Out of the Shadow

That night, with Helen in tow, we met up with Harry, Hermione, a boy named Neville and Draco Malfoy. I looked at Harry with my eyebrows raised and he shakes his head. "It's a really long story." Just then Filch grunted something and we all followed him. "I swear if I even get a bug bite, I'm going to ruin you." Helen hissed in my ear. I just rolled my eyes. Thankfully, Helen heard Draco giving Neville a hard time and instantly went into flirt mode.

If I was being completely honest, I had no idea someone even knew how to flirt at the age of eleven. I watched her blushing and fawning all over Draco. It made me sick, I didn't get what she saw in him. Then again, I didn't see people romantically and started to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with me. I remembered back to Ashley making a comment about Lee Jordan earlier that week too.

Finally, we reached Hagrid's hut and Filch left us in his capable hands. I was so grateful to have a detention with someone who wasn't a teacher and seemed to really like all of us. "Hello Fang!" I said excitedly squatting down to pet the dog. "Ew! He's drooling on my shoe." Helen gasped in horror. "Then move." I said simply.

"I'll be back at dawn to get what's left of them." Filch said. Neville and Helen looked absolutely terrified. "I'm not going into the forest." She protested. Filch turned a sneer in her direction. "You should have thought about that before getting in trouble." I smirked at that. After Filch left Malfoy turned to Hagrid and said again that he was not stepping foot into that forest either. I walked over and patted Neville on the shoulder. He was still clinging to Harrys robes.

"Don't be ashamed of being scared Neville. Even the schools more irritating bullies are scared out of their minds."

Neville gave me a small smile, and so did Harry but I heard Helen huff in annoyance. "Right then." Hagrid started. "it's dangerous what we are doing tonight, and I don't want anyone taking risks. Follow me over here." We followed him towards the edge of the forest where there was a puddle of a shimmering liquid on the ground.

"You see this here. That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn that's been hurt badly, and we are going in there to find it. We might have to put it out of its misery."

"And what happens if it finds us first?" Draco asked.

"Nothing will bother you in the forest so's long you are with me or Fang. Right we are going to split up into two groups."

"I want Fang!" Malfoy said.

"Alright, but mind you he's a coward."

I squat down and gave fang another pet. "Don't worry boy, so his Malfoy." I whispered it but I knew that everyone else could hear me. "I'll take Harry, Holly and Hermione, Draco, Neville, Helen and Fang will split off that way." He told us to send up green sparks if they found the unicorn, and red if they were in trouble and with that we broke off and went into the forest.

We walked along following the puddles of unicorn blood. Hagrid talked to a couple of centaurs, though that was only causing Hagrid to grow more irritated. "Hagrid! Look, red sparks the others are in trouble!" Hermione pointed out. "Stay here on the path. I'll come back for ya!" Hagrid said before taking off into the forest to get the others.

"Do you think they are okay?" Hermione asked.

"I don't care about Malfoy, but if Neville got hurt, it's our fault he's here." Harry added.

"Will you tell me why you are here?" I asked him. Together him and Hermione explained what happened with the dragon and getting caught. I couldn't keep the shocked expression off my face. "So, not only did you get to be up close and personal with a Dragon and didn't tell me, you also have an invisibility cloak? What the heck Harry!" I was fuming. Why didn't he tell me about it?

"It was a gift from Dad. Apparently, Dumbledore had it and they gave it to me."

I didn't have time to get into that with Harry, Hagrid returned with the others in tow and Hagrid didn't looked please. Apparently, Draco and Helen ganged up on Neville and scared it causing him to send up red sparks. "Holly an' Harry are now with Draco. Neville and Helen are with Hermione and me." I shrugged, even if I wasn't thrilled being stuck with Draco and Harry.

I walked a head with Fang by my side while Harry and Draco walked behind me. I listened to Draco complain the entire time until Harry grabbed my arm. "Hey, notice the pools getting bigger?" I nodded and we kept going. As we entered a small clearing, we noticed the dead unicorn. We stood there frozen for a moment until a hooded figure stepped out of the dark and started drinking the blood.

Malfoy screamed and took off back towards Hagrid with Fang close at his heels. I stood beside Harry and grabbed his arm in shock as Harry doubled over in pain holding his head. "Harry!" I called out to him keeping my arms around him. The hooded figure noticed us then and slowly made its way towards us. I stumbled up and put myself between Harry and the figure.

Just then another centaur appeared and scared off the figure. I turned back to Harry. "Harry, are you okay?" The centaur approached us. "What was that?" Harry asked. I shrugged. "You are the potter children. You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest isn't safe at this time, especially not for you." He said looking right at Harry. My name is Firenze." He lowed himself down for Harry to climb up and I joined him.

As we went though the forest Firenze asked Harry if he knew what Unicorn blood was used for. We both shook our heads. "We just use the horns in potions." I said. "That is because it is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn. 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 will have but a half-life, a cursed life from the moment the blood touches your lips."

Harry and I exchanged a look. "If you are going to be cursed, surely death is better." Harry pointed out. Firenze seemed to agree. "It is. Unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else. Something that will mean you never die. Mr. Potter do you know what is hidden in the school this very moment?"

"The sorcerers stone! The Elixir of life!"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power?'

It hit me like a slap in the face. I clutched Harry's arm and gasped as realization dawned on him too. "Do you mean that was Voldemort?" He asked but never got a response as the others caught up to us. "Harry! Holly are you okay?" Hermione asked throwing her arms around us as we climbed down from Firenze. We both nodded.

"We are fine. The unicorn is dead, Hagrid. It's in a clearing back there." Harry said calmly. Firenze bid us goodbye and we all walked back up towards Hagrid's hut. I held back Harry to walk beside me. "Whatever is going on with this stone, you need to be careful. Don't go sticking your nose in."

"Holly. If Voldemort is after the stone, I have to do something. We can't let him come back. Mum and Dad…" He trailed off and I sighed heavily. "Fine, but at least let me be there to help you." Harry didn't respond but he didn't need to. I was going to stick by his side until the end of the year, at least the best way I could being in a separate house from him.

Over the next few days every time I saw Harry, I noticed he looked worse and worse. Most people just assumed it was because of exams, but I knew my brother, and this was not exam stress. Thankfully he confided in me about the pain from his scar and the nightmares he had been having. We both knew that this wasn't a good sign, and it further stressed the closeness of Voldemort.

Following up from my final exam of the week I followed Harry, Ron and Hermione out to the lake where Fred and George were there with Lee Jordan tickling the giant squid's tentacles. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat under a tree nearby but I rushed up to the twins. "Hey! Free at last?" George asked me. I nodded. "Finally. That history of magic exam is horrible. I'd rather kiss that squid then do that exam again."

"We can arrange that." Fred said. The boys laughed and I rolled my eyes. "Hey. What are you doing after the school term ends?" George asked. "Do you know if you'll get to go with your parents?" I just gave him a small shrug. "No idea. I guess I'll have to ask Dumbledore."

"Maybe you can come to ours!"

"That would be nice, but somehow I doubt it."

I looked over my shoulder at my brother, wondering if I should ask him to talk to someone about us going back to our parents after school. Just then Harry jumped to his feet and rushed off. "Where's he going?" Fred asked. I didn't answer, instead I ran off after Harry. I caught up with him in mid conversation with Hagrid. I didn't make myself known until I saw them running back up towards the school.

"What is going on?" I asked him as we reached the entrance to the school.

"We have to go talk to Dumbledore." Harry started. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak. It must have been easy once he got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us."

Just then Rhea approached us. "Hi!" She said happily but when she saw our faces her face fell. "Is everything okay?" I nodded quickly. "Yes, just a family disagreement." I smiled at her. "What's up Rhea?" I asked her. "I was looking for you, Ashley and I wanted to talk to you." I nodded at her before turning back to Harry and saying as quietly as possible. "Update me at dinner." Then I turned and followed Rhea back outside towards the courtyard near Ravenclaw tower.

When we arrived, I saw Ashley sitting with her face in her hands. "Ashley! What happened?" I asked shocked to see her so upset suddenly. Ashley just shrugged. "Nothing really. Just Helen." I instantly felt my blood boil. "What now?" I asked. "Nothing directly, she's just gotten worse since that detention. I heard her call someone a mud-blood and…." She trailed off. I sighed and dropped an arm around her shoulders.

"I think its because she has a crush on Draco Malfoy, and he's a real treat."

I explained to the girls how she reacted when we had detention with Draco. They both cringed. "I don't get it. His family has so many links to the dark arts!" Rhea added. I nodded. "I'd be interested to know what her family thinks about this." I said "But then again, I don't think much of anything Helen does. Everything is just to make herself feel better."

"Like you with the pranks?" Ashley asked and I winced. "Yes, in a way. I do it to her because she deserves so much worse, but I'm not that kind of person. Pranks are harmless fun, and it annoys her which is a bonus."

"She is getting worse though."

"I know, and I won't be able to keep this up forever. One day she'll get knocked down a peg or two. I would almost count on it. Just keep your head high." I gave Ashley the best reassuring smile I could before we filed into the school for dinner.

Before we broke apart and went to our houses Harry approached me. "Tonight." He said while Rhea and Ashley were still in ear shot. "Are you sure?" Harry nodded. "If you feel so inclined to come, you have to meet us outside the third corridor."

"Why tonight?"

"Dumbledore isn't here. Snape is making his move tonight."

I nodded, not needing to hear the rest of the plan. I was mostly just there for backup. I went to bed early that night and waited until I thought everyone was asleep before sneaking downstairs. I pulled my shoes on when I reached the common room. I stepped out of the tower and kept close to the shadows as I headed towards the main stairs.

Unfortunately for me I was caught by Filch. He grabbed me by the arm and started to drag me towards Professor Flitwick's office. I slid my free hand into my pocket and pulled out a screaming yo-yo, a dungbomb and a nose-biting teacup. I released the yo-yo first rolling it back down the hallway we came, I tossed the teacup after it. Filch whipped around at the sound of the yo-yo. "Stay here." He snarled.

Once he walked away, I smiled. "I absolutely will not be staying here." I threw the dungbomb over filches head and took off for the third corridor.