Understandably, Sirius didn't react too well to the news. He'd never been the biggest fan of Albus Dumbledore, so his latest transgression proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Harry's godfather had cursed the headmaster's name long into the night, and had only stopped once Lupin forced him through the fireplace to return to Grimmauld Place. Harry didn't say it, but he was relieved at that, with the anger of Sirius not helping ease his troubled heart.

His friends, on the other hand, were much more understanding, giving him the space to contend with the development. He was surprised by their reticence, seeing as it went against their usual tactics. But Matthew and Hermione had evidently realised that discussing the matter was only going to increase the level of resentment he was feeling, whilst letting it settle would take some of that residual anger away. And so they did their best to distract him with menial topics, a simple act of friendship that he cherished more than words could do justice.

Lessons, naturally, took his mind away from the perceived betrayal, especially since none of his professors seemed to care that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. If they were going easy on him since he had a war to fight in the future, then he didn't want to see what everyone else's workload looked like. He might have thought that his discussion with Snape would change that dynamic, but the pressures on the class remained the same - though Harry was sure that he was picked on slightly less than in the past.

Marking a change to the usual status quo, Harry started to dread their meals. That was only because of one solitary person in the room, perched at the head table. Harry could ignore Dumbledore for the most part, either taking refuge in classes or hiding in the Gryffindor common room, but the Great Hall was a different matter entirely. There, the headmaster remained, seemingly always gazing in Harry's direction. Even facing the other way wasn't a sufficient enough solution, knowing that the man was still there.

In the end, it was Hermione who came up with a different tactic one night. At least for a change of scenery, she suggested that they visit Hagrid, with her and Matthew salvaging food from the evening feast and bringing it to his hub. It was an unorthodox picnic, not helped by Fang doing his best to snatch a chicken leg from Matthew's grasp, but one that Harry was grateful for. He felt more relaxed in the close confines, even allowing himself to laugh along with the jokes.

"I can't say that this is something I do very often," the gameskeeper remarked at one point. "You know, eating in here. There ain't usually a point to that when you've got all that food in the castle. And, well…my cooking leaves a lot to the imagination, as I'm sure you know."

"Nonsense," Hermione said, a clear lie. "You shouldn't put yourself down like that."

The half giant chuckled. "It's nice of you to say that, Hermione. But this is nice, isn't it? A bit cosy, yes, but I always enjoy it when the three of you come down."

Harry felt distinctly guilty about that, as he knew they needed to make more of an effort to see their friend more often. There was just always so much going on that it was easy to push it to one side, to make an excuse. He remembered how often they'd been in this hut during their earlier years, and how much had changed since that point. Maybe it had taken a difficult situation for them to make their return, but he was glad to have the reminder of what he still had.

"I have to ask what made you come up with this idea," Hagrid added. "Has something happened? Is someone messing with you? Because if you've got a bully, then I'll sort them out. Though I would have thought that you'd have enough firepower to handle that sort of problem…"

"Can I remind you that resorting to violence isn't how you're supposed to deal with bullies?" Hermione argued.

"So there is a bully!"

"No! Of course there isn't!"

"We just wanted to see you," Matthew quickly said. "At times like these, it's important to make time for the people who matter. We haven't exactly been doing that recently when it comes to you, Hagrid, and so we're making amends."

It was interesting to see that Matthew was feeling the same sort of guilt that Harry had been consumed by. It wasn't something they ever spoke about in great detail, their fears for the future and what it would mean for the people they cared about. It was also a glimpse into Matthew's head that wouldn't have been available in the past, his friend learning from those mistakes to be more open and vulnerable. It was no wonder that he was stubbornly looking at his mug of tea, as if catching their eye would further his embarrassment.

"You're going to make me cry," Hagrid whimpered, wiping at his hairy cheeks.

"Please don't. I haven't brought my umbrella with me."

"Maybe we could make this a sort of tradition. You know, every couple of weeks. Or once a month if you're too busy."

Harry was sure that he was going to explode from all the guilt. All he could muster was a small smile, feeling himself grow close to tears. It was the mixture of learning the truth about Dumbledore, coupled with Hagrid's sheer openness, that put Harry on the brink of what distinctly felt like a breakdown. Staring at his mug, copying Matthew's actions, turned out to be a life saver.

"I'd like that," he managed to say.

The moment was ruined by an explosion of colours outside the window, promptly followed by an unmistakable boom. A brief look was shared between the group before they moved to the opening, trying to get a better look at what was going on. It was as if a rainbow had been brought to the ground and torn apart, spiralling across the sky every so often. It was like an electrical charge, Harry determined, and not one that had any reasonable cause.

"That doesn't look good," Matthew murmured.

"It's the wards," Hermione said. "Hogwarts' wards."

"Is someone attacking the castle?" Harry asked. "Is someone trying to break through?"

Matthew was moving towards the door. "It would seem that way, yeah."

"You need to get back to the castle as quickly as possible," Hagrid ordered, pulling on his thick coat. "Get to safety. Dumbledore will already know about this, no doubt, but it wouldn't hurt to find him."

Harry grimaced. The last thing he wanted to do was seek out the help of the headmaster given everything that had recently happened. And, being honest, even if he'd been on good terms with Dumbledore, he wouldn't have wanted to return to shelter when he was on the front line of a potential battle. If something was happening, then it naturally involved him. How was he supposed to inspire all the other students if his first instinct was to run away?

"By the time we do that, it'll already be too late," he argued.

Hermione's face fell. "I don't think I like what you're implying."

"If someone is trying to attack the grounds, then they probably think they've got a bit of time on their hands. A small window more than anything. But that's because they don't realise that we're already here."

"And what if it's an invasionary force? There's only four of us, not including Fang."

"I…I just feel as if something else is going on. 'Mione, you'll know better than anyone else…are the wards around the school a physical barrier?"

"Not normally, no. They can be energised to take on that form, but that's only at a time when we need to be defended. Under normal circumstances, the wards are more like…a perception filter, just like the Tardis. They convince people who aren't looking for Hogwarts to turn a blind eye, to think of something else to do and then walk away. If they still manage to cross the boundary, then that's when the likes of the headmaster are alerted, who can evaluate the situation."

"So, if this is Voldemort trying to sneak his way into the school like Enola suggested, then what's with all the fanfare?"

Hagrid frowned. "Who's Enola?"

"We really don't have time to get into that right now. Why would Voldemort announce his arrival? Why would he put the school on high alert?"

"Because he's got a massive ego," Matthew suggested. "He probably thinks that there's nothing we can do to stop him, regardless of whether we have prior warning or not."

"Then none of this makes sense. Which is why we need to investigate."

"That's a terrible idea," Hagrid fumed. "And it's about time that I put my foot down and marched you back to the school myself. I'll threaten you with the crossbow."

"We all know that you wouldn't use that on us."

"I'm getting the sense that Harry's already made up his mind," Hermione grumbled.

"I have to say that I'm also a bit curious," Matthew said. "There's something strangely familiar about the patterns, despite the fact I've never actually seen them before. That's the sort of oddity that I can't ignore."

"You can't!" Hagrid continued to plead. "It's bad enough entering the forest at this time of night as it is. Adding Death Eaters into the mix is just a recipe for disaster."

"We don't know that it's Death Eaters who are causing this. It could be…someone in trouble."

"You don't honestly believe that."

"We can't rule anything out."

Matthew's wand had already formed in his hand, making it clear what his decision was. And, although she was looking particularly nervous, Hermione's complaints hadn't been anywhere near their strongest level. He thought back to her resistance when they'd gone searching for Fluffy in their first year, and how much she'd changed since then. There was even a subtle glint in her eye that suggested that she wanted to discover what was going on. Harry almost felt bad for playing a part in corrupting her.

Sparks flew in the sky once more, an explosion of colours that stood out against the inky blackness above them. That convinced Harry beyond reasonable doubt that he was supposed to do something, that they weren't going to be able to rely on their teachers now or at most points in the war. He looked back at the half giant, whose beetle-like eyes were shiny, a sign that he'd already come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be able to stop them.

"We're doing this, with or without you," Harry said simply.

"I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I let you go out there on your own," Hagrid replied, reaching for the crossbow hanging on the wall. "Fang, you be a good lad and stay here. There's no need to risk you when I've got these three already being all noble."

Even though he'd put on a sense of bravado, Harry couldn't help but be a little nervous once he was outside, with the cold air biting at him. The fizzing sound of whatever the attack was was obviously much louder once they weren't protected by a layer of brickwork, and he flinched instinctively. Matthew was there to pat him on the shoulder, a silent show of support and an acknowledgement that he was feeling just as anxious as they left the sanctuary of Hagrid's hut.

One might have expected that the Forbidden Forest would be slightly less daunting whilst a spectacular light show was taking place. Somehow, it only added to the foreboding nature of the situation, as if something almighty was waiting for them. Even the lantern Hagrid was carrying was doing little to ease the tension. There was a moment just as they crossed the threshold of the forest where they hesitated a beat, a question passing between their group as to whether they were truly doing this. Harry took it upon himself to take that all important first step, seeing as it had been his decision to start with.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're walking headfirst into danger?" Matthew whispered.

"Hey," Harry grumbled. "You were supporting the idea just a few seconds ago."

"It was much easier to be confident before we were lurking in some creature's den. If I get eaten by an Acromantula, you're not going to hear the end of it."

"Scared, Matthew?" Hermione wondered.

"I'd never admit such a thing."

"I'll hold your hand if you want."

"I'll always gladly accept that."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Now isn't the time to be flirting."

"If you think that's flirting, then you haven't seen us at our worst. Be grateful that we can control ourselves when we're around other people."

"Even so, I doubt it's a good idea to be holding hands right now. You're going to need your wands at the ready."

"We don't know that for certain."

"Do you want to take any chances?"

"I guess there's a possibility that we're going to run into a herd of centaurs at any moment…and they're the sort to fire arrows first and ask questions later."

"No, the forest is much quieter than it should be," Hagrid murmured.

Harry looked at him. "Besides the sound of the wards apparently failing."

"Not including that, of course. But the forest comes to life at night. I should know better than anyone else, seeing as I'm here so often. Yet…there's not even a murmur. No crawling critters, no bushes being rattled, no hooves marching on the dirt. You'd at least expect to hear the occasional twig snap, wouldn't you? But if you listen closely…there's nothing."

"What are you trying to say? Have all the creatures been…killed?"

"Fat chance of that happening. It'd take you years to fell everything that lives here, and most of them are beasts you don't want to be tangling with. If someone is looking to get into Hogwarts, then the best port of call is to ignore the forest's residents, not take them on."

"From what I can tell, I think they're…scared," Hermione theorised. "Maybe they're retreating to the shadows, fearful of what this attack could be."

"The question then is…" Matthew began, "...what sort of monster could scare giant spiders?"

"If it's a basilisk again, I'm not going to be happy. I've already had to wield a sword against one. I didn't think I'd have to do it again."

"I'm choosing to look on the brighter side of things," Harry said, continuing to delve ever deeper into the forest.

"That makes a change," Matthew quipped.

He got a roll of the eyes in response. "If all the other creatures are hiding, then it means we've only got one potential threat to deal with. If we're careful, and a tad lucky, we won't run into anything nasty that isn't related to the attack on the wards."

"It just all depends on how big that one threat is."

"Well, yeah…but, like I said, I was trying to be more positive. You should try it out sometime."

The latticework of trees became more of a problem the deeper they went, ensuring that there was no discernable route that they could follow. No one in years gone by had had the forethought to carve out a path through the forest, probably because no one had been insane enough to conduct such a journey, especially at night. The trees and bushes were bunched up so tightly that, at times, they had to walk in the opposite direction from where the source of the disturbance seemed to be, conducting a wider loop that only added to the strain of their legs.

When he almost tripped over a thick root that had been obscured by the night, Harry started to lose his patience. "Hermione, do you know how far the wards extend to? Where does the perimeter end?"

"That depends," she replied. "It tends to vary. It can stretch for miles at certain points, particularly with how dense the forest is."

"That's not the answer that I was looking for."

"But I think whatever's going on is happening at a shallower point in the defences. Those lights…they don't look to be too far away."

If anything, that only served to pick up the speed that Harry was walking at, no longer caring if his feet got caught in the undergrowth. The pattern of the attack was growing slower, a far cry from the onslaught it had originally been, and Harry didn't know whether that was a good thing. Maybe it meant the attackers were giving up. Or maybe it meant that they were on the verge of finally breaking through. Was the goal to bring down the entire ward network, perhaps for a larger army to come through?

Matthew wore a deep frown. "There's something else. A different noise."

Harry had been stomping so quickly, with leaves and brambles crunching underfoot, that he wouldn't have picked up on the new sound without it being pointed out. He was forced to come to a halt, a begrudging delay that he wasn't too happy about. He strained his ears all the same, waiting to hear the noise for himself. It was a peculiar groaning, a pained howl as if an animal was wounded, except it seemed to fill the air like no creature should have been capable of.

It was now Matthew's turn to increase his speed, navigating the tricky terrain with a renewed sense of purpose. If he recognised the noise in any fashion, then he didn't explain how that was possible. They were just left to follow in his wake, unwilling to allow the boy to face the danger on his own. In truth, they should have been more than used to his tendencies by now, always one to rush off when adventure was right around the corner.

Only for the lights to suddenly disappear, with the groaning also fading away as if it had never actually happened. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine, which suggested that he didn't think for one second that the enemy had retreated. Had they instead succeeded? Was the attack about to begin? Their movement slowed accordingly, making their way through the dark with an understandable level of caution. In certain moments, the lack of light meant that Harry lost sight of his friends, and it made him feel painfully alone and exposed.

"I'm sure that it was just up ahead," Hermione said quietly. "But there doesn't look to be anything."

Harry tried to see that as a good thing. There was surely no way for an army to hide so perfectly. There was no invisibility cloak that would be big enough, nor a disillusionment charm that was strong enough. Their chances of not dying had to be better if the opposing force was smaller than initially anticipated. But Harry couldn't find it within himself to celebrate until he was able to look whoever the enemy was in the eye.

He glanced at his friends. "Lumos at the ready?"

"It'll give our position away," Matthew pointed out.

"I'd rather be able to see the attack as it's happening, rather than it being too late."

Harry almost preferred the forest when it was shrouded in darkness. As the tips of their wands came to light, every movement and sway of the trees cast wandering shadows around them, all of which could have been the trespasser moving closer. Harry's gaze moved from left to right frantically, hoping to spot something. Perhaps it would have been better for there to be nothing at all, the events that had brought them there just a strange natural phenomenon, but he wanted there to be a reason now they'd come that far.

Someone stood on a branch and it cracked like a whip, almost as violently as Harry's neck turned to see where the noise had come from. Urgently, he looked back at the other three, trying to find out whether they'd been responsible. They all shook their heads in kind, returning their gazes to a clearing in the near distance. Harry had never had the best of eyesight, and that wasn't helping him as he squinted through the darkness, attempting to make sense of the figure that seemed to be moving.

"Stay behind me," Hagrid instructed, raising the crossbow.

"You don't even have a wand," Harry hissed. "We've got a better shot at protecting you."

"I've already made a mistake in leading you here. If there's someone there, then they're going to have to come through me. You're not going to overrule me on this."

"That's definitely a person," Hermione surmised. "On their own. And, it's difficult to tell, but they almost look disorientated."

"Wouldn't you be if you were lost in a forest at night?" Matthew fired at her.

"How are you faring?"

"Poorly."

"If it's just one person, then we should split up," Harry suggested. "We could surround them, make sure that they can't run away."

"They've gone through a lot of effort just to get here. I doubt they're going to flee after all that. It'd be a wasted journey otherwise."

"Splitting up is exactly how you get yourself killed more quickly," Hagrid said darkly. "We'd be picked off one by one."

"Thanks for lifting our spirits as always, Hagrid."

"We could just stun them," Hermione proposed. "It won't do them any harm and then we can be in the best position possible to ask them questions."

"But if they're not alone, it could prompt the people they're with to come out of the shadows."

"It might be worth the risk, don't you think?"

"Stupefy!"

Without waiting to confirm what course of action they were looking for, Harry had trained his wand at the shifting target and fired off the spell. As could be predicted, his friends jumped at the sight of the unexpected spell and Harry was perhaps fortunate that they didn't send a hex his way in reflex. Or, even worse, a bolt from Hagrid's crossbow. But his stunning charm seemed to connect with the unseen assailant, and a soft thud could be heard as they dropped to the floor.

He almost thought that the others would be pleased with the success, but they still had the time to glare at him, something that Harry could make out despite the lack of light. He wasn't going to pat himself on the back straight away, waiting for anything else to happen. If the figure had comrades, then they didn't make themselves known, despite the fact that their leader had been hit. The relative calm meant that Harry itched to investigate further, to make his way into the clearing to finally get the answers they'd all been looking for.

"It would have been nice to get a warning," Matthew complained.

"If I'd done that, then they could have heard us, and the whole attack would have been futile," he said in defence. "I was just thinking tactically."

"Now what do we do? We've got an unconscious person on our hands, and that's never a good position to be in, believe me."

"We should probably find out who it is," Hermione remarked.

"That's a priority, yeah. Lead the way, Harry."

The boy in question pulled an unhappy face. "Hang on, why does it have to be me? Hagrid was just saying that he should lead the way."

The half giant huffed. "That was before you took it upon yourself to start firing off spells."

"It was one spell. Do I not get credit for being impressively accurate?"

"Of course you do," Hermione responded. "Your reward is walking out into the open first."

Harry sensed that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this and he was rather regretting how quickly he'd taken control of the situation. That being said, he wasn't the sort of person to shy away from the consequences of his actions, and so he held his head up high as he walked towards the scene of the supposed crime. Although the others had pushed him into biting the bullet, they weren't far behind as they started to investigate.

The source of all the commotion was strangely unassuming, giving the size of the bang they'd arrived with. A young woman lay across the grass, sleeping calmly thanks to Harry's haphazard intervention. Since he was the closest, that meant he was also the first to realise exactly who the stranger was. The woman had a face that was instantly recognisable, one that had been haunting him for months, and he wanted to know why he hadn't considered this possibility sooner.

Matthew sucked in a breath. "Enola…"

Instead of staring too long at their supposed ally in the Death Eater camp, Harry chose to focus on Matthew's reaction. He was seeing his childhood friend in the flesh for the first time since everything that had transpired, which meant it was understandable that his face was promptly set into an expression of anger. Hermione, who hadn't actually properly seen what Enola looked like in the present day, reached out for Matthew's hand to lace their fingers together.

"That name again," Hagrid murmured. "You need to start explaining what's going on. Because how was she causing all that spectacle?"

"That's an incredibly long story," Harry answered.

"One she can share herself," Matthew interjected, his voice steely and emotionless. "Wake her up."

Hermione's face conveyed an array of concerns. "Are you sure?"

"We knew that she was coming here. And she's no use to us whilst unconscious."

He nodded his head at Harry in what felt like the final instruction he was going to give before taking the reins himself. With how he was looking at Enola, there was no telling what incantation would fall from his lips if he was given the opportunity. To avoid the situation from spiralling any further, Harry grimaced and pointed his wand at her for the second time in quick succession. A whispered enervate was an easy enough spell to control, and yet his hand shook all the same.

The results were instantaneous. Enola's eyes snapped open as soon as the spell washed over her body. Her eyes were wide and wild, though you couldn't blame her for that, seeing as she had just been attacked out of the blue. She didn't bother to sit up, which Harry might have expected. She instead looked at them all in turn, moving past Hermione and Hagrid with relative ignorance, lingering on Matthew for a few seconds, before smiling warmly at Harry.

"Well…this is a nice surprise."