Dark forest
Hagrid led the group to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they followed him into the forest.
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery." Looking at the silvery puddle a pit grew in Lirum’s stomach, they had seen unicorns before. Full of life, the hair in their mains where quite beautiful and commonly used in wand making. The worst thing they’d ever seen one do was kick their grandfather for plucking to much hair for a wand.
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, the unable to keep the fear out of his voice snapped lirum from their thoughts.
"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least." Hagrid said motioning up the path with his lantern.
"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. " So me, Harry, Ron, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Lirum, Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now -- that's it -- an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh -- so, be careful -- let's go." Hagrid said ushering the group down the path.
The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Lirum, Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.
Lirum saw that Neville and the Malfoy boy still looked very worried.
"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Malfoy asked.
"I don’t think their fast enough, really?” Lirum said bemused “It's not so easy catching a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never known one to be hurt before, unless you could them getting agitated from getting hairs pulled for wands but those are willingly given for the most part. They have a nasty kick if you get greedy though." Lirum said recalling the bruise left on their grandfather.
They walked past a mossy tree stump. running water could be heard. There must be a stream somewhere nearby. Lirum thought to themselves There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path. Taking a broader look around they noticed Neville appeared to be shaking.
"You all right, Neville?" Lirum whispered only reviving a trembling tug on the arm of their robe he’d been holding onto this whole time. "Don' worry, it couldn’t have gone far if it's this badly hurt. we'll be out of this forest in no time. " Lirum said trying to appear confident as to not scare the first years even more. Despite the fact they hated blood purists and Malfoy’s snarky attitude his views where most likely not even his own, he’s a child. So regardless Lirum would attempt to comfort them both.
“Don’t act like you know everything you filthy little half blood.” Malfoy snapped. Lirum was trying to be nice but if he was going to act like a prat, they were going to be treated like one kid or not.
“First off I’m older and taller than you so not little, and second if you don’t want me to feed you to the werewolves when they attack, I suggest you drop your blood purists rubbish or start praying to Salazar they or whatever it is that attacked the unicorn don’t like the taste of snobbish little rich boys.”
The three of them suddenly startled to attention. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Lirum was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.
“Did you hear that?” Neville asked hiding behind lirum.
"A werewolf! It’s gonna eat me!” Malfoy yelled pushing Neville and hiding behind lirum as well.
"That’s no werewolf, not a unicorn either," said Lirum standing firmly between the boys and whatever was making that noise. "Stay behind me and be careful. That means no pushing or fighting, do you understand me."
“Yes ma’am” the boys said in unison terrified creeping forward.
They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.
"Who's there? Show yourself!” Lirum called out but received no response. In that moment they heard Neville let out a blood curdling scream. Lirum whipped around to see Neville fall back on the ground sending red sparks into the sky while still staring wide eyed in Malfoy’s direction.
Suddenly something was running at them wand drawn lirum stepped between the first years and what was charging at them. Seeing a lantern first a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return.
"You three all right?" Hagrid asked the students all still in shock from the last few moments. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed, despite Lirum’s warnings had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups -- Neville, you stay with me, Ron, an' Hermione. Harry, you go with Lirum, Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."
So, Lirum have Neville a reassuring Pat on the back and set off into the heart of the forest with Harry, Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. The blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Lirum could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.
"Look-" Harry murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.
Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. The group inched closer.
It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Lirum had never seen anything so sad, something so beautiful and full of life now lied dead. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.
Harry took a step toward seemingly to get a better look when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered. Lirum pulled him back drawing their wand again when out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Lirum, the first years, and Fang all stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted with Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry unicorn blood was dribbling down its front.
“Run!” Lirum yelled shoved the boy back shooting red sparks into the air as the cloaked figure got to its feet and came swiftly for Harry who seemed frozen in fear. Before grabbing his head as he staggered backward.
Suddenly hooves could be heard galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, and past lirum charging straight at the figure.
Harry fell to his knees. Lirum rushing to check on him. When they looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, with white-blond hair and a palomino body.
"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.
"Yes -- thank you -- what was that?"
The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, then to Lirum and back his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.
"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time -- especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.”
“You can’t possibly carry us both! who are you?” Lirum replied.
"My name is Firenze, we have no choice." he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that the pair could clamber onto his back.
There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.
"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?”
Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best, " he said in his gloomy voice. Bane kicked his back legs in anger.
"For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"
Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Lirum had to grab his shoulders to keep harry and themself on.
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."
And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.
Lirum was beyond lost, and as the looked to Harry they didn’t even have to ask to see. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved us from, anyway?"
Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long it became clear Firenze didn't want to talk anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used -for?"
"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."
“I’ve seen their hair for wands as well but never blood.” Lirum answered.
"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
The pair stared at the back of Firenze's head in silence. It was dappled silver in the moonlight almost a good distraction.
"But who'd be that desperate?" Harry wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, deaths better, isn't it?"
"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else -- something that will bring you back to full strength and power -- something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course -- the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who --" Harry said causing lirum to roll their eyes off corse he would find some way to loop it back to that.
"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" This caught Lirum’s attention centaurs are masters of divination. Even the argument of the centaurs before was about them reading the planets.
It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die." The sinking feeling grew. Could it really be he who should not be named.
"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol-" No this is impossible he who shall not be named died it’s ridiculous to think they could believe he’s back and feasting if unicorns. That sounds like some children’s story to keep children from sneaking out. Honestly that would probably have been more helpful.
"Harry! Harry, are you all right” Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.
"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there." They got off the horse without
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now." Harry slid off his back
"Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving a confused Lirum and Harry shivering behind him.