Title: Reflections in the Dark Chapter: 3 By: Moondreams Notes: Thanks for all your reviews, keep them up I like seeing what you all have to say. Some of them just cracked me up. Well this chapter is longer and I hope ya'll enjoy it. PS I'm looking for someone to edit for me, so if anyone is interested I love some help.

Ron looked up from his potions homework; Hermione hadn't moved an inch from the overstuffed chair in the Gryffindor common room. In her lap, she was reading her Tolkin book occasionally pushing Crookshank's tail away as he swished it over the pages trying to get her attention. She had been ignoring both boys all day refusing to speak a word to them.

"I hate potions. Want to go visit Hagrid tonight?" Harry asked as he laid down his quill and rubbed his eyes.

"Didn't I tell you? Charlie doing a dragon exhibit south of London, Hagrid practically jumped at the chance. You know Hagrid and dragons," Ron explained. Harry nodded and flipped through his potions book. The dark haired boy scowled at the essay and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Hermione, what's the fifth use for wolfsbane?" he asked. Nothing. He scowled again.

"Looks like we won't be getting any help from her, mate. She's really ticked," Ron murmured. Harry nodded in agreement.

"If you didn't tell the twins about Hermione, she would be here helping us," Harry pointed out as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

"She's going mental. I mean, who could it have been? I truly doubt no one else has an invisibility cloak and you know how Filtch prowls the halls at night," Ron whispered.

"Well aware of it."

"Bet she has PMS," mused Ron. Harry shrugged and continued to look through his text book for the fifth use of wolfsbane.

She still wasn't talking to them by the next morning. Harry had to admit, the girl could hold a grudge. After a long and very boring lecture by Binns (although all of his lectures were) and the assignment of a research essay, Harry tried again. "I'm sorry," he told Hermione as she gathered up her books.

"For what?" she demanded. Harry was stuck dumb for a minute.

"For what?" he repeated her looking confused.

"For what are you sorry for?" she asked. "Is that a trick question?" he directed his question to Ron. Hermione sighed with annoyance.

"What? What do you want me to say? Ok I'm sorry for being a guy, I'm sorry for breathing.pick a reason, geez Hermione what do you want me to say?" he demanded.

"You two might believe me for once and stop looking at me like I just went mental, Ron!" she yelled at them. Ron opened his mouth, then closed it as his cheeks grew an interesting shade of red.

"Ok, maybe you did hear someone. Maybe it was a ghost or something?" Harry suggested trying to smooth everything else. He had seen Hermione in action when she was angry, he didn't want history to repeat itself.

"It wasn't a Hogwarts ghost," she protested knowing that she would have recognized the voice if it was.

"We'll ask Nick if there were some ghosts visiting for a death day party or something like that," Ron commented. The three walked towards Hagrid's hut for their Care of Magical Creature's class.

"Now about the history assignment, how in the world am I going to pick a member of my magical family to do a report on?" Harry asked.

"Research. Just like I have to do. I've been wanting to trace my family and see who had magical blood before me," Hermione thought out loud as her attention focused on the assignment.

"But it's not like Aunt Petunia will tell me anything and I'm not even sure I have any relatives on my dad's side," Harry pointed out as he shifted the books under his arm to his other side.

"Hello! Sirius and Remus would know. Just owl them, they could probably tell you everything about your dad and mum. And of course there is always the achieves," Hermione told them.

"The achieves?" both boys asked in unison. "Yeah, they used to take pictures of all the students till some purebloods complained that it wasn't keep with tradition of regular paintings. Seriously, if you two would read, you'd know that."

"We do have other stuff to do then read," Harry told her.

"Yes but dreaming of Cho can't possibly take up that much time," Hermione told him. Ron howled with laughed as Harry reddened slightly and elbowed Hermione who was grinning. Hermione was about to egg her friend even farther when she saw it. She gasped in awe and stopped the boys.

"Look!" she said as she pointed to the corral by Hagrid's hut. Students who had come early were already lined up around it. A flawless white unicorn stood in the middle grazing at the lush grass while ignoring all the students.

"It's a unicorn," Ron said with a shrug.

"It's gorgeous," Hermione breathed with wonder as she walked trancelike towards the gate.

"She really has gone mental," Ron said shaking his head.

"Girls like unicorns," Harry said with a shrug. He had to admit, Hermione was acting strangely as of late. As Harry got close to the corral, he noticed bloodied bandage on it's flank.

"Come on, leave Moonspinner be," Hagrid bellowed as he opened the door. One foot was bandaged and Hagrid was leaning heavily on a cane. From his expression, Harry could tell his friend was in some pain.

"Hagrid, what happened?" Harry asked with amazement.

"One of the dragons stepped on my foot, broke every bone," Hagrid explained and sat down on a chair that had been placed outside. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle snickered in the background.

"Stupid oaf," Draco sneered. If Hagrid had heard him, he showed no sign. A long table had been set up, stood empty just in front of Hagrid's pumpkin garden.

"Right, today you'll be learning about Puffskins, oh wait a minute." Hagrid looked again towards the table. Malfoy snickered.

"Sparrow! Get the box," he bellowed from the chair. Nothing happened. None of the students were quite sure what was going on and looked at each other trying to figure out which one he was talking too.

"BOY!" he bellowed again this time getting up to do it himself. He winched and sat back down. The pain was obviously making him irritable. Harry was about to volunteer when someone emerged from Hagrid's hut carrying a heavy box that shook slightly. A thatch of dull brown hair fell into his eyes which the boy didn't bother pushing away. The rest of his hair was tied back messily. He stood around 5'7 and rail thin in build. He looked 16 maybe 17. A cream colored linen shirt hung on his frame. His breeches seemed to fit better but still was loose. His bare feet padded silently on the steps as he walked down trying to balance the moving box. He stopped on the last step and looked at the students with a vapid expression in his brown eyes.

"On the table," Hagrid told him. The boy looked at him dumbly.

"Sparrow put the box on the table," Hagrid explained slower. Some of the students snickered. Sparrow nodded slowly before walking to the table and carefully put down the box of Puffskins.

"Moving on, now many of you have had Puffskins as a pet. The creature comes from the northern part of England." Hagrid started. The students watched as the boy named Sparrow retreated into the house and didn't emerge for the rest of the lesson.

Hermione, Harry and Ron waited till the rest of the students had left before approaching Hagrid. The Slytherins had left yesterday over Draco's comments of how it was fitting for an ignorant oaf to get a half wit for an assistant. Harry scowled at the departing backside of the blonde boy.

"Stupid git," Ron said shaking his head in disgust.

"We'll don't stand there, help me inside and we'll have some tea," Hagrid motioned for the boys to help him back into the hut. Hermione followed after them pushing on Hagrid's backside hoping to relieve a little bit of pressure from the boys who were struggling.

"Hagrid, can't Madam Pomfrey fix your foot?" Hermione asked as the half giant settled into his large chair.

"She tried. Giant bones have an aversion to magic apparently. I'll have to heal the natural way, mostly," Hagrid explained as he grabbed the boiling tea kettle with a pot holder from the hearth. Ron quickly got the teacups down.

"Set an extra one for Sparrow," Hagrid told the red haired boy. Harry looked around the room and peered into the darkened corners. He had not even seen the boy when they had first entered the hut. But Hagrid's new assistant moved silently from the shadows causing Harry to wonder how he had missed him to begin with. Hagrid motioned the boy to join them at the table. Sparrow blinked and slowly moved toward them. His eyes darted from side to side as if expecting something to jump him any second.

"Here, made them myself this morning," Hagrid said as he pulled a cloth from a plate full of biscuits. Hermione and the boys smiled politely but made no move to eat the rather burnt looking biscuits. Sparrow took a seat between Hagrid and Hermione sitting cross legged on the chair.

"Hi, I'm Hermione," Hermione stuck out her hand toward Sparrow. Sparrow watched her and promptly but his teacup in her hand. Ron snickered. Hermione flushed and gave him back the teacup.

"He don't say much," Hagrid offered the piece of information as he poured the tea. Harry didn't bother to point out that that was pretty obvious. "Is he a student?" Ron asked as he watched Sparrow shove one of Hagrid's biscuits in his mouth. Eating Hagrid's cooking was usually considered bad for ones health if not dangerous.

"Nope, found him in the Dark Forest, well Firenze did actually. He found the boy in a cave suffering from phenomena. Since yesterday, Sparrow has spent all of his time in the infirmary," Hagrid explained. Sparrow chewed the biscuit slowly only stopping when Hagrid said his name then kept on eating.

"Where'd he come from?" Harry asked as he took a sip of his tea. Hagrid shrugged.

"There are many wizards houses on the outskirts of the woods. So unless he chooses to tell us, we have no idea. Since I banged up my foot, Dumbledore thought it'd be a good idea for him to stay here and help. Fang seems to like him alright," Hagrid chuckled and rubbed the dog that lay resting by the fire. Hermione watched Sparrow, feeling her eyes upon him, Sparrow glanced in her direction as if asking her, why are you watching me? Hermione averted her gaze.

"Hagrid, about the unicorn." started Hermione. Hagrid's expression became serious as he silenced her with his hand.

"Someone's been hunting them lately, Moonspinner is the 3rd I've seen wounded. Found 2 others dead," Hagrid explained. Harry immediately stiffened.

"Voldermort?" Harry asked. Ron, Hagrid, and Sparrow winced at the name. There was a moment of silence.

"He wouldn't need Unicorn blood anymore, he's fully restored," Hermione said only then realizing that she had been holding her breath. Harry nodded and felt a chill go up his spine. He still very much remembered the scene which had occurred after the Triwizard Tournament. They all settled into silence only broken occasionally by Fang's snoring.

"You're doing it again," Ron commented as the three left the hut. Hermione spun around on her heel and to face him.

"What exactly am I doing?" she demanded. She had felt exhausted with the whole Unicorn ordeal. Someone was hunting them, no doubt for the Dark Lord's pleasure. "Sparrow. You got the same look in your eye when it comes to House elves," Ron pointed out. Hermione sighed.

"So? I feel sorry for him," Hermione admitted.

"Exactly," Ron said glancing over at his friend for support. Harry ignored them both, lost deep in thought.