Disclaimer: All rights to Harry Potter belong to Warner Bros. I make no money from this story.
Author Notes: Thank you to everyone who has supported the story so far by reading, reviewing, favouriting and following.
A special thanks to the following people who are the latest to review, favourite and follow the story; Booker23de, Blaze-Girl17, Dinobot14, Zero27282, Coral Skipper and daniel-warnecke89.
Also a short note to say that you may have noticed this chapter has been removed, edited and re-uploaded. This is due to a section of chapter which contained a massive plot hole. Hopefully the edit has fixed this.
Chapter Thirteen:
"Finally you lot are going to receive some proper punishment", Argus Filch stated with glee in his voice as his lined face broke into a maniacal grin. "Bout time you students stopped getting your own way", he declared as he held his lantern aloft and escorted the four of them through an archway in the Hogwarts grounds. "Place has never been the same since the old punishments were banned", he spat on the ground.
Harry glared at Filch and muttered under his breath "bloody sadist".
Up ahead Harry spotted the large figure of Hagrid dressed in his familiar moleskin overcoat and holding up a large lantern which illuminated the nearby walls in dancing shadows. At his side stood the large and excitable boarhound Fang who was barking loudly and happily. "Harry, Hermione, Neville", his gaze flickered to Malfoy and he didn't greet him.
"Don't go getting friendly with em Hagrid, it's not a social call you know, they're getting punished", Filch scowled.
Hagrid grimaced. "No need to tell me that Filch, I know me job, they'll get no special treatment", he said flatly.
Filch gave each of the students a nasty grin and then walked away, trailed by his ill tempered cat Mrs Norris.
Once Filch was gone Hagrid sighed and said "come on then you four, I have a little job to take care of in the forest. You're not to come in after me, you will wait at the edge of the forest and once I'm done we'll begin your detention outside the hut attending to some of my plants".
"Why are you going into the forest Hagrid?", Hermione asked.
Neville looked more worried and nervous than curious. Harry's older brother Charlie had told him and his other siblings of the strange things that lived in the forest. There were Centaurs that hated wizards and witches for encroaching on their land and restricting their rights. Unicorns also lived there peacefully. There was however a malevolent presence in the form of a colony of Acromantula's, giant spiders who were the size of elephants and in some cases even bigger. The colony was led by an Acromantula named Aragog who Harry and Ron knew had been raised by Hagrid.
Hagrid had assured Harry and Ron many times that Aragog was friendly and not dangerous, though given his penchant for dangerous creatures this did not give them much confidence. They'd never met him and had no desire to either.
"Dead unicorns have been seen in the forest by the Centaurs, they told me about it last time I went in, so I'm investigating". He gave each of them a stern look "mind what I said now, no enterin' the forest, it's dangerous. I'll leave Fang with you. Don' move till I come back".
Shouldering his crossbow, Hagrid strode through the trees, each step being twice that of a normal man. Soon the half-giant was out of sight.
An hour had passed as the four students waited alongside the affectionate dog called Fang. Harry was stroking the dog while Hermione sang to herself to avoid the boredom. Neville continually glanced over towards the trees with a concerned look on his face. Draco Malfoy, as Harry had expected, did not but moan and complain about the unfairness of the situation. "It's bloody ridiculous! It's all your fault", Malfoy glared at the three Gryffindor's. "If it wasn't for you, that oaf Hagrid and his dragon I wouldn't be in detention now and all for doing the right thing".
This was the last straw for Harry. As a rule he was quite laid back but even he had his limits. "For the love of god Malfoy, shut up!", he snapped irritably. "It's your own damn fault you ended up in detention and you know it, just like we were at fault for ending up here too. You were out of bounds the same as us and you know as well as we do that it's against school rules".
"Harry's right you know", Hermione interjected with an approving nod at the fact Harry was taking responsibility. "All four of us are to blame so we just need to make the best of things and get through this detention".
Malfoy sneered at her. "Who asked your opinion? Filthy Mud..."
"If you even think of finishing that sentence I'll give you a bloody nose Malfoy", Harry growled at him as he took a step forward, hand balled into a fist.
Hermione grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look. "He's not worth it Harry, you don't want more detentions do you?".
Harry looked at Hermione and sighed. He shook his head. "No I don't, thanks Hermione", he smiled at her and then glared at Malfoy "just watch it in future Malfoy", he warned the blonde haired boy.
Malfoy sneered but said nothing.
More time passed and Malfoy said haughtily "I've had enough of this, I'm going in there to find that oaf and see what's keeping him".
"You can't go in there!", Hermione protested "Hagrid told us to stay here!".
"And it's not safe in the forest!", Neville added "there's all sorts of dangers lurking in there!".
Malfoy snorted and said in a contemptuous tone. "You two are just cowards. Fine then, stay here if you want but I've had enough of this nonsense".
"Malfoy you prat I'm as adventurous as the next guy but we're supposed to be doing a detention. If you wander off you'll end up in more trouble", Harry pointed out in a tone that suggested Malfoy was being simple.
Malfoy scowled at him, turned and march off into the trees. Harry shook his head in disbelief. "What an idiot".
Malfoy had been gone for some twenty minutes and Harry was getting very tense. His wand was in his hand, though he knew it would do no good. He only knew a few simple spells. The most he could really do was an Expeliarmus. "Better have your wands ready", Harry warned Hermione and Neville and further told them "anything could come out of that forest so we need to be prepared".
"But Harry we're first years, what can we do to stop any person or being stronger than us with our wands?", Hermione pointed out.
"We can't", Harry admitted and he made a spot decision "Neville, run back up to the castle and get a teacher, try to get Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore if you can", he instructed.
Neville nodded and ran off up to the castle without a word. Harry knew he could rely on him despite how nervous Neville was, he was a good guy.
"And Hermione..."
"I know what you're thinking Harry but I'm not letting you go in there, not without a teacher present. Elsewhere I wouldn't object so much but this thing, whatever it is, is clearly dangerous and we're only a pair of first years".
Harry sighed. He glanced towards the forest and then back at Hermione. He rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Alright, fine", he said at last "but if a teacher doesn't arrive in twenty minutes then I'm going in on my own", he said seriously.
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. Harry knew what she was thinking, clearly she thought he was too reckless for his own good.
Albus Dumbledore sat down at his desk feeling rather tired. He'd been busy all day investigating Hagrid and the issue with the dragon known as Norbert. "Oh Hagrid, you have been foolish my loyal friend", he sighed.
He was now convinced that whoever had given the Hogwarts Gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys the dragons egg knew how much he had wanted one and further to that knew that Hagrid would not give away serious information if sober. These facts and the further fact that dragon eggs were very rare and prized objects led Albus Dumbledore to one conclusion. It was a chilling theory. Someone inside the castle, most certainly a staff member, had given Hagrid the dragons egg and got him drunk in order to pry information on how to get past Fluffy, the half-giants three headed dog that had been employed to guard a certain trapdoor that led to a certain object below the main castle.
One thing puzzled Albus however and it was how this member of staff had gotten their hands on said dragons egg. As well as being very rare they were also very expensive. Clearly someone else had given this staff member the egg, but who?
Albus felt his own question was answered on this point. Who else but Lord Voldemort would want to find a way past the security and to steal the Philosopher's Stone. But this in itself raised an even bigger question which was how Lord Voldemort was manipulating events from his hiding place in Albania. After all, even if he had found some way to return to Britain he had no proper body.
As Albus pondered this last point the magical motion detectors on his desk began to blare madly. Some was downstairs and in front of the stone gargoyle seeking entrance to his office but unknowing of the right password. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He sensed that something was badly wrong.
Albus stood up, rounded his desk and made swiftly for the doors. In moments, he had crossed the distance to the spiral staircase and was standing on it as it descended to the seventh floor where his entrance was currently based.
As the staircase reached the seventh floor Albus heard someone shouting frantically "oh move you stupid thing! I have to see Professor Dumbledore, it's urgent!".
The first thing Albus saw as the gargoyle moved was a red faced Neville Longbottom staring at him looking more upset than he had seen from the boy this year. "Mr Longbottom, I take it something has happened that is big enough to bring to my attention?", he stated more than asked and in a calm voice.
The boy nodded and gestured frantically behind him. "Yes Professor, very big! We haven't seen Hagrid seen a few minutes after we met him. He went into the forest to try and deal with whatever has been killing the unicorns and now Draco Malfoy has gone in after him!".
Albus nodded. "I see. Very well then Mr Longbottom, you had best lead me to the spot where you were all standing when Hagrid left you. I shall then enter the forest, find Hagrid and Mr Malfoy and bring them out".
The boy looked relieved. "Follow me Professor and I'll lead you back to where we were".
It took awhile for Albus to reach the spot where Neville, Hermione and Harry had been standing with Draco Malfoy but eventually they found it. "Hermione, where is Harry?", Neville asked.
"Yes where is Mr Potter, Miss Granger?", Albus asked Hermione. He noticed that she gulped and looked worried as she gestured towards the trees near where they had been standing. "He went in there to find Malfoy and Hagrid when they didn't come back out", she informed him "he did wait for you Professor but he got impatient after twenty minutes and ran in".
Albus nodded and surveyed and the nearby line of trees with a grave look. If the three of them had no come back out then something serious must have happened and he needed to get in there quickly. He didn't even have time to inform Minerva or his other colleagues. Giving Hermione a serious look he said "Miss Granger I need yourself and Neville to go to Professor McGonagall's private quarters. You shall find them on the sixth floor. If you struggle to find them then ask ghosts and portraits. If there are any prefects still patrolling you may ask them also. Inform her that I have sent you, that Harry Potter is inside the Forbidden Forest and ask her to rouse Professor Snape. Bring them back here as soon as possible. I shall meet you both back at this exact spot", he told them.
"We won't let you down Professor", Hermione said seriously and pulled Neville with her.
Albus watched as the two students ran off up the sloping lawns. Once they were out of sight he turned and strode through the trees and into the forest.
It was a dark night and Albus could see very little in front of him as he moved deeper into the forest and the tree clusters grew thicker. "Lumos", he said calmly and a bright light appeared the tip of his wand illuminating a wide swathe of ground in front of him.
After walking for some time, Albus began to wonder just how he would find Harry, Draco and Hagrid. The forest was a vast place and there were many places that they could be within it. He thought about a few of the locations inside the forest. He automatically discounted the Acromantula colony headed up by Aragog. The colony was hostile to humans and unless they had accidentally encountered them by running there he felt sure they were safely away from that.
The next possibility were the Centaurs. They may have Hagrid, Harry and Draco. If so he would have a hard job convincing them to let them go given their dislike for wizards and witches. His brain lit up with an idea. "Sonorous", he called out and tapped his wand to his throat. "Hagrid! Harry! Draco!", he called out in a loud voice which was amplified and would carry across much of the forest.
He called out their names several times and paused after each time to listen, hoping with every fibre of his being that he was not too late. Hoping that something awful had not befallen them.
He was beginning to lose hope when a strained but loud voice called back "Professor Dumbledore, we're over here!", he could just make out someone waving in the distance and ran as fast he could towards them. Leaves and twigs crunched under foot and in the densely packed section of forest stumbled and almost fell a number of times before reaching the person he identified as Draco Malfoy.
"Young Mr Malfoy, I must have words with you about your recklessness but for now where is Mr Potter-Weasley and Hagrid?", he asked in a stern but soft tone.
Draco gestured behind him and looked frightened. "They're back there, in a clearing. There's...", he swallowed hard and the look in his eyes gave away his terror "Professor there's something there, something evil. I don't know what but it was bent over this unicorn drinking it's blood. When it spotted me and Potter-Weasley it slithered along the ground, not walked but slithered", he shuddered.
"Could you see who or what it was?", Albus asked feeling a great deal of sympathy for the young boy.
Draco shook his head and shuddered again. "No Professor, whoever or whatever it was...they or it was cloaked and hooded".
Albus digested the words thoughtfully. "A disguise". He had no more time to speak as a piercing scream split the calm night air. He took off in the direction of the sound and soon found himself in a clearing containing few trees. An earie mist blanketed the ground and he froze in place at the sight before him.
Hagrid, his friend and colleague, was lying on his side on the ground. Blood was oozing out of a wound on his forehead and he was not moving. Albus swallowed hard. He would pay this creature back heavily if Hagrid were dead.
Harry meanwhile had thrown himself bodily onto Hagrid and yelled "leave him alone! Leave my friend alone!".
Under other circumstances Albus would have taken a moment to admire the bravery and friendship shown by his student but time was of the essence for along the ground there slithered a black cloaked and hooded figure. Albus could not see the face but had the feeling of indescribable evil emanating from it.
For one of the few times in recent memory Albus felt fury. This thing had attacked his friend and was about to attack an innocent boy. He calmed himself to avoid harnessing dark energy and ran to Harry, holding his wand out in front of him. "Stay behind me Harry", he said authoratively. He fixed the cloaked being in front of him with a piercing gaze "be gone from this place! Be gone you abomination of evil, you will not find any prey this night for I will stop you doing harm, be gone now!".
Aiming his wand Albus bellowed "Flipendo!". The being was blasted off it's feet. And snarled in rage. "Diffindo!", he called out. The being bellowed in pain and fled the scene, leaving behind a dead unicorn drained of blood, an unconscious half-giant, a scared but resolute boy and a concerned old wizard.
Albus turned to Harry and knelt down. "Are you alright Harry?", he asked in a concerned voice.
Harry swallowed hard, he looked scared but seemed trying not to show it. "I'm fine Professor, thank you".
Albus smiled softly and replied "it's alright if you're scared or upset Harry", he replied "I have to admit to some fright myself at being near that creature".
"You sir? Surely not!", Harry sounded shocked that such a thing was possible.
Albus laughed. "My boy I may appear all powerful to you but I am just a man like any other with all the failings and feelings that any other man would have".
Harry smiled and admitted "I am still pretty scared sir".
Albus patted his shoulder. "Very understandable Harry, but worry not, I'll keep you safe". He knew the boy would need a lecture on not being so reckless with his life but that could wait until Harry had recovered from the encounter.
"Albus! Mr Potter-Weasley!". Albus felt much better about the situation now that his friend and colleague Minerva McGonagall had arrived on the scene. As he stood up to take a look at her he found that all four Heads of House were standing in a line. Filius looked curious as to what was happening while the rotund and matronly Pomona was giving Harry a sympathetic look. Albus sighed at the sneer that had appeared on Severus' face as his Potions Professor declared "I cannot say I am surprised at such reckless and foolish behaviour, typical Gryffindor not thinking and just jumping into action".
"Severus", Albus said with a warning tone. The man stopped speaking at once but continued to look down his nose at Harry. Albus sighed heavily. It seemed that nothing would get the man to set aside his grudge with James Potter, even death.
Professor McGonagall looked both worried and furious at Harry and his reckless behaviour. She hurried over to Harry and helped him up. "Mr Potter what were you thinking of? Such reckless behaviour, you could have been hurt or even...".
"I think we should wait before giving a lecture Minerva", Albus interrupted.
Minerva turned to Albus with an irritated expression but then nodded. "Of course Albus, you are right", she turned to Harry "well lets get you out of this forest then Harry and back to Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom. They're both rather concerned about you you know". She led Harry over to where Draco Malfoy was stood. Without a word, surprisingly, the blonde pureblood fell in behind Minerva and Harry as they walked through the trees.
Albus meanwhile turned his attention to the matter at hand. Somehow, he along with Severus, Pomona and Filius had to get Hagrid out of the forest and up to the castle to receive medical treatment, but how?
He cast his eyes about for something to Transfigure into a stretcher and found a nearby log. Waving his wand he aimed at the log which shimmered and changed form into a wood and fabric stretcher large enough for a man of Hagrid's size and height. "Would you mind helping levitate Hagrid, Pomona, Severus and Filius?"
The three Heads of House wordlessly waved their wands with him and together the three of them levitated Hagrid carefully through the trees.
As the foursome and the unconscious Hagrid reached the edge of the trees. Albus smiled at the sight of Hermione Granger throwing herself at Harry. "Thank god you're alright, I was so worried about you Harry".
Harry hugged her back. "I'm fine, just a bit shaken up is all Hermione".
Albus had to marvel at the stern glare Severus was throwing towards Draco Malfoy for his reckless behaviour. He knew Severus truly cared about his Snakes even if he liked to pretend otherwise.
The sun was already coming up when the exhausted trio of Harry, Hermione and Neville returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Harry!". He was nearly bowled over as the red haired blur of his brother Ron wrapped him in a fierce hug. Harry felt intensely confused. He knew his brother cared about him and loved him but he was never so open in showing such affection.
"Let Harry breathe Ickle Ronniekins", Fred joked, though his voice sounded choked.
"Yeah, wouldn't want Mum to give you detention for life for crushing him to death", George added with a shaky laugh.
As Ron pulled back looking a bit embarrassed Harry noticed Percy glaring at the Twins.
"That comment wasn't funny George", Percy declared angrily. "Harry could have been seriously hurt tonight or worse". Without warning, Percy pulled Harry into a rare hug. It was a fierce one and he felt even more surprise than when Ron had hugged him. "I know I don't say this much but you're a good kid Harry, even if you do get into trouble a lot and I...I love you".
Harry felt warmth flood through him at the words. His relationship with Percy was a bit up and down and in the past he'd wondered how much their older brother really cared about him. Tonight showed him that even Percy cared about his siblings. "I love you too Perce".
Percy pulled back and Harry found himself being double hugged by Fred and George as Ron bombarded Hermione and Neville with questions.
Harry felt himself tune out what was going on around him as his mind focused on the conversation he'd overheard between Dumbledore and McGonagall earlier on that night.
"Are you sure it was really him Albus? The Ministry are convinced that Vol...Vol...You Know Who is dead", McGonagall said her tone full of anxiety.
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I wish I could say they were right, however, they are not", he replied "Lord Voldemort is still alive, though he is not strictly human. His essence survived the events of Halloween night in nineteen eighty one and has, I believe, been in hiding ever since. How he is in the Forbidden Forest however is a mystery to me".
"But you evidently know why", McGonagall cut in.
Dumbledore nodded. "I do, or at least...I have a theory as to why. I believe Voldemort seeks to take control of the Philosopher's Stone".
"And yet you are keeping the object at Hogwarts anyway?", McGonagall asked, she sounded very angry to Harry.
"I have no choice dear Minerva", Dumbledore defended himself "Nicholas is working to move his stone to a safer location but these things take time, after all even Gringott's proved ultimately to not be safe".
"But this is a school!", Minerva all but shouted. "It needs to be moved as soon as possible Albus, no matter what Nicholas Flamel wishes!".
Dumbledore nodded. "I have told him that he has until the end of the current school year. Once this term ends he will either have to take it away himself or have someone transport it to a safe location. Now that I know Lord Voldemort is back in Britain the situation has become even more dangerous".
"The traps are still safely in place. I checked the the trap door myself. It's not yet been breached and in fact I don't think anyone has managed to get past Fluffy yet".
Harry's mind returned to the present as Fred and George relinquished their hug. He yawned heavily and he said "it's been a long night guys, I need to sleep, thanks for being there though".
"Oh you're welcome...", Fred said.
"IckleHarrikins", George finished with a grin.
Harry could only muster a tired eye roll in response.
"Come on Ron, Neville, lets get some sleep eh?", Harry said.
"Count me in, I'm knackered", Ron agreed immediately.
"Not sure how well I'll sleep but yes I'm tired too", Neville smiled.
Harry turned to Hermione. He gestured to her, Ron and Neville in turn, telling them "there's something important I have to tell you all, several somethings as a matter of fact. Not right now, I'm far too exhausted to properly remember the details but I'll tell you all on Saturday". He and Neville said a good night to Hermione who joked that a good morning might be more appropriate leading to tired laughs from them. Ron merely walked on ahead yawning and not speaking.
As Harry flopped down in bed feeling completely worn out by the range of emotions he'd experienced he hoped Hagrid would be alright after the events of that night. Further to that his mind was fixated on the philosopher's stone and the fact it belonged to Nicholas Flamel. He was sure he'd heard the name somewhere before, both Flamel and the stone.
Harry was just about to shut his eyes when he realised something. He had seen Flamel's name on his Albus Dumbledore chocolate frog card. He slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake anyone. Judging from the loud snores filling the dorm, he succeeded.
Harry opened his trunk as quietly as possible and rummaged around. "Where are you?", he whispered. After much searching, he found it. The chocolate frog card bearing the image of Nicholas Flamel. He whispered the words "Albus Dumbledore is most known as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, his long time position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald and his work on Alchemy with the celebrated Alchemist and Potioneer Nicholas Flamel who is the only known creator of the philosopher's stone".
Harry closed his trunk, sat down on his bed and stared at the card for a long while. He felt like the worlds biggest prat. The answer to who Nicholas Flamel was, why he was so important and what Fluffy was guarding had been right under his nose this whole time. "You idiot", he whispered, though he had a big smile on his face knowing the mystery had been solved.
He pulled the hangings shut around his bed, placed the chocolate frog card on his bedside table, slipped off his glasses and hopped under the covers, slumping down until his head hit his fluffy pillow.
Harry fell into an easy sleep, not something he could have predicted after the terrifying encounter in the Forbidden Forest.