Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I do not own.
A/N Two chapters at once, because I felt like the last one didn't have much going on. This one is based on the corresponding chapter in the books, but I condensed it because I felt like the original chapter (in the Harry Potter book) kind of dragged on. So I guess this is more based on the movie's version of events than the book, which might happen more in the future.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the double update. Please review and tell me what you think (I love getting reviews).
The forest was black and silent. Fang panted as he walked along, keeping with Malfoy and Harry. The dog seemed to be the happiest of the group. 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 realized the occasion speck of blood was getting less and less occasional. And less of a speck. 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 animal's side, and began to drink its blood.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" 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 dribbling 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 half-man, half-horse creature stood over him. Harry stared at the centaur.
"Are you all right?" The centaur asked, offering him a hand. Still shaking slightly, Harry took it and let the centaur pull him 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. 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. Two more centaur came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Firenze!" One 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? This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him? 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?"
"I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best." The second one said in a gloomy voice. The first 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. "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 the other 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." Harry admitted, 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. 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 is 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:
"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! Harry, are you all right?" Phoebe was sprinting toward them down the path, her black hair flying behind her like a curtain. Hagrid was puffing along behind her, with Malfoy, Neville and Fang in the distance.
"I'm fine." Harry told her, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's 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; Phoebe grabbed him to steady him. He felt like he was going to be sick. Fang, Neville and Malfoy caught up to them. Fang started slobbering all over Harry while Neville started at Firenze and Malfoy sulked in the background.
"Good luck, Harry Potter." Firenze turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.
Thomas and Serena had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. Phoebe slapped Thomas to wake him while Harry gave Serena a somewhat frantic shake. Both were awake immediately and Harry started telling them what had happened in the forest.
Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. 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!" Serena told him 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?!" Serena squeaked, pulling her legs up to her chest.
"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."
Everyone sat in silence for a while, unsure of what there was to say. Phoebe kept raking her hands through her hair. Thomas's foot kept tapping against the floor until Serena hissed at him to stop since it was making her more nervous.
"Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place there is because of Dumbledore." Serena reminded Harry finally.
"Is it safe enough?" Phoebe challenged.
"Look, if You-Know-Who wants to get to Harry, he's gonna have to get through us." Thomas put in. "And I know some karate skills. Hi-yah!" He kicked out, caught the edge a table and went down, cursing and holding his toes.
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.