CHAPTER ELEVEN: FORBIDDEN FOREST
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THE FOLLOWING NIGHT ALEX gave her first detention, but it definitely would not be her last. Her, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Draco followed behind Filch as they headed outside. He had a lantern in hand and Alex's curious blue orbs glanced around. It was night, to her it was ironic they were serving detention for being out after hours, after hours.

Filch shook his head in near disappointment. "Pity they got rid of the old punishments. Used to have to hang by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." He explained. She stared at him for a moment. Nobody said anything. They arrived at Hagrid's hut and he stepped out. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do. Inside the dark forest."

Her eyes widened, at the mention of the forest. Hagrid looked as if he was going to cry. "Hagrid, are you alright?" Alex asked.

"God mate, you're still not on about that bloody dragon are you?" Filch asked with an eye roll.

"Norbert's gone," Hagrid told her. "Dumbledore sent 'im off ter Romania ter live in a colony."

"Well that's good isn't it?" Hermione asked. "He'll be with his kind."

Hagrid nodded. "Well wha' if he don't like Romania? wha' if the other dragons are mean ter 'im?" He pointed out. The whole situation made Alex frown, she felt bad for Hagrid. However, she did think the dragon would be better off with other dragons rather than at Hogwarts.

"Oh for god sake!" Filch exclaimed. "Pull yourself together mate! You got to go in the forest, better not be distracted in there."

"The forest!" Draco exclaimed, finally catching onto where they were going. "I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there!"

Filch slowly turned to look at him. "Why's that?"

"Students aren't allowed!" He pointed out, a werewolf started to howl. "And there are werewolves!"

Filch grinned. "Ah, well there's more than werewolves in there." He told him. With that the five of them began to walk with Hagrid into the forest, Hagrid's dog, Fang, following them. It was a while until anyone said anything.

Hagrid seemed to be looking for something. After a while, he kneeled down and dipped his fingers into a silver-looking liquid. "Hagrid? What is that?" Harry asked.

Hagrid looked at the five of them. They all looked scared. "What we're here for." He explained, putting his hand in the air. "See tha'? that's unicorn blood. I found one dead a few weeks ago, I'm assuming this one's bin hurt badly."

"By what?" Alex asked curiously.

"We're trying to figure that out," Hagrid explained. "We also need to find the poor thing. Ron and Hermione, you'll come with me."

Ron groaned in fear. "Okay."

"Harry, Alex, you'll go with Malfoy." He said. Alex could have groaned in annoyance right there. She didn't want to spend a second longer than she had to with Draco. Harry just nodded as he exchanged glances with Alex and Draco.

"Okay, then we get the dog." Draco protested.

"Fine," Hagrid said. "Jus so yeh know, he's a bloody coward." With that, Fang cried.

She spotted Draco's eyes widen with fear. The three of them, including Fang, started to walk. Draco held the lantern.

"Wait til' my father hears about this! This is servant stuff!" Draco exclaimed, she rolled her eyes and looked at Harry, who looked just as annoyed.

"If I didn't know better Draco, I'd say you're scared." Harry pointed out, Alex grinned as she managed to conceal her laughter.

"Scared Potter," Draco said with a scoff until he jumped at the sound of some creature in the forest. "Did you hear that?"

Neither of them responded, they just continued walking. "Come on Fang," Harry said. Alex could hear Draco mumbling under his breath about the comment Harry made. Alex stayed behind a bit, nobody said anything.

Draco slowed his walking and walked beside Alex. She looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "Why're you hanging out with Potter? And Weasley? You know he's a blood traitor right?" Draco asked. "Then Baker and Granger are mudbloods."

Alex turned to him. "Since when did you care?" She asked, crossing her arms.

He bit his lip. "I'm trying to look out for you."

"Looking out for me?" She asked as she widened her eyes, he nodded. "I don't think calling my friends names is 'looking out for me'"

"You know what I mean."

"Do I?" She asked.

"Yes. If word gets to father about you befriending people like them... well you know what'll happen." He said.

She shook her head. "You obviously don't care Draco, you didn't even try to defend me at Christmas." She told him, she pushed past him. "You're gonna blow my cover." She said as she caught up with Harry, leaving Draco behind them.

After a few more minutes, Fang began to growl. "What is it, Fang?" Alex asked, glancing around the area. Draco raised the lantern, giving them a bit more light. In front of them laid the unicorn, on the ground. Harry groaned in pain as his land flew up to his scar. "Harry, are you alright?"

Something was knelt down by the unicorn, in a black cloak. Its head lifted and it growled, causing Draco to scream, Alex turned to look at Draco and he began to run, followed by Fang.

Alex ran after them, she wasn't staying to see what was hurting the unicorn. She turned around for a moment, only to not see Harry.

Draco and Alex stopped when they found the others. "The unicorn!" Draco exclaimed, he was out of breath.

Alex looked up at Hagrid. "Harry... he's still out there." She told him.

All of them began to quickly walk in the direction they came from, Alex and Draco leading the way. It took a few minutes but they managed to spot Harry, Fang began to bark.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

There was a creature, that Alex recognized to be a centaur. "Ello' there Firenze." Hagrid greeted. "I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. Yeh alright there Harry?"

Harry just nodded. Firenze began to speak, "Harry Potter, this is where I leave you." He said. "You're safe now. Good luck."

Firenze left and Harry rejoined the rest of them. They made their way out of the woods and back to Hogwarts. The one thing on her mind was why Harry's scar was causing him pain. She had a deeply bad feeling about it, but she didn't know why.

-

She got into the Hufflepuff common room, where she spotted Tianna sitting on the couch. She made her way over to her.

"How was detention?"

Alex sat down beside her and sighed. "Terrifying. We had to go to the Forbidden Forest."

She seemed shocked about that. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we went with Hagrid though, so it wasn't terrible." She explained. "And Draco..."

She paused, realizing she couldn't really tell Tianna the conversation that happened between her and Draco, as much as she wanted to. It would only reveal that they're more than just two people who met at Diagon Alley.

"Draco what?"

She quickly came up with an excuse. "He's infuriating. He was just complaining the whole time."

She grinned. "Of course he was." She said. "I bet he was the most scared out of all of you."

"Ron followed up pretty close." Alex joked, letting out a small laugh which made Tianna laugh as well.

authors note

alex is right, draco is really infuriating.