Author's Notes:
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas/New Year and, for my British friends, a happy boxing day! Still not sure what that is by the way. If anyone wants to review and tell me, I would be so happy to find out! We've been busy here at my house as my daughter's birthday was yesterday. We were all happy to see the end of 2020 here and we're looking forward to a less gloomy year. Maybe? I don't know.
Reviews: ProfessorBowties: You know, I'm really not a car person either. But I always imagined Sirius being a huge motorcycle person (obviously) and James being a classic/sports car enthusiast and I really wanted to introduce that. Plus, cars will help in travel for future chapters and events. I debated having them remember the cloak, but then we wouldn't have had the forest scene. Nesciamema: thank you! DekuGwap: thank you! I'm glad you like it. I hope you continue reading and enjoy it. Merry Christmas to you, too!
Beer of the week: Sam Adams Cold Snap. I know, I know. It's not a craft brew. But! I have a deep love for this beer. It's crisp and sharp and full of Christmas flavors perfect for drinking in front of the fireplace. Plus, my dad and I really bond over this beer. Since he only drinks Yuengling, I always get excited when he branches out.
Posting schedule: once per week.
Thank you everyone for reading. Please, please, please! Review my chapters. Your reviews remind me why I keep writing and renew my love for Ignoring Destiny. You guys are the biggest reason I continue to write and, lately, I've been missing so many of my regular reviewers. Your absences never go unnoticed (in a good way—an I miss you guys, are you ok, kind of way) and I love and appreciate every review I receive on any platform.
Please expect that one shot from me before the end of January. I'll give you a little bit of a teaser here! It focuses on Fred and George during their Hogwarts years! I found the prompt on Tumblr and I couldn't not write it. Please be sure to follow me as an author to receive the notification of the posting!
Thank you everyone! Be safe and be happy!
Chapter Fifty-One: Unicorn Blood
Tonks and company found themselves flying for hours across Europe with Norbert fighting and shaking the box the entire trip. Who would have guessed that dragons weren't fans of the cold?
The air in the night sky was certainly crisp, if not down right freezing. Tonks found herself constantly readjusting on the broom in a desperate attempt to warm each butt cheek individually as the warming spells they had all placed upon themselves had long since worn off.
Tonks had decided that the icicles hanging from her nostrils were wroth the aggravation, though, the moment she landed at the dragon reserve in Romania and saw the face of her best friend.
Charlie Weasley was standing out on the lawn in front of a small townhouse with a sloppy grin plastered on his face as he waived to the incoming group. He started shouting something at them, his grin fading slightly as his waiving became more feverish. Tonks frowned as she watched, wondering what was wrong. Then, suddenly, a roar of fire missed the group by a few meters, the bluish flames causing them to start sweating from the intense heat.
"Woah!" one of the other members shouted as the group veered to the left, "Careful guys! I think Charlie is warning us about a rogue dragon!"
Tonks' eyes widened as she caught sight of the black monstrosity behind them. She spurred her broom to fly faster, to no avail, when, suddenly, the dragon was yanked back by a chain around its ankle. Tonks watched as a handsome man she's never met ran over to the dragon and helped to restrain it. He brushed his curly locks from his face before looking up at the sky and waiving to the newcomers. Tonks smiled as she flew and then her broom lurched as it struck the front of Charlie's house, bucking her from her seat and throwing her to the ground. She lay on the ground for a moment, as if she were contemplating who's fault it was that she had just landed on her ass in the dirt so early in the morning.
She could hear the roarkus laughter of the group standing around her but that didn't matter. Her current embarrassment was all that mattered to her as she saw Charlie's face loom over hers, a hand outstretched towards her with his loping grin on his face.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a visit from you without one minor accident, now would it?"
Tonks grinned, "Wotcher. I suppose not, eh?"
"How have you been Nymphy?" Charlie asked as he effortlessly pulled Tonks to her feet.
She rolled her eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Nymphy? I swear, it's more embarrassing than Nymphadora," she said with a scowl.
"Oh, because Nymphy is so much better than Smolder?"
"Hey, at least yours is extremely masculine," Tonks said proudly, "And it relates to dragons. What more could you want, Smoldy?"
Charlie rolled his eyes, "How was the trip?"
"Nearly froze my buttocks off, but we made it. And brought the cargo," she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
Charlie's eyes lit up at the mention of the dragon, "You got it, then? Excellent!"
He quickly ran over to the crate the was laying abandoned on the ground. Even from a slight distance Tonks could see the box dancing about on the ground as the dragon moved angrily within its prison.
"It seems to have survived the fall," Charlie commented, "It didn't give you any issues during travel?"
One of the men in the group shook his head, "No. I think the coldness in the air weakened it. It didn't move much during the flight and didn't send off any fire which is good. It would have lit that crate alight and we could have lost it on our way."
Tonks shook her head, "Nah, can't have. I reinforced the box with fire-repelling and unbreakable charms. That thing wasn't going to get out of there no matter how much of a fight it put up."
Charlie laughed, "Well, that explains how it's still in a wooden box, that's for sure! Good thinking Nymphy."
Charlie quickly called over a few other reserve workers and had them assist in removing Norbert from his confines and relocating him to an active next site where he could be mothered by another dragon with hatchlings. Tonks watched in what seemed to be a mix of amazement and incredulity as Charlie cuddled the little dragon as if it were a small baby in his arms.
"Smold, it's not baby."
"I mean, technically it is. It's a baby dragon, yes it is!"
Tonks paled, "Please tell me you haven't been putting them in—"
"Do you want to see the new outfits I got for them?" Charlie asked excitedly, interrupting Tonks.
"Onesies?" Tonks asked cautiously.
"Would it be anything else?"
"With you? I suppose not. Come on, let's go. You won't shut up about it until you show them to me."
"Course not!" Charlie said as he handed Norbert off to a comrade and threw his arm around Tonks' shoulders, "So, what have you been up to, Nymphy? Give me all the explicit details. How is Mr. Remus Sexy-as-hell Lupin these days?"
Tonks' mouth gaped, "Excuse you! First off, only I'm allowed to call him sexy as hell. Secondly, how did you know! I haven't told you!"
"Please. You've always had a crush on him and in your last few letters you've mentioned working with him on a project and then having Christmas with the Black-Lupin-Potter's. I'm a dragon tamer, not stupid. I can put 2 and 2 together, Nymph. How long did it take before you convinced him to shag you?"
Tonks blushed and punched Charlie lightly on the arm, "From the start? Until about 4 months ago."
"You're joking! He held out for that long?"
Tonks nodded, "Man's got the thickest skull and sense of martyrism I've ever seen."
"Because of the wolfy problem?"
"That and the age. Let's be honest, the age gap is rather large but I'm not concerned by it. He's a good, kind man, Smolder."
"I know," Charlie smiled, "So, tell me how you convinced him."
Tonks and Charlie spent the next few hours drinking and going over Tonks and Remus' relationship with a fine-toothed comb, analyzing every sentence and word said between them.
"I don't know," Charlie said an hour into their deep analyzation, taking a long swig of his beer, "He keeps coming back to you, despite what you've heard about him with relationships, and you've had continuous, non-sexual interactions. I don't think he's not into you—I think he's scared."
Tonks frowned, "Scared of what? Public outcry? What does the public have to do with our relationship—not relationship?"
"A lot, actually. He's a werewolf and he's registered with the Ministry. Even though that list is private and inaccessible to those without proper authorization, that doesn't change the fact that someone could find out and, when that happens, he'd be a social pariah. I know that he had difficulty finding a post before Dumbledore gave him one because of his condition, and I'm sure he's scared that he'll accidentally injure someone or, god forbid, accidentally infect another human. Those are legitimate fears and concerns. Have you even considered any of them?"
Tonks looked away sheepishly, "Well—I—no, no I guess I hadn't. I just thought, you know, it only happens once a month so it's not that big of deal. He's normal the rest of the time…" Tonks trailed off as she caught sight of the look of contempt on Charlie's face.
"You really have no idea how insanely ignorant you sound—did you even pay attention in DADA when we had our werewolf lesson? Sure, they're normal humans most of the time, and their disease isn't any reason to avoid them or believe they're evil because of it and, often, werewolves are kind individuals just like normal humans. But that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous."
"Hey! I know they're dangerous. We had to learn about them at bootcamp."
"Yes, you learn the mechanics of it. But you've never interacted with other wolves or learned about their culture and lifestyle. You know what books have taught you, not what the individual can teach you."
"How do you know so much about their fears?"
"One of my coworkers here on the reservation is a werewolf," Charlie replied mater-of-factly as he drank more of his beer, "Great bloke. One of the best on the reserve and I'd trust him with my life 28 out of 30 days of the month. We don't judge people here based on their lifestyle or diseases, but we understand that there are risks associated with the disease and take appropriate measures and protections."
"One of—really? Who?"
Charlie shook his head, "Can't say. That would be an invasion of his privacy, wouldn't it? Anyway, if you want to get anywhere with Lupin, you need to start thinking about things from his point of view. How fearful he may be of your safety, your health. Honestly, the fact that he's kept you around so long is promising in my, humble opinion."
"Humble, eh? Bullocks! I call bullocks!" Tonks shouted as she lunged at Charlie and tackled him, forcing him to fall backwards off the low couch and onto the floor, "Ha! You deserved that!" Tonks teased.
"Christ, Nymphy, I could have cracked my skull open."
"You've survived how many near-death experiences at the hands of how many dragons but you're worried about a cracked skull? Ok, Smolder, ok."
"Come on," Charlie motioned as he stood up, "I think I have some snacks in the kitchen. Let's go find some and talk more about how grown-up life is treating us."
Tonks smiled and followed Charlie out fo the room. Yeah, she thought, she'd definitely missed her best friend.
~ID~
Harry, Hermione, and Draco sat quietly at Gryffindor table the morning after dropping Norbert off forever. Ron was still in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey had refused to release him until the color in his hand had turned back to normal. Harry was silently wondering how long it would take his Nana to tell his dad what happened last night. His stomach twisted in knots as he thought back to the night before and the look of absolute disappointment on McGonagall's face as she handed out their punishments.
McGonagall looked at the four students standing before her desk as the moonlight spilled into the room. None of them had realized exactly how thin McGonagall's lips could get when she was angry. The thinness had them all shifting their weight uncomfortably as they waited for the explosion.
"Four students. Four students out of bed in one night. Never, in all my time at Hogwarts has this ever happened," she glanced down at Harry and thought for a moment, "No. no I suppose it has. But that does not disregard the severity of your situation. And the worst of this is that your lies caused Mr. Longbottom to come in search of you. That doesn't make him right or absolve him of punishment, however."
"Professor," Zabini said snidely, "Professor I was just trying to warn you—"
McGonagall held her hand up to Zabini, "Mr. Zabini, I do not care to hear whatever it is you have to say. There is never a good reason to be out of bed at this hour let alone wandering the castle. 50 points from Slytherin for this indiscretion."
Harry shot Zabini a gloating look before moving his eyes back to McGonagall. He jumped when he realized she was staring directly at him, "As for you three. 50 points from Gryffindor. Each."
Harry's mouth fell open, "Each?"
"Each. And you three will serve a detention this weekend. I shall inform you of when and where at a later time. Until then, off to bed," McGonagall said before sitting down at her desk.
Harry turned to leave the room as McGonagall spoke up again, "Mr. Potter, a word, please."
Harry gulped and turned to look at his nana and gave her a lopsided grin, "What's up, Nana?"
McGonagall let out an involuntary smile before setting her lips back to a thin line again, "Mr. Potter—Harry. I wanted to tell you without anyone else around just how disappointed I am in you. I had always thought you were more like Lily. Surely you inherited her temperament and her kind disposition. I had never expected that I would need to keep an eye on you quite like I did with James and Sirius. And I hope," she said, her eyes narrowing, "this sort of behavior doesn't continue."
"I'm sorry, Nana," Harry said honestly.
McGonagall nodded, "I'll have to inform James. I'm sure Remus will know by morning and Sirius soon thereafter. Now go, and have a restful night."
Harry nodded and quickly turned on his heel and left the office.
McGonagall stepped up behind Harry and Hermione suddenly and said, "Your detentions will be held at midnight on Saturday evening. You will meet Filch in the entrance hall and he shall lead you down to Hagrid where you will assist him with an endeavor in the Forbidden Forest."
"The Forbidden Forest?" Hermione asked, her face paling.
"Yes, Ms. Granger, the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Potter, Professor Lupin has requested to see you after classes today."
Harry nodded, "Thank you, Professor."
The little group turned into one another and whispered amongst themselves, "You think he's going to yell at you?" Ron asked as his face paled.
Harry shook his head, "I'm honestly not sure. I mean, I've never heard Uncle Moony yell. So, I don't think so?"
Just then Harry felt his mirror vibrating in his pocket and he paled, "I have to go. Dad's calling."
Harry quickly stood up and made his way out of the great hall, only glancing back momentarily to catch the sight of his friends' mournful looks.
Just as he slid into an unused classroom his mirror began vibrating again. He quickly pulled it out and prepared for the unknown.
"Hey dad."
"Harry. I'm not sure if I should be angry with you or extremely proud. I sincerely hope that whatever prank or outing you had planned was worth it as I completely agree with your detention. Though, I do think the amount of points Minnie assigned you was out of control."
Suddenly, Sirius' face overtook the screen, pushing James out of the way, "Don't listen to him, Harry! We're so proud of you! Our little Marauder, following in our footsteps and making your way around the castle at midnight!" Sirius made an exaggerated sniffing sound as he put some eye drops into his eyes, "I'm literally crying right now. Crying with pride!" he wiped away some of the tears.
James pushed his way back into the frame and rolled his eyes, "Sirius, I swear you're more dramatic than a teenage girl. We aren't supposed to be praising him! He technically broke school rules!"
"As if we didn't break rules all the time! We're fucking illegal animagi for Merlin's sake!"
Harry smiled, "He has a point, dad."
"You! No comments. It's bad enough I have to deal with Sirius, I can't handle your sass, too," James gave Sirius, who was still off-screen, a nasty look before looking back at Harry, "No more midnight wanderings. Moony is going to give you a little lecture today, too."
Sirius pushed his way into the frame again, "Don't worry, Harry, I'm going to lecture him about lecturing you before he meets with you! It won't be too bad for you."
"Padfoot! Stop trying to get him out of trouble! This is a serious issue."
"But I wasn't involved in his nighttime wanderings at all," Sirius said innocently.
James looked very seriously into the mirror, a pleading look in his eyes, "Harry, I'm asking you as your beloved father to please, please send help. I'm locked in a house with this prat right now with nothing to do."
"Why don't you get a job, then, ya freeloader!" Harry heard Sirius shout from beyond the screen.
Harry burst out laughing, this wasn't feeling like any sort of punishment to him at all. "If you two are going to keep arguing, can I head to class?"
"No you can't head to class, you haven't been properly chastised," James said.
"So you're going to punish him for breaking rules by making him break more rules?" Sirius asked in the distance, "Makes sense to me!"
"What?" James spluttered, "No! Of course not! Harry, head to class!"
"Whatever you say dad. I'll talk to you two later."
Harry turned his mirror off just as he heard Sirius and James get back into another spat. He couldn't help but grin at his dads.
~ID~
The day went more quickly than Harry had wanted it to. It only felt like minutes before the end of the day had come around and he found himself standing out front f his Uncle's office door, his palms sweating as he hesitated knocking.
Harry let out a deep breath as he stood outside of the weathered oak door in front of him and composed himself for a moment. Then he gently knocked on the glossy door, hoping that Remus was too busy or occupied to hear the quiet rapping.
"Come in, Harry," Remus called from the other side of the door.
Harry carefully pushed the door open and crept inside of the office. As he glanced around, the only thing he really noticed was Remus sitting, bent over, at his large desk as he inspected the contents of a book.
"Have a seat, Harry. I'll be with you in a moment, alright?"
Harry quickly sat down in one of the plushy armchairs across from his Uncle's desk and folded his hands together, trying his best to look calm and innocent.
It didn't work.
As soon as Remus looked up from his book Harry knew he was in trouble, "You know," he tried to divert, "Dad and Uncle Sirius already chewed me out before classes today. And Nana did last night. I'd say I've already had my share of lectures. I mean, really, Nana lecturing me was down right scarry."
Remus simply folded his arms across his chest and stared Harry down, not saying a word.
"I mean, they've already told me it was stupid to be out after hours and my punishment is more than deserved. And, really, I feel like the amount of points Gryffindor lost was more than enough punishment."
Remus continued to stare at Harry, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat.
"And I'm sure it was a disappointment to you guys. I should have told you I was going to be out so late." When Remus didn't say anything Harry continued, "And—and I'm sorry," Harry said desperately.
Remus analyzed Harry for a moment, considering and weighing his options before speaking, "Have you learned a lesson, Buck?"
Harry nodded, "Don't get caught by Filch?"
Remus stared him down again, "I know, I know! No sneaking out at night."
Remus nodded, "I knew we'd get there in the end. Harry, the main reason I wanted to speak to you, aside from the obvious, is that I think some of this sneaking out has to do with you being bored. And yes, I know about the other times you've been out after hours. And I know all about your research into Nicholas Flamel."
"How did you—"
"Did you know that one of the interesting piece of magic involving the Potter Library is that it records all searches conducted therein? And I found it curious that over the holiday someone had searched for Cerberuses and for Nicholas Flamel and, thereafter, the Philosopher's Stone."
"I didn't know that."
"I figured you didn't. I haven't mentioned this to Sirius or James—no one is supposed to know the Stone is here at Hogwarts. In fact, no one knows who all has helped protect it."
"Hagrid told us everyone," Harry argued, "We know. It's him, Nana, Snape, Quirrell, Dumbledore, Sprout, and Flitwick."
"And me," Remus corrected as he looked calmly at Harry.
"You? Why you?"
Remus looked slightly offended, "Why not? Dumbledore wanted someone he could trust to add to the protections secretly. No one outside of the three of us is aware of my intervention in this project."
"Not even Snape?"
"Not even Professor Snape," Remus replied calmly, "Why him specifically?"
Harry thought for a moment before shifting in his seat and responding quietly, "We—Ron, Hermione, Draco and I—think he's trying to steal the stone. He tried to get passed the cerberus on Halloween night."
Remus sat back in his seat, "Severus was trying to prevent a potential theft that night."
"How do you know?"
"Because Dumbledore trusts Severus and Dumbledore told me that."
"Did you know that Snape is a Death Eater? Draco told us he was a double agent for Voldemort during the war."
"I did know that. I also know that he changed his alliances before Voldemort's fall. He assisted in hiding you and your parents from Voldemort and often fed him incorrect and misdirectional information."
"I don't believe that. Snape is—he's horrible. And he's after the stone. He wants it for Voldemort!"
"Harry, you need to drop this nonsense. Stop trying to research the stone. I want you to promise me, right now, that you will not go after the stone yourself."
"Why do you think I would go after it?"
"Because I know you, Harry. You're too much like James—he would have gone after it by now."
"Why should I promise? I'm the only one who cares about Snape trying to get it."
"Because, if you promise me, I'll resume our defense lessons. We can meet once a week and work on your defensive skills. Honestly, we shouldn't have waited so long to resume them."
"Why do you think we need to return them?"
Remus looked at Harry very seriously, "Even though Voldemort is gone, and trust me, he is gone for good, his followers remain and they will do anything they can to capture or kill you."
Harry gulped.
"Promise me, Harry. The protections are too dangerous for you. They're designed to kill grown wizards. Imagine what they'll do to a first year."
Harry thought for a moment before responding, "I promise. When can we start?"
Remus seemed to visibly relax as he smiled, "How does now sound?"
"Fantastic."
~ID~
Harry felt exhausted and sore as he walked down from Gryffindor Tower with Hermione at a quart to midnight later that evening. He and Remus had practiced several defensive spells for three hours after he had gone to talk to his Uncle. They had practiced Harry's shield charm again, this time practicing moving it to protect others instead of just himself. They had also practiced the disarming charm and Stupefy. Harry had quickly mastered both spells and moved to practicing them wandlessly. Though he was unsuccessful Remus had high hopes that Harry would be able to pick the spells up wandlessly quickly. Remus had said to Harry that he hadn't seen such potential for wandless magic since Dumbledore. Harry thought he was overexaggerating, but appreciated the compliment all the same.
Harry winced as they stepped off of the last stair and his muscles strained.
Filch sneered at them and held his lantern higher, "Come with me you nasty little rulebreakers. You'll be spending your detention in the Forbidden Forest. It's one of the most proper punishments I've seen in years here at Hogwarts. I tried to get McGonagall to let me hang you from your thumbs in the dungeons but she wouldn't budge. Keep breaking rules and maybe she will."
The five of them quickly made their way down the rolling lawns to Hagrid's Hut. Harry tried several times to catch Neville's eye as they walked, but he was looking pointedly away from him and Hermione. It was clear that Neville didn't want to speak with them, perhaps even blamed them for his portion of the punishment. And Harry couldn't find fault in that assumption.
The four children walked in silence as Filch continued to mutter about the poor quality of the detentions at Hogwarts over the last quarter of a century. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances as they reached the hut and caught sight of Hagrid. He was standing, massive and towering, before them with a crossbow and quiver slung across his back and Fang by his side.
"'Bout ruddy time," Hagrid growled, "C'mon kids. We got work ter do."
"Better be careful," Filch chimed in, "Never know what you might find in the forest at night."
"Get out a 'ere, yeh ruddy, no good—"
"I'll be back at dawn for them. For what's left of them," Filch added unnecessarily.
"C'mon kids," Hagrid said as he turned and began walking into the forest.
The kids half ran to keep up with Hagrid as they walked into the trees next to his hut.
"Hagrid?" Hermione called, "Hagrid, what are we doing out here?"
"We're searching fer a unicorn. Summat's injured it. See here," Hagrid said as he indicated a silvery substance on a leaf, "Tha's unicorn blood. It mus' be badly injured an' we need ter find it."
"Something's injuring unicorns and we've been sent into the forest to find the injured one?" Blaise asked angrily, "Isn't that, I don't know, kind of extremely dangerous for first years to have to handle?"
"Calm down Zabini, yer with me an' Fang. Yer goin' ter be fine."
As the darkness increased Harry pulled out his wand, "Lumos." The brightness from the tip of his wand illuminated a few feet of the path before him. He frowned and waived his wand, "Lumos Maxima. Wow, that didn't help much, did it?" he commented as only another foot of pathway illuminated for him.
Hermione frowned and lit her wand too, "Yeah, it doesn't provide much light does it? Not in this amount of darkness."
"You two clearly aren't doing the spell correctly," Blaise bragged, "Lumos Maxima!" Harry snorted when Blaise's wand ignited less space than his own had.
"You were saying?" Harry chided.
"Shush now. Yeh four, 'ere now," he said as they approached a fork in the pathway, "We're goin' ter split inter two groups of three. 'Arry, you, me, and Hermione will go this way an' Neville, Zabini, and Fang will go that way."
Zabini simply stuck his nose in the air and began walking down the right hand path, leaving Neville and Fang in the semidarkness. Neville jumped and squeaked and ran down the path after Zabini, his partially illuminated wand held aloft and Fang at his ankles.
"Send up red sparks if yer in danger!" Hagrid yelled after the pair of children, "Ruddy kids. C'mon, let's go."
Hagrid, Harry, and Hermione spent the next twenty minutes walking down their respective pathway talking and catching up. Hermione praised Harry for what he learned in his lesson with Remus that evening and speculated on what else they would be working on through the rest of term. Hagrid had commented that it wouldn't be anything overly complex because Harry is still a first year.
"Shush, you two," Hagrid said as he looked into the darkened trees, his bearded face stoic and full of concentration. "Get behind that tree!" he yelled suddenly as he hoisted them off the path and plopped them behind a towering oak tree. Then, suddenly, the group heard a rustling sound in the bushes and Hagrid lifted his enormous crossbow and loaded a bolt into it, holding it steady before him.
Then, what looked like a bare-chested man attached to the body of a horse trotted onto the pathway in front of them, his face calm and curious. "Hagrid," the creature said, "What are you doing in the forest so late at night? And with foals, too. We have told you how dangerous the forest is at night of late, Hagrid."
"Oh, Ronan," Hagrid said with recognition. He lowered his crossbow, "Yeh nearly gave me a 'artattack. Kids, you can come out now. This is Ronan. 'E's a centaur. Ronan, this is Hermione Granger an' Harry Potter. They're students up at the school. "
"Wow!" Hermione said as she took in Ronan's large form, "I didn't realize there were centaurs in the forest."
"Indeed there are, little foal. We are many and consider the forest our home. Hagrid, we have continued to warn you of the dangers that lurk in the forest right now. It isn't safe and you should return back to the school."
"Noth'n in this 'ere forest is goin' ter hurt me, Ronan. We're lookin' fer what's killin' the unicorns. 'Ave yeh seen anything?"
The centaur looked up unblinkingly at the star-filled sky, "Mars is bright tonight."
"Yeah," Hagrid said as he glanced up at the sky. Harry and Hermione did, too, but Harry wasn't able to make out which bright blip was Mars, "Have yeh seen anythin', Ronan?"
Ronan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he continued to stare unblinkingly up at the sky and sighed, "Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, and so it is now."
"Yeah. But have yeh seen anythin'? Anythin' unusual?"
"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, "Unusually bright."
"I meant loser ter home, Ronan."
"The forest hides many secrets," Ronan said as he continued to look up at the sky.
Then, there was another movement behind Ronan which made Hagrid raise his bow again as a second centaur strode out of the forest.
"Hullo, Bane. All right?" Hagrid asked.
"Good evening, Hagrid. I hope you are well?"
"Well enough. Look, I've jus' been askin' Ronan—you seen anythin' odd in here lately? About the unicorns."
"We have told you something dark lurks in the forest, Hagrid," Bane said as he strode to stand next to Ronan and look up at the sky, "Mars is bright tonight."
"We've heard. Well, if either of yeh see anythin', let me know. We'll be off now."
They made their way down the path again, leaving the gazing centaurs where the stood, fixated on the bright sky above them.
"Ruddy stargazers. Never interested in anything closer to home than the next planet."
"Hagrid," Hermione asked quietly, "What did they mean when they said they had warned you about what was in the forest?"
Hagrid made a noise of dismissal before responding, "Don't worry abou' it Hermione. Ain't nothin' in this forest that can scare me."
"But if something's been killing the unicorns," Harry protested.
"It's nothing to worry about," Hagrid said.
After walking for twenty more minutes in stunned silence, Harry's group saw the red sparks fly up into the air some 500 feet from them to the right.
"Stay 'ere," Hagrid ordered as he bounded off the path and toward the red light.
"Do you think they're ok?" Hermione asked Harry, her fingers overing her bottom lip as she looked, wide-eyed at the place where Hagrid disappeared, "If there's something in here killing unicorns, it must be truly evil. I—I didn't want to say anything and scare Neville, but unicorns are supposed to be the essence of good and all things pure. If something is killing them…"
Harry frowned, "Don't we kill unicorns for the horns we use in potions?"
Hermione shook her head, "No. Don't you pay attention in potions? Professor Snape mentioned once that unicorn horns are like deer antlers. They fall off a few times a year and regrow larger than before. They're not without horns for very long, but it's helped keep muggles confused about the existence of unicorns because, if they do catch one, often the unicorn sheds its horn before the muggle can show it off. Then it just looks like a regular, white horse. We use those discarded horns for potions."
"I didn't know that," Harry admitted, "I'll be honest, I tend to tune Snape out during class. I get tired of the snide comments he makes towards me or about my dads or uncles."
"And the hairs," Hermione continued. It seemed that she hadn't noticed that Harry had spoken and was, instead, working on autopilot. "We get those from trees and branches. Their hair gets caught a lot and falls loose. That's why unicorn hair is more expensive than horn—it's thinner and harder to see and find than a horn. Hogwarts gets all of theirs—" Hermione stopped abruptly and squealed as they heard a rustling in the bush next to them.
Hermione needn't have worried as Hagrid stepped out from the brush pulling Blaise by his robes with Neville and Fang close at his heels. Hagrid was fuming as he walked back to Harry and Hermione, "Yeh ruddy little—we'll be lucky if we can find anythin' with the racket you two were makin'. Scaring summit in this forest isn't a bright idea," Hagrid chastised, "Right. We're changin' groups—Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," He added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."
Harry sighed and shot Blaise a dirty look. Blaise simply shrugged as they started walking down the path away from Hagrid and his friends.
"Not my fault Longbottom scares easily. I didn't even do anything to him. Stepped on a branch by accident."
"Because I believe that. You're a prat. Neville is a good person and you have no right picking on him."
"He shouldn't make himself an easy target. Honestly, I don't know why you're friends with him," Blaise said arrogantly, "You're famous. You could be friends with anyone in the school. I thought you were making good choices when you chose Draco as a friend and then he went and got sorted into Ravenclaw. Mother about had a heart attack when she heard that. We were close as children, you know. All the way up until we were sorted into separate houses."
"If you were really that close with him," Harry spat, "then you wouldn't have ditched him when things got hard. Just because you're in different houses doesn't mean you can't still be friends. I didn't ditch him."
"Maybe you're a better person than I am," Blaise said quietly as he looked down at the dirt path beneath their feet.
"Wh—"
"Shush!" Blaise said as he held out his hand to stop Harry from moving forward further. Harry made to protest when he caught sight of something bright white laying, partially covered, on the ground in the clearing. As he looked around, Harry caught sight of more of the silvery blood around them. He had been so absorbed in their conversation that he hadn't noticed the thickening of the amounts splattered around them.
Harry realized quickly that it was dead. He had never seen anything so beautiful, yet so sad, in his life. What could have killed something that beautiful and pure?
Then Harry noticed the cloaked figure bent over the sprawled creature, its head bent down, drinking the animal's silvery blood.
Thinking quickly, Harry slapped a hand over Blaise's mouth, worried that the boy would scream and bring attention to them. But he hadn't anticipated Fang's booming bark which startled the figure. As the hooded figure raised its head, Fang bolted back down the pathway. As the silver blood dripped down from the hidden face, Harry's legs clamped up and he couldn't move. He looked next to him and saw Blaise standing, fear wide in his eyes, as the figure clambered to its feet.
As it began gliding toward them, a pain like Harry had never felt in his life stabbed his forehead, causing his scar to split open and blood dripple down his face. Half blinded, Harry stumbled backward slightly. Blaise fell back, using his body to shield Harry, his wand up and out, pointed at the unknown figure.
"Get up, Potter! Get up and help me!"
But Harry couldn't answer as the pain drove him to his knees as he heard hoofbeats behind him and something jumped clean over him and charged at the cloaked figure. Harry took a moment to himself to let the feeling pass. He could hear Blaise speaking to whatever had charged at the figure as he regained sight. When he looked up, he realized that the creature was a centaur, but it wasn't those he had met before; Bane or Ronan. This one was younger with white-blonde hair and a palomino body.
"Are you two alright?" the centaur asked as he pulled Harry to his feet.
"Yes—thank you—what was that? Zabini, did you get a good look?"
Blaise shook his head as the centaur scanned Harry's face, his blue eyes lingering on his forehead, "You are the Potter boy," he stated, "you had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time—especially for you. Can you two ride? It will be faster that way. My name is Firenze," he said as he lowered himself to the ground so Blaise and Harry could clamber onto his back.
Once they were settled, another sound erupted from the end of the clearing—Bane and Ronan burst through the trees.
"Firenze!" Bane thundered, "What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you but a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is? This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest the better it is for all."
"What have you told him?" Bane accused, "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."
"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 the forest!"
"Do you not see that unicorn? 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 remember, the planets tell us what is to come, not when."
With that, Firenze whisked around, Harry and Blaise clutching to his back and neck, and galloped away.
"Why is Bane so angry?" Harry asked, "And what was that cloaked thing?"
Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry and Blaise to keep their heads bowed, but did not answer any questions. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Firenze finally spoke.
"Do either of you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
Harry shook his head but Blaise nodded, "It can be used in some potions—poisons mostly. The deadliest, and painful kind. But it can also be used in life-sustaining potions. But nobody brews those because of how difficult and dangerous it is to get unicorn blood."
Firenze nodded, "Yes. That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn. But those are not the only uses. Only one who has nothing to lose, 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 or kill another, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood or potion touches your lips."
"But who would be that desperate?" Harry asked.
"The last time a potion like that was use was during the war," Blaise added solemnly.
Firenze nodded, "Unless all you need to do is stay alive long enough to drink something else—something to bring you back to full strength, death would be better than the price that comes with unicorn blood."
Harry knew immediately what Firenze was indicating but kept his mouth shut. He didn't trust Blaise with that information, "But I don't understand who—"
"Can you, either of you, think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"
"The Dark Lord," Blaise breathed.
"Harry! Harry, are you alright?" Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.
"We're fine," Harry said, "The unicorn's dead. It's in the clearing back that way."
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as the children slid off his back, "You are safe now. Good luck, Harry Potter. The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope that this is one of those times."
~ID~
The small group had quickly made their way back to the castle. It was much earlier than they had anticipated and Hagrid gave them permission to head to bed instead of waiting for Filch. By the time they got back Ron was already deep asleep and Harry didn't want to wake Draco or Ginny to catch them up on the evening's events. He considered telling his father or one of his uncles, but he didn't want to worry them when nothing had actually happened to him. He was concerned about his scar hurting, though. And the fact that Voldemort was stalking the forest drinking unicorn blood. But what could they do about that? Yank him from Hogwarts? He couldn't leave his friends, his home. He shook his head and headed to his empty and warm four-poster bed.
When Harry pulled his sheets back, ready to allow sleep to overtake him, he was surprised to find a folded cloth and note laying there. In the dark, he couldn't see, but as soon as he touched it he realized it was the invisibility cloak. He picked up the note and held it closely to his face so he could read it in the gloom. It contained only three words.
Just in case.
End Notes:
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