Aurora had intended to get Potter to help her trick the mirror. He was exactly the sort of person who would be some stupid 'good of heart' or 'pure of soul' enough to get given the stone by it. But Draco seemed intent on messing that up for her.

"You are not going to tell on them," she told him sternly when he came into the common room telling her, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle all about the letter he'd found between Weasley and his brother, who worked with dragons.

"Why not?" Draco said. "You said we'd bide our time, and this is the perfect opportunity to get them expelled!" He sneered. "Don't you want to see Potter kicked out once and for all?"

Not really, Aurora thought. Of course it was only because she wanted to use Potter, not because she cared a jot what happened to him. "Yeah, Aurora," Pansy said, frowning at her. "Why are you so defensive of Potter?"

She gave a derisive laugh. Gwen, who had been playing gobstones with Robin nearby, glanced up at her concernedly. It must have been too high pitched; Gwen caught onto behavioural subtleties like that, ones which Aurora didn't even know she had. "I'm hardly defensive of him," she said, sneering. "But deliberately getting him expelled will put us in Dumbledore's line of judgment."

"Yeah, except we won't be trying to smuggle an illegal dragon out of the school," Draco said, shaking his head at her. "Trust me, Dumbledore will have a lot more problems than us, Aurora."

She huffed. This wasn't a battle she was going to win, she could see that. But her agreement with Potter was dependent on her not blabbing to any teachers. Maybe she could feign ignorance, if Draco did it. He would have done so anyway, if she didn't interfere. "You're right," she said, because he was, even if his agenda didn't suit hers. "I suppose it's now or never, isn't it?"

Draco's smile lit up his face in a horrible way. It took Aurora back somewhat, to see him so delighted at the prospect of getting Potter expelled. Part of it didn't sit well with her, but it wasn't like she wanted Potter here anyway. It shouldn't bother her that Draco was happy with such a prospect, and yet to see her friend delighting in something that would hurt someone... It was strange, but she didn't really like it. "I'll tell McGonagall," Draco said.

"Why not Snape?" was her first question.

"He won't listen," Draco told her. "And besides, McGonagall means more to them, doesn't she? They won't care what Snape says and Dumbledore would paint any punishment he gave them as biased. But with McGonagall, he can't. Also, I checked, and I'm fairly certain the only people who can expel students are the Headmaster and their Head of House, and that's McGonagall." The fact that Snape was one of the two entrusted with the privilege of getting to expel Aurora made her suddenly nervous. Something gave her the feeling he would delight in that even more than Draco delighted in getting Potter expelled.

"Good," Aurora said, getting up. "At least you appear to have thought this through somewhat."

"Where are you going?" Pansy asked.

"I have to study," Aurora told her. "We don't even have a month until our exams."

"You are such a bore," Draco told her, and Aurora smirked.

"At least I have my brains, Draco, dear." She winked and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Crabbe and Goyle will continue this discussion."

"What about me?" Pansy asked, and Draco waved a hand.

"You can go and study too, I don't need your help."

Pansy looked like she was going to slap him, but she just sniffed. "You're a prat anyway. I'm going to sit with Millie."

She flounced away, leaving Aurora to grin at Draco, who smiled back. "You know you don't really need to study?" he said. "It's only first year, and you're more than brainy enough."

"Let's just hope the same can be said for you," Aurora said, and smirked as she turned and went back to her room to sleep.

She hadn't realised Draco's plan was to tell Professor McGonagall in the middle of the night, but when she couldn't sleep that night she went through to the common room in search of a new book to read, and saw him trying to sneak out.

"Draco," she hissed. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

"Going to tell McGonagall of course."

She gaped at him. "Are you mad? Get back here!"

His eyes widened and he ducked out of the common room before Aurora could stop him, giving her no choice but to take off her socks, pray she didn't step in anything foul, tighten her dressing gown and scramble after him. "Draco Malfoy, you idiot, get back here right now!"

"And let Potter get away with it? No chance, Aurora."

"You're such a prat." She was a much better runner than he was, and caught him by the arm when they were halfway up the stairs. "You're going to get in so much trouble Draco, and McGonagall probably won't even believe you. Come back to the common room. You've got the letter? Just show it to her in the morning, it's all the proof we need."

"You think McGonagall will kick her golden Seeker out on that alone? No chance. I'm going to make sure Potter gets expelled."

"Why? Why does it matter so much, Draco? You're being an idiot, lowering yourself so much just to get at him. There's no point getting Potter into trouble if you get yourself into the same trouble, too. What's the point?"

"What's the point of your nighttime adventures?" he asked, and she flinched. "Don't think no one's noticed you sneaking out, Aurora, it's just no one's bothered to stop you." She knew he didn't mean it to, but the words still stung. "What are you up to?"

"Something more worthwhile than risking yourself to get Potter expelled all because he's a prat! I'm sure he's more than capable of getting himself into trouble without you sneaking about at night!"

"You know, Aurora," Draco said, wrenching his arm out of her grip and stalking off, "I'd have thought you of all people would want to get at Potter."

Cold fury rushed through her at the insinuation. She'd never been truly angry at Draco before, but right now, for whatever reason, she was. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she hissed, storming after him. "Draco, what the hell?"

"Oh, come off it. You know exactly what I mean, Aurora, even if you don't want to admit it. Your father did the Potters in, but you'll care more about stopping me from getting what I want than trying to expel Potter. Think, if it wasn't for him surviving, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, your father wouldn't be in jail. He'd be right hand to the Dark Lord."

"Don't say that," Aurora hissed. "You think I'd want that? Draco?" He didn't answer. "Draco, you absolute prat, answer me! I do not want that! You-Know-Who he — he killed my mother! He killed so many people, you really think I'd rather have my father if it meant — that! If it meant people died, if a kid died, even if it was Potter? My father and his brother were foolish children, but no one else in my family would serve any lord, least of all me." She took a step closer, breathing heavily. "You know I hate my father, Draco, and I hate every part of him, not just the Blood Traitor. And you know what? You know what I thought you'd understand more than anyone else?" Her eyes were stinging with blazing fury. "I am not my father."

"Miss Black!" She whipped around, and didn't care that her ponytail hit Draco's cheek. Professor McGonagall was stalking down the corridor towards them, and she was white with fury. "Mr Malfoy!"

"Run," Draco said, and Aurora grabbed his arm, shoving him forward.

"Coward," she muttered, and he threw her a furious look.

"What happened to not getting caught?"

"Enough, Mr Malfoy." McGonagall took each of them by the arm and started hauling them down the corridor. "Two students out of bed, at midnight no less, I've never heard the like."

"But Professor," Draco panted, "it's Potter!"

"What's Potter?" Aurora didn't miss how her eyes cut to her sharply, as though expecting this to be her fault.

"He's got a dragon, Professor. He's trying to smuggle it to Romania with Ronald Weasley's brother!"

"What nonsense," Professor McGonagall said clippedly. "Of course Potter doesn't have a dragon, Malfoy. Thirty points will be taken from Slytherin for both of your insolence!"

"But Professor, it's true!" Draco insisted. "I've seen it! Back me up, Aurora!"

McGonagall looked at her sharply. "Well, I — I haven't seen the dragon," she admitted. "I was trying to get Draco to come back to the common room instead of wandering like an idiot alone in the middle of the night to try and find you."

"Suck up," Draco hissed, and Aurora tried to elbow him in the side, except McGonagall got in the way, and she really didn't want to elbow her.

"Be that as it may, Miss Black," McGonagall said, "you still should not have been out of bed at this time. You will both be serving detentions. Now, with me, back to your common room! And stay there!"

"But Professor, Potter—"

"Silence, Mr Malfoy! I don't want to hear any more of these tall tales!"

She dragged them all the way back to the common room, and made Draco go inside first. "And straight to bed with you!" He sulked as he entered, and the wall slid closed behind him. Now alone with McGonagall, Aurora felt intensely nervous. "As for you, Miss Black." She pursed her lips. "I couldn't help but hear some of what you and Mr Malfoy were discussing."

Aurora's heart raced. She had? She couldn't bear the thought of it, of someone hearing what she thought of her father — stupid, reckless, murderous, Blood Traitor, Death Eater, scum of her blood. "And what did you hear, Professor?" she asked as evenly as possible.

"I heard what you said about your father." Her cheeks blazed. She never spoke about him, and while admitting her feelings to Draco were one thing, having McGonagall overhear made her feel sick. There was a glimmering sadness in McGonagall's eyes. She hated it. "I taught him, you know."

"Oh. Right." She wanted to go back to her room immediately. "Well, if that's all, Professor, I think I really ought to get back to bed."

"You are a bright student, Miss Black," McGonagall told her. "Do not throw that away on sneaking around after hours and making trouble."

"Yes, Professor," Aurora said quickly, and sighed in relief when McGonagall left and she could go back to her room to sleep.

It seemed Potter had been caught anyway. When Aurora went to the Great Hall in the morning, Gryffindor was missing a total of one hundred and fifty house points, and the story of the night before spread quickly amongst the gossipy Hogwarts population. "They got Longbottom involved too," Pansy said as they ate lunch. "That's what I heard."

"They didn't?" Aurora said, aghast. "What'd they get out of that?"

"Don't know," Draco said, not meeting Aurora's eyes, "but he certainly doesn't seem to be on speaking terms with them. Shame Potter didn't get expelled, though."

"Yes," Aurora said, narrowing her eyes across the Great Hall. "Shame."

"I thought you'd be pleased," Draco said. Aurora glared at him, stood up, and promptly went to sit beside Daphne instead.

She tried to keep her head down for the rest of the month. Exams were coming up after all, and after that she would attempt to get the stone again. But in the final week of May, Snape called Draco and her out to inform them that they would be serving their detentions with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest that evening. Aurora didn't mind this — Hagrid had seemed nice to her, and she trusted that he could manage the forest — but Draco seemed terrified out of his wits.

"There aren't really werewolves in the forest," she huffed at him, after hearing him go on about it for a full ten minutes. "And it isn't even near a full moon. Stop being dim."

"Just because it isn't a full moon doesn't mean they aren't a threat," he said, prompting Aurora to go and fetch a book on the subject to prove his inaccuracy.

"You can be scared if you want, Draco," she told him. "But I'd rather you knew what you were talking about. Otherwise you just look foolish."

In hindsight, giving Draco the book about werewolves was not the best idea. He was even more scared by the time they went to meet Filch at the Entrance Hall, where Potter, Granger and Neville were all already waiting.

"I can't believe they're really making us go into the forest," Draco was quivering to Aurora, who glared at him.

"We wouldn't be going to detention at all if you'd listened to me," she hissed back. "Stop being a prat."

"Stop calling me a prat, then."

"Well, that would be a lie, so no, I won't."

"What is wrong with you? You've been in a mood for months."

"Oh, I do wonder why that is," she spat.

Draco looked taken aback, and Aurora seized the opportunity to forge on ahead, leaving him to trail behind. "Look," he whispered, catching up to her, "I'm sorry, I didn't think."

She did not give him a reply. Aurora caught Potter looking at her and pursed her lips, mouthing, "We'll talk later." She'd assumed their deal was off now, but it would be better to talk it over, even if she had taken some time. Though there wasn't much Potter could give her now that she didn't already know, other than a way to trick the mirror.

"About time," Hagrid said when they reached him at last, hoisting his crossbow over his shoulder. "I've been waiting almost half an hour already. Alright, Harry, Hermione? Aurora?"

Aurora blinked in surprise at being addressed, but nodded at Hagrid. Draco looked unimpressed. "I wouldn't be so friendly with them, Hagrid," Filch said, "they're here to receive justice after all."

"Is that why you're late, is it?" Hagrid asked, frowning. "Bin lecturing them, eh? You've no right right to do that. You've done your bit, Filch, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at first light," Filch said, and Aurora groaned at the thought of being out here all nigh. She'd be exhausted in the morning, which would interfere terribly with her study plans. "For what's left of them." That made her feel even worse.

He left, lantern light fading into the darkness, and Draco turned on Hagrid, clearly panicked. "I'm not going into that Forest."

"You are if you want to stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "You've done wrong and now you have to pay for it."

"But this is servant's work!" Draco cried. "It's not for students to do!"

"Shut up, Draco," Aurora murmured. "You'll only make it worse."

"I thought we'd be doing lines or something! If my father knew about this—"

"He'd tell yeh that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "Writing lines! What good's that to anybody? You'll do something useful or you can get out! If you think your father'd rather yeh were expelled then go on up to the castle and pack! On yeh go!"

Draco didn't move, for which Aurora was quite relieved. "Right then," Hagrid said, "now listen carefully, cause I'll only say this once. It's dangerous what we're doing tonight and I don't want any of yeh taking any unnecessary risks." Neville shivered and Aurora gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Follow me over here a minute."

Hagrid led them to the very edge of the forest and then down a narrow, winding track that led through the darkest, thickest trees. "Look there," he said, pointing by his lantern light. "See that silver stuff on the ground? That's unicorn blood." Aurora gasped. "There's a unicorn in there been hurt by somebody and this isn't the first. I found another dead on Wednesday."

"That's horrid," Aurora breathed, staring at the blood. Unicorns were such precious, beautiful creatures, and they were so pure. To kill them was like the ultimate crime.

"I quite agree with yeh, Aurora," Hagrid said grimly. "That's why we're going to try and find the poor creature. We might have to put it out of its misery."

"What? Kill it?"

"Sometimes," Hagrid said heavily, looking at her, "when a creature is so badly wounded, and in so much pain, killing it's a mercy."

Aurora was stunned, but she nodded at Hagrid. She'd heard of people's pets being put down, but the thought of death... It wasn't something she was unaccustomed to, but she still felt horrible shivers at the thought. Death had not visited her since the funeral, and she didn't want to see him again.

"And what if that thing finds us first?" Draco asked, fear clear in his voice.

"Nothing in the forest will hurt yeh if yeh're with me or Fang." Aurora thought that whatever was hurting a unicorn wouldn't really care. "And yeh'll stay on the path. Right, we're going to split in two parties and follow the trail in different parts."

"Aurora and I'll take Fang," Draco said quickly, eyeing Hagrid's massive bulldog.

"Alright," Hagrid agreed. "But I'm warning you, he's a right coward. So me, Harry and Hermione'll go one way, and Draco, Aurora, Neville and Fang'll go the other. If any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks. Practice now. Good. And if we get into trouble we'll send up red. Got that?" They all nodded. Poor Neville looked scared witless. "Let's get going."

Neville hung close to Aurora, sneaking nervous glances at Draco. "Don't worry," she whispered to him, "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything to you."

Neville didn't look like he quite believed her, but there wasn't much she could do about that right now. A little way along the path they forked to the right while the others went left. They walked along in silence, eyes on the ground. Aurora wouldn't have minded conversation, but both Draco and Neville seemed too scared to speak, which she found rather ironic considering how often Draco ridiculed the latter's cowardice. He was just as terrified, if not more so, and Fang wasn't doing much to help.

Aurora kept hearing noises. Once, like a snake slithering across the ground, and then like a cloak. She kept a very tight grip on her wand, and Draco hung nervously at her shoulder. "You don't think that's a werewolf, do you?" he whispered.

"Don't be so stupid," she whispered back. "If a werewolf was coming for you, you'd know, Draco. They're not exactly quiet creatures."

He didn't say any more after that, clearly listening out for werewolves. Aurora still thought it was ridiculous, seeing as it wasn't even a full moon. Neville, to her surprise, was walking a little bit ahead of them. Good for him, she thought with a smile. "Oi," Draco whispered after they'd been walking for what felt like an hour, "watch this."

"Draco, what..."

He didn't listen. Draco ran up to Neville, giving a shout, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Neville screamed, sending up a shower of red sparks, and Aurora darted forwards to separate them. "Draco!" she barked. "What are you doing?"

Neville shook with fear, and Aurora held him behind her. "Just a joke, Aurora."

"It's not funny," she snapped. "You're being an idiot. You could have gotten us all found and then we'd be in right trouble with any werewolves, wouldn't we? You idiot!"

She turned on Neville, who looked just as frightened, and she sighed. "It's alright," she told him quietly. "Stick with me, okay? Draco here-" She shot him a furious look "—won't do that again. Will you, Draco?"

"No," Draco muttered, scuffing the ground.

"Good. Come on." She took Neville's hand and squeezed it tightly, once, for encouragement. He went bright red, which had not been her intention. "Let's keep going. And be quiet, Draco."

They only got a few minutes further before Hagrid appeared in front of them. "What's happenin'?" he asked, looking between them all. "Who sent up the sparks?"

"M-m-me," Neville stammered out, cowering just behind Aurora. "M-M-Malfoy..."

"Draco," Aurora said with a glare, "gave Neville a fright. But we're all alright now, aren't we, boys?"

"Yes," Draco said sullenly, and she caught Neville nodding too.

"Well then," Hagrid said, "we'll get back to the others, I'm not having you lot making a ruckus off on your own."

He led them back through the trees, Neville clutching the sleeve of Aurora's robe tightly. It was a bit annoying, actually, but she didn't have the heart to try and shrug him off, he was still shaking so bad. "Right," Hagrid said when they reached Potter and Granger, "we're changing groups. Harry, yeh can go with Fang, Aurora, and this idiot. Hermione and Neville, you're with me." Neville looked quite relieved by this arrangement though Aurora was not. She didn't want to have to get between Draco and Potter. It was just a recipe for disaster.

She walked in between the two boys so as to avoid any direct confrontation, and it seemed to work, as they continued on for quite some time without any interruptions. It was only when Potter grabbed Aurora by the arm that she glared at him. "What?"

"Look," he said, pointing to the ground where there was a thick trail of silvery unicorn blood. Her stomach flipped.

"Oh." She grabbed Draco's hand to pull him back. "Oh, it's horrible."

They all stood stunned for a moment. It was Potter who tugged them along, until they came into the shadow of a twisted oak tree. A silvery unicorn lay at its roots, slender legs at odd angles. It was moving but only just. Potter made to move towards it, but Aurora stopped him. "They react better to girls," she told him quietly. "You send up sparks, I'll see if there's anything I can do to help it."

Potter nodded, though he looked surprised at her. The state the unicorn was in was truly horrid, and it made Aurora feel sick to think anyone had done this. To kill an innocent creature, any innocent creature, it was so cruel.

"It's alright," she told the unicorn as soothingly as she could, stroking its smooth side. "We're going to help you." It let out a low whinny. "I know, I know you're hurt. It's alright. You'll be alright, sweetheart."

"Black," Potter said suddenly, "get back."

"What are you—"

Draco screamed and Aurora leapt to her feet, making to run after him, but Potter caught her. He looked horrified, and when she turned around she realised why.

Someone else had arrived, heavily cloaked, and was feasting on the unicorn in front of them. Her throat felt dry. She reached for her wand to summon green sparks, as Potter made to walk forwards, but then the thing in the cloak turned and Potter yelled, clutching his head.

"Get back, you idiot!" she cried, pulling Potter behind her, panting. The thing made towards them, Silver blood dripping grotesquely down the shadows of its chin. She froze, but then it did, too.

A figure in grey smoke curled behind it, forming the hazy outline of Death. He raised a skeletal finger to his lips, his other hand reaching out to the thing under the cloak's shoulder. Aurora couldn't move; she found herself holding tightly onto Potter, keeping him upright as he squirmed in pain.

Then something came thundering through the bushes and arrived in front of them. Death curled away in a wisp of smoke and the other thing disappeared. Potter stopped moving, but he was panting heavily as Aurora held him to her side. He stared up at her, and then at the centaur that had just appeared.

"Um," Aurora said, "hello."

"Are you alright?" the centaur asked, as she was still holding a struggling Potter.

"Y-Yeah," he said, wincing. "I'm alright now. What — that thing—"

"It's dead," Aurora said quietly. She was looking at the unicorn and she could tell now, it wasn't breathing. Was that why Death was there? But he had held the other person, not the unicorn. "The unicorn, it's... Oh, it's horrid. Should we bury it? Are unicorns meant to be buried?"

She didn't think they were. "A unicorn's spirit may run free," the centaur said. "It is a terrible crime to slay one of the pure. But the innocent are always the first to suffer."

"Er, right." She knew centaurs had a reputation for being difficult to understand. "Thank you, for helping us, sir. Do you know Hagrid?"

The centaur nodded. "Everyone knows Hagrid in this forest."

"What was that?" Potter asked, still staring at the unicorn. The centaur did not answer, not that Aurora had expected him to.

"Can you ride?" the centaur asked, but he needn't have. Hagrid had come running through the forest, followed by Draco, Neville and Granger, with Fang at their heels.

"Ah," Hagrid said, looking relieved. "Firenze. Harry, Aurora..." He panted, and looked sorrowfully at the unicorn. "This is the poor thing, then."

"Someone was drinking its blood," Aurora said quietly. "Someone in a cloak. We didn't see-" she glanced at Potter. He had been holding his forehead, his scar, in pain. Everyone knew where that scar came from. But that was impossible. The Dark Lord wasn't roaming the grounds of Hogwarts. Dumbledore would know in an instant. "We didn't see who it was."

"It's alright," Hagrid said, and he could clearly see how shaken they were, because he said, "you lot go on to the clearing up ahead. I'll deal with this." He patted Aurora on the shoulder. "It's alright."

"It was horrible."

"I know, Aurora," he said in a heavy voice. "I know."

She went on with the others to a small clearing, where Granger sat down anxiously and started up a quiet conversation with Potter. Neville stood along with Fang, looking quite unsure of what to do, while Draco came over to Aurora. She didn't much feel like speaking to him. "I can't believe you screamed like that," she said even though it had been terrifying. "I can't believe you ran away." And left me, she added in her head.

"What was I supposed to do?" Draco hissed. "And anyway, you're fine — but what was that thing?"

"I don't know," Aurora told him honestly. "But nothing good, that's for sure. Don't you know what it means to drink a unicorn's blood?" Draco nodded.

"It means you'll stay alive, right? It's healing?"

"Oh, you'll stay alive," she said. "Even if you're about to die, it'll keep you alive from a while. But it's cursed, too. The moment you drink it, and the moment you kill it, really, you'll only live a half life. And it's a horrid thing to do besides. The poor thing was so... helpless." She looked down at the ground sadly. Death came for all things in the end.

"I know." Draco glanced behind him. "Oh, I wish he'd hurry up."

"He'll be here soon," Aurora said. She didn't take a seat like the others did, preferring to keep an alert watch until Hagrid returned, from faced, through the trees.

They stayed outside the forest for the remainder of the night until Filch came to get them. Potter kept looking at Aurora in a way that made her want to hex him. He didn't get the hint.

Eventually, when Granger was talking to Neville and Hagrid and Draco was sitting grimly with Fang, Potter came to sit by her side on a log. She glared at him sideways. "Yes?"

"Did you see who that was? At all?" She shook her head. "Oh. I thought..."

He trailed off into silence. "Was it your scar that hurt you?" Aurora asked, taking a leap of faith.

Potter stared. "How'd you work that out?"

"It's not that hard. I looked at you. But was that it?" Potter nodded, and she smiled grimly. "I'd thought as much. That thing, whatever it is, it was desperate, and very close to dying." Except it should already be dead, by all accounts. "If I were you, Potter," she said, "I'd be very careful."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No." She laughed bitterly. "I'm warning you."