Fractal
Chapter Eight
``````````````````````
Saron's hooves were the only thing that made noise in the creepy darkness, beating steadily against the ground like the rhythm of a heartbeat. The two Hogwarts students assumed that he knew where he was going - according to Draco, he did, and that was good enough for Kelsey. Even if they were on a wild goose chase, something besides day after day of classes was better than a monotonous linear calendar of events.
"So..." Kelsey said after nearly half an hour of silence, "What's it like being in Slytherin?"
"What...?" Draco asked, surprised. No one had ever popped a question like that at him before...
"What's it like being a Slytherin? It's different than being in Ravenclaw, I'm sure." Kelsey said gently, adjusting herself against Saron's back to a more comfortable position. How she wished for riding tack, but you took what you got when it was available...
"Uh...Well, I got to admit, they are a nasty bunch of buggers." Draco said honestly, taking Kelsey aback. She had expected him to say something, but she had never in her wildest dreams think that he would insult his own house! Then again, Draco Malfoy was very much an enigma to her, as he was to many people. So, not knowing what else to do, she laughed.
"What's so funny!?" Draco demanded, sitting up straighter on Saron's back.
"N-nothing. I just didn't expect that answer from you." Kelsey said, feeling the tears of mirth come to her eyes. Though she couldn't see his face, she knew that Draco was blushing. She imagined that if he blushed any more than he already was, she would have burns in the back of her neck. "Then again, I really didn't expect that you'd respond to my letter..." Kelsey said suddenly, causing an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. It was true; she had expected to get a howler the next day in the mail, at the very worst. Oh, how embarrassing that would have been...
"Well...I....uh..." Draco said, his tongue catching in his mouth. Kelsey felt herself blushing as well and thanked God that Draco couldn't see her face.
"It's ok. You don't have to answer that. I'm just glad that I could be friends with you." Kelsey assured him, reaching down and taking one of Draco's cold hands and squeezing it in her own.
"Uh...Thanks." Draco said uncomfortably, feeling a tingling go down the back of his spine. The two students sat there in silence for the next little while, looking at the creepy surroundings; old, gnarled trees twisted this way and that, almost reaching out to grab them with their claw-like branches.
"Uh...Saron? Where are we going? Do you even know?" Draco said suddenly, leaning down to look at Saron in the eye. Kelsey blushed as she leaned out of the way so Draco could lean past her.
We're going to someone. She knows a lot of things, and may be able to help us. Saron said quietly. His voice was shaky - or in Draco's opinion it was - and it comforted him to know that he wasn't the only one who was scared out of his wits. What it must have been like for Saron to live all by himself in the forbidden forest was incomprehensible.
"What did he say, Draco?" Kelsey asked, turning around to look Draco in the eye.
"Oh, he said that we're going to someone who has information." Draco shrugged, "That's all I know." Kelsey nodded, turning back around. Draco wrapped his arms around her again, making her blush even more. He had reason to, however, as Saron was doing a lot of turns and jumps over logs, roots, and making detours around the 'transmitters', as Draco remembered from the last time he was in here with Saron. How the worked he wasn't sure, but magic was surely in play.
"Don't get too comfortable." Kelsey said stiffly, noticing that Draco was leaning on her. He sat up straight, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks once more.
"Oops...sorry, but it's hard to sit up straight." Draco said, trying to defend himself. Kelsey sighed; he did have a point there. She found it increasingly hard to sit there on Saron's back without coming into contact with the Malfoy boy. She sighed, finally giving in and leaning back against Draco's chest, making him blush even more, but he took it.
"You have a damn good point." She said in a mockingly tired voice, making the pale one laugh out loud, something she had never heard him do before. Soon she found herself laughing as well, their only joy in a forest of darkness.
```````````
Dumbledore sat behind his desk in his office, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He was too old for this...a few of the senior teachers sat around him, waiting for him to say something or issue an order as to what to do. Finally he looked up, putting his glasses back on.
"We have to dispose of the body. We can't leave it there." He said.
"Yes yes, we know that. But what of the attacker?" Snape asked impatiently, leaning forward anxiously in his chair. Dumbledore knew that Snape wasn't one to sit idly by while a murderer ran about Hogwarts; as long as there was a threat hanging over the head of the staff, he would not rest.
"We'll launch a full investigation. I think this merits having the Ministry come in and take a good look at it." Dumbledore said thoughtfully, masking up his fatigue of the night. All the students had been sent back to bed, though he doubted that any of them were sleeping. How could anyone, with a cold-blooded murder hanging over their heads? Dumbledore worried about Harry; he knew that he, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger had been great friends with the Gamekeeper. He would have someone sent up from the hospital wing to check on them when the fuss was finally sorted out and things became quiet again.
"That's all and good, but what precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of the students now!?" Snape insisted, looking menacingly at Dumbledore.
"The Ministry will be in here by morning, I will see to it. We'll have some wizards stay behind to protect the dorms, ok?" Dumbledore said, feeling the fatigue getting to him. He wanted to resolve this quickly, so he could get back to bed. He would think about it when he woke up in the morning and the truth of what had happened really sunk in. That seemed to satisfy Snape. He sat back in his chair and seemed more relaxed. Dumbledore sighed; he really didn't need this, especially now...
```````````````
Kelsey and Draco had taken to talking about their families while waiting for Saron to find their informant's exact place. Kelsey had come from a family of all muggles, people who didn't appreciate her abilities as a witch. She had told him how she had managed to get her parents to let her go, and she was glad that she was here now at Hogwarts. Draco in turn told her about his angry, abusive father and how he beat on his mother constantly. Kelsey gasped, eyes widening as Draco explained the one time his father had used one of the Unforgivable Curses on him.
"It was when I was really small," Draco said softly, remembering the incident perfectly, "But I still have the scars. I doubt that they will ever go away." He said sadly, feeling better about talking to Kelsey about this. He never would have believed before that talking to someone could relieve one's problems in such a way, but now he was a firm believer. Kelsey had promised not to tell anyone else, that she would keep it secret for as long as he wanted her to.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Kelsey said softly, after he had finished talking. Draco shrugged it off, feeling a phantom pain in his back as he remembered the incident.
"It's ok. I needed to get that out of me." Draco said, silently thanking Kelsey for everything she had done for him. She giggled and looked ahead of her, feeling very proud of herself.
Saron suddenly stopped. We're here. He said gently, gesturing for the two to get off. Draco motioned for Kelsey to get off, and she did. Draco soon followed suit. The two now looked up at a huge gnarled tree with the same red veins running through it as the one Draco had seen earlier.
"Who's here?" Draco asked, confused. He was expecting to see a person or something like that.
She's one of my best friends. Arrived here about five years ago. Saron remarked, looking up at the tree. Then, with a clacking of claws and the shifting and ripping of bark, an owl appeared. It was snowy white and had huge yellow eyes. Draco narrowed his own grey eyes; somehow this owl looked familiar...
Her name is Hedwig. That name sent an electric jolt of realization running through Draco's veins. Kelsey saw him tense up and asked him what was wrong with him.
"That's Potter's owl!" He hissed in low tones, unable to believe it. Saron and Hedwig were apparently speaking to each other, as their eyes were locked on each other and they looked quite dazed. Draco let them talk, blinking the shock away. What would Potter's owl know about what was going on...? Finally, after what seemed like ages, Hedwig spread her wings and took off, back towards Hogwarts.
She said that she doesn't know who's behind Hagrid's death, but she does know that her owner Harry was missing from his bed at the time that Hagrid was killed. She said that she was going to try and find out more from some creatures that were near the scene of the crime when it happened. Saron reported, lowering his head and scooping up a mouthful of the ugly, rubbery black grass. Draco took a moment to explain to Kelsey what Saron had just told him, then looked back to his friend.
"What are we supposed to do now, then?" He asked, looking around him at the darkened forest.
We wait. Saron said simply. Then we'll see what she's brought back for us. Draco nodded. Kelsey looked at him curiously, feeling left out.
"We're going to wait until Hedwig comes back." Draco offered. She nodded and looked around herself, wondering what she could do to pass the time.
There came a noise behind the trio. Draco and Kelsey whipped around, both drawing their wands at the same time. There, cloaked all over in black and standing hunched over, was a figure. It's hands were like the arms of the ugly trees, bony and wrinkled, frail beyond belief.
"Who are you!?" Draco yelled, holding his wand at the ready. The creature said nothing, merely raising it's hand and grabbing Draco by the throat by sheer mental force alone, forcing him to walk forwards to him.
"Draco!!" Kelsey cried, thinking quickly of a hex that would get him out of this fix.
"K-Kelsey....get out of here now..." Draco stuttered, his eyes popping out of their sockets. If he was held like that for any longer, he would die!
"Leave now...girl." The creature said, it's head swivelling to meet her gaze. "While you still can." Kelsey drew herself up to her full height, holding her wand in her left hand.
"No! Let him go, now!" She said defiantly, feeling Saron coming up behind her, to back her up. He possessed a small bit of magic and would be able to help as well. The creature sighed, pointing it's wand at Kelsey and Saron.
"Aveda Kad-aahhhrrr!!!!!" It let out a roar of protest as Draco suddenly rammed his leg into it's gut. He fell to the ground and got up just as quickly, pointing his wand at the figure.
"Speak what you know of Hagrid's death, or I will punish you!!" Draco warned, rubbing his neck absentmindedly with one hand. Kelsey stood behind him, holding her wand up as well. She had no idea of what curse Draco was planning on using, but it must have been a deadly one - his tone of voice betrayed his fear of it.
"Haaaagrid?" The creature sputtered, obviously confused. "I know no Haaaagrid." Draco cursed himself; he should have known better than to assume things. While he looked down, the creature took advantage of this position.
"But my servant does!!!" It screeched, launching itself forwards and baring it's claws. Kelsey screamed and backed up, but Draco didn't waver. He held his wand up, closing his eyes. He opened his mouth, and what came from it was nearly as bad as what the creature had been reciting.
"Crucio!!!" He screamed, a huge flash of light sprouting forth from his wand. It hit the creature and drove it back, causing it to scream out in agony. Kelsey and Saron watched with horror as Draco put upon it the worst punishment a living thing could ever go through; she couldn't help but pity it as it screamed and writhed uncontrollably, but it did not fall to the ground as she would have expected. Despite it's screaming, the creature managed to raise it's hand to Draco, muttering something in-between screams. There was another flash of light and Draco found himself flying backwards, straight into Kelsey. She caught him, the force of his momentum causing both of them to crash to the ground. It stood up, no longer under Draco's curse.
"You've made a foolish mistake, boy!!" It said, obviously weak as it walked forward on it's knobby knees, looking threatening despite the fact that it had just been attacked by one of the worst curses in the book. Kelsey writhed underneath Draco's now unconscious form, trying to get up and defend herself and her friends. She thought she was doomed as the figure approached, looming over them menacingly...
There came a loud neighing; Kelsey turned her head and saw Saron step in front of both of them, his horn glowing. The creature shrieked, this time sounding like it was in more pain than it just had been previously. The unicorn stepped towards the creature, evidently hurting it with it's horn in some way. Black robes swished as the creature turned around and departed as fast as it could move, half floating, half walking away into the forest. Saron's horn stopped glowing and the looked down at his friends to make sure that they were ok. Kelsey looked at him and thanked him. Saron nodded, to make her understand that he heard her.
"Draco! Draco, wake up! He's gone!!" Draco came around slowly, apparently just stunned. He groaned, his eyes rolling around until they managed to focus slowly on Saron's face. It was then that he felt something under him. Realizing that it was Kelsey, he rolled off her and sat up, looking dazed.
"Is it gone?" He asked weakly. Kelsey nodded, sitting up as well and dusting herself off. Saron helped Draco by supporting him as he stood up, a little weak in the knees. He sighed, leaning against his friend. After a few tense moments of silence and the realization of what had just happened sunk in, Kelsey found herself shocked at her new friend.
"You used one of the Unforgivable Curses! How could you!?" She said, her body heaving. She was in a slight rage.
"I'm sorry Kelsey, but it was the first thing that came to my mind. Besides, you saw. I doubt that anything lesser would have had an effect on whatever that thing was." Draco said softly, still leaning on Saron. Kelsey shut her mouth, realizing that Draco had a point. Again, no one said anything. What were they supposed to do now?
We should find a place to weather out the rest of the night. Saron suggested. I'll take you to my home. Draco, you get on my back. Kelsey, can you walk? He asked. Draco climbed on Saron's back, practically laying on top of the unicorn's white back in his fatigue.
"Saron wants to know if you can walk..." Draco said tiredly, grabbing onto his friend's neck so he wouldn't fall off. Kelsey nodded and walked by Saron's side, worried that Draco would fall asleep and slide right off his back. Having made sure that Draco would not fall off, the trio retreated farther into the forest, keeping their eyes peeled and their weapons at the ready.
