Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Harry enters the grove to complete his task and takes the train back to King's Cross station.

Chapter 51

When Harry touched the vines, he felt a pulsating sensation beneath his fingertips, as if the vines had a heartbeat. The pulsating accelerated in response to his touch, beating rapidly against his palm. Withdrawing his hand from the vine, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. He slashed his palm and hissed in pain. Blood immediately welled up, and he pressed his palm against the vines.

Entering the grove appeared to be a simple process, but it proved extremely difficult, depending on the individual. The first condition was the simplest, as you simply had to donate some of your blood to the grove. It may appear dark, but only from the perspective of the Ministry's simple-minded idiots. Blood was the source of life. Blood was magic. What better offering could you make?

Harry could feel his blood draining from his body. The unicorns didn't specify how much blood he had to sacrifice, so he hoped it wasn't too much.

"What a greedy fellow!" Harry grumbled.

The vines drained his blood for an entire minute. He was lucky that the drain was slow, or he would have turned into a desiccated husk.

Although the vines had stopped sucking his blood, Harry kept his hand on them. The second condition was that he had no bad intentions towards the grove. Since all those who arrived were seeking to benefit from it, they were never granted access.

The vines retracted, revealing an entrance large enough for him to walk through. When he stepped into the grove, it vanished behind him.

It was a small clearing with a small pond in the centre. Unlike what appeared to be from the outside, the grove was completely open, with dark grey clouds visible overhead.

Harry approached the pond and peered into its crystal clear water. He could see all the way to the bottom, which was surprisingly deep—roughly three times his own height. He kneeled by the pond's edge and searched its depths for the item that had brought him here. The bottom of the pond, however, was completely bare.

"You will not find it just by looking at it."

Harry was startled, and spun around, looking for the person who had spoken.

"Look up!"

Harry looked up and noticed a small figure poised on a vine. The figure leapt from the vine and flew towards him. Harry raised his hand and let it land gently in his palm. A pixie stood before him, delicate and ethereal, as if the slightest gust of wind could whisk her away. Her colouring resembled the forest itself—a fusion of greens and browns that would allow her to blend in with her surroundings.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"My name is Ivy," the pixie replied. She spoke in a high-pitched tone, making it seem as though she had been breathing in helium.

"I don't usually see pixies living by themselves."

"I'm a dryad pixie. Not like those pathetically weak pixies with nothing substantial between their ears."

"Do you reside in the grove?"

"I am the keeper of this grove." Ivy put her hands on her hips and pointed her nose at the sky. "I was entrusted with the sacred duty of looking after this place."

Harry gave her an unimpressed stare. "You are essentially a servant to the unicorns who live here. There is no need to be so arrogant."

"Servant?" Ivy exclaimed. "I don't think so. Besides, the unicorns don't live here. They only come here for one purpose, and then I kick them out."

Harry had always wondered why the unicorns didn't seek refuge in this grove, where no one could reach them. Ivy turned out to be a cruel pixie who refused to let them stay.

"What is the purpose of this grove?"

Ivy squinted. "Wait a second! How did you get in here? Are you a bad guy out to steal the stone?"

"Well, I wouldn't say steal. The unicorns requested that I retrieve it because they have left the forest and made their home elsewhere."

"What?!" Ivy flew off his hand and sped around the groove in agitation. "I suspected something was wrong because no unicorns have appeared here for several moons. Are they attempting to establish another grove somewhere else without me?"

Harry stood there watching her for a while, but Ivy didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. He refocused his attention on the pond. The unicorns had sent him to retrieve a sigil stone, but he knew nothing else about it. Looking at the water, he considered diving into it and conducting a more thorough search.

"Wait!" Ivy saw him take off his shoes and deduced his intentions. "You aren't permitted to enter the purification pond."

"What's a purification pond?"

Ivy landed on the water, her weight so light that she barely made a ripple. "Have you ever thought about why unicorns are always so pure?"

"Not really."

"Because they have groves like these that exist. unicorns are especially sensitive to corruption, which exists everywhere in the world. Whether the corruption is as simple as dirt beneath their feet or something more complicated like exposure to negative human emotions. This is the main reason why unicorns stay away from humans. Corruption accumulates over time and, if not cleansed, will have disastrous consequences for the unicorn."

"What do you mean?"

Ivy swooped down and landed on his shoulder. She whispered in his ear, as if she were telling him a great secret. "They transform into Nightmares. I assure you, they are one beastie you don't want to come across."

"I have never heard of a Nightmare," Harry said, his brow furrowed. "Are they really that bad?"

Ivy shivered. "They are the polar opposite of what a unicorn represents. They are the dark equines of madness and despair. They have the power to entrap you in an endless nightmare, rendering you a catatonic and empty shell of yourself. Killing them is also difficult because they are really fast, strong, and magically resistant."

"How strong?"

"The last Nightmare to appear in these woods was nearly two centuries ago. It took over thirty centaurs to kill it, and they lost half of their numbers in the process."

Harry was disturbed by how powerful the Nightmares were and doubted that even a dragon would inspire the same level of terror. Centaurs, who were known for their strength, needed a large group of them to overcome a single Nightmare. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if the entire herd of unicorns had turned into Nightmares. They would have wreaked unimaginable havoc on the school. The seemingly harmless unicorns were potentially the most dangerous creatures within the forest.

Did the sigil stone play a role in the purification process? If that was the case, he could see why the unicorns were so eager to reclaim it. They couldn't take it for themselves, so they enlisted his help.

"Can the trauma of something consuming the unicorn's blood while it's still alive turn them into a Nightmare?" Harry asked.

Ivy recoiled in horror. "Why are you even talking about such a disgusting act?"

Harry told her about Quirrell, who attacked the unicorns last year, forcing them to flee the forest.

"What a fiend!" Ivy exclaimed. "It's no surprise the unicorns left the forest. In theory, harming a unicorn in this manner could turn it into a Nightmare. However, it is such a heinous act against nature that it would be difficult to find any such incident ever occurring. The unicorns would know better than anyone else. Perhaps that is why they left the forest so quickly."

Harry nodded. "So, where is this sigil stone? I'm in a rush because I have to catch the train back to London."

Ivy gestured to the pond. "It's in there."

"What? There is nothing in the pond that I can see."

"That is because you don't know the method to retrieve it. You must think about the sigil stone appearing and meet a specific condition before it appears to you."

"What's the condition?"

"Secret."

Harry groaned. Perhaps he will be lucky and fulfil the condition without having to do anything special. He looked into the pond, imagining how he wanted the sigil stone to appear. He slipped into a meditative state as time passed. The pond's surface shimmered, and an image appeared in front of him.

In the image, four adults stood while several kids sat on the ground around them. Their features were blurred, making it difficult for him to recognise them. But their hair colours were strikingly similar, hinting at a potential connection. He felt as though he was on the cusp of understanding the truth. Then, abruptly, one of the adults' images distorted and a gush of blood spurted forth. They collapsed onto the ground, while the remaining adults desperately reached out towards them.

Harry awoke from his trance and instinctively plunged his hand into the water, grasping something. Pulling his hand out, he discovered a blood-red stone the size of his fist. It was perfectly round and felt heavy in his grasp.

"You managed to retrieve it!" Ivy exclaimed, her eyes wide. "And here I thought you were a selfish human being."

Harry took a moment to respond, still shaken by the vision he had witnessed. "What are you on about?"

"The sigil stone will only appear to the person who needs it but doesn't wish to use the stone for themselves. That was the hidden condition. Even if I had told you, it would have made no difference."

"What exactly does this thing do? Does it purify the water so the unicorns can bathe in it?"

"It keeps the entire grove running," Ivy explained. "Haven't you noticed? The vines have vanished. It's no longer a grove once the stone has been removed from the pond."

Harry looked around. Sure enough, the vine walls surrounding the pond had vanished, revealing the forest beyond it. "So it serves multiple purposes? What exactly is a sigil stone? How is it made?"

"Hmm," Ivy said, rubbing her chin. "The simplest answer is that it is a type of ward stone that is created naturally from magic to meet a specific need."

"Interesting," Harry mused. "Can it be used for something other than its intended purpose?"

"It's possible," Ivy speculated. "Every sigil stone contains a great deal of magic. A ritual would be required if you wanted to change the nature of it. But it has limitations, as it can't be completely changed from its original purpose. Why do you ask?"

"A couple of wizards were trying to get their hands on it," Harry said as he rose to his feet.

"Someone has been hanging around recently," Ivy replied. "It was amusing to watch his bumbling attempts to get inside the grove."

Harry tucked the stone away in his pocket. He could finally leave now that he had finished his task. He considered asking her about the image he saw but decided against it.

"I need to get going. It was nice meeting you, Ivy."

"Not so fast. I will be accompanying you. I am the keeper of the grove, and the unicorns require my assistance in establishing the new one."

"All right, hold on tight. I am going to move quickly."

The Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, and the students began disembarking with their trunks in tow. Harry and his friends got off the train and started walking through the crowd of students, looking for their parents.

"There's my father," Daphne said, pointing. Her father was standing with her sister and Sirius. Hermione and Hannah's parents were also present, chatting with one another.

"Harry!" Astoria squealed and dashed over to hug him. It was impossible to avoid her because he was carrying both his trunk and Daphne's.

"Good day, midget," Harry said. "Have you shrunk since the last time I saw you? What a strange phenomenon."

"I haven't gotten shorter,' Astoria retorted. "You have grown far too much. Did you use a growth potion?"

"Do I look like a plant?" Harry placed the trunks down and ruffled her hair.

"Stop it!" Astoria cried, smacking his hand away. "So, who is your little companion?"

"Her name is Ivy," Harry introduced her. Ivy waved from her perch atop his shoulder.

"She wants to live with the unicorns, so I am taking her there. It's much easier for her to come with me than travel on her own."

He told his friends about the grove. They were astounded by the story but chastised him for venturing into the forest by himself after the ordeal with Quirrel and Peter.

Astoria smirked and whispered in his ear. "So, have you popped Daphne's cherry yet? Please share all of the details."

Harry pushed her away from him. "Get away from me, you pervert. You have been spending too much time with Luna."

"Or maybe she has been spending too much time with me," Astoria said, winking.

Harry ignored her and stepped forward to embrace his godfather. "Hello, Sirius."

"Hey, pup. I heard that your grandmother's hair is turning completely grey as a result of your antics, and your grandfather is going completely bald."

"You're exaggerating," Harry said. He turned and extended his hand to Daniel Greengrass. "Lord Greengrass."

"You know you can call me Daniel," the man replied firmly. "Your Order of Merlin ceremony is in a week. I'm sure you will have your speech ready by then."

"I was planning on avoiding the whole thing by infecting myself with a magical disease," Harry joked. "Perhaps dragon pox or spattergroit."

"I will make sure he writes a suitable speech, father," Daphne said, slapping his shoulder.

Harry turned to greet the other adults before saying goodbye to his other friends. He planned to pay a visit to Neville, and Blaise would be back in the country in August, so he might do something with him as well. The others would be on vacation or preoccupied with family matters, so he wouldn't see them until September.

"You are coming with us, Susan," Sirius said. "Your aunt is swamped with work, so she will pick you up later this evening."

"All right," Susan replied.

His grandparents would be busy at Hogwarts for the next few days, so he would be staying with Sirius in the meantime.

"We are going to see Gabrielle first," Harry told her. "I have to give the stone to the unicorns."

They proceeded to the building after Daphne kissed him goodbye. He would see her in a few days after she spent time with her family. They used the floo to travel to his house in France, and Harry unloaded his trunk in his room.

Nagini poked her way out of his sleeve, where she was wrapped around his wrist. She returned to her normal size after slithering onto the floor.

"I don't like travelling by floo," Nagini hissed. "Next time, find me a better mode of transportation."

"Alright, grumpy. Do you want to come and meet Gabrielle?"

"I would rather sleep, so I will see her next time. It's good to see you are collecting so many mates. I anticipate a large number of snakelets in the future."

"Not for a long time," Harry said, blushing. He quickly changed the subject. "We haven't really discussed it much, but are you okay staying with me? Is there somewhere else you would rather be?"

"Not really." Nagini slithered over to his bed and climbed it. She lay down and closed her eyes, indicating that she didn't wish to discuss it any longer.

Harry blinked. This wasn't the first time he had brought the subject up, but she always avoided discussing it. There had to be a reason, but he wasn't going to force it on her. She had already been through enough trauma as a result of Voldemort. He didn't mind having another companion around. Her dry sense of humour reminded him of Blaise.

He changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt before making his way back downstairs. Sirius and Susan were already waiting, so the three of them headed outside and crossed the grounds to the property line.

"Gabrielle will be delighted to see you," Sirius predicted. "The Delacour's are hosting some guests, and she is annoyed with some of them."

"Who are they?" Harry frowned, his mind already running through the worst-case scenarios. He had to restrain himself from storming over to her house to find out who was bothering her.

"A delegation from the Veela conclave is meeting with Pierre," Sirius replied. "There are also some relatives, which are the ones getting on her nerves. Her grandparents are also visiting her. Be wary of them, as they are intimidating as hell, especially her grandmother."

Harry recalled Gabrielle complaining about her relatives after visiting the conclave previously. They had said some horrible things to her. He better not hear any of that nonsense, or he will pull out his bo-staff and inflict some punishment. Gabrielle hadn't warned him about her grandparents, so he hoped they weren't part of the relatives that were bothering her.

"Does this have anything to do with the election later this year?" Harry asked.

Gabrielle's father was running for the position of French Minister of Magic this year. Elections are held every seven years, the same as in Britain. Unless the minister completely messed up, they could continue to run for and hold the position many times, though they rarely served more than two terms. Elections in France were held in September, but potential candidates campaigned for at least a year in advance to give themselves the best chance of winning.

"That is correct. They see this as a good opportunity to lend their support to Pierre because he is more open to supporting Veela and other magical races compared to his opposition."

"Have there been any new threats to the Delacour mansion?"

Harry had been writing to Gabriele frequently, but the girl could be secretive about some things, particularly when it caused him to worry about her.

"Not that I am aware of," Sirius replied. "However, Pierre has increased his security significantly, and Veela has offered some individuals to patrol the grounds."

"Is it okay if we cut through their property?" Susan inquired nervously as they passed through the trees bordering the Delacour property.

"We have permission," Sirius said. "But they will likely have someone watching out for us."

He was proven to be correct. They were met by a stunning blonde Veela, a few minutes later. She wasn't hostile, but she was curious about them. Amelie was her name, and she peppered Sirius with questions. Sirius appeared a little dazed by her allure, but he responded coherently enough. Harry was envious of Sirius' ability to speak French flawlessly. He was gradually learning the language, but he was still a long way from being able to hold a proper conversation. Perhaps he could work on it during the summer vacation.

As they approached the mansion, Harry noticed Gabrielle by the corral where her bicorn was kept. She was surrounded by a group of Veela, including a young man who was standing a little too close to Gabrielle. He frowned, noticing how uncomfortable Gabrielle looked.

"Go protect your lady, pup," Sirius suggested. "Susan, I don't think you want to get into the middle of that. Stay here and watch the show with me."

"The hell with that," Susan replied as she ran after Harry. "Gabrielle needs our help."

Sirius' mouth fell open. "All of Harry's girlfriends are ferocious. I thought Susan was the meekest girl out of the three. She must have gotten it from her aunt."

When he heard a giggle from beside him, he turned to face Aimee. "I am glad to see Gabrielle has such fierce protectors."

"You can speak English!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Of course," Aimee replied. "I prefer not to speak English unless absolutely necessary. It's such a crude language. May I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question."

"Does Harry have Veela ancestry? He is extremely attractive. Even more so than Henri over there, who is a full-blooded veela. If I had been ten years younger, I would have claimed him for myself."

Sirius was deeply offended. Why hadn't she mentioned how handsome he was? He was far more attractive than his godson.

When he got close to the group, Harry slowed down and called out to Gabrielle. He noticed the relief on her face and she pushed her way through the crowd to get to him. However, the man reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. What an asshole!

Harry reached out and twisted his arm, causing the man to curse and let go. Gabrielle lunged forward, wrapped her arms around him, and passionately kissed him on the lips. They ignored the group's chatter and didn't come up for air for at least a half-minute.

Gabrielle tucked herself into Harry's side and smiled smugly at the man in front of them.

"Hi, Gabrielle," Susan said with a smile.

"Susan." Gabrielle reached out and took the girl's hand in hers. "It's good to see you. We can talk later, and you can tell me all about Harry's misadventures at Hogwarts."

"How much time do you have?" Susan asked with a wry smile before she stiffened.

She felt a wave of several allures crash over her, and even though she was a female, she couldn't fight the effects of multiple Veela at the same time. She hurriedly employed her occlumency to counteract the effects.

"Stop doing this!" Gabrielle shouted. "This is not how we treat our guests."

Harry's cheeks flushed as he became enraged. This wasn't their passive allure. The veela were purposefully exposing their full allure in an attempt to make them submit. It was pointless against Harry because he was resistant to the allure. Susan, on the other hand, was in trouble; she was sweating profusely and her eyes were becoming glazed.

Summoning his wand, he pointed it at the surprised group. "You have five seconds to stop before I start cursing you."

"That's enough." Aimee stepped forward and addressed the group. "If you don't stop now, then I will be reporting this to Seraphine."

The group immediately stopped using their allure after the woman's name was mentioned.

"Isn't that your grandmother's name?" Harry asked Gabrielle.

"That's right," Gabrielle said, smirking when she saw his horrified expression. He didn't want to meet anyone who could instil such fear in this group, especially since he was dating her granddaughter.

Sirius patted his shoulder. "It was nice knowing you, Harry."

Harry ignored him and turned to Susan, who appeared to be more at ease. "Are you okay, Susan?"

"I'm fine," Susan said, exhaling. "That was a lot of pressure. Another few seconds and I would have embarrassed myself. One Veela doesn't affect me, but when there are several of them, I definitely feel it."

"So, who exactly is this moron?" Harry inquired, his gaze fixed on the man in front of them.

The insult caused the man's sculpted brows to twitch, indicating that he could speak English. He appeared a little too effeminate and put together as if he spent hours getting ready every morning. Regardless of how he treated Gabrielle, Harry despised him for that reason alone.

"His name is Henri," Gabrielle said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "This is the man to whom my distant relatives advised me to give up my virginity. He has been bothering me because he cannot seem to take no for an answer."

"Aren't you just a gigolo?" Harry asked Henri. "Gabrielle has far too much self-esteem to sleep with you. How much are you getting paid anyway?"

Gabrielle and Susan giggled at his words, and Sirius released a bark of laughter. Henri's cheeks flushed and he took a step forward, but he was cut off when Thibault collided with the fence behind him, causing him to jump.

"I see Thibault as lively as ever," Harry remarked.

"He told me he has been missing you ever since your last visit," Gabrielle grinned.

"You're a riot," Harry replied. "Why don't we head down to the unicorn's home? I have something to show you."

"Does this have something to do with the task you were given?"

"Yes. I have finally completed it."

"What's with the pixie on your shoulder?"

"I haven't got a clue. How long has she been there?"

Ivy kicked his shoulder. "Stop joking around and take me to see the unicorns."

Harry was disappointed that he wasn't allowed to witness the new grove's birth up close. A unicorn had met him at the edge of the woods and took the sigil stone from him. In return, the unicorn gave him a sack that was full of ingredients. He learned that they regularly shed their horns as a result of the purification, so he would always have a steady supply of them.

Ivy told him to stay out of the woods while she went to meet the unicorns. When his girlfriends noticed his sad expression, they comforted him by hugging him.

"What exactly is this grove?" Gabrielle inquired.

Harry explained the grove's purpose to her, which he had revealed to his friends on the way back to London. She squealed with delight when she learned how Nightmares were created.

"Harry, do you realise how incredible this discovery is to the magizoologist community?"

"I have no idea."

"Nightmares are a scourge in any country, which is why unicorns are so closely guarded and monitored. It will keep people safe if it is known that a grove prevents the creation of a Nightmare. Although we cannot create a grove ourselves, we could potentially set up unicorn reserves around them to ensure they are protected and have access to them at all times."

"Okay, that sounds important," Harry said. "How do you make such information public?"

"There is a magizoologist magazine that publishes information about magical creatures," Gabrielle explained. "That is the simplest way to go about it."

"Then you can write the article," Harry suggested.

"No, this was your discovery."

"I don't have time or interest in writing it. I only discovered it by accident. You will be doing all of the research and writing for the article, so you should be given credit for it. I recommend speaking with Ivy to learn more about the grove."

"I don't have the experience to write such an article," Gabrielle said, biting her lower lip. "I need to be cautious about what information I reveal, as it could jeopardise the groves. Especially if they learn about the sigil stones."

"I'm sure you are more than capable," Harry said. "But if you don't want to do it alone, you could look for someone to collaborate with. I recommend Xenophilius Lovegood."

"Luna's father?" Gabrielle tapped her chin in consideration. "I will send him a letter."

A loud bang cut their conversation short, and they turned to face the forest. Following the bang, there was a series of loud cracking sounds, as if the trees were being snapped in half.

"Look!" Susan pointed as she noticed something appearing above the top of the trees.

As the vines grew and twisted, they intertwined with one another, eventually forming a massive dome that towered above the surrounding trees. Because the trees were much shorter than those in the Forbidden Forest, the dome couldn't hide its presence among them.

"Awesome!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

"It's an amazing sight," a voice from behind them said.

They turned to see Pierre and Apolline standing there, along with another woman. Harry's eyes widened as he gazed upon her, as she was the epitome of a femme fatale. Was this her grandmother?

Her hair was darker than her daughter's, more silver than blonde, but their clear blue eyes were uncannily similar. Seraphine used her makeup expertly to exude a seductive charm. She was dressed in a crimson strapless gown with a bodice that accentuated her figure. Her assets were on full display, making it difficult for him to look at her without appearing rude.

Gabrielle nudged him playfully. "Stop ogling my grand-mere."

"I'm not ogling her," Harry hissed. "Does she always dress like that?"

"Yes,' Gabrielle replied cheerfully.

"Is there something wrong?" Seraphine asked, smiling coyly.

Without warning, Harry was hit with the most powerful allure he had ever felt. He employed his occlumency immediately because he could hear a faint song in his ears, attempting to cloud his mind. He was furious and turned to see how Susan was doing, only to find her completely normal. Seraphine was somehow directing her allure only at him. When she didn't get the desired response, she frowned, and the allure intensified.

Harry could hear the song even louder now, as if he were wearing headphones with the volume turned all the way up. He clenched his teeth and strained to silence the song. A few seconds later, the song abruptly ended.

"Will you stop that?" Harry growled, having finally overcome Seraphine's allure. "Aren't you a little too old to try to make a boy drool over you? They have a word for people like you that begins with the letter "P."

Serpahine's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Gabrielle's parents laughed beside her. Gabrielle covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn't hide her laughter.

"I told you he was mentally strong," Apolline remarked, her eyes twinkling. "Please forgive my mother, Harry. She felt it was necessary to put you to the test, and nothing we said could convince her otherwise."

"He is calling France's most famous witch a paedophile," Pierre chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "Ah, seeing my mother-in-law's reaction gives me a sense of justice. I remember when she did the same thing to me, and I ended up proposing marriage to her on my knees."

That took Harry by surprise. Pierre had always struck him as being strong. But at the hands of this woman, the man had been reduced to an idiot.

Seraphine eventually recovered from her shock and approached him. "Young man, you are quite impressive. I cannot remember the last time someone was able to resist the allure at full strength."

"Never do that again," Harry warned. "I dislike being controlled. So... it's nice to meet you."

Seraphine smiled. "She told me that you wish to create an artifact that completely inhibits a veela allure. Are you aware of the monumental task you have just undertaken?"

"I have a good idea."

"Before you can do that, you need to learn more about us. Why don't you come to our conclave? I am sure it will be an illuminating experience."

So, what do you think? I don't know if I have mentioned it already, but Nagini isn't a Maledictus in this story. I don't consider the Fantastic Beasts movies to be canon for the most part.

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Thanks for reading.