-1A/n: This story was written for "Bradley Kingston" who happens to be my secret Santa over at the Harry Potter RPG. Merry Christmas, Man!
Potter versus Predator
Prologue
They come every once in a while to Earth. Just as they had been doing for thousands of years. This time was no exception. A young predator warrior would be released onto planet Earth, in a location of his choosing, to go on a killing spree.
But something particularly odd was picked up on the sensors of the Predator Mothership. The predator had always known that some humans had the capacity to develop physical and mental properties that made them far superior to other humans.
But their sensors had never been able to pick up any reading of their existence. But recently this Mothership had gone back to the Predator Homeworld and received some critical updates and maintenance. Upon their return to earth, there was a cluster of these "super humans" in an old castle in the United Kingdom. The Predator immediately took the opportunity to be the first Predator to have one of their skulls in his trophy rack.
By midnight that very same night, the young Predator warrior was already in the Forbidden forest near the place the humans called "Hogwarts."
-----The next morning------
Hagrid was on his usual morning rounds of the Forbidden Forest. Ever since Dumbledore had entered the forest two years ago, the centaurs had been on far more peaceable terms with him. Hagrid was now allowed to patrol the forest, and he did so regularly.
Fang, his faithful hound trotted at his side. Hagrid had his crossbow loaded, armed and in his hands, of course. He always dead. You never knew when the acromantulas would go on some sort of rampage. Twigs and freshly fallen leaves crunched under his feed as he walked.
Suddenly, Fang's ears perked up, and he seemed to be sniffing at something.
"Wha' is it Fang?" Hagrid asked. "Wha's wrong?"
Something silver caught Hagrid's eye, and he turned to look at it. Whatever it was, it looked wet…
"Unicorn blood… Someone's bin killin' th' unicorns." he said to himself.
A few feet up the trail there was another drop. A few feet ahead of that there was a small puddle of unicorn blood. Hagrid sniffed at the air. Something smelled like… slightly seared meat.
"Oh sweet Merlin…" he muttered. About twenty feet ahead was the source of the unicorn blood. It looked like one of the noble beasts had exploded without warning, making a five foot smoldering crater in the process. Either way, the explosion had caused unicorn blood to shower about forty feet in all directions. The small amount of meat that was left on the unicorn's body was sizzling on the coals from the fireball. The unicorn's head and spinal column were missing.
Hagrid shivered slightly. He wandered what sort of monster could put an explosion hex on a unicorn.
'And where's the head and spine?' he thought.
Fang started to whimper. Hagrid turned to look at his dog. Fang had turned tail and was running towards Hagrid's hut at the highest speed his legs could manage.
'Coward.' Hagrid thought. Behind him, he heard a stick crack. He whirled as fast as he could…and there was nothing there. There was a slight haze in the air. Hagrid raised his crossbow. There was the sound of metal sliding across metal. Almost the sound that a knife makes when it is being sharpened. The haze moved at lightning speed and he felt steel enter his chest. He blinked and heard electricity crackle. He saw the weirdest looking thing he might have ever seen before him. And it was holding a long spear that was now sticking through his body. Everything went black.
Later that day, some unsuspecting first year Hufflepuff found Hagrid's skinned, nude, heartless remains hanging from the branch of a stout oak tree on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The child was sent to the St. Mungo's shock treatment facility after relaying what he saw to Headmistress McGonnagall.
---Minutes later----
"Professor Slughorn?" Minerva McGonnagall asked, knocking on the door of the potions dungeon. "May I borrow Mr. Potter for a moment? On second thought, may I borrow Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley as well?"
Horace stopped in the middle of his speech on Harry's extraordinary potions ability. "Of course, Minerva. We were just finishing up anyway."
Harry, Ron and Hermione left their seats and followed the Headmistress from the room.
"What's wrong Professor?" Harry asked. "Is it important?"
McGonnagall looked down and met Harry's eyes. Her eyes were red and swollen from recently shed tears.
"Oh." Ron finished.
"Licorice wands!" Minerva told the Gargoyles that lead up to the Headmistress's office. They sprang aside, and the four of them ascended the spiral staircase and entered the office.
She gestured for all three of them to take a seat. She took one herself, on the side of the desk opposite them. The headmistress sniffled once before beginning.
"I'm sorry all three of you… It's Hagrid. He was murdered today, in a most cruel and barbaric fashion. A student found his body on the edge of the forbidden forest."
Hermione started sobbing uncontrollably. Harry stared blankly at the ceiling, and Ron shook his head repeatedly and kept saying "Not Hagrid, not Hagrid."
McGonnagall cancelled classes for the rest of the day for a period of morning.
---At Dinner that night---
Minerva tapped her glass with a spoon three times and the hall quieted down.
"I'm assuming all of you were wondering why classes were cancelled today." She started. "The reason is: there is a killer loose in the Forbidden Forest and it has already claimed the life of one of our beloved staff members. Please bow your heads in memory of our Care of Magical Creatures teacher: Rubeus Hagrid."
Most everyone bowed their heads. A few Slytherins did not. There were snickers coming from the Slythering table. One boy spoke rather loudly.
"I just wish someone had killed him sooner so we could have missed that awful Charms lecture."
The boy was blown forcibly into the wall. Nobody took responsibility for the spell, and his unconscious body was ignored for the duration of the meal.
"As a further announcement, all Care of Magical creatures classes will be cancelled until further notice, and no student may walk onto the grounds unless escorted by a member of the Hogwarts staff. There will be no more Hogsmeade visits until the killer is caught. Thank you for your co-operation."
The Great Hall erupted in angry shouts, but McGonnagall had already stood and left the hall. Her word was final, and though some students muttered, nobody actually did anything.
The Great Hall shook with the sound of an explosion. Anyone close to a window could see a smoking crater where Greenhouse seven used to be.