Fred told him after morning quidditch practice.
Harry knew that the school would forget it soon, get over the loss and stop the bullying but Harry was worried about the damage this could cause before that happened.
One good thing that came out of all this was surprisingly Malfoy.
Now with the official title of "Friend", Malfoy seemed to be much more relaxed and open. Of course, he was still an overconfident prat but he wasn't as bad as Harry had originally thought him to be.
They only had minimal conversations and Malfoy's willingness to speak to him kept the more outspoken Slytherin's at bay. The harassment of Neville by the Slytherins had stopped almost overnight and Harry had Malfoy to partly thank for that.
Though he was still a prat, Harry couldn't deny that Malfoy was pretty useful.
Losing so many points wasn't the end of the world. School moved on, the students found new things to talk about and new people to shun. As the week progressed, Harry's mood lightened as their mistake became less and less of a major issue.
Until on Friday morning, Hedwig arrived with a letter.
Harry fed her a bit of bacon, noting the same note was delivered to Mara, Neville, Hermione and Lily Moon at the Hufflepuff table.
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor McGonagall
At ten-thirty that night, Harry and Mara got ready for their detention. Breena and Aura had been too nervous to let them go alone, which was understandable considering how many times both of them had been in near-death situations without their familiars by their side. Mara had tried to protest but Harry and Breena had quickly shut her down.
Harry sent Aura to watch from the skies, to simply follow them just in case something happened and Mara instructed Breena to trail them noticeably. They could get in trouble for using their familiars to complete their detention.
Neville and Hermione were already waiting in the common room when Harry got down. Harry and Mara both made sure to say goodbye to Ron though Neville and Hermione hadn't said a word since they got the letter. From her expression, Hermione was more determined to face her punishment than nervous.
Neville was shaking all over as they descended to the entrance hall. They met with Lily right before coming out and she smiled at them like nothing was wrong. Hermione shot her a nasty look before they continued forward.
They weren't surprised to see Filch standing in the entrance hall, a nasty grin on his face.
"Bet you'll think twice before breaking school rules again," Filch leered, as he led them down the path to Hagrid's hut. Filch intended to scare them as it seemed the only thing he took joy from.
His talk of chains and hanging them from their toes in the dungeons were all rubbish of course, but it sure convinced Neville, whose face was pale. Harry kept a hand on his friend's wrist, tugging him along so he didn't stumble behind.
It was his fault Neville was in this situation.
The moon shone brightly above, the shadows on the forest floor casting monstrous illusions which didn't help to calm Neville beside him.
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want to get started!" a familiar, booming voice called out from above just as they spotted the lights shining from the windows of Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid appeared in the darkness, strolling along as if nothing was wrong. A huge crossbow, twice the size of Harry's head was carried in his hands, ready to fire along with the quiver of arrows around his back.
"What are we doing that you'll need that?" Mara gaped at the crossbow.
"It's into the forest you lot go," Filch sneered, "Too lenient of a punishment if you ask me. I've got the chains already in the dungeons."
"The forest?" Both Mara and Neville exclaimed, looking pale. Even Hermione looked affected as she looked into the dark forest line with wide eyes. Harry, a bit shaken, reached out to Aura through his bond. He could feel her watching them still, somewhere close by which gave him reassurance. He was sure Mara could feel Breena as well despite the cat's silence.
"I'll be back at dawn," Filch said nastily, "for what's left of 'em." and with that, Filch limped his way back up to the castle.
"You can't send us in there! Especially at night, there are all kinds of beasts - like werewolves!" Neville exclaimed.
"No, there's not," Both Harry and Mara retorted at the same time.
"Werewolves only transform during the full moon," Mara said flippantly.
"But it is a full moon," Neville stuttered nervously.
Mara blinked in surprise, looking upwards, and sure enough, through the dark clouds above the silhouette of the full moon was visible.
"Huh," Mara just said.
Harry shook his head, rolling his eyes at Mara's behavior. "Werewolves are human the majority of their lives, they won't be wandering around Hogwarts, especially with the barrier that surrounds this place."
Neville looked doubtful but pacified.
"Doesn't mean there aren't all sorts of other wonderful beasts in there, though," Lily said a smile on her face. "While fascinating, I'm more interested in the pack of Thestrals located in the forest. I've heard it's one of the only packs ever semi-domesticated!"
"Thestrals?" Neville stammered.
"Oh, I wonder just how many we can come across," Lily said, happily.
Neville looked about ready to faint.
"That's enough of that, you lot," Hagrid grumbled, "We won't be seeing any Thestrals this time. We've got a job to do."
"What is the job, Hagrid?" Mara turned to him, one of the calmer of the group. Lily looked thrilled to be headed into the pitch-black forest at midnight while both Hermione and Neville were pale.
Harry sighed. This was going to be a long night.
"Alright, now this is gonna be dangerous so you best be listening to me, ya hear?" Hagrid looked at them sternly, one by one. They all nodded in unison. They'd be foolish not to listen to the gamekeeper, one who bought dragon-eggs and had giant three-headed dogs. Hagrid might be eccentric and a bit insane, but he wasn't stupid. He knew more about creatures than the five of them combined.
"Now, follow me, this way," Hagrid gestured, lifting his lamp. He stomped off into the relative area, the winding and twisted paths into the forest. The trees had yet to grow back all of their leaves, leaving the spiny twisted branches in the way.
Harry, luckily was a pro at winding through forests, from all his experience back home. Mara, similarly had no problems when she wasn't wearing a dress but Neville and Hermione both struggled.
"Ow!" Hermione cried from the backline. Harry and Neville both stopped to turn around. Hermione's wild hair was caught on a tree branch, furiously tugging with a hold on her roots.
"Here, hold on," Harry gestured for Neville to go first and Neville nodded as Harry doubled back. He leaned in to see her hair, wound up in the branch. "Don't tug or you'll make it worse."
Harry leaned into Hermione's space, a few hairsbreadths away as he surveyed her hair. He untangled it quickly though a few strands were left behind as a sacrifice.
Harry frowned at the mass of bushy hair. Most likely, she'd be getting stuck all the time.
Thinking quickly, Harry unclasped the string of his cape and pulled it out. He handed it over to Hermione, whose face was bright red as she patted down her hair.
"Here, tie it up so it doesn't get caught," Harry grinned. "You're hair's too pretty to get all tangled like this."
Hermione's face flushed but she quietly took the lace from his hand, muttering a quiet thank you.
As she tied up her hair, Harry pulled out his wand, muttering the incantation "Point me!" to find where Hagrid and the others had gone.
"Come on, this way," He smiled, once Hermione's hair was pulled up into a ponytail. He grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her along as he followed his wand. Soon enough, they spotted the faint glow of Hagrid's lantern in the distance.
"Marco!" He called out into the forest as he waited.
"Polo!" He heard his sister call out almost immediately.
Harry laughed.
"You guys know that game?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"It was mum's idea. We use it in case one of us gets lost and we need to find them," Harry said fondly.
"That's sweet," Hermione smiled.
That was the first time he'd seen her smile since they got caught by McGonagall. Harry coughed, his cheeks just the tiniest bit pink as they came into the clearing.
Hagrid was waiting for them.
"I told you they'd be fine Hagrid," Mara said with a bright grin, "Harry's past-time is getting lost in random forests."
"I resent that," Harry retorted.
"But you didn't deny it," She winked with a giggle.
"Where did ya go? I told yeh to stay with me," Hagrid frowned.
"Sorry, we-" Harry started.
"It was my fault, Hagrid. I got caught on one of the branches and Harry had to help me out." Hermione said determinedly before Harry could get a word out.
Hagrid eyed the two of them suspiciously but nodded in acceptance.
"Well, keep with me. If you get stuck again, tell me and I'll make sure to stop for yeh," Hagrid said.
"Ok, thanks, Hagrid," Hermione smiled.
"Alright- now see this shiny, silvery stuff on the trail?" Hagrid pointed out.
Sure enough, the surrounding area was covered with a silver substance, shining under the moonlight's glow. Harry stepped forward to inspect it.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"Blood," Hagrid said gruffly, "Unicorn blood. One that's hurt pretty bad."
"How sad," Lily said, sorrowfully. For the first time that night, she wasn't smiling.
"Something's been killing 'em," Hagrid said, looking around, "This is the second in a week. We've gotta find the poor thing. Hopefully before whatever is killing it comes back to finish it off."
"What could do something like this?" Mara asked, looking both angry and sick to her stomach. She eyed the blood with uncertainty.
"Dunno, but it's got all the forest on edge," Hagrid said, "It's not a part of the forest and the creatures are reacting to it."
"Hermione, Neville, you two come with me this way," Hagrid pointed to the right area, where a heavy amount of blood was left behind on the bark of the trees and shrubs. "Mara, Harry, and Lily, you'll go that way."
"Do we at least get Fang?" Mara asked, looking to the right path where Hagrid was pointed.
"Sure," Hagrid shrugged, "But he's a coward, I'll warn ya."
"Brillant," Harry deadpanned.
Hagrid pulled another lantern out of his pack, using a match to light the candle up. He thrust it towards Harry, who grabbed the ancient lantern with one hand. He sighed.
"If ya find it, shoot up green sparks, but if you're in trouble, shoot up red ones, alright?" Hagrid said firmly, "And we'll come find ya."
"Yes, sir," Mara saluted Hagrid playfully.
"And be careful," Hagrid warned them, "This ain't playtime. This is dangerous work."
"We understand, Hagrid," Harry nodded, "We'll be okay." Discreetly where Hagrid couldn't see, he thumped Mara on the back of her head. She sputtered, losing her footing as she stumbled forward.
She sent a glare to Harry, who only smiled.
"Alright, let's go."
Hermione and Neville sent them unsure glances as Hagrid rustled his way to the silver-covered tree on the right, waving his hand to clear a path.
Mara waved with a smile on her face while Harry motioned them to go.
Hermione was still unsure but Neville didn't need any more prompting as he took off in the direction of the glow of the lantern. Hermione followed behind him, shooting one last worried glance.
One they were gone and they couldn't see the light of the lantern anymore, Mara's smile dropped. She turned to Harry with a concerned look.
"This doesn't seem right," She said.
"I know," Harry nodded, "Who on earth thought this was a good idea?"
"The Forbidden Forest is forbidden unless of course you're fulfilling dangerous duties as part of detention," Harry mocked. He shook his head. "Lunatics, the lot of them."
"Well, we best get going or we'll have to face another night," Lily said. Fang sat diligently at her feet with a stream of drool pouring out of the corners of his mouth. Lily patted his head and he looked up, lobs of drool falling to the ground.
Harry sighed. He looked around the forest, hoping to spot the golden feathers of his familiar but all was silent. Luckily, he still felt her presence through the bond. She was watching over them diligently. She sent a wave of comfort through the bond and Harry took a breath to calm his rapidly beating heart.
"Let's go."
Harry grabbed the lantern with one hand and flipped the hood of his cloak up with the other. He motioned with his head to the left path Hagrid had pointed out. Lily nodded and took up the front as Fang followed her diligently.
Mara fell into step beside Harry as they moved into the forest. The moment they left the clearing Harry knew why Hagrid had sent them down this path. Broken trees, shaved bark, and fallen foliage lay on the forest ground, giving them a clear path to where the unicorn had gone. There wasn't much of the silvery blood on the path which made Harry think that maybe this was old and had happened before it had been injured.
"It's a full moon tonight," Lily hummed absentmindedly as she gazed upwards. Harry could spy it through the treetops, gleaming and bright against the dark forest.
They were no more than ten feet from the clearing when Fang let out a harsh growl. They paused as Fang swung his head around them, sniffing in the air like he could smell something but couldn't figure out where it was.
"THERE!" Lily suddenly let out a loud shout and before Harry and Mara could stop, the redhead took off into the forest.
"Lily!" Mara yelled, taking off after her.
"Mara, wait!" Harry tried to grab onto her hood at the last moment but just barely grazed the fabric and Mara disappeared into the trees.
Harry cursed under his breath and turned to Fang. Fang whined, laying on his belly as he looked up at Harry with his sad, dark eyes.
Harry sighed before rolling his shoulders and cautiously making his way to where he had seen the two girls runoff.
He carefully climbed over a large tree trunk in the middle of the path when he heard a loud, high-pitched scream.
Mara.
Harry dropped the lantern in shock and it smashed on the ground, the flame on the candle blowing out instantly.
Harry took off, pushing his feet to run as fast as he could towards where he heard the scream. He drilled his nails into his palms as flashes of trolls and blood filled his head.
The dark green light from his hand was glowing brightly, one of the brightest he had seen yet. It reflected off his glasses as he ran faster, hoping with all his might that he wasn't too late again. Yet, his panic was nothing compared to Aura's. Like she was trying to tell him something, her emotions flurried but Harry didn't have time to figure out what she was telling him.
He wasn't sure how but he knew exactly where to go, where his sister was. Harry spotted a flash of red in the corner of his eye and tried to stop in a hurry but misjudged his speed and slid on the ground, getting mud all over his shoes and clothes. He slid right into one of the trees and grabbed it's trunk to keep from falling. His ankle throbbed from the sudden stop but he paid it no mind.
He cursed and lifted himself over the large tree root which blocked his vision of where he had spotted Mara.
In a small alcove, nestled beside a tree whose roots spanned the ground as if reaching like arms, were two redheads and a unicorn. Harry hopped down from the branch, wincing from the sharp pain in his ankle. As soon as he did, all of Aura's emotions suddenly cut off. The bond fell silent but Harry was more concerned about the frozen outline of his sister.
The unicorn was clear to spot, it's white coat gleaming underneath the spots of moonlight that shone from the treetop below. Lily lay in front of the unicorn, softly stroking its white coat as heaved ragged breaths. He could hear her muttering softly to it, the tears on her face reflecting the moonlight.
Mara stood a few paces away, a hand over her mouth as she looked at the scene in horror. As Harry came closer, he spotted why.
The unicorn wasn't just injured, it had been mutilated.
Large gashes all over the chest and front were just the beginning as it's tail and mane had been cut off, strands laying all over the ground and one of its hooves were missing. Chunks from the gashes lay all over the scene but most disturbingly, were its eyes.
Or rather, it's lack of.
It whined softly, it's eye sockets unseeing as blood poured down its face. Lily shushed it, reaching forward to touch it's muzzle, calmingly stroking the side of its face careful of its injuries. It whined, pained and Lily let out a sob, leaning her forehead against the unicorns.
"Harry…" Mara's shaky voice knocked him from his stupor and He looked over at her. Her eyes were filled with tears, horror, and sadness locked together in an entwined dance. In the moonlight, it looked almost like her amber eyes had taken on a pinkish glow.
"It...It ran off," She said shakily. She was shivering, "I...I saw it...It…"
Harry reached a hand towards her, intending to comfort her but a loud crunch from their right made him pause.
All of sudden, the clearing was filled with a heavy dark atmosphere. It felt like suffocating underwater from the powerful force and Harry reached a hand to his chest, checking to make sure he was actually breathing. Out of habit, he reached out to his bond with Aura but it was still silent. He couldn't feel anything. Panic began to build in his chest as he realized they had been cut off from their familiars.
It felt like something sick, something dark and twisted had taken root in the air. Like the burning smog was pushing itself down its lungs forcefully.
Whatever it was, it felt wrong.
Like something that never should've existed.
A dark shadow crept through the trees, a long dark cloak with long spiny fingers hidden underneath. In its face, he could spot a trail of silver he quickly recognized. This was whatever had been killing the unicorn.
And by the silver-coated fingers and mouth, it hadn't just been killing it. It had been eating it.
Nausea, Fury, and Fear swirled around in his chest like a balloon about to pop. The mixture felt sickening, twisted, and wrong, just like the creature before him.
It slithered into the alcove, blood-red eyes peering at them as if curious and not hungry.
"Ha...Harry," Mara stuttered, gripping onto the corner of his sleeve.
Harry was frozen, wide-eyed as it's suffocating presence kept him from moving.
Mara whimpered and Harry struggled to move as the thing crept closer, like a hunter on its prey. This thing, whatever it was, intended to kill them.
Behind them, the unicorn let out a fearful shriek and he heard a sob from Lily and spied her holding the unicorn down as it fought to get up.
Harry struggled to grab his wand, to move his hand, to blink his watering eyes, anything but his body wasn't listening. Move, he pleaded his limbs silently, trying to connect his brain and muscles but nothing was working.
Mara sobbed openly, clutching onto his sleeves as if she was about to collapse. Harry grit his teeth. Is this how it's going to end? Is this how they're going to die? Would Mum and Dad even know what had happened to them? Would they never see Neville or Hermione or Ron again? What about Aura? What had happened to her to cut off their bond?
Harry squeezed his eyes shut to prevent his tears of helplessness from falling. He has to be strong. He can't let Mara die like this. He can't let this happen.
The thing loomed closer and Harry's faded scar suddenly lit up in searing pain. Mara collapsed to the ground, trembling as she held a hand against her forehead. Her scar was bright, almost glowing in the darkness.
The thing's eyes focused on Mara's scar and then his. It reached it's long spiny, silver-coated fingers towards him, unnaturally pale skin glinting in the moonlight.
Is he really this weak? Unable to move from this thing's very presence? Is this all he can do?
"NO!" Harry cried, squeezing his eyes shut. Mustering all his effort, he jerked backward against the invisible bonds and he felt a sudden burning pain in his right hand. Power surged through his veins, a familiar drug that felt like relief rather than the fear he had been feeling the past few months. Anger filled him until it was all he could think about and he opened his eyes, now glowing a bright emerald in the darkness. He knew his hand was glowing as well.
Harry lifted his wand, green sparks flying from the end. Like hearing everything underwater, he vaguely heard Mara gasp and the loud sound of a spell being shot into the sky but Harry was only focused on the adrenaline running through his veins.
He snarled at the thing baring his teeth much like an animal ready to attack. This rage was familiar. Despite all of his previous fears, right now Harry couldn't care less.
Harry flourished his wand, not thinking about the spell or movements only the power in his veins. Only his desire to destroy.
The creature was flung back, screeching in the air as green flames shot from his wand.
But as quick as the power arrived, it was suddenly gone.
Drained, Harry looked at his hand in confusion but his raging emotions, banging like pounding drums in his chest, didn't activate the power again.
The sickening force engulfed him once again and Harry's limbs stopped listening. He struggled, inching his feet against the force but it was no use. The creature stalked forward and Harry grit his teeth from the agony burning in his skull.
A loud screech filled the air.
Under the moonlight, an abounding passion of flames appeared between Harry and the creature. The creature fell back, screeching as the edges of its cloak were burned.
The orange, yellow and red-colored flame morphed into a vaguely bird-shaped flame and its mouth opened, letting out a fearsome screech.
Harry looked in awe as the flaming creature lit up the surroundings but to Harry, there was no heat despite only being a few feet from it.
A snarl came from behind him and Harry was relieved when he turned around without any trouble. A large black and white striped and spotted tiger loomed protectively over Mara and in front of the unicorn and Lily. Lily's mouth was wide open as she watched them but Mara looked overjoyed, the tear tracks on her face illuminated by the flames. The lights danced on her face as Mara gripped the tiger's fur with one hand. It was as big as a horse as its eyes were narrowed on the dark creature in front of them. It opened its mouth and let out a pounding roar that shook the trees nearby.
The creature backed away and the flame bird suddenly let out a loud trill, warm and comforting. Like coming home, Harry felt like a warm fire had been lit inside of his heart.
All of a sudden, the emotions in his bond with Aura filled him. Protectiveness, anger, fury, guilt, joy, relief. The flurry of emotions felt like a cocktail drug which cleared away every hint of fear he had been feeling.
He was safe. They were safe.
The creature was hesitant to approach now, clearly intimidated by the two familiar's new forms.
Relieved, Harry collapsed onto his knees, clutching at his chest which a few moments ago felt like his heart had been slowly squeezed out of his chest.
Aura, in all her beautiful, furious inflamed glory was not appeased by the creature still being in eyesight. Aura screeched, one full of fury and warning and she flapped her wings once. Bright flames covered the area, like the sun itself had fallen into their clearing. Harry shut his eyes tightly, the lights were much too bright for his straining eyesight.
He heard the creature let out the same shriek, this time full of pain and he couldn't help the pang of satisfaction that went through his chest. Two heavy talons landed on his shoulder as the light began to slowly fade.
When at last the lights died down, Harry nervously opened his eyes.
The creature was gone and so was the bright flamed covered form of Aura. Instead, her normal golden feathers and eyes looked back at him from where she perched on his shoulder.
She trilled, happy, and content and rubbed her head on the side of his cheek. Harry looked around in wonder, paranoid the creature might still be there, just lurking in the darkness.
He smiled, rubbing her feathers slightly.
"Thank you for coming to get me, girl," Harry said.
Their bond filled up with overflowing joy and relief as she butted her head against his cheek.
'Always.'
Startled, Harry jumped from the soft, almost whisper-like sound in his head.
"Did you just speak, Aura?" He asked, both confused and happy.
There was no answer. Aura simply thrilled in contentment, curling up as best she could on both of his shoulders. She laid her body out, her feathers tickling the back of his neck and her tail feathers draped down his back.
When had she gotten so big? Harry wondered. Not too long ago, she was too tiny to perch on his shoulder at all, like a finch. Now, she was even bigger than Hedwig.
She laid her head into the crevice of his neck. The blowback of emotions, mainly relief and happiness, was causing a surge back loop that Harry felt he could almost get addicted to.
He rubbed her head one more time and turned around to face Mara.
Mara was still kneeling on the ground, her face muddy and dirty, and her clothes much of the same. Purring like a content kitten on her lap was a fluff ball of white and black. Breena had grown too, it seemed like one of Breena's legs were outstretched off Mara's lap.
Mara noticed him and gave him a smile. Relief showed on her face but hints of fear and anxiety tainted the carefree smile he was used to seeing.
Harry kneeled down next to her, gentle not to disrupt Aura as he crushed her in a hug, careful of Breena in her lap as well.
"We're okay," He whispered in her ear and he felt her nod a bit. She was shaken but this wasn't the first time either of them had faced life or death situations.
An image of a younger Mara, pale like a ghost and shaking with sweat as his parents cried over her limp body flashed through his mind. Harry gripped her shoulders a bit tighter. She would never be in a situation like that again.
He would never allow it.
"It looks like I was unneeded," A deep but calm and airy voice said from behind them.
Harry spun to his feet, his wand already pointed at the intruder.
A centaur, half palomino with white-blonde hair stood at the foot of a tree nearby. He only looked at them calmly, with no sudden movements.
"The sunbird cares for you greatly," The centaur stated.
Harry hesitated but didn't lower his wand. The centaur didn't seem hostile but Harry knew better than to let down his guard.
The centaur turned it's gaze to the pained whine of the unicorn.
Mara got to her feet, Breena jumping onto the ground beside her.
"Is it…?" Mara trailed off, hesitant to voice the last part of her thoughts.
"No," Lily sniffed, rubbing her hand against her red-rimmed eyes, "But it will be soon."
"If it's still alive, maybe Aura can heal it?" Harry offered. Aura blinked her eyes open at her name and tilted her head at the poor unicorn before trilling sadly.
"Not even the sunbird can heal these wounds, young warrior," The centaur said plainly.
"What do you mean?" Harry turned to him suspiciously.
"He's right, Harry," Lily said. "Unicorns are sensitive to magic. Whatever that thing did, it's preventing it from healing. She's going to bleed out, slowly and painfully."
"How tragic," The centaur sighed, "To lose her foal to that creature and now her own life as well."
"Child?" Lily looked up suddenly alarmed, horror spreading across her face.
The centaur nodded. "Her foal was slain by the creature one moon ago. She laid him to rest herself. How cruel it is, to slay a unicorn."
"Not just cruel, inhumane," Lily snarled, suddenly enraged.
The unicorn, as if feeling her rage suddenly lashed out, kicking her damaged legs as she struggled. Blood poured slowly from her wounds and her breathing was slow and ragged.
"I'm sorry," Lily soothed, her eyes filling with tears.
"What can we do?" Mara stepped forward, looking between the centaur and Harry for answers. "We can't just let it die."
"There is no hope for it now," The centaur stated.
Lily looked up, a haunted look in her eyes as she turned pleadingly to Harry and Mara.
"There's one thing." Lily grabbed her wand, unsteady with her shaking hands. She turned to Mara pleadingly. "But please promise me you won't tell."
"Lily?" Mara asked, confused.
Lily didn't respond, instead, she turned back to the unicorn. She leaned over and pressed a delicate kiss to its forehead. She whispered something to it, something Harry couldn't make out but the unicorn calmed.
It breathed in deep and slow now as it lay as if at peace and not in incredible pain.
Lily got to her feet, faced the unicorn, and took a deep breath.
Harry watched with wide incredulous eyes as she called out the name of a forbidden spell. The spell flashed green and he knew, with one hundred percent certainty that the unicorn was dead.
"Lily, what…" Mara was shaking as she took a hesitant step towards Lily's stiff back, "What did you just do?"
Lily turned around, the tear tracks on her face glistening. Her tears weren't graceful, they were full, heavy sobs that made no mistake that she regretted the unicorn's death deeply.
"I…" she sobbed, "I couldn't let her suffer anymore. It's quick and painless...just like falling asleep."
Mara had tears running down her face now as she looked at Lily in horror and sadness.
An overwhelming blanket of peace and security flooded across them. From behind the trees, an almost ghost-like unicorn stepped into the clearing.
Its eyes were focused not on any of them but on its kin, who lay dying at its feet.
Mara stepped back paling but Lily didn't move. She firmly raised her head, tears still in her eyes as she faced the unicorn.
Harry gulped as two more unicorns stepped into the clearing.
And suddenly they were everywhere. From all corners, hidden within the trees, the unicorn's pelts all shown brightly in the moonlight, their eyes focused on it's fallen, brethren.
The first unicorn moved slowly towards where the deceased and bloody form of its sister lay motionless. The unicorn lowered its head, sniffing at its kin's pelts.
And then it began to cry.
Glistening silver tears flowed from its eyes, landing delicately on the bloody unicorn's eyes, sliding down as if the dead one itself had shed those tears.
The unicorn brushed its nose against the bloody unicorn, it's beautiful white pelt coming away stained red but it didn't seem to matter. All at once, the bloody unicorn's body seemed to shimmer in the moonlight before it began to crumble under Harry's very own eyes.
The white and red pelt turned black, decaying as its body turned into ashes, falling harmlessly to the ground before being carried away by the wind.
All the unicorns remain silent and still, like shadows as the unicorn's body faded away and in its place, a beautiful white flower stood. Its petals unfolded as the moonlight hit it, casting an almost ethereal glow.
The unicorn turned to Lily and bowed its head to her. Harry watched in stunned silence as the other unicorns all followed suit, seemingly bowing to Lily.
"They wish to thank you," The centaur spoke up, calmly, "For giving peace to their suffering sister."
"You are welcome," Lily said, her voice hoarse but no less strong as she bowed her head back. The unicorn raised its eyes just as Lily did. The two looked into one another's eyes for several long moments before it turned and padded into the forest.
And just like that, the unicorns begin to disappear into the forest, one by one until at last, they were all alone.
"What just happened?" Mara spoke up, her voice shaky.
"When they can, unicorns use the magic of their tears to give a burial to their kin," the centaur said simply.
"Their tears contain magic which like we just saw, decays the body and turns it into a white blossom. They're incredibly delicate flowers and it's near impossible to find one," Lily said, kneeling in front of the flower and bowing her head as if giving respects to where the former-unicorn was.
"Why?" Harry asked, eyeing the flower. It was certainly beautiful and if it had magical properties, he could see people selling it for high prices.
"They only last for a couple hours," Lily explained, "This flower is all that remains of the unicorn. It will bloom for a few hours and once the sunlight hits it, it will die. It will fade away just like the unicorn."
"But why? Can't they use magic to make it stay longer?" Mara asked.
Lily shook her head. "Nothing lasts forever, Mara."
Lily stood up and turned to them with a hesitant look. "I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone about the magic I used."
Mara and Harry exchanged a look, both hesitant to conceal the matter.
"I promise I would never use it unless it's a situation like this and never on a human, I swear," Lily begged, desperation leaking into her voice.
There was a long silence. Finally, Mara turned to Harry with a determined look.
He sighed and nodded his agreement.
Mara gave him a grateful smile, turned to Lily, and took a deep breath.
"Okay."
Lily looked up at them surprised which Harry couldn't fault her for. He'd be surprised if they were in the opposite situation.
Mara took a few steps forward and leaned over to grasp Lily's shaking hands in her own. She smiled, feeling more at peace now. Breena wound herself between Mara's feet, sitting to the side while she purred.
"But why?" Lily asked.
Mara tilted her head and smiled. "Because I trust you."
Lily stared at her shocked and then a smile crept up her lips and she let out a giggle, the color returning to her face.
"Okay."
"But I'm definitely hearing the story at another time," Mara said determinedly. Lily nodded, teary-eyed. "But we should definitely leave before that thing comes back."
"You are right." The centaur approached them cautiously, the ground crunching under his hooves, "Though it may be gone, for now, it will return. It needs more blood to sustain itself. I will lead you out of the forest and back to Hagrid. He has been searching for you."
"Thank you, Firenze," Lily said with a smile.
"Firenze?" Mara questioned her with a look.
"I am called Firenze, little one," The centaur said, "If you ever need my assistance, I will come to your aid."
"Oh," Mara blinked surprised, "Thank you then, Firenze."
Firenze nodded his head and turned into the forest to lead them back.
Harry frowned, gripping his wand in one hand as he turned to follow behind the centaur. Lily and Mara followed behind him at an even pace.
"Why would that thing kill unicorns in the first place? Do you know, Firenze?" Mara asked.
"Blood," Firenze stated.
"Blood?" Mara paled.
"Blood." Harry nodded, turning to her. "Don't you know what unicorn blood does to a person if you drink it?"
"Uh, no," Mara crossed her arms, "cause I'm a stable person, I've never thought hey, what would happen if I drank unicorn blood?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Unicorns are animals of purity, Mara," Lily said, "Their blood, when drunk by a person on the inch of death, can prevent them from dying. It's a form of half-immortality. While it's in your system, you won't be able to die, even if you are bleeding out."
"What's the catch?" Mara asked, "If people could use it without any drawbacks, we'd be using it more."
"All magic comes with a price," Firenze stated plainly. "Slaying such a pure creature to save yourself, drinking the blood of the unicorn will certainly keep you alive but that life will be changed. You will live a half-life, a cursed life from the moment the blood touches your lips."
"But as to who would ever choose such a life," Lily stated bitterly, "I have no idea."
"Perhaps, someone who is desperate. Or perhaps," Firenze said meaningfully, looking directly at Harry from the corner of his eye, "someone who is only biding their time until they can find something more, something better to keep themselves alive."
Mara suddenly gasped, turning to Harry with a pale look.
"The stone!" She cried.
"But who would be insane and desperate enough to break into Hogwarts for it?" She asked, turning to Harry for answers he was beginning to puzzle out.
"Can you truly think of no one?" Firenze stated.
Everything suddenly clicked.
"Oh," Lily said, eyes wide.
"No." Mara shook her head in denial, "There's no way that's possible."
Harry gritted his teeth. He too wanted to shake his hand in denial, wanted to stay blind to the possibility of a murderer psychopath coming back from the dead to kill them again but too much of the evidence fit.
"ARRY! MARA!"
A loud booming and familiar voice rang out through the woods.
"This is where I leave you," Firenze said. He turned his eyes back upon the woods. He looked at Lily and inclined his head. "This forest thanks you for what you have done."
Lily smiled, looking slightly better. They watched as Firenze turned and trod back into the woods, disappearing back into the forest.
"HARRY! MARA!" That was Neville's voice now. Harry was sure he'd never heard Neville so loud before. Or so panicked.
There was rustling and the faint glow of Hagrid's lantern appeared in the corner. Three was a loud woof and then Hermione's voice was screaming out their names.
"Oh, there they are!" Lily paid no mind as she bounded into the forest towards Hagrid's lantern. Harry made to follow her but a hand on his wrist stopped him.
Mara carried an exhausted Breena in her arms like a baby just as he carried Aura's sleeping body around his shoulders.
"Do you really think it's him?" Mara looked up at him, her big hazel eyes red and puff from all the tears, dark shadows underneath her eyes.
He felt just as tired as she looked. Harry swallowed and squeezed her hand.
"Nobody's gonna hurt you," He swore.
Mara gave him a small sad smile and squeezed his hand back.
Harry didn't blame her. He didn't even believe himself.
As Mara left to follow Lily, Harry looked at his wrapped hand. He clenched his hand tightly enough to feel pain and as his emotions roared, the emerald glow he was getting used to lit up in the darkness.
Perhaps, a dark thought occurred to him, he had this power for a reason.
Maybe it didn't matter how or why he got this strange power. At that moment, all Harry Potter cared about was what he could do with it.
And If the power runs rampant and it's flames begin to consume him, so be it.
He would never let someone hurt his sister while he was alive.
He'd rather burn.