POV of Ariana Prewett

Professor McGonagall led us outside across the castle grounds to Hagrid. I wrapped my cloak tighter around me as we trudged through the snow. I loved snow more than anything, and under different circumstances, I would have been in a really good mood being outside. But as it was, I was shivering all over, which wasn't just due to the cold, but also my fear of what could happen tonight. Even before we had left the dormitory, I had had an uneasy feeling that I couldn't interpret. Since my gut feeling had been right so often this school year, I could hardly manage to calm myself down. I mean, after all, I had sensed that we would be caught tonight... I just had a feeling that the night wouldn't get any better; after all, the forest wasn't forbidden to students for no reason. Hermione, who was walking beside me, whispered reassuring words to me, which, however, didn't find their way into my brain. I heard them, but somehow they bounced off me without effect.

When we arrived at Hagrid's hut, we were surprised to find Bella, Zane, and Veatrix there, as we had assumed that the Slytherins hadn't been out at all and that Veatrix had escaped. I was deeply troubled when Hagrid announced that we were looking for one or more injured unicorns. What kind of cruel creature must be roaming the forest that would even attack these innocent, defenseless beings? The others also seemed shocked by this information. I became even more uneasy, if that was even possible, when Hagrid divided us into two groups and I only then realized that he wouldn't be accompanying us, but would take his own path with Fang. Until that moment, I had still been able to tell myself that at least he knew his way around the forest and could protect us, but on our own, we were practically defenseless in my opinion. By the time someone could follow the red sparks of a cry for help, it would certainly be too late.

Again, it was Hermione who noticed how panic was slowly growing in me, grabbed my hand, and squeezed it tightly as the groups split up and we were among ourselves. She walked beside me and actually managed to calm me down a little, while Parvati went ahead. Since we had been caught, she had avoided looking at us and hadn't said another word. She probably felt guilty for not listening to us when we tried to stop her from leaving the dormitory. However, Hermione and I had already expected that Par wouldn't be deterred from going. We had agreed that although we didn't like the plan, we wanted to stand by her instead of letting her wander through the castle alone.

It didn't take long before we reached a fork in the road where we had to decide whether to continue left or right. Parvati turned to us for the first time since we had been in the forest, but seemed to be focusing on a point behind us to avoid making eye contact. "Left?" she suggested in a shaky voice. We nodded in response. Since there was no sign of an injured unicorn far and wide, it basically made no difference which way we took.

After just a few steps, Parvati stopped again. "Did you hear that too?" she asked quietly. "No, what should we have heard?" Hermione asked the counter-question that was also on my tongue. Parvati then shook her head in confusion, as if to chase away a thought, and silently went on ahead. When she turned around for the second time, I heard the noise too. It sounded like the cracking of a twig that something or someone had stepped on. Undecided, we waited for a while, as the cause of the noise could have been just about anything. Maybe it had been a unicorn; as far as I knew, these graceful creatures moved almost silently. That would have at least explained why nothing suspicious was heard afterwards.

We had followed the path for a few more steps before we heard noises again and stopped once more. The assumption that we might have heard a unicorn was now confirmed as we saw one of the graceful creatures standing perhaps 15 meters away from us. Everything seemed so peaceful as the beautiful unicorn looked at us. But this sight didn't last long, as after only a few seconds that we stood still, another being appeared. The human-like creature in black robes had suddenly appeared behind the unicorn and, with a single hand movement, had caused it to sink to the ground and remain lying there. The black-hooded monster bent over the unicorn's body, from which its silver blood began to flow, and... drank from the blood. It was a terrible sight that presented itself to us, and none of us dared to move, so frozen were we with shock. Although it felt like an eternity, probably only a few seconds had passed before the monster straightened up again and noticed us. I could barely make it out, as Parvati had dropped her wand, which had been providing us with light, into the snow. But it scared me that we couldn't see the figure's face, as if it had no eyes; it didn't even look human, except for its posture.

I looked at Par from the side, and when she noticed my gaze, she looked at me with an expression I couldn't interpret, but I was convinced that her eyes had changed color. She turned back to the figure and stepped protectively in front of us. Hermione wanted to pull her back, but I was faster and grabbed Hermione's arm, hissing at her to let Par do her thing. It had to happen this way; I just knew it. I knew it just as well as Par knew what had to happen now.

Par dropped to the ground, transforming into a snow-white wolf as she did so, and charged directly at the dark figure, just as I had seen it coming. She caught the creature and dragged it with her against a tree trunk. A knife flashed, and before I could scream in fear for Par, it hit her. Though not as well as it probably should have, as Par had jumped up and snapped at the figure's arm with her frighteningly sharp teeth. The tree trunk and the snow in front of it were now stained red with both of their blood; I will never forget this terrible sight.

Before the wolf could attack again, the figure jumped up and fled. That was the signal for Hermione and me to run to Par, who, now back in her human form, was crouching on the ground, holding her bleeding arm. I handed Hermione the red scarf I wore around my neck so she could tie it around Par's arm as a bandage. It didn't seem too bad, but we knew it was better to take her to Madam Pomfrey that same night.

I was just picking up Par's wand when we heard noises again. We had actually intended to send sparks into the air so that Hagrid could look at the unicorn and maybe even save it, and so Par could get out of the forest as quickly as possible. However, because of the noises, we decided against it and fled as fast as we could. We were on the same path we had come, only in the opposite direction, when we saw green sparks coming from the direction we had just left. When we turned back to see who was there, it quickly became apparent that the noises that had driven us away must have come from Bella, Veatrix and Zane. They looked surprised too when we came into view. They probably hadn't expected us to be nearby, given how big the forest was. I noticed Par stiffen beside me as the others noticed her injured arm.

It was Bella who inquired about what had happened. As Par hesitated, Hermione answered for her and told how Par had bravely driven away the dark figure. With each word, the expression on Bella's face became softer and more concerned. While she had just been looking at Par skeptically, she now almost whispered and seemed to mean her words sincerely: "I'm sorry I didn't trust you... There's a reason you're a Gryffindor and the others stood by you." With these words, she went up to Par and hugged her. It was incredibly beautiful to see the two of them together again like this, as I knew how much Par had suffered without Bella these past few weeks. She had been so distant and hardly spoke, and now hopefully everything would be back to the way it was before.

It didn't take too long for Hagrid to arrive with Fang. He examined the unicorn and had us report about the dark figure, though we didn't mention Par's transformation and claimed she had injured her arm in a fall. As sad as it was, even Hagrid couldn't help the unicorn anymore; it had simply lost too much blood and had been dead before he arrived.

Hagrid accompanied us to the edge of the forest before he went back in himself to take care of the dead unicorn, which he didn't want to leave lying around. Arriving at the castle gates, we said goodbye to the Slytherins and made our way to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was, of course, not particularly thrilled to be woken up in the middle of the night, but she healed Par's arm in no time before sending us to our dormitory. Exhausted from this eventful night, we fell onto our beds and soon fell asleep.