A/N: Here is another update! Hope you like reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Please leave a review and/or favourite and follow the story to show your appreciation! Thank you all for the support!
Lola trudged through the castle halls, irritation simmering under her skin like a cauldron on the verge of boiling over. No matter what she did, no matter how many brilliant plans she concocted, the universe seemed determined to shove her straight into plot of her favourite series without room for any alterations.
She had known this moment was coming. She had read about it. And yet, here she was, sentenced to a night of questionable survival in the Forbidden Forest—because, apparently, Hogwarts had no regard for child safety.
As she reached the entrance hall, she spotted the rest of the doomed party already assembled. Ron was dramatically complaining about Malfoy, Hermione looked one minor inconvenience away from a stress-induced breakdown, and Harry had the general air of someone who had accepted his tragic fate. Hagrid, their overly enthusiastic guide into certain doom, beamed at them like this was a fun school outing and not a probable death march.
Then there was Fay, standing slightly apart from the others, arms crossed, looking just as thrilled as Lola felt. Their eyes met, and in that moment, an entire conversation passed between them:
This is stupid.
Extremely stupid.
We could run.
Hagrid would catch us.
Tragic.
"You look excited," Fay muttered as Lola joined her.
"Oh, absolutely," Lola deadpanned. "Nothing I love more than wandering into a dangerous forest as part of my educational experience."
"Character building."
"Yeah, absolutely necessary."
Hagrid clapped his hands together. "Alright, you lot, stick close an' do as I say. It'll be fine."
Lola sighed as they stepped into the trees, the shadows swallowing them whole.
Sure. Fine. Absolutely. Just another normal day at the world's most questionable school.
Next time, she was really going to try harder to derail fate.
...
As they began walking into the Forest, Lola had barely finished accepting her doomed fate when Hagrid clapped his massive hands together again and announced, "Alright, we'll be splittin' up."
Oh, fantastic. Because if there was one thing horror stories had taught her, it's that splitting up in a dark, dangerous forest always ended well.
"Lola, Fay, Ron—you three come with Fang," Hagrid said, gesturing at his oversized coward of a dog, who immediately let out a pathetic whimper and tried to hide behind his legs. "Me, Harry, Hermione, an' Malfoy will go t'other way."
Fay blinked. "Wait. Our team leader is Fang?"
"Eh, he's good company," Hagrid said, patting the dog, who responded by letting out another terrified whimper.
Ron looked deeply unimpressed. "Great. We're being led into the depths of the Forbidden Forest by a dog that's afraid of his own shadow."
"I don't want to go with them," Malfoy scoffed, flicking a disgusted look in Harry and Hermione's direction.
"Oh no, Malfoy," Harry said dryly. "Please don't leave us. We'll be absolutely devastated."
Malfoy sneered but clearly decided this wasn't worth his energy.
Hagrid cleared his throat. "Now, listen up! There's a wounded unicorn in th' forest. We gotta find it an' see if we can help."
There was a beat of silence as everyone processed this information.
"Sorry," Fay said, "just to clarify—we're supposed to track down a wounded creature that was attacked by something powerful enough to take down a unicorn?"
Hagrid nodded cheerfully. "Yup."
Lola exhaled through her nose. She knew exactly who was causing all of this trouble and she was nowhere near eager to get involved, but here she was, living and struggling along in the Harry Potter Universe. "Cool, cool, cool. Love that. Love this plan. Feels very safe and logical."
Hagrid, as always, was immune to sarcasm. "Right, off yeh go then! Light yer wands an' stay on the path."
Fang let out another whimper, which was exactly the level of confidence boost Lola needed.
With extreme reluctance, Lola, Fay, Ron, and their questionable leader, Fang, stepped into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
...
The deeper they went, the darker it got. Twisted branches loomed overhead like bony fingers, the air thick with damp earth and the scent of inevitable regret. Lola's survival instincts screamed at her to turn around, grab Fay and Ron, and start an immediate and aggressive campaign for wizarding homeschooling. Every rustling leaf made Fang jump, which in turn made Ron yelp, which in turn made Fay threaten to leave them both behind.
Lola was just about to suggest they all hold hands like lost kindergarteners when something howled in the distance.
Ron froze. "What was that?"
Fay clutched her wand. "Maybe just… the wind?"
Lola raised an eyebrow, internally shaking. "Sure... The wind."
Fang let out a whimper that translated roughly to: We're all going to die, and I, for one, will not be helping.
Despite their best efforts to pretend they weren't terrified, their trembling hands as they lit their wands said otherwise.
The group pressed on, wands held high, their light barely making a dent in the all-consuming darkness. Fang trotted alongside them, his tail tucked so far between his legs that it might as well have been trying to make a break for it on its own.
"So," Lola whispered after a minute of tense silence. "Do we have an actual plan, or are we just vibing with the terror?"
Ron huffed. "I think the plan is to not die."
"Ah, yes. The Hogwarts motto," Fay muttered.
They trudged forward, their collective anxiety manifesting in the way they all kept looking over their shoulders, waiting for something to jump out and claim their souls.
Then, because the universe had a sick sense of humour, something did.
A sudden rustling in the bushes made Fang screech—yes, screech—and launch himself directly at Ron, nearly knocking him over. Ron let out a strangled yelp and clung to Fang like he was a particularly ugly stuffed animal.
Lola and Fay immediately raised their wands, because sure, maybe it was just a squirrel, but maybe it was something actively plotting their demise.
From the underbrush emerged…
A single Bowtruckle.
It blinked up at them.
"Oh, come on," Lola groaned. "This is what we're scared of?"
"Could still be dangerous," Ron muttered, peeling Fang off his leg.
Fay gave him a flat look. "It's a twig, Ron. It's literally a twig."
The Bowtruckle narrowed its beady little eyes, clearly offended.
"I think you hurt its feelings," Lola whispered.
Deciding they were too boring to bother with, the Bowtruckle scuttled off into the darkness, probably off to write an angry letter to its local tree council.
They carried on, feeling only slightly more pathetic than before.
The atmosphere was thick with dread and the sound of their own shaky breathing. Every few steps, Fang would whimper, Ron would jump, Fay would roll her eyes, and Lola would quietly regret every choice that had led her to this moment.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and find the unicorn before we run into anything that could kill us," Fay offered, ever the optimist.
A branch snapped somewhere behind them.
"Nope. Absolutely not." Lola spun around, brandishing her wand like a very unimpressive sword. "Whatever it is, I refuse."
Ron let out a strangled gasp. "Oh Merlin, it's huge!"
Lola whipped back toward him, heart hammering. Fay grabbed Ron's arm. "What's huge? Where?"
Ron pointed, trembling. "There!"
A towering figure emerged from the shadows, its hulking form moving with slow, deliberate steps. A single glowing eye gleamed in the dark, its heavy breathing filling the clearing.
Fay made a choked sound. "Is that—"
"A TROLL!" Ron whisper-shouted, because that was the only appropriate reaction.
The troll stared at them, clearly just as confused about their presence as they were about its. It sniffed the air, scratching its head like it had completely forgotten why it was even here.
For a long moment, nobody moved.
Then Ron, for some incomprehensible reason, took a step back and crunched down on a very loud, very obvious tree branch.
The troll's single eye snapped to them.
"Run," Fay said flatly.
Lola didn't need to be told twice.
They bolted, crashing through the underbrush like the world's most uncoordinated stampede. Fang, who had absolutely zero loyalty, was already a mile ahead.
"Split up!" Lola yelled.
"What? NO!" Ron screeched.
The troll, apparently tired of their nonsense, swung its massive club—and hit a tree instead, sending leaves and branches crashing down.
Lola risked a glance back. "I think we lost it—"
And then she ran headfirst into something tall, hairy, and significantly less troll-shaped.
She hit the ground with a groan, staring up at a very disgruntled centaur.
"Human," the centaur grumbled, glaring down at her with great disappointment.
"Thank you for noticing," Lola wheezed, because that was just about all her brain could process.
Fay skidded to a halt next to her. "Are you serious? A horse?"
The centaur crossed his arms. "You are disturbing the forest."
"Trust me, we don't want to be here either," Ron panted, catching up.
The centaur studied them, then glanced at the trees behind them. "A dangerous night to wander the woods."
Lola huffed. "Yeah, well, try telling that to our Head of House."
The centaur sighed, muttering something about foolish humans, before finally stepping aside. "Go. Quickly."
Lola didn't need to be told twice.
They hurried past him, only to find themselves in another clearing.
A soft chittering sound filled the air.
"Oh no," Ron whispered, eyes wide.
Lola followed his gaze—straight to a very large gathering of Acromantulas.
Because, of course, why not?
The spiders, thankfully, appeared to be too far away to notice them.
Lola exhaled sharply. "Okay. Nope. Not doing this. Absolutely not."
"I second that," Ron squeaked.
Fay raised her wand. "Let's leave before they see us and decide we're snack."
They backed away slowly. The spiders twitched but, miraculously, did not follow.
Once they were a safe distance away, Fay turned to Lola. "Anything else want to traumatise us tonight?"
And that's when they found the unicorn.
It lay in the moonlit clearing, its once-majestic form unnervingly still. Its pearlescent coat, usually radiant, was dulled with streaks of shimmering silver blood that pooled beneath its slender frame, soaking into the forest floor like liquid stardust.
The air around them went deadly silent.
Fay swallowed. "Oh."
Lola let out a slow breath. "Yeah. That's… bad."
And somewhere, just beyond the trees, something else moved.
Something watching.
Something waiting.
And, because this night apparently wasn't terrifying enough, Fang let out one last pitiful whimper—before sprinting away.
Ron threw up his hands. "I hate this forest."
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Harry, Hermione, Malfoy, and Hagrid were experiencing their own delightful night of questionable school safety policies.
"Keep close now," Hagrid said cheerfully, stomping through the undergrowth like an enthusiastic giant (because, well, he kind of was). "We're lookin' fer any sign of the unicorn."
Malfoy wrinkled his nose as he gingerly stepped over a particularly large root. "This is ridiculous. I will write to my father about this, first thing tomorrow morning."
"Oh no," Harry deadpanned. "Not your father..."
Hermione snorted, but Malfoy ignored them both, too busy glaring at the ominous trees as if they personally offended him.
The deeper they went, the more unsettling the atmosphere became. The shadows seemed to move, the air was thick with tension, and every distant rustle sounded just a little too menacing for comfort.
Then something growled.
Malfoy immediately grabbed the closest person for safety, which, unfortunately, happened to be Harry.
"Get off!" Harry hissed, trying to pry Malfoy off his arm.
"Shut up, Potter! That was a growl! A growl!"
"Could've been my stomach," Hagrid offered, rubbing his belly. "Didn't get to finish me dinner."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "That was not your stomach."
Hagrid scratched his beard. "Well, could be a werewolf."
Malfoy turned a ghastly shade of pale. "A WHAT?"
Hagrid chuckled. "Kiddin'. Probably just a big ol' wolf."
Malfoy did not look reassured.
Deciding they should probably move before they found out exactly what was making that sound, they pressed forward, carefully stepping over thick roots and trying their best to ignore the occasional skittering in the bushes.
They continued their march through the trees, Hagrid happily humming a tune while the rest of them remained tense and hyper-aware of every single shadow.
"This is stupid," Malfoy grumbled after a few more minutes of stumbling over tree roots. "Why am I even here? You don't actually need me for this."
Hermione turned to glare at him. "You're here because you—"
Before she could finish, a distant scream cut through the night.
Harry's heart jumped into his throat. "Was that—?"
"Lola," Hermione confirmed, eyes wide. "And probably the others."
Malfoy pointed in the direction of the sound. "Good. That means whatever that was is not near us. Let's go the other way."
"Nope!" Hagrid grabbed Malfoy by the back of his robes before he could bolt. "We're checkin' on 'em."
Malfoy groaned.
They took off toward the noise, Hagrid's massive strides making it difficult for the others to keep up. The sounds continued, which was both helpful for navigation and deeply concerning.
As they got closer, they began to making out a distinct voice:
"I hate this forest."
Hagrid burst into the clearing first, his massive presence nearly bowling over Lola, who was standing frozen in place. Fay was right beside her, wand clenched so tightly in her hand it looked like she might snap it in half. Ron, looking thoroughly traumatised, had somehow ended up hugging a massive tree trunk. Fang, the so-called protector of their group, was nowhere to be seen.
And in the middle of it all, a unicorn lay on the forest floor, shimmering silver blood staining the earth.
Hagrid let out a low curse under his breath. "Poor thing… what did this?"
Lola, still staring into the trees, answered in a whisper. "Not what. Who."
The air felt thick, oppressive. A chill crawled up Hermione's spine, and even Malfoy, usually quick with a sneer, stayed silent, his usual arrogance dimmed by the eerie atmosphere.
Then the shadows moved.
Harry felt it before he saw it. A sickly, curling sensation in his stomach, like something inside of him was recoiling. He gripped his wand tighter as a figure slithered from the darkness, barely more than a silhouette in the moonlight.
A hooded creature, cloaked in darkness, hunched over the unicorn's body.
It raised its head slowly, sensing their presence. For a single, horrifying moment, Harry caught the glint of something wet and silver on its lips.
The world narrowed.
Cold washed over him, and his scar burned. He stumbled back, breath caught in his throat.
The creature—no, the thing—lurched forward, its movements unnatural, wrong. It made no sound, but Harry swore he could feel it breathing, smell the rot clinging to the air.
Lola felt a chill crawl up her spine, her breath hitching as the hooded creature turned its head toward her. The air seemed to ripple with something unseen, pressing against her skin like a phantom touch.
Then, clear as a whisper in her mind, a voice slithered through her thoughts.
What do we have here…?
Her pulse pounded in her ears, the world shrinking down to just her and the dark entity looming in front of them. She felt pinned in place, as if invisible tendrils of shadow had wrapped around her limbs, holding her captive beneath the weight of its attention.
The voice came again, silky and unnerving.
You do not belong.
The sheer weight of those words made her gasp, her knees buckling slightly. She was barely aware of the others around her—Ron's horrified stare, Fay's desperate grip on her arm, Harry's ragged breathing, or Malfoy's frozen silence. The only thing that existed was the thing before her and the terrible, creeping sense that her secret was known.
Then the forest erupted into chaos.
The centaur from before—no, not just one, but several—burst into the clearing, their bows drawn and arrows already flying.
"Move, now!" one of them commanded.
Lola barely registered strong hands grabbing her arms, dragging her back as the hooded figure twisted, its shriek filled with rage and something else—something almost hungry.
The cloaked figure—Voldemort-Quirrell-whatever—let out a low, annoyed hiss before retreating into the darkness like an inconvenienced cat.
Hagrid let out a breath. "Well. That was somethin'."
Lola turned to Ron, who was still clutching a tree like it was his last lifeline. "You okay, buddy?"
"No. No, I am not."
Fay slowly lowered her wand. "Did we just get saved by centaurs?"
The lead centaur nodded solemnly. "You should not be here. The forest is not safe."
"Yeah, well, tell that to our school administration," Lola muttered.
The centaurs exchanged looks that screamed Ah, yes, wizards are stupid, but thankfully didn't comment.
After some very tense "let's never speak of this again" energy, the group shuffled back toward the edge of the forest, Fang reappeared (absolutely after the danger had passed), and Malfoy was somehow found lying dramatically on the ground like he had just survived a war.
By the time they got back to the castle, Lola was more than ready to collapse into bed and pretend none of this had ever happened.
Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be an option.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and/or favourite and follow the story to show your support!