CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
Things couldn't have been worse.
Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling and Harry was scared. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry's brain, each more feeble than the last. He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest Astronomy Tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the Invisibility Cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already.
Had Harry thought that things couldn't have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading not only Neville, but also Ron, still hurt from his bite that Norbert gave him. Close beside her were both Professors Flitwick and Snape, who had Draco by his side.
"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag —"
Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the five of them.
"We would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."
It was the first time both he and Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question together. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue. But Harry was as white as a sheet.
"I think we've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too? Not only that, but you endangered Mr. Weasley as well, am I correct?"
Harry caught both Ron and Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true, because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville — Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.
"We're disgusted," Professor McGonagall went on. "Five students out of bed in one night! We've never heard of such a thing before!"
It was now Professor Flitwick's turn to speak as he said almost heartbroken, "Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. After what happened to you on Halloween."
"I thought I did too, sir." Hermione gulped.
"As for you, Mr. Potter," said Snape, finally speaking to him after a long time, "I was under the impression both Slytherin and your studies meant more to you than this."
"They do!" Harry said exasperated.
"Well, clearly it doesn't matter that much to you." Snape said, as he showed that he was rather hurt by Harry's hard work having gone to waste.
"And to ensure this doesn't happen again," Professor McGonagall added, "all of you will receive detentions — yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous — and fifty points will be taken from each House."
"Fifty?" Harry gasped in shock.
"I said, 'each house' ," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.
"Professor — please —" said Neville.
"You can't —" Ron interjected.
"Don't tell us what we can and can't do, Mr. Weasley and Longbottom." Professor McGonagall fumed, "Now get back to bed, all of you. We have never been more ashamed of five different students."
But before they could move, Malfoy finally found his voice. *
"Excuse me, Professors, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said, 'the five of us' . Surely you've miscalculated?"
For the first time in his life, since his first Potions class, Harry saw Snape become really angry.
"That's where you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Malfoy." Malfoy's eyes bulged in fear and shock, "You see, even if your intentions were as honorable as you claim, you too were out of bed after hours."
"But — but Professor Snape, you don't understand. Potter doesn't care about the rules! He only cares about…"
"Mr. Malfoy, I do believe I told you to silence yourself!" Snape snarled.
But Malfoy didn't.
"My father will hear about this! And when he does…"
But what Malfoy's father would do, Snape didn't care to listen as he grabbed Draco by the shoulders and shook him like a ragdoll.
"Enough!"
Now white as a sheet, Malfoy stood silent as Snape continued.
"You will join your classmates in detention, whether you like it or not! Or so help me, Mr. Malfoy, I will see to it you will repeat your entire first year from the very beginning! Am I understood?!"
Malfoy was so scared that he couldn't verbally answer, he instead wound up nodding his head and left to go to bed.
Soon, Professor McGonagall left to escort Ron and Neville back to the Gryffindor common room and Professor Flitwick turned to leave, taking Hermione back to the Ravenclaw common room. As soon as everyone else left and off to bed, Harry braced himself for the thunder.
Inside Snape's office, Snape spoke severally to Harry.
"Potter, I am exceedingly disappointed in you." *
"I know," Harry said quietly.
"You could've been injured by that beast of Hagrid's like your friend Mr. Weasley," Snape resumed, "you deliberately disobeyed me. And what's worse, you not only put your own classmates in danger, but risked their necks bringing them along as well! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Harry was trying his hardest to calm down, but he couldn't as his breathing became heavy and tears began to well up in his eyes.
"I didn't think," he confessed.
"Clearly, it shows." Snape said. "When something like this arises, who should deal with a matter like this?" Harry softly murmured his reply, he was too scared to speak. "Louder, if you please, Potter."
"I said 'you' ?" Harry said louder, now sounding scared. "Or any of the other professors?"
"Precisely," Snape replied, nodding. "If something bad had happened you —"
"Which it didn't," Harry nervously added.
"This time at least," Snape agreed as he rubbed his temples in frustration. "But that's not the point, Potter. The point is that I do not want to hear of something like this happening to you or your classmates ever again."
If there was ever a moment Harry wished he could talk to Snape about why he hadn't spoken to him in the months now that he suspected his own Head of House was supposedly after the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry hoped that night was now. But in the end, he thought better of it and decided not to press his luck and nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Now off to bed you go," said Snape. "And don't you get involved in things such as this ever again, Potter. It's not safe, just leave it to us grownups. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Professor Snape," answered Harry. "Good night, sir."
"Good night, Potter."
Two hundred and fifty points lost, fifty on each side: one hundred from Gryffindor and Slytherin together, plus fifty from Ravenclaw. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could he and his friends ever make up for all of that? Safe to say, he didn't sleep well that night. He softly sobbed into his pillow for what seemed like hours. Harry couldn't think of anything to say to comfort himself. He knew his friends, like himself, were dreading the dawn.
To make matters worse, Harry was now suddenly the most hated student in all of Hogwarts. Even Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him.
Only Ron stood by him.
"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."
"They've never lost two hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably.
"Well — no," Ron admitted.
"That's what I thought," said Harry.
"And don't forget, you have detention with us." added Hermione.
"Oh, yeah. Right," moaned Ron as he facepalmed his forehead. "I forgot."
It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself, as Snape told him, to never meddle in things that weren't his business from now on. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying.
Hermione, Ron and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. He and Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.
As if losing points and detention weren't enough, one day while Harry was sitting one day at his usual favorite spot at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, he was about to eat breakfast when Hedwig slumped, flew near to the table, her legs in the air and a damp red envelope in her beak. *
"Oh, no —" Ron cried out loud, looking at the Slytherin table.
"What?" asked Hermione, as she saw Ron gulp and pointed at the envelope in question. "It's just an envelope, Ron."
"It's not that." Ron went on.
To Harry, it too looked quite ordinary, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.
"What's the matter?" said Harry, as he showed the envelope.
"Your mom, she's — she's sent you a Howler," said Ron faintly.
"What's a Howler?"
"You'd better open it, Harry," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" — he gulped — "it was horrible."
Harry's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.
"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —"
Harry stretched out a shaking hand, took the envelope and slit it open. Neville and Ron stuffed their fingers into their ears. A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Harry gulped, scared stiff. "HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE IN BUSINESS THAT IS NONE OF YOUR OWN —"
His own mother yells, a hundred times louder than anything Harry ever heard, made all of the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Harry sank so low in his chair that only his pale forehead could be seen.
"— LETTER FROM YOUR PROFESSORS LAST NIGHT, YOUR FATHER, WERE HE STILL HERE, WOULD HAVE DIED OF SHAME! I DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO DO ADVENTURES LIKE THESE —"
Harry was now becoming just as pale as Malfoy when Snape snapped at him last night.
"— ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED. IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE I'LL TAKE AWAY YOUR INVISIBILITY CLOAK, WHICH YOU SWORE TO ME YOU'D NEVER USE, EVEN IN EMERGENCIES. I HOPE THAT YOU LEARN A LESSON HERE, OTHERWISE, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THE FACT THAT I ALMOST HAD I LOST YOU!"
The Great Hall then became quieter as the Howler concluded with Lily's voice now speaking much calmer.
"And good luck with your final exams, sweetie. You're going to need it, they're absolutely crazy as heck."
A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Harry's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.
Hermione walked over and put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, "Well, I don't know what you expected, Harry, but —"
"Don't tell me I deserved it," sighed Harry.
"I wasn't," said Hermione, "I was going to say 'I'm sorry'. "
"Oh… well, thanks, Hermione." agreed Harry, nodding his head. "And I'm sorry that I got you all involved in this."
"It's okay, Harry," Hermione replied, "I forgive you."
"Me too, mate." Ron added.
"Same," concluded Neville.
Harry then sighed to gather his thoughts, That's the first time I have ever heard mom upset at me, so I'd best be sure to never do something like last night ever again to upset her.
Resuming his breakfast, Harry soon began to wonder why Lupin didn't send him a Howler. He ultimately deduced that knowing his favorite magical uncle, he didn't want to pour salt on an already open wound.
Harry was glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions…
Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.
"No — no — not again, please —"
It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer.
"All right — all right —" he heard Quirrell sob.
Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was halfway toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling.
All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step — Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.
Harry went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard.
"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell —"
"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.
"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"
The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes.
"Go to Dumbledore," Harry replied. "That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."
"But we've got no proof !" said Ron. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor — who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."
Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't. "If we just do a bit of poking around —"
"No," said Harry flatly, "we've done enough poking around." He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons.
The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville at the breakfast table, Draco must have received one of his own too. They were all the same:
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.
Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor M. McGonagall
Professor F. Flitwick
Professor S. Snape
Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.
At eleven o'clock that night, they left their common rooms and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there — and so was Malfoy. But Harry was relieved when he remembered that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.
"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed… Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."
They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.
The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."
Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have shown on his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy — it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."
At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.
"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night — there's all sorts of things in there — werewolves, I heard."
Ron and Neville clutched the sleeves of Harry's robe and both made choking noises.
"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"
Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.
"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Ron, Hermione?"
"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."
"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.
Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.
"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."
"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd —"
"— tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"
Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.
"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."
He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. "There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang,"
"An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff 'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."
"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, Ron, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now — that's it — an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh — so, be careful — let's go."
The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, Ron, and Fang took the right. They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.
Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.
"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" he heard Hermione ask.
"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."
They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.
"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter — GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"
Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.
"I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."
"A werewolf?" Hermione suggested.
"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now." They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.
"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself — I'm armed!"
And into the clearing came — was it a man, or a horse? To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry, Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped.
"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"
He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.
"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"
"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."
"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.
"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"
"Erm —"
"A bit," said Hermione timidly.
"A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."
"Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt — you seen anythin'?"
Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.
"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."
"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"
"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."
"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home," said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"
Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets."
A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and -bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan.
"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?" "Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?"
"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured — would yeh know anythin' about it?"
Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward.
"Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.
"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."
Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.
"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 Hermione.
"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."
"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry.
"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns — never heard anythin' like it before."
They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched. He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.
"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"
"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!" They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.
"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.
"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville and Ron… it's our fault they're here in the first place."
The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where were the others?
At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville, Ron and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and Ron then grabbed both of them as a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups — Neville, Ron, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."
So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.
"Look —" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.
It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.
Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered… Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animals side, and began to drink its blood.
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted — so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry — unicorn blood was dripping down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Harry — he couldn't move for fear.
Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though his scar were on fire. Half blinded, he staggered backward. He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure.
The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.
"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.
"Yes — thank you — what was that?"
The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.
"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. 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 Harry could clamber onto his back.
There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Firenze!" Bane 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 boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "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?"
Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice.
Bane kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? 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, so that Harry 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 Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"
Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."
"That is 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 defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.
"But who'd be that desperate?" he 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. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course — the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who —"
"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"
It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met during his birthday: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."
"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol —"
"Harry, are you all right?"
"Harry! Hey, mate!"
Ron, Neville and Hermione were running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind them.
"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorns dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."
Harry slid off his back.
"Good luck, Harry 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 Harry shivering behind him.
As the four walked back to their common rooms, by themselves, Harry held a meeting between himself, Ron and Hermione when Neville was in bed. He began to tell them what had happened in his half of the forest, he couldn't sit down. He paced up and down. He was still shaking.
"Snape wants 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 the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.
Harry wasn't listening.
"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so… Bane was furious… he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen… They must show that Voldemort's coming back… Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me… I suppose that's written in the stars as well."
"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.
"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off… Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."
Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.
"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore 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."
The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.
When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his Invisibility Cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:
Just in case.
Author's notes:
* So that was my fifteenth chapter of the Sorcerer's Stone, and as always with every one of my stories, let me know what you all think so far by leaving your feedback in the comments area.
* The Harry Potter franchise, its characters, elements and everything else are owned and were created by J. K. Rowling.
* Snape's talk with Harry is, of course, based off the talk and its aftermath that Mufasa and Simba have after the former saves his son and Nala from the Hyenas in The Lion King.
* The moment where Harry gets a Howler is a nod to Ron getting his Howler in the Chamber of Secrets.
That said, until the next chapter my fellow Wizards, Witches and Muggles:
I'm M. R. Parkerson signing off…
