Chapter 14- Into the woods to grandmother’s house, (or something)

The three Gryffindors did not share a word as they walked to the entrance hall, met by a snooty Malfoy and a sadistically eager Filch. "Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes, hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. It's a pity they let the old punishments die out, hanging 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."

"Kinky," Rigel spat out, almost creasing in laughter, everyone staring at him in confusion, especially Filch. The caretaker had been trying to scare them, and based on the Longbottom and Malfoy boys, he had succeeded, only for the top of the first years to make a, if he had understood him correctly, sexual joke.

"R-Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do." Rigel again sniggered thinking about some of the bondage porn he remembered, each of Filch's attempts to scare them reminding him of badly acted dom lines. 'Oooh, yes master Filch. Hahaha.'

They stalked off down the grounds, the moon bright, though clouds scuddled across it keeping them in darkness. Ahead, they could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout. "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want to get started." Filch saw Jasmine's excitement and was quick to squash any embers of hope.

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girlie…it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece." Both Neville and Malfoy let out little whimpers, Malfoy stunned to a stop.

"Into the forest? We can't go in there at night. There are all types of dangerous things in there. Werewolves, I heard."

"That would be your problem now wouldn't it Mr Malfoy? Should've thought about all those werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" Filch said with a cracking smile, almost definitely getting pleasure from the fear he was inflicting on the pale prat as well as Neville.

"About time. I've been waitin' 'half an hour for these lot. Hiya Jasmine, Rigel."

"You shouldn't be so friendly with them. They are here for punishment, after all," Filch said coldly, the harsh expression broken only when Rigel laughed again, unable to control his amusement. Filch turned and strode off, yelling over his shoulder, "I'll be back at dawn to pick up what's left of you.

Once the squib had wandered far enough away, Draco turned to Hagrid, "I'm not going in that forest."

"You are if you be wanting to remain at Hogwarts."

"But it's-"

"Oh shut up, Malfoy. Stop trying to weasel out of going into the spooooky forest and hurry up or I'll jinx you first."

"I'll pretend I didn't 'ear that, Rigel." Draco was livid, but the sight of Neville laughing at him spurred him onwards. "Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, and I don't want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment." He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, the giant pointed out a shiny, silvery liquid, like liquid mercury to the eye. "That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there been hurt badly by somet'n. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try and find the poor thing. We might have to put it out of its misery."

"And if whatever killed it finds us?" Malfoy asked quietly, his voice quivering faintly in fear.

"There's nothing in these woods that'd harm ye, if yer with Fang or me. Now come on. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties and follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've been staggerin' around since last night at least."

Malfoy took a path with Neville and Fang, following the book rather than the movie, while Jasmine and Rigel were escorted by Hagrid, who was by far more intimidating than a small dog. The teams were taught to send up flares, one of the first lessons taught in DADA, as it could grab attention, and required almost no skill or magical talent, yet could save lives. While Hagrid used a lantern, and Jasmine held aloft a lumos charm, Rigel kept his wand ready, using the provided light and his own mage sight, which made the silver blood glow like ectoplasm in a scooby doo episode.

A low rustling like fabric over foliage sounded in the distance, spooking the giant as the group followed the sound, crossbow and wands pointed. As the trio moved through the darkness, a soft sound grew heavy, unlike footsteps, but too hard to determine in their panic.

"Who's there! Show Yerself!" Hagrid called, positioning himself between the moving greenery and the students, crossbow pointed. What burst from the treeline and bushes was not Quirrell however, but a centaur. An upper body like a strong, though not quite athletic man, and from the waist down the body of a chestnut horse, with thick, powerful legs and a long tail. "Oh, it's you Ronan," Hagrid sighed in relief. "How are ye?"

"I wasn't shot, so I shouldn't complain. Were you really going to shoot me?"

"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's somethin' bad loose in this forest. This is Jasmine Potter and Rigel Black, by the way. Students up at the school. And this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."

"Yep, figured that one out myself," Jasmine muttered, still awestruck by the centaur.

"Rigel, hrmm? Your eyes hold the brightness of your namesake child, I wonder if the power holds true too?" Ronan then looked skyward, "Mars is bright tonight."

"What's he mean by that?" Jasmine asked, leaning over to Rigel.

"Mars, the Roman god of war. Several cultures believed that when Mars was particularly close, bright or visible, battle or conflict would soon follow. At least, according to the muggle astronomy books I used to read."

"Excellent, young Rigel. Quite rare for humans to understand the influence of planets, though you do seem…perceptive." Rigel's scowl had stopped him mid-sentence, forcing him to adjust. "It seems muggles have grown to understand astronomy better than we assumed. I thank you for teaching me so." Another centaur joined the group, named Bane, who was equally enamoured with Rigel's eyes and Mars's "unusual brightness," leaving Hagrid more annoyed than before they had met them.

"Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try and get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer than the moon. They keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs. They know things, just don't let on much."

Jasmine's voice dropped low, remembering the strange sound they'd followed towards the centaurs, "D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?"

"Did it sound like hoofbeats? Nah, I reckon it was the thing that's been huntin' the unicorns." That didn't fill either of the children with confidence, as the forest was just as dark as before, and Hagrid hadn't removed the doubts of werewolves living in the woods, merely that they were too slow to catch a unicorn. Unfortunately, as Jasmine pointed out, they weren't unicorns.

The three continued moving along the path until Hagrid spotted a red distress signal from Malfoy and Neville. "You two stay 'ere." His words had barely left his mouth before the two first years were left alone in the forest, illuminated only by Jasmine's wand light. Jasmine was petrified, her head whipping to every new sound and shift in movement. 'Time to act like an older brother, I guess,' Rigel thought, wrapping his arm around her and holding her tight, though his wand arm was still free and readied. He was comforting a young girl, not desperate to die himself afterall. While she was still scared, she burrowed into his chest, enjoying the warmth and security

Hagrid returned with a shivering Neville and Malfoy, who was being dragged by his ear. Apparently, Malfoy had scared Neville by sneaking behind a tree and then grabbing him from behind, making the nervous Neville shoot a flare. Neville had gotten more confident, but he was still 11 and had been alone in the forbidden forest, so it was understandable. "Right," Hagrid began, but looking at the position Jasmine was in, still held by a readied Black, changed what he had originally been planning. "Neville and Malfoy with me, that way yer be under my eye. Jasmine and Rigel, you 'ead off with Fang." He might have considered putting the confident, and if the words of his colleagues were true, capable Black with Malfoy, but everyone was aware not to put them together. Malfoy had a habit of getting injured every time the two were unsupervised, and it wasn't a risk Hagrid could take inside the forbidden forest at night.

And so the two groups split off again, and the canine-accompanied duo walked through the dark, discomforting forest. For thirty minutes the two trekked, Rigel occasionally pointing out the trail of blood when the forest path became too overgrown to easily follow. Fang was as useful as a sock puppet, but it was comforting to have it with them, 'like a support dog,' Rigel noted, watching the previously spooked girl ruffling her hand through its fur.

The Black heir slowed, seeing a bright glow just beyond a patch of thick branches of an old oak tree. "I think it's up ahead," he whispered, pulling the branches aside with a wave of his wand. The slowly diminishing glow was revealed in full, and Rigel lay his eyes on perhaps the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. The dragon had been impressive, and the potential danger made it wondrous to behold, but the unicorn was…beautiful. Even as it lay dead, seeping its blood and magic into the earth beneath it, the skin was smooth and glossy. The horn was tall, and somewhat sparkling, as if it had been finely coated in starlight. Jaz was equally transfixed, a gasp called out from her as she revelled in the sight, her eyes glassy at the thought of such a creature's death. Rigel sent up a green flare, sending it backwards through the treeline, providing a clear trail without the risk of scaring Quirrell, the cowardly Janus. Jasmine moved closer to inspect the unicorn, but a slithering and billowing sound stopped her, and Rigel slid behind a tree as quietly as he could. He knew he had no chance of beating Quirrell, even in his weakened state, however, the surprise might at least let him injure the two-faced prick which might allow them to run, even if Firenze doesn't find and rescue them.

A dark, hooded figure slipped from the treeline and swooped down over the downed unicorn, uncaring of its surroundings as it knelt and drank from the bloodied animal. A scream was caught in Jasmine's throat, and Fang turned and ran, howling and barking as it ran. Jasmine sent up a red flare, recovering quickly from her panic, but looked back to see the hooded figure looking up. Looking at her. She froze, unable to think, speak or move, and as Quirrell approached, she staggered back, clutching at her head. As the DADA professor stepped over a large root and small patch of stones, Rigel struck, terrified of the consequences of his failure, targeting the teacher's inner thigh, and knee. With a flick of his wrist and a whispered spell, the roots bound the professor's leg, while the rocks formed thin spears, stabbing into his flesh. A loud groan slipped from the hood, as he looked for the attacker.

Rigel, knowing that the attacker was actually Voldemort, had been most worried about the killing curse, and while it could be blocked by transfiguration and physical barriers, there wasn't a lot he could do, being unable to move and bend trees with any great speed. Instead, he'd entered the forest carrying a pouch of sand in his pocket, having spent the last week learning the sand-to-glass spell, which, while fragile, he theorised might deflect the spell somewhat, giving him the chance to dodge. A whip of fire swiped through the darkness, slicing towards him, and Rigel dived to the ground in panic. "There you are," came a disgusting, hissing voice. Rigel readied the sand, picturing a shield, ready for the green curse, unable to protect against the bright red streak that flowed instead.

"AARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!" Quirrell had already removed the transfigured root and spears, mending himself with quick field medic spells, and had been infuriated at being contested by a small child. He was interested in the Potter girl, the one who defeated him, forced him to become a bodyless wraith. But the boy, hiding, waiting to bind and strike. If he had been facing a muggle, the spears into the thigh alone would have killed him. 'An eleven-year-old boy almost killed me before I could get the stone before I could return to my former glory, before I could even get my revenge on the Potter girl. Pain I shall inflict for his foolishness.' He held the crucio for what felt like hours, but what could only have been seconds. Seeing the red glow, Rigel had clamped down with his occlumency, protecting his mind and sanity, dampening the pain somewhat. However, as someone who had been struck by lightning, he could honestly compare the two, and the cruciatus curse was worse.

Jasmine was horrified, watching as her friend screamed and shouted, his throat bleeding from the force, without any means of stopping or attacking the hooded figure. She hurled a rock at the figure's head, but the rock didn't even hit him, simply deflected off to the side with a wave of the figure's hidden hand. Voldemort had enjoyed the pain he inflicted, and left the shivering and twitching boy on the ground, turning back to Jasmine. He managed two steps before heavy hoofbeats charged towards them, and Firenze, an athletic-looking centaur armed with a bow leapt into the open area, scaring Quirrell away from the girl, sending him running into the trees with two deflected arrows.

"Are you alright?" he asked, only for the Potter girl to cry, shaking her head and pointing to her friend, now having been saved and able to respond emotionally. "Oh no, help me get him on my back and climb up. I'll take you to Hagrid young one." Rigel was conscious, but barely, as if he were watching his surroundings, rather than experiencing them. His wand was still firmly held in his grasp as his muscles had contracted sharply, yet the boy's body was in agony. It was euphoria compared to the direct effects of the unforgivable, yet as wind and centaur bounced and lashed at his skin, it felt like he had been thrown in a sack with a dozen knives, some heavy rocks, and then thrown down a white rapids course. 'I'm such an idiot for thinking he would only use the killing curse. He was an arrogant sadist who played with his victims, so, of course, he would use a different spell.'

"Blimey, what happened to 'im!" Hagrid voice boomed.

"I don't know my friend, but he needs to see a medic," the centaur/ taxi spoke. Hagrid took the Black heir from the centaur, and not even Malfoy was mocking the boy, as Firenze recounted his telling of events, and the dark hooded figure, with a mouth dripping in unicorn blood.

~~~

Rigel had fallen unconscious on the trip from the forest to the infirmary, his body trying desperately to mend itself, drawing in the magic around him to ease his pain and speed his recovery. "Urgh Fuck," he groaned, opening his eyes to the high, stone ceiling and white curtains of the infirmary. Jasmine was in the bed next to him, sleeping soundly, though a bottle labelled dreamless sleep half-filled with a purple potion lay on the bedside table. 'I guess that would have been fairly traumatic. But seeing as Firenze took way longer to arrive and save the day than in the books or films, he was aware that his actions may have prevented Jasmine from suffering the same pain, or perhaps worse.

"Language, Mr Black," spoke a stern Madam Pomfrey. "I'll need to conduct some tests on you if that's alright?" The boy simply nodded, looking around for his wand, feeling more comfortable instantly after finding it on the table on his right. She cast spells and waved her wand over the boy, both his body and his head, before beginning with a verbal mental check. "What's your name?"

"Rigel Sirius Black."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Inside the Hogwarts infirmary, or perhaps hallucinating, though I doubt it. I couldn't conjure up anything as vial as the potion you gave me," he joked, and a small half-smile slipped onto the matron's lips.

"I'll go inform Professor Dumbledore that you're awake."

"Could you also bring McGonagall?" She nodded to the boy's request, and send off a patronus to wake the sleeping professors. McGonagall was the first to arrive, bursting through the doors with an eagerness others would not have believed.

"Oh Rigel, you're awake. How is he Poppy?"

"He has passed all the mental tests, though his body will take time to recover. The nerves are delicate after all."

"Corvin, come." A ripping sound followed and a luxurious white raven larger than an eagle stood next to it's master, cooing and rubbing against him. "Corvin, I need some paper and a pen." The bird flew off and returned, waiting patiently as Rigel painfully wrote a letter to Arcturus.

"Hogwarts Infirmary. Hit with Cruciatus Curse, need help." Arcturus would have to excuse the poor penmanship and lack of formal procedure, "Corvin, send it to grandfather, urgently." As the white bird flew out the window under the watchful gaze of McGonagall and a pet-hating Pomfrey, Dumbledore entered, with his ridiculous purple robe and an ego that barely fit inside Hogwarts. 'And so begins my interrogation,' Rigel chuckled to himself.