Another Hogwarts Tale

Things couldn't have been worse.

Filch took them downstairs to Professor McGonagall's study, and there they sat and waited without speaking a word to each other.

Hermione was shaking.

Excuses, alibis, and outrageous cover-up stories ran through Harry's mind, each more pathetic than the last.

This time he couldn't see how they were going to wriggle out of this mess.

Lucy accepted that they were going to be in a lot of trouble, and she didn't say a word.

They were trapped.

How could they be so stupid as to forget the cloak?

There was no reason on earth Professor McGonagall would approve of them not lying in their beds and roaming around the school in the dead of night.

Never mind that they were on the tallest tower, which was off-limits to them except in astronomy class.

If they then found out about Norbert and the invisibility cloak, they might as well pack their bags.

Did Harry think it couldn't get any worse?

What a mistake.

When Professor McGonagall showed up, she had Neville in tow.

"Harry!" Neville burst out as soon as he saw them both, "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag -"

Lucy and Harry shook their heads vigorously to silence Neville, but Professor McGonagall had seen him.

She stood in front of the four and looked like she could breathe fire better than Norbert.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It’s one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

For the first time, Hermione couldn't find an answer to a teacher's question.

She stared at her slippers, still as a statue.

"I think I've got a good idea of what’s been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn’t take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"

Harry tried to look the puzzled and offended-looking Neville in the eye and silently indicate that this wasn't true.

Poor clumsy Neville - Lucy knew what it must have cost him to look for her in the dark to warn her.

"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it’s very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"Fifty?" Harry gasped.

They would lose the lead he had gained in the last Quidditch match.

"Fifty points each," Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.

Lucy looked at Professor McGonagall in horror and put a hand on her chest.

"Professor- please-"

"You can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

Hundred Fifty points lost.

That put Gryffindor in last place.

In one night, they had destroyed all chances of winning the house cup.

How could they ever make amends?

~~

The next morning, when the Gryffindors walked past the giant hourglasses that marked house points, they thought at first that there must have been a mistake.

How could they suddenly have two hundred points less than yesterday?

And then gradually the story spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero from two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points.

Him and some other stupid first years.

Harry, previously one of the most popular and respected students, was now the most hated.

Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned against him, because everyone had been looking forward to Slytherin not taking the house cup this time.

Everywhere Harry went, the students pointed at him and didn't even bother to lower their voices when they insulted him.

The Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped their hands as he passed, whistled and hooted, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!" – even if they lost Fifty points because of Lucy.

Only Ron, Ophelia and Louisa stood by them.

"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Lucy dejectedly.

"Well - no," Ron admitted.

It was a little too late to repair the damage, but Lucy vowed that from now on she would never interfere in things that were none of her business.

She was fed up with hanging around and spying.

Hermione and Neville weren't doing well either.

Not as bad as the twins, because they weren't that well known, but nobody wanted to talk to them anymore either.

In class, Hermione didn't want to draw attention to herself anymore, she let her head hang and worked quietly.

Lucy was almost glad that the exams were just around the corner.

All the repetition that was required distracted her from her misery.

The twins, Ron, Hermione, Ophelia, and Louisa kept to themselves, struggling late into the evening to memorize the ingredients of complicated brews, memorize spells and spells, and memorize the dates of great discoveries in magic and goblin rebellions to learn ...

Then, about a week before the exams were due to begin, Harry's recent resolve not to poke his nose into things that were none of his business was unexpectedly put to the test.

The next moment, Quirrell came rushing out of the classroom, adjusting his turban. He was pale and looked ready to burst into tears.

Quirrell seemed to have relented after all.

Harry went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy and Lucy was reviewing Potions.

Harry told them what he had heard.

"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell’s told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"

"There’s still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.

"Maybe Snape’s found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there’s a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"

The twinkle of adventure to come reappeared in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could even open his mouth.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure"

"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell’s too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor - who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we’re not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining"

Hermione looked confident, but Ron didn't.

"If we just do a bit of poking around -"

"No," said Harry flatly, "we’ve done enough poking around."

He unfolded a map of Jupiter and began to memorize the names of its moons.

The next morning at breakfast letters were delivered to Harry, Lucy, Hermione and Neville. They were all the same:

Your detention will take place at eleven o’clock tonight.

Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor McGonagall

In all the excitement over the lost points, Harry had completely forgotten that they still had detentions ahead of them.

Hermione would soon complain that another whole night was wasted on the reruns, but she didn't say a word.

Like Harry, she felt she deserved nothing better.

At eleven o'clock that evening they said goodbye to Ron in the Gryffindor common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville.

Filch was already waiting - and Malfoy.

And suddenly Lucy didn't think the punishment was so bad anymore.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?” he said, leering at them.

"Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I"ve got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed… Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They made their way across the dark castle grounds.

Neville kept sniffling.

The twins wondered what the punishment would be. It had to be something really awful or Filch wouldn’t be sounding so delighted.

The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. But as Lucy was looking at the sky she noticed something - something strange. The mars was unusually bright that night. But the young witch didn't have time to think about it.

Ahead, Lucy could see the windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a call from afar.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Harry felt lighter; if they were working with Hagrid, they wouldn't be so bad.

Relief must have showed in his face, as Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

At that, Neville groaned, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" he repeated, not sounding as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

Neville grabbed the sleeve of Harry's robes and made a choked sound.

Lucy couldn't help but smile a little. There were no werewolves in the Forest. At least not currently. The full moon was only a few days away.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding out of the darkness to meet them, Fang by foot. He carried his large crossbow and had a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione. Lucy?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what’s left of them," he added nastily, then turned and made his way back to the castle, lantern bobbing in the darkness.

Now Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

"I’m not going in that forest," he said, and Lucy and Harry noted the hint of panic in his voice with satisfaction.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd -"

"- tell yer that’s how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

Lucy didn't want to admit it, but somehow Malfoy was right. Their punishment for walking outside in the middle of the night was... walking outside in the middle of the night.

It didn't add up for her.

Malfoy didn't move from the spot. He looked at Hagrid in anger, but then looked down.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led her close to the edge of the forest. Lantern held high, he pointed to a narrow, winding path that disappeared between the thick black trees.

As they peered into the forest, a gentle breeze ruffled their hair.

~~

"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."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Malfoy asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"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."

Malfoy took a quick look at Fang's long teeth. "I want Fang."

"All right, but I warn yeh, he’s a coward," said Hagrid.

Now Lucy began to doubt the situation. The children were to accompany Hagrid to the Forest and then they were to split up as well.

She had never seen a horror movie, but the girl was sure this is how most of them started.

"So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other." Hagrid said.

Harry and Lucy looked at each other. Harry didn't like the idea of Lucy not staying with him and then being in a group with Malfoy as well.

"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."

The forest was black and silent. They walked part of the way together and then came to a fork.

Harry, Hermione and Hagrid went left, Lucy, Malfoy, Neville and Fang went right.

They walked in silence, eyes on the ground.

Here and there a moonbeam illuminated a smudge of silvery blue blood on the fallen leaves.

Harry noticed that Hagrid looked very worried.

"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.

"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they’re powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before"

They passed a moss-covered tree stump. Harry could hear water running, there must be a creek somewhere nearby.

There was still unicorn blood in places along the winding path.

"You all right, Hermione?" whispered Hagrid. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we’ll be able ter - GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Hagrid grabbed Harry and Hermione and shoved them off the path into the cover of a huge oak tree.

He drew an arrow from the quiver, cocked it on the crossbow and held it aloft, ready to fire. The three pricked up their ears.

Something rustled across the dead leaves nearby. It sounded like a coat dragging across the floor.

Hagrid peered up the dark path, but after a while the sound went away.

"I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

"A werewolf?" Harry asked.

"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn’ no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but be careful now."

They walked more slowly now, listening intently for the slightest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something moved.

"Who's there?" shouted Hagrid. "Show yourself - I'm armed!"

And it appeared - was it a man or a horse? A man with red hair and a beard to his waist, but underneath he had the glossy chestnut body of a horse with a long reddish tail. Harry and Hermione held their breath.

"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid, relieved. "How are yeh?"

He stepped forward and shook the centaur's hand.

"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"

"One can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."

"We'd noticed," Hermione said faintly.

"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"

"Erm -"

"A bit," Hermione said shyly.

"A bit. Well, that's something," Ronan sighed. He threw back his head and looked up at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."

"Yes," said Hagrid, looking up as well. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?"

Ronan didn't answer right away. He stared at the sky, then sighed again.

"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin' Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated under Hagrid's impatient gaze. "Unusually bright."

"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home," said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

But again, it took a while for Ronan to answer. Finally, he said: "The forest hides many secrets."

A movement in the trees behind Ronan caused Hagrid to raise his crossbow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and black-bodied, and fiercer-looking than Ronan.

A few moments later they continued walking through dense, dark forest. Harry kept throwing nervous glances over his shoulder.

He had the uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched and was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them.

They had just bent a coil when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Hagrid! Look! Red Sparks, the others are in trouble!"

"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I’ll come back for yeh!"

They heard him crash through the undergrowth.

What if something had happened to Lucy? Harry wondered. He shook his head to get that thought out of his head.

Frightened, they stood back and looked at each other.

Finally, they heard nothing but the rustling of the leaves around them.

"You don’t think they’ve been hurt, do you?" Hermione whispered.

"I don't care if Malfoy has, but Lucy is my sister… and if something's got Neville… it's our fault he's here in the first place."

The minutes dragged on. Her ears seemed sharper than normal.

It seemed to Harry that he could hear every sigh of the wind, every snap of a twig.

What was going on? Where were the others?

Finally, a loud crack announced Hagrid's return.

Lucy, Malfoy, Neville and Fang were behind him.

Hagrid smoked with anger.

Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke.

Lucy had tried to stop him, but Malfoy hadn't listened to her.

In a panic, Neville had thrown 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 an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang, yer sister 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."

And so Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Lucy, Malfoy and Fang.

They went deeper and deeper for almost half an hour until the path almost lost itself, so dense were the trees.

Lucy had the impression that the unicorn blood was getting thicker.

There were spatters on the roots of a tree, as if the poor animal had been rolling around in pain nearby.

Ahead, through the tangled branches of an old oak tree, Harry could see a clearing.

"Look -" he murmured, reaching out to stop Lucy and Malfoy.

Something bright white shimmered on the floor. They approached cautiously.

It was the unicorn, and it was dead.

Lucy had never seen anything so beautiful and jet so sad.

His long, slender legs splayed in the air and his pearly white mane lay spread out on the dark leaves.

Harry took another step closer when a grinding sound made him freeze in his tracks.

A bush at the edge of the clearing trembled...

Then a hooded figure emerged from the shadows and crawled across the ground toward them like a stalking beast.

Harry, Lucy, Malfoy and Fang stood frozen.

The hooded figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound on the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Malfoy let out a horrible shriek and bolted, Fang at his heels.

The hooded figure raised its head and looked over at the twins - unicorn blood was dripping down it.

The creature got up and walked quickly towards Lucy and Harry - they were paralyzed with fear.

Then a pain pierced his head like he had never felt before, it was as if his scar had caught fire - half blind, he stumbled backwards.

He bumped into Lucy, who was holding him.

Behind them they heard hooves, horses galloping, and something just jumped over the two and pounced on the figure.

The pain in Harry's head was so severe that he fell to his knees. In a minute or two it was over.

When he looked up, the figure was gone.

Lucy crouched next to him and gave him a worried look.

A centaur stood with them.

Not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blonde hair and the body of a palomino.

"Are you alright?" asked the centaur, helping Lucy Harry to his feet.

"Yes - thank you - what was that?"

The centaur didn't answer. He had impressive blue eyes, like pale sapphires.

He eyed the twins carefully, his eyes lingering on the scar that was now bluish against Harry's forehead.

"You are the Potter twins," 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."

"My name is Firenze," he added, dropping onto his front legs so Lucy and Harry could join him could climb on his back.

Suddenly, Harry heard more galloping hooves from across the clearing. Flanking, sweat-soaked flanks, Ronan and Bane burst through the trees.

"Firenze!" Bane thundered, "What are you doing? You have two humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who those two are?" Firenze replied. "These are the Potters. The quicker they leave this forest, the better"

"What have you been telling them?" 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 somber voice.

Bane kicked his hind legs angrily.

"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 got up on his hind legs in anger, so Harry had to grab his shoulders to keep from slipping.

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze yelled 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 spun around.

Lucy clung to her brother as best she could and they dove into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind.

Neither Lucy nor Harry had any idea what was going on.

"Why's Bane so angry?" Harry asked. "What was that thing you saved us from, anyway?"

Firenze now walked at a stride and warned the twins to keep their heads down because of the low branches, but he did not answer his questions.

Without saying a word, they made their way through the trees, in silence for so long Harry thought Firenze didn't want to speak to him anymore.

However, they now penetrated a particularly dense piece of forest and Firenze suddenly stopped.

"Lucy and Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," said Harry, taken aback by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair for Potions."

"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."

"But who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"

"It is," agreed Firenze, "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 philosopher's stone! Of course - the Elixir of life! But I don't understand who -"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

It was as if an iron fist had suddenly closed around the twins' hearts.

Over the rustling of the trees, Lucy seemed to hear what Hagrid had said the night they met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."

The twins looked at each other.

"Do you mean," said Harry in a raspy voice, "that was Vol-"

"Harry! Lucy, are you alright?"

Hermione ran up the path toward them, Hagrid panting behind her.

"We're fine," Harry said, not really knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn is dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid rushed off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."

Lucy and Harry slid off his back.

"Good luck, Harry and Lucy Potter," Firenze said. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and galloped away into the depths of the forest, leaving the trembling twins behind.

~~

Later, when the children returned to the Gryfinfor common room, they found Ron, Ophelia, Louisa and Stella.

Louisa was leafing through a book and Ron and Ophelia had fallen asleep. Stella was absently starring into the fire.

As Harry shook Ron awake, he shouted something about Quidditch fouls.

After a few moments, however, he was wide awake when Harry and Lucy began to tell their friends what had happened in the forest.

Harry couldn't sit still. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort… and Voldemort's waiting in the forest… and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich…"

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a fear-drenched whisper, as if he thought Voldemort might overhear them.

Harry didn't hear him.

Lucy noticed that Ophelia and Louisa also grimaced slightly at the name.

"Firenze saved us, but he shouldn’t have done so… Bane was furious… he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen… They must show that Voldemort's coming back… Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill us… I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying that name!" Ron hissed.

"So all I’ve got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry continued in feverish excitement, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off… Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

Hermione looked scared, but she had one word of comfort.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of, with Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won’t touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky was already light when their conversation stopped. They went to bed exhausted, their throats hurting. But the surprises of the night were not over yet.

When Harry pulled back his covers, he found his Invisibility Cloak neatly folded underneath.

A note was pinned to it:

Just in case.