Hagrid, your house is made in wood…
Hermione Granger, Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers, page 231
ANSWERS TO THE REVIEWER'S PINKY TOES:
Shireen McLean: Yes, let's not forget Harry is a newbie among the Slyths. He's not going to become the king of manipulation in one year. Maybe in one or two years ^_-. He'll progressively get sneakier, I promise you that. Ugh, poor you.
A/N: I'm very disappointed. Only 1 review??!!! Is there anyone reading this? Please review, don't do this to me again… please. Am I going to have to say "I'm not updating until I have ## reviews"? Don't make me do that…
Again, thanks to VMorticia who betaed this chapter, as my usual beta is visiting her father and unable to reach the net.
Chapter 10: Red Stars and Silver Blood
"Well, well. What do we have here." Said Filch, the caretaker, his cat looking at the three first years with a malicious glint in her eyes.
Cursing the inventor of too large jeans causing him to forget to cover himself with his invisibility cloak, along with his own scatter-mindedness and the – unfortunately – popular inventor of human stupidity.
He, Blaise and Hermione, caught by Filch sneaking out at night, climbing down from the astronomy tower – Said like this, it certainly didn't sound right – looked at the man and his… pet cat, doing a perfect impersonation of a deer caught in the headlights.
"Follow me." He hissed, his voice betraying inner glee at the thought of their punishment.
Wearily, the three children followed the man/caretaker/demon-straight-from-hell's-eighth-gate toward the entry hall, leading them up the main staircase. Hermione seemed to figure out where they were going, but the wide, horrified eyes and the audible swallowing sound she made didn't reassure Harry any.
He led them to a large oak door, like so many in Hogwarts. Harry didn't have the time to read the label on it that Filch had already pushed it open and pulled them inside.
There, A stern-looking McGonagall turned toward them from in front of the class, where she had been evidently scolding a sheepish Ron Weasley, who looked quite surprised at seeing Hermione with the two of them.
"I found those three sneaking out at night. I'll entrust their punishment to your hands, professor." Filch said. With a final victorious sneer at the four first years, he left.
"Harry Potter, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger… I must say I'm quite saddened to see a brilliant student such as yourself being… influenced like this."
Hermione blushed bright red in humiliation. Harry almost wanted to defend her, but that would be revealing Hagrid's secret.
McGonagall turned to Weasley and nodded. "It appears you were telling the truth after all, Harry Potter was out to cause trouble. It's good thing you warned us or Mister Filch might not have seen them."
Giving an apologetic glance at Hermione, the boy had the grace to flinch from the girl's ferocious glare. Harry understood; he didn't know Norbert was to be sent out today, so, in an attempt to get Harry in trouble, he had tried to warn the teachers. Not knowing he would put Hermione in the same position.
"I will take fifty points for every student out of bed, plus a detention."
"FIFTY…" Blaise gasped in horror. The folks of Slytherin would never let them live this down.
"Yes, Fifty, miss Zabini." McGonagall snapped. "That's a hundred from Gryffindor and another hundred from Slytherin."
"What? A hundred from Gryffindor?!" Weasley gasped. "But…"
"That does include you, mister Weasley. You will serve your detention like everyone else, since you also were out of bed after curfew. I'm very disappointed in both of you." She added with a look at Weasley and Hermione, who seemed to suddenly think the floor was a wonderful place where lots of magical – no pun intended – things happened and took a probably very useful glow-in-the-dark crimson color.
The next morning was terrible for all four students. Upon seeing the four hourglasses that held the points, their housemates had, at first, thought of a mistake. Because of their excursion, both Slytherin and Gryffindor lost their places, ending up respectively third and fourth, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff got the two first in the correct order. The two normally 'underdog' houses were delighted to see that, for once, they just might get to win the cup.
Soon, though, the truth spread. It was the hero of Slytherin, the boy-who-lived-to-break-rules Harry Potter that had lost Slytherin those points, while a pair of dumb Gryffindor first years lost the same for their house. Blaise was, fortunately, barely noticed; Harry being the most famous of the two, he had the biggest back to take the blame. The price of fame, even if it's unwilling fame, is enormous.
Just walking in the halls became a chore. The Slytherins, if it was in their advantage, were generally a nice bunch toward each other. However, because of the points he had lost, Harry quickly found his popularity had shrank. The only good point, however, was that Snape stopped removing points from Slytherin because of him.
Quidditch practice became a fight for life; Budgers flying toward him seemed to multiply. More than once, he had to go back to the infirmary because of a broken bone or cracked ribs.
Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs alike congratulated him and thanked him for his great job, while the Gryffindors were also glad. But the fact that they were still behind Slytherin made them the less annoying of the four houses. Thank god for small blessings.
Draco was pretty much ignored. As he had an iron hand on Crabbe and Goyle, he set both of them to protecting Harry from the other Slytherins, and saved Harry's face in front of the two other Slytherin girls. Pansy was ready to accept whatever Draco was saying, while Millicent, though a bit suspicious, didn't want to be the only first year against him.
As for Hermione and Weasley, they both became sort of outcasts. While the girl was usually first to answer the questions, with an arm that could raise itself faster than light, she now kept it quiet and worked silently, not answering a single question that could save Gryffindor the humiliation of losing fourth. Her logic was a bit twisted.
Although her revenge on Weasley had been terrifying, involving a shouting session that had been heard all the way from the forbidden forest, it ended quickly, though she remained mad at him for a while. However, their exile from Gryffindor forced them to make up quickly.
The exams were coming quickly. With it, everyone had other things to worry about than a bunch of first years who lost a bunch of points. Plus, all the studying they were doing kept their minds off of their problems.
A week before the exams, however, passing in front of a bunch of empty classrooms coming back from the library after a study session, he, Draco, Blaise, Ron and Hermione heard something that reminded them of something they had nearly forgotten through all the chaos of Norbert's arrival and departure. The whole mess with the Philosopher's stone.
"No… no, don't do it again… please…" Quirrell's voice begged from inside an empty classroom.
"What in the world?" Draco hissed as they listened.
"Sounds like someone's threatening him." Weasley said.
"Snape?" Blaise asked.
"IF it is, I can't hear him." Draco said.
"Ok, ok…" The teacher sobbed.
A second later, Quirrell ran out, re-placing his turban on his head, his eyes moist like he had just been crying.
"What a wimp." Draco chuckled.
"You think he's cracked?" Weasley asked Hermione.
"I hope not, but…" the girl replied.
"What do you mean?" Blaise asked.
"We figured out Snape's trying to break through the defenses set around the stone," Hermione explained. "He probably already knows what everyone else has placed there, except for Quirrell's. And I think that's not true anymore."
"You mean… Snape knows how to reach the stone?" Harry gasped.
"I'm still not sure it's Snape." Draco mumbled.
"Just because you're Snape's little favorite doesn't mean he's all good." Weasley grumbled.
"I'm just saying that things might not be what they seem, Weasley. Just because he roughens you up a bit doesn't mean he's the evilest bastard there is."
"I don't think he knows how to get past Fluffy yet though." Harry said, thinking back at the wound on Snape's leg back at Halloween.
"Let's hope Hagrid keeps it quiet then." Weasley voiced.
"How likely is that?" Draco asked.
"Not very." The red-head sighed.
The next morning, their detentions were given to them through owl post, with a single note.
Your detention will be tonight at eleven.
Meet mister Filch in the entry hall.
Prof. M. McGonagall
A quick look at Gryffindor table assured Harry that Weasley and Hermione had received theirs at the same time. Blaise glared angrily at hers while Draco theatrically stretched and yawned, being the only one who would have a full night of sleep.
The day passed as quickly as a mouse on steroids and other metabolism-enhancing substances escaping from an army of starving cheetahs and, all too soon, he was meeting the two Gryffindors in the entry hall, where a giddy looking Filch, holding a dimly lit lamp, was waiting for them, his… pet cat absent, probably lurking along the halls, trying to weasel out sneaking students.
"Ah, finally here, you two." Filch said, glaring at the two Slytherins. "Follow me."
They started walking toward the doors, which opened slightly by themselves to let them pass.
"I hope you'll think twice, now, before breaking the rules." He said in a mocking tone.
'Dry up and die' Harry thought.
"Work hard and suffer, that's the best way to learn, believe me! A real pain those softies removed corporal punishments… back then, they hung you upside down from the roof by your ankles for a few days…"
'Probably where the excess blood drowned the brain cells that held your common sense…' Harry thought.
"…I still got the chains in my desk, still usable, just in case those useless masses of fluff that call themselves governors decide to do something right for once."
Harry and Blaise shared a look that clearly meant they doubted of the man's sanity more than ever.
Walking on the grounds, trying to ignore the chilly night air touching his face and neck, he wondered what on earth their punishment could be. It probably was something terrible, since Filch looked ecstatic.
The moon was glowing, but the clouds that passed in front of it prevented it's silvery light from reaching them. They could see bright lights in the windows of Hagrid's hut. A voice came to their ears.
"Is that yeh, Filch? Hurry up, I can't wait teh get start'd."
Hearing Hagrid's familiar voice, Harry sighed in relief. Any detention with Hagrid probably wouldn't be so bad. His relief had been spotted by Filch, however, and he was quick to give a sharp kick to it straight down the drain.
"Think you're going to have a good time with that big oaf, eh? No way, 'cause it's in the forbidden forest you're going tonight."
"Isn't it... you know… forbidden?" Blaise asked.
"Isn't walking down the halls in the middle of the night forbidden?" The man snapped mockingly back with a glare, putting poor Blaise under the fatal danger of breath intoxication by his proximity. The girl, on the verge of collapsing, couldn't reply.
Hagrid suddenly appeared, with Fang following him closely. The giant was holding a huge crossbow in one hand and an equally large lamp in the other. A quiver full of bolts was visible at his belt. Harry started to wonder what was so dangerous in the forest that needed a man such as Hagrid to carry such a weapon.
"'Bout time yeh get here," The man said. " 'been waitin' fer half 'n hour. All righ' there, Harry, Blaise?"
"You'd better not get too friendly, Hagrid." Filch said with a sneer. "They're here to be punished."
"Is that why yer late, Filch?" Hagrid growled in anger. "'been teachin' 'em a lesson? That's not in yer job, yeh know. Yeh did yer job, I'll do mine now."
"Very well." The other man replied, his sneer clenching tighter. "I'll be back at sunrise to gather… what's left of them."
And he walked back to the castle, the dim light of his lamp slowly disappearing in the darkness.
"Um… sir? Aren't there… things… in the forest?" Weasley asked fearfully, clenching his still bandaged but no longer inflated right hand with the other one.
"There are things in 'ere awrite." Hagrid assured him. "But yeh'll have teh come and help meh if yeh want teh stay in Hogwarts."
Weasley, resigned, gulped loudly.
"And he's the Gryffindor." Blaise whispered to Harry, making him chuckle. Hermione shot her a dark look while Weasley hissed in anger. However, Hagrid interrupted before the fight brewing could be served. It would have to be served later as leftovers.
"Awrite, stop this right now, kids. We've got a job teh do. Listen well, 'cause what we're doin' tonight'll probably be dangerous."
The four students followed Hagrid to the edge of the forest, where they found a twisty and small dirt path leading deeper between the trees. Hagrid guided them deeper in the forest on the trail, only stopping after a short walk, near a fork. The gigantic man bent down and touched something on the ground with a grimace of disgust, before showing his fingers to them.
Covering them was a shimmering, silver liquid, almost like liquid metal.
"Yeh know what this is?" Hagrid asked.
For once, even Hermione was stumped. Odd that of all people at Hogwarts, Hagrid was the only one to have ever managed that nearly legendary feat.
"See this?" He asked. "That's Unicorn blood. There's one of 'em that's been badly hurt by god-knows-what. It's the second time this week. I found one poor thin' dead last Wen'sday. We've got teh find the poor beast. Maybe we'll even have teh put it out of it's misery."
"And what if the god-knows-what hurt the unicorn gets us first?" Harry asked nervously.
"As long as yer with me or Fang, nuthin' in this forest can hurt yeh." The giant man assured. "Don't stray out of the path. We'll split up in two groups and follow the trail in different directions. There's blood everywhere, it must have went everywhere since last night. Awrite. Harry, Weasley, yeh go with Fang. I'll protect the girls."
"Aren't we a bit young for you?" Blaise teased playfully with a nudge at Hagrid's knee.
The man let out a guffaw and gave a heartfelt – and backfelt as well – slap in the back of the girl, who stumbled a bit at the force.
"Well, have fun, girls. See you in the morning." Harry said, taking Fang's leash in his hand. The dog whined pitifully. Weasley let out an audible gulp as he realized the dog was probably like his master; big and impressive, but a big softie.
The two groups separated, heading deeper in the forest. When Hagrid's comforting presence had vanished between the trees, Harry realized how… helpless he was. Oh, sure, they had the big dog, but if what Fang's nervous eyes darting between the trees seemed to say, he wouldn't be able to help much, he had a good reason to feel that way.
"You think Hermione's gonna be fine?" Weasley asked.
Oh, and the other reason he wasn't too happy. He was stuck with Weasley. Couldn't he have stuck the Gryffindors together?
"Yeah, Hermione and Blaise are gonna be fine." Harry emphasized the name. "I'd trust Hagrid with my life."
"Geez, you got a high spot on the guy, don't you?"
"Him and the Zabinis score as the three top adults of the wizarding world, in my book. They're the ones that rescued me from the Dursleys after all."
"You make it sound like it's some kind of prison."
"In some ways, it was. You're lucky, Weasley. You know that? You're lucky you have the family you do."
"Yeah right. I'll probably be the loser of the family. Even Fred and George have something on their side, they're funny. All I've got is my skill at chess."
"Think like a loser and you are a loser." Harry said.
"HEY!" The red-head snapped, giving the other boy a glare.
"I didn't mean it that way, it's a Slytherin saying." Harry assured quickly. "You've got to have the right attitude, or you'll never reach what you want. If you start something and you think you're never gonna make it, you lost already. And as I was saying, I'd give my fame and fortune for the family you have, and I'm not kidding. Even if I did end up being the youngest of an army of brothers."
"Geez, your aunt and uncle must be some pretty rotten folks."
"In all honesty, the Dursleys are probably less wanted on this world than mosquitoes. Unfortunately they're not as easy to get rid of though. You can't just clap them."
The subject closed for now, they spent nearly half an hour in silence, just following the trails of silvery-metallic blood. Fang seemed to be getting more and more excited with every spot they found.
"I think we're getting closer." Harry finally broke the silence.
"You mean… the unicorn? We're on the right way?" Weasley's voice betrayed a certain touch of panic, as if he had hoped they hadn't been on the right trail.
"I think so. Look at Fang, if he'd be any more excited I'd be tempted to try to defuse him."
"Defuse?"
"Muggle thing." Harry sighed. Damn purebloods sometimes… 'properly' raised purebloods that is. 'cause damning oneself is a bad habit, you know.
The path climbed steeply, leading up to a dark, misty clearing with the ground made almost entirely of twisty roots. It seemed every inch of the ground had a root in it. If not more than one. And there, near the other end of the clearing was the most disturbing sight they had ever seen.
The unicorn they had been chasing was lying on the ground, having bled to death, it's pure silky white mane reflecting even more moonlight where the metallic blood drenched it. A disgusting smell of rot and something that could only be described as acidic threatened to allow Harry's dinner to see sunlight… pardon me, moonlight, again. But that wasn't the disturbing thing.
A dark-robed, hunched up figure was lying on top of the unicorn's carcass. Weasley let out a gasp of horror, which it had heard. Very quickly, it turned it's head toward them, droplets of silver blood dripping from it's chin. Harry tensed up.
That thing had been drinking the unicorn's blood.
He didn't have time for this information to reach his stomach that the creature had started advancing toward him. I write advancing, because it didn't walk, nor did it fly. It just… slid toward the two boys, who were standing, frozen in place.
And then, the pain came.
Ever known was having a knife, that must have been taken out of a burning inferno not a second ago, being planted in your forehead, then twisted around in your head, felt like? I hope not for your sake, since extracting said knife alive must have been very difficult.
That's how Harry's scar suddenly felt. Add to it a couple of burning needles with jagged edges, a dozen jackhammers with diamond bottoms and the numerous footsteps found around a female lingerie shop announcing a sale…
...erm… ok, maybe that's a bit much.
Suffice to say, it hurt a lot. So much the boy crumbled to his knees, wincing and, had it not been for Slytherin pride, weeping at the paralyzing, incapacitating feeling.
And the creature was still sliding closer. It looked like nothing would stop it from reaching the two boys…
"Stop right there, or I'll curse you!"
…until one of the two, namely Ron Weasley, stepped up between them, bravely brandishing his wand and pointing it at the creature, who didn't look phased at all, not even slowing down.
"You asked for it… Wingardium Leviosa!"
…Gotta hand it to the boy, he certainly was brave. However, bravery and courage are nothing if you don't have the right muscle, in this case spells, to back it up. The weak jinx did hit he creature, but it had absolutely no effect on it, except revealing a rippling black dome around it, for not even a millisecond.
As the creature was about to reach them, a thundering beat came to their ears. The sound of a horse. Was a teacher coming to help them? And where had that teacher found a horse?
But it wasn't a horse. Soaring over them, landing in between them and the creature before giving a powerful punch directly in it's 'stomach', sending it reeling away, was a creature neither had expected to see. It's bottom half was that of a horse, but just where a horse's neck would have been was a man's body. His horse body's fur was clear and his human hair was blond.
…a centaur.
The cloaked figure, restored itself in mid-flight, but instead of pursuing it's attack, it flew away in the darkness between the trees.
Harry's scar stopped burning, allowing him to look up at their savior. The centaur was still looking at where the creature had vanished to, as if expecting it to return. After a short moment, he returned Harry's look.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"Y…Yes…" Harry managed. "Thank you for helping us."
The centaur didn't answer. He just stared at Harry with surprisingly blue eyes, both of them stopping momentarily to stare at his scar.
…and Harry started to wonder if there was a magical being who didn't know about him.
"You're Potter's son… you'd better get back to Hagrid. The forest isn't safe these days. Especially for you. You know how to do horseback riding?"
"A bit." Weasley admitted.
The centaur turned toward him, giving him an odd look.
"Any family relation to those two wild red-heads who keep trying to sneak in the forest?"
Guessing, Weasley chuckled. "They're my brothers."
"Tell them to keep their fireworks on themselves next time." The centaur's face had a small smile, as he lowered himself to let them get on. Just as Weasley helped Harry settle himself on the bumpy horse back, two new galloping sounds were heard, a second before two other centaurs appeared.
"Firenze!" The black-haired one who looked more aggressive than the other bellowed angrily. "What are you doing?! Carrying humans on your back?! Don't you have any shame? What are you, a mule?"
"You know who this boy is? It's Potter's son! The fastest he's out of this forest, the better!" Firenze, the centaur they were riding, said.
"What did you tell them?" The black-haired one started again, apparently more angry than before. "Remember that we've vowed not to go against the sky's decision. Did you not read in the planet's movements what must happen?"
"Calm down, Bane." The other one, much calmer and more composed, said. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was doing good."
"Doing good?!" Bane, the black-haired one, roared, hitting the ground with his hoof. "What is our business in all of this? Us centaurs willingly submit to destiny's whim. WE don't have to run around like donkeys to find humans lost in the woods!"
Getting angry himself, Firenze started kicking, nearly toppling to two boys.
"Don't you see this unicorn?" He bellowed at Bane. "Don't you understand why it was killed?! Didn't the stars reveal you this secret? I'm standing up against what's hiding in this forest, Bane. Even if I have to rely on a human's help to do it!"
Firenze suddenly dashed in a quick gallop, once again nearly making the two boys fall. For a while, Harry could only see trees passing by, and feel the rumble of the horse body beneath him. He clearly wished the ride would end soon, because the feeling wasn't fun… it was downright painful.
"Why was Bane so pissed? Is it because you helped us against that… thing?"
Firenze didn't answer. He did, however, slow down and recommend them to lower their heads, a tip that Weasley listened to only after asking "why?", receiving a low branch on his forehead as an answer and letting out some colorful expletives as a result.
"Do either of you know what unicorn blood can be used for?" Firenze suddenly asked.
"I have a feeling you'll tell us." Harry said.
The centaur had a small chuckle, giving Harry a look from over his shoulder. His face dropped back down to a saddened look as he started explaining.
"To kill a unicorn is a horrible thing." Firenze began. "To commit such a crime, one must have nothing to lose and everything to win. A unicorn's blood allow someone to survive, even if he's on the brink of death, but at a terrible price. Because you must kill a pure and defenseless creature to save your own life, the moment your lips touch the blood, you only have a half-life. A cursed life."
"Who could be desperate enough for that?" Weasley asked. "Drinking that stuff looks gross already, who'd want a cursed life on top of that? I'd rather just die."
"Someone who has nothing to lose and everything to get… could it be that that person wants the Philosopher's stone?"
"The elixir of life!" Ron gasped.
"Exactly." Firenze said, smiling.
"But who…" Harry began, but the centaur interrupted him.
"Don't you know of someone who's been hanging on to life for years, just waiting for a moment to get back to his former strength?"
Harry's insides froze faster than a 486 computer trying to run Diablo II. It couldn't be…
"You mean… Voldemort?!" He asked his suspicions.
Weasley gasped in surprise and literally fell off his high horse, landing in a disorganized heap on the ground. Firenze skipped a step and shuddered, his body shaking underneath the black-haired boy.
"Y... yes." The Centaur said, giving a fearful look at Harry, who grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry." He mumbled, looking down at Ron, who was staring back with his eyes wide open.
Their detention ended soon when they found Hagrid again. On the way back, Harry gave a look at Weasley.
"You do know that you could have ran off and saved yourself, right? You didn't have to stand up and try to help me out."
"What kind of Gryffindor would I be? You might be a Slytherin, but Hermione's right… you're not as bad as… say… Malfoy. Plus, I was paying you back for helping around back in Halloween."
Harry smirked. "So no more debts?"
"Nope, we're even now." The boy replied, returning the smirk.
Later, in the empty Slytherin common room, Harry told his tale to Blaise and Draco, who were both staring at him with eyes wide open.
"Why am I always missing everything…" Draco wondered. Harry didn't listen to him. He was lost in his own mind, thoughts rolling around his head like lottery balls.
"Snape wants to bring the stone to Voldemort so that he can brew the elixir of life and bring Voldemort back to life… All this time, I thought Snape just wanted to make himself rich… but he does have the look of someone who'd serve Voldemort—"
"Stop saying his name!" Chorused Draco and Blaise.
"Firenze saved me and Ron, but I don't think he was supposed to… Bane was furious. He said that they shouldn't have went against what the stars were saying… they must have said Voldemort was back… Bane seemed to think Firenze should have let Voldemort kill meph..??! Mppphhh!!"
"That's enough philosophical thoughts from you." Blaise said, her hand blocking his mouth. "Keep this up, and you won't be able to sleep. Just remember, Dumbledore's here, and as long as he's here, You-know-who can't get to you."
A little bit reassured, Harry nodded with a warm smile. That's right. Voldemort wouldn't be able to touch him as long as the headmaster was there. Now, if only they could stop Snape from getting the stone… And with those thoughts, his eyes closed and he fell into deep slumber.
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