Jeez what's with me all of the sudden. Several months of nothing, nada, zilch, then suddenly three chapters in one week?...must be something in the water.

McGonagall came in an hour later to check that all her lions were accounted for and was pleased to find they were. A few minutes after she left Parvati stood up from the couch and started to head to bed, but before she left Harry stopped her.

"Parvati, I… are we…" Harry struggled with the words causing her to laugh at his misfortune.

"We're okay Harry," she said before pulling him up from the couch and into a short kiss. "See you tomorrow," she said before going upstairs leaving Harry by the fire.

Harry couldn't get any sleep despite his efforts, so he snuck out of the tower once more. He settled down under a tree near the edge of the forest watching Hagrid's Hut from afar. He was enjoying the calming night breeze when he heard something deeper in the woods.

He shifted back into his xenomorph form and followed the sound to find Quirrell, already drinking a unicorn. 'Probably came out here after the troll failed,' Harry suspected. "Did you not understand my warning last time?" Harry hissed at the man who turned and launched a spell at him, which Harry avoided.

Harry quickly began running erratically around the Professor, keeping to the shadows and dodging the spells that were sent. Quirrell had difficulty tracking his movements as he sent killing curses, blasting hexes and a variety of spells at his disposal. He eventually got the idea to brighten up his field of vision. "Lumos!" he spoke sending the light above him revealing Harry's position just in time to avoid Harry who leapt at the man to gut him with his claws.

Quirrell took the opportunity and fired the first spell he thought of at the monster lunging at him once more, a cutting hex. The cut managed to get a small cut through the thick xenomorph skin causing Harry's blood to spill. Quirrell looked pleased before he noticed the effect the monster's blood had on the ground below as the acid ate through the plants and some of the earth. Not to mention in that moment Firenze came running through the woods and would no doubt soon be followed by the other centaurs. Quirrell decided best to cut and run since he got what he came for anyway and flew off back to Hogwarts.

'Dammit, he got me," Harry thought. He knew a healing spell of course, it was the first spell taught to everyone, but if he changed back his own blood would eat through his clothes, which would be difficult to explain. So, he tried to fix it in his current state. "Sanavio," he said focusing on the cut, and soon it had closed.

Firenze didn't know what to make of this new creature. It was surely a predator, no doubt about it, but he had never seen such a thing in this forest before. 'Could Hagrid have bred it?' Firenze wondered. It was at this moment though that Harry realized he had been discovered. Feeling guilty Harry shifted into his normal self.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't save it," Harry said gesturing to the dead unicorn.

"It is fine, young wizard, it is not your job to protect them," Firenze said, which seemed to calm Harry, "So, why are you out here?"

"I've been coming to the woods to relax, take my mind off things," Harry admitted.

"Relax?" Firenze asked with a slight chuckle, "Why would you come here to relax?"

"It's… freeing I suppose. Before a few months ago, I was kept in a small closet, and when I wasn't, I was working. Being able to enjoy some free time in a large open space where I can be in my other form is relaxing."

"So, was that your handiwork a few weeks ago?" Firenze asked receiving a nod from Harry. Soon they could hear the approaching sounds of the other centaurs. "Can you talk in that other form?"

"No, but I have an idea," Harry responded before shifting into his other form.

The other centaurs arrived just a minute after Harry transformed their eyes trained on the strange creature next to Firenze, they pulled back their bows ready to attack.

"Firenze! What is this thing?" Bane demanded.

"I'm not sure," he responded.

"Can it talk?" Ronan asked.

'I hope this works,' Harry thought as he focused on his right index finger and cast, "Flagrante!" His finger appeared covered in a red flame as Harry wrote in the air.

NO.

"What were you doing here?" Bane demanded.

FIGHTING UNICORN KILLER.

"Do you know who it is?" Ronan asked to which Harry nodded.

"Do you know where it is?" Blaze asked, again Harry nodded pointing to the castle.

"See! I told you those wizards are behind these attacks!"

NO, ONE WIZARD, NO ONE ELSE.

At this Bane became suspicious. "Are you a wizard?" he accused; Harry nodded.

"So, you're an animagus?" Ronan asked.

NO.

"Then what are you?" Bane demanded.

A FRIEND

The answer was simple and yet spoke volumes to the centaurs. This obviously dangerous creature had called itself their friends. They knew despite their numbers and skill they could not fell this beast if they tried, and if it could indeed help protect the unicorns why not accept it?

"Kill the one who slays the herd, and that may indeed be true," Firenze said with agreements from the other centaurs, even a small nod from Bane.

I WILL TRY

And with that Harry headed back to the castle and climbed up into the tower. Shifted back and collapsed in exhaustion on his bed, not even bothering to change clothes or even get under the covers. 'Most exhausting Halloween ever!' was his last thought as sleep overtook him.

He slept in a bit the next day, which was fine since it was a Friday and he didn't have a morning class. He got up just in time to get a quick shower and headed down to breakfast.

This early on a Friday, despite the available food few if any students were in the hall. Harry entered to find that Padme was sitting with her sister at the Gryffindor table talking about something. He approached them and sat down next to Parvati causing their conversation to change topic to what could be in the forbidden corridor.