Chapter 9 - Into the Forest

A few days passed and now it was time for my detention. Myself, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Nevill and surprisingly Malfoy were all instructed to meet Mr Filch in the entrance hall at eleven pm at night.

I found it questionable that they were being punished for being out after dark by being sent out after dark, but I supposed the punishment should fit the crime?

Filch was an oily old squib who no one really liked, and he had an ugly grin on his face as he said, "Follow me."

He held an oil lamp and we followed his slightly hunched figure through the grounds towards Hagrid's hut.

I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he asked, leering.

"Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me.... It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed.... Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do." If they were going to be that cruel they might as well go all the way, Voldemort's memories had taught me the cruciatus curse after all.

As we walked I gestured for the others to slow so we were out of hearing distance from Filch who was striding ahead and asked Hermione, "So why were you out so late at night anyways?"

Hermione didn't answer and Malfoy cut in gleefully, "They were trying to hide Hagrid's dragon."

Ash, who was situated on my shoulder, perked up in interest after hearing the word dragon, adopting the same adorable look she always held at the mention of food.

"Hagrid had a dragon?" I asked, interested, why did I not hear about this? "Where did he get it?"

"He won the blasted thing." Ron answered gloomily.

"In a pub down in Hogsmeade." Harry supplied, his tone equally gloomy.

"We handed it off to Ron's brother Charlie." Hermione said.

"What did you get detention for, Olivander?" Malfoy asked in a rather rude tone.

I raised an eyebrow in his direction, "I was dating you sister." I answered calmly.

Ron snorted.

Turning away from the red faced Malfoy I said, "You can win dragon eggs in the Hogsheads? Now I'm starting to wish I had visited, that place sounds awesome."

There were only two bars in Hogsmeade, it was a small village after all, and I had visited the three broomsticks already.

But if they were gambling such illegal items then it quickly became the most interesting location in the village.

"You're dating Malfoy's sister?" Hermione asked incredulously, apparently she didn't pay much attention to rumours, "But isn't she in Slytherin?"

"Mm," I nodded, "Tall, pretty, pale skin, platinum hair, a few years above us. You've probably seen her around before."

"You're dating a Slytherin?!" Ron asked, sounding outraged.

I raised an eyebrow at him this time, "You're one to speak, Weasly, weren't you the one caught out of bed after hours with her brother? At least the Slytherin i'm dating is a pretty girl."

This time it was Harry who snorted, both Malfoy and Ron making sounds of outrage at the insinuation.

"Shut up, the lot of you!" Filch crow-ed from up ahead as we arrived at Hagrid's wooden hut, it certainly didn't look like a dragon had been through, it didn't seem charred enough.

"Is that you Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." Hagrid said in his heavy accent.

Harry Ron and Hermione were suddenly looking quite relieved, had been looking somewhat fearful heading towards the forbidden Forest this late at night and the presence of Hagrid seemed to set them at ease.

Filch was quick to destroy this illusion of safety.

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy -- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Nevil groaned at this and Malfoy froze on his feet, "The Forrest? We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - wearwolves I've heard." He sounded scared.

Nevil looked even more sacred at Malfoy's words.

"It's not a full moon, retard." I answered calmly, causing Nevil to crane his neck at the dark sky, before signing in relief.

"That's your problem isn't it?" Filch said gleefully to Malfoy, enjoying his fear, "Should've thought of those beasties before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid approached carrying a giant crossbow, a large black bloodhound on his heels, and a quiver of arrows string across his shoulder.

"About time, i been waitin' here half an hour already." He turned to Hermione, Ron and Harry. "Alright you three?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly with them, Hagrid." Filch said frostily, "They're here to be punished after all." A grin grew on his face as he said the word 'punished'

"That's why your so late is it? Been lecturing em? Not your place to be doing that, you've done your bit, now leave me to do mine."

"I'll be back as dawn," Filch said before directing an evil smile towards us, "For what's left of em." He gave what could only be described as a villainous cackle as he strode back to the castle, his lamp bobbing all the way.

"Git." I heard Hagrid mutter under his breath.

"I'm not going into that Forrest." Malfoy said, a pathetic amount of fear in his voice.

"You are if you want to stay in Hogwarts," Hagrid answered firmly. "You've done wrong and now you've got to pay for it."

"But this is servant stuff, I thought we'd be copying lines or something. If my father knew-"

"I'll tell you that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Coping lines! Ha! What goods that to anyone? You'll do something useful or you'll get out! If you think your father would rather see you expelled then head on back to the castle 'nd pack. Go on."

Malfoy didn't move, hesitating for a second before he bowed his head.

"Right then," Hagrid said, turning to the rest of us, "listen carefully, because it's dangerous what we're about to do tonight and I don't want anyone taking unnecessary risk, follow me over here for a moment."

He lead us towards the tree line of the forest and I noticed something thick and silvery flowing on the ground, surely that wasn't unicorn blood?

I pointed to it, "Hagrid, that's not-"

"Unicorn's blood." He answered gravely. "There's a unicorn that's been hurt by something badly, this is the second time this week, I found one dead last Wednesday. We're going to try and find the poor thing, might have to put it out of its misery." My fists clenched.

"Hagrid," I said warningly, "Nothing normal kills a damn unicorn."

Ash perked up, looking hungrily towards the blood.

I tapped her lightly in reprimand, shaking my head, "That's not food girl, trust me, you don't want to drink it." She lowered her head in disappointment.

Unicorns were creatures of virtue and purity, nothing except evil would dare desiccate that, whatever was in this Forrest wasn't some wild predator looking for food.

I drew my wand, I don't know what might come out of that forest but I wasn't going to be caught off guard.

The others seemed rather alarmed by my actions, each of them taking a step back and looking at me nervously.

"I know that, but there's nothing in this Forrest that'll hurt you if your with me or fang." Hagrid didn't sound particularly concerned, it didn't surprise me much, if I had the constitution of a half giant, I too wouldn't be afraid of much, he could probably take a killing curse to the face and walk it off.

"And what if whatever's hunting the unicorns finds us first?" Malfoy said fearfully.

"Just keep to the path," Hagrid answered. "Right, now, we're going to split into two parties and follow the trail in different directions, there's blood all over the place, poor thing must've been staggering around since last night at least." The thought angered me, unicorns were sacred creatures, innocent, that was why I was certain no wild animal magical or otherwise had done this, not even a werewolf would dare.

"I want fang." Malfoy said immediately.

"Alright, but I warn you he's a coward," Hagrid answered. "So it'll be me, Hermione, Harry and Nevil, while fang will go with Ron, Draco and Dorian. Now whoever finds the unicorn will send up green sparks, get your wands out and practice now, if anyone gets into trouble send up red sparks and we'll come and find you, so be careful. Let's go." With that we set off into the Forest.

As we walked, keeping our heads down to avoid the low branches and watching out step I couldn't help but smile slightly despite the atmosphere.

"What are you grinning about, Olivander?" Malfoy said scathingly.

"My parents met while unicorn hunting." I answered honestly and Malfoy scoffed in disdain.

I turned to him, "Where'd your parents meet? Death eater rally?" Ron snorted as he tried to hold back his chuckles.

"Got something to say, Weasley?" Malfoy began and the two started to bicker, slowly getting louder and louder as the minutes passed and we got deeper into the forest.

Eventually as they began to shout at each other and looked to be getting ready to fight I gave up trying to deal with them.

I raised my wand and sent red sparks into the air, neither Malfoy or Ron even looking away from their argument to acknowledge them.

***

Hermione Granger

Hagrid ran, crashing through the undergrowth as she, Harry and Nevil glanced between ourselves in fear, we don't want to be left alone!

It was somewhat reassuring to know the centaurs were still nearby and that they weren't in complete solitude.

"You don't think they've been hurt do you?" She asked Harry quietly.

"I don't care of Malfoy has, but the others…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Minutes passed in silence, with the three of them jumping in fright as every gust of wind or small sound, were they ok? What happened to them?

At last a steady crunching noise announced Hagrid's footsteps, she breathed a sigh of relief, Malfoy, Dorian, Ron and Fang followed behind him, Hagrid was fuming. It turned out that Ron and Malfoy were incapable of spending more than thirty seconds together without it devolving into some argument, and Dorian who did not appreciate the 'idiots who couldn't shut up' had sent up the red sparks.

"We'll be lucky to catch anything now with the racket you two were making. Right we're switching up the teams, Hermione you go with Fang, Dorian and Malfoy. Ron, you're with us."

And so she set off into the heart of the Forrest, Dorian, Malfoy and Fang by her side. Hermione yawned from where she stood beside Dorian his pet Phoenix sitting silently on his shoulder, they had been walking for more than thirty minutes now.

He reached into his robe and drew out a small silver metal flask, taking a swing before offering it too her.

She stared at it for a moment, a little suspicious, "What is it?" She asked quietly.

He grinned at her, "Fire whiskey."

He laughed at her scandalised look and shook his head, "I'm kidding, it's a potion to keep you awake and alert."

She stared for a moment before tentatively taking it, "Only take a small sip," He warned. "Otherwise you won't sleep for a week."

She took his advice, tilting the flask and allowing a few drops of the blood red potion to land on her tongue and slide down her throat, it tasted amazing, sweet and soft on her lips, she was almost tempted to take another swig before she thought better of it.

The instant the liquid slid down her throat she felt her mind rejuvenated in its entirety, suddenly she felt wide awake as though she had just woken from the best sleep of her life.

Smiling, she handed it back to Dorian, "Thank you."

That was far better than the pepper-up potions sometimes offered my Madam Pince.

He tucked his flask back into his robes without offering it to Malfoy.

As they continued to walk she saw Dorian suddenly drop into a crouch, reaching for something shiny on the ground.

It was unicorn blood, closer to a small puddle than the occasional drops we had seen up until now.

"This is fresh, we're getting close."

Malfoy let out a quiet whimper of fear and she felt the tension in the air, she had really been hoping Hagrid would be the one to find the unicorn first.

Dorian signaled for them to be as quiet as possible as they slowly stalked towards a clearing in the trees.

That was when they saw it, laying on the ground, it's back against a tree was a beautiful white horse, it stood out in the darkness of the Forbidden Forrest.

There was a steady drip drip as the blood silvery blood soaked fur leaked blood all over the place, there was a long line of blood leading up to its body, yet more blood was splashed across the trunk and roots of the tree.

Hermione jumped as she heard a billowing noise to her right and she looked over at the exact moment Malfoy screamed, his high pitched shriek drowning out the noise of this- Thing.

She didn't know what it was, Hooded and cloaked, its face shrouded in darkness the billowing black cloth dragged along the ground as it approached the unicorn's lifeless corpse.

It lacked the cadence of a walk, gliding through the world as though it had drifted in from the next she watched as it descended on the corpse, completely ignoring their presence as it began to drink its blood.

She only half noticed, as though in a trance and Malfoy bolted, fleeing for his life, she felt the urge to follow him but her legs were locked to the ground, she couldn't move, frozen in fear.

Vaguely she heard as though from a great distance, "Ash! Take her back to the castle, I'll deal with this."

***

Dorian Olivander

Ash obeyed my order without an ounce of hesitation, jumping from my shoulder to Hermione's before vanishing in a flash.

I raised my wand, "Stupify."

The haunting figure spun at near inconceivable speeds, a wand poking from the dark sleeves of its robe and a translucent shield emerged to block my jet of red light.

Immediately after the shield vanished and the figure responded without hesitation, a jet of green light aimed precisely for my face.

A twig summoned from the ground transformed into an ornate golden shield which shattered on impact with the killing curse, protecting me as I dived behind a tree.

I took a deep breath and dropped my black wand, my real crystal lava wand appearing in my hand.

I forced my fear under control, it was only a wizard, an extremely lethal one but still only a wizard.

There were very few capable of casting a wordless killing curse.

They wanted to play the killing game? My anger overwhelmed my fear as I rolled out from behind the tree and let off a string of the darkest and most vile magics I knew.

A jet of green light that signaled the killing curse was followed by the vile purple of the cruciatus curse, which was then followed by two spells in quick succession, first a leg locker curse to hold them in place followed by a blasting charm.

The figure first blocked my killing curse by summoning a nearby rat which when limp, lifeless, before transforming it into a block of wood which blocked my second spell. It stepped out of the way of my leg locker curse and contoured a shining silver box around my blasting charm before twirling its wand towards my feet.

Instantly the roots of the trees turned into snakes, "~Kill!" Came an otherworldly hissing voice came and the snakes turned their murderous eyes on me.

"~Submit!" I commanded the snakes in parceltounge.

The figure faulted at my use of the language before it sent forward an unknown black spell which I dodged.

I responded with a bone melting curse and a blood boiling curse which served as distraction for the transfigured stake I created behind it shooting straight for its neck.

A shield charm blocked my curses and as though it had eyes on the back of its head it ducked, allowing the stake to pass over as it sent yet more curses my way.

We continued to trade spells, blocking, dodging and countering until I got quite fed up.

"Pestis-Incendium." Black and golden flames of the Fiendfyre curse left my wand shooting forward before it froze dead in the middle of the clearing.

My opponent froze.

I purposefully shouted the incantation loud enough for it to hear.

"Drop your wand and lower your hood or the ashes of this forest will be your graveyard!" I ordered and I saw the figure hesitate, wand still raised.

There wasn't much they could do, if it killed me now the Fiendfyre curse would go rampant, there was plenty of fuel in this forest, it would kill them, Hagrid, Harry, Hermione and every other living creature in this forest.

All it would take was for me to relinquish my control over the spell and this forest would be decimated.

"Do it!" A horse whisper sounded.

The figure's wand dropped softly to the forest floor and I summoned it to my hand, its hands raised to its hood and slowly unfurled it to reveal Professor Quirrell.

I hid my surprise and said, "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you now?"

Quirrell gave a derisive glare before opening his mouth to speak but I interrupted him, "No one would find your body out here Quirrell, No one will know how you died, No one can hear your screams. Choose your next words carefully."

Quirrell gulped, staring as the small black and gold flaming dragon approached him soundlessly, circling his standing form.

A horse whisper came from him, soft and deadly, "~You possess a powerful wand." It said.

"~No wonder you can control such a powerful spell." The voice wasn't Quirrell's but it seemed to come from him, Quirrell shivered in fear everytime it spoke.

It was the same voice that commanded him to surrender, most wizards would choose to die rather than give up their wands, unless one feared death far too much…

"Voldemort?" I asked calmly.

"~The boy knows me." The voice sounded quite delighted.

I smiled slightly, "I've heard a thing or two, evil dark lord, likes killing things, died trying to kill a baby, scared of Dumbledore. You used to be pretty famous, though most have forgotten by now."

The voice hissed in anger, "~You can't lie to lord Voldemort, boy. They still fear to speak my name, they tremble at the thought of my mark."

"I think most couldn't care less about your mark, Severus, Lucius, Igor, all of them betrayed you, all of them left you the moment you had no power." I grinned, the thought must enrage her, she who cared for power above all else.

"~Power brought them to me, power controlled them, and my power will punish them in good time boy."

My wand twitched, causing the flaming dragon to inch ever closer, "But it is I who weirds the power now, so why shouldn't I kill you, vanquish your evil from the world now?" The reason was because I had no idea what might happen to her horcruxes if I destroyed this half-life phantom, would a new one simply form? Would each of them form their own? Would they simply be destroyed?

"~Power," The voice answered. "~I could give it to you, I could show you…"

Quirrell turned around then allowing me to gaze upon the monstrous red eyes, almost serpentine face that lord Voldemort bore now.

I couldn't help be feel a little disappointed, Voldemort in my memories of her had been an exceedingly beautiful woman, smooth pale skin, a perfectly shaped face, soft night black hair, enchanting green eyes.

Whatever she had been through these last years had stripped her of her beauty and revealed the monster beneath.

"You know me Voldemort, you must have been watching these past months, my talent exceeds your own, there's no power you could grant I could not achieve."

"~Alone you are talented, powerful, you have great potential, perhaps even nearing my own. But together the power we could achieve, the depth of magic we could pioneer, there would be no limit, I could teach you and together we could rise beyond even the likes of Merlin and Morgana." Her words were tempting, seductive, perhaps not as much as they might've been had she retained her original beauty, but it was still effective.

I smirked, a plan building within my mind.

"I want an unbreakable vow." I answered after taking a moment to pretend to think, best not to look too eager.

Quirrell extended his hand over his shoulder, offering it.

"Not with your slave, with you." I corrected calmly and the face smiled at me.

"~Clever boy. What would be your terms?"

I walked towards the poor unicorn and placed my hand upon its blood soaked chest, it was still breathing, unicorns weren't easy creatures to kill, it wouldn't last long however.

Quirrell turned so Voldemort could watch my actions.

I reached into my robe and withdrew my small, magically expanded flask.

"First I offer you this." I said, turning the flask over and allowing some of the elixir of life to pour over the wounds of the unicorn, which quickly sealed up to reveal unblemished skin which was quickly covered by fur.

"~The Elixir of life!? ~You stole the stone, boy?" There was a look of genuine mirth upon her face.

"~And that old fool was so convinced a group of mercenaries or something equally foolish had taken it. ~One of his own beloved students, how pathetic. I must commend you, boy, you got there before even I could."

I ignored her, focusing on the unicorn, it awoke for the barest second looking around in fear before it passed out from exhaustion, alive but tired.

"~What would you ask in return for this most generous gift?" Voldemort asked for a moment, her eyes locked onto my flask.

I suspected the only thing preventing her from killing me with Quirrell's bare hands was the flaming dragon still circling the clearing.

"I want you to kill Dumbledore for me." I answered plainly, watching Voldemort's eyes widen in shock.

I held up my flask, giving it a little shake, "There's enough Elixir in here to restore you to full strength. You're already a Hogwarts teacher, now is a better time than you might ever have to do away with the old man."

"~You want Dumbledore dead?" She asked carefully, her eyes finally shifting from the flask to my own.

A little darkness seeped into my gaze as I said, "He is the biggest obstacle to my rise, the strongest wizard alive, a beacon of the light and the largest barrier to my total domination, I want you to kill him for me." Voldemort stared deeply into my eyes, and I could tell that whatever she saw, she liked.

"~Very well I shall kill him for you." Voldemort smiled, monstrous lips curling slightly.

"I also want a four year truce between us, we will not harm one another." Voldemort's eyes flickered to the flaming dragon before she said,

"~Agreed."

"And none shall ever know of this conversation, it is to be kept secret."

Voldemort smiled to show her agreement as I placed my hand beneath her chin and stared into her eyes as we made our vows.