Halle Potter and the first year of madness
AN: Hi guys. Hope you're all well. Just wanted to say that this chapter is obviously a big leap in canon in terms of the timeline. This wasn't exactly how I had originally planned it but since coming back to the story things have changed. That probably means that things will get a bit more au but we'll see how it all goes because I still intend to follow canon.
/
SNAP!
Another snap of a twig. Someone or something was coming and it was close.
SNAP!
Oh god!
Halle was going to die.
SNAP!
How could C.S leave her here when he wanted her help?
Maybe he was just planning to take her blood from her corpse after whatever was approaching her, finished her off.
SNAP!
Halle spun round and peered into the darkness. She couldn't see anything. If she thought her senses were alarmed before then that was nothing compared to the sheer panic that was striking through her entire being right now.
SNAP!
Halle could hear herself breathing heavy. She had no idea from where the sound was coming from but she couldn't just stand about if she wanted to survive.
SNAP!
Her heart jumped. That was close, really close. She needed to move now! She was standing in a clearing of some sort and if whatever was approaching saw her, she didn't stand a chance.
SNAP!
Halle decided to take her chances and she ducked to her left. There was a large root sticking out of the ground that she almost tripped over but she managed to hold herself upright and hide behind a large, thick tree, that obscured her view and herself from the clearing. If anything was coming from behind her, she wouldn't be as lucky.
Luckily Halle's judgement paid off because she heard several louder snaps of twigs and rustling. Whatever was with her had now entered the clearing. Halle took a sharp inhale of breath and covered her mouth. She prayed dearly that whatever was there couldn't hear, smell or sense her.
Halle felt her body shake and break out into a sweat as something shifted further into the clearing. Maybe she could try and sneak off but C.S had led her pretty far into the forest. Trying to get back on her own was probably a death wish but staying here was probably a death sentence.
Just as Halle was deciding her odds-on which death seemed more likely, she suddenly heard a strange moaning sound come from the clearing and then a large...
THUD!
What on earth was that?
Halle paused for a mental second. She wanted to look from behind the tree but she knew that was a stupid idea.
Halle knew there was a saying for the situation she was in; Curiosity killed the cat and considering she was a Gryffindor; she was absolutely testing fate with that philosophy but Halle also knew she was stupid and knew her curiosity was going to out win her intelligence.
She took a shaky breath before poking her head from behind the tree.
Halle was shocked.
To her surprise the mystery being in the clearing was none other than a unicorn.
Halle's body flooded with relief. It was just a unicorn. She couldn't believe it.
Its body was shimmering white under the miniscule shred of moonlight that peered into the clearing. Its horn was golden and even being on the floor, the unicorn had majestic aura around it.
The unicorn was absolutely breath-taking.
In the muggle world unicorns were nothing but a myth. Although she knew that they existed as she had been using their horns and tail hairs in potions but she couldn't believe she was actually seeing one for real, but something was wrong.
This unicorn was hurt.
Yes, right by its neck, there was an open wound and silvery blood was pouring out of it.
Poor baby.
Her confrontation with C.S that only happened minutes ago was sending off alarm bells in her head but even if she believed C.S, which she didn't, the wound on the unicorn's neck looked similar to a bite wound. That couldn't be Voldemort's doing. It had to be a creature of some sort.
Which one, was a mystery to Halle but she also didn't want to find out either.
The poor unicorn let out another moan of pain.
Halle's heart panged with sadness.
Halle wanted nothing more than to run into the clearing and help the poor thing but she didn't know how too. She was no medic or healer and she certainly wouldn't know how to heal a unicorn without her wand which had been taken from her. She wouldn't even know how to heal one with her wand.
She was of no help to the poor thing right now.
Maybe Hagrid would know what to do?
If she could get to Hagrid then maybe...
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Halle's heart froze but she quickly hid back behind the tree. Another sound could be heard coming from the other side of the clearing only this time it sounded more like something slithering over dead leaves.
Was a snake coming into the clearing?
The unicorn was bleeding, which meant a lot creatures could probably smell the blood and would probably come to investigate, including a snake.
While Halle adored actual snakes, she didn't imagine that a snake from the forbidden forest would be her best friend, especially if it was coming to eat.
Oh no, the poor unicorn!
Halle grimaced.
She didn't want be there if a snake or another creature decided that the poor unicorn was going to be dinner. She definitely didn't want to be there if one decided she was going to be dinner right alongside it either.
She didn't want to leave the unicorn to its horrific fate but she needed to chance getting out of the forest now.
The slithering noise came to a halt and suddenly there were new strange noises Halle could hear. Halle gulped. As far as she was aware snakes didn't make those kinds of noises. A sort of mouth clapping or perhaps a slurping sound?
Knowing it was a completely stupid idea, she risked taking a peek at the clearing again. If some creature had found the poor unicorn and was eating it alive, then she would chance moving through the trees and trying to get back to the castle as fast and as quiet as she could.
As Halle looked from behind the tree into the clearing, a sharp piercing pain exploded in Halle's scar as she saw a hooded figure drinking the unicorn's blood from the open neck wound. The unicorn began to moan in agony once again and Halle felt sick.
Halle would've vomited at the scene if it wasn't for the pain in her head. One sharp twinge was too much for her to take and she ended up stumbling forward ever so slightly but it was enough for her to lose a grip of the tree and trip over the root entirely causing her to roll straight out into the clearing.
The pain Halle felt falling into the clearing was nothing compared to the increase of pain in her scar as the hooded figure lifted its head to look at her. Halle saw blood dribbling down its front as it began to get to its feet and walk toward her. She thought her head was going to split open as she scrambled and staggered back from the ground half blind from the searing pain.
Even standing up, she could only fall back to her knees as the pain was too much. Her head was hot and she could feel something bubbling at her surface but before she could understand this feeling, she heard hooves galloping from behind her. A figure soared above Halle's head and charged for the hooded figure before her.
The pain in her scar suddenly dulled and when her vision became clear she saw the hooded figure was gone and the creature that had just rescued her life.
Halle looked in awe as she saw the half man, half horse stand before her.
Halle knew what this being was. She excelled at history lessons when they covered Greek mythology.
This being was a centaur.
Halle knew she shouldn't have been surprised that magical creatures like a Cerberus, Centaurs and Unicorns existed when she was attending a magic school but it was still hard to believe that some of these beings and creatures existed.
If Halle wasn't overcome with complete shock and fear right now, she would've probably bowed at the centaurs' hooves or something. He seemed so mighty.
Halle continued to stare at the being.
He had white-blond hair and a palomino body.
"Are you all, right?" Said the centaur, pulling Halle to her feet.
Halle startled at the fact that the centaur could talk but he was half man after all.
"Yes, thank you. What was that?" Asked Halle in awe.
The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Halle, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Halle's forehead.
He then looked toward the unicorn, that was panting heavy on the floor.
"Always the innocent are the first victims." Said the centaur sorrowfully.
Halle took her focus off the centaur and put it onto the unicorn. It was still alive but weak.
Halle didn't think twice about getting up and running over to the unicorn. Blood gushed heavily from its wound as low wheezes escaped its mouth. Halle took her hand and gently stroked it along the unicorn's mane.
She began to whisper soothing words like "It will be ok." and "Don't panic, it will be over soon."
She heard the hooves come up behind her and she turned to the centaur.
"Can you save it?" Asked Halle, her voice a mixture of sadness and desperation.
"I cannot!" Said the centaur simply.
Halle shut her eyes tight. She didn't want to start crying. Animals could sense human emotions and a dying unicorn probably didn't need to sense her sadness on top of its own pain and fear it was experiencing right now but she couldn't help but let a few tears slip from her eyes, unfortunately right in the wound.
Halle and the centaur stayed there for a few more moments until the unicorn closed its eyes and it seemed to still.
"That was most noble of you." Said the centaur gently.
"I didn't do anything." Said Halle tearfully.
"You gave the unicorn your time, when she needed you most and in her final moments, she was not alone, for you gave her comfort. That is all one can ask for in this lifetime. To not die alone." Said the centaur sagaciously.
"That didn't save her though." Said Halle still feeling some tears stream down her face.
"We all have our time to die. It is written in the stars. Death is not something we should fear but embrace." Said the centaur knowledgeably.
Halle looked up at the half man, half horse. He was very wise and arguably very right but tonight was just too much for Halle to truly comprehend his wise-ness.
They both then heard some rustling in the trees and the centaur was on alert, as was Halle.
She hoped the hooded figure hadn't come back but to her relief it was just a normal looking mouse or rat that scurried along the leaves.
The centaur then turned to her.
"You are the Potter girl," he said. "You had better get back to the castle. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.
"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Halle could clamber onto his back.
"What about the unicorn? We can't just leave her here." Said Halle looking at the body.
"I know the forest well. Her body will be returned to her kind." Said Firenze.
Before Halle could ask anything more, there was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two more centaurs came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Firenze!" One of them thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter girl. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better. "
"What have you been telling her?" growled the first one. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"
The second centaur pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best, Bane" he said in a gloomy voice.
The centaur addressed as Bane kicked his back legs in anger.
"For the best! What is that to do with us Ronan? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"
Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, that Halle had to grab his shoulders to stay on.
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."
And Firenze whisked around; with Halle clutching on as best she could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.
Halle didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Why's this Bane so angry?" She asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"
Firenze slowed to a walk and warned Halle to keep her head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but he did not answer Halle's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Halle thought Firenze didn't want to talk to her anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, when Firenze suddenly stopped.
"Halle Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
C.S had asked Halle a similar question before he had left her.
"No" Answered Halle honestly. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions. "
"That's because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
Halle stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.
"But who'd be that desperate?" She wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"
"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else - something that will bring you back to full strength and power - something that will mean you can never die. Miss Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
"No! I know there's a Cerberus guarding it. I know it has something to do with a man called Nicolas Flamel but I don't know what it is but you do, don't you?" Said Halle, her heart was beating fast.
"I do." Said Firenze.
Halle waited for him continue but he didn't. Halle needed to push him.
"I came into the forest with someone else tonight. He left me in that clearing." Started Halle.
"The planets were most forthcoming tonight." Replied Firenze.
Halle didn't know what that meant but she continued nevertheless.
"He said that he was under a curse and that I could break it, but to learn why, I had to understand why unicorn blood was being shed and what's hidden in the school. He said it was Voldemort. Is that true?" Asked Halle.
Firenze was silent for a moment before he spoke.
"He has waited many years to return to power, Miss Potter."
Halle's pulse began to race.
C.S was telling the truth. That was Voldemort. She had just come across Voldemort and he had almost killed her. If Firenze hadn't of saved her life she would be as dead as the unicorn right now.
Before either of them could say anything else, Halle was startled by the voice of Hagrid.
"HALLE!"
Halle was shocked as she saw Hagrid's towering figure, with Fang by his side and a cross-bow in his hand. His mouth was wide open as he took in the sight of Halle looking a little rough on Firenze's back.
Firenze didn't even seem surprised that Hagrid was there.
"Good evening, Hagrid. I hope you are well?" Said Firenze.
"Alright Firenze?" Said Hagrid but he was still clearly surprised by the sight of Halle in the forbidden forest.
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid came closer to them. "You are safe now. "
Halle slid off his back.
"Thank you, Firenze." Said Halle gratefully towards him.
"Good luck, Halle Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times. "
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Halle shivering behind him.
When Firenze had completely disappeared, Halle turned back to face Hagrid.
She realised that she had no excuse to tell Hagrid what she was doing in the forbidden forest.
She also realised that Firenze had brought her back to the edge of the forest and relief flooded her once again.
She was so glad Hagrid was here.
Hagrid then spoke.
"Halle! What yeh think yeh doin, skulkin around the forest?" Hagrid's tone was a mix of mad and worried.
What could she tell him? Getting almost sucked dry by Voldemort?
Halle ran up to Hagrid and hugged him tightly
"I came back to talk to you after dinner. The others were still in detention and so I left dinner early but I got distracted. I saw a unicorn and I'd never seen one before. She was beautiful and I wanted to get a closer look. She was just standing there at the edge and I saw that she was hurt. I was trying to coax her to come with me so I could bring her to you and hopefully you could help her but she kept on walking further into the forest. I stupidly followed her but some creature found her and it started drinking her blood but Firenze scared it off. She died Hagrid, in a big clearing. Firenze could tell you better than me. He brought me back; I think he got into trouble with some other centaur though. A Bane and another one who tried to defend him. Uh Ronan. It was horrible Hagrid." Said Halle nuzzling her head into Hagrid.
It truly was a horrible night for her.
Hagrid was shocked by Halle's sudden outburst but immediately grabbed her with his left arm and hugged her back. He couldn't stand seeing Halle upset. Fang nuzzled his head against her leg, hoping to comfort her as well.
"Yeh safe now." Said Hagrid rubbing circles into her back.
"How did you know I was here, Hagrid?" Asked Halle looking up to him.
"I didn't. One minute I'm about to dip in to meh tea an' the next minute, Fang is barkin up the place like a madden, scratchin' at the door and hopping by the window. I thought someone must be outside, so I open the door and he ran straight for the forest. I grabbed meh cross bow but he's a bloomin coward an' stuck to the edge of the forest. He doesn't like the forest. He only comes with me out of loyalty. I try to get him to go back but he won't budge. So, we start movin forward and I ran into Bane and Ronan to as matta' of fact. Started raving on about mars."
He shook his head momentarily.
Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer' n the moon. "
"Are there many of them in here?" Asked Halle
"Oh, a fair few. . . Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs. . . they know things. . . jus' don' let on much. Point is, I couldn't work out what had got Fang so riled so I turned back but again he refused to leave so I was having a ruddy argument with him until you and Firenze showed up. If you say there's a unicorn in here, I better go talk to Firenze about it. Poor thing. I'm sorry you had to witness that Halle." Said Hagrid sincerely.
"I should've just come to you first." Said Halle, wishing she had just screamed for Hagrid when she had the chance earlier but now, she knew that Voldemort lurked somewhere in the forbidden forest, drinking unicorn blood to keep himself alive until he could get his hands on whatever lie beneath the trapdoor.
Did that mean that snape was trying to steal the package for Voldemort?
Then there was C.S who wanted to supposedly stop Voldemort from getting the package because of what exactly? He said he had been cursed but how did stopping Voldemort, break his curse? How did her blood break his curse?
There was so much questions and no answers.
"Yeh wanted to help a unicorn cause yer a pure soul like she was. Next time tho, jus' come an' get me first. I don't want yeh roamin round the forest, especially at night Halle. Yeh too precious to me, to go losing yeh in there. Alright?" Said Hagrid seriously.
Halle nodded up Hagrid.
She would not be going into that forest again if she could help it.
"Good, now I'll take yeh back to the castle and get yeh to the hospital wing. Yer look like you could do with a calmin' draught. We'll keep quiet about this alright!" Said Hagrid comfortingly.
Halle just silently nodded.
She thanked the stars that Hagrid wasn't going to tell on her.
He dropped Fang off back at the cabin and walked her back to the castle as promised. Madam Pomfrey was shocked to see her in such a dusty state but Hagrid gave her the excuse of helping him tend to his pumpkin patch and some kids playing a prank in the dark.
Madam Pomfrey sorted Halle's robes out and gave her a calming draught and a little bit of pain relief potion.
Hagrid went to leave her to go sort out the unicorn situation but Halle couldn't help but ask Hagrid to do it in the day. He assured her that he would be fine but Halle insisted and something in her pleas made Hagrid relent and he her promised he would look in the daytime.
Halle thanked him. She knew Hagrid had been taking care of the forest for years but this was Voldemort after all and even weak and half alive he was still able to catch a unicorn and kill it.
She didn't want Hagrid to get hurt.
She knew she should probably tell him right there and then the truth but again it was the fear of being expelled that was stopping her.
So much had already happened in the last three months and if she explained it all, she would definitely be sent back to Privet Drive but this was Voldemort. She couldn't really afford not to tell someone.
Voldemort was after whatever was underneath the trap door and if he got it, he could come back.
C.S said to understand everything she needed to know why unicorn blood had been shed and now she knew that Voldemort was drinking it to keep himself alive.
So assumedly whatever was hidden in the passageway was a liquid that Voldemort could drink.
That's what Firenze had said that Voldemort would only have to drink unicorn blood until he could drink something else that would restore him.
She needed to tell the others. She would keep C.S part out of it in case he made good on his threat on their lives but this information she couldn't keep to herself.
Hopefully they'd buy her unicorn at the edge story too, although knowing their inquisitive minds, they probably wouldn't. She'd have to keep the story vague but she needed to tell them. She needed to talk about this.
She needed to get advice. She needed to know what was under the trapdoor. She needed to scream into her pillow.
Then there was of course C.S. What did she do about him? This curse? The answers? The promise? What did she do about her wand? He had left her there so she could see for herself and she had seen alright.
So now what?
C.S by tomorrow would know that she had survived the forest if he didn't already know.
If he really was under a curse then he would want her to break it. He wouldn't just leave her alone because she had said no.
She had to think.
C.S hadn't confirmed it but if Halle had to guess, she would say that C.S's curse was paused at this second and if Voldemort got what was under the trapdoor, then the curse would unpause. That was the only theory that made sense to her, for now.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
C.S hadn't told her how he she could possibly break this curse but he implied that he would give her all the answers if she made a promise to him with blood.
Halle had to assume that C.S was confident that Halle wasn't going to die in the forest tonight and thus took her there to see Voldemort in action. He knew, if she knew about Voldemort then she would feel inclined to do something.
Maybe that's what C.S was counting on?
Information to help her stop Voldemort? If Voldemort was stopped then maybe his curse would break?
That seemed absolutely ridiculous to Halle.
Sure, she had apparently stopped Voldemort ten years ago but she was just a baby and she didn't know how she had done that. C.S couldn't expect her to do it again, could he?
He had cryptically implied that she was not just a first year.
Yes, she was the girl who lived but that was just a title for something she couldn't remember even doing. Yes, she had survived the darkest wizard of all time trying to kill her but there was no guarantee she could do that again. Tonight, she had been saved by a centaur. Had Firenze not have been there, she would've been a scarlet smoothie.
Halle found it insane that she had almost died twice today.
She couldn't possibly take on Voldemort again and she certainly wasn't willing to trust C.S just because he was telling the truth this once. He was still dangerous and had put her life at risk tonight for his own agenda, even if she assumed that they both had the same goal.
If he even wanted to stop Voldemort then why couldn't he do it on his own? He certainly seemed powerful enough, even with said curse.
Why not make himself useful and take on Voldemort, thus stopping him from getting the package?
Unless that didn't break his curse. Halle also had to consider the possibility that maybe C.S wanted the package for himself. If the package could restore someone's power, then maybe it could break his curse too.
Halle sighed. Voldemort was one thing but C.S was another entirely.
Halle couldn't just pin her hopes on him miraculously leaving her alone or on him taking out Voldemort and she couldn't trust that he didn't have ulterior motives but she was stuck in between these two problems and they weren't going to go away anytime soon.
If Snape was working for Voldemort, then he needed to be stopped but how?
Halle thought about Fluffy.
Snape had already tried to get past Fluffy but had been unsuccessful which meant that he would need to find a way to get past him without being bitten again.
Snape would undoubtably be trying to work this out whilst Voldemort was slumming it in the forbidden forest. Hagrid was firmly set on believing that Snape wasn't trying to steal the package. He had to have a reason for such strong faith in Snape.
Halle was sure that Snape wouldn't outright ask Hagrid how to deal with Fluffy. He was smarter than that, considering he was dumb enough to try and walk right up to Fluffy and almost get his leg torn off but the slimy git was still a Slytherin and Slytherins were sneaky.
He was probably going to try and find out how to get past Fluffy some other way.
Halle needed another angle, one that didn't include C.S as her "Friend" but she also needed to know C.S's angle in this too. He had the answers she wanted and telling the truth or not, she couldn't afford to give a promise to him. He could have her at his mercy but then again, he already did.
Tonight, was full proof of that.
Halle wished she could just run away from this all but she knew she couldn't. She would need to face this head on and stop it somehow.
/