Later that same evening, (Y/N) and her three friends bundled up in their robes and made their way across the castle grounds. Hagrid's hut was a tiny wooden thing, sat at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest. It looked cozy enough, even though all of Hagrid's curtains were drawn shut. However, (Y/N) supposed anything would look cozy when providing safety from a dense, threatening wood.

She trudged up the steps, knocked twice, and waited anxiously on Hagrid's tiny porch for his answer. She wasn't sure what exactly they were looking for Hagrid to tell them, but Harry insisted that they visited him straightaway.

When Hagrid answered the door, he lumbered above them clad in an apron and oversized oven mitts. He didn't seem surprised to see them at all. "Oh, hello," He said. "Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today."

He began to close the door, and over the creak, the first years shouted, "We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"

Hagrid froze at once. "Oh,"

(Y/N) could see him struggle to think up a lie, but he was quick to give up and open the door to usher her inside.

His hut was warmed by the crackling fireplace tucked away in the corner. (Y/N) slipped off her cloak and took a seat on a wooden bench. Harry sat to the left of her, and to her right, Ron sat in between her and a great black dog. Hagrid went to tend to something roasting over the fire, but there was no scent of a meal hanging in the air. Even as (Y/N) curiously craned her neck to get a glimpse of what it might be, Hagrid snapped the lid back on top.

"We think Snape might be trying to steal it." Said Harry.

"Snape?" Repeated Hagrid. "Blimey, Harry, you're not still on about him, are you?"

"Hagrid," Harry sounded close to exasperated. "We know he's after the stone, we just don't know why!"

"Snape is one of the teachers hired to protect the stone. He's not about to steal it."

From across the tiny living room, Hermione met (Y/N)'s eyes and furrowed her brows. It seemed Hermione was just as confused as she was.

"What?" Questioned Harry.

"You heard. Right, come on now. I'm a bit preoccupied today."

"Wait," Said (Y/N). "You said 'one of the teachers.' Are there more?"

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. "There are other things defending the stone, aren't there? Protective spells, enchantments!"

"That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me." As Hagrid went on, (Y/N) felt Ron scoot closer to her. He was trying his best to escape the dog trying to lick at his face. If she weren't so interested in what Hagrid had to say, (Y/N) might've laughed, but she simply paid it no mind. "Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how except for me and Dumbledore." A pause, and then Hagrid cast his eyes on the floor, shuffling his weight anxiously. "I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that."

(Y/N) didn't get a chance to ask any questions, for just when she was about to, there was a loud rattling sound from the cauldron over the fire. Hagrid hurried to reach inside, and of all things, pulled out a big, black dragon's egg.

"Hagrid, that isn't–?" But (Y/N) didn't finish. Instead, she hurried to get to her feet and follow Hagrid to his kitchen table. He gently set the egg down and her question had been answered.

"What exactly is that?" Asked Harry from beside (Y/N).

"That? It's..." Hagrid didn't seem like he was going to answer any time soon.

"He's got himself a dragon's egg." Answered (Y/N).

"A dragon!" Hermione sounded like a mother about to scold her children.

"Not just any dragon!" Exclaimed Ron, leaning dangerously close to the rattling shell. "But, Hagrid, how did you get one?"

"I won it." He answered. "Off a stranger down at the pub. He seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact."

If (Y/N) had an egg ready to hatch any day, and there was a dragon inside, she was sure she would be glad to be rid of it, too. Of course, she hadn't seen any dragon's up close, but the stories she heard of them were quite scary. Though all of the stories were from Draco, and he liked to scare her just as much as she liked to scare him.

The egg began to shake, this time creating little cracks that spread along the surface. (Y/N) took a few steps back. Even though the dragon was a baby, there was no telling how big it would really be, nor how mean. She didn't want to be the first thing it set on fire when it was born.

When the baby finally burst free, bits and pieces of the egg flew across the hut. The dragon wasn't pretty. In fact, (Y/N) thought it looked more like a slimy, crumpled umbrella. Its wings, bony and paper-thin, were much bigger than its body but looked almost proportionate to its large head and long snout.

"That's a Norweigan Ridgeback!" Ron's big blue eyes peered up at Hagrid. "My brother, Charlie, works with these in Romania!"

Hagrid looked rather teary-eyed as he regarded the dragon as if it were his own baby. "Isn't he beautiful?" He murmured. "Oh, bless him! Look, he knows his mummy!" He reached out his hand and gently scratched under the dragon's chin. "Hello, Norbert!"

"Norbert?" Repeated Harry, nose crinkled in disgust.

(Y/N) and Hermione shared a disapproving look. It wasn't a very good name, especially for a dragon.

"Yeah, well he's got to have a name, don't he?"

Ron tried to hide his laugh. If Hagrid noticed, he didn't care. He was too wrapped up with the creature before him. "Don't you Norbert?"

In response, Norbert gave a great hiccup and a plume of fire flew straight to Hagrid's beard. (Y/N) stepped back on impulse as he hurried to pat the flames out. She would have been upset, or even startled if her face was nearly burned off, but Hagrid only laughed.

"He'll have to be trained up a bit, of course..." Hagrid trailed off, peering outside. "Who's that?"

(Y/N) followed his gaze and just through a tiny gap in the curtains, she saw a familiar head of blonde hair. She and Draco locked eyes just before he darted away and back towards the castle.

"Malfoy!" Harry frowned in discontent.

"Oh, dear..."

"We should go before he gets us all in trouble." (Y/N) reached for her cloak, and her friends were quick to follow her lead.

"Thank you for having us, Hagrid," Said Hermione.

"And be careful," (Y/N) stopped in the doorway. "Your home is made of wood."

(Y/N) and her friends rushed as quickly as they could back to the castle. Once they were close to the Gryffindor common room, they felt safe enough to slow their pace to a brisk walk.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon," Harry informed the group. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."

"Well, he might've done well to wait. Dragons are illegal," (Y/N) said.

"And what's worse, Malfoy knows," Added Ron.

As soon as he said so, Professor McGonagall herself appeared around the corner. She was in her pajamas, but still looked no less stern and threatening as she did in her normal robes. Right behind her was Draco, looking too smug for his own good.

As McGonagall escorted the students to the front of the classroom, (Y/N)'s mind rushed with excuses and alibis and the like, but none of them seemed to hold enough weight to get them out of trouble. She swore, next time she got the chance, she would hex Draco into next week, or at the very least, give him a good smack for her own satisfaction.

"Nothing," Said McGonagall, her intense stare bearing down on the first years. "I repeat, nothing, gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, fifty points will be taken,"

(Y/N)'s mouth hung agape in horror. She looked at Ron to see if he was just as surprised as she was, and he seemed to be, for he wore the same exact expression as she did. Harry raised his voice. "Fifty?" He questioned.

"Each!" (Y/N) was certain her heart stopped. Two hundred points lost in one night? Once everyone found out it was their doing, there would be no redemption. (Y/N) didn't know what to expect from her fellow Gryffindors, come morning. "And to ensure it doesn't happen again," McGonagall continued. "All five of you will receive detention."

Draco's smile fell in an instant. He stepped forward with that air of importance that he always had. "Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said the five of us."

"No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall said. "You see, honorable as your intentions were, you, too, were out of bed after hours. You will join your classmates in detention."

(Y/N) was happy that Draco wasn't getting let off himself, but she hoped that perhaps he could get an extra sum of points taken off for his house. That way, there would at least be a chance of not coming in last.

However, she took what she could, and that night, she and her friends went to bed in silence.

When morning came and the older Gryffindors found the hourglass that recorded the house points, they thought there had been a mistake. (Y/N) thought that maybe she and her friends would be let off easy, but then the story started to get around. How Harry Potter and a few other stupid first years lost them all of those house points.

In an instant, life at Hogwarts seemed to change. The Gryffindors wouldn't even look Harry's way, and it wasn't very hard for them to find out (Y/N) had a part in it, too. It wasn't just confined to the Gryffindors, either. Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were mad; everyone hoped to see the Slytherins finally lose the House Cup.

Though everyone else at the school was angry with her, she didn't get the bulk of it. It was Harry who had it the worst of all of them. Hermione seemed to get off the easiest because she wasn't around Harry long enough for everyone to know they were friends. Still, no one would talk to her, and she stopped answering questions as often in class. (Y/N) and Ron found themselves somewhere in between being the most hated and strongly disliked. However, she didn't think it was as bad as it could have been. After all, she still had Harry, Ron, and Hermione to keep her company. They hadn't found themselves completely alone.

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

"They've never lost two hundred points in one go, though, have they?" Harry asked miserably.

Ron hesitated for a brief moment. "Well... no,"

"Think about it like this, we're the first to do it," (Y/N) tried.

Ron managed a sheepish smile, but Harry didn't seem amused at all. That was the end of that.

As the days passed on, (Y/N) busied herself with studying. Hermione made them schedules that were annoying before but served as an escape in the recent days. She learned all about charms as Harry advised her those weeks ago and caught up in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

By the time the night of their detention came around, (Y/N) had nearly forgotten. She and her three friends met Filch at the entrance hall promptly at eleven o'clock that night. Draco was already there, a surprise for (Y/N), as she'd even forgotten he'd gotten in trouble, too. After the days of sideways glances having everyone avoid her, detention was the last thing on her mind.

"A pity they let the old punishments die." Said Filch as he brought them across the grounds. "There was a time detentions would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons."

(Y/N) and Draco shared an apprehensive look. That was exactly the type of punishment that Draco would warn her about back at home. But, Filch had just said those were over and done with. (Y/N) sincerely hoped that he wasn't just saying so to lure them into false security.

"God, I miss the screaming." He said wistfully. Soon, they reached Hagrid's hut, and a very teary-eyed gamekeeper stood outside with his own lantern in hand. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest."

They came to a stop just beside a small fire Hagrid was tending outside. (Y/N) couldn't help but smile at the idea of serving her detention with him. That could only mean that it wasn't going to be nearly as bad as she originally anticipated.

"A sorry lot, this, Hagrid." Said Filch. "Oh, good god, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon are you."

Hagrid, as big as he was, looked quite small at that moment. He sniffed pitifully and wiped at his eyes. "Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

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

"And more importantly," Said (Y/N). "You won't get in trouble."

"Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania?" Asked Hagrid, causing Filch to roll his eyes. "What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all."

"Oh, for god's sake, pull yourself together, man!" Filch was giving no sympathy. "You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you."

"The forest!" Exclaimed Draco. "I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are..." He trailed off, and somewhere far off in the trees (Y/N) heard a howl. Draco nodded as if his point was only just proven. "Werewolves!"

"There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad." Filch smiled. It seemed like the very possibility of their danger entertained him. "You can be sure of that. Nighty-night,"

And then he retreated, back to the safety of the castle.

"Right," Said Hagrid. "Let's go,"

The lot trudged ahead into the forest, dark, dim, and cold. There was a dense fog that hung low to the ground. If that was what was awaiting (Y/N) any time she had detention, she thought she might do well to keep out of trouble. Risk of death, especially with werewolves prowling about as Draco said, was not a way she intended to spend her nights.

Hagrid crouched low to the ground and dipped his fingers in a shallow pool of silver.

"What is that?" Asked Harry, keeping a fair distance away, much like the others.

"What we're here for. See that?" He held up his fingers, coated in what looked to be liquid metal. It seemed to reflect all the light it could find before it was promptly swallowed back up by the forest. "That's unicorn blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt bad by something."

Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) could have sworn she saw someone move. She was about to just attribute it to an overly active imagination, but she saw Harry was looking that way, too. He'd seen what she had, but no one else seemed to notice.

"So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast." Continued Hagrid. "Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me."

"Okay," Ron's voice was nothing but a squeak.

"And Harry and (Y/N), you'll go with Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry nodded. (Y/N) could still tell neither of them was happy about spending time with the other.

"Okay," Said Draco. "Then I get Fang!"

"Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."

"Then he'll get on fine with Draco," (Y/N) scratched behind Fang's ears, earning nothing more than an annoyed look from the boy in question. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, all smiled in amusement before everyone went their separate ways.

The forest was much spookier without Hagrid to keep them safe. Yet, (Y/N) felt somewhat competent. After brushing up on her spells, she thought she may be able to protect herself should the need arise. Of course, there was a big difference between theory and practice. She tried to keep her mind off of it.

"Just wait until our father hears about this." Said Draco, shining the lantern in all directions. "This is servant's stuff!"

"If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared," Harry said.

"Scared, Potter?!"

From somewhere nearby, there was a sound, an animal (Y/N) hadn't heard before. She would've been frightened, but Draco nearly leaped out of his skin. He wheeled around to face (Y/N) and Harry. "Did you hear that?"

By his expression alone, (Y/N) could tell Harry was right. Draco was scared, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Seeing her smile, Draco scrunched up his face and turned on his heel.

"Come on, Fang. Scared..."

Deeper into the wood they went, and further from Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione. Fang brought them to a clearing, and then stopped, growling at something ahead. Even Draco stayed where he was, a look on his face as if he'd seen one of those werewolves he was on about.

"What is it, Fang?" The question just left Harry's lips when (Y/N) saw it.

A white unicorn lay on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. Overing overtop was a dark cloaked figure, and it looked to be sipping from the unicorn's corpse. (Y/N) felt sick and staggered backward, wanting to run, but from beside her, Harry winced and reached for his scar.

Draco took off in the other direction, and Fang, as cowardly as promised, took off with him. The figure looked up and began to creep closer and closer to the two first years.

(Y/N) latched onto Harry's arm and pulled him back. All of the spells she knew from before seemed to slip her mind. All she could think of was how scary that cloaked figure was, and how sure she was that she and Harry both were going to die if they didn't run away soon.

Harry seemed to have the same idea, but as soon as they'd started running for help, Harry tripped over one of the many great roots protruding from the ground. (Y/N) rushed back to help him and spared a glance up at the hooded figure. A trail of blood dripped from their mouth, showing their bared teeth. They weren't a werewolf, but (Y/N) didn't think they were quite human either. Whatever they were, though, they were no friend of hers.

Before she or Harry could get very far, a creature leaped over their heads and stood protectively in front of them. It was a centaur, a creature (Y/N) studied the night before. He scared off the cloaked figure, chasing him deep into the woods. In the meantime, (Y/N) helped Harry to his feet and before they could decide if they should run or stay to thank their savior, the centaur was looming before them.

"Harry Potter," He said, looking over (Y/N) as if she weren't even there. "You must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

Harry, being the braver of the two, was able to find his voice first. "But what was that thing you saved us from?"

"A monstrous creature." Answered the centaur. "It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will live a half-life. A cursed life."

"But no one would choose a life like that." (Y/N) managed to say.

He turned his gaze on her. It was the same kind of intense as Professor McGonagall's. "Can you truly think of no one?"

"Do you mean to say that thing that killed the unicorn, that was drinking its blood..." Harry looked at (Y/N) like he was checking to see if she could believe it. "That was Voldemort?"

(Y/N)'s heart skipped a beat. After what she'd learned of Voldemort and his dealings, she knew his return, if that really was him, would mean nothing good for her or her friends, and especially not Harry. "Of course not." She answered, looking to the centaur. "Right?"

"Would it be so strange?" He asked. "Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," Harry whispered.

A dog's bark cut through the silence, causing (Y/N) to jump. She wheeled around and found that Draco had at least gone to get Hagrid and the other's, even if he did leave them to fend for themselves.

"Hello there, Firenze." Said Hagrid. "See you've met young Mr. Potter and Miss (L/N)."

"Miss (L/N)?" Firenze's gaze fell onto her, and he eyed her for a long, uncomfortable moment. "I see."

"You alright there, you two?" Hagrid asked.

Harry nodded for both of them, but (Y/N) still regarded Firenze in interest. He had the same look in his eye as those people in Knockturn Alley when they heard her name.

Firenze dropped his voice to a whisper just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now." He looked to (Y/N), and for a moment, she thought she saw the brave look in his eye falter. "I wish you the best of luck, Miss (L/N). Please, do not go astray."

***

Even though it was late, by the time (Y/N) and the others arrived back at the common room, Harry sat Hermione and Ron down to explain everything they'd seen. From the cloaked figure to the conversation with Firenze, Harry explained everything. However, he was careful to omit Firenze's parting words, for he promised (Y/N) he would keep that just between them.

When he was finished, Hermione leaned forward in her chair, still reeling. "You mean to say You-Know-Who's out there right now in the forest?"

"But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns." Said Harry. "Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants it for Voldemort. With the elixir of life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll come back."

"But, if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to..." Ron swallowed the lump in his throat. He tried to think of a nicer way to say what he meant, but the words escaped him. "Kill you, do you?"

Harry met Ron's eyes, very sure. "I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight." Despite what he was saying, he looked very calm. (Y/N) thought he was very brave to be unphased by something so scary.

"And to think, I've been worried about my potions final!" Exclaimed Ron.

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort's always feared?" Hermione asked.

The two boys remained silent, but (Y/N) found her voice. "Dumbledore. He's the strongest wizard there is."

"Exactly," Said Hermione. "As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."