Shooting one last look at his scaly friend, making sure that he had enough food and drink in his enclosure to ensure that he didn't go wandering, Hagrid allowed his fond smile to shift into a frown as he prepared for the evening's job.

For even if his time with Norbert was limited thanks to Dumbledore arranging secure passage to a Romanian dragon colony, the fact remained that the little fella was not the only creature under his care.

Over the past few nights, his forays into the forest had resulted in undeniable signs that whatever was targeting the Unicorns was becoming bolder and more vicious. With the previous evening resulting in seeing something that broke his heart.

It had only been for a moment, and it had been too far away to try and coax it over to him so he could tend to its wounds, but Hagrid had clearly seen the grievous harm that had been done to the poor creature.

Which meant that time was limited.

For a creature THAT wounded wouldn't be able to outrun the monster that stalked it. Let alone defend itself.

He hoped that he would be able to find it before it succumbed to either it's wounds or the predator.

Which was why he was greatly heartened by the fact that he would have an extra pair of eyes tonight.

If he hadn't been so worried, he might have questioned why the headmaster had chosen three first years to accompany him rather than a professor, or even an older student.

But since one of his helpers was Harry, he was confident that things would be ok.

Provided he was careful in how he divided the responsibilities of his team.

Sadly however, there was one piece of business he had to attend to before he could go over the details of his 'expedition'.

"You can bugger off now Filch. I'll take it from here."

Normally he was very respectful of those who had gained employment with the school. Be it professors or the legion of House Elves that kept the place running.

But Filch?

He never really cared for the man.

And the feeling was mutual.

"I have no doubt Hagrid. I have no doubt. Though I do have to wonder if perhaps you are capable of ensuring the safety of this lot. Your separation from your scaly little friend is fast approaching after all. And we all know how…careless you can be when your mind is distracted."

Resisting the urge to punch the greasy git in the face, if only because time was wasting, Hagrid held his tongue as the caretaker bid a final farewell to the less than happy trio.

"All right you lot. I'll be back for you in the morning. At least, those of you who manage to survive."

Scowling at the retreating back of the cruelly laughing man, Hagrid waited until the man was out of earshot before getting down to business.

"Right! So let me tell you lot what we're gonna be doing this evening."

…..

This was insane.

It was bad enough that he had been forced to endure his punishment in the company of his least favorite people. Granger chief among them.

But to be ordered around by some half educated, Dumbledore worshiping oaf?

That was asking too much.

Something which he wasted little time in pointing out.

"Are you mad? We should be writing lines! Or even helping that miserable Squib clean the hallways. Not…not this!"

Sadly, his protests fell on ears that were not only death, but also mocking.

"Writing Lines? What good has writing lines ever done anyone? At this school, if you're caught breaking the rules that are supposed to keep you safe, then your gonna do something that benefits the continued security of the castle."

Scoffing at the idea of such a policy, for it was way to soft to be employed by a school administered by the likes of Dumbledore, Draco felt his expression shift between anger and fear as Potter made an observation that was not entirely inaccurate.

"Admit it Malfoy. Your just scared shitless cause you don't want to be alone with me in a dark and creepy forest."

Shooting a sneer toward the smirking Hufflepuff, though in truth he was actually terrified to be in such a situation with Potter, something that only served to increase his anger, the blond-haired Slytherin wasn't sure if he should be grateful or horrified by the giant oaf's suggestion.

"Actually Harry, given that you have some experience with this sort of thing, I'd thought I'd pair you up with Fang and Ms. Granger while I take Malfoy and look for our quarry in the other direction."

Taking a moment to enjoy the look of pure annoyance that crossed Potter's face at this revelation, Malfoy quickly felt his own morph into a similar look of irritation as the Mudblood decided to question the 'arrangement'.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I read about what's in this forest, and.."

"And you suddenly think you know how to survive an encounter with one of its creatures. I know common sense isn't really your thing Granger, but do remember that this is called the FORBIDDEN Forest. As in its forbidden for every student to go into. Not just grade grubbing first years who think they know it all just cause they memorized some government-approved texts."

He full-heartedly agreed with Potter on that one.

If there was anything worse than a Mudblood it was a Mudblood who believed itself superior to those who had been raised in a society that they had just been introduced to.

A sentiment that was oddly enough shared, at least in spirit, by the giant oaf.

"He's…not exactly wrong Ms. Granger. Nothing wrong with book learning. Lord knows they have useful information. But when it comes to situations like this, all those fancy words are gonna mean nothing if your not quick enough. And while he is a bit on the young side, Harry at least has some experience with this type of thing."

This of course managed to set Granger off on another bloody tangent.

"You mean you have experience hunting poor defenseless animals? That's totally barbaric!"

Honestly, he didn't see what the big deal was.

Hunting was a perfectly good sport to engage in. Even if his mother had forbidden him from doing it until he was thirteen.

Which was why he was more than a tad jealous as Potter revealed his own views on hunting.

"Defenseless? Only part of the time. But deserving of sympathy? Hardly."

There was something about the way he said that reminded him oddly enough brought of some of the stories he heard about his imprisoned aunt and the more fervent followers of the Dark Lord.

Of course, such a thought was ridiculous because while it was undeniable that Potter was a violent lunatic, he was no killer.

Or at least, he didn't believe he was one since even Dumbledore would refuse to have a killer walk amongst the halls of Hogwarts.

But then again, his father had said that the old man's grasp on reality was slipping as each year went by.

So it was possible that Potter was capable of committing murder.

A thought that sadly meant that he wouldn't protest too much about his 'assigned' partner for the evening.

If only because it meant that he had a firm alibi if/when Potter finally snapped and did something to ensure that the Mudblood's annoying presence would never again stalk the hallways of Hogwarts.

Cause after all, there were all sorts of dangerous creatures to pin her death on.

…..

"You know this is all your fault, right?"

Doing his best not to react, though the twitching in his hands meant that he wasn't as successful as he wished to be, Harry kept his attention on the surrounding forest rather than engage the irritating Gyffrindor in conversation.

Mostly because it was just common sense to keep silent while in a place that was teeming with dangerous creatures.

But also because he knew from first-hand experience that killers, even trained professionals like his parents, always ended up going for the most annoying target first.

Which meant that allowing Granger to natter away, though annoying in the extreme, actually served a purpose.

For what better way to attract a monster than by offering it a meal that wouldn't shut up until it was dead?

"Are you listening to me?!"

Sadly though, until the Unicorn predator decided to make its presence known, the black-haired Hufflepuff had to endure the nagging voice of his fellow first year.

"I said that we're out here because of you! I know you're good friends with Hagrid, and have SOME cause to dislike Malfoy."

At this point Harry felt the need to offer up a reply.

"The fact that you can't even admit that the blond idiot has it coming is as impressive as it is sad Granger. Especially considering that his family and friends would have no problem eliminating what is more or less a quarter of Magical Britain's population."

He had to give Granger credit.

She didn't automatically reject his logic. But it was clear that such a troubling thought was merely a distraction to what she wanted to say.

"If that's the case you should be following the rules in order to…curb said behavior. I'm certain that Professor McGonagall and Sprout would no doubt believe you in you went to them with your concerns."

Fighting the urge to snort, Harry shook his head as he revealed a truth that even Granger could not deny.

"Perhaps. But keep in mind that Malfoy and his fellow goose steppers have the greasy-haired bat in their corner. And considering Dumbledore hasn't fired the man, despite nearly a decade of complaints if what Tonks and the Twins had told me, as long as Malfoy isn't stupid enough to commit a hate crime in front of a more situationally aware teacher, he will never suffer the consequences for his actions."

At least not officially.

He hated the junior Nazi, but he had to admit that he was a great stress reliever.

Something that Granger was well aware of.

"You know that attacking him the way you do will only make the situation worse right? I mean, yes he is a bully, one that should by all rights be suspended until he learns to curb his more distasteful tendencies. But that still doesn't mea…"

"Silencio!"

In most situations, he would have enjoyed the look of fury that was currently being displayed by his currently mute schoolmate. Especially since he had heard that the youngest Weasley, and some of his fellow first years, had actually begun to put some effort into using it.

But not in this instance.

Now, a chatty know it all would alert something he really didn't feel confident in taking on alone.

If only because his lessons with Stolas had never really covered what kind of abilities a creature/person could get from drinking Unicorn blood.

Apart from the whole temporary immortality thing.

And while he was confident that he could do some serious damage to the thing that was currently sucking on the neck of the sadly deceased Unicorn, he wasn't sure if he could give it a first-class ticket down to Hell.

Sadly, it looked like he would have to try.

Because rather than hide behind the nearest tree, or even running in the opposite direction of their target, Granger saw fit to alert the damn Thing to their presence by performing the one bit of non-verbal magic that any normal first-year could accomplish.

Yes it was good to have back up on the way.

But since he didn't know how long he would have to wait for it, he was sorely tempted too just toss Granger at the Thing in order to get some distance.

"Stupefy!"

However, that plan went out the window at the discovery that that unicorn-killing bastard was in fact a magic user.

And while it was somewhat nice to not having to worry about Granger getting in his way as he prepared to defend himself, the fact that the Thing had chosen to leave him alive and fully conscious was, to say the least, disconcerting.

Especially when it proved capable of speech.

"Haaarryyy Potter!"

…..

While he was nowhere near his full strength, and would remain so until he managed to gain possession of the Philosophers Stone, the shade of Voldemort was still more than capable of handling the cause of his supposed downfall.

Provided of course he was careful.

He didn't fear Potter.

For even if he was hiding the true extent of his abilities, the boy was still only an eleven-year-old child raised by Muggles.

But since Quirrell's body could barely sustain his presence, especially when he surrendered control of it, he would have to be very careful in what sort of magic he used.

Which was why he had cast a simple stunning spell instead of the Avada Kedavra.

A shame that his first spell had missed his intended target.

But considering his servant's reflexes were hardly the same quality as his most valued Death Eaters, he supposed he would just have to make d..

"BANG!"

Though it enraged him to have been taken so off guard, a fact which he blamed on the poor quality of his host, Voldemort nevertheless had to admit that Potter's actions impressed him.

Even if the boy had chosen to use a weapon no self-respecting wizard would ever use.

But since it was now obvious that Potter had no hesitation in trying to kill him, or at least the body he currently possessed, he would have to end this quick..

"FUCK OFF AND DIE ASSHOLE!"

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Any feelings of respect he might have felt for the boy's willingness to kill quickly evaporated as he experienced a type of pain that, while far less than having his spirit ripped from his body, was nevertheless foreign to the Dark Lord.

The pain of dark magic he knew all too well. Both from his experiments and during the years when his dueling skills had yet to fully develop.

But having oversized lumps of metal pass through his flesh, that was something that was both new and highly unpleasant.

Especially since each projectile seemed to be aimed an area that would have normally been fatal.

He would survive of course since it would take more than an eleven year old with a Muggle weapon to defeat him.

But the energy it would take to recover from this was not something he wanted to wa..

"BANG!"

"GAARHHHH!"

The sudden explosion of pain causes him to relinquish his control of Quriell's body, Voldemort was on the verge of seizing control back from his servant to ensure that Potter paid for THAT type of humiliation.

And even though the effort would result in the need to hunt down another Unicorn, getting rid of the one that was prophesized to be his downfall would be worth it.

Even if the brat was currently reminding him of Bellatrix whenever she had been in one of her 'moods'.

….

This wasn't good.

He knew that his bullets were hitting their target.

The creature's enraged posture being a very good indicator of just how accurate he had been.

But the fact remained that he had yet to score an instant kill.

He had tried of course. For thanks to all his lessons back home, not to mention his work with I.M.P., he knew just which points of the human body to hit with a lump of metal if he wanted to give them a ticket downstairs.

But since the cloak through him off, it was proving rather difficult to make a serious impact.

Which was why he decided to gamble a little in a way that would make his employer proud.

"I gotta say, I'm not really digging your threads. I mean, yeah they're a different color than what the more extreme American rednecks wear, but judging from the smell of you I can't tell if that was a personal choice or if you're just too ignorant to learn how to use a washing machine."

Smirking as he heard the living bathrobe hiss in displeasure, which confirmed his early suspicion that this thing was sentient and not merely programmed to hiss the names of children, Harry wasted no time in continuing with his goading.

"Seriously, even the most inbred hillbilly knows to take a bath every other week. But since you seem to be one of THOSE types of people, I shouldn't be surprised."

Readying himself for what was to come, the young Hufflepuff adopted his most potent shit-eating grin as he insulted the creature in a manner that Blitzo would undeniably approve of.

"I mean, it's bad enough acting like some crack-addicted junkie. But acting like a homeless crack-addicted junkie? Have some standards for fucks sa…"

That was as far as he got before the living bathrobe launched itself at him.

Which was precisely what he wanted.

For while allowing an enemy to get within grabbing distance wasn't the smartest thing in the world, it did greatly increase his chances of aiming for something vital.

Discharging his weapon with a level of speed and accuracy that would make his parents proud, Harry felt himself frown as target flew in a direction that was quite different from the trajectory of his bullets.

And though the creature quickly took advantage of this occurrence to beat a hasty retreat, it had nevertheless been slow enough to allow Harry to catch sight of something that caused him to both grin and turn his weapons in another direction.

For while the sight of an overly large arrow sticking out of the thing's back, inches from where a human's spinal cord would be if he wasn't mistaken, was enough to convince him that he wouldn't strangled by a living bathrobe, that didn't mean that he was gonna let his guard down.

Something which his 'savior' easily picked up on.

"Peace Harry Potter. I mean you no harm."

….

Slinging his bow back across his back to give truth to his words, which was enough to make the boy lower, if not necessarily put away his metallic weapons, the blond-haired male felt himself frown as the boy answered in a way that would have undoubtedly enraged his more hot-headed herdmate.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Though frowning at the use of such vulgar language, especially from a child, he made allowances for the boy considering his efforts in standing up to that vile creature.

"My name is Firenze Harry Potter. And as I've previously stated, I mean you no harm. Only those who seek to harm the innocent creatures of this forest are my enemies. And from what I've heard from Hagrid, and what I witnessed moments of go, it is obvious that you are not such a foe."

Receiving a nod of acceptance from the still-tense child, who proceeded to quickly vanish his strange-looking weapons with a type of magic he had never seen before, Firenze switched his attention to the other present human.

"Will your companion be all right?"

Keeping his features still as she watched the boy's expression morph into one of annoyance, the centaur felt his frown deepen by the smallest of fractions as the child gave a more verbal response.

"Probably. Though she'll probably be in a bitchy mood once she wakes up."

While he was not unfamiliar to the rivalries that could develop between young children, be they human or centaur, the amount of disdain that could be heard in the boy's voice had nevertheless caught him off guard.

If only momentarily.

"Indeed? Then since she is in no immediate danger, I believe now would be a good time to ask the questions you undoubtedly wish to be answered."

The boy's response, while somewhat rudely delivered, nevertheless revealed a willingness to take him up on his offer.

"What the fuck was that thing?"

Frowning in anger at the memory of that particular monster, Firenze's expression morphed into one of sadness as he turned to look at the body of its innocent victim.

"A monstrous creature Harry Potter. Unicorns are symbols of both purity and innocence. Ones that only the vilest of creatures would dare to defile. I don't suppose that up at the school you have learned about the properties of Unicorn blood?"

He didn't wait for an answer.

"It is because a Unicorn's blood has the ability to keep you alive even if you are but an inch from death. But at a terrible cost that only the truly desperate would ever consider to pay."

Left unsaid of course was the fact that many healthy humans would also wave aside the cost of extending their natural lifespan.

But that was a conversation that he wasn't interested in having.

Especially since the boy was more observant than he first realized.

"If the Unicorn is such a sacred creature, how come there's not an army of you hunting it's killer down?"

If it had been any other member of the Herd, Bane chief among them, the question would have either been ignored or the boy would have been harshly chastised for wishing to know information that was none of his concern.

As it was, his numerous interactions with Hagrid had given him a greater willingness to interact with outsiders, thus ensuring his willingness to answer the question.

"Because I, like the other members of my kind, am a reader of the heavens Harry Potter. Though I confess to be a touch more willing to act on what I see than the other members of my race."

And while he expected the boy to make some sort of response to this knowledge, Firenze had not expected him to react the way he had.

"Get the fuck away from me!"

Having seen what those now-revealed weapons to be capable of, the centaur slowly made a gesture that was designed to soothe the clearly paranoid child.

"As I've stated before Harry Potter, I mean you know harm. Though that doesn't mean that I am not concerned for what the stars have revealed to me."

This of course did nothing to cause the boy to lower his weapons.

"Is that right? Sorry if I don't exactly trust anyone who takes their orders from…up there."

Tilting his head in confusion, for that was not the response he had been expecting, Firenze proceeded to clear up the misunderstanding.

"The heavens do not 'order' us Harry Potter. For those who are learned in the ways of reading them, one can learn much about what is and what might be. And from what they have revealed to me, it is obvious that you are in great danger if you carry on the path you currently walk."

Hearing the boy's scoff, it was obvious that he would have to provide further detail on what this meant.

"Your life is filled with darkness Harry Potter. And while it is undeniable that you will face it countless times over the course of your life, you must be careful that you don't allow it to consume you like the wretched creature you had confronted here tonight."

It was obvious that the boy was still distrustful of him.

But not enough to keep him from seeking answers.

"And what was that thing?"

It pained him to answer that question since despite his attitude, Harry Potter was still a child.

But the heavens, while showing concern for the boy's vulnerability to the darkness, were nevertheless clear that his destiny was intertwined with one whose soul was filled with nothing but evil.

"One whose desire to cling to life is rivaled by their desire to avenge themselves for their defeat at the hands of a mere babe."

…..

Though it had been many years since he had last interacted with his brother, preferring to use underlings or other agents during the odd times when some level of communication was needed between the two of them, he nevertheless possessed many similarities with his sibling.

A desire to protect, albeit to a vastly different degree, those who loved.

A love of order.

And also a penchant for occasionally taking a more direct role in the lower-level battles between the forces of Good and Evil.

Of course, he would never dream to interfere with Father's original designs.

But considering that Harry Potter had been created as a champion of the forces of Good, the Archangel took it upon himself to try and restore the corrupted child to his former destiny.

Amusingly enough it had been thanks to the efforts of his brother's daughter that had convinced him that perhaps the hopes of James and Lily Potter were not entirely unfounded.

He still believed it was impossible for a deceased soul to remove the taint of their sins, for it was in the action of living that humanity proved if they were worthy to enter God's Kingdom.

But considering young Charlotte had managed to inspire genuine feelings of hope within some of those that had almost been allowed entry into Heaven, plus the fact that the youngest Potter still possessed a living soul, he believed that it was still possible to save the poor boy from eternal damnation.

Which was why he had taken the liberty to slightly alter the configuration of the heavens to pass on a message to those who would inevitably interact with the boy wizard.

Of course it had carried the risk of failure given the mistrustful and isolationist tendencies of Britain's Centaur population.

But luckily their remained one amongst them that hadn't quite inherited the same dislike for humanity as his herdmates.

Ensuring that Heavens warning about not being too late to return back to the light was received by a sadly skeptical Potter.

Still, the seed had been planted.

And while he didn't possess his brother's knack for scheming, Michael nevertheless knew that the greatest of changes could come from the smallest of sources.

…..

ANNNNNND I think this is a good place to end

I know, a bit of a cliff hanger, but I felt that it would be better to have a 'day after' scene in the next chapter since it will be the last chapter BEFORE the time skip that see's the quest for the stone.

Anyways, brief summarization/explanation on whats happened.

Hagrid of course is worried about the Unicorn. And is saddened that Norbert is gonna be taken from him. Though he will have more time with the little dragon due to Dumbledore being informed.

Malfoy…well I don't think we have to delve too deeply into the mindset of a racist eleven-year-old. Though the fact that he MIGHT just have caught on to Harry's mindset will probably establish some sort of development later on. Also the bit about him not caring for Hermione getting bumped off…can't recall if it was said in the book, but in the 2nd movie…thought it was very creepy how eager he was for their to be a Muggleborn death…and the way he wished it to be Hermione.

Tried to play off the Harry and Voldemort segments as realistically as possible. With Voldemort being outraged that he's being held at bay by a muggle weapon, and the fact that he cant really use killing spells cause they would drain his magic to the point where his host cant sustain him. And as for Harry….taunting Voldemort when he looks like a living cloak was fun. And coincidentally gives me the ability to start hurling new insults at Voldemort and his followers. Cause I think the Nazi insults could use a break….at least until Harry starts meeting ministry people lol.

As for the Firenze and ending segment…been meaning to do this for a while to be honest. Wasn't exactly sure at first how I would portray the forces of heaven, their chief angel among them…but I think going with the whole 'Good intentions/redemption is possible' angle is the way to go.

Also, apart from some fan comics….not a lot of info is known about how Heaven would view Charlie's redemption project. This was my take on it.

Anyways…hope you enjoyed this chapter

Plz review…no flames.

Til next time.