Disclaimer: Same as usual. Can't be bothered to type it out.

Chapter 15

When Draco returned to school the day before term started, he was absolutely delighted when he heard about the cloak. After the three of them had tested it for every curse under the sun (they had to enlist the help of a fifth year), they happily spent their time sneaking around playing pranks and generally creating havoc. Most of the students were convinced that there was a new ghost hanging around the castle. The teachers had even tried a couple of banishment spells, but, of course, nothing worked. Ronald Weasley was on the warpath, looking for anyone to lay the blame on, after waking up in bed one morning with his hair died pink with black polka dots and a thunder cloud hanging over his head that rained on him the whole day and gave him electric shocks every thirty seconds or so.

This was after Draco had set his mind on finding the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Following the eldest Weasley, a pompous prefect they had heard was named Peter or Percy, they had reached a painting of a lady in pink. It took another couple of tries for them to overhear the password but eventually they got in. In Harry's opinion the Gryffindor common room wasn't half as nice as theirs. There weren't enough seats and they had no music whatsoever. The colour scheme was also a little overwhelming, but then again, maybe the Gryffs liked having glaring scarlet and gold everywhere. Personally, Harry thought that it was the worst possible combination. After setting up a couple of pranks, they had snuck out again without anyone knowing they were there, although they looked amazingly smug the next day when Ronald Weasley and all the other Gryffindor first years turned up to breakfast. Draco remarked that he thought Granger's new look was an improvement. They had shaved her head and put a shrinking spell on her so she was only around one metre high. Hers wasn't the worst, though. Dean Thomas was in tears from embarrassment after being forced into wearing a fairy costume complete with wings and tutu, and swear his undying love for Seamus Finnegan (who was forced to tap dance while singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at the top of his voice). The two didn't speak to each other for a week after that event, especially as Draco took immense pleasure in reminding them of it every time he saw them.

Much to Draco's disgust the trio were spending all their time in the library revising for their summer exams. Seeing as Harry was an orphan and the Dursleys didn't give a damn, he didn't have any pressure on him at all. Draco and Blaise, on the other hand, had to study non-stop as Blaise came from a family of Ravenclaws and Draco's parents never expected anything less than the best. The only thing that made Harry work was the ambition to beat all the other houses and prove that he wasn't just a famous name and scar. He also wanted to get higher marks than Granger. She annoyed the hell out of him with her textbook answers and bossy personality.

All the teachers were loading on the homework and the library was always packed with people practicing wand movements, reciting the twelve uses of Dragons blood, etcetera while gazing longingly out the window. All the studying had everyone's nerves on edge so when Draco called Weasley "Ronniekins" on their way from potions class, he just exploded and both of them were soon fighting in the middle of the corridor. Just as Harry and Blaise joined in McGonnagal came along and screamed bloody murder. Not listening to any excuses she took fifty points off both houses and gave all four of them detention.

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Draco and Blaise. They were all the same.

"Your detention will take place at 11 o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the entrance Hall.

Prof. M. McGonnagal."

That evening they made their way up to the meeting place feeling depressed and not a little sorry for themselves. At least they were for a short while, but no slytherin stayed down for long. It wasted valuable planning time. Once they reached the entrance Hall, they saw that Filch was already there, as was Weasley.

"Follow me," said Filch, leading them outside. They marched off across the grounds with Filch keeping up a running commentary on all the pain he had inflicted on students over the years. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of the gamekeeper's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.

"Is that you Filch? Abou' time. I bin waitin' fer half an hour already."

Weasley let out a sigh of relief, obviously thankful at not spending the whole night with Filch.

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?" Mr. Filch sneered nastily. The trio all agreed that he would've been in Slytherin had he been in school. "Well, think again, kids. It's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out alive."

At this Weasley let out a whimper and Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" said Draco sounding panic stricken. "We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things inside! Werewolves, I've heard."

"That's your lookout, isn't it?" said Filch gleefully. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got into trouble, eh? Now you get into that forest. I'll be back at dawn, for what's left of you." He turned and started back towards the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness. They could almost hear his nonexistent laughter in the air.

"Right then," said Hagrid, looking at the four. "Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over 'ere a moment."

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into thick, black trees.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Draco fearfully.

"That would be so cool!" exclaimed Blaise excitedly. "It's really difficult to kill a unicorn. Whatever creature hurt it must be really dangerous. Hey, do you think we'll see it?" Draco stared at her incredulously. Personally, he would rather not go anywhere near any thing more dangerous than a flobberworm in his lifetime.

"Well, I doubt it," answered Hagrid. "There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two

groups an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place. It must've bin staggerin' around since las' night at least."

"I want Fang," said Draco quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, and Blaise'll go one way an' Draco, Ron, and Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? An' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' get yeh-so, be carful-let's go."

The forest was black and silent, filling Harry with foreboding. Or, at least, that was what Harry supposed it would be doing if he wasn't almost dead from

boredom. They had been walking for hours and Hagrid and Blaise hadn't sopped talking once. They were discussing all the dangerous creatures living in the forest, and were becoming very good friends.

"So, are there really Manticores near here?" asked Blaise, ecstatic. "Do you think you could take me? They are so fascinating! They can kill in seconds and are extremely aggressive when someone goes onto their territory."

"Yeh, sure I can. Manticores aren't the best animals in these forests though. I once met a…"

The two kept on talking, swapping stories about all the kind, caring animals that tried to bite their hands off. Harry tuned out and imagined himself snuggled up in bed, dreaming about Quidditch. He was woken from his daze by Hagrid shouting.

"GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. Harry and Blaise drew their wands. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something moved.

"Who's there? Show yerself!"

Into the clearing came centaur. To the waist, a man, with white-blond hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming palomino body with a long, blond tail. Harry just managed to stop himself from shouting out in surprise.

"Oh, it's just yeh, Firenze," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"

He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.

"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Firenze. He had a light, young voice, with great amounts of wisdom in it.

"Listen, I'm glad we've run in ter yeh, Firenze, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt. Yeh seen anythin'?"

Firenze didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upwards, and then sighed. "Mars is bright tonight. Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "so it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"Mars is bright?" said Blaise. "Isn't that something to do with war coming?"

"Ah, so they do teach you something up in that school. That is good. There is something evil in this forest, I would not stray to deep inside. Go home, it would be safer."

After trying to get more information from the centaur, Hagrid eventually gave up in frustration and they continued onwards, much to Harry's alarm. The centaur said to go back. Instead they were walking steadily into danger, something Harry did not think would be very beneficial for his health, but Blaise and Hagrid seemed happy enough. They had just passed a bend in the path when Blaise grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"

"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back fer yeh."

After what seemed like ages, Hagrid returned dragging Ronald, Draco, and Fang with him. He was obviously in a very bad mood. Draco, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Weasley and grabbed him for a joke. Weasley had panicked and sent up the sparks. After ordering Harry to accompany Draco instead of Weasley, the group split up again, everyone much happier than before. Harry was finally free from listening to Hagrid's and Blaise's chatter and instead spent his time congratulating Draco on his prank. They walked on, devising more plans for Weasleys humiliation, not noticing that the unicorn blood was getting thicker and the trees were leaning in all around them. As Harry was laughing over the image of Roniekins running around kissing Neville's toad in an effort to turn it into a princess, he saw something white and gleaming lying on the ground in a clearing ahead.

"Look," he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Draco. It was the unicorn. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. It was staggering around, obviously in great pain, with a deep, bloody gash along its side. Telling Draco to run back to the others and get help, Harry stepped forward and, running his wand along the wound, muttered a Parseltongue spell, healing it. Softly, it touched Harry with its horn, then turned and galloped off through the trees. Harry was just about to back away when he heard a slithering sound which made him freeze where he stood.

Out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like a predator circling its prey. It was moving swiftly towards him. Pulling out his wand, Harry tried to curse the advancing figure, but a pain pierced his head like he'd never felt it before. It was as if his scar was on fire. Half-blinded, he staggered backwards. He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over him, charging at the figure.

The pain was so bad he fell to his knees. It took a minute or two for the pain to eventually pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. In its place was the most breathtaking creature he had ever seen. It was a Unicorn, but it was pure black, with fire burning in its eyes and around its hooves. It was beautiful, but in a different way from the Light Unicorn. Instead of a feeling of peace and goodness, he got a feeling of strength and power. He felt like he could conquer the world. He

reached out his hand to it, but it, too, turned and disappeared into the surrounding forest, leaving Harry with a sense of loss.

Crashing and shouts from behind him alerted him to the arrival of his friends. Getting up, he walked towards them, his head spinning with questions which he doubted anyone would know the answer to.

A/N Yay, next chapter out. Please tell me what you think, just review. Thanks to all my reviewers and everybody who gave me all the wonderful dark!harry stories. And thanks also to my wonderful beta reader who stopped me from having a very bad case of writers block.

Beta Note: Sorry for the delay. SlythsRule and myself (Jeni Black) were having problems sending chapters to each other. Enjoy!

Beth: Harry told Draco and Blaise that he was a parseltongue earlier on in the fic. I can't remember which chapter, but I definitely put it in. you must not have read it thoroughly enough.

Athenakitty: The secret place stretches almost all the way under Hogwarts. Daisy is a disappointment to her family, but since they are Hufflepuffs they are to kind hearted to be angry with her.

SiLvErFaTeD: how come you changed your name? Thanks for the review.

Cyral: Yours was the most encouraging review I've had in a long time. Thanks a lot!