Chapter 16: The Forbidden Forest
One Month Later
Harry and Ron were at the library sitting at a table going over various books; it wasn't till Naruto and Hermione came with a rather large book. The blond dropped the book on the table, making Ron and Harry jump. "Hey guys we just found out that we were looking at the wrong section this whole time" Naruto stated looking rather sheepish about the situation, "You're kidding right?" Harry said with his eye twitching dangerously, feeling as though they wasted a lot of time searching for something only to come up empty handed. "How could I have been so stupid, I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading" Hermione said as she looked over the pages of the book. "This is light?" Ron deadpanned. The brunette gave a dirty look to the redhead, "Of course… ah here it is! Nicholas Flamel, the only known maker of the philosopher's stone," she read. Harry and Ron looked at each other and asked, "the what?"
The brunette sighed at the two, "honestly do you two ever read? The philosopher's stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers, it will turn any metal into gold and produces the elixir of life, which will make the drinker immortal" she read as the two wizards looked at her in shock. "Immortal?" Ron asked. "It means you'll never die," she explained. "I know what that means," Ron snapped as Harry tells him to be quiet. "Guy's listen to this-" the blond pointed out, "the only stone in existence belongs to Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who celebrated his 665th birthday last year! Don't you guys get it, that's what Fluffy is guarding on the third floor, that's what's under the trapdoor… the philosopher's stone" the blond explained. The squad looked at each other, realizing if they needed more info, they needed to find Hagrid.
Hagrid's Hut- Night Time
The four ran to Hagrid's hut, Harry knocked on the door several times until Hagrid opened the door, wearing an apron and oven mitts. Hagrid looks at the four, "Oh, it's you four. Sorry, don't wish to be rude but I'm in no fit state to entertain today" the half giant said before closing the door. "We know about the philosopher's stone!" they all stated. Hagrid reopened the door after hearing what they said. "Oh" he said before letting them in. "We think Snape is trying to steal the stone-" Harry said. Hagrid shakes his head in disappointment, "Snape, blimey, Harry you're still not on about that are you?" he asked. The four tried to explain why Snape was trying to steal the stone, but Hagrid assures them that Snape is one of the teacher's trying to protect the stone, which surprises the four. After a brief explanation regarding the whole philosopher's stone issue, the cauldron over by the fireplace started to rattle.
Hagrid gasped and went over to the fireplace to take out the cauldron. He also took out a rather large egg that was inside the cauldron, "Ooh!Ooh!Ooh!Ooh!Hot!Hot!" Hagrid yelped out as his hand burned even though the mitts were supposed to help. He places the large egg on the table for all of them to see. "Uh, Hagrid what is that?" Harry asked. Hagrid didn't know what to say, until Ron figured out what it was. "I know what that is! But Hagrid, how did you get one?" Ron asked. Hagrid at this point decided to explain how he got the egg, stating he won it at a pub from some stranger that wanted to get rid of it. The egg soon begins to hatch as pieces of the egg shell break apart revealing a baby dragon.
"Is that a dragon?" Hermione asked surprised. "Amazing! A real life dragon!" Naruto said excitedly. "It's not just a dragon! It's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania" Ron explained. Hagrid wiped a tear from his eyes, "Isn't he beautiful? Oh, bless him, looks like he knows who his mummy is, isn't that right Norbert" said Hagrid. "Norbert?" the four questioned. "Yeah, well he's got to have a name doesn't he?" Hagrid retorted. The four chuckled at that response. "Don't you Norbert? Hehehehehe" Hagrid said as he uses his finger to point playfully at the dragon. The baby dragon moves away before hiccuping a small breath of fire that catches on to Hagrid's beard, as the half-giant tries to put out the fire in his beard with his mitt. After explaining that Norbert might still need to be trained, he notices that someone was peeking from the outside. "Who's that?" he said as the four turned around to see who was outside the window as the person left. "It's Malfoy," Harry said angrily. "Oh dear-" Hagrid stated. The four soon left Hagrid's hut and as they walked back to the castle, they decided to talk about Hagrid's dragon. "Hagrid always wanted a dragon, he told me that when we first met him" Harry explained. "Oh yeah," Naruto remembered. "It's crazy and what's worse is that Malfoy knows," Ron explained. "I don't understand, is it that bad?" Harry asked. As the four went up the staircase, they were caught by Professor McGonagall, who was in her nightgown. "Good evening-" she said, the group sees Malfoy behind her smirking at them. The group glares at him.
McGonagall's Office
The professor sat at her desk looking at the four students, while Malfoy was standing several feet away from them smirking. McGonagall shakes her head, "Nothing and I mean nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night, therefore as punishment for your actions, fifty points will be taken" she said, shocking the four students. "F-Fifty?" Harry stammered. "Each… and to ensure that it will never happen again, all five of you will be receiving detention," she stated. Malfoy nods, until he does a double take. "Excuse me, professor, perhaps I've heard you wrong, I thought you said… the five of us" he asked. McGonagall shakes her head, "No, you heard me correctly Mr. Malfoy, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detentions with your fellow classmates" she stated. Harry, Ron, Naruto, and Hermione smirk at him while Draco seethes.
The Next Night
The five students who were given detention are being led to Hagrid's hut by Filch. Filch talks about how detention back then was much worse, effectively scaring the kids. They soon arrive at Hagrid's hut as the half giant comes out of the hut with a crossbow looking like he's crying. The reason why Hagrid was crying is because Dumbledore sent Norbert to live in a colony in Romania. "Oh for god's sake, pull yourself together man, you're going into the forest after all, got to have your wits about you" Filch said rather annoyed. "The forest?! I thought first year students weren't allowed to go into the forest, and there's-" they all heard a wolf howling, "W-Werewolves" Malfoy stated. Filch smirks, "Oh there's more than werewolves lad, you can be sure of that" Filch said scaring the boy further. "Nighty Night," Filch said before leaving.
Hagrid pulls himself together and soon leads the five into the forest. Naruto takes out his wand while the students look at him, but after a brief explanation, they find the idea to be reasonable so they do the same. Twenty minutes go by in the forest, and soon they come across a puddle of a silvery substance; Hagrid kneels down to inspect the substance. Harry asks what it is, and Hagrid responds by saying that's what they are here for; Hagrid explains that the substance is unicorn blood, and that he found a dead one a few weeks ago, so now this unicorn is likely injured. As Hagrid explained, Harry notices a large cloaked figure hiding in the trees. Naruto notices that something is up with Harry, but decides to leave it. After an explanation about the task, the five students split up; One group was Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid, while the other group was Harry, Naruto, and Draco along with Fang. Soon they went to find what they were looking for.
With Harry, Naruto, and Draco
It's been about a half an hour since the three wizards and the boar hound went off to find the missing unicorn. "Wait till my father hears about this, this is servants stuff" Malfoy complained. "Oh shut up will ya, besides what are you going to tell him… that you backed out like the little coward you are?" Naruto mocked him. "If anything Draco, I would say that you ARE scared" Harry taunted as well. Malfoy scoffed, "Scared? Pfft yeah right Potter, c'mon Fang" he said walking faster. The group continued walking until they stumbled upon a disturbing scene. Fang growled, "What is it Fang?" Harry asked, as both he and Naruto took out their wands. They walked over to see what was going on, only to stumble upon a dark cloaked figure feeding upon the blood of a dead unicorn, "What… the hell… is that?" Naruto whispered.
Meanwhile in Naruto's Mindscape
The nine tailed fox was also sensing what was going on and decided to warn his jailer. "Kid I'm sensing something sinister here" the fox said to Naruto. Naruto was confused, "What do you mean?" he asked. "Now is not the time to be worrying about that! Look, whatever it is, it's pretty hostile so be ready to fight or flee!" the fox warned his jailer. Naruto nods in affirmation.
Back in the Real World
Soon the dark cloaked figure stops drinking, and turns to see the young wizards as it snarled, with blood dripping out of its mouth. Harry gasped and was touching his scar as it burned. Naruto turns to his friend and asks what was wrong. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Draco said as he fled with Fang, leaving the two wizards to fend for themselves, as the dark cloaked figure advanced on them. "Expelliarmus!" Naruto yells out, firing his spell at the figure with a violet stream of magic that manages to give the cloaked figure a decent amount of damage. He tries to get his friend to wake up; However, it seems that the figure gets up, and this time it seems interested in Naruto as it starts advancing on Naruto. Naruto was prepared to defend his friend again, until he heard a pair of hooves. "What the-" Naruto said as a centaur came to their rescue and managed to scare off the figure. "What was that thing you saved us from?" Naruto said as Harry got up. The centaur looks back at the dead unicorn, "A monstrous creature, it's a terrible crime to slay a unicorn, drinking the blood will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life… a cursed life" the centaur explained.
"But who would choose to live like that?" Naruto asked. "Can you think of no one?" the centaur retorted. "Do you mean to say… that the thing that killed the unicorn… that was Voldemort?" Harry asked worriedly. Naruto looks at Harry, trying to put two on two together as to why that creature went after the unicorn. "Do you know what's hidden in the school at this very moment?" the centaur asked. "The philosopher's stone-" both boys said as they heard Fang barking, with the two turning to see Hagrid along with Ron, Hermione, and Draco. "Are you guys alright?" Hermione asked going up to the two. "We're fine" Naruto said assuring her. "Hello there Firenze, I see you've met young Harry Potter and Naruto Uzumaki, are you alright there Harry?" the half giant asked as the boy was still dealing with the headache he felt from the scar. The centaur nodded, "this is where I leave you, Harry Potter, you're safe now, good luck" the centaur said as he galloped away. Soon Naruto and Harry looked at each other, still taking in that information, they decided to tell Ron and Hermione about this information back at the common room.
