Until The End

Until The End

Chapter 16: The Unicorn Slayer

"The best way to escape your problems is to solve them..."

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Courtyard – Sunday, May 1st, 1992 (7:30 a.m.)

Ron and Xavier eagerly awaited for their friends and the other students to arrive at Hogwarts. The last two weeks had been two weeks of time spent on furthering their skills and knowledge on duelling, conjuration, wandless variations of spells, and revising on their school topics. It was fun and definitely worthwhile, but it also made the duo realise how much they missed their friends.

"Ron, they're here," Xavier's voice pulled Ron out of his thoughts. Ron quickly looked up and caught sight of the Hogwarts students filling into the Courtyard.

"Ron! Xavier!" came Tracey's loud voice, and both boys turned around to get the wind nearly knocked out of them.

"Ease up there, Trace," Ron wheezed, but Tracey squeezed her tight hug on the two boys. She then giggled and released them. Merlin, my arms…

"I've missed you two!" Tracey exclaimed, sporting a blush.

"Same here, Trace," Xavier smiled at her. Ron looked behind her and grinned when he saw Theo and Blaise walking towards him, Xavier, and Tracey.

"Hello, mate," Theo greeted, and he shook hands with Ron and then did the same with Xavier.

"It's good to see you guys," Ron said happily, and Blaise shook his hand firmly.

"Likewise, mate," Blaise replied with a smirk as he shook hands with Xavier.

"Hey girls," Xavier greeted, and they all turned to see Daphne, Pansy, and Millie approaching them.

"Hi, guys," Daphne replied with a warm smile, and she hugged Xavier tightly.

"How were your holidays, Ron?" Millie asked, as Pansy let go of Ron and went over to hug Xavier.

"Bloody brilliant, Mills. What about all of you lot?" Ron asked in return.

"The usual," Theo responded with a shrug.

"Went out shopping with dear mother," Pansy said with a groan.

"How about we all go inside?" Xavier suggested, and everyone nodded firmly.

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

The Boy's Dorm - Sunday, May 1st, 1992 (8 p.m.)

Xavier seated himself in his bed, while his friends, save Pansy and Ron, entered his Dorm. The last two weeks had gone by like the wind, but Xavier's mind, as always, was bombarded with never-ending thoughts.

He hadn't reached out to Emrys since their first talk; Xavier decided to put the Cursed Vaults aside for now. There was too much going on anyways, and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt.

Ron obviously noticed Xavier's distant behaviour but dropped the subject after Xavier reassured him that everything was fine for the millionth time. He refocused his attention back on his friends once Daphne sat next to him on his bed.

"My father has asked me to inform you and Ron that you two have been invited to the Greengrass Manor," Daphne told Xavier. Theo and Tracey sat down on Theo's bed, Millie sat on Ron's, and Blaise sat on his after closing the door behind him.

"When Summer break comes, I presume?" Xavier asked and Daphne nodded. Meet Daphne's parents, eh? Yeah, why not…

"All right, I'll come. I'm sure Ron will too," Xavier replied, and Daphne smiled warmly at the dark-skinned boy.

"Thank you, Xavier. And I must ask, do you know the customs and etiquette when being around a Lord and Lady?" Daphne asked and Xavier shrugged.

"Can't be that hard, but you should probably teach Ron and me all of them, just in case, you know," Xavier responded, and Daphne nodded firmly.

"Will do," the blonde-haired girl replied.

"What about you Tracey?" Xavier asked as he turned to Tracey. "Didn't you want to introduce me and Ron to your parents?"

"Oh well, Daphne's family are hosting a dinner party in the Summer break, so you two will probably see my parents there," Tracey answered. A thrilled grin then formed on Tracey's face. "My parents are taking me to America!"

"Really?" Millie gasped.

"The States?" Blaise asked, his interest aroused.

"Yes," Tracey nodded excitedly. "I have family over there and it's been a while since I've seen them,"

"Wait, so you have cousins?" Theo asked, looking intrigued. Tracey had never told them about having other family.

"Yes, Theo. My father has a brother who married another Pure-blood witch. They have one son, who is my cousin. And on my mother's side, she has a sister who has one daughter," Tracey explained.

"Let me guess, your cousin from your mother's side is a muggle and the cousin from your father's side is obviously a wizard," Xavier stated, and Tracey nodded vigorously.

"Wait, does that mean your cousin goes to Ilvermorny?" Xavier asked.

"Yep!" Tracey exclaimed, and she rolled her eyes when she saw Daphne's pout. "Don't worry, Daph, I'll be back for our birthdays,"

"Do you two have joint birthday parties?" Xavier asked curiously, and both girls nodded fervently.

"It's what we have done since we were kids. Daphne and I joined our birthdays because we are born four days apart," Tracey explained.

"Same goes for us," Theo piped in, and Xavier faced his curly-haired friend. "I'm born on the 12th of September, while Millie is on the 28th. We celebrate ours together,"

"Blaise and Ron are both born in March, so they can always join their birthdays," Millie pointed out, and Blaise nodded.

"Pansy and Xavier also have their birthdays in July," Blaise noted, looking over to Xavier.

"Oh, you don't have to celebrate my birthday-"

"Nonsense, Xavier Desmond," Daphne quickly interjected. "You deserve to have your birthday celebrated just like us and so many other people,"

"Daphne's right," Tracey huffed fiercely. "You may have been all alone when you grew up in an orphanage, but you're not alone anymore, Xavier,"

Xavier just stared at his friends' stubborn looks and the dark-skinned boy slowly smiled.

"Thank you," Xavier whispered, but his friends all heard him and they either smiled or nodded firmly back at him. Ah, enough of this sappy shit…

"What about you lot?" Xavier asked as he looked between the others. "Any more family meet-ups?"

"Nah, mate," Theo laughed. "My father would sneer in disgust if I even whispered Ron's name, and as for you… well, your parents, specifically your father, probably had bad blood between him and the Death-Eaters,"

Xavier nodded in understanding. He respected and admired that Theo did admit that his father was a Death-Eater without beating around the bush. It was rather refreshing.

"You'll also see my parents at Daphne's party," Millie provided.

"What about you, Blaise?" Xavier asked, and the dark-skinned boy looked back at Xavier with an indifferent face.

"Unlikely, mate. Mother is travelling around Italy at the moment. She just came back from Australia, but she loves to travel…" Blaise trailed off, looking slightly more subdued.

While everyone else shot sympathetic looks towards Blaise, Xavier simply studied his dark-skinned mate. It was clear that Blaise was used to being more alone and doing things by himself, but he clearly missed his mother. Xavier could just see it in Blaise's eyes. And those rumours… I wonder, how he takes them…

"Fair enough, mate," Xavier said as he nodded firmly, and he decided to take the attention off Blaise.

"What about Pansy's-"

A rapid knocking at the door stopped Xavier, and Blaise opened the door. Pansy was smiling widely, and Ron stepped in, blushing strongly.

Ron's normally medium-long red hair was now faded to a very short amount on the sides and back, while the locks on the top were trimmed. It was styled to make Ron's red hair appear a bit wavier.

"Woah," Millie said as she smiled at the red-haired boy.

"It's the disconnected undercut!" Pansy informed with a squeal, and Xavier smirked. Pansy looks like she is going to explode!

"What do you guys think?" Ron asked nervously.

"It's brilliant, mate," Theo said with a grin, and Ron slowly grinned back.

"Pansy, you've done a great job," Blaise added in with his own smirk and Pansy blushed.

"You look so pretty!" Tracey complimented, while Daphne ran her hand through Ron's shaved sides and back.

"Pretty?!" Ron exclaimed with a laugh. "You mean handsome?"

"Nope, I meant pretty!" Tracey cleared up and she giggled at Ron's blush.

"What were you guys talking about?" Pansy asked as she sat next to Blaise on his bed.

"Oh, we were talking about our birthdays and Daphne's upcoming dinner party," Tracey stated.

"Ron, Daphne's family has invited us to their dinner party," Xavier supplied, and Ron shot a confused look to Daphne.

"Ron, my parents are very keen on meeting you and Xavier. Will you attend?" Daphne asked softly, and Ron sighed.

"I… sure, Daph," Ron answered, and everyone beamed at him. "But you don't think that anyone will… you know… be scandalised that I'm attending your party?"

"Trust me, my father would kick them out immediately," Daphne smirked, and Ron smiled a bit more confidently.

"All right, I'll be there," Ron promised.

"Pansy, will your parents be attending?" Xavier asked, and Pansy sighed.

"Yes, of course. But I'm going to warn you, my mother is just foul. She'll take every opportunity to insult anyone she looks down upon," Pansy told, and Ron frowned.

"I'll stay away then," Ron muttered. Xavier just shook his head. Poor Ron, can't even go to a party without cunts ruining it…

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

Transfiguration Class – Monday, May 2nd, 1992 (9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)

"Mr. Weasley, state one of the five Principle Exceptions from Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall commanded, and Ron nodded firmly.

"One of the principles states that food cannot be produced out of thin air," Ron answered thoroughly, and the Transfiguration professor nodded.

"Five more points to Slytherin," Professor McGonagall awarded. The bell suddenly rang, and the students got ready to pack their things and leave.

"Your homework is an essay on Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Class is dismissed," Professor McGonagall stated, and Ron got up and left with his friends.

"Erik and Selene will be really happy with us," Xavier spoke up from behind Ron. Ron turned around and smirked.

"We've put Slytherin in the lead by a humongous lead, mate," Ron pointed out, and Xavier smirked back.

"Damn right, we did. And Theo is smashing it with Herbology, Blaise answers literally everything in Astronomy, and the girls are putting in an effort too," Xavier responded, and he then looked forward. "Want to skip Defence Against the Dark Arts and go to the library?"

"Yeah, why not," Ron agreed. D.A.D.A class had always been pointless when Quirrell taught it and the two couldn't even look at the purple-robed professor without thinking about the Stone and so skipping D.A.D.A had become a regular custom. That's not to say that Quirrell kept the duo quizzical looks, as if he knew something about them that they didn't. The two boys set off but stopped when they heard Hermione's voice.

"Ron! Xavier!" Hermione called, and the two boys turned back to see their three Gryffindors friends standing with their things.

"Hello, Hermione," Ron greeted, and she smiled widely.

"I really love both of your new hairstyles," Hermione complimented, while Harry and Neville nodded fervently.

"Yeah, she's right guys, you two look quite dashing," Harry added in. The two Slytherins barked out a laugh.

"Stop it, mate, you're making me and Ron blush," Xavier said with a grin and Harry grinned back.

"Anyways, what can we help you guys with?" Ron asked.

"Oh, we were just going to check on Hagrid," Neville informed with a smile. "We wanted to ask if you two would like to join us,"

"Wait hold on…" Ron started, grinning at Hermione.

"Hermione Granger wants to skip Defence Against the Dark Arts and go visit Hagrid?" Xavier asked, smirking proudly at Hermione. Hermione simply blushed, while Harry and Neville chuckled.

"Well, Hagrid is dealing with a dragon right now and I've already got my notes for Defence Against the Dark Arts class," Hermione huffed indignantly. Ron smiled at Hermione; she looked cute when she got wound up.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Ron joked, and his friend chuckled.

"So, are you guys going to come?" Harry asked, and Xavier nodded.

"Sure thing, both of us haven't actually spoken to Hagrid in a while," Ron consented, and Hermione shot him a confused look.

"But you two spent the Easter break here. Didn't you guys see him?" Hermione inquired.

"Nah, we didn't even see him at all. But we're going to see him now, so let's go," Xavier quickly suggested, trying to avoid Hermione's suspicious look.

"How are your prep exams going?" Ron asked, changing the subject and Hermione smiled brightly.

"Great, what about you two?" She asked while Harry and Neville groaned. She frowned at them, while the two Slytherins laughed.

"Yeah, they're going good. I am only afraid of one thing, though," Xavier admitted, and everyone looked at him. Xavier never talked about what he was scared of and so this caught everyone off guard.

"What is it, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I'll help you with it," Hermione promised firmly.

"It's… I'm just afraid that the exams are going to be too easy," Xavier replied, and a shit-eating grin began to form on his face. Hermione just huffed, Ron rolled his eyes and the two Gryffindor boys chuckled. Dammit, he got me good there… I genuinely thought Xavier was scared about something…

The two Slytherins and the three Gryffindors headed off to Hagrid's hut and once they reached it, Harry knocked on the door. They seemed to be a quick movement of chairs, and all of five of them went wide-eyed when a low snarl came from inside the hut. The door opened, revealing an exhausted, yet cheerful Hagrid and he beamed at them.

"Come in," Hagrid let the five enter his cabin and shut the door behind him. Ron studied Hagrid and he couldn't help but notice the furious red blisters and red marks on Hagrid's face and hairy forearms. Hagrid's beard also looked burnt in different spots.

"Oh my…" Ron turned to see what Hermione was talking about and he went slack-jawed. The once tiny dragon hatchling was now more than triple its size. Its black skin was charred, its wings were pointy, the sharp horns on its head had grown and Nobert's orange eyes glowed fiercely like a ring of fire.

"Bloody Merlin…" Ron muttered; Ron was ready to bet that the beast would outgrow Hagrid's hut by the end of the month.

"Nobert, these are your friends," Hagrid said as he 'introduced' Nobert to the five students. I see that Hagrid is still mental…

"Hagrid… what have you been feeding it?" Hermione slowly asked. Ron and his friends turned their gaze over to Hagrid.

"Ah well, Nobert is a big boy-"

"AGH!" Neville screamed in pain, and everyone whipped around to see Neville holding his left hand with watery eyes. FUCK! HE GOT BIT!

"Nev!" Harry exclaimed, and the bespectacled boy pulled Nev aside, while Hagrid worriedly shielded the dragon away from Ron and the others.

"Neville, are you alright?" Hermione cried as she bounded towards him.

"Nev, show me your hand, mate," Xavier advised, and slowly, Neville took his right hand off his left, revealing a bite mark that was welling and turning a nasty shade of dark blue by the minute.

"Shit!" Ron cussed, feeling sweat form on his forehead.

"Language, Ronald," Hermione murmured.

"I don't know any proper healing spells or anything," Xavier commented, examining Neville's wound closely.

"What do we do?" Harry asked, frustration noticeable in his tone.

Ron glanced at the door, and he froze when he saw someone staring through the small window in the wooden door. A platinum-haired someone. Malfoy!

Malfoy stared through the small window with wide eyes, and before Ron could rush to the door, Malfoy caught his eye and ran off.

"Guys, Malfoy was just there-"

"WHAT?!" Xavier yelled, and the dark-skinned boy quickly opened the door and scanned the outside.

"You reckon he saw everything?" Harry asked, a disturbed, yet furious look replacing his frustrated expression.

"It hurts…" Neville suddenly groaned, and everyone turned back to see the slightly chubby boy clutching his left hand tightly.

"We've got to get him to the Infirmary!" Hermione declared, but Ron frowned.

"And what do you expect to tell Madam Pomfrey? That Fang bit Neville?" Ron remarked, pointing over to Hagrid's sleeping Boarhound, but Harry shook his head firmly.

"No, I'm going to take him to the Infirmary now. We'll think of what to say later," Harry said, a sense of finality in his tone.

The boy-who-lived then grabbed Neville and steered him out of the hut, leaving Ron and Hermione behind. The two quickly glanced back at Hagrid trying to tame the riled-up dragon and they left his hut in a hurry.

"Ron, Hermione," came Xavier's voice and the two turned back to see Xavier approaching them. He looked pissed beyond words.

"Malfoy bolted," Xavier reported, and Ron just rubbed his forehead. That cunt won't just leave us alone, will he? I thought Erik would help us with this…

"We have to get Nobert out of here," Hermione spoke up and the two boys faced her. "It's only a matter of time before everyone else finds out. Madam Pomfrey will have her suspicions when she sees Neville. Malfoy has probably seen it all,"

"I agree. We have to get this dragon out of here. Hagrid is losing his sense because of it as well," Xavier chimed in firmly.

"All right, I'm going to owl Charlie for help. Hermione, you have to talk some sense into Hagrid," Ron said. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I will, guys. I'll see you two later. I'm going to go check up on Neville," Hermione said, and she made her way back to the castle. It was clear that she was upset with everything, and Ron couldn't blame her. More problems had just bloomed for all of them.

"I'm going to go owl Charlie," Ron told Xavier.

"I'll join you," Xavier said, and the boys departed off to the Owlery.

"Fucking hell, mate, what are we going to do about Malfoy?" Ron asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know, bro. I mean, if he rats us out, he'll definitely sound like a lunatic. The professors will need proof, especially knowing the fact that Malfoy has a grudge against us, Harry, Nev, and Hermione," Xavier pointed out, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Erik has to hold up his end of the deal as well, mate. We've already earned loads of points," Ron added in.

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

Hagrid's Hut – Thursday, May 5th, 1992 (11:25 p.m.)

The darkness of the night had fallen. The moon's bright light shone like a pearl in the dark sky and Hogwarts was mostly asleep. That was, of course, except for Xavier, Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

Charlie's letter had reached Ron yesterday and the plan was simple; the Astronomy Tower would be a rendezvous point for Xavier and his friends to take Nobert up safely and quietly. Some of Charlie's friends who worked at the Reserve with him would meet Xavier and his friends there to smuggle Nobert out of Hogwarts.

"All right, is everything ready?" Ron asked, and Xavier focused his attention back on his friends.

"Yeah," Harry replied, taking his invisibility cloak out. "Nobert is in the crate, I've got the cloak and it's almost eleven-thirty, which is around the time that your brother's friends are expected to meet us,"

"Perfect," Xavier said as he stood up. "Let's get going,"

"Be careful," Hagrid spoke up and he sniffed twice.

"Hagrid," Hermione smiled softly, and she patted his arm. "It's for the best…"

"I know, I know," Hagrid reassured with a quick nod. "I jus'… I'll miss Nobert…"

"Don't worry, Hagrid. Charlie will send you regular updates on Nobert, I'm sure," Ron assured, and Hagrid smiled sadly.

"Goodbye Nobert," Hagrid whispered, and he placed one hand on the crate.

"Let's do this," Harry said, and the four friends stood around the crate. Fortunately, Nobert was fast asleep and if all this went as planned, the dragon would wake up to a place he would thrive and live in for the rest of his life.

"Mobiliarbus," Hermione muttered, and the crate ascended a few inches off the ground. The four stood closer to it, and Harry threw the cloak over all of them.

"Good luck," Hagrid wished, and he opened the door for the four to begin their stealth mission.

After ten or so minutes of carefully and cautiously guiding themselves through Hogwarts, dodging Mrs. Norris and Filch, the four first-years had found themselves finally climbing the Astronomy Tower. We're almost there…

Hermione focused her wand solely on the crate, while the three boys wrapped the cloak around them and the crate. It was a tight fit, but they had gotten this far, so stopping was not an option.

"You doing all right, Hermione?" Xavier asked, and she smiled sheepishly at him. She was about to answer when voices erupted from nearby.

"Please, professor, I'm telling you that Potter and Granger are smuggling a dragon!" Malfoy pleaded. Xavier and his friends stared at each other with wide eyes and froze. FUCK, MALFOY!

"Silence, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "You have wasted my night for some babbling nonsense. Twenty points from Slytherin and that goes for Crabbe and Goyle here as well!"

Xavier and Ron gazed at each other with slacked jaws. Fucking Crabbe and Goyle are there too?! They just lost us sixty fucking points the twats!

The quartet then heard footsteps descending swiftly from the spiralling stairs, and Professors McGonagall, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle all passed the four by mere inches.

After Xavier was sure that they had left, he exhaled, while his three friends tried to even out their breathing.

"Why the hell did Malfoy not rat on us two?" Ron suddenly pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right," Xavier noted, and his brow contracted. Malfoy clearly saw us with Harry, Nev, and Hermione when he looked through Hagrid's door…

"Let's just go before someone catches or finds us," Hermione advised quickly, and the three boys nodded firmly. They continued their way back up the Astronomy Tower and once they reached the top of the stairs, they set down the crate and waited patiently for Charlie's rescue team.

Around five minutes later, the sound of broomsticks whizzing by notified them that Charlie's friends had arrived, and the four friends took off the Invisibility cloak, revealing themselves. There were three men; one was taller, another was short, while the other was stockier.

"You must be Charlie's brother," the taller man said as he shook hands with Ron. The other two men nodded to Xavier, Hermione, and Harry.

"We've got the Norwegian Ridgeback in a crate," Ron informed. Xavier and Harry both carried the crate over to the three men.

"How in the name Godric Gryffindor did the Keeper of the Keys of Hogwarts raise a Norwegian Ridgeback in his hut?" the stockier man asked, his voice holding a tone of disbelief and slight agitation.

"Beats me, mate, but let's just take the dragon and get out of here," the taller man replied. He then strapped the crate securely to his broom.

"Perfect, we'll be leaving now," a shorter man said, and he then turned his look to Ron. "Charlie misses you dearly and he asked me to tell you that he is very proud of you,"

Ron slowly smiled and said, "Can you tell Charlie that I miss him? Thank you,"

The three men nodded once more at the four first-years and flew off into the distance with Nobert.

"Well, that's that," Xavier said tiredly as he rubbed his hands together. I can't believe that we actually smuggled a dragon out of Hogwarts…

"Thank you so much, guys," Hermione said, and she hugged Xavier and Ron tightly.

"Are you two sure you don't want us to take you back to the Dungeons?" Harry asked.

"We're sure, mate," Xavier reassured firmly, and Harry patted Xavier's shoulder.

"Goodnight," Ron added in, and with that, the quartet parted ways. The two lions made their way back to Gryffindor Tower with Harry's cloak, while the two snakes headed off to the Dungeons with the Disillusionment Charm in effect.

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Great Hall – Friday, May 6th, 1992 (8:30 a.m.)

Ron entered the Great Hall with a tired look, and he rubbed his eyes. Ron couldn't help but feel that trouble was headed towards his way, and it kept him up all night. Ron spotted his Slytherin friends eating their breakfast at the other end of the table and began to head over to them.

"Mr. Weasley," a stern voice called out, and Ron froze. Shite…

The red-haired boy slowly turned around. To his worry, Professor McGonagall stood there, a stony expression planted on her face. Harry, Xavier, and Hermione all stood behind her with equally anxious looks. Oh no…

"Please follow me," Professor McGonagall requested curtly, and she then whipped around and began to walk off. Ron and his friends all exchanged looks of panic but decided to follow her out.

Ron caught Malfoy staring at him with an expressionless look, while some surrounding Slytherins glared at him. Guess people know about him and his gorillas losing sixty points…

As the quartet followed the Transfiguration professor, stories of alibis, excuses, cover-ups, and lies barged through their minds. What do we say if McGonagall asks us about last night?

Professor McGonagall led the four into her office and shut the door after the four stepped in. She stood in front of her desk with a cold look, her arms crossed, and her lips were thin.

"Please, take a seat," Professor McGonagall requested, but Ron recognised it as an order. The four sat down and stared queasily at Professor McGonagall.

"Would anyone care to explain where each of you were last night?" the Transfiguration professor asked, her narrowed eyes jumping between each of the guilty four first-years.

"In our Dorms, professor," Xavier lied firmly. Ron couldn't help but hear how convincing Xavier sounded when he lied. He was definitely skilled at it.

"Is that so, Mr. Desmond?" Professor McGonagall asked, her tone becoming dangerous. "So, this letter wouldn't have anything to do with any of you?"

The stern professor then pulled out a letter from the top drawer of her desk and gave it to Ron. Ron's eyes widened as he read the first few words. How the bloody fucking hell does she have Charlie's letter?!

"I… I d-don't know, prof-professor…" Ron stammered. Fucking hell, I sound like I'm bloody Quirrell…

Professor McGonagall snatched the letter out of Ron's hand and cleared her voice as she scanned through the letter thoroughly.

"I recognise this messy writing, Mr. Weasley. Yes, no doubt that this is your brother Charlie, and it states his name here as he signed it," Professor McGonagall said with a disapproving tone. She then looked back to the four.

"I recall that I believed Mr. Malfoy was chatting absolute nonsense. He has a great dislike for all of you and thus, I didn't take his word until he brought me this letter," the professor started. Ron and his friends went wide-eyed. Malfoy gave it to her?! That means the bloody scoundrel went through my stuff!

"Professor-"

Professor McGonagall cut off Hermione with a sigh.

"You mustn't forget the fact that I am an Animagus," Professor McGonagall commented, and Ron had the urge to slap his own forehead. Fuck… she probably saw us exchanging the dragon in her cat form…

The four said nothing but stared at the ground with defeated looks. Nothing else could have been done, but Malfoy was dead, that was for sure.

"Professor, if Malfoy gave you Ron's letter, then doesn't that mean he went through Ron's stuff?" Harry pointed out and the other three nodded fervently with what Harry said.

"Mr. Malfoy has been punished accordingly, Mr. Potter. As for the four of you… fifty points from the each of you and detention tonight. I hope this teaches you a lesson in the future," Professor McGonagall warned strictly, her tone also showing her disappointment. Ron and Xavier nodded curtly, Harry sighed, and Hermione tried her best to not cry.

"You may go," the professor said and the four began to make their way out of her office.

"If it helps," Professor McGonagall said once more, making the four stop in their tracks. "I think it was noble and brave that you helped out Hagrid. Ten points to each of you,"

The four said nothing for a few seconds and then departed. Professor McGonagall stared after them with a sad look. They were helping out Hagrid, but they had violated several rules and there were consequences to be met.

Ron and Xavier both made their way back to the Slytherin Common Room silently. The duo had lost their appetites and couldn't face or talk to anyone at the moment. If mum and dad find out… I'm as good as dead…

"Ronald, Xavier," Selene called, and the two boys looked back to see she and Erik Burke walking up to them. We lost so many points…

"Selene and I noticed the Hourglass. More points were taken off, and it happened after Professor McGonagall took you two and the two Gryffindors out of the Great Hall," Erik added in, his eyes narrowing on the two boys.

"Malfoy ratted us out on something. He and his cronies lost twenty points each yesterday and because of him, we also lost points," Xavier informed coldly, and Ron gritted his teeth. He just wanted to hook the cunt already. Ron then took his righteous glare to Erik.

"We worked our arses off to get so many House points, Erik. You promised that you would deal with Malfoy," Ron pointed out, and Erik sighed.

"I actually did, Ronald. I warned him beforehand to leave you two alone. He kept going on and on about something to do with dragons and that you two were a part of it. After I warned him, he told me that he would leave you two out of whatever he was waffling about," Erik explained, and the two first-years exchanged surprised looks. So, THAT'S why Malfoy told Professor McGonagall that Harry and Hermione were doing the dragon smuggling… he left us out because Erik warned him…

"Well, he got cold feet in the last second," Xavier spat out bitterly. "The cunt gave the letter-"

"Wait, what Malfoy was babbling about was true?" Selene cut in, shooting the Slytherin Prodigy Duo an incredulous look.

"Yeah," Ron replied with a sigh. "We helped smuggle a dragon out of the castle last night and the twat had gone through my stuff to find a letter which proved that he was right," I'm going to ask Perce or the twins to help cast privacy charms on my trunk from now on…

Erik and Selene just stared at the two boys with wide eyes, before Erik laughed and Selene just shook her head in disbelief.

"You two are unbelievable," Erik chuckled, looking more impressed than angry.

"You mean insane, right?!" Selene exclaimed in a disbelieving way, and she shook her head. Ron and Xavier exchanged confused looks.

"Aren't you two pissed at us?" Xavier asked. Erik stopped laughing, while Selene adorned a more serious look.

"We would have been, but we understand where you two are coming from and how the situation is," Selene responded, patting the boys' cheeks.

"And now that Malfoy has turned on two students from the same House, I am past giving out warnings," Erik added in, looking devious.

"What will you do?" Ron and Xavier both asked, looking eager for Malfoy to be punished.

"I will write a letter to his father, Lucius Malfoy, informing of his son's stupidity and the troubles he has caused. His father deeply values the qualities and ways of the Slytherin House and so, young Draco Malfoy will face his father's scolding. I also believe that Malfoy and his two goons are serving detention alongside you both," Erik explained, and he patted the boys' shoulders firmly.

"Don't lose hope, lads. We're still in the lead thanks to you and many of the fifth, sixth, and seventh years stand by your side," Erik reassured, while Selene smiled at them.

Ron let out a sigh of relief, while Xavier nodded and said, "Thank you, Erik. I believe that breakfast is almost over, so we'll get going now,"

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

Boy's Dorm – Friday, May 2nd, 1992 (9:30 p.m.)

"Can't believe he and his lackeys lost us sixty points," Daphne said with a sigh. Xavier and his Slytherin friends had been discussing Malfoy's stupidity all day and it was the only thing that they COULD talk about.

"You two worked so hard to get those points," Tracey pointed out, shooting Xavier and Ron sympathetic looks.

"That's not to say that all of you helped getting points as well," Ron added in, shaking his head at the thought of Malfoy almost ruining the chance to win the House Cup in a seventh row.

"What did the Prefects say about all of this?" Blaise asked, frowning heavily just by thinking of Malfoy. This wasn't the Malfoy that Blaise once knew. And Blaise would have to live with that.

"They understood. Erik Burke already warned Malfoy beforehand, but he's going to write Malfoy's father a letter about what the idiot has done," Xavier answered, and his friends all nodded.

"Good, hopefully his father will talk some sense into Malfoy," Theo replied firmly.

"And maybe smack him," Mille added in sheepishly, and her friends all chuckled and grinned. Yeah, Malfoy seriously needs a proper beating…

"Xavier, I think it might be time," Ron spoke up, and Xavier took his wand out.

"Tempus," Xavier muttered, and his wand projected '9:30 p.m.' into the air.

"Woah, what spell is that?" Ron asked quickly, while the others looked awed by such a simple, yet useful spell.

"It shows the time. I found it in a book in the library. It's a rather recent spell," Xavier drawled and he got off his bed.

"How do you do it?" Millie asked, drawing her wand out.

"The incantation is 'Tempus' and just wave your wand once," Xavier responded, and his friends began to practise straight away.

"This just takes the use out of watches," Pansy pointed out with a pout.

"Well, just wear watches for fashion and when you go home for the holidays since you can't use magic outside of Hogwarts," Xavier replied with a laugh.

"We'll leave you lot to it," Ron added in, and the two boys departed from their Dorm and out of the dark-green Slytherin Common Room.

The duo made their way out from the Dungeons and headed to the entrance of Hogwarts. Once they made it, they both saw Harry, Hermione, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle waiting with an accompanying Filch who held a lamp in one hand.

"Took your bloody time, eh?" Filch said with a sneer. "Well, follow me and no tricks,"

Filch then turned around and began to head off into the darkness of the Hogwarts grounds. The seven first-years all looked at one another before following the cranky Hogwarts caretaker.

"Hey guys," Hermione whispered. She and Harry walked alongside Xavier and Ron, while Malfoy and his goons trailed a few good meters behind.

"Where do you reckon Filch is taking us?" Harry asked, and when Filch heard him, he turned around and smiled creepily.

"Your detention will be taking place in… the Forbidden Forest," Filch replied, his bloodshot eyes dancing with joy and his voice cracking with glee.

"W-what?" Hermione stuttered, while her three male friends all exchanged shocked looks. Forbidden Forest?! Didn't Dumbledore specifically state that the forests were forbidden?!

"Forbidden Forest?" came Malfoy's voice, and his voice cracked with fear, while his two cronies shuddered in fright. "B-but there's w-werewolves in t-there!"

"Werewolves?" Ron asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"Serves yer right for breaking the rules," Filch sneered and his lips curled into a maniacal grin. "A very good punishment indeed… just like the old days… it's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… they'd hang you to the ceiling by your wrists for days… I still have the chains in my office… keep em' well oiled, just in case…"

Filch turned around and continued walking, muttering to himself about the 'old days'. Xavier exchanged bizarre looks with his three friends. Keeps chains in his office just in case? And we have been chasing after Quirrell all this time… Filch is clearly Hogwarts' very own psychopath!

"Hurry up, Filch, I want ter get started," came a familiar boom of a voice, and Xavier and his friends all looked at each other with grins. Hagrid's going to be with us!

Hagrid then came into view, and he was holding a large, wooden crossbow in one hand and his pink umbrella in another. Fang trotted beside him, panting vigorously. Filch grunted and left the seven first-years in Hagrid's care.

"Righto, follow me," Hagrid instructed, and the giant man began to walk to where the first set of deep trees started.

"Hagrid," Harry said as he, Ron, Xavier, and Hermione caught up.

"How did everythin' with Nobert go?" Hagrid asked, not caring if Malfoy and his two goons heard. After all, Malfoy did try to interfere with Nobert getting safely smuggled out and though it angered Hagrid, he would protect each and every one of the first-years lives to the best of his ability he could tonight.

"Well, we thought it went well," Ron started with a sour expression.

"But obviously we got caught," Xavier finished, his tone bitter.

"But Nobert did safely leave Hogwarts, so there's that," Hermione added in, and Hagrid smiled at the four.

"Thank yer for riskin' yer lives like that," Hagrid said, and he adorned a more concerned look. "How's Neville?"

"Oh, he's all right, Hagrid. Madam Pomfrey decided to not interrogate him on how he got the bite," Harry replied. Thank Merlin…

"Hagrid, what's our punishment?" Ron asked anxiously. Hagrid stopped walking and turned around, making the first-years stop in their tracks as well.

"All righ', listen carefully, cause' what we're goin' to do tonigh' is goin' to be dangerous and I don' want anybody takin' risks," Hagrid started with a serious tone, and the first-years listened in closely. Dangerous, eh? I'm always up to do that…

Hagrid raised his lamp to outline a dark, narrow earth track that led down through the black trees and a cool breeze lifted everyone's hair. Hagrid then pointed to the ground and each one of the first-years saw a silvery substance splattered on the earth. What is that?

"See that? That silvery stuff? That's Unicorn blood-"

"Unicorn blood?" Ron asked in shock.

"Isn't it a crime to slay a unicorn?" Hermione added in, a sense of dread forming on her face.

"It is," Hagrid replied, looking grave. "Found one dead last week… somethin' been going after the Unicorns-"

"And what if that thing is still in the forest?" Malfoy interjected, looking paler than ever, which said something.

"There's nothin in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid responded, and everyone looked at his loyal mutt. "We're goin' to find the poor thin'."

"Right then, we'll split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, so it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least," A trip to rescue a Unicorn… I'm in.

"I want Fang," Malfoy quickly said, staring at Fang's jaws.

"All right, but I must warn yeh, he can be a bloody coward," Hagrid warned, and Malfoy's face fell. "All right then, me, Harry, Hermione, Crabbe an' Goyle will take one way. Ron, Xavier, Malfoy, and Fang can take the other,"

Xavier and Ron fist-bumped but frowned when they realised that they were paired with bloody Malfoy. Couldn't Hagrid just send Crabbe and Goyle with Malfoy… them plus Fang… four cowards all together…

"With them?" Malfoy whined while the duo shot him sneers. "Why can't you give my Crabbe and Goyle?"

"You three idiots would probably fall into some ditch," Xavier growled, and Ron smirked when Malfoy went red.

"Now, if yer find the Unicorn, send green sparks into the air with yer wand. If yer in danger, send red," Hagrid instructed, and he quickly demonstrated for them with his pink umbrella.

"All right, good luck, and stay on the trail," Hagrid repeated once more, and he began to head off in the right direction. Crabbe and Goyle followed with frightened looks, while Harry and Hermione shot the Slytherin duo sorry looks and departed too.

Ron and Xavier looked at each other before heading off in the left direction, leaving Malfoy and Fang behind. Fang happily trotted behind the two prodigies before Malfoy slowly followed suit.

A mixture of leaves, sticks, stones, and earth crunched under their shoes as they continued down the narrow track in absolute silence. The night matched their silence too. The breeze from before had disappeared and there wasn't even an owl hooting in the distance. Just pure silence.

A sudden sound made the four halt in their tracks. It sounded like a twig snapping, but that was enough for them to get on their guard.

"Did you hear that?" Malfoy whimpered, fear puncturing his words. "It came from over there!"

Xavier and Ron both said nothing but focused their listening and eyesight on the surroundings in front of them. Could it have just been a small animal?

"Weasley! Desmond! Say something!" Malfoy demanded frantically, attaching himself to Fang.

"It's Weasley now, is it?" Ron asked with contempt, while Xavier stared at the platinum-haired git with displeasure.

Malfoy just stared back for a moment, and he then said, "I tried to keep you two out of it, you know. I didn't think that you two would be there with Potter and Granger…"

"Does it fucking matter?" Xavier suddenly snarled, and Malfoy's eyes widened. "You only changed your mind when Burke warned you, but you changed heart once again and decided to break privacy rules and take Ron's letter,"

"Yeah, you went through my stuff, you git!" Ron exclaimed with anger. "You're lucky you didn't break any of my stuff-"

"What do you want me to say, Weasel?!" Malfoy spat out and Ron glared murder at him. "You both strut around the place like kings because of your achievements and Weasel here wasn't even supposed to be in Slytherin. You took MY friends and-"

"First of all, we don't strut, cunt," Xavier cut him off with a cold smirk and Malfoy clenched his teeth. "Secondly, Ron has done more for this House than you ever will, and thirdly, your friends came to us,"

"Theo and Blaise wanted to ally themselves with us and we soon became friends with them and the girls. They told us a few things about their childhood with you," Ron followed up truthfully.

"Oh yeah?" Malfoy spat out.

"How you bullied Millie for her weight, how you turned on Tracey the second you found out she was a Half-Blood," Xavier responded coldly, and Malfoy gulped, his resolve breaking by the second.

"Blaise and Theo got sick and tired of being your slaves, Malfoy. See, unlike Crabbe and Goyle, who don't enough brain cells to figure out the fourth bloody letter of the alphabet, Blaise and Theo were smarter and unique. They simply saw you as a boring cunt," Ron added in, and Malfoy's pale features were now marred with a tinge of red from embarrassment and anger. The duo smirked vindictively for getting under Malfoy's skin.

"And you probably turned them all into simpletons, while Desmond here made them all hate me even more," Malfoy shot back, and the prodigy duo rolled their eyes. "You two act like you two are the only ones who've got problems and trouble to deal with… we've all got problems,"

"No shit, Malfoy," Xavier spat out venomously. Fucking idiot… of course everyone has their own problems…

"My name has been stigmatized in this House… my father received a letter on my actions and he's probably very disappointed in me-"

"And who is that to blame for?" Ron interjected, his voice calm.

"Unlike us, you are the reciprocal of your problems, Malfoy. Your judgements and your actions ended you in trouble. No one told you to antagonize us from day one. You're responsible for your actions," Xavier added in, while Malfoy just stared at the floor.

"AND FOR WHAT?!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, his eyes narrowing on the platinum-haired boy. "Jealousy? Revenge? Hatred?"

"YOU TOOK MY FRIENDS AND THREW IT IN MY FACE!" Malfoy yelled, his voice cracking slightly. "Even after you all had your fight, they rejected my offer for friendship. I am the Heir of Malfoy… I mean more than you two-"

"Piss of with that bullshit, Malfoy," Xavier spat out, shooting a death glare at the Malfoy Heir. "We've done more to his House than you ever will and that's why the older students love us. Your band of stupid rejects cower in fear when they see us and even Snape is prouder of us,"

Xavier's remark definitely hit a spot in Malfoy's heart and the pale boy just balled his fists. Bringing up Malfoy's Godfather was something Xavier had wanted to do so badly. Yes, feel your insecurities deepen, Malfoy…

"Don't you dare presume how my friends knew me…" Malfoy grit out, but it lacked conviction. "I was loyal to them, and they know it,"

"Oh, we know plenty," Xavier shot back. "Blaise once told me about how you used to be 'good' or whatever when you were younger. How you always begged to spend more time with them…"

Malfoy's eyes widened slightly, and he looked down, almost as if he were reminiscing those times.

"But then you began to follow the footsteps of your father… you became his clone," Xavier said coldly. Malfoy's knuckles were turning white.

"Think you can hit us? I dare you…" Ron warned with a dangerous glare as he eyes Malfoy's balled fists.

"We're everything you wished to be," Xavier added in harshly. "Is that why you came after us? Since the first day?"

Malfoy opened his mouth and then closed it. Fang let out a soft whine and Xavier patted the dog's head.

"Let's keep walking," Xavier suggested coldly, and the dark-skinned wizard turned around and continued down the trail. Ron followed with Fang, and Malfoy did the same silently.

The three boys marched slowly down the trail, recounting the intense moment they all just had, but it came to an end when Xavier stopped them both. Merlin…

"The Unicorn…" Ron muttered while Malfoy trembled with fear. A Unicorn lay in front of them, stiff and lifeless. A thick, silvery substance oozed out the wound on its stomach and Xavier had a sense of bringing whatever killed the Unicorn to justice. Who could even think of slaying such a beautiful and innocent beast…

"What do we do, mate?" Ron whispered, and Xavier drew his wand out. There was an unholy silence that lingered around them, and it was as if something horrifying was about to take place.

"I'm going to notify the others," Xavier replied, but as he pointed his wand to the sky, Fang suddenly began barking and Malfoy gasped in complete horror.

Xavier and Ron followed Malfoy's gaze and to their absolute horror, an ethereal creature of sorts appeared from the thick hem of trees. What the fuck is that?!

"Stay back!" Xavier yelled, pointing his wand directly at the creature that was covered in a black cloak. The creature emitted a cruel laugh, and Xavier's eyes widened in shock. Chills ran down Ron's spine and Malfoy shook like a leaf in the wind. Fang had already bolted by then.

"Fang!" Malfoy yelled in frustration and faced the two prodigies with a panicked expression. "What do we do?!"

"Run!" Ron shouted, and the Slytherin trio swiftly turned around and took off, running full-tilt and leaving the disturbing ethereal creature behind. I'm not about to die in this fucking forest of all goddamn places and I won't let that happen to Ron nor Malfoy…

Malfoy was surprisingly matching Xavier and Ron's speed, but then again, fear was enough to fuel one to move quickly. Xavier jumped over a log, Ron dodged a tree branch and Malfoy jumped over the traces of Unicorn blood.

Xavier and Ron began to gain more speed, while Malfoy was only a few meters behind them. Come on, we're getting there-

"AGH!" a scream tore from Malfoy and the duo quickly stopped themselves to see what had caused Malfoy to scream.

"Help me!" Malfoy pleaded; his left leg had caught a tree root on the ground. Malfoy had definitely sprained his ankle judging by the pained expression on his face. SHIT!

"Fuck," Ron gritted his teeth and went over to help Malfoy, while Xavier scanned the whole place with his wand firmly in his right hand. Though Xavier had been in many dangerous situations back at the orphanage, this was on a different level; some Unicorn-killing creature was on the loose and it was after them!

"Are you hurt, Malfoy?" Ron asked firmly, and Malfoy whimpered in agony.

"My leg… it's bleeding…" Malfoy groaned, his face tightening in pain. Fuck, I definitely need to learn some healing spells…

As Xavier cautiously guided his eyes in every direction, something in the very corner of his eye caught his attention. Xavier turned to his gaze and his blood turned to ice. That creature was gliding briskly, and it was coming towards them!

"Ron!" Xavier exclaimed and the redhead shot the dark-skinned wizard an unnerving look. "Use an explosive spell on the trees,"

Ron nodded and whipped out his wand. He pointed it to a tree on the left and yelled, "Confringo!"

The tree began to fall to the ground and as it did, Xavier directed his wand at a tree on the right and chanted, "Bombarda Maxima!

The tree on the right tumbled onto the tree Ron fired a Curse at, creating a barrier for the trio, but Xavier then realised it was no use. The creature simply glided above it and slowed down as it neared Xavier, Ron, Malfoy. It let out a blood-curdling hiss at the trio. An abomination to nature…

"What the fuck…" Malfoy whimpered, and his breathing was erratic, while Ron was frozen in a horrified trance. I have to kill this motherfucking thing…

"Expulso!" Xavier bellowed and he felt his wand vibrate before directing the blue spell at the creature. To his astonishment, the creature simply slapped Xaver's spell aside and the Curse hit a tree nearby. What. The. Fuck.

"Leave us!" came a deep voice from behind the Slytherin trio and they all swiftly turned around just in time to see a horse-like creature jump over Xavier and it stood on its hind legs and kicked its front two legs. What the hell?

The creature hissed venomously and flew away into the distance of the deep forest, no longer to be seen again. The horse-like beast turned around and only then Xavier realised what it was; their saviour had a body of a horse, but it had the upper half of a man's body. It was a Centaur.

"Who are you?" Ron shouted, pointing his wand at the Centaur. "Get away from us!"

"You and your friend here are quite brave, little humans," the Centaur spoke in his deep voice as he looked between Xavier and Ron. "I am Firenze, a friend of Hagrid's,"

Xavier, Ron, and Malfoy all sighed in relief at hearing that. Malfoy then let out a whimper and Firenze inspected him.

"You've injured your leg. No matter, I will take you back to the edge of the forest. Please, hop on," Firenze suggested, and without a second thought, the three boys clambered onto the Centaur's back and the calm creature began to walk. Relief flooded each one of them and Xavier looked back to where the creature once was. Cursed creature…

The three boys sat in silence as Firenze carried them on his back, each all lost in their thoughts and trying their best to calm down their senses. So, this was detention, eh? Fuck me…

Xavier hadn't noticed that they were back to the start of the trail once Firenze set the three of them down. Xavier pocketed his wand and looked up at the tall Centaur.

"Firenze… mind telling us what the hell that creature was?" Xavier asked and Firenze stared at the dark-skinned boy with a serious look.

"Something cursed… something ill-fated, young human. It should have faced Death in its face a very long time ago, however, it still lives on, lingering around and slaying Unicorns," Firenze answered gravely, and Xavier's brow furrowed.

"Something cursed?" Malfoy whispered as he trembled in fright.

"Yes, little human. That is because it is a monstrous thing to slay Unicorns. Only one who has nothing to lose, but everything to gain, would commit such a horrid crime. The very blood of a Unicorn will keep one alive, even if they are an inch from the brink of death, but it comes with a terrible price. One who has slain such an elegant and innocent creature will face the consequences once they drink the blood. Their destiny will revolve around a half-life… a cursed life,"

"A cursed life… a half-life?" Xavier asked slowly and the Centaur nodded softly.

"But who we would be so desperate?" Ron suddenly questioned, looking severely confused and frustrated. "Who would need the Unicorn blood this bad?"

"Yeah, wouldn't death just be easier?" Xavier added in, and the Centaur smiled faintly.

"It is, human," Firenze agreed. "That is unless you must need Unicorn blood to stay alive long enough to drink something else… something that will bring you back to power and full strength-"

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Ron interjected and the Centaur's eyes widened slightly.

"The Elixir of Life, of course," Xavier said, and Malfoy looked between them with a deeply confused look.

"I see… you two are heavily informed. But yes, you are correct. And can you think of someone who might take such a risk… someone who might commit such a crime?" Firenze asked. Xavier and Ron both exchanged curious looks.

"Who?" Ron asked as he stood up next to Xavier.

"Tell us, Firenze," Xavier requested, and the two prodigies stared into the Centaur's beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Can you think of nobody who has been awaiting the time to return to power? One who has clung closely to the very little life they had… one… who fell to the hands of a baby boy?" Firenze softly asked. Both Xavier and Ron took a moment, but when they realised what Firenze meant, they stared back at him with wide eyes and fearful expressions.

"You-know-who?!" Ron exclaimed, his face paling by the second.

"That was him?!" Xavier inquired with bulging eyes. WHAT THE FUCK?!

"But the Dark Lord is dead!" Malfoy piped in and the platinum-haired boy looked terrified upon words. Lord Voldemort… we faced him… and we lived…

"No… no… that's not possible…" Ron muttered to himself, and Xavier rubbed his forehead. I remember asking Dumbledore if he thought the Dark Lord was dead when I first met him… Wait, does Dumbledore know that the fucking Dark Lord is flying around and killing the Unicorns in the fucking Forbidden Forest?!

"Thank Dumbledore, ye found 'em!" came Hagrid's relieved voice. "Bloody Merlin, ye here with 'em, Firenze!"

The three Slytherin boys looked back to see Hagrid, Harry, and Hermione running towards them, while Crabbe, Goyle, and Fang trotted behind slowly.

"Oh, you're all right!" Hermione exclaimed in a worried tone, and she engulfed Xavier and Ron with her tight hug. Harry quickly came over and joined the hug, while Firenze informed Hagrid about Malfoy's injury.

Xavier and Ron didn't even register the contact; there were just too many thoughts flowing in their minds and their emotions were racing all over the place. The Dark Lord…

"This where I leave you, little humans," Firenze murmured, and everyone faced him. Firenze then steered his calm gaze specifically to Xavier, Ron, and Malfoy. "Good luck, young humans. The Stars have been read wrong before, even by us Centaurs and I hope that is one of those rare times,"

Firenze then nodded at Hagrid and galloped away, cantering into the depths of forests, so doubt going to bury the slain Unicorn. Firenze… I shall remember your name…

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Infirmary - Saturday, May 3rd, 1992 (Midnight)

"There, all good," Madam Pomfrey said in a soothing voice as her wand removed a cut on Ron's shoulder.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Ron replied with a faint smile, and she returned it, before tutting.

"Sending some young children into the Forbidden Forest… despicable…" the matron muttered to herself as she disappeared into her office. At least she can agree on how stupid the idea was…

Ron glanced over to Xavier who was currently sitting in the bed next to his and his best mate was just staring into oblivion, lost deep in his thoughts. Ron looked over to Malfoy, who was on the bed to his left and the quiet platinum-haired boy was laying on his side, his back turned to Ron.

Ron pulled the covers over his body and propped himself up against a pillow. There was a lot to think about and Ron knew that sleep would only take him slowly.

How could it be? How is you-know-who alive? He's supposed to be dead… and now he wants the Stone – wait!"

"Xavier!" Ron whispered frantically as a thought struck him. His dark-skinned mate turned to him and nodded.

"The Dark Lord," Ron started in a whisper, and Xavier leaned closer. "If he's after the Stone, doesn't that mean he and Quirrell are working together?"

"I was thinking the same, Ron," Xavier admitted, his brow furrowed. "I feel like they must be linked somehow. Remember how we heard Quirrell talking to someone? Could it… could it be… him? The Dark Lord?"

What Xavier said truly shook Ron. If Xavier's assumption was true, then the Dark Lord was probably roaming the castle right now. Fuck, that's so scary…

"What are you two whispering about?" came Malfoy's voice. It wasn't pompous or annoying, but just toneless.

"Nothing, Malfoy, you can go back to sleep," Ron quickly replied, and Malfoy just stared at the duo.

"Thanks," Malfoy started, and Ron felt the wind get knocked out of him. "You know… for not leaving me… and defending me…"

Ron and Xavier both studied Malfoy's expression and the pale boy seemed like he was being genuine. The duo then nodded curtly, and Malfoy laid back on his side.

"Goodnight, Weasley. Goodnight, Desmond," Malfoy whispered.

"Goodnight, Malfoy. Goodnight, Ron" Xavier replied, and he laid back onto his bed.

"Goodnight Malfoy, goodnight Xavier," Ron finished, and he laid his head comfortingly in his pillow.

As the night spiralled on, Ron was stuck between telling everything to Dumbledore or keeping it to himself. The greatest wizard since Merlin might know how to deal with all of this. Ron couldn't risk a war or the rise of the Dark Lord, especially not after seeing a vision of Fred's funeral. There was no way in hell that Dumbledore himself wanted the Stone or else he would have taken it ages ago… Snape was protecting the Stone and he didn't seem like a mad-man who would seek immortality. It was the Dark Lord who wanted and Quirrell was helping him retrieve the Elixir of Life.

As the time passed by, Ron came to a final decision as his resolve hardened and as he finally drifted to sleep. The Dark Lord… he's alive and he wants the Stone… I will destroy it and I'll ask Xavier to help me… The Dark Lord… he can't come back… no, he can't create another war, no… My family… my friends… Hogwarts… The Wizarding Community… I'll protect it all, I swear it… That monster cannot come back… never…

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

The Great Hall - Saturday, May 3rd, 1992 (8:40 a.m.)

Xavier sighed tiredly as he wandered into the busy Great Hall. Last night had been a game-changer sort of moment for Xavier. He had stayed up most of the night, wondering what to do with the Stone and how the whole Dark Lord business would be handled.

"There you are," Tracey said happily, breaking Xavier out of his thoughts.

"Ooh, sit next to me," Pansy requested sweetly, and Xavier absent-mindedly sat between her and Daphne, while Ron, Theo, Tracey, and Blaise sat on the opposite side. Millie sat on Daphne's other side.

"Are you feeling all right, Xavier?" Daphne asked softly, but Xavier didn't even bother to respond. Ron shot him a knowing look, while everyone else became a little worried.

"What happened to you two, last night? In detention?" Theo asked with concern, and the two prodigies shuddered. The Dark Lord happened, that's what happened…

"We uh…" Ron started tiredly. "We had to go into the Forbidden Forest-"

"What?" Daphne interjected, looking shocked.

"The Forbidden Forest?" Blaise added in, shooting the two prodigies an incredulous look.

"No way," Theo laughed. "The forest is strictly forbidden, but that's where you spent your detentions? How contradictive,"

"Aww, you poor things," Pansy cooed sympathetically, and she patted Xavier's head, while Tracey patted Ron's head.

"Did you two find anything in there?" Blaise asked in interest, and Xavier looked at him.

"Yes… a dead Unicorn," Xavier replied rather aloofly, and his friends, save Ron, went wide-eyed.

"W-what? A d-dead U-unicorn?" Pansy stammered, looking positively frightened. I wonder how she would react if she found out that we had an encounter with the Dark Lord…

"Indeed, Miss. Parkison," Xavier responded, mocking Snape's cold tone.

"We had to find the dead Unicorn and report it back to Hagrid," Ron informed, and he munched hungrily on some bacon.

"Poor thing…" Millie sympathised with the Unicorn. "Who in their right mind would attack and kill such a defenseless creature?"

"Beats me," Ron lied, while Xavier shared a knowing look.

"If only we knew," Xavier added in with a tired sigh. But, unfortunately, we do know.

"Let's change the subject, shall we?" Theo asked, and the girls nodded a little too enthusiastically. "How is everyone doing with their preparation exams?"

"Good," Ron replied.

"Great," Xavier responded.

"You two should write a book," Tracey joked with a giggle and the two prodigies smirked.

"Does anyone need help with their prep exams?" Ron asked, but no one replied.

"Oh, come on, you lot are our closest friends. Don't feel ashamed if you need some help," Xavier reassured. The girls smiled warmly at him, while Theo and Blaise nodded firmly.

"I… I need some help," Millie admitted, a blush creeping on her face.

"Me too," Pansy added in.

"Perfect, I'll help you, Mills," Ron said, and Millie beamed at him.

"And I'll help you, Pans," Xavier told, and Pansy hugged him tightly. Woah, ease up there…

Harry Potter's P.O.V:

The Library - Saturday, May 3rd, 1992 (9:15 a.m.)

"Hey guys," came Ron's voice and the trio smiled at him and Xavier. The trio were currently sitting around one of the tables in a secluded corner in the library and the two Slytherins sat down on the chairs by the Golden Trio.

"So, what's up?" Xavier asked and Hermione bit her lip. Hmm, she does that a lot…

"Well, we wanted to know if you two were all right last night," Hermione started.

"We're fine, Hermione," Ron reassured. "Madam Pomfrey fixed us up, last night,"

"Oh, all right," Hermione responded with a slow nod.

"Anything else?" Xavier asked and Harry cleared his voice.

"We're planning to steal the Stone after exams are done," Harry informed, and his two Slytherin friends went wide-eyed.

"We reckon that Quirrell might make his move again soon and so we decided to steal the Stone after the exams are done," Neville explained, and he then frowned. "Although, I still feel like we should be telling all of this to Dumbledore,"

"Dumbledore's a busy man, mate," Ron responded with a chuckle, and he then adorned a serious look. "Xavier and were thinking the same and we also agreed to-"

"Ron," Xavier warned. "Are you sure you want to tell them our plan?"

"Your plan? What plan?" Hermione jumped in quickly. Ron nodded at Xavier firmly, and the dark-skinned boy just sighed.

"Ron and I decided to steal the Stone and destroy it," Xavier stated.

"What, why?" Harry quickly asked.

"Because of what happened last night…" Ron trailed off.

"Guys… what happened last night in the forest?" Hermione asked softly, while Harry and Neville leaned in. Xavier and Ron both exchanged glanced and looked right at the trio. Oh no… what happened?

"Last night, we, Malfoy and Fang found the Unicorn… it was dead, but we found it and Xavier was about to send green sparks into the air before we all saw something," Ron started, and Harry could feel Neville shudder next to him.

"It was some sort of creature… it was like gliding towards us and so we ran as fast as we could," Xavier recounted, and Hermione gasped softly. Harry felt a bit shaken. His detention with Hagrid and Hermione had been pretty all right as he felt safe with Hagrid walking with them, Crabbe and Goyle.

"But Malfoy tripped and sprained his ankle… and we couldn't leave him behind. We tried to create some sort of barrier, but the creature just flew over it and it stopped right near us," Ron said, and Neville shivered in fear.

"Luckily, Hagrid's friend, Firenze, saved us and took us back. I asked him about the creature we encountered, and he told us that…" Xavier stopped, and he looked straight at Harry. "It was Lord Voldemort,"

Ron and Neville flinched at hearing you-know-who's name, and Hermione froze. Harry felt the wind get knocked out of him. He felt like someone had hit a Quaffle right at his heart. Voldemort… no, no, no… no, it can't be…

"H-how?" Harry croaked weakly. It's impossible… is that why my scar hurt last night?

"Honestly, mate, I really wished that we were joking right now," Ron said gravely, while Xavier leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"You-know-who… is alive and he was in the forest?" Hermione questioned; she had gone deathly pale. Neville looked like someone had given him the death sentence.

"Yes, and that's why he was killing the unicorns, Hermione. You see, their blood can keep you alive but apparently, you get a cursed life or something," Ron replied, and Xavier cleared her voice.

"Firenze knew about the Stone. He said that one would drink the Unicorn blood just to stay alive to consume the Elixir of Life that would bring them back to full power," Xavier provided, and the Golden Trio finally understood.

"So, that's why you two wanted to destroy the stone?" Hermione asked, and the two Slytherins nodded.

"Why did you not want to tell us, Xavier?" Neville piped in, looking curious.

Xavier sighed and answered, "It's because I didn't want you three to get in any trouble or to get hurt. Ron and I decided to go by ourselves and destroy the Stone, but since you know now, it's your decision to join us or stay,"

"Well, I'm in," Hermione huffed indignantly. "You two might get hurt as well and who's going to get you two out of there?"

The prodigies smiled at her and looked over to Harry and Neville. Neville just sighed and agreed, "Ok, I'll come with you guys,"

"Fair enough, mate," Ron said and turned to Harry. "What about you, Harry?"

"Voldemort…" Harry started. Ron and Neville flinched at the name once more. "He's… he's alive?"

"I know, bro, it's a lot to grasp, but it makes sense. Quirrell and the Dark Lord are linked somehow. I reckon that the Dark Lord is somehow connected physically to Quirrell. It makes sense since we've seen him mutter to himself and Quirrell is the way for the Dark Lord to get the Stone. You three clearly saw him leave the third floor and we watched him enter that room with the Cerberus," Xavier explained, and Harry looked at him with a resolute look.

"I'm in," Harry said firmly. Hermione and Neville beamed at him, while Ron and Xavier nodded strongly. "We'll all destroy the Stone for once and for all."