Chapter Twenty Three: A Whirlwind of Events

Let's get started by talking about paranoia. Everyone is paranoid. We had a Quidditch game last month, and Snape decided to referee. We were all scared that he was going to fix the game against us, or take another shot at me, so Oliver Wood decided I should win the game quickly. Like that was going to happen.

"Just catch the snitch as soon as the whistle blows," Oliver said as Malcolm rolled his eyes.

"Right. When the whistle blows, I'll just swing my arm out and grab the snitch."

"Good plan," Oliver said with a grin. "There's the whistle."

"And I'm swinging my arm," Malcolm yelled as he swung his arm out as though to catch something. As he closed his fist on empty air, something gold flashed by and slapped into his palm. Malcolm held up the snitch in disbelief.

"I told you it was a good plan," Oliver said. He then fell off his broom from laughing too hard.

He was still laughing when they brought him to the infirmary. So, anyway, Snape didn't get the chance to kill me, and Hermione finally found the reference she was looking for.

"It was here all the time," Hermione said as she brought the large book into the common room. "I took this book out for some light reading weeks ago."

"You call that 'light' reading?" Ron asked.

"Is that "Wizards throughout History"?" Malcolm asked. "I've been wanting to read that book for two months. Somebody borrowed it from the library and never returned it."

"I wasn't finished with it," Hermione scowled. "After all, it is a large book."

"Have you tried speed reading," Malcolm said poignantly.

"Is this going to be another one of your stupid arguments?" Ron asked. "Hermione, what did you find out?"

"It says here," Hermione told them, "that Nicholas Flamel is the only known person to possess the Philosopher's Stone. That the stone . . ."

"It doesn't say that," Malcolm pointed out. "I can see where you're reading from. It clearly says the Sorcerer's Stone."

Ron frowned and leaned over to see the passage in the book. "I read Philosopher's Stone. I know. You must be reading it in American, Malcolm."

"Why would that make any difference?"

Hermione smiled in understanding. "Because we use words differently. Remember last Autumn. I told you I had a jumper in the closet and you said he mustn't be very bright, he should be on the window ledge."

Yeah, she was talking about her sweater.

"I get it," Malcolm said. "Like here. It says he turned 665 last year, but this book is at least thirty years old. Wizard books must automatically update themselves to keep current."

Ron looked confused. "Don't muggle books do that?"

Okay, Hermione and I didn't know that. So we went to confront Hagrid. To make a long story short, Ron ended up in the infirmary after being bitten by a baby dragon. Hermione, Neville and I ended up carrying that dragon all the way to the top of the Astronomy Tower so that friends of Charlie Weasley could carry him off to a dragon preserve. I don't even want to explain how all of that happened, but get this. Malfoy found out what we were doing and tried to stop us. As it turned out, McGonagall found Malfoy before Malfoy spotted us. Even though we were only ten feet away. It pays to have an invisibility cloak.

"Sssh," Malcolm warned as Hermione started to laugh. Malfoy kept yelling "They're here. I know it." And McGonagall kept telling him to stop yelling.

The three, under the invisibility cloak, inched their way from the Professor to a nearby hallway, and had almost made it when Hermione suddenly gasped. She took another gasp of air. Then she sneezed. Looking at Malcolm, she felt no relief that he had the same horrified look that she had.

"Who's there?" McGonagall said angrily.

Malcolm motioned for the other two to move closer to the hallway. Before either could ask him, he slipped out from under the cloak. Now visible, he stepped from behind the corner as though that was where he was hiding.

"It's me, Professor."

"Malcolm, what is the meaning of this? Are you the reason this boy keeps going on about a dragon?"

Malcolm looked down at the floor. "Yes, Ma'am. I thought it would be fun to run him around, then let him get caught. I didn't plan on sneezing, though."

That was bad. Malfoy got off with a slap on the wrist, twenty house points. But McGonagall went ballistic on me. I ended up losing a hundred points, plus another detention. And this one was with . . . Hagrid?

"Yer such a bright lad, Malcolm," Hagrid said, after Argus Filch dropped the boy off at the hut. "Why'd ye do somethin' stupid like teasin' Malfoy?"

"It was fun," Malcolm said with a smile.

Argus Filch groaned as he headed back to the school. "Oh, how I miss the old days. Chain 'em up to the walls and leave 'em for a few days."

Both Hagrid and Malcolm watched as Filch walked back to the castle. Once Filch was far enough away, Hagrid wiped his brow. "Tha' man makes me nervous. Ye know, his cat follows me all the time when I'm up at the school." He turned with a grin to Malcolm. "I was afraid to ask. Did ye have any problems, besides gettin' caught?"

"Nope." Malcolm grinned. "And I wouldn't even have been caught if Hermione hadn't sneezed. " Malcolm paused as Hagrid gave him a funny look. "What?"

"That was a nice thing ye did, coverin' fer yer friends. Yer parents would ha' been proud. Both sets of 'em." Hagrid cleared his throat. "Well, ye ready for a trek. We're goin' into the forest."

"Cool. I'm not allowed in the forest. Especially at night."

"Yeah. There's something been killing the unicorns. Dumbledore wants me to check it out. Another pair of eyes don't hurt."

"What hunts unicorns?" Malcolm asked nervously.

"Nothin'," Hagrid said. "Tha's why we're checkin' it out."

Malcolm followed after the giant, holding a lantern in one hand and Fang's leash in the other. It was no relief that Malcolm's task was to keep Fang from running away. "Ye should know, Malcolm. The dog's a bloody coward. He's probably more scared than you are."

"Not any more."

"Tha's what I like about ye. Ye never lose yer sense of humor."

Does he really think I was joking?

After some time, Hagrid knelt down. He put his fingers into a pool of liquid. "This is unicorn's blood, Malcolm. Fresh. This one may still be alive."

They followed the trail of blood for almost a mile, then came into a clearing. The unicorn was there. A shadowy figure was also there. Feeding on the wound. Hagrid pulled a crossbow from under his coat and aimed it. As the bolt was shot, the figure floated into the darkness of the trees. Hagrid fitted a new bolt into the crossbow, then motioned for Malcolm to stay where he was. The boy watched, his nervousness increasing, as Hagrid approached the unicorn.

Suddenly, Malcolm winced. His scar shot a searing pain into his head. Behind his eyes he could see a green flash. His ears seemed to hear a woman scream. His body jerked and he fell backwards.

Fang had let out a loud yelp as the figure suddenly appeared in front of it. It fled, pulling Malcolm to the ground as the boy held on to the leash. Regardless of the weight, the dog ran through the trees. Malcolm was dragged down the path, buffeted by roots and fallen branches. Then the leash broke.

Malcolm sat up, holding his forehead. Despite all the cuts and bruises, the scar was still hurting him more. He forced his eyes open, and the green flashes disappeared. The lady stopped screaming. The shadow figure was above him.

"Away," a voice shouted. The figure fled. Moments later, from behind him, a horse jumped over Malcolm and chased the figure. Satisfied that they were now alone the horse and rider turned back and faced Malcolm.

"It is gone, human child. Are you injured badly?"

As the pain faded, Malcolm took a close look at the man and his horse and gaped at what he saw. The man was the horse. He was looking at a Centaur.

"I'll live," Malcolm said slowly. "Are you real?"

The Centaur smiled. "I am quite real, Harry . . . I forget myself. You have changed you form of address. I should have said Malcolm. You had a close call, Malcolm. Mars is exceptionally bright tonight."

"What was that thing?"

The Centaur smiled sadly. "Do you not know, young Malcolm? The creature fed on Unicorn blood. The blood of a creature of pure goodness. It will keep him alive, but it will be a cursed life, a half life." The Centaur paused. "Do you know anyone who would be willing to risk such a thing?"

"That was . . ."

The Centaur nodded. "He whom men do not name." He turned as he heard footsteps. "Your charge is here, Hagrid. He is safe."

The giant came running up to Malcolm. He knelt to see if the boy was injured. Assured there were no serious problems, he turned to the Centaur. "Thank you, Firenze."

"You are welcome, Hagrid. Take the boy from the forest as quickly as you can. He is not safe tonight. Foul things hunt."

Hagrid expressed little surprise at the warning. "If you think it's tha' serious I'll carry him out, righ' now."

"It is," Firenze told him. "Had you not been near, I believe I would have carried him myself. Go quickly. I will make sure that you are not followed."

Malcolm grunted as Hagrid picked him up. The giant ran swiftly and with surprising smoothness and the boy quickly fell into a sleep of exhaustion.

And I woke up in the infirmary with everyone laughing at me again. And what can I say? I told them that Hagrid's dog spooked and I was dragged for over a mile. I mean, it is the truth. I just didn't tell everyone why Fang was spooked. I don't want anyone to know. I was scared.

"Malcolm, it's me, Fred."

Malcolm opened his eyes. Fred and George were standing over his bed. Madame Pomfrey was in the background, eyeing them warily.

"Hey, guys."

"Hagrid told Ron told what happened. Ron told us. We told a few other people."

"About being dragged by Fang?"

"No, about why you were dragged by Fang."

I knew it. Now everyone will call me crazy.

"Did they have a good laugh?"

"More like a good fright," George told him. "It seems that no one is mad at you anymore for losing all those points. They think you went a little crazy from all the stress."

Fred grinned. "Better crazy than stupid."

"Thanks," Malcolm said without humor.

"You'll thank us later. We did some snooping around and you know what we found out?"

"I really am crazy?"

"That, too." Fred laughed. "But we wanted to tell you something about You-Know-Who."

George smirked. "It seems he's not the fearless monster everyone thinks he is."

"He's afraid of something. Of somebody."

"Our own Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore."

"So don't worry. Just stay in the castle. You'll be perfectly safe."

Malcolm smiled. "That's good to know."

Fred leaned down to whisper. "We'll be watching out for you, Malcolm. You have a lot of friends who will help."

"Why? I haven't been much help to anybody."

George smirked. "You kept the two of us entertained. That has to be worth something."

It's weird, but Fred and George actually cheered me up. It does help knowing that I can count on other people. Especially Ron and Hermione.

"Thanks, guys."

Fred and George gave him identical grins. "That's what friends are for."