The Forbidden Forest

Things could not have been worse. 

Filch marched them straight down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat in a heavy silence, too stunned to say much to each other. Hermione was shaking and Harry had his eyes fixed on his shoes; Cheyenne twirled her locket in her fingers, both trying to comfort herself and gather her thoughts, trying to figure out the best story to cover up the truth of what they'd been doing, even as a voice in the back of her mind warned there was a good possibility they weren't going to get out of this one. They were backed into a corner, and she couldn't help but chide herself, wondering how she could have overlooked something as important as the Invisibility Cloak. They were almost home free, and they'd tripped up at the finish line! There was no excuse they could come up with that Professor McGonagall would accept for them being out of bed, sneaking about the school in the middle of the night, let along skulking about the out-of-bounds astronomy tower outside of class. Add Norbert and the Invisibility Cloak into the equation and they might as well be on the train home already... 

And, of course, the universe decided to prove that things could, indeed, be worse. When Professor McGonagall finally joined them, they were mortified to see her leading Neville by the collar of his shirt. 

"Harry!" Neville's eyes were wide when they fell on the trio, "Cheyenne, I was trying to find you three; I overheard Malfoy saying he was going to get you in trouble, said something about a drag -" 

Harry shook his head rapidly, trying, and failing, to inconspicuously get Neville to shut up, but Professor McGonagall caught the movement. Her eyes flashed and she drew herself to her full height, looking closer to breathing fire than Norbert had been as she towered over the four of them. 

"I never would have believed this of any of you. Mr. Filch says you three," She eyed Harry, Cheyenne, and Hermione, "Were up the astronomy tower. At one o'clock in the morning! Explain yourselves this instant." 

It was the first time Hermione couldn't seem to bring herself to answer a teacher. She lowered her gaze to her slippers, frozen. 

"I think I've got a good idea of what's going on here." Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, "Of course, it doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed some cock-and-bull story about a dragon to Draco Malfoy in hopes of getting him into trouble. Well, I've already caught him. And I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom got dragged into the midst of all this as well?" 

Cheyenne glanced at Neville and gave him an apologetic look, trying to wordlessly tell him that wasn't true when he turned to her and Harry with misty eyes. It made Cheyenne's heart twist, knowing what it must have cost Neville to sneak out to find and warn them. 

"I am absolutely disgusted." Professor McGonagall continued, "Why I've never heard of such a thing, five students out of bed in a single night! You two," She gave Hermione and Cheyenne a disappointed look and Cheyenne looked down, "I'd hoped would have had more sense than this. And as for you, Mr. Potter," She turned back to Harry, "I'd thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detention – and yes, that includes you, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to roam the school at night, especially not these days, it's dangerous – and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor." 

"Fifty?" Harry gasped, horrified – if Professor McGonagall took fifty points from Gryffindor house, then they'd lose the lead he'd won them in their last Quidditch match. 

"Fifty points each," Professor McGonagall amended, her nostrils flaring. Cheyenne's head shot up, her eyes widening. 

"No, Professor, please -" 

"You can't -" 

"Don't -" Professor McGonagall gave Harry a sharp look, "You tell me what I can and cannot do, Potter. Now off to bed with all of you. Never, in my entire academic career, have I been more ashamed of a Gryffindor student." 

Two hundred points, gone. That put Gryffindor in dead last. In a single night, they'd ruined any chance they had had for the house cup. Cheyenne felt simultaneously sick to her stomach and like she was about to burst into tears. How would they ever be able to make up for such a blunder? 

Neither Cheyenne nor Hermione could sleep that night, dreading what was to come that morning. They bunkered down in Cheyenne's bed, comforting each other through the wee hours leading up to dawn, fretting over what the rest of Gryffindor house would say when they found out what they'd done. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Those that passed the giant hourglasses that kept track of the house points the next day were confused at first, unsure of how they could have suddenly lost two hundred points seemingly overnight. And then, the truth came out: Harry Potter, their hero of the last two Quidditch matches, had lost them those points with the help of Cheyenne Power and a couple other dumb first years. 

In one day, the duo went from being two of the most popular and admired people at school to two of the most hated. Not even the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs wanted anything to do with them, especially since they'd been longing to see the end of Slytherin's winning streak. Everywhere either Harry or Cheyenne went, people pointed after them, insulting them blatantly behind their backs. Slytherins were the only ones who seemed to like them now, as they clapped for them as they passed, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter/Power, we really owe you one!" 

Ron and the twins were the only ones who stuck up for them. 

"Hey, this'll all blow over soon." Fred tried to reassure Cheyenne one evening as they sat in the courtyard, "Look at George and I, we've lost Gryffindor tons of points since we got here, and people still like us." 

"H either of you lost two hundred points in one go...?" Cheyenne sighed, swallowing back tears. Fred rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Er, well...no..." He admitted sheepishly as Cheyenne hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her robes. 

Well, while it was too late to repair the damage they'd done, Harry and Cheyenne decided to make a pact: from then on they wouldn't meddle in anything that wasn't their business. They were done sneaking around and spying. Hell, they were so ashamed of themselves, they went as far as offering to resign from the Quidditch team. 

"Resign?!" Wood roared, "And what good'll that do? If you two resign, how can we expect to get any of those points back?!" 

Despite Wood's words, not even Quidditch could make Harry or Cheyenne feel better. Outside Wood, Fred, and George, no one else on the team wanted anything to do with them and had even taken to referring to them as 'the Seeker' and 'his Helper'. 

Neither Hermione nor Neville had it any better; though not as well-known as either Harry or Cheyenne, they were both being equally ignored. It was to the point Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, and now kept to herself, working mostly in silence. 

Their final exams came as something of a relief to the troubled preteens as all the extra work and studying kept their minds off their current predicament. The quartet were sure to keep mostly to themselves as they worked late into the night, trying to memorize the ingredients needed for complex potions and the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions, and practice what charms and spells they'd already learned. 

Then, the week before their exams were due to start, Harry and Cheyenne's resolution not to meddle in affairs that weren't their own was put to an unexpected test. While on their way back to Gryffindor tower from the library one afternoon, they overheard someone whimpering in a classroom up ahead. Exchanging a look, they slowed, listening closely. 

"No - no – please, not again -" 

It sounded like Quirrell's voice...and he sounded in distress. The duo frowned, drawing closer. 

"All right – all right -" Quirrell sobbed. 

Abruptly, their professor came hurrying from the classroom, straightening his turban. He was pale and looked on the verge of tears as he strode away up the corridor without sparing either Harry or Cheyenne a glance. Looking at one another again, they waited until Quirrell's footsteps had faded before peering curiously into the, now empty, classroom. A door stood ajar at the other end, piquing their interest, and Harry moved to enter the room when Cheyenne caught his wrist. 

"Harry, we shouldn't...remember what happened last time...?" She whispered, though her gaze was fixated on the door when he turned to look at her. He frowned, glancing back again. 

"Still, how many Sorcerer's Stones do you want to bet Snape left through that door?" 

"Likely with a spring in his step, too..." Cheyenne sighed in agreement, "He's finally broken Quirrell." 

Harry nodded, taking Cheyenne's hand, "C'mon, we need to tell Ron and Hermione." Cheyenne nodded and followed him back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry and Cheyenne pulled a couple of chairs up and, after a quick glance around to be sure no one was within earshot, told their friends what they'd overheard in hushed voices. 

"So, Snape's done it, then!" Ron breathed, "If Quirrell's told him how to get past his Anti-Dark force spell -" 

"He still has to contend with Fluffy, though." Hermione pointed out. 

"Well, maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without talking to Hagrid." Ron frowned, looking up at the surrounding bookshelves, "I mean, there has to be a book here somewhere on giant three-headed dogs." He turned back to Harry and Cheyenne, "So, what do you reckon we should do?" 

They frowned at the sparkle in Ron's eyes, though Hermione answered him first. 

"We should go to Dumbledore, just as we should have ages ago. If we were to try something ourselves, we'd be thrown out of here for sure." 

"Unfortunately, we don't have any proof to back up our claims." Cheyenne sighed. 

"Chey's right." Harry agreed, "If we were to bring this to Dumbledore, it's obvious Quirrell is too scared to back us up and all Snape would have to do is say he doesn't know how the troll got in on Halloween and that he wasn't on the third floor – and it's obvious who Dumbledore would believe. We haven't exactly kept our hate for Snape a secret, and Dumbledore's sure to think we made it up to get him sacked." 

"And Filch wouldn't be any help; he'd side with Snape, no questions asked. In fact, he'd probably be happy to have four less students to worry about." Cheyenne shook her head, "Plus, let's not forget we aren't supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy, so just imagine the trouble that story will get us in." 

Hermione nodded resolutely, but Ron frowned, unconvinced. 

"Look, if we just do a bit of poking around -" 

"No," Harry and Cheyenne said firmly, "We've done enough poking around." And, with that, Cheyenne pulled a map of Jupiter toward them and started to go over the names of its moons with Harry, determined to leave things at that. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The following morning, Harry, Cheyenne, Hermione, and Neville each received a note at breakfast. They all read the same: 

Your detention takes place tonight at eleven o'clock. 

Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.  

Professor McGonagall.  

After everything that had happened thus far, it had slipped both Harry and Cheyenne's minds that they still had detention to serve. Both were quite surprised when Hermione said not a word about the study time they'd lose that night, though, at the same time, they could understand. Like them, she felt they deserved their punishment. 

At ten of eleven that night, the trio bid Ron goodnight in the common room and made their way down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was waiting for them, as was Malfoy. They'd almost forgotten he had detention, too. 

"Follow me." Filch instructed as he lit a lamp and led the way outside. 

"Bet you lot'll think twice before you go breaking another school rule, won't you, eh?" he leered at them, the faint light casting an eerie shadow over his face, "Oh yes, hard work and pain are the best teachers in my opinion...just a pity they let the old punishments die out..." he sighed, wistful, "If it were left to me, you'd be strung up by your wrists and hung from the ceiling for a few days. I've still got the chains in my office, keep 'em nice and oiled, just in case..." Harry and Cheyenn exchanged a terrified look, "Right, let's go, and don't any of you think about running off or you'll just make things worse for yourselves." 

With that, they set off across the dark grounds, their path lit mainly by Filch's lamp as thick clouds rolled continuously across the full moon overhead. Neville sniffled from the back of the group and Cheyenne wondered briefly what their punishment was to be. It had to be something terrible, if the delighted grin on Filch's face was of any indication. 

The familiar shape of Hagrid's hut appeared ahead as they turned a corner, its windows aglow with warm, flickering firelight. It was a welcome vision against the darkness as they heard the giant call out from somewhere in the distance. 

"That you, Filch? Hurry it up, I want ter get started." 

Cheyenne's heart crept up from the pit in her stomach at the thought of working with Hagrid, wondering if maybe it wouldn't be as bad as they'd originally thought. The relief must have been evident on her face, however, as Filch growled, "Suppose you think you're getting off easy, working with that oaf. Well, you two had best think again -" he shook his head as Harry and Cheyenne looked at one another, "It's into the forest with the lot of you, and I'd be mistaken if any of you came out in one piece." 

Neville groaned at Filch's words while Malfoy froze mid step. 

"The forest?" He repeated, the break in his voice cracking through his usual cool mask, "We can't go in there during the day, never mind at night – it's full of dangerous creatures! There are werewolves in there!" 

Neville clutched at Harry's sleep, a sob lodging somewhere in his throat. 

"Really should've thought of them werewolves before you got yourself in trouble, shouldn't you?" Filch cackled gleefully. 

A couple of large shadows came striding toward the group then and Hagrid's familiar shaggy face appeared in the halo of light cast from Filch's lamp; Fang bound up beside him, his tail wagging slow while his owner adjusted the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder. 

"Abou' time." He huffed, "I've been waitin' half an hour already. You all right, Harry, Cheyenne, Hermione?" 

"I wouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid." Filch warned coldly, "They're here to be punished, not to have fun." 

"That why yer late then, is it?" Hagrid frowned at Filch, "Bin lecturin' 'em, have ya? 'Snot your place, Filch. Now, yeh've done yer bit, I can take over from here." 

"I'll be back at dawn." Filch sniffed, turning toward the castle before he paused and glanced back over his shoulder with a nasty grin, "For what's left of them, that is." He chuckled as he disappeared into the shadows, the light of his lamp fading into the distance. 

Malfoy turned to Hagrid, incredulous. 

"I'm not going into that forest." he said, trying, and failing, to hide the panic in his voice. 

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts." Hagrid told him sternly, "Yeh've done sumthin' wrong an' yeh've got ter pay fer it." 

"But students aren't supposed to be doing servant stuff." Malfoy argued, "What happened to copying lines or something like that? If my father knew about this, he'd -" 

" - tell yeh that's how things are done at Hogwarts." Hagrid growled, shaking his head, "Copyin' lines! What good's sumthin' like that ter anyone? No, yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll leave. Now, if yeh think yer father'd rather you got expelled, then you can get back up ter the castle an' pack. Your choice." 

Malfoy met Hagrid's gaze challengingly, narrowing his eyes before he glanced down at his shoes. 

"Right then," Hagrid nodded, firm, "You five listen carefully, 'cause what we're gonna do tonight is dangerous, an' I don' want any'a yeh takin' risks. Follow me this way." 

With that, he led them up to the edge of the forest. Holding his lamp aloft, he pointed down a narrow dirt path winding between the thick black trees. A faint breeze danced past them, playing with their hair as they peered into the forest. 

"Look there," Hagrid said, pointing toward the ground; the light from his lamp fell across a trail of what looked like blood, each small puddle glistening a beautiful silver blue that could rival the moon, "You see that stuff on the ground, the silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood; looks like one's bin hurt badly by summat. This'll be the second one in a week...the first I already found dead last Wednesday. We're gonna go try an' find the poor thing...might have ter put it out of its' misery." 

"And if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Malfoy asked in a tight, terrified voice. 

"Ain't nothin' alive in that forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang." Hagrid reassured, "Jus' be sure ter keep ter the path. Right, now, we'll be splittin' inter two parties so we can follow the trail in two different directions. There's blood all over the place, which means it must've bin staggerin' round since last night, at least." 

"I want Fang." Malfoy declared, eyeing Fang's long teeth. 

"All right, but I'll warn yeh now, he's a coward." Hagrid said, "So, it'll be me, Harry, an' Hermione going one way while Cheyenne, Draco, Neville, and Fang go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice that a few times – that's it – and, if anyone gets inta trouble, send up red sparks an' we'll come find yeh – so, be careful - let's go." 

The forest was cloaked in shadow as they followed the path deeper into the trees, their only companion the sound of their robes moving over the carpet of dead leaves that covered the ground. About fifty feet in, they reached a fork in the path, where the groups split; Harry and Hermione following Hagrid to the left, while Cheyenne led Malfoy, Neville, and Fang to the right. 

None of them said a word as they walked, the eerie silence prickling at the hair on the back of Cheyenne's neck as she held the lamp Hagrid had given her up, her eyes trained on the spots of blood that dotted the ground ahead. Their only other light came from what little moonlight was able to break through the thick canopies overhead, casting an almost ethereal blue glow over the streaks of blood they fell across. It'd be beautiful if the situation wasn't so serious. 

"Y-you don't suppose a w-w-werewolf is killing the unicorns...?" Neville whispered, speaking up for the first time since they'd left the common room, "D-do you?" 

"Not sure..." Cheyenne answered earnestly, trying to think back on what she'd read; were werewolves powerful enough to take down a unicorn? Or did unicorns have some kind of advantage that kept them from being a part of a werewolves' diet? 

"Either way, it won't stop them from coming after us." Malfoy muttered behind them. Neville whimpered and shuffled closer to Cheyenne, gripping the back of her robes while she cast the blond a look over her shoulder. 

"Yes, that's real helpful, thank you, Malfoy." She said sarcastically; he glared at her. 

"Don't think you can talk to me like that, Power! I wouldn't be out here in the first place if it wasn't for you and Potter!" 

Cheyenne shook her head, exasperated, "Merlin, you're blind." 

Malfoy stopped in the middle of the path, his cold eyes flashing, "And what is that supposed to mean?!" 

Cheyenne paused, too, and turned to glance back at him with a frown, "I'll put it in simpler terms so you can understand: your head is so inflated, I'm surprised you can even walk straight." She rolled her eyes, "But really, what can we expect of a spoiled little daddy's boy? He and mummy were the ones who filled it up with air in the first place!" 

Malfoy's cheeks flushed, "At least I have parents! That's more than I can say for Potter." 

Cheyenne's jaw twitched, her fist clenching at her side, itching to smack some sense into the boy when Fang, who'd been silent throughout the exchange, backed up against her. Distracted, she looked down at the boarhound, then around at the trees as he stared into the shadows. Malfoy, oblivious to whatever it was that had disturbed Fang, smirked. 

"What's the matter, Power -?" He started to ask mockingly when she shushed him; his eyes flashed again, "The hell did you -?!" 

"Shut up!" Cheynne whipped her head around to look at him again, pressing a finger to her lips, "Listen!" 

The trio froze, ears perked; something moved nearby, the sound of dead leaves crackling almost thunderous in the silence. Cheyenne's throat seized and she lifted the lamp out in front of her, trying to see what might lie ahead. 

"What...is....that?!" Neville croaked breathlessly. 

"I-I don't know." Cheyenne swallowed, trying to keep her wits about her. Neville was here because of her, so she felt a sense of responsibility in looking after him tonight, and, since she knew Malfoy was all bluster, it was obvious she was going to have to be the one to take charge in this situation. She still waited to see if whatever was making that noise would approach, only exhaling in relief when it seemed to fade into the distance. "Either way, we shouldn't stand around...just keep on your toes." She warned, reaching into her pocket to pull out her wand as she led the way further into the forest. Neville stayed close behind her, gripping the back of her robes tight in his fingers while Fang was practically glued to her side. 

The group continued along the path in silence, listening intently for any indication that whatever they'd heard earlier was coming back. The unicorn blood didn't seem as frequent as before, though they still saw spots of it splashed across the tree roots now and again. Cheyenne glanced to the right when she heard water trickling over stone nearby; it wasn't very loud, so it was probably a stream. 

As they reached a narrower point in the path, Cheyenne almost caught a couple of low hanging branches in the face. 

"Careful here." She warned the others, holding the branches up so they could step through, "You okay, Malfoy?" she asked, starting to move ahead again when she realized something; unlike earlier, there were no snippy retorts or complaints, nor did she hear the rustle of leaves or snap of wood against exposed flesh that indicated Malfoy was behind her. No matter how spoiled he was, she didn't think he was above handling a couple of measly twigs. "Malfoy?" 

Neville began to tremble as Cheyenne turned around to investigate, feeling her heart sink when she realized the path was empty, "Where did he go?!" 

"A werewolf must have got him!" Neville sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Cheyenne shook her head, doing her best to stay calm. 

"I'm sure we would have heard it if that was the case..." She reassured Neville while she tried to mask her own irritation, knowing she shouldn't take it out on him, "I'm sure Malfoy's fine, just looking for a cheap laugh." Putting the hand not holding the lamp on her hip, Cheyenne called out into the darkness, "Very funny, Malfoy, you got us. C'mon out." 

The only response Cheyenne got was the gentle rustle of the leaves overhead and the far-off sound of an owl. She furrowed her brow, scanning the trees once more as that earlier feeling of unease prickling at the back of her neck returned, raising goosebumps on her arms. 

(Okay, just stay calm.) Cheyenne told herself, taking a deep breath, (There's no reason to panic, it's just Malfoy pulling a prank. He's fine. Probably just hiding behind a tree or something.)  

"Hey Neville," She turned back to her housemate, smiling reassuring, "Listen, I'm going to go back down this path a little and see if Malfoy's tripped or something. Do you think you can stay here for a minute? I'll leave Fang with you." 

Neville turned his attention to her, his eyes wide as saucers, "B-but -" 

Cheyenne put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey Neville, do me a favor, huh? Pause, take a breath. Yes, just like that." She smiled, watching as Neville did so, which seemed to relax him, if just marginally, "Now listen, I'm not going to go far, I'm just going to go a dozen or so paces and then I'll come right back, okay? I'm going to get you out of here in one piece, but I'm going to need you to trust me. Do you understand?" 

Neville stared up at her for a moment, letting her words hang in the air between them before he gave a slow nod. Cheyenne smiled, squeezing his shoulder, "Good. Now, just stay here and I'll be back. Fang," She turned to the boarhound, who stared up at her with big, droopy eyes, "Sit," She pointed to the ground; he immediately dropped his rump to the dirt, "Good, now, stay." She held up a hand as she turned, heading back the way they had just come. She counted each step she took, trying to keep to her promise not to go far as she scanned the ground for any indication of what could have happened, a torn piece of cloth or fresh splatter of blood that could indicate an attack. But there was nothing, not even a disturbance in the carpet of leaves that covered the ground to tell her where Malfoy could have disappeared to. 

"What the hell...?" Cheyenne muttered, pausing by a thick oak to peer around again, "He couldn't have just up and disappeared into thin air, so where -?!" 

"HA!" Someone yelled suddenly behind her as a pair of hands grabbed her about the waist. A scream ripped from Cheyenne's throat before she could stop it and she tripped over herself in her mad scramble to get away, sending her to her hands and knees. She spun to get a look at her attacker, wand raised and heart in her throat. 

Malfoy stood above her, doubled over with laughter while the realization of what had just happened sank in. Heat rushed to Cheyenne's cheeks, burning all the way to the tips of her ears as she watched him brace his hands on his knees, tears burning at the back of her eyes. 

"Malfoy..." She grits out from between clenched teeth as she shoved herself to her feet, clenching her fists to keep from shaking, "What the hell is wrong with you?!" 

"It was a joke!" Malfoy continued to laugh, completely nonplussed by Cheyenne's anger, "You should have seen the look on your face!" 

"It's not my face you should be worried about," She growled, her knuckles cracking as she advanced on the blond boy, "Because by the time I'm done with you no one's going to be able to recognize -" 

"Cheyenne?!" A familiar gruff voice interrupted then, pulling Cheyenne up short as she spun to find the source. Heavy footsteps approached from up the path and before long Hagrid came striding into view with his crossbow held aloft, eyes darting here and there for anything dangerous that could be lurking nearby. "Are yeh okay?" 

"Hagrid..." She sighed, "I'm fine..." 

Hagrid finally turned to regard her and Malfoy, slowly lowering his crossbow, "What happened? I saw Neville's sparks." 

"I'm sorry..." Neville panted as he caught up to them, his eyes wide and face ashen, "I panicked when I heard you scream and sent up the red sparks...I-I thought something attacked you!" 

"Nothing worse than this twit." Cheyenne smacked Malfoy upside the head for emphasis before turning to the giant, "I'm sorry, Hagrid...we didn't mean to cause a ruckus..." 

Hagrid, less than pleased by this turn of events, shouldered his crossbow once more, "Well, nutin' ta be done 'bout it, though we'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now. Come with me you four." He turned and led the way into the brush, leaving them to have to jog to catch up. After about five minutes, they stepped out onto the path Hagrid had left Harry and Hermione on. The pair seemed relieved at knowing they were okay, though they were equally annoyed when Hagrid explained how Malfoy had decided to play a prank on Cheyenne and Neville. 

"Right, after this little incident," Hagrid gave Malfoy a dark look, "We'll be changin' groups – Neville, you'll stay with me an' Hermione. Harry, you go with Cheyenne, Fang, an' this idiot. I'm sorry." Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry and Cheyenne, "I thought he wouldn't pull anythin' with you there, Cheyenne, but I figure he'll have a harder time frightenin' the pair'a yeh, an' we gotta get this done." 

Exchanging a look, Harry and Cheyenne nodded together in agreement and led Malfoy and Fang down a separate path deep into the heart of the forest. After a half hour, the path ahead became so narrow it was nearly impossible to follow thanks to the thick trees closing in around them. The blood trail seemed to be getting thicker; splashes of it were smeared on tree roots and brush, like the unfortunate creature had been thrashing about in pain close by. Just ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak, they spotted a clearing where something white gleamed in a ray of moonlight that had broken through the canopy. 

"Guys, look..." Cheyenne whispered, pointing to it; Harry held an arm out in front of her and Malfoy, telling them to stay behind him as they inched closer. 

It was their unicorn...and it was dead. They'd never seen anything so beautifully tragic before, with its long, slender legs stuck out at odd angles beneath it and its bright white mane a stark contrast against the dead leaves. 

Indicating for the others to stay back, Harry took a step forward when a low, slithering sound came from somewhere nearby; Cheyenne grabbed his arm, eyes wide as a bush on the far edge of the clearing shook. A stalky, hooded figure emerged slowly from the shadows, crawling on hands and knees like some kind of four-legged beast toward the unicorn. Neither Harry, Cheyenne, nor Malfoy could breathe as they watched the figure lower its head over the huge wound on the animal's side to drink its blood. 

"AAAAAARGH!" Malfoy's terrified scream shattered the silence, echoing in his wake as he bolted off into the trees, followed closed by Fang. The hooded figure raised its head, turning to look directly at Harry and Cheyenne, its chin covered in thick, silver blood. Then, in one swift motion, it was on its feet and moving toward them. Neither Harry nor Cheyenne could move, frozen in place by the horror that stood before them. 

Suddenly, an intense pain like nothing Cheyenne had felt before rippled through the scars on her cheek; her vision went white, and she pressed her free hand to her face, feeling like she was being burned from the inside out. Screwing her eyes shut, she grabbed at who had stumbled back into her, gripping their robes tight in her fingers as both tumbled to the ground. Suddenly, she could hear hooves drawing closer, like something galloping nearby. 

It took a few minutes before Cheyenne regained her sight, blinking slowly as she gathered herself before she turned to find who was seated in her lap. Her brow furrowed in concern when she found Harry knelt before her, his face scrunched and hand pressed to his forehead, as though his own scar was bothering him. 

"Harry...?" She whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder; she glanced back at her, offering a weak smile to let her know he was okay before the two turned to look around the clearing. The figure was gone and, in its place, stood a beautiful creature with the upper torso of a man and the golden, palomino body of a horse. Cheyenne recognized him as a centaur from the book Harry had gotten her for Christmas. 

"Are you both all right?" he asked, bending to pull them both to their feet. 

"Yes, thank you..." Harry nodded, glancing past him, "What was that?" 

The centaur didn't answer immediately as his bright, sapphire blue eyes scanned the duo, lingering on the vivid scars on his forehead and her cheek. 

"You are the Potter boy," he said to Harry before peering at Cheyenne, "And the Power girl...you'd best get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe, especially not for either of you. Can you ride? It will be quicker. 

"My name is Firenze," He added, more as an afterthought as he lowered himself onto his front legs; Harry helped Cheyenne onto his back first and then clambered on behind her. 

The sound of galloping sounded once more from the other side of the clearing and two more centaurs burst through the trees, their flanks heaving, and nostrils flared. One of them had a beautiful, chestnut body with a long, red tail that matched his bright hair and beard; the other looked a little wilder, with a darker body and long, black hair. 

"Firenze!" The darker of the two thundered, "What are you doing? You have not one, but two humans on your back! Have you no pride? Are you a common mule?" 

"Do either of you realize who these are?" Firenze frowned, "These are the saviors. The quicker they leave the forest, the better." 

"What have you been telling them?" The same centaur as before growled, "Do not forget we are sworn not to interfere in what has been foreseen in the heavens, Firenze. Have we not seen what is to come in the movements of the planets?" 

The red-haired centaur pawed anxiously at the ground, "I'm sure Firenze believes he is only acting for the best." he said in a low, gloomy voice. The darker centaur kicked his back legs, his nose crinkling in anger. 

"For the best? That has nothing to do with us. Centaurs are only concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our duty to run about like donkeys after humans that have strayed into our forest." 

Without warning, Firenze reared back on his hind legs, kicking out at his companion in anger while Cheyenne wrapped her arms around Firenze's waist and Harry around her to stay in place. 

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze shouted, "Do you not know the reason for its death? Or have the planets not told you that secret? I've set myself against what lurks in this forest, Bane, and I will do so alongside humans if I must." 

With that, Firenze spun around and took off into the forest with Harry and Cheyenne hanging on as best they could, leaving the other centaurs behind. Neither were quite sure what to make of the exchange. 

"Firenze..." Harry leaned forward so he could be heard, "Why is Bane so angry? And what was that thing that you saved us from, anyway?" 

Firenze did not answer straight away, though he slowed to a walk, warning both Harry and Cheyenne to keep their heads bowed in case of low-hanging branches before they lapsed into silence. Cheyenne began to wonder if perhaps Firenze would not answer at all when he suddenly stopped among a dense patch of trees. 

"Harry Potter, Cheyenne Power, do either of you know what unicorn blood is used for?" 

"No," Harry and Cheyenne answered, glancing at one another, confused, "We only use the horn and tail hair during our Potions' class." 

"That is because it is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn." Firenze said slowly, "Only those who have nothing to lose, but everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn can be used to keep someone alive, even if they are an inch from death, though it comes at a terrible price. To slay something so pure and defenseless to save yourself, you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment that blood touches your lip." 

Harry frowned and glanced back the way they'd come while Cheyenne bit her lip, "Who would ever be that desperate?" she whispered after a moment, "Death has to be better than being cursed..." 

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless it's needed to keep one alive long enough to drink another, stronger remedy, something that could restore them to full strength and power and keep them from ever dying. I'm sure you both know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, don't you?" 

"The Sorcerer's Stone!" They muttered together, "Of course, they need the Elixir of Life...but who -" 

"Can neither of you think of someone who has waited many years to return to power...? Someone who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" 

It felt as though an ice cube had dropped directly into Cheyenne's stomach as she stared out at the trees, recalling the day when Arabella had told her the truth about her past: 'Voldemort did a lot of terrible things in his time, things that made him less...human than others. It's likely there wasn't enough human left to die.' 

"You mean," Harry croaked, "That that was Vol -" 

"Harry, Cheyenne!" Hermione's voice came trailing down the path toward them, followed shortly by her and Hagrid, "Are you two all right?" 

"Y-yeah, we're okay," Cheyenne answered automatically, offering a reassuring smile as Harry told Hagrid about the unicorn, pointing back the way he, Firenze, and Cheyenne had just come. 

"This is where we part." Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn, "You're both safe now." 

Harry slid off first and turned to help Cheyenne down after him. 

"Good luck, Harry Potter and Cheyenne Power," Firenze nodded to the pair of them, "I sincerely hope this is one of the times in which we have read the planets wrong." And, with that, he turned and strolled back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry and Cheyenne huddled anxiously behind him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Ron had fallen asleep on the couch by the fire by the time Harry, Cheyenne, Hermione, and Neville returned; when Harry shook him roughly awake, he shot upright, shouting something about Quidditch fouls. In a matter of minutes, however, he was wide awake and wide-eyed as Harry and Cheyenne recounted what had happened to them out in the forest. 

Harry couldn't sit still and set about pacing in front of the grate while the fire itself had settled into little more than a smoldering pile of ash. Cheyenne shifted her weight anxiously in the corner, unable to sit still herself. 

"Voldemort's out there waiting in the forest while Snape gets the stone...not for himself, like we thought, but for Voldemort..." 

"Stop saying his name!" Ron whispered, terrified, as he glanced around the dark common room, as though expecting the dark wizard to suddenly pop out of the shadows. Neither Harry nor Cheyenne paid him any mind. 

"Firenze saved us, even though he shouldn't have..." Cheyenne bit her lip, "You two should have seen how furious that other centaur was...he said something about Firenze interfering with what the planets predict is going to happen...they must have foretold of Voldemort's return..." 

"Do you reckon Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill us..." Harry frowned, glancing at Cheyenne, who shrugged, "Maybe, if it was written in the stars, too." 

"Will you two stop saying his name?!" Ron hissed through clenched teeth. 

"Either way, we need to wait until Snape steals the Stone," Harry continued feverishly, "since Voldemort will be able to come finish us off..." 

Cheyenne sighed, "You think that'll make Bane happy?" 

Hermione, who had been watching the exchange in fearful silence, cleared her throat to speak, "Harry, Cheyenne, everyone knows Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of, so you know, with Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't be able to touch either of you. And anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It all sounds like a bunch of fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall's said that that is a very imprecise branch of magic." 

The sky outside had begun to lighten by the time they finished talking, and the quartet decided to call it a night, dragging themselves off to bed, exhausted and sore. However, as Harry would later tell the others, that night's surprises were far from over; when he pulled the sheets back on his bed, he was quite surprised to find his invisibility cloak tucked neatly underneath with a note pinned to it that read: 

Just in case.