Fractal

Chapter Two

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His wand firmly clutched in one hand, a lantern in the other, Draco Malfoy made his way across the Hogwarts grounds, making sure to stay out of direct sight with anyone in the castle and to surpass Hagrid's hut. That was particularly difficult because of Fang, but he managed to pull it off. Soon Draco found himself in the forbidden forest, and his first encounter in the enchanted place came back to haunt him. He, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fang and Hagrid had gone off in search of a unicorn, one that had been slain...Draco felt a shiver run up his spine as he walked silently through the old twisted trees, bypassing particularly dangerous-looking roots and pathways. He had always been afraid of the forbidden forest, but this time his curiosity was getting the better of him; he had to know what had become of that unicorn, no matter what the danger.

"Jeez, now I look like Potter trying to prove himself." Draco muttered to himself, feeling slightly angry at himself for wanting to be a heroic figure just like his arch-rival, Harry Potter. Nevertheless, he marched on through the misty grounds, flinching at every sound around him. He felt very vulnerable and afraid, even with light and his wand to help him.

There was a deafening screech, and something swiped at Malfoy's hand; the lantern slipped from his fingers and crashed to the ground, the glass casing broken by the fall. Draco cursed himself, immediately lighting the end of his wand. He looked around him, eyes twisting this way and that, looking for what had attacked him. He looked above him at the sound of a hoot, and saw a menacing owl circling above him. Though he was disturbed by the owl's gaze, Draco knew he had nothing to worry about; he could take care of a simple owl if need be. He breathed; a knot had formed itself in Draco's throat, and he felt himself wheezing and gasping for air. Suddenly, Draco wondered if coming out here was worth his satisfaction of knowing what had happened to the...

Unicorn. A flash of white and silver appeared beside him, then disappeared into the trees. Draco thanked for his luck, then ploughed down the trees in his way to chase after the mystical beast. The loss of the lantern had proved a good move; he would have never been able to carry it and run at the same time, not while whacking the bushes out of the way.

Time flew; Draco didn't know how long he had been chasing the beast for when it finally stopped and turned, facing him. Malfoy took a long look at the beaten up unicorn; its face was covered in little cuts, most likely from it's nightly rides through the forest, but the thing that stood out the most was the huge gash in it's neck; the silvery blood was leaking out of the wound even now, touching the ground and making it sizzle beneath it for a few moments, before losing it's lustre.

Why do you chase me, boy? The unicorn demanded of him, it's voice sounding old and worn out. Draco stood there in shock, feeling the creature's voice inside his head. He stood there blankly for a moment before answering the mythological beast.

"I came to see who hurt you." He said simply, gesturing to the beast's wound. The unicorn looked at Draco momentarily before turning it's head to look deeper into the forest.

If you really must know, I am grateful. We cannot speak here, sadly. You-Know-Who has many spies, even in this forest. Please, climb on my back and I will take you somewhere safe. The unicorn assured the white-haired one. Draco considered a moment, looked through the forest in the direction of Hogwarts, then mounted the unicorn and rode off into the forest, his robes whipping around him.

The morning was filled with chaos; Dumbledore and the teachers were obviously very upset and distressed over Draco's disappearance. Harry and his friends, however, were overjoyed in their own way. They hated Malfoy with a passion, but would never admit publicly that they enjoyed this situation. Hermione couldn't stop smiling through her breakfast, and Ron was more hyper than usual. The only one with some insight into what was happening was Harry, and it was quite obvious that he wasn't letting on anything by the smug look on his face. Dumbledore, at the teacher's table and deep in conversation, caught Harry's eye momentarily. From the brief glimpse of that cocky smile, however, the old headmaster had reason to be worried. He didn't share his worries with anyone, however, merely keeping up in the worried talk of the teachers. He was surprised that Snape was especially worried about Draco, but then again, Draco was Snape's best student in Potions.

"My friends, don't worry. We will find Malfoy again." Dumbledore assured his colleagues, helping to still some of the unrest that was rising among the ranks. Unfortunately, it didn't quell all of it, and Dumbledore feared that there would be a panic. He hoped not; then again, it was interesting that Malfoy would create such an uproar. He wasn't a student of particular interest like Harry Potter...why create so much havoc with his disappearance? Dumbledore was drowned in his own thoughts as the breakfast went on with a tense, taught tone all around the ranks.

Draco opened his eyes; sitting up, he realised that he must have fallen asleep. He looked around him and found the unicorn drinking from a small creek beside where he was laying. He supposed that the unicorn had dropped him off on the ground when they had arrived and he had fallen asleep. He sighed, sitting up and scratching his head. The unicorn greeted him, wincing slightly from the wound.

"You....you protected me during the rest of the night?" Draco said, astonished. The unicorn nodded, lowering it's head and nibbling at some twisted, black grass in the ground. It looked twisted and oily - just like Snape - but it must have provided some nourishment in order for the unicorn to eat it.

Perhaps I should introduce myself first, before we begin. My name is Saron. The unicorn introduced himself.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, of the Malfoy family." Draco responded, stretching out the kinks in his back that had not gone away.

Ah yes, I've heard of you. Supporters of You-Know-Who. Saron said harshly, baring his teeth. Draco held up his hands, his eyes widening as wide as watermelons as the white beast approached him.

"No, I don't! I swear! My father does, but I have no interest in becoming a Death Eater." Draco assured Saron. After a few moments of tense atmosphere, Saron let down his guard and relaxed.

It's good that at least one of you hasn't gone bad. Well, I should tell you what I saw that night. I know that you saw me running through the forest; I could feel your eyes on me. Saron said, folding his legs and sitting down beside Draco, who was splashing water on his face to wake himself up from his peaceful sleep. He wouldn't have thought that he could sleep in conditions such as this, but apparently anything was possible in the Forbidden Forest...