Chapter 16
26May 1992
Oliver,
You were right, Professor McGonagalldoeswait till she announces the detention, letting you think she'd forgotten. You should have heard Harry and Ron complaining about it when she dropped off the notices at breakfast. I don't know much about what it will entail, but we're supposed to meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall tonight. I'll write to you when we get back, or tell you about it tomorrow, whichever comes first.
Hermione
That night, as planned, Hermione, Harry, Neville and Malfoy met Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall at 11 pm.
"A pity they let the old punishments die," Filch groused as he led them out of the castle. "There was a time when detention found you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons."
Hermione looked up in alarm as she continued to follow him, but said nothing.
"God, I miss the screamin'," Filch muttered. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight," he said as he led them to Hagrid's door. "He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest. A sorry lot, this, Hagrid. Good God, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?"
"Norbert's gone," Hagrid announced, sniffling. "Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."
Hermione knew that this was more for Malfoy's benefit to get the Slytherin to stop poking around his house than it was for her and Harry, or even Neville.
"Well that's good, isn't it?" she asked, trying to cheer him up. "He'll be with his own kind."
"But what if he don't like Romania," Hagrid argued. "What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all."
"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man," Filch snapped. "You're going into the forest, after all. Yougot to have your wits about you."
"The forest?" Malfoy cried in alarm. "I thought that was a joke. We can't go inthere, studentsaren'tallowed. And there are... werewolves."
"Oh, there's more than werewolves in those trees," Filch said threateningly. "You can be sure ofthat. Nighty-night."
He turned and headed back up to the castle, his lantern light fading into the darkness.
"Right," Hagrid said. "Let's go."
Hagrid and his boar hound, Fang, led the way through the forest, as Hagrid held aloft a single lantern to light the way, his crossbow on his back. After a few minutes of walking, though deep enough that they'd have a hard time finding their way back if they got lost, Hagrid stopped at a fork in the path. He bent down, lowering the lantern over a large puddle that he dipped his fingers in. Near the lantern light, the tips of his fingers looked silver.
"Hagrid," Harry said. "What is that?"
"What we're here for," Hagrid replied solemnly. "See that?" he asked, holding up his fingers for Hermione, Neville and Malfoy to see. "That's unicorn blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt bad by somethin'. So it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Neville, you go with Malfoy, while Hermione, and Harry come with me."
Hermione glanced over at Neville to see him nod though he looked nervous.
"Okay," Malfoy said. "Then I get Fang."
"Fine," Hagrid replied. "Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."
With that they split up. They hadn't gone five minutes until they had to turn around when red sparks appeared in the air. Hermione rolled her eyes as they returned to their original fork to see Neville in a panic and Malfoy trying to play off that he'd scared Neville as a joke, and it wasn't his fault that Neville was such a scaredy-cat.
Irritated at the delay, Hagrid sent Harry with Malfoy, hoping that Harry wouldn't scare so easily, and they could get things done. A half hour later, their trail had gotten bigger, and Hagrid learned that the unicorn they were searching for was indeed in the other direction and his group was moving closer toward the point of attack rather than toward the beast. Turning around again, they headed back and came across Malfoy and Fang running toward them, Malfoy screaming his head off.
"Where's Harry?" Hagrid asked, reaching out his arm to grab Malfoy as he tried to run by them.
Draco groaned, having run into the man's large arm and panted for breath, pale with fear.
"Where's Harry?" Hagrid asked again, shaking him a bit.
"B-b-b-back there," Draco stammered. Pointing back the way he'd come.
"Come on!" Hagrid said hurrying down the path the way Malfoy had come with Hermione and Neville following.
"I-I'm not going backthere!" Draco argued.
Hagrid stopped and turned to him. "Fine," he said threateningly. "You can just stay here and wait for the werewolves to come get you... or the Centaurs... whichever comes first. They don't take too kindly to trespassers," Hagrid trailed off, not mentioning to which he was referring as he turned away, not waiting for the boy to catch up.
"Harry!" Hermione cried happily a few minutes later, when she saw her friend safe.
"Hello there, Firenze," Hagrid said. "See you've met our young Mr Potter. You alright there, Harry?" he asked.
Harry nodded.
"Harry Potter," Firenze said, drawing Harry's attention. "This is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." Harry and Hagrid watched as Firenze turned and trotted away with a flick of his tail. Hagrid sighed as his gaze returned to the slain unicorn.
"You mean, You-Know-Who is out thereright nowin the forest?" Hermione asked when they returned to the common room after detention and sat with Ron, who'd been waiting for them to return.
"But he's weak," Harry said as he paced in front of the fire. "He's living off the unicorns. Don't yousee, we had itwrong. Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself. He wants it forVoldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll... come back," Harry said, sitting down at last.
"But if he comes back," Ron said slowly. "You don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?"
"If he'd had the chance," Harry said solemnly. "He might have tried to kill me tonight."
"And to think," Ron said, swallowing. "I've been worrying about myPotionsfinal."
"Hang on a minute," Hermione said. "We're forgettingone thing. Who's theone wizardVoldemort always feared?Dumbledore," she said when they looked at her puzzled. "As long asDumbledore'saround Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."
26-27, May 1992
Oliver,
The common room was empty when we got back, I can only assume that you were already asleep by the time we got in. We had detention with Hagrid and had to go into the Dark Forest. Hagrid said that something has been attacking the unicorns there. Well, Harry told Ron and I what happened last night when Hagrid sent him off with Malfoy after Malfoy had scared Neville half to death as a joke the first time we separated, searching for it.
From what Harry said, he was nearly attacked by You-Know-Who. He wasn't of course, he's fine, just scared. Harry was saved by Firenze, a centaur, who waited with him until we got to him. Firenze chased You-Know-Who off just before we got there. Ron asked Harry if he thought You-Know-Who would try to kill him if he came back to full strength, and Harry said that he thought he would have tried tonight if he had the chance. I have to say that I think so too.
Hermione
The next morning at breakfast, Hermione got her reply.
27May 1992
Hermione,
I am glad that you and Harry are safe. You-Know-Who is in the forest? Are you sure? Please meet me before lunch, this isn't something I want to discuss in a letter.
Oliver
Hermione looked up from where she sat with Harry and Ron and nodded when she caught Oliver's eye.
"Hermione," Oliver said when she met him at lunch. "Come on, let's go down to the lake for a bit."
Hermione nodded and followed him.
"Are yousurethat You-Know-Who is in the forest?" he asked, turning to her as they sat down.
"That's what Harry said," she told him.
"Okay," Oliver said, looking her in the eye. "Whatexactlyhappened last night?"
"Well, at first, it was Harry and I with Hagrid. Hagrid said that we were looking for a hurt unicorn. He sent Neville off with Malfoy and Fang, but it wasn't even five minutes before we switched because Malfoy was being a git and tried to scare Neville as a joke."
"Yeah, okay," Oliver said. "Everyone knows Malfoy's a little git."
"Well, after that, Hagrid, Neville and I found out that we were heading in the wrong direction, going toward where the attack on the unicorn first happened. We headed back the way we'd come and were met by Fang and Malfoy, who was screaming his head off. We went looking for Harry after that and found him with Firenze. Later in the common room when we got back, Harry was telling Ron and I that Firenze had explained to him about the unicorn blood, and how it can keep someone alive. Harry said Firenze asked him if he knew someone that wouldn't want the life that the unicorn blood gave — the cursed life — just to stay alive. All Harry could think of, or even myself really — was You-Know-Who."
Oliver sighed, shaking his head and looked at her worriedly. "I really want to tell you to stay out of it all, Hermione... to stay away from Harry, but at the same time, I have to wonder if doing so would mean his death. If it wasn't for Firenze... and Hagrid..."
"I know," Hermione said quietly. "And I know how you feel about it, Oliver. It's dangerous, and I have to admit, I'm a little scared."
"A little?" Oliver questioned. "This is You-Know-Who we're likely talking about here."
"Okay, alotscared," Hermione corrected. "But I can't let him face this alone."
"I know," Oliver said with a sigh and gave her a hug. "At least promise me that you'lltryand be safe?"
Hermione could only nod.