Diospyros

Harry unfortunately ended up confirming his hunch.

— I already knew what you four planned – Prof. McGonagall had a much sterner expression than usual. – Honestly, eloping with an illegal dragon? God knows I expected this from Hagrid in the most affectionate way possible, but how did you guys think that was a good idea?

Easy. It wasn't a good idea.

— I've already caught Mr. Malfoy for his part in this plan. That he thought he could escape just by informing me was very innocent. Now, you four, I want you to know that you will serve detention and lose twenty-five points.

— Twenty-five? — Granger hissed. Harry didn’t think it was so bad.

— Twenty-five each –  Professor McGonagall added sharply.

Oh.

— Professor... please...

— You can’t…

— Don't tell me what I can and can't, Adrien Potter. Now go to your dormitories. You’ll be notified of your detentions later.”

The Gryffindors left the Deputy Headmistress's office looking very downcast, having lost seventy-five points in one fell swoop to Gryffindor. They had surely dropped to third place. Slytherin had now dropped to second place, having lost fifty points to Harry and Draco.

Ravenclaw ended up being the only one happy with the whole situation.

***

Wednesday finally arrived with a rather uncomfortable note arriving for Harry shortly after he had sat down at the table.

Your detention will begin at 11:00 p.m.

Wait for Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor Minerva.

Harry couldn't do much but accept. Draco seemed to want to retreat into himself as Daphne and Tracy began to whisper about the detention note he had received, reopening the case of Slytherin's recent point loss. Harry didn't really feel sorry for Draco for the sudden discomfort he had faced in the dungeons since last week. It was solely his fault for the loss of points, after all.

When it was 10:50 p.m. Harry went up to the ground floor. Filch was already there, with Mrs. Norris in his arms. Harry noticed now that the caretaker had one eye socket higher on his face than the other.

— What? – the old man asked Harry sharply.

— ...nothing.

Malfoy arrived just before 11 p.m., and Adrien, Ron and Hermione arrived about five minutes later, although Filch didn't seem to mind.

— Follow me – said Filch, lighting a lantern and leading them outside. – I bet you'll think twice before disobeying school rules again, right? – he said mockingly. – Ah, yes, hard work and pain are the best teachers, if you want to know... It's a shame they suspended the old punishments... hanging the student from the ceiling by the wrists for a few days, I still have the chains in my room , I keep them oiled in case you need them... Alright, here we go, and don't even think about running away now, it will be worse for you if you do.

— I wish you wouldn't threaten us, Mr. Caretaker – Harry said coldly, narrowing his eyes at Filch and frowning at Hermione's frightened expression.

Filch ignored this, maintaining his relative good humour as they walked through the castle grounds. The moon was shining, but the clouds passing over it cast them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the illuminated windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout...

— Is that you, Filch? Come on, I want to get started.

Harry's mood improved; if they were going to work with Hagrid then it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have shown on his face, because Filch spoke:

— I think you're thinking you're going to have fun with that git? Well, think again, boy. It is to the forest that you are going, and I will be very mistaken if you return in one piece.

At this, Ron let out a groan and Malfoy froze.

— The forest? – he repeated, and he didn’t sound as calm as usual. – We can't go in there at night... there are all kinds of things there... werewolves, I heard.

—That's what you think, isn't it? said Filch, his voice shrill with satisfaction. – You should have thought about werewolves before getting into trouble, don’t you think?

Hagrid walked out of the dark towards them, with Fang at his heels.

He was carrying a large bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder.

— Finally. I've been waiting for half an hour. What's up, kids?

— I wouldn't be so nice to them, Hagrid – said Filch coolly –, after all, they're here to be punished.

— That's why you're late, isn't it? – said Hagrid, making a face. – You've been giving them a hard time, haven't you? That's not your job. You've done your bit, I'll take it from here.

— I'll be back at dawn to collect the rest of them – said Filch, meanly, turning round and returning to the castle, swinging his lantern in the darkness.

Malfoy then turned to Hagrid.

— I’m not going into that forest – he said, and Harry was glad to hear the note of panic in his voice.

— Yes, you will, if you want to stay at Hogwarts — said Hagrid fiercely. – You acted badly and now you have to pay for what you did.

— But that's something for employees and not for students. I thought we were going to make a copy or something like that, if my dad finds out I'm doing this, he'll...

— …tell you that’s how it is at Hogwarts — Hagrid growled. – Make a copy! What is it for? You’ll do something useful or you’ll leave the school. And if you think your father would prefer you to be expelled, then go back to the castle and pack your things. Come on!

Malfoy didn’t move. He glared at Hagrid, then looked down.

— Very well then – said Hagrid –, now pay attention, because what we're going to do tonight is dangerous and I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk. Come over here with me.

He led them to the edge of the forest. Raising his torch high, he pointed to a meandering trail that disappeared through the dark trees. A light breeze lifted the boys' hair as they turned towards the forest.

— Look over there, do you see that shiny thing on the ground? A silver colour? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn over there that's been seriously injured by something. It's the second time this week. I found a dead one last Wednesday. Let's try and find the poor thing. Maybe we need to put it out of its misery.

— What if the thing that hurt the unicorn finds us first? – Malfoy asked, unable to contain the fear in his voice.

— There's no living creature in the forest that's going to hurt you if you're with me and Fang. And follow the trail. All right, now, let's split up into two groups and follow the trail in opposite directions. There's blood everywhere, it must have been staggering at least since last night.

— I want Fang – said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's teeth.

— Very well, but I warn you, he's a coward. So me, Harry and Adrien will go this way and Draco, Ron, Hermione and Fang that way. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll shoot green sparks into the air, OK? Grab your wands and start practising now, like this. And if anyone gets tangled up, shoot red sparks, and we'll all go and look for them, so watch out. Let's go.

The forest was dark and silent. Walking through it, they came to a fork in the road, the groups splitting up. Hagrid's group walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Here and there a ray of moonlight penetrated through the branches and illuminated a silver bloodstain on the fallen leaves.

Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.

— Is it possible that a werewolf is killing the unicorns? – he asked.

— Not that quickly, it's not easy to kill a unicorn, they're powerful magical creatures. I've never heard of one being harmed before.

 They passed a tree stump covered in moss. Harry heard water running, there must have been a stream nearby. They could still see unicorn blood stains here and there along the meandering trail. 

— Are you okay, Adrien? – whispered Hagrid. – Don't worry, it can't have got far if it's so badly hurt and then we can... BEHIND THAT TREE! 

Hagrid grabbed Harry and Adrien and led them off the path and behind a huge oak tree. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it to his bow, then raised it, ready to shoot. The three of them sharpened their ears. Something slid through the dead leaves nearby; it sounded like a cloak dragging on the ground. Hagrid squinted to see the dark path ahead, but after a few seconds the noise disappeared. 

— I knew it – he muttered. – Something's out of place here. 

— A werewolf? – suggested Harry. 

— That wasn't a werewolf and it wasn't a unicorn either,’ said Hagrid seriously. – Very well, follow me, but be careful now. 

They continued walking more slowly, their ears listening for the slightest noise. Suddenly, something in the clearing ahead, something was definitely moving. 

— Who's there? – called Hagrid. – Come out. I'm armed! 

And a figure appeared in the clearing - was it a man, or a horse? Up to his waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but from the waist down he was a shining brown horse with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Adrien's jaws dropped. 

— Ah, it's you, Ronan! – exclaimed Hagrid, relieved. – How are you? 

He stepped forward and shook the centaur's hand. 

— Good night to you, Hagrid – said Ronan. His voice was deep and sad. – Were you going to shoot me?

— You can never be too careful, Ronan – said Hagrid, patting his bow. – There's something loose in this forest. Oh yes, this is Harry and Adrien Potter. Students from the school. And this is Ronan. He's a centaur. 

— I see – said Adrien in a weak voice. 

— Good evening – said Ronan. – You're students, right? And do you learn much at school? 

— Hmm. 

— A little – replied Adrien, strangely shy. 

— A little. Well, that's something – sighed Ronan. Then he threw his head back and gazed at the sky. – Mars is bright today.

— Yeah – said Hagrid, looking up at the sky too. – Look, it's a good thing we met, Ronan, because there's a wounded unicorn. Did you see anything? 

Ronan didn't answer immediately. He continued to look up without blinking and then sighed again. 

— The innocent are always the first victims. It was like that in the past, it's like that now. 

— Yeah, but did you see anything, Ronan? Anything unusual?

— Mars is bright today – Ronan repeated as Hagrid watched him impatiently. – An abnormal brightness.

— Yes, but I'm referring to something closer to the earth. Didn't you notice anything strange?

— Violence – Harry said suddenly, drawing attention to himself.

— What? – Adrien asked.

— Violence – Harry felt a strange pressure in his chest and a dryness in his throat. – Evil.

Ronan smiled gently at Harry, nodding slightly. The pressure slid down his chest and into his stomach, settling like a stone. Suddenly, however, another rustling sounded in the trees, causing Hagrid to draw his bow and draw it with practised dexterity, aiming for the shadow in the undergrowth and shielding himself with his own body in front of the boys.

Another centaur stepped out from the trees.

— Hello, Bane — Hagrid said. — How are you?

— Good evening, Hagrid, you’re doing well, I hope.

— Pretty well. Look, I was just asking Ronan, have you seen anything strange around here lately? It's just that a unicorn was injured. Do you know anything?

Bane went to stand next to Ronan. He looked up at the sky.

— Mars is bright today – he said simply.

— We already know – said Hagrid, irritated. – Well, if one of you sees anything, please let me know. Let's go, then.

Harry and Adrien walked out of the clearing with him, peering over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.

— Never – said Hagrid, irritated – try to get a straight answer from a centaur. They’re always staring at the stars. They’re not interested in anything closer than the moon.

— And are there many of them here? — Adrien asked.

— Oh, quite a few... They live in isolation most of the time, but they're kind enough to show up when I need a word. They're intelligent, you see, centaurs... they know things... they just don't talk much.

— Do you think that was a centaur we heard earlier? — said Harry.

— Did you think it was hoofbeats? No, if you ask me, that's what's been killing the unicorns. I've never heard anything like it before.

And they continued walking through the dense, dark forest. Harry kept glancing nervously over his shoulder. He had the uneasy feeling that someone was watching them. He was glad that they had Hagrid and his bow with them. They had just rounded a bend in the path when Adrien grabbed Hagrid's arm.

— Rubeus! Look! Red sparks, others are in trouble!

— You two wait here! – Hagrid shouted. – Stay on the trail, I’ll be back to catch you!

They heard him break through the bush and they stood there looking at each other, very scared, until they could hear nothing around them except the rustling of the trees.

— Do you think they are hurt? – Adrien whispered.

— I don't mind Malfoy, but Hermione and Ron...

The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry seemed to be registering every sigh of the wind, every twig that snapped. What was happening? Where were the others? Finally, a loud rustling of grass announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Ron, Hermione, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was furious. Malfoy, it seemed, had been late and grabbed Ron from behind to scare him. Ron had gotten scared and sent the signal.

— We'll be lucky if we catch anything now, with the racket you made. Okay, let's switch groups: Adrien, you, Ron and Hermione stay with me; Harry, you with Fang and this idiot. I'm sorry – Hagrid added to Harry in a whisper –, but it's going to be harder for him to scare you and we need to finish our job.

Then Harry walked into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, going deeper and deeper, until the path became impassable because the trees were growing too close together. There were splashes at the roots of one tree, as if the poor creature had been struggling in pain there. Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an old oak.

— Look... – he murmured, raising his arm to stop Malfoy.

It was the unicorn. Skin so white it would make last winter's snow pale and ashamed, mane as silver as the brightest full moon. Its hooves were golden, looking as if they were made of the purest gold possible. Long, thin legs, elegant in a strange way, stretched out at strange angles. A long cut near the neck bathed in silver liquid, more opaque than the drops they found on the way. Was dead. A beautiful and artistic existence even in death. Harry felt the pressure unwind through his arms and rise to his head, heat burning his skin. He had never felt so much sadness in his life as he did now.

He took a step forward, but a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush at the edge of the clearing trembled... Then, from the shadows came a hooded figure that crawled on all fours across the ground like a hunting beast. Harry, Malfoy and Fang stood transfixed. The hooded figure approached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound on the animal's side and began to drink its blood.

— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Malfoy let out a terrible scream and fell backwards, Fang cowering on the ground in fear. The hooded figure lifted his head and looked directly at Harry – the unicorn’s blood running down his chest. Heat burned beneath the boy's skin, his jaw clenched without his permission and cold anger seeped through him.

— Reducto! – He shouted angrily, pointing his wand at the disgusting thing. The curse hit it in the chest, sending it spinning backwards. Harry's fury at seeing it not disintegrate under the spell radiated through him like fire. – Flipendo Tria!

Golden sparks cut through the air like a gale of sand, hitting the hooded abomination and sending it rolling across the floor. Harry turned his head to check on Draco, only to realise that he had fled; Fang chose the same path. It was relieving to know that they were no longer there. When he turned again, the figure was terrifyingly close to him, cutting across the path with an apparent thirst for destruction. Harry felt a fresh wave of heat, but hooves behind him, galloping, made him freeze, and he saw something leap over him, charging at the figure. It was a centaur.

It wasn't Ronan or Bane; the latter looked younger, had silver-blond hair and a bay body.

— Are you okay? — asked the centaur, staring at Harry as the boy seemed to slow down his frenzy.

— I am, thank you, what was that?

The centaur did not answer. He had astonishing blue eyes, like very clear sapphires. He looked at him carefully, lingering on his forehead for some reason.

— You are the Potter boy. You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this hour, even for you. Do you know how to ride? It will be faster. My name is Firenze — he added as he bent his front legs so Harry could climb on his back.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of galloping horses coming from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane burst out of the trees, their flanks heaving and sweating.

— Firenze! – Bane thundered. – What are you doing? You’re carrying a human! Have you no shame? Are you a mule?

— Do you know who he is? – replied Firenze. – It's the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves the forest, the better.

—What have you been telling him? – growled Bane. – Remember, Firenze, we swore never to disagree with the heavens. Haven't you read what will happen in the movements of the planets?

Ronan pawed the ground nervously.

— I'm sure Firenze thought he was doing his best — he said in a sombre tone.

Bane kicked in anger.

— Doing the best! What does that have to do with us? Centaurs care about what’s been predicted! It's not our job to run around like donkeys collecting humans lost in our forest!

Firenze suddenly reared up on his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab onto his shoulders to keep from falling.

— You didn't see the unicorn! – Firenze shouted to Bane. – Don't you understand why he was killed? Or have the planets not told you this secret? I took a stand against what is prowling the forest, Bane, yes, I took a stand alongside the humans if necessary.

And Firenze turned quickly to leave; with Harry holding on as best he could, they plunged into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind. Harry had no idea what was happening.

— Why is Bane so angry? – he asked. – What was that thing you saved me from?

Firenze slowed his pace, warning Harry to keep his head down to avoid the low-hanging branches, but he did not answer the question. They continued through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze no longer wanted to speak to him. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of forest when Firenze stopped suddenly.

— Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?

— No, said Harry, surprised by the strange question. – We only use the horn and tail in Potions class.

— Because it is a monstrous thing to kill a unicorn. Only someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain would commit such a crime. Unicorn blood keeps a person alive, even when they are on the brink of death, but at a terrible price. They killed something pure and defenceless to save themselves and will only have a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches their lips.

Harry stared at the back of Firenze’s neck, which was silver with moonlight.

— But who would be so desperate? — he wondered aloud. — If one is to be cursed forever, it is preferable to die, isn’t it?

— Yes — agreed Firenze —, unless one needs to stay alive long enough to drink something else, something that will restore one’s full strength and power, something that will mean one can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in your school right now?

— The Philosopher’s Stone! Of course, the elixir of life! But I don’t understand who…

— Can’t you think of anyone who has waited many years to regain power, who has clung to life, waiting for a chance?

The heat is gone. The pressure disappeared completely, leaving a sense of numbness in its place. He could remember what his godfather had once said: “The Ministry is foolish, Harry. They accepted the excuse of using Imperio to wipe the asses of those who worked for them. They should know better than to trust a dead person who doesn’t leave a body behind.”

— Are you saying – Harry said hoarsely, – that was Vol...

—Harry! Harry, are you okay?

Adrien was running towards them along the trail, Hagrid was following him panting.

— I'm fine – said Harry, without even knowing what he was saying. – The unicorn is dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there.

— This is where I leave you – Firenze muttered as Hagrid ran to examine the unicorn. – It's safe now.

Harry slid off his back.

— Good luck, Harry Potter – Firenze said. – The planets have been misunderstood before, even by centaurs. I hope that's what's happening now.

He turned and trotted into the forest, leaving a shivering Harry behind.