Y/n
We're trudging our way through the forest in a close huddle, Hagrid and his dog leading the way. Ron and I are still locked arm in arm, definitely not being separated whenever we go and do whatever it is we're here for.
Hagrid leads us behind a couple of trees, and he kneels, sticking a finger in a puddle of what looks like some metallic liquid on the floor. He holds it up to eye level and feels it through, then stands. "Uhm, Hagrid? What is that..?" I ask cautiously leaning towards him, trying to see clearly in this dim light.
"It's wha' we're 'ere fer. See tha'?" He holds up his hand to us, "Tha's Unicorn blood, tha' is. I found one dead a few weeks ago." He says solemnly. I look down at the puddle on the floor, then back up at Hagrid while he explains, "Now, this one's been hurt bad by som'ing."
Everyone looks around, visibly frightened, turning to the trees and behind us to make sure that thing that hurt the Unicorn isn't nearby. As we look around, we hear distant howling, similar to the one we heard when we arrived.
Hagrid stands, wiping his hand on a handkerchief from his pocket, "So, It's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Y/n, Hermione, you'll come with me." Ron replies with a sad crack in his voice, "Okay..." I nod along, staying mostly silent to try and keep my senses alert.
"And Harry, you'll go with Malfoy," Hagrid gestures vaguely at the two and Harry looks at Malfoy with a look of disgust, then sighs and nods, accepting it. "Okay, then I get fang!" Malfoy retorts with a cheeky smirk.
"Fine. Just so's you know, he's a bloody coward." The man shrugs it off and as if on cue, Fang begins whining pitifully. Malfoy looks down at him, extremely disappointed, muttering, "You wait till my father hears about this."
Hagrid leads us as we part our separate ways. Ron, Hermione and I are at his heels, trying not to get lost. "What are we even looking for? The thing that hurt the Unicorn??" I whisper to Ron, who's arm is still firmly locked with mine. He nods as he replies, "I think so?"
Hermione whips her head at us both, "Shush! Listen!" She points to a violently shaking bush, causing Ron and I to jump practically out of our skin. We lock hands, intertwining our fingers and squeezing his firmly, desperately trying to stay calm. I peer over at him out of the corner of my eye and watch as his ears burn redder by the second, wondering if his heart is pounding as hard as mine? Or maybe it's just the fear of being where we are?
My face begins heating up as I keep thinking and hearing footsteps and barking heading towards us, we collectively turn to see the source. Malfoy, followed shortly behind by Fang, pants his way up to us, speaking in between breath, "Harry........Unicorn......Blood.....Creature...."
"Yer found a Unicorn?! Take us ter 'arry!" Hagrid exclaims, readying the crossbow once again.
Malfoy wordlessly runs back the way he came with Fang following suit. As soon as everyone makes a run for it, I drag Ron behind me, still clutching his hand as there's no way I'm losing him in this ridiculous forest.
We reach Harry just in time to see a creature talking to him as he stands and brushes dirt off his clothes, "Harry!" Hermione yells. I squeeze Ron's hand, glancing back at him in confusion and worry, then looking back at Harry again. He whispers to me, "That's a centaur.. Never seen one in real life until now!"
"'ello there, Firenze. I see ye've met our young Mr Potter. Ye all right there, 'arry?" Hagrid asks from afar. Harry nods and the centaur, Firenze, begins speaking, "Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." He trots away, leaving us with a dead unicorn and its metallic blood pooling under the poor thing.
After we were finally sent back to our rooms, Harry began telling us what actually happened to him in the forest while we were gone.
"You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione asks Harry, seating herself in one of the Common Room armchairs. Harry nods, "Except he's weak. Living off of the Unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong," he continued, standing as Ron and I sit on the couch beside one another, "Snape doesn't want the stone for himself. He wants the stone for Voldemort. With the elixir of life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll- He'll come back." He finishes, nervously pacing a bit as he speaks before landing himself into the armchair opposite Hermione.
"B-But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?" Ron asks, a bit too optimistic. "I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight," Harry grimly responds as Ron's eyes widen and he gulps, "And to think I've been worrying about my potions final." I try to hide my smile at his worry, staring into the fire as they all spoke.
"Hang on. We're forgetting one thing," Hermione perks up. We look over at her, interests piqued, "Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?"
We glance between each other and shrug, clueless. "Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched. You're safe." She points out happily. I furrow my eyebrows, as that doesn't seem very plausible, "But what if he isn't around, like tonight? Dumbledore wasn't near Harry whatsoever and if it wasn't for Firenze then Harry would probably be dead." I retort, looking back at her.
"True, but if he'd learn how to protect himself with spells, then he'd also be okay just so until he would have a chance to get away," Hermione responds, nodding to herself a bit. "Well then, you know what that means, Harry. You've got to learn how to cast them," I say and Harry sighs, nodding.
With that, we all retire to our dormitories, physically exhausted after our adventure.
***
"I've always heard that Hogwarts' end-of-year exams were quite frightful, but I found out that rather enjoyable," Hermione says happily, sounding a bit too full of herself. "Speak for yourself," Ron says, a bit defeated as his tie hangs undone around his neck.
Harry's a bit quiet, squinting his eyes shut as if his head hurts and I ask, "You okay, Harry?" I tilt my head, looking up from beside him.
"My scar, it keeps burning." He responds, wincing as he touches his forehead. "It's happened before, hasn't it?" Hermione asks. "Yes, but not like this." He mutters again. Ron looks over me at Harry, shrugging and suggesting, "Maybe you should go and see the nurse?" I look up at Harry, nodding along.
"I think it's a warning.. Wouldn't it mean danger's coming?" He asks himself, looking down at me. "Uh...I think?" I shrug one shoulder, "I sure hope not though." I nervously shake my head, glancing back at the other two. Harry looks up, causing us all to stop. "Oh, of course!" Harry exclaims as he's just realized something.
We quickly follow behind as he begins walking again and Hermione asks, "What is it?" Harry slows down a bit and explains, "Isn't it odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon and a stranger turns up who just happens to have one? I mean, how many people walk around with dragon eggs in their pocket? Why didn't I see it before?!" He picks up the pace once again and runs towards Hagrid's hut while we follow him as quickly as we can.
Hagrid's playing the flute and he glances up, putting it down while we approach. "Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg?" Harry says, stopping in front of the man, trying to catch his breath. Hermione peers around, cautious of what happened before, when Hagrid says, "I dunno? Never saw 'is face, 'e kept 'is hood up." He tries to calmly begin playing again when Harry interrupts him once again, "This stranger, though, you and him must've talked."
"Well, 'e wan'ed to know what sorta creatures I looked aft'r. I told 'im, I said, 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem!'" Hagrid says cheerily. "And did he seem interested in Fluffy at all?" I push the interrogation a bit futher before Harry gets a chance to speak. Hagrid looks over at me and nods, "Well, o' course 'e was int'rested in Fluffy. 'ow often do ye come 'round a three-'eaded dog, even if yer in the trade?" He responds, as if it's obvious. He points a stick at us and continues, "But I told 'im, I said-- I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know 'ow to calm 'im.' Take Fluffy, fer example. Just play 'im a bit o' music and 'e falls straight asleep." We all gasp and look at each other, suprised. "I shouldn't have told ye that..." Hagrid says.
We all bolt away as he yells after us, "Oi, where's ye goin'? Wait!"
We reach McGonagall's office and burst straight inside. "We need to see Professor Dumbledore. Immediately!" Harry yells once we reach McGonagall's desk, his hands placed firmly on the desk.
"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." She replies as we look at each other, shocked. "He's gone? Now? But this is important! This is about the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry says, head whipping around between the three of us and McGonagall.
She shakes her head, understandably confused, "How did you know-?"
Harry cuts her off, "Someone's trying to steal it." She nods firmly, brows furrowed, "I don't know how you four found out about the stone, but I assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." She gestures to her door and he lets up off the desk, leading us out of the office.
We walked into the hallway and Harry began speaking again, "That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy." I sigh and say, "But now with Dumbledore gone-"
I was cut off by a very nosy Snape coming up and standing right behind Ron. "Good afternoon." We all begin to face him. "Now what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like.. this?"
I look at the others and Hermione stammers, "Uh- We-We were just-"
"People will think you're.." He and Harry share a harsh glare, "up to something." He slowly walks away and my shoulders deflate defeatedly, "What're we going to do?"
Ron wraps his arm around my shoulder comfortingly as Harry responds, "We go down the trapdoor,"
"Tonight."
***
The four of us make our way downstairs, finally out of uniform, and I see Trevor, Neville's toad, on the headrest of the couch. I gasp a little and Ron whisper-yells, making a shoo-ing motion, "Trevor, shh, go! You shouldn't be here!"
I look back at Ron as he adjusts the cloak on his shoulder and hear Neville's voice ahead of us, "Neither should you." He stands and I whip my head around while he asks, "You're sneakin' out again, aren't you?"
I attempt to plead with him just as he gets defensive, "Wait, Neville, please just listen-"
"No, I won't let you! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again." He cuts me off with furrowed eyebrows and looks between all of us, "I-I-I'll fight you.." He puts up his fists nervously and I put my hands flat up in defense.
"Neville, I'm really really sorry about this," Hermione takes out her wand from beside me and quickly waves it, leaving him no time for defense, saying, "Petrificus Totalus."
Neville freezes upright, falling straight onto his back. She quickly tucks her wand into her pocket and we all begin stepping over Neville to get to the portrait hole, "Sorry, Neville.." I mutter, following suit.
We all slip into the invisibility cloak and make our way back to that room with Fluffy stuck inside. Hermione unlocks the door once again and lets us slip in with no issues.
We hear a harp playing soothingly in the distance as well as Fluffy snoring, "Wait a minute... He's snoring?" Harry questions as Fluffy's breath whips the cloak off of us."Ugh, It's got horrible breath..." Ron complains and I airily giggle. Looking around the room, I see there's a harp playing itself in the corner, presumably left by someone before us.
Harry tells us that this thing's paw is laying on the trapdoor, meaning we've got to move it. "What? Are you mad?" I ask, quite taken aback as Harry impatiently brushes by us, "Come on." He says, already on one side of the massive paw. We all reluctantly take his side and shove it over with all our might.
Harry then takes the handle of the trapdoor and lifts it. We all kneel to peer into the dark abyss under this trapdoor and Harry volunteers himself to go first, "Don't follow until I give you a sign, alright? If something bad happens just get yourselves out." A few seconds pass and we all notice that its a bit more eerily silent than before.
"Does it seem a bit...quiet to you..?" Harry asks, looking between the three of us. I turn around to look around the room and Hermione says, "The harp...it's stopped playing." Our attention is ripped towards the silent instrument and Ron complains beside me, "Ugh! Yuck!" He wipes this liquidy goop off his shoulder, causing me to grimace, "Ew..."
Realizing what that means, we all look up to see where it came from, seeing the previously snoozing dog, now wide awake and ready for action.
"JUMP!"
Harry quickly drops himself in, Hermione following. I grab Ron's wrist and tug him in with me. We land on top of this clump of weird vine looking things and I look around the dark room, now between Harry and Ron.
"Woah! Lucky this plant thing was here, really." Ron sighs, relieved. I let him go and attempt to sit up, taking another look around. I squint, swearing that these thing are moving. One happens to slither over to Ron and take hold of his leg, "Ron, look! It's got your leg!" I exclaim nervously, gesturing to his leg. "And it's got yours!" He mimicks me, pointing at mine.
The vines begin tangling themselves around my legs and torso. It begins to move up to my neck and I wiggle around, putting up a fight. "The three of you! Stop squirming, this is the Devil's Snare! If you relax it will let you go. If you don't, then it'll kill you faster." Hermione states, sitting completely still.
"Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!" Ron yells sarcastically, rocking back and forth trying to wiggle himself out. Hermione smirks at him triumphantly as slowly sinks into the plant.
"HERMIONE!" We all yell after her, terrified. I whip around my arms and wiggle faster to try and crawl out. "Now what're we gonna do?!" Harry yells desperately beside me.
"Just relax!" I hear her say from the distance below us. "Hermione, where are you?" Harry asks again, looking over to where she last sunk. "Do what I say! Trust me!" We hear her yell again.
Harry stops moving and closes his eyes, also sinking down like Hermione. "WAIT, HARRY!" I yell after him, taking a second for it to click but now I understand what needs to be done. I look over to Ron and say in a slightly calm voice, "You know what? Ron, just try doing what she says. Relax." I stop squirming with a slight smile and also sink down, landing on the concrete below me, grunting.
"Y/N!!" He cries out desperately. I quickly stand, looking up at where Ron's suspended in the vines, continuing to try and claw his way out. "Ron, just listen to me, please! Relax!" I yell up, knowing full well he can hear, yet he continues scratching and pulling at the vines around his neck and torso, completely ignoring me.
"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asks, annoyed with him. "Apparently not." Harry replies, shakes his head. "Well, we have to do something!" I say exasperated and frustrated that I can't go up there and help him myself.
"OH!" I exclaim, remembering something useful, "Wait, Hermione, what was that one reading from Herbology? Something about Devil's Snare and fun??"
Ron's screams begin to muffle above us as the vines wrap further up around his mouth and chin. "Oh yes! I remember! 'Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, It's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun!' Thats it! The Devil's Snare hates sunlight!" She recounted excitedly, whipping out her wand and point it high at the group of vines that he's stuck to.
"Lumus Solem!" She calls out. A bright light comes shooting out of her wand and plunging into the Devil's Snare, causing it to shriek and rip open, dropping Ron on the concrete by my feet.
I drop down, asking, "Ron, you alright??" I grab his hands and pull him to stand, "Yea, thanks," He smiles, dusting off his clothes, then placing his hands on his hips happily, "Whew! Lucky we didn't panic!"
"Lucky Y/n pays attention in Herbology." Harry retorts, rolling his eyes. I let out an airy sort of laugh, before my attention gets ripped away by a noise coming from the wall.
I approach it, placing my hand on it as I hear a... sort of buzzing noise? "D'you guys hear that?" I ask, scrunching my nose back at them.
They approach me and look by where I'm facing, "I dunno...Sounds like.. wings?" Harry responds with a question, leading us through the door to another room. A room full of bugs? No.. they're keys! With wings? How interesting..
Thank you guys SO much for being patient with the updates...I know I haven't told you all what's going on or what's happening with my updating schedule. My schedule (irl) is extremely full so I barely have time to update anything unless it's late at night when I have nothing to do. Again, thank you all for reading my story! I didn't think anyone would, to be completely honest with you.
Word count: 3115
Written April 22, 2019
Edited March 21, 2025