HIS CHOSEN GIRL
chapter sixteen-detention
[Your P.O.V]
☟ ☟ ☟
I sprint, despite being extremely out of breath, rushing back to the castle, hoping that by some miracle, we beat Draco.
All we were trying to do was to get just a little more information on the Philosopher's Stone but then Hagrid distracted us with his new dragon, sidetracking us from our task. That's when stupid Malfoy caught us now I can only imagine the kinds of trouble we've gotten ourselves in.
"Hagrid had always said he wanted a dragon," Harry pants as we arrive at the castle. "Told me so the first time I met him."
"It's crazy," Ron adds. "And worse, Malfoy knows."
Harry shrugs not following along. "I don't get it. Is that bad?"
As if on cue Professor McGonagall turns the corner of the hallway we were about to turn onto. She has her arms crossed over her chest, a disapproving look in her face and an greatly intimidating stance.
Ron gulps. "It's bad."
"Good evening," McGongall says calmly.
Standing beside her with the evilest smirk on his face is, but of course the snitch himself, Draco Malfoy.
I turn to my friends who watch the woman as if she were a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode, terror in each of their faces. I sigh leading the sorrowful pack towards her office and looking at the ground ashamed.
The tension is thick inside her office, the four of us standing in front of her desk as she lectures us, Draco annoyingly watching with amusement with a front row seat.
"Nothing," McGonagall addresses. "I repeat. Nothing gives the student the right to walk about the school at night. There for as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken."
"50?" Harry exclaims.
"Each," she replies.
I glance at Malfoy who looks as if he's just became head boy what with the joyous look on his face. I scowl at him my blood boiling to which he merely flashes me one of his signature smirks and signals for me to turn back around by nodding his head at McGonagall. As IF this boy has the audacity to try and tell me what to do.
Nevertheless I turn so that he doesn't see the look of sheer disappointment on my face. 50 points each, thats 200. There's absolutely not a chance we win the house cup now. What with my luck, the Slytherins now most likely have the first place spot secured and Draco will boast to us all about how we practically won the cup for them until we graduate.
McGonagall sighs and I feel guilt. I like professor McGonagall and I feel quite sad that we've disappointed her. "To ensure that this doesn't happen again, all five of you will receive detention."
Detention? Are you bloody kidding me. It's not like we were just galavanting around the castle, we were downright trying to stop a thief.
The last sentence McGonagall speaks though puts me in at least a bit of a better mood. I turn and flash the blonde haired boy a satisfied grin, serves him right for spying on us. Confusion grows though when he doesn't react, he just keeps that smirk plastered on his face.
"You're aware she said five, are you not?" I sneer at the Slytherin.
This catches Draco's attention and he flashes me a look of disgust. "Obviously I heard her I'm six feet away from her."
I roll my eyes in disbelief of the idiocy of the boy before me. "How many of us are there, Malfoy," I nearly shout throwing my hands up in exasperation. "Count, I dare you."
I can see Hermione, Ron, and Harry try to stifle back their laughter, I can even see McGonagall trying to hide the tiniest of smiles. As Draco Malfoy finally realizes that he too, will be joining us for detention.
May I say, the look on that boys face is absolutely priceless.
"Excuse me Professor," he tries, scowling at me. "Perhaps (l/n) over there heard you mistakenly. She seems to think you've said the five of us."
"Miss (l/n) has heard correctly," she responds bluntly. "You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours, you will join your fellow classmates in detention."
If looks could kill, Draco Malfoy would've just murdered me.
"Off you go now," McGongall says shooing us all to bed.
I'm the last to leave the room and I wait a few seconds behind my friends, turning to the professor who sits at her desk shuffling papers around.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
She looks up almost surprised at the gesture and nods in response. "Very well, Miss (l/n). Off to bed with you now get some sleep."
The walk back to the common room is uneventful. Ron and Harry briefly laugh about the look on Draco's face among realizing he'd be serving detention along side the rest of us but Hermione and I walk in silence. Hermione probably worrying deeply about her now not so flawless record and I fearful for what detention at a wizard school could look like. I've received detention before, at my old school, plenty of times. All that consisted of though was sitting through recess or clapping together chalkboard erasers after school. Now that I'm at Hogwarts, the sky's the limit for them, they could vanish me for all I know.
All thanks to stupid snitch Malfoy.
-
My stomach has been sinking all day the nearer the clock gets to our scheduled detention. Now, it feels like I'd eaten rocks for dinner as I walk glumly across the damp, grass further and further away from the castle.
Not one of us speak as we make our way over to Hagrid's hut. Not even Draco to taunt us or to remind us of our lost points.
Maybe it's just the tension, but it feels like hours since we've left the castle grounds even though it's only been a few minutes.
Filch pushes past me grunting. "Pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons.... God I miss the screaming."
It's scary how unsurprised I am by the undoubtably deranged man.
"You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do," Filch faces us and smiles sadistically. "I side the dark forest."
I'm sorry, the dark forest? As in the dark forest that Dumbledore mentioned at the beginning of the year? The one that he said was forbidden, yes this is literally called the FORBIDDEN forest. Hermione has warned me of it, told me of all the terrifying things that reside there. I knew detention was gonna be bad, but I didn't think I'd be risking my life during it.
"Scared?" Filch asks getting uncomfortably close to my face.
"Not at all," I squeak out sounding horribly unconvincing, but my ego refusing to admit anything to the disgusting caretaker.
As soon as I see Hagrid the slightest of my fear washes away, hopefully no one will try to hurt us with the giant protecting us.
The closer we get, the louder his weeps sound. He sadly gathers supplies while wiping away tears. I feel for the friendly giant, they made him get rid of Norbert who, despite only knowing each other for a day at most, was like a son to him.
Filch apparently having no sympathy for the man sneers at him. "Good god man. You're not still on about that bloody dragon are you?"
"Norbert's gone. Dumbledore's sent 'im off to Romania to live in a colony," he sniffles, ignoring Filch's rude tone a lot better than I would've.
"Cmon Hagrid," Hermione tries. "That's good news isn't it? He'll be with his own kind."
"What if he don't like Romania?" Hagrid protests. "What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby after all."
"Get a grip and pull yourself together man!" Filch says mercilessly.
"Ok, cmon now," Hagrid says with one last sniffle. "To the forest."
"The forest?" Malfoy bursts out. "I thought that was a joke!"
"Everyone knows Filch has zero sense of humor, Malfoy," I roll my eyes.
"Shut up," he dismisses my comment. "We can't go in there! Students aren't allowed. And there are-" he's interrupted by the sound of howling.
I've got to agree with Malfoy. They're absolutely mental if they're really about to send us in there.
The howling dies down and Draco shudders.
"Werewolves! There are werewolves!" He spazzes with fear in his eyes.
"There are a lot more than werewolves in those trees lad, you can be sure of that," Hagrid states. "Right, let's go,"
The five of us reluctantly follow Hagrid towards the dark forest which looks even darker, if that's possible, in with additional darkness of the night. I stand in between Harry and Ron, lightly grasping both their shoulders just for my own reassurance.
Nothing about the forest is ok. The trees bend in ways that make them seem as though they're out to get you and the occasional rustles make you whip your head in every direction to no avail, for everything looks about the same.
Hagrid finally stops and I walk up ahead, unknowingly dragging the boys with me. I look down to see Hagrid's stopped in front of a puddle of thick, chrome colored liquid. He crouches down and studies it, frowning before dipping his index finger in and standing back up again and turning to face us.
"Do I even want to ask what that is?" I ask, looking up at the tall man before me.
"Well," Hagrid responds. "It's what we're here for. See that?" He rubs the shiny liquid between his two fingers. "That's unicorn blood that is."
I stare at him shocked. Not only that a) he so casually dipped his finger in a puddle of unicorn blood, but b) unicorns really exist?
"I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now. This ones been hurt bad by something," he says while the rest of us instinctively check o ur surroundings. "So it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron and.... Hermione. You'll come with me."
"Ok," Ron squeaks and I release him and he shakily joins Hagrid's side.
"And (y/n)," he turns to me. "I'm putting you in charge of these boys here."
I nod shortly while brutally judging his decisions in my mind. With what judgement did he decide putting those two together was a good idea? They'll kill each other, you know, if whatever lies in the forest doesn't capture us first.
"Ok, then we get Fang," Draco demands quickly.
Bossy, but smart.
"Fine," Hagrid says bluntly, pushing Fang towards us to which he runs straight to me, probably assuming I've brought him some scraps from dinner, something I usually do but neglected to do this particular time. "Just so ya know, he's a bloody coward."
Fang whines as if on cue and I sigh all relief of being protected by the intimidating looking dog vanishing in an instant.
I lead the boys further into the forest hesitantly while Hagrid calls out, "Stay on the track you'd better! And shoot up some sparks from yer wand if anything goes haywire!"
It takes only about twenty seconds of walking for Malfoy to start complaining. "Wait till my father hears about this! This is servants' work."
"If I didn't know better Draco, I'd say you were scared," Harry taunts.
"Scared, Potter?" He asks disbelievingly.
The two begin to argue until abruptly stopping when a loud howl is made from somewhere in the distance causing the three of us to jump.
"Won't you two idiots knock it off?" I plead in frustration. "We're all scared. Now shut it before you draw the attention of something hungry for wandering first years," I continue to walk before turning around to face Harry. "You're much less of an idiot though, I don't mean to compare you to his type."
Draco glares but chooses not to comment and turns over his shoulder. "Cmon, Fang."
We follow Fang through the forest until we reach a clearing. We stop and Fang sniffs the ground in the area. He stops quite suddenly and begins to growl. I clutch onto Harry's arm immediately.
"What is it Fang?" He asks bravely.
Trying to be as brave as he makes himself out to be, I look out to where Fang growls. Lying unconscious on the ground is the unicorn, dead. I begin stepping closer towards it, when Harry quickly pulls me back. I turn to him in confusion when he raises a finger to his lips warning me to be quiet and points to the unicorn.
Looking more carefully this time, to find why Harry wants me to stay here, I nearly jump when I finally see the figure drinking blood from the unicorn's limp body. It's got a black hooded cloak on, so I can't see it's face but I can tell it looks weak, weak but still fully capable to harming us that is.
Harry raises the arm that I was holding without warning and as he grabs his forehead in pain I lose my balance and fall backwards. Draco quickly extends his arms and catches me just in time and I turn to thank him but decide against it when he wipes his arms on his robe, a look of disgust on his face as if touching me will give him a disease or something.
"Are you ok?" Harry and I ask each other in unison.
"I think so?" We then answer, although it sounds more like a question from the both of us.
To my complete horror, when I look back at the thing, it's already looking at me and I scream.
Draco's scream immediately drowns out my own and he runs off in the direction we had came from followed by a whining fang.
"Shoot up sparks! Shoot up sparks!" I yell urgently, struggling to locate my wand as Harry and I begin retreating backwards.
The hooded creature glides effortlessly off of the unicorn and over towards the two of us. Harry shoves me behind him and despite my struggles manages to keep me there. I try to peer out from behind Harry and see the thing's face, but it's too dark. Distracted, I don't seem to notice the log behind me and I trip. Harry trips over me, and I can't bear to watch anymore so I bury my head in Harry's chest and he wraps his arms around me protectively.
In the most inappropriate of times I feel butterflies in my stomach. I feel inexplainable amounts of appreciation that Harry would so willingly protect my life over his. Now come to think of it, he's always done so when he thinks we're in danger. Always checking in on each other and putting one another first. Caring about each other in stressful situations before thinking about ourselves. We clearly have a connection, a connection stronger than maybe just friends looking out for friends.
And he'll never know.
Harry squeezing my arms causes me to return to our current situation and oh my gosh I cannot believe that I'm about to die and I spent my last minutes on this earth questioning about my relationship with my best friend. When I really should've been reflecting on my life, how I'm not satisfied with this being the end for me.
I open my mouth to speak, not sure of what'll come out. "Harry I-"
I'm interrupted by the loud sound of hooves trotting over to us and I push Harry's arms off me just slightly to see a centaur approaching us. It by some miracle chases the hooded figure out of the clearing, saving our lives.
I push myself up of the ground and try to steady my breathing from what easily was the scariest moment of my life. I check myself for cuts and Harry does the same but only after checking if I'm ok first and the butterflies that I was hoping I would forget about flutter rapidly around again in my stomach.
"Harry Potter," he says. "And pardon me, I don't believe I'm familiar with yourself."
"(y/n)," I reply still shocked at the recent events. "(y/n) (l/n)."
"Pleasure," the centaur bows. "Now, Harry Potter, and (y/n) (l/n), you must leave. Many creatures are aware of your presence. The forest is not safe at this time," he turns to Harry. "Especially for you."
I'm ready to follow the centaur's advice and sprint right now and not stop until I get back to the safety of my own bed, but Harry being Harry seems to disagree.
"But what was that thing you saved us from?" He asks as if we have all the time in the world.
"A monstrous creature," he replies shaking slightly. "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. For you to have slain something so pure. That from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half life. A cursed life."
"But killing an innocent unicorn?" I confirm. "Drinking it's blood? A cursed life?"
"Who would choose such a life?" Harry finishes my train of thought.
"Can you think of no one?" The centaur questions testing us.
"No," I shake my head refusing to believe it. "It can't be."
"That thing that killed the unicorn, that was drinking it's blood. That was Voldemort?" Harry asks.
"Mr. Potter. Miss (l/n). Do you know what is being hidden at the school at this very moment?" The centaur asks, his voice mesmerizing.
"The Philosopher's Stone," we say in unison.
The sound of distant barking causes us to turn to see Fang leading the others to us worried expressions on each of their faces.
"(y/n)! Harry!" Hermione exclaims relived throwing her arms around me.
"Hullo there, Firenze," Hagrid greets the centaur. "I see you've meet our young Mr. Potter, our charming (y/n). You kids alright there?"
We nod and Hagrid visibly relaxes.
Firenze turns to Harry and I. "This is where I leave you. You are safe now. Good luck," he bids us farewell before trotting off back into the forest.
"Let's get outta here," Hagrid says to our lot.
"Gladly," I say immediately leading the back out of the forbidden forest.
In which I hope I never have to return to again.
************