Hey y'all! How's everyone doing? Holy shit! We're almost near the end! Only got two more chapters to go and then the first fic of this series will finally be done. And then the whole process will get repeated with each entry until I finally finish the last chapter of the last fic who knows when? I was hoping to get this out before the New Year but I guess there's no better way to start the New Year off than with a new chapter (even though we're already a couple weeks in). Anyways, here's the third to last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Like always, I enjoy comments, in fact I thrive off of positive comments and love constructive critique ones cause it shows an author that their readers are actually paying attention and enjoying their work. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by the books and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books.
Warning: No beta, we die like Stingbulbs.
Chapter 10: The Plot Thickens like Unicorn Blood
XXXXXX
To say that Professor McGonagall was angry would be the understatement of the century. There was also some disappointment tossed in there with a hint of exasperation to really spice things up. But the scolding the four of them received was definitely the lowest point in Seth's magic school career so far and he had no desire to see if he could get any lower than that.
For pete's sake, it was only his first year! He thought he was already past getting into trouble at the drop of a hat given how well it went the last time he was 11. Well, he did end up getting dragged into the magical adventure of a lifetime, learned the secrets of his family, and even got some cool powers out of it but that's besides the point.
The point was that he got in trouble for doing his goddamn job, which he even had permission to do, and now everyone in Gryffindor and their mothers was mad at them for losing points. Usually Gryffindors wouldn't be mad about other Gryffindors losing house points since it was practically part of the house description. It was also something that couldn't be avoided given that potions was a mandatory subject up to sixth year.
However, Professor McGonagall thought that it would be appropriate to remove 30 points from each of them and also slap on a night of detention for good measure. Thus, the quartet got their first ever detention in their tenure at Hogwarts and lost 120 points for Gryffindor which removed the advantage Harry helped them achieve with their last Quidditch victory.
But the amount of animosity directed at them by their fellow Gryffindors and even students from the other houses was all kinds of unnecessary. Apparently everyone had been waiting years to stick it to the Slytherins and the fact that four first years ruined Gryffindors' chance to do so was enough to garner hate from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.
Fifth and sixth years would stop them in the hallways to scold them for their poor behavior. Second and third years would turn their noses up whenever anyone in the quartet would pass them by. Seventh years would give them the silent treatment and fourth years would hurl insults in the hallways. The Slytherins would smirk and congratulate them for helping the Snakes keep their streak.
Fortunately, they did have many supporters who didn't subscribe to the herd mentality that made its rounds through the magical boarding school.
The members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were their staunchest supporters, not at all appreciating the bully-like behavior towards their star seeker. Harry was the youngest seeker in a century and that title certainly wasn't for show. Plus, any friends of Harry's were friends of theirs especially since Ron was also the younger brother of the team's best beaters.
Whenever they could, there would always be at least two to three members of the team who would crowd around the quartet like a protective barrier. Oliver in particular was very vocal in his distaste over the poor behavior of his fellow students. He took every opportunity to bellow his expletive-ridden opinions whenever he caught someone trying to do something unsavory. Angelica, Alica, and Katie banded together to hex and jinx anyone who dared to even look at the first year quartet in a funny way. And everyone knew well enough to steer clear of the Weasley twins due to their reputations as notorious pranksters and their mean right hook.
Other first years from the Gryffindor house stood by them in solidarity. While they didn't outright voice their support, their actions spoke volumes louder than any words ever could. Unfortunately, first years from the other houses had been cowed by the expectations of their seniors. Seth didn't blame them though because it was easy to say you wouldn't give in to peer pressure while actually putting those words to practice was a completely different thing entirely.
Meanwhile, the rest of the student populace looked the other way or decided that there were better things to worry about than house competitions that held no bearing in the adult world beyond bragging rights. They obviously preferred to continue on with life rather than care about the plights of four first years. Of course, that also meant they could care less about coming to their defense. After all, why should they expend the energy to defend some random first years for a house rivalry they couldn't give two shits about?
It was times like these that Seth was greatly reminded of how much he hated being in a school. Regardless, things all came to a head not even a month after the animosity started. Thankfully without any explosions, literal or metaphorical, though not for lack of trying.
Just like with all schools, magical or not, exam seasons always had the same effect on the student populace. This effect was raising stress levels through the roof as everyone spent their time procrastinating until the last minute, studying until they passed out from lack of self care, or somewhere in between.
Hermione had dragged them into their fifth study session for the day. He was mindlessly flipping through his potions book, taking idle notes as she devoured textbook after textbook beside him. Ron was more focused on his pumpkin pastries than his transfiguration essay while Harry tried to concentrate on the contents of his history book. Other Gryffindors were in various states of studying and procrastination around the common room as well.
The portrait door opened and closed, the only break in the monotony of the atmosphere. Then a high pitched voice scoffed and drew everyone's attention to a pair of very fashion conscious Gryffindor girls scowling in the direction of the quartet. The two girls greatly reminded Seth of the Plastics from Mean Girls, particularly Gretchen Weiners and Karen Smith.
"It's only been a few weeks and you all look rather cozy after the stunt you've pulled," the Gretchen knock off sneered, "Planning to lose any more points for us?"
Harry immediately shrank in his spot, looking as if he wished the floor would swallow him whole. Hermione trembled, the textbook shaking in her hands as her face flushed red with shame. Ron placed his pastry back down on his plate having completely lost his appetite. Everyone else remained silent or nodded along with the girl's aggressive remarks. Seth frowned at them all, especially at the reactions of his friends.
"Hey! You have no right to speak to them like that!" Angelica said, stepping forward in the quartet's defense.
Katie stood beside her with crossed arms and a look of disappointment. "Where do you get off on talking to your fellow Gryffindors like that? They're only first years!"
"But they lost the points that you guys won!" The Karen knock off whined in protest.
"Technically Harry did most of the leg work," Angelica dryly remarked, "So honestly, he can do whatever the hell he wants with them."
"And it's not like we don't have one last game to get them all back. We still have to play Ravenclaw next week," Katie said with an exasperated shake of her head.
Then the Weasley twins stepped in with identical expressions of disappointment.
"Yeah and we're losing points all the time," George said.
"Why, if you add all the ones we've lost so far this year," Fred agreed with a sage nod.
"It'd be triple!" George exclaimed.
"No, quadruple the amount these little buggers lost!" Fred finished with a flourish.
But Faux Gretchen and Faux Karen continued with their protests and complaints.
"But you always make them back," Faux Gretchen pointed out with a smug smirk as if she'd won the argument no one was participating in except for them.
"Yeah, like, do you know how hard it is to get those points back in class? 120 is a really large amount of points to try and make up," Faux Karen whined and pouted like a child.
"I know right?" Faux Gretchen agreed as she scoffed, "God, the Slytherins are so bloody smug right now and the Ravenclaws are so vindictive against us. Even the Hufflepuffs are being petty."
"Okay, and?" Seth suddenly interjected, having enough of the Mean Girl rip-offs trying to shame his friends for something so stupid. He had to push down the burning desire to send them over to the wraiths of Blackwell just to wash his hands of them. "What exactly did you guys do to earn those points?"
"Excuse me?" Faux Gretchen asked. She looked down her nose at him, annoyed that a first year had the audacity to talk back at her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you had a hearing disability," Seth unapologetically said, "Here, let me say it louder so the people in the back can hear me."
Then, in the most condescending voice he could muster, he asked, "What. Exactly. Did. You. Guys. Do. To. Earn. Those. Points." He paused for dramatic effect and some jazz hands. "That's right...nothing."
The girls flushed red at how he spoke to them as if they were adolescents still struggling with their listening comprehension skills.
"Excuse you!" Faux Karen exclaimed indignantly, "Who do you think you are talking to your seniors like that?"
"I'm just a fellow Gryffindor who's calling you out on your bullshit," Seth angrily retorted, "You all act so righteous and indignant that we lost a ton of points when all you did to earn them was sit on your asses and clap."
"Well we're not the ones who lost all those points for our House to begin with," Faux Gretchen rebuked, "Syltherin's ahead of us and those snakes have been insufferable with their gloating ever since."
Seth threw his hands up in exasperation, highly irritated at another example of how much the school seemed to care about the House rivalry that came off more as dogpiling and stereotyping than healthy competition. "Oh my god! Get off your high horse already! No one's gonna give a shit about House Cup bragging rights when you've got bills to pay and adulting to do."
He whirled around to face the rest of the common room occupants who flinched under his hard gaze. "And shame on you all for your poor treatment towards us. Don't tell me none of you have ever made mistakes or gotten into trouble that made you lose house points. The Weasley twins have already admitted to it and you're all a bunch of hypocrites if you deny it."
Everyone, barring the Quidditch team members, ducked their heads in shame as the hypocrisy and cowardice of their actions settled in.
"Besides, if you've got time to complain and be mad about Slytherin being better than you all, then you've got the time to shut the hell up and prove otherwise! You all talk a big game but you're shit at showing it!" Seth shouted at them.
Then, because he was feeling especially vindictive and petty after all the bull shit he'd gone through, he added in one last kick.
"You all are a bunch of cowards who'd rather bully some first years than prove which house is truly the best!" He mockingly remarked. "Now leave us alone and actually do something instead of twiddling your thumbs and blaming others for your shortcomings!"
And with that provocation, a fire seemed to be lit under the entirety of Gryffindor House's ass. A silent pact made among them all to prove that they were not cowards and would gladly take the challenge presented as bravely and boldly as only Gryffindors were capable of doing.
The rest of the school was rather shocked by the fervor the Gryffindor house had as they tried to rake in house points like their lives depended on it. No one thought much of it until after the match with Ravenclaw house put Gryffindor back in the running against Slytherin. Not wanting to be outdone, the other three houses began focusing their attention on earning as many points as possible before final exams.
The professors held no objections to the sudden interest the students held for their coursework. They accepted the changed atmosphere with the grace of adults who've gone through way too much to start giving a shit now.
Eventually, life went back to normal as exams drew near and everyone forgot about their original animosity towards the quartet. There were more important things to worry about and not failing at exams was the number one concern now. Thus began the endless cycle of classes, studying, and taking care of basic needs before going back to studying.
There was a brief break in the monotony when Ron received a letter from his brother Charlie.
"He said that the Caretaker allowed him and his friend to stay on as apprentices," Ron said as he summarized the rambling contents of the letter.
Seth narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You mean Santiago was in a good enough mood to let them in instead of booting them out the moment he got his morning coffee?"
"But only after a week of constant pleading and begging," Ron continued as he read the next part of the letter with an exasperated sigh.
"And there it is," Seth barked out a laugh, "Glad to know Santiago has a heart somewhere even though your brother literally had to drag it out kicking and screaming."
Ron huffed in amusement at that. "Charlie Weasley will stop at nothing to learn as much about dragons as he can. By the way, he sends his thanks to you for quite literally opening the door to this opportunity."
Seth waved him off dismissively with a smirk. "Let's see if he'll be saying that after spending a month in Santiago's 'loving' care."
The two shared a laugh before Hermione came baring down on them for neglecting their studies for even a moment.
XXXXXX
Ron groaned as he laid his head on the library table in defeat. Hermione sighed as she lowered the astronomy book to allow for a momentary break. Madam Pince shushed at them to be quiet before walking off to shush other unsuspecting students.
"Do we really have to know all of this before the exams?" Ron quietly whined, "I'm pretty sure everything after the major constellations are for second year and up."
"It's better to be over prepared than under," Hermione softly snapped back, "Just because your brothers weren't tested on it doesn't mean we won't be. Now let's go over chapter five again."
Ron groaned again, prompting Seth to intervene on behalf of the pitiful boy.
"Hermione, that textbook covers the entirety of astronomy from first year to seventh," he wryly remarked, "I don't think we'll need to learn anything past the third chapter."
"But-" Hermione tried to protest but was cut off when Harry showed up to their table in quite the state.
"Harry! What's wrong?" She quietly cried out as the bespectacled boy dropped his things onto the table and sprawled onto a chair as he fought to catch his breath.
Harry sucked in a big mouthful of air before expelling it in a rather impressive word vomit. He told them all about how he heard Quirrell talking to someone in the hall about finally giving in to their demands.
"Snape's done it then!" Ron softly exclaimed, "If Quirrell's telling him how to break his protection spell-"
"But there's still Fluffy to consider," Hermione reminded him.
"It's possible Snape found a way around him without having to ask Hagrid," Harry offered, waving at the thousands of books that surrounded them, "I bet there are loads of books that tell you how to get past a three headed dog."
"So then what do we do now?" Hermione asked.
Seth closed his charms textbook with a sharp clap. "We will do absolutely nothing because Snape isn't the one who's going after the stone."
"Oh come on, Seth, are you really still going on with that?" Ron asked.
"Of course I'm still going on with that," Seth said with a frown, "Professor Snape's a brilliant potion master who, if he so desired, could find a way to make his own elixir of immortality if he was depraved enough to want to. "
"But everything points to Snape being the culprit and it doesn't help that he's a greasy snake too," Ron tried to retort.
"Oh yeah? You and what proof besides some conversations Harry managed to eavesdrop on without knowing the full context?" Seth rebuked with an eyebrow raised in challenge.
Ron turned red with indignation but Hermione stopped him before he could blow a gasket.
"Seth's right Ron. We've got no proof so maybe we should go to Dumbledore," she calmly suggested, "That's what we should've done ages ago."
"And what would we tell him?" Harry snapped in question, growing agitated over the whole situation which wasn't helped by the stress of exams and the leftover anxiety from when the whole school decided to turn against them.
"Like you've said, we've got no proof. Quirrell's too scared to stand up for himself and then it'll be Snape's word against ours. It's not exactly a secret that we hate him so there's no way Dumbledore will even believe a word we say. He'll think we made the whole thing up! Plus, we're not even supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. There's not an explanation on this planet that could justify any claims we decide to make. We should just drop it like we should've done ages ago and focus on exams."
Hermione looked reluctantly convinced while Seth nodded along to the logic of his argument. However, Ron still wasn't ready to let it go.
"What if we did a little poking around-"
"No," Harry stated resolutely, "We've done enough poking around. I'd rather not get into trouble and have everyone be mad at me again."
Ron conceded defeat at the reminder of the worst few weeks of his school life and the quartet went back to studying with minimal protests.
XXXXXX
The next day, Professor McGonagall delivered notes to the quartet during breakfast. They all contained the details of their detention which was to take place at 11 o'clock tonight. Harry and Seth were to meet Hagrid at the entrance hall, Ron was to meet Filch in the Great Hall, and Hermione was to report to Madam Pince at the library.
"I've got to spend detention with Filch?!" Ron cried out in despair before he dropped his head onto the table with a groan, "Tonight's going to be miserable."
"It might not be all that bad?" Harry tried to say encouragingly but failed rather horribly.
Ron gave him a petulant look. "Easy for you to say. You and Seth get to go with Hagrid and I'm pretty sure Hermione's the only person Pince actually likes cause she loves books so much."
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with liking books," Hermione remarked defensively, "Besides, if you handled the library books with even an ounce of care, Madam Pince wouldn't be breathing down your neck all the time."
Ron snorted and rolled his eyes at her. "Whatever."
"Oh!" Hermione scowled fiercely.
"How about we try to get through tonight with all our limbs attached and sanity intact, alright?" Seth calmly interjected before a fight could break out between the two.
Harry smiled gratefully at his intervention while Ron and Hermione looked away with a huff. Seth shook his head in exasperation, already grimacing at the thought of how infuriating the two would become in the future. If romcoms and Kendra's secret romance novels were any indication, those two would become the definition of slow burn romance and miscommunications galore.
XXXXXX
At 11 o'clock on the dot, Seth and Harry arrived at the entrance hall where a stoic Hagrid, whimpering Fang, and fuming Draco awaited them.
"Come on, yeh two. I want ter get started as soon as we can," Hagrid said, gesturing for the boys to follow him out of the castle.
They did so with a shrug though Harry and Draco slowed their pace due to hesitation when the Forbidden Forest came into view.
"The forest?" Draco muttered fearfully as he eyed Hagrid incredulously, "We can't go in there at night. That's one of the rules Headmaster Dumbledore told us we couldn't break!"
Harry swallowed thickly as he shuffled closer to Hagrid for some modicum of protection. Seth frowned as he wondered why the three of them were being sent to the Forbidden Forest when it was clear that it wasn't the only option for detention.
Finally the group came to a halt at the edge of the forest. Hagrid took the crossbow that was slung over his shoulder and held it securely in his arms. He adjusted his large quiver so that he would have easier access to the arrows it held.
"I'm not going into that forest!" Draco said with an edge of panic in his voice.
Hagrid shook his head with a frown. "Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts. Yeh've done wrong and now yeh've got ter pay for it."
"But this isn't something that students are supposed to do!" Draco cried out in protest, "I thought we'd be copying lines or doing some menial task for a professor. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"
"Tell yer how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid cut him off with a growl, "Copyin' lines! What good's that gonna do? Yeh'll do somethin' useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled than get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"
Draco didn't move. His face flushed darkly as he glared at Hagrid furiously in response.
Seth leaned towards Harry and whispered, "Hey, does it seem like Hagrid's in a bad mood or something?"
Harry nodded with a look of concern. "Yeah. I didn't think he'd be so upset that we had to send Norbert away but then again, he has said his lifelong dream was to raise a dragon."
"And what'er yeh two muttering bout over there?" Hagrid called out to them grumpily, "Get over 'ere."
Harry and Seth quickly made their way over so as to not irritate the half-giant more than he already was.
"Right then, now listen carefully," Hagrid said with the utmost seriousness, "It's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don't want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here for a moment."
He carefully guided them over to the very edge of the forest and held his lamp up high. He pointed down a narrow, winding path that disappeared into the shadows of the thick trees. The boys looked at where he was pointing and saw something silver shimmering along the path.
Seth held back a gasp of shock as he immediately recognized what that silver substance was. How could he not considering how many times he'd had to patch up his mythical equine best friend?
"See that stuff shinin' on the ground? The silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood," Hagrid said with a grave expression, "There's a unicorn in there that's bin hurt badly by somethin'. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing and we might have ter put it out of its misery."
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Draco asked, voice trembling from fear.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hagrid? Isn't this too dangerous for first year students to handle?" Harry asked, his voice also trembling from fear.
"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid said reassuringly, "An keep ter the path. Now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, means it must've been staggerin' around since last night at least."
"I want Fang," Draco quickly cried out, pointing at the boar hound's long teeth.
Hagrid shrugged. "All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward. Now then, me and Harry'll go one way an' Draco, Seth, an' Fang'll go another. If any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an practice now."
The three boys did what they were told, shooting small green sparks up into the air. Hagrid nodded in approval.
"Good. An' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks an' we'll all come an' find yeh. So be careful an' let's go."
The group of four and a boar hound walked carefully into the forest. Seth looked around as he let the silent and dark environment surround his senses. He let out a small sigh as the forest's shadows offered a gentle comfort and feeling of welcome to the Shadow Charmer. A little way into the forest, they reached a fork in the path. Harry and Hagrid took the left path while Seth, Draco, and Fang took the right.
They walked in silence, their eyes carefully combing the ground. Every now and then, a ray of moonlight would illuminate a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves and branches.
"I suppose I should say thank you, Sorenson," Draco suddenly said, breaking the silence that had begun to settle uncomfortably around them.
Seth looked at him in confusion. "Uhh…for what?"
Draco rolled his eyes as if he knew he should've expected Seth to not know what he was talking about even though he should've despite not being a mind reader. "For that gift you sent during Christmas break. The fact that it is a muggle contraption doesn't quite…dampen its usefulness."
"Didn't you already thank me during break?" Seth asked, eying the Slytherin quizzically. "I don't think I've ever read a more passive aggressive thank you note before and that's saying something."
Draco scoffed. "It's basic manners to thank those who give you gifts, no matter how unwanted, through letter and in person."
"Well then you're welcome, I guess…"
"Whatever…"
The two continued on walking with Fang cowering behind them and snuffing anxiously with each rustle of the wind. Seth stepped on a branch and it snapped loudly, the sound echoing through the dense forest. Draco and Fang both yowled in fright. The boarhound ran around them in anxious circles and Draco yanked his wand out to send sparks out if Seth hadn't caught his hand to stop him.
"Bro, chill. I only stepped on a branch."
Draco huffed, looking away to hide the heavy blush of embarrassment across his pale cheeks. "I don't need any reassurance from you, Sorenson."
"Sheesh, what crawled up your ass and died," Seth said with a shake of his head, "Weren't we having a moment not too long ago?"
"Must you speak with such vulgar language?" Draco asked with a disgusted grimace, "You're a child for Merlin's sake!"
"News flash, you're also a kid but you don't hear me sounding like I swallowed a dictionary and a thesaurus for breakfast," Seth sarcastically retorted.
Draco let out a cry of frustration. "You are so infuriating!"
Seth bowed mockingly with a smirk. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all day, night, week, and month until school's out."
Draco didn't even bother to deign him with a response, opting to continue forward without another word. Seth shrugged and followed after, coaxing Fang out from under a nearby bush and urging the cowardly boarhound to continue on.
As the two continued to follow the path, more drops of unicorn blood could be seen until the trail began to puddle in amounts that troubled Seth.
"Oh boy, as much as I hate to say it, I don't think we're going to find this unicorn alive," he said with a sigh, "What a damn shame."
Draco eyed him funnily. "Why are you acting as if it were your pet that was dying? It's just a unicorn."
"Just a-"
Seth looked at him as if he could not believe the words that just came out of the other's mouth. "The hell you mean just a unicorn? Don't you know that unicorns are the most majestic of all magical creatures? They're also one of the rare few creatures that can be considered a true force for light inclined magic. Even if you won't acknowledge them as living beings, certainly you can acknowledge the good they provide with their willingly given horns and hair."
Draco scoffed. "That may be true but the same can be said of dragons and dragons are definitely the most majestic and powerful magical creatures in existence."
"So says the kid who's name means dragon in Latin," Seth dryly rebuked.
The Slytherin bristled with indignation. "Draco is a very powerful wizard name, thank you very much, and it also happens to be the best constellation in the sky!"
Seth took a moment to remember which constellation the other was talking about. Then he perked up in realization. "Oh! Do you mean the one that looks like a worm with a head?"
"A worm with a head?" Draco sputtered like a dying car. He stomped his foot and glared angrily at him. "You are such an uncivilized brute! Though I shouldn't have expected anything else from a mudblood, especially a mudblood yankee."
"Okay, what is with you and these weird insults?" Seth asked with arms crossed impatiently, "What the hell does mudblood even mean? You know that could be considered a compliment in some cultures right?"
"It's because you're a muggleborn so your blood is impure, thus mudblood" Draco stated matter of fact.
Seth rolled his eyes. "And again, how do you know I'm just a mudblood and not the start of a new pure blood line? As much of a logical dilemma as it is, the chicken can't exist without the egg!"
Draco fell silent at Seth's remark, looking a bit troubled and conflicted.
Silence descended upon them again as they continued their trek with cautious yet troubled steps. Soon, a clearing came into view but Seth spotted something white up ahead, prompting him to stop them from entering the clearing. Draco looked at him angrily, mouth opening to spout another insult but Seth shushed him quietly before he could. The grave expression on his face encouraged the Slytherin to keep his mouth shut and they cautiously moved forward.
As soon as they stepped past the treeline and into the clearing, the sight of a dying unicorn greeted them. The unicorn was lying on its side, chest heaving with strained effort to draw as much breath as possible. Its once pure white coat was now a pale ash color and glistening silver blood pooled underneath its body. It was a beautiful yet tragic sight to behold.
Seth was overcome with grief and anger, hands clenched tightly to reign in the shadows that threatened to burst forth in search of the one who'd done this to the majestic creature. Even Draco was sorrowful as he gazed upon the once proud creature in a pitiful state.
"What do we do? Do we call for Hagrid?" Draco asked, looking around in fear as if suddenly reminded that something did that to the unicorn and that something could still be close by.
"You can send some red sparks to alert him of our location. I'm going to do what needs to be done," Seth solemnly said.
"What?" Draco asked in confusion.
Instead of answering, Seth stepped forward and kneeled beside the unicorn. It shook its head in agitation, trying to move away with pitiful motions that only served to drain its remaining energy further.
"Hey there," Seth softly said, "I'm not here to hurt you."
He placed a comforting hand on the unicorn's head and it slowly calmed the longer he lingered without making any sudden motions. He stroked its mane gently.
"You know, even with an injury like this, you're still rather beautiful. Unfairly so," he quietly and softly said, continuing to stroke the unicorn's mane. It relaxed further as he continued to speak. "I have a best friend who's unfairly attractive. He's a unicorn too and the son of the fairy queen if you can believe it. He'd be so devastated to find you in a state like this but it's okay now. I'm here to help you."
He moved his hand down to the sluggishly bleeding wound on the unicorn's side. It looked as if someone took a chunk out of it with their mouth and tried to drink the creature dry. The wound looked to be infected with the area around it pulsing with sickly black veins.
"It seems the injury is too corrupt for even your horn to purify and heal so the least I can do is ease your passing. But before that, I have to ask, would you like me to take your horn and bring it to the fairy kingdom?"
The unicorn's eyes shone as he spoke, glazing over in gratitude from his offer. It nodded weakly against him and the horn was shed from its head without trouble. Seth gently cradled the horn in acceptance and held it close.
"I'll make sure this is delivered to the fairy queen herself, I swear it."
With the loss of the horn, the black veins from the wound began to spread further across the unicorn's body. It struggled weakly against the pain. Seth placed his free hand on the ground and shadows began to gather in a dark pool underneath the unicorn. The black veins from the wound crawled down to the pool and disappeared until there were none left. The unicorn breathed out its last breath, smiling gratefully as it finally passed away.
Seth hung his head mournfully for a moment of silence for the unicorn's death. Then his head snapped up when Hagrid came bounding into the clearing with a shaken Harry following closely after. The bespectacled boy looked as if he'd seen death itself and was clutching at the scar on his head.
"Are ye boys alright?" Hagrid asked, sounding a bit out of breath as if he'd run a long distance to get here. Then he finally registered the scene before him. "Oh…"
"It's okay. We took care of it," Seth responded as he slowly pushed himself up off the ground, "As you can see, the unicorn passed peacefully."
Hagrid saw the horn in Seth's hands and nodded gravely. "Aye. I can see that…"
Then Seth saw how shaken Harry was as he clutched at his head in pain. "Harry! Are you okay?"
Harry shook his head, trembling in fear.
"We came across someone' that tried ter attack us and only managed ter chase 'em off with the help of the centaurs," Hagrid responded in Harry's place, "But…there was unicorn blood drippin' from their mouth."
Seth paled at the reminder of what exactly made the wound on the unicorn and why. He turned a little green at the gills. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"But why in the world would it drink unicorn blood?" Draco asked as his face twisted in disgust. He also looked a little sick himself.
Hagrid shook his head at the question. "That's enough o' that now. We've done what we've come 'ere to do. Let's head back ter the castle. I need ter report this ter the headmaster as soon as possible."
XXXXXX
The quartet gathered in the common room, completely alone due how late in the night it was upon their return from detention. Hermione and Ron both noticed how Harry and Seth were extremely quiet and pale. Their curiosity and concern prompted them to want to ask what was wrong but they didn't know how to broach the subject.
"Hey Seth," Harry said, breaking the tense silence that had settled, "Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
Seth was quiet. It was clear he really didn't want to answer that question.
"Why're you asking that, Harry?" Ron asked, curious as to where the question was coming from.
Hermione frowned thoughtfully to herself. "What happened in that forest?"
Harry took some time to explain what happened during detention, at least from his point of view since he had no clue what happened with Seth. Seth continued to sit silently beside him, not even bothering to offer any further details to Harry's retelling.
"But why in the world would someone drink unicorn blood? I thought only the hair and horn were of any use. We use them often in potions and willingly given tail hair is used in wands," Hermione remarked in disturbed confusion.
"Seth?" Harry asked again, trying to prompt the other into responding. Ron and Hermione join in their silent prodding.
Seth sighed, bowing in defeat towards his friends' stubborn curiosity. "Alright, guess I'll tell you then…slaying a unicorn for their blood is considered super taboo. Only someone with nothing to lose and everything to gain would do something like that cause while the blood of a unicorn can extend your lifespan, there's also a big price tag with fine print attached. Because you killed something pure and sacred just to save yourself, you end up living a cursed half life."
"Well if it's so bad, then who in the world would be desperate enough to do that?" Ron asked in complete bewilderment.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if you're gonna be cursed forever, then death's better isn't it?"
Seth shrugged helplessly with a wry smile. "Some people would rather be cursed because they fear death that much."
"But that's rather curious isn't it?" Hermione said before she muttered fervently to herself.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked, eyeing her curiously.
"I think I have a theory," she softly remarked.
Ron waved her on in encouragement. "Well go on then."
Hermione bit her lip, looking at them all hesitantly before she tentatively said, "I think…whoever drank the unicorn blood might be after the sorcerer's stone."
"What?!" Harry cried out in surprise before quickly slapping his hands over his mouth when the three of them shushed him. They all turned to look at the dormitory staircases and only when it was clear no one heard them did they relax.
"What?" Harry whispered out harshly.
"That makes sense," Seth said, nodding along as her theory began to take shape in his mind, "If you're on the verge of death but know that there's a stone that can make the elixir of life but you're too weak to get it, you'd do anything to make sure you lived long enough to, even drink unicorn blood."
"But who would be that desperate to get the stone? No one we know looks like they're on the verge of keeling over," Ron said, pointing out the flaw in that theory.
Harry paled in realization. "I think I know who it is."
They all looked at him, silently prompting him to answer. Harry swallowed thickly as he gathered up the nerve to respond.
"Firenze, the centaur who saved me from the person who drank the blood, he told me a bunch of stuff that sounded barmy cause it was like he was speaking in riddles and such…but now it all makes sense. The person who wants the stone, wants to live forever and return to how he used to be…"
Hermione paled as she realized who exactly Harry was trying to name. "Voldemort," she whispered out in fear.
Harry nodded solemnly in response.
"Are you off your rocker?!" Ron quietly shouted, jumping up to his feet as if to avoid boiling water being tossed at him. "He's dead! And don't say his name!"
"I guess that makes sense but like Ron said, isn't fancy moldy cheese supposed to be dead?" Seth asked while trying to inject some levity into the discussion. The others looked at him in disapproval for his efforts.
"And what if he's not? What if he actually survived and was just in some near death state the whole time?" Harry asked, growing increasingly agitated as he continued to speak. "I'll bet anything that that's why Snape's trying to get the stone. He's a death eater and he's trying to get the stone for Voldemort and Voldemort's waiting in the forest and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich!"
"Stop saying his name!" Ron tried to yell as quietly as he could. He looked around frantically as if the mere mention of You-Know-Who would somehow summon him into the Gryffindor common room.
"Uhh, correction, you guys thought," Seth interjected with a frown, "I still believe that Snape's innocent and that Quirrell's the one who's guilty as hell."
"But Snape wants me dead!" Harry vehemently rebuked.
"You don't know that!" Seth snapped back at him in irritation.
"When Firenze saved me, Bane said he shouldn't have done that. He was furious, talking about how he interfered with what the planets say were going to happen," Harry rambled feverishly, "They must show that Voldemort's coming back. Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me which is written in the stars as well I suppose."
"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Seth groaned, dropping his head down into his hands in exasperation.
"Will you stop saying the bloody name!" Ron cried out, somehow managing to keep the volume of his voice low enough to not prompt anyone to come downstairs and see what all the commotion was about.
"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the stone, then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off," Harry concluded with a miserable frown. "Well I suppose Bane'll be happy."
"Harry," Hermione said, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. As long as Dumbledore's around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune telling to me and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."
Harry seemed to calm somewhat from her words but they all continued to talk the night away. Harry kept spewing rant after rant about how Voldemort was finally coming back to finish what he started. Ron kept trying to get Harry to stop saying the bloody name of You-Know-Who. Seth kept arguing with Harry and playing the devil's advocate in defense of Snape. Hermione kept trying to de-escalate the conversation and calm everyone down with reassurances and alternate theories provided by the knowledge she'd read from books in the library.
All four of them kept talking until their throats went hoarse. They only stopped when the sun began to rise in the horizon. Then they finally went to bed, tired and troubled of what was to come as the end of the school year loomed ever closer.
And scene! We're almost at the conclusion guys! The finish line is in sight! Did y'all think the build up to the finale was alright? I tried my best to blend the magical creature elements of Fablehaven and Harry Potter together as best as I could and I hope you guys at least enjoyed the attempt at civil conversation between Seth and Draco. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next one! Until then!
