now that we're
here follow me

ϟ

"Follow me," Filch sneered as he led Neville, Harry, Draco, and Perry down the corridor.

It had been weeks since they had been caught out of bed. Both Neville and Harry and Draco and Perry had lost tons of points for their houses. Since then they'd been treated like the bottom of the barrel. Nobody even referred to them by their names. Although, Draco was still a Malfoy so he had one thing going for him.

Exams were weeks away and Perry was lucky she was able to spend most of her time studying and not hating herself. Other houses were almost proud of Perry for losing so many points for Slytherin. At least Slytherin was still in the lead. If they weren't she'd be dead.

Down the corridor they walked. The group exited the castle through the big oak doors, each of the students giving each other looks of confusion.

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

Relief washed over the faces of Harry and Perry. In the distance they saw the silhouette of Hagrid. Thank Merlin they wouldn't be with Filch the entire night.

Filch must have seen their facial expressions because next he said: "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf? Well, think again— it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Perry smiled. Since she had gotten to Hogwarts she had wondered what the forest must be like. A little fear then trickled into the girls mind. The forest was dark. Perry wasn't rather fond of the dark. Next to her the hairs on Harry's neck stood up, Neville let out a gulp, and Malfoy stopped in his tracks.

"The forest?" Malfoy repeated. "We can't go in there at night— there's all sorts of things in there— werewolves, I heard."

"That's your problem, isn't it?" Filch remarked. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Filch led them up to the edge of the forest where Hagrid approached him. He carried a crossbow in his hand and a quiver of arrows on his shoulder. He was accompanied by Fang who approached Perry seeking his usual pets.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half n' hour already. All right, Harry, Perry."

"Shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch with a glare, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said a frowning Hagrid. "Bin lecturin' 'em, eh? 'S not yer place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn for what's left of them," Filch said nastily.

ϟ

"If a werewolf attacks me, my father will hear about it," Malfoy stated.

Perry rolled her eyes and taunted, "Scared of werewolves, Malfoy?"

He puffed out his chest, "Pfft, am not. I'm just stating a very probable outcome of entering the forest."

"Mhmm," Perry hummed. She crossed her arms. This area of the forest was rather dark. Perry knew how much of a coward Fang was and she would've felt safer with Hagrid, but she wouldn't allow Neville or Harry to have to put up with Draco Malfoy the entirety of the search.

"What about you, Persephone?" Malfoy sneered. "You're obviously scared of the dark. What a childish fear!"

"One," she said nonchalantly, "We still are children, Draco. Two, it's not the dark I'm necessarily afraid of."

She wasn't afraid of the dark. She was afraid of the thoughts and images it often brought to her mind. Draco was about to retort back, most likely about how he didn't understand what she was saying, but a snap in the forest stopped him from doing so.

Fang whimpered at the sound and Draco jumped behind Perry. Malfoy held onto her arms to keep Perry in front of him as he shook like a coward behind her.

"Are you serious, Malfoy?" Perry sassed. "And you called me childish!"

"I—I—I—," Malfoy stammered.

"Get off of me!" Perry exclaimed shoving him off her shoulders. "Coward."

"I—" he cleared his throat— "I'm a pure blood; I am not a coward! I was just testing to see if you were brave enough to look for the unicorn with me; you passed."

"Uh-huh," Perry said doubtfully.

"Now—eh— let's find that unicorn so we can get out of here," he stated taking the lead.

Perry rolled her eyes and followed him. Fang reluctantly followed at Malfoy's heel. The dog kept looking back at Perry with hopeful, pleading eyes. All she could do was smile at him and then turn her head to continue looking around.

They walked for a while. Every time the wind blew Malfoy would pull Fang closer to him and Perry would silently snicker behind him. So far they hadn't seen any silver blood of a unicorn, and they had walked far.

"AHHHHH," Draco screamed in a high pitch voice. Fang bolted and the leash went flying from his hands. The leash swiped across Perry's feet and she went flying onto her back. Draco rushed forward, and for a second, Perry thought he might help her up. Instead he ran straight passed her, hopping over her arm.

Perry pushed her back up so her legs were still out in front of her. "Really?" she remarked putting all her weight on her hands. She got back up onto her feet. That was when she heard the low growl. She turned around and stared in front of her. Her eyes scanned the scenery for the creature that created the low growl. Her heart beat faster as she saw the bush in front of her and off to the right begin to rustle.

Perry didn't scream. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She was curious. Maybe too curious. Perry was smarter than this. With a shake of her head she turned and ran back the way they had come.

Perry chased after what she hoped was Malfoy in the distance. He was running so fast she couldn't catch up. She wondered if he had caught poor Fang. The poor dog shouldn't be out in the forest all alone.

Perry was catching up and soon enough she saw the distinguished blonde hair of Malfoy. She ran up to him and crouched over, putting her hands on her knees. She took deep breaths trying to retain a normal breathing pattern.

"You— you could have— warned me, at least," Perry said between pants.

"I was too busy running for my life," he said dramatically.

Perry rolled her eyes back into her skull as she rubbed her temples with her hands. How could someone be so self centered and arrogant? Somehow Malfoy managed to push all her buttons down and install new buttons too.

Perry watched as Malfoy wrapped Fangs leash around his hand and took a step into the bushes. Perry was surprised he'd want to keep looking for the injured unicorn after that terrifying scare that just happened.

She hesitantly followed after him and soon they came to a clearing. On the other side Harry stepped through bushes into the clearing. Perry smiled at him but he looked at her with a straight face. Perry was confused and started walking over to him. He met her there half way. She hadn't even noticed the injured unicorn until Harry brought her attention to it.

Malfoy reluctantly followed but then stopped dead in his tracks. On the edge of the far part of the clearing, a few bushes began to rattle. A menacing, cloaked creature, dark as night, crawled forward. The creature stopped in front of the unicorn and sank its teeth straight into the wound.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Malfoy screamed again. Fang barked madly and the two of them ran off, making enough noise for the whole forest to hear.

"Malfoy!" Perry screamed in attempt to get him to stop running.

She realized Harry was gripping her wrist very tightly and she turned her attention back to him. He was staring straight forward, not batting an eye. Perry followed his line of vision and her face sunk when she found the creature was now on two feet. It faced the two of them and then it raised its head. It's two red eyes met theirs and pain seared the skin of both children. Perry clutched her neck and Harry clutched his head.

The pain was like nothing either of them had ever felt before. It hurt so bad they couldn't make a sound no matter how much they attempted to scream. Both fell to the floor together as they scratched at their scars. They both felt tears brim their eyes as their bodies twitched from how much pain they currently felt. The pain lasted a minute or two before it left.

Perry let out a whimper as she sat up from the ground. Harry looked at her with the most fear Perry had ever seen in his eyes. She also saw pain, and it broke her heart to see the person she tried to protect so hurt.

Neither of them realized their was a centaur standing over top of them until they had come back to their full senses.

"Are you both all right?" he asked looking down at them. He had white-blond hair, he was young, and he had a pair of stunning blue eyes. He helped pull both children to their feet.

"Yeah— I think so," Harry sighed.

Perry nodded, "Erm— What was that?"

The centaur didn't answer. His eyes stared at the scar that lined Harry's forehead. His eyes then shifted to the scar on Perry's neck that she was just covering with her hair.

"You're the Potter boy, and the—" he looked like he was biting back what he wanted to say—"mystery girl. You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time— especially for you two. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."

He lowered himself so that Perry and Harry could climb up.

"I'm Firenze," he added as they situated themselves on his back.

Perry held on to his shoulders and Harry clutched Perry's waist. As they rode they encountered two other centaurs: Bane and Ronan. The two older centaurs were very mad at Firenze for allowing two humans to ride upon his back. Then they got into a heated discussion about what the stars were saying.

Eventually Firenze had had enough and galloped away. The two children bombarded Firenze with questions but he answered none of them. Instead he told them to bow their heads to keep from being hit by a low hanging branch.

"Harry Potter; Persephone," he suddenly stated, "Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," Harry said

"We've only used the horn and the hair in Potions," Perry said. "I've read it's a horrible thing to slay a unicorn, and only those who have nothing to lose ever go through with the deed."

"The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price" Firenze explained. "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?" Harry pondered. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death is better, isn't it?"

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else— something that will be a able to bring you back to full strength and power— something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter; Miss Persephone, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"The Philosopher's Stone!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry!" Perry reprimanded. "Shhh."

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "The Elixir of life!" He said this in a whisper shout. "But I don't understand who—"

Perry had a suspicion and she felt as if she could throw up. she felt as if her heart was sitting at the bottom of her stomach and all her weight had dropped.

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

"No," Harry said as Perry said, "Yes."

"But— I mean—it can't possibly be—" Perry stammered as she spoke—"that's Vol—"

"Perry! 'Arry!" Hagrid exclaimed. "Thank goodness we found yeh!"

Perry and Harry slid off of Firenze's back and onto the hard forest ground. Hagrid waddled as fast as his feet could take him over to where they stood.

"We're fine," Perry called out, knowing he would ask if they we're alright. "I'm sorry, Hagrid, really I am. The unicorn is dead. It's in that clearing back there."

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

"Goodbye Firenze," Perry said. "Thank you for you're help." Perry stood on her tippy toes and gave him a great big hug around his torso. He was surprised at first.

"It was my pleasure," he said giving her a hug back.

Perry let go of him and she and Harry waved Firenze goodbye. He galloped into the far forest just as Hagrid reached them.

"Oh— I wanted ter thank him," Hagrid huffed. "I'm so glad yer both alrigh'."

Neville ran up and gave them both a hug. "Perry! Harry! I'd thought we'd lost you both forever."

"We're just fine, Neville," Harry said.

"Yay," Malfoy mumbled sarcastically where he stood to the side. "Now, can we please get out of this bloody forest. If I end up like that unicorn my father—"

"Will hear about it," Perry mocked in a nosey voice.

"You better—"

"I'm so sorry abou' that," Hagrid said completely ignoring Draco. "Perry; Harry, no child shoulda ever had to see that."

"Don't worry about it, Hagrid," Perry said with a smile.

"Really," Harry added.

Hagrid smiled back at them thankfully.

"Yer both the best kids out there, yeh know," he whispered so only they could hear. Then he clapped and said, "Well, I outta check on the unicorn and make sure.. well, make sure... I'll be righ' back. Don' go any'ere."

Hagrid walked off into the forest behind them searching for the clearing with the dead unicorn.

"No use," Malfoy spat, "That unicorn is gone."

"Just like you when you stepped into the clearing," Perry teased.

"You saw that monster!" Malfoy protested.

"I did," Perry said calmly.

"The size of it," Malfoy stresses, "And—and it was eating the unicorn!"

"We saw," Harry said.

"I was smart to run," Malfoy said cockily, "If you guys weren't rescued by that vial half-breed it would've eaten you both."

"You're just trying to make excuses for being a coward," Perry said nonchalantly with her arms crossed.

"Coward? I didn't want to die!"

"Who's to say we won't die?" She said taking a step forward. "Who's to say that devilish creature isn't hunting us now? Can you feel it's eyes watching us? Waiting for the right moment to strike it's prey?"

Malfoy held Fang closer to him and Neville looked like he'd seen a ghost. Hagrid came clambering back towards them and stared down at the terrified children.

"All righ' e'rybody? Let's get outta here and back into the warm castle."

The children followed after Hagrid and once they got out of the forest, Perry grabbed Nevilles arm and walked slower with him. She didn't speak until Malfoy was out of earshot.

"I'm sorry if I scared you back there, Neville," she whispered. "That wasn't my goal."

"No—no, I wasn't scared," Neville said.

"Good. I just wanted to shake Malfoy a little bit."

"Oh," Neville said, "Well, you did that, alright."

Perry looked over at Draco who was still clutching to Fang's leash.

"Task complete, I would say."