Finding The Light

The Dead Unicorn (edited)

Harry staggered backwards like he was in pain and I pointed my wand at the thing. I could hear Malfoy's screams fading as he ran further away from us, but my focus shifted when Harry tripped backwards. I stumbled in attempt to catch him and nearly fell to my knees.

There was a galloping sound from behind and something jumped clean over the two of us, charging at the figure. Harry collapsed to his knees and I kneeled next to him, worried at the pain on his face. He just groaned and grabbed his forehead, his scar. A centaur was standing over us; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.

"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet. I stood up too, lowering my wand.

"Yes - thank you - what was that?" Harry asked.

The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. Pretty, I thought. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead and then to me.

"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way . . . My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber onto his back. "You too, girl."

Harry helped me up and Firenze checked we were okay. There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two other centaurs came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" one thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Two in fact! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."

"What have you been telling him?" the same centaur growled. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

The other pawed the ground nervously. He seemed kinder, I thought.

"I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice. The angry one kicked his back legs.

"For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on and I had to grab Harry.

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at the angry one. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

And Firenze whisked around; with Harry and I clutching on as best we could, he plunged off into the trees, leaving Bane and the gloomy one behind them.

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on but I had my ideas. There was only one thing you could gain from Unicorn blood.

"Why's Bane so angry?" Harry asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"

Firenze slowed to a walk, warned us to keep our heads bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. He made his way through the trees in silence for so long that I thought Firenze didn't want to talk anymore. We were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.

"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

I sighed and thought about an easy way to explain it, once I did; I spoke in a mumble only just loud enough for them to hear.

"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 pure and defenceless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

"Correct, child."

"Please, call me Belle."

"But who'd be that desperate?" Harry wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, deaths 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 bring you back to full strength and power - something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

I could see the cogs turning in Harry's head as his mind worked it out.

"The Philosopher's Stone! Of course - the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who -"

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

"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "That was Vol-"

"Harry! Harry, are you all right? Belle?!"

Hermione was running toward us down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.

"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now." Harry slid off his back and helped me down too. "Good luck, Harry Potter, Belle," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry and I shivering behind him. Even Malfoy's cloak wasn't keeping me warm now.

Malfoy and i traipsed down to the common room together while the others headed up to Gryffindor, what i wouldn't give to be up there.

Clearing my throat, i shrugged off Malfoy's cloak and offered it to him, keeping my eyes averted as i muttered "Thanks."

"Don't expect it all the time, Sparrow," he scoffed, snatching it back.

"Oh how will i ever survive without the great Draco Malfoy being nice to me," i cooed dramatically, clutching my heart, "Well to be honest i'd probably be a rather good student, i wouldn't have a lot of detention and hell, Parkinson may be nice to me . . . on second thought ew."

"Yeah, i second that," Malfoy agreed with a shudder, "She's bad enough as it is."

I snickered, watching him half smirk half smile from the corner of my eye and we walked the rest of the way in silence. Maybe Malfoy wasn't completely horrible, you know, if you caught him alone in the middle of a night after being terrified by a dark wizard who was supposed to be dead.

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