One day while they were in the library Harry came to tell them about hearing Quirrell in a classroom begging and someone sounding like they were threatening him.
"What did we tell you Jack," was Ron's first words.
"Did you see or hear this second person Harry?" Jack asked not looking up from doodling on some paper some new snowflake patterns for next winter.
"Well no," Harry admitted "But there was a door ajar in the room when I looked in."
"Did you look behind it to see if Snape or anyone else was there?" Jack asked looking up.
"No, because we've had enough poking around," Harry said.
"Either way we should go to Dumbledore," Hermione said "That's what we should have done in the first place. If we try anything else ourselves we'll get thrown out."
"That's fine by me," Jack mumbled but they didn't hear him.
"But we don't have any proof!" Harry said as he pulled his own homework out "And besides students aren't meant to know about the stone remember."
"Ha! I think at least a third might know about it," Jack said and went into explaining before Hermione could ask "The best way to make people curious about something, or go to where they're not meant to go is to tell them not to go there – it's the Pandora effect. And Dumbledore said right at the start of term to not got down the third floor corridor."
"Then why don't they move it?" Ron asked.
"Because grown-ups and teachers today are dumber than everyone gives them credit for," Jack said packing up and heading to the common room.
The next morning notes were handed out to Jack, Harry, Hermione, and Neville with the post at breakfast, all saying the same thing:
'Your detention will take place tonight at 11 o'clock.
Meet Mr. Filch in the Enterance Hall.
Jack's was signed my Flitwick while the others were signed my McGonagall.
"Looks like we might be all in this detention together," Jack said returning to his cereal, Jack thought there would be some form of complaint from Hermione saying that this meant a whole evening missed out of revision.
But to his surprise she said nothing.
At 11 o'clock, they said goodbye to Ron in the common room and headed down to the Entrance Hall where they saw Filch and Malfoy.
Seeing Malfoy had detention as well made Jack a little happier, but he didn't try and show it, they were meant to be being punished after all.
"Follow me," Filch said, lighting a lamp and leading them outside "I bet you'll think twice before breaking a school rule again, won't you eh?" he continued leering at them. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me..."
"I agree Mr. Filch," Jack said surprising all of them making the group come to a halt "Back home in America, my old Muggle teachers always used to cane me, or use a belt or whips on me just because I did something wrong. But I finally learnt my lesson."
The other students were each giving each other questioning looks not sure if they believed Jack with his story seeing as to all of his misbehaving he has done here.
Looking proud with himself Filch carried on leading them to where they needed to go and Harry asked in a whisper what 'lesson' did Jack learn.
"If you're going to do something bad enough to get you into trouble, make sure there are no teachers/witnesses around and it can't be tracked back to you." Jack answers, getting snorts and snuffles of laughter from the others, even Malfoy smirked a little more friendly than he usually did.
The moon wasn't full, but it was bright, but clouds kept blocking it out, throwing them into darkness.
Soon the lights of Hagrid's hut came into view and they head a distant shout.
"That you Filch? Hurry up! I want to get started."
"Bet you think you'll be getting it easy with that oaf?" Filch said seeing Harry's smile "Well think again boy, it's into the forest with ya!"
"What?" Jack asked not believing this.
"The forest?" Malfoy asked sounding a bit scared "We can't go in there – at night – there are all sorts of things, werewolves I've heard."
"Plus the fact," Jack carried on the argument before Filch could say anything "It one of the school rules Dumbledore told everyone about at the start of term feast, 'The forest in the grounds is forbidden to all students'. They can't lift that rule just because they've got nothing better for us to do.
What do they send all the bad students in there hoping they will get killed or eaten by the monsters and beast that live inside it, just to keep the image of the school up because they're not there to break rules anymore?" Jack asked mad and panting frost spreading out from his feat in his anger if that was the case, but it wasn't see-able in the dark.
"This isn't Hansel and Gretel, or some other Brothers Grimm fairy tale you know! We are real people, real children, and in there are real monsters that can kill us with one attack!"
At that point, Hagrid came out with Fang by his side and a large crossbow, a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.
"Abou' time," Hagrid said supposedly not hearing a word Jack had just said "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. Alright Harry, Jack, Hermione?"
"I shouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid," Filch said coldly "They're here to be punished remember?"
"That's what took ya so long is it?" Hagrid asked frowning at Filch "Bin lecturing them have ya? 'Snot your place to do that. Yeh've done yer part, I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," Filch said evilly "For what's left of them." he added nastily getting a glare from Jack as the old man turned and left, heading back up to the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.
Malfoy and Jack turned to Hagrid.
"I'm/We're not going into that forest," they said Harry pleased to hear that Malfoy was slightly scared.
"Yeh are if you want to stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid said addressing Malfoy more that Jack "Yeh've done something wrong an' now yeh've got ter make up fer it. If you want to not do this and be kicked out of the school tonight, go back up to it and pack. Go on!"
Neither Malfoy or Jack moved, just looked furiously up at Hagrid, Malfoy soon dropping his gaze, but Jack kept it, Baby Tooth, having been woken up and hiding buzzing a bit with anger.
"Right then, now listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don't want no one takin' risks," he said aiming that part more to Jack than the others "Follow me over here a moment."
He led them to the edge of the forest. Holding up his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow, winding earthy path that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze blowing as they looked into the forest.
"Look there," said Hagrid "See that stuff shining on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's Unicorn blood. There's a Unicorn in there that's been hurt bad by something. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find it and put it out of its misery."
"And what if, whatever hurt the Unicorn, finds us first?" Malfoy asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"There shouldn't be anything in there that should hurt you if you're with me or Fang." Hagrid said "An' keep to the path. Right, now, we're going to split up inter two parties, and follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must have bin staggering around since last night at least."
"Ok hold and back up a bit Hagrid," Jack said backing away "First we're being sent into this supposedly 'Forbidden Forest' where we shouldn't be going into in the first place. But now you're saying we have to split up, to find a wounded Unicorn that if it's still alive will either be really defensive or will be so weak it can't control it's magic. Add also all the other creature in there that I'm guessing are on high alert thanks to all of these attack that they might attack us. And on top of that there's a... a what-ever-it-is in there that's hurting them who might find us and try and kill us as - "
"Jack, we have to get this done." Hagrid said making him be quiet. "Right, so me, Harry, Hermione and Draco will go one way an' Jack, Neville, and Fang will go the other way. Now, if any of us find the Unicorn send up green sparks, right? Get out your wands an' practice now – that's it – and if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks and we'll come looking for yeh – so, be careful and stick to the path – lets go."
o0o
"Come on Neville," Jack said lighting his wand and going off the path from the fork after Hagrid and the others went down their path.
"But Jack, Hagrid said to stick to the path."Neville said trying to hold Fang back.
"I have a friend in here who might help us find the Unicorn faster, and therefore save it. But the only way to find her is my stepping off the path and heading towards the middle of the forest and wait for her to come to us." Jack said turning to Neville who was still unsure "Plus if we find the Unicorn we can get out of here faster."
That lit Neville up a bit and started to follow Jack.
"Why don't you want to be in here Jack?" Neville asked after a bit "I mean if you have a friend in here why..."
"One of the last few times I 'visited' her in here, I froze a whole part of the forest with my magic and she likes plants and forest life and all that, and plants don't like cold." Jack explained leaving a frosted breadcrumb trail as they went so they could find their way back.
"Who's you're friend?" Neville asked as they came to a stop for a bit to let some Thestrals pass.
"How good are you at believing in things Neville?" Jack asked after thinking for a bit.
"Like make belief things or 'I can do this things'?" Neville asked.
"Make belief." Jack answered looking around the clearing to check it was safe for the moment.
"Pretty good," Neville said smiling "I believe in the Guardians of Childhood, the Man in the Moon, the... the Boogieman" he whispered afraid "And the Frost Child."
"Do you think you can believe in a spirit of the forest who goes by the name of Gaia?" Jack asked smiling that Neville believes in him, even if it wasn't his name.
"I think so..." Neville said closing his eyes imagining what Spirit of the Forest might look like.
"Ok, so staying calm, turn around and open your eyes," Jack said, taking Neville's wand away so he didn't panic and send up red sparks.
Taking a deep breath, Neville opened his eyes to see a teenage girl, who looked half plant, her hair was all wild and had tangled vines and branches sticking out of it, there were flowers decorating her clothes, and she wore a necklace of gemstones around her neck.
She looked beautiful, but she also looked mad.
"Jack why are you back in here again!" she asked sending vines to Jack lifting him into the air and turning him upside down "It's getting more dangerous and it's the middle of the night! Seriously!"
"Ok first its not my fault we're here G," Jack said getting to the point "It's the schools, apparently they think it's a smart idea to send students doing detention into the forest to find the newest hurt Unicorn, at night. And just so you know I'm not happy with it either, but Hagrid said and I quote – 'This has to be done.'"
"Wait you mean there's more of you?" Gaia asked calming down a little but still had Jack suspended.
"Yeah, they're following the path an a different trail of blood," Jack said "Oh by the way this is Neville Longbottom."
"Longbottom?" Gaia asked turning to Neville and looking him up and down "Son of Frank and Alice?" she asked.
"Um, yes, yes Miss," Neville said nervously wondering how she knew about his parents.
"If that's true then I am sure you will be great at Herbology at the end of the each year," Gaia said smiling and turning back to Jack who had been trying to get down. "Now where are the others?"
"I dunno Gaia, as I said they're following a different trail, I think it lead towards the Centaur grounds."
"Um Gaia, please can you just tell us where the Unicorn is?" Neville asked really wanting to get out of here.
"Fine." Gaia said letting Jack down, who gave Neville back his wand, and began showing them the way to where she sensed the Unicorn was.
