I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR DRACULA! REVIEW!

LADY OF THE NIGHT:

CHAPTER EIGHT:

We waited silently in McGonagall's study, fearing what was to come. When she arrived, she was leading Neville. Neville opened his mouth to speak. "Harry! I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, that you had a drag-" Harry shook his head to shut Neville up, and McGonagall noticed this. "I would never have believed this of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves." Hermione stared at her slippers, not making a sound.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?" Neville looked at us, stunned.

McGonagall glared down at us. "I'm disgusted. Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Ms. Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you two, Mr. Potter, Ms. Lestrade, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions-yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous-and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor." Harry stared at her. "Fifty?!"

"Fifty points each."

"Professor-"

"Please-"

"You can't-"

"Don't presume to tell me what I can and can't do, Ms. Lestrade. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

We walked back to the common room in silence, and I flopped down on my bed, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Two hundred point lost. That gave us last place. In one single night, we'd cost Gryffindor any chance at winning the House Cup. The rest of Gryffindor was going to hate us.

The next morning, just as I thought, Gryffindor hated us. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned against us, hating the fact that it looked like Slytherin would win the House Cup. Only Ron stood by us. "They'll forget all this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them." Harry looked over at him. "They've never lost two hundred points in one go, though, have they?"

"Well-no."

A week before exams, Harry came running over, his eyes wide. He told us that he'd heard Quirrell begging in a classroom, as though someone was threatening him.

"Snape's done it, then!" I nodded in agreement to Ron's statement. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell, then-"

"-There's still Fluffy, though," Hermione said. Ron shrugged. "Maybe Snape's figured out how to get past him without asking Hagrid." He looked up at all the books in the library. "I'll bet there's a book somewhere in here telling how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So, what do we do, Harry?" Hermione answered before Harry could. "Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done long ago. If we try anything ourselves, we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof! Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say that he doesn't know how the troll got in and that he was nowhere near the third floor on Halloween-who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get Snape sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take some explaining." Hermione looked convinced, but Ron and I weren't. "If we just poked around a bit-"

"No. We've done enough poking around." With that, Harry pulled a map of Jupiter towards him and began learning the names of its moons.

The following morning, notes were delivered to me, Harry, Hermione and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.

Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor M. McGonagall

At eleven o'clock that night, we said goodbye to Ron in the common room and headed down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was there, with Malfoy. "Follow me." Filch led us out of the school. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you? Oh, yes...hard work and pain are the best teachers, if you ask me...It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out...hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, still got the chains in my office, keep 'em well-oiled in case they're ever needed...Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, it'll be worse for you if you do."

Ahead, I could see the light coming from Hagrid's hut. Then I heard a shout. "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." A grin split across my face when I realized we'd be serving detention with Hagrid. Filch scowled down at me. "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf? Well, think again, girlie-it's into the forest you're going, and I'm much mistaken if you'll come out all in one piece." Neville whimpered, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "T-The forest? W-We can't go in there. There's all sorts of things in there-werewolves, I heard." Neville clutched Harry's robe and continued whimpering.

Filch grinned. "That's your problem, isn't it? Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" Hagrid came out of the dark, clutching his large crossbow and a quiver of arrows hanging over his shoulder. "Abou' time. I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right there, Harry, Hermione, Evangeline?"
Filch sneered. "I shouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid. They're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it? Bin lecturin' them, have yeh? Not yer place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn...for what's left of them." With that, Filch walked off. Malfoy turned to Hagrid, eyes wide. "I'm not going in that forest." I was pleased to hear his voice had a note of panic in it. "Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts. Yeh've done wrong, an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

"-tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts. Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather yeh were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!" Malfoy didn't move. He glared at Hagrid for a few seconds, but dropped his gaze. "Right, then. Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led us to the edge of the forest, and pointed down a long, narrow, winding path that disappeared into the trees. "Look there. See that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery." Malfoy gulped. "And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?"

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang. An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' since last night at least." Malfoy spoke up quickly. "I want Fang."

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward." I smirked at the look on Malfoy's face. "So, me, Harry, Hermione, and Evangeline will go one way, an' Draco, Neville an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now-that's it-an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh-so, be careful-let's go."

I looked up at Hagrid as we separated from Malfoy, Neville and Fang. "Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?"

"Nah. Not fast enough. It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before." He looked over at Hermione. "Yeh all right? Don' worry, it can't have gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter-GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Hagrid seized the three of us, hiding us behind an oak tree. He pulled out an arrow, and fitted it into his crossbow, ready to fire. We held our breath, listening. It sounded like a cloak dragging on the ground. After a few minutes, Hagrid lowered his crossbow. "I knew it. There's summat in here that shouldn' be." Harry looked up at him. "A werewolf?"

"That wasn' no werewolf, an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither. Right, now, follow me, but be careful." We walked slower this time, glancing around occasionally. Suddenly, something up ahead moved. Hagrid raised his crossbow. "Who's there? Show yerself-I'm armed!" My jaw dropped as a centaur walked towards us. "Oh, it's you, Ronan. How are yeh?" Hagrid shook the centaur's hand. "Good evening, Hagrid. Were you going to shoot me?"

"Can't be too careful, Ronan. There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Evangeline Lestrade, by the way." He pointed to each of us in turn. "Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you three. He's a centaur." I stared. "We'd noticed." Ronan bowed his head. "Good evening. Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"

"Uh-"

"A bit," Hermione said softly. Ronan sighed. "A bit. Well, that's something." He looked up at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight." Hagrid nodded. "Right. Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt-you seen anythin'?" Ronan didn't speak right away. Finally, he sighed again, and then answered. "Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"Yeah, but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"

"Mars is bright tonight. Unusually bright." I bit back my laughter. Hagrid began to look impatient. "Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home. So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

"The forest hides many secrets." Hagrid raised his bow at another sound, but it turned out to only be another centaur. "Hullo, Bane. All right?"

"Good evening, Hagrid. I hope you are well?"

"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, yeh seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured-would yeh know anythin' about it?" Bane walked over to stand beside Ronan, and looked up at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight." I bit my lip, trying hard not to laugh. "We've heard. Well, if either of yeh do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then." We followed him out of the clearing, looking back at Ronan and Bane. "Never try an' get a straight answer outta a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."

Hermione finally spoke. "Are there many of them in here?"

"Oh, a fair few...Keep to themselves, mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs...they know things...jus' don' let on much." Harry frowned. "Do you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?"

"Did that sound like hooves to yeh? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns-never heard anythin' like it before." We continued walking when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm. "Hagrid, look! Red sparks! The others are in trouble!"

"You three wait here! Stay on the path, I'll come back fer yeh!" He ran off, and we looked at each other. "You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" Harry sighed. "I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville...it's our fault he's here in the first place."

Finally, Hagrid came back with Malfoy, Neville and Fang. Apparently, Malfoy had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville panicked and sent up the sparks. "We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups-Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Harry, Evangeline, you go with Fang an' this idiot." Hagrid whispered to me and Harry, "I'm sorry, but he'll have a harder time frightenin' yeh, an' we've gotta get this done."

Harry, Malfoy, Fang and I walked quietly through the forest for what seemed like half an hour. Eventually the path was impossible to follow, the trees were so thick. Finally, Harry spoke. "Look-" He held out his arm to stop me and Malfoy. Up ahead lay the unicorn, definitely dead. Out of the shadows a hooded figure came crawling across the ground, and we froze. It knelt down, and began to drink the unicorn's blood. Malfoy let out a scream, and he and Fang bolted. Harry collapsed to the ground in pain. "Harry!" I ran over to him. I heard hooves behind us, and a centaur jumped right over us. When Harry finally regained control, the figure was gone, and the centaur stood over us. "Are you all right?"

"Yes-thank you." I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "What was that?" He didn't answer, but just looked at us. "You had best get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way." As we clambered onto his back, he added, "I am Firenze, by the way." Just then, Ronan and Bane came bursting in. Bane's eyes widened. "FIRENZE! What are you doing?! You have two humans on your back! Have you no shame!? Are you a common mule?!"

"Do you know who these two are? He is the Potter boy, and she is the girl with the hidden name. The sooner they leave this forest, the better." I noticed Harry staring at me, and I quickly looked away. Bane's eyes narrowed. "What have you been telling them? 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 sighed. "I'm sure Firenze believed he was acting for the best." Bane glared at him. "For the best! What does that have to do with us?! Centaurs are concerned with what is foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze reared onto his back legs, and we had to grab hold to stay on,. "Did 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." With that, Firenze ran off into the trees, me and Harry still on his back.

I frowned. "Why's Bane so angry? What's that thing you saved us from, anyway?" Firenze slowed down, but didn't answer Harry's question. Finally, he spoke. "Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" We shook our heads. "No. We've only used the horn and tail 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 heinous 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 frowned, obviously thinking this over. "But who'd be that desperate? If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"

"It is, 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. Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" Harry gasped. "The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course-the Elixer 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?" A stunned silence fell at his words. Finally, Harry spoke. "Do you mean that was Vol-"

"Harry! Evangeline! Are you all right?!" Hermione ran down the path, Hagrid close behind her. "We're fine." Harry and I slid off Firenze's back. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there." As Hagrid ran off to examine the unicorn, Firenze turned to us. "This is where I leave you. You are safe now. Good luck. The planets have been read wrongly before, even by centaurs. I pray this is one of those times." We watched, stunned, as Firenze cantered off into the darkness.

Ron was waiting for us in the common room, and had fallen asleep. When we shook him awake, he yelled something about Quidditch fouls, then blinked up at us. We began to tell him what happened in the forest, and Harry began pacing. "Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort...and Voldemort's waiting in the forest...and all this time we just thought Snape wanted to get rich..."

"Stop saying the name!" Harry ignored Ron. "Firenze saved me and Evangeline, but he shouldn't have...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 obviously thinks Firenze should've let Voldemort kill us...I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed. "So all I've got to wait for now is for Snape to steal the Stone, and then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off...well, I suppose Bane will be happy." Hermione sighed. "Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

Suddenly, Harry turned to me. "Hang on. I almost forgot. Back in the forest, Firenze called you 'the girl with the hidden name'. What did he mean by that?" I froze. "I-I don't know. He must have been mistaken." I sped off to bed, feeling their eyes on my back.