May 25, 1992
Harry had almost forgotten he had detention because it was set too late. When he came down from the Gryffindor Common Room at eleven o'clock that night to the Entrance Hall, Harry found, as he expected, Argus Filch and Draco Malfoy. What he didn't expect was the Ernie Macmillan would be there – right, he was also given detention last March – and Lisa Turpin, a muggle-born Ravenclaw.
Harry mused that the detention had a representative from each House. At once, Filch beckoned them to follow him to a familiar path that led to Hagrid's Hut, where Hagrid was waiting with the boarhound Fang. When the Ernie and Lisa seemed placated due to Hagrid's presence – who was known to be the jolly groundskeeper – Filch, in manic glee, spooked them.
Harry rolled his eyes when Draco fussed about werewolves. When Filch had turned his heels back to the forest, Draco stomped his foot.
"I'm not going into the forest," he said, panic clear in his voice.
"Yeh haven't got a choice," said Hagrid fiercely. "If yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts, yeh're going to the forest."
"Suck it up, Malfoy," Harry butted in the conversation. He squinted his eyes at Draco. "You're not scared, are you?"
"Scared?" asked Draco in a shrill voice. "I'm not s-scared! It's just not dignified for someone of my standing to do servant stuff."
Ernie rolled his eyes while Lisa snorted. Hagrid added, "Well, go own then. Go back ter the castle and pack yer things up. This is how things are in Hogwarts."
Draco glared at all of them but he didn't make a move. Hagrid briefed them about the ongoing issue of unicorns being killed in the Forbidden Forest, showing them the silver blood staining the ground. Their detention would have to be finding the unicorn that was hurt badly. Reassuring everyone that nothing in the forest would hurt them as long as they were with Fang or Hagrid, they broke out into groups.
Draco immediately picked Fang as he stared at its sharp teeth. Ernie would accompany those two while Harry's with Hagrid and Lisa.
"So… what's gotten you in detention," asked Harry, attempting to make small talk with Lisa.
Lisa's head turned downwards, letting her dirty blonde hair fall down so as to hide her blushing face. But Harry had already seen, he made no mention of it.
"Filch caught me sneaking into the kitchens," she mumbled.
Harry had to strain to hear it because she said it so quietly. But when he finally heard it, he snorted. Lisa looked up at him and was indignant.
"No, it's not what you think—" said Harry. "It's just that, it's something I would've done too."
Lisa wasn't able to answer because Hagrid hoisted them off the path and behind a towering oak. He signed for them to be quiet. Lisa's face morphed into distress as fear struck when they heard a slithering over dead leaves nearby.
"I knew it," murmured Hagrid. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."
Moments later, they met Ronan. The sight of a half-man, half-horse awed Lisa, her jaw dropping. She stayed quiet as Hagrid and Ronan had a conversation. Harry's heart, however, started beating quickly as Ronan, and later on Bane, spoke of Mars being bright.
"Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now," Ronan had said. And Harry knew these weren't just empty words – centaurs were, at their core, star gazers. Despite most of their limbs on the ground, centaurs were great at divination and reading celestial bodies.
It was unicorns, perhaps, that they were describing. But it could also be Harry or Cedric Diggory. Mars burning bright foretold Voldemort's return, ascension to power, and the upcoming war. Harry reckoned they prophesized Harry's death at the hands of Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest during the zenith of the Second Wizarding War.
Bane stared at the night sky, before peering curiously at Harry's eyes. "Saturn turned back, too. Meddled with. Unstable. Can be a boon, but also a bane."
The beats of Harry's heart quickened. He knew it would be impossible for the centaurs to know what he had done. But the centaurs also didn't mention Saturn before in the last timeline. Harry was no idiot, he studied Astronomy for five years. Professor Sinistra had said that the planet Saturn was always associated with the concept of time.
Harry was deep in his thoughts that he had noticed the red sparks being sent in the sky. Lisa grabbed Hagrid's arm and pointed it out.
Just like last time, Harry ended up with Draco and Fang because he had spooked Ernie enough for the Hufflepuff to send sparks up in the sky. They set off into the heart of the forest, walking for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the lush and dark forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick.
The silver blood also seemed to be thicker. Splotches and splashes were on the roots, the ground, and the trees as though the poor creature thrashed in pain and was swaying from side to side. Harry could now see, as vividly in his memory, the clearing ahead through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.
Fresh white blood flowed gleamed on the ground surrounding the dead unicorn. Mesmerized by its magnificence even in its death, Draco inched closer. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure – Quirrell— came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast.
Without a beat, Harry wrapped his arm around Draco and clasped his hand over the Slytherin's mouth to prevent him from screaming as the Voldemort began drinking the unicorn's blood.
Draco thrashed from his hold and made a helpless sound that drew Voldemort's attention. The figure stood up and with blood dripping from its mouth swiftly moved towards them. Fang whimpered and bolted – the coward – but Harry was relentless in covering Draco's mouth that the Slytherin boy was unable to follow the boarhound. Exacerbated by the searing pain piercing his head, the arm around Draco was wrapped tightly.
In panic and terror, Draco fainted, crumpling helplessly to the ground. Harry staggered back and heard Firenze, the young, white-blond-haired palomino centaur, galloping behind him and charged to fight the figure.
Harry smiled despite the pain and performed the Reviving Spell at Draco, who was bewildered at the presence of another creature fighting Quirrell that he dared not move. After driving out the figure, the centaur turned towards them pulling them both to their feet (albeit Draco doing so hesitantly).
"Are you all right?" asked Firenze.
"Yes – thank you."
"No! What was that?"
Firenze only stared at Harry, disregarding Draco's question to which the boy was affronted. Wow, Harry thought, Firenze did have astonishingly blue eyes which looked like pale sapphires. He now definitely understood why Lavender and Parvati made a fuss when he was their substitute Divination teacher.
"You are the Potter boy," he said, after a long look on the scar which stood out. "The both of 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."
He lowered himself to the ground as Harry clambered on to his back. Harry looked at Draco who looked like he was about to protest, but still too frightened to do so.
"Climb up, Malfoy. And be nice, he is helping us," said Harry, his voice hard with edge. Draco pressed his lips together, showing that he didn't like this one bit, only doing so because he had no other choice.
"My name is Firenze."
There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane cantered forward, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Firenze!" thundered Bane. "What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
Draco's eyes widened.
"These are children! One of whom you do not recognize!" countered Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves the Forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "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 pawed the ground nervously. In his gloomy voice, he placated, "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best."
Bane kicked his hind 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!"
"Hey!" reacted Draco, but before he could get another word in, Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, startling both students grabbing on to shoulders – Harry on Firenze's, Draco on Harry's – to stay on.
"Do you not see that unicorn?" bellowed Firenze. "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."
Firenze turned his back immediately; Harry and Draco clutching tightly as they could, Firenze plunging off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. Draco didn't have a clue what's going on.
"Why're they so angry?" asked Draco when silence had settled. "And I wanna know what's that thing killing unicorns!"
"Like wizards, they have their own social norms," replied Harry as Firenze would be content not doing so. "Centaurs are proud creatures, Draco. They consider it beneath them when humans use them, in this case, using him as a method of transport."
Draco seemed to chew this information while Firenze warned them to keep their heads bowed in case of low-hanging branches. When they passed through a particularly dense patch of trees, Firenze stopped and started the conversation.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
"No," said Harry automatically. That was what his reply was back then. "We only used unicorn tail hair and horn in class."
"That is because it is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain would commit 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."
"But who'd be that desperate?" asked Draco, who was apparently listening to the conversation. Harry turned his head to look at him and even though the Slytherin was already paler than usual, went paler still, almost sickly white. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"
"It is," agreed Firenze, even if Harry wasn't the one talking to him, "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."
He addressed Harry again. "Mr Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
Harry nodded grimly, "Yes."
Despite not being addressed, Draco answered: "No!"
Ignoring Draco, Firenze went on. "Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"
Oh, Harry knew very well. Despite going through this before, Harry's stomach clenched as if it had become iron. With a grimace, he said: "Voldemort."
Draco's mind whirled as he grew very still, his pale face cold in shock. He screamed, "WHAT?"
"Harry! Harry, are you alright?"
Ernie was running towards them down the path, Lisa behind him, while Hagrid puffed behind them.
"I'm fine!" said Harry. "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 and Draco slid off his back as Ernie and Lisa stopped dead in their tracks as they gaped at them.
"Thank you," said Harry. He elbowed Malfoy, and after a confused moment Malfoy stammered a thank you as well.
"Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hoped this is one of those times. But judging from your eyes, it seemed that I hoped wrong."
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the Forest, leaving Harry struck with his last statement. The centaurs had known that he was an anomaly in time. Draco shivered behind him as Ernie and Lisa approached them, whispering, "How lucky can you get? Centaurs have never let humans on their back."
Harry scoffed, "Yeah, only if we didn't see a unicorn get murdered."
They all flinched.
"Sorry, I'm just on edge."
"No, you're right. Sorry, Harry."
When Hagrid finished checking the unicorn, he led them back to the castle. Ernie and Lisa both said their goodbyes as they entered the castle. Harry was yanked back by Draco whose eyes were burning with the need to know.
"What was that back there? What did you mean You-Know-Who?"
"Did you need your ears checked, Draco? I said what I said," snapped Harry. "Supposed you'd be excited, huh."
"But how did you know? How would you know? What's being hidden in the castle—"
"Frankly, I don't have the energy to be polite to you tonight, Draco, after what had happened. I don't owe you any explanations. Even if I did know something, why would I tell you about it? You've been rude to me and my friends ever since school started. In fact, you've been rude to anyone who you consider lesser than you, really – muggle-borns, centaurs, the Hogwarts staff.
"Your actions aren't actions of someone who can be told secrets. I am exhausted and I want to sleep, so please, do not force me to tell you anything. Unless you get off your high horse, you are never going to get a word out of me."
Harry turned his heels and headed towards the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room. He knew he was irritated because he was on edge, but the sleepiness was a factor too. And he was exhausted. He really just wanted to sleep now and deal with all this tomorrow.
"What shall I do then? For you to tell me? To be worthy of being told a secret."
Harry snorted as his drowsy brain supplied a ridiculous idea that wasn't filtered by the time it came out of his mouth. "Eating breakfast with Gryffindors would be a good start."
Malfoy was too much of a proud person to do that, Harry's mind supplied as he left. If only he saw how his words earlier had an effect on Draco Malfoy as he stood still and unmoving, mind whirling with thoughts. Harry should have known better.