The group stared at the silvery-white pool of blood on the forest floor, and the atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
The shimmering liquid glowed under the moonlight, exuding a sacred yet unsettling aura.
Hermione crouched down, examining the blood carefully.
"Could it be some animal preying on the unicorn?" she asked with a frown, her voice filled with concern.
"Like a wolf pack? Or some other ferocious beast?"
Hagrid shook his head, his expression unusually grave.
"Impossible, Hermione."
He stood and looked around at the surrounding trees.
"In this part of the Forbidden Forest, only two kinds of creatures could injure a unicorn."
"One is centaurs but they would never hunt unicorns. To them, unicorns are sacred. They'd rather starve than harm one."
Ron swallowed hard.
"And the other?"
"Acromantulas."
"But they wouldn't attack unicorns either."
Hagrid's voice dropped lower.
The moment Ron heard the name, goosebumps crawled across his arms.
Spiders were his worst fear let alone giant, eight-eyed ones.
"A-Acromantulas?!"
His voice cracked in panic.
"Hagrid, are you sure? That doesn't sound like something that wouldn't attack a unicorn!"
Harry patted Ron's shoulder, trying to comfort him, but his own face was pale.
Just the name "Acromantula" sent chills down his spine.
Hagrid shook his head firmly.
"I'm sure. Acromantulas may look terrifying, but they've got their endearing sides too, believe it or not."
Still, Hagrid never actually explained why they wouldn't hurt unicorns.
"So if I had to guess," he continued, "this was likely done by a Dark wizard. Only that sort of scum would harm a unicorn."
Charlie stood quietly nearby, already mapping out escape plans in his head.
Centaurs? Acromantulas? Dark wizards?
All sounded like trouble he didn't want to get involved with.
Especially Dark wizards.
His spellcasting wasn't even level five yet how was he supposed to fight one head-on?
Charlie might be dominating life at Hogwarts, but he'd never actually gone toe-to-toe with an adult wizard before.
He had no idea how strong Dark wizards were, nor whether he himself could hold up against one.
So clearly, retreat was the best option.
And unicorns? He hadn't even been allowed to touch one so he definitely wasn't dying for one.
Hermione gasped.
"Dark wizards? Near Hogwarts?"
"What should we do now?"
Harry gripped his wand tightly. Though afraid, his eyes held firm resolve.
"We can't just let the unicorn die like this!"
Hagrid nodded and raised his hunting crossbow.
"You're right. We have to keep going see if we can still save it."
"Hopefully, it's still alive."
Charlie's internal alarms blared.
No way. Absolutely not.
Hagrid was about to march them straight to their deaths.
Even assuming Hagrid was strong enough, dragging three kids along was a disaster waiting to happen.
It'd be a total party wipe.
Thinking quickly, Charlie came up with the perfect reason to back out.
"Wait, Hagrid."
He raised a hand to stop him.
"We need to tell Dumbledore."
Hagrid blinked, then smacked himself on the head.
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?"
"If it really is a Dark wizard, Professor Dumbledore needs to know immediately!"
He looked at the group of children around him and suddenly realized how serious this was.
"And you lot shouldn't stay in the forest either it's too dangerous."
He turned to Charlie solemnly.
"Charlie, I'm counting on you. Take Harry and the others back to the castle and inform Dumbledore of what's happened."
"I'll follow the blood trail and try to find the unicorn."
That suggestion made perfect sense.
If they encountered a Dark wizard, Hagrid didn't trust he could protect the students.
But he knew Charlie's capabilities. Even if he was young, his magical aptitude was remarkable.
Letting Charlie escort the others back to safety was a sound plan.
Harry, however, looked reluctant.
"We're not going to just abandon you! What if something happens to you?"
Hagrid had been his first real friend at Hogwarts he couldn't stand the thought of leaving him in danger.
Hagrid smiled warmly.
"I'll be alright, Harry. But if you stay, I'll be too distracted trying to protect you."
Charlie clapped Harry on the shoulder.
"Harry, the best help we can offer now is getting word to Dumbledore."
"Trust me he's far more capable of dealing with this than any of us."
Hermione nodded.
"Charlie's right. If we stay, we'll only get in the way."
Ron, meanwhile, couldn't wait to get the hell out of this place.
The thought of Acromantulas nearby was enough to make him tremble.
"Let's go, let's go! I don't want to stay here another minute!"
Hagrid waved them off.
"Go now! And remember make sure you tell Dumbledore!"
Harry still looked conflicted, but both Hagrid and Charlie had made good points. He suppressed his reluctance and started running with Charlie.
Hagrid, meanwhile, headed deeper into the woods with Fang.
"Alright, Fang. It's just you and me now."
Though judging by Fang's shaking legs, he wasn't exactly dependable.
Charlie and the others rushed back through the forest, and Charlie couldn't help but feel relieved.
Good thing he reacted quickly because if they'd run into some Dark wizard with a "clap-hands, summon-doom" kind of spell, he'd have no clue how to handle it.
As for Hagrid well, if he had the guts to face one, that meant he probably had the strength too.
Charlie's job was to race back and call for backup.
Hopefully Hagrid could hold out.
In another part of the forest, Quirrell crept after the fleeing unicorn, his footsteps oddly loud in the stillness.
The wounded creature staggered forward, its silvery blood dripping steadily, glittering under the moonlight.
"Damn beast… that curse should've crippled you!" Quirrell snarled, gripping his wand tightly.
He'd been scouring the forest for over a month. Finally, he found one and now he couldn't let it escape.
Ever since the Dark Lord possessed him, his luck had turned to utter garbage.
It took a month just to locate this unicorn, and now even his spell had missed.
"Quirrell…" came the serpent-like hiss from the back of his head.
"What are you thinking about?"
Quirrell jolted in terror and immediately groveled.
"I'm sorry, my master! Please forgive me!"
"Fool. Go after it, now!" Voldemort's voice seethed with contempt.
Normally, he would've tortured Quirrell for his failure, but now time was pressing. The unicorn must not get away.
Quirrell's heart sank. If only the Dark Lord hadn't insisted on fresh unicorn blood, he could've just hit it with a Killing Curse.
Then it wouldn't have escaped.
He raised his wand again and cast,
"Cruciatus!"
A beam of red light shot toward the unicorn but the intelligent creature dodged nimbly.
Quirrell broke into a run, giving chase.
Gradually, the unicorn's speed faltered. It was losing too much blood. Its legs trembled. Each step grew weaker.
"This is it!"
Eyes gleaming, Quirrell raised his wand once more.
"Stupefy!"
This time, the spell hit home.
The unicorn collapsed with a heavy thud, its silvery mane spilling across the grass.
Quirrell rushed over in excitement.
"Master, I bring you the unicorn's blood."
Voldemort let out a satisfied hiss.
"Excellent. Drink it now I can't wait any longer."
But just as Quirrell stepped forward, barking echoed through the woods.
"Damn it." Quirrell's expression changed.
"Someone's coming."
"Master, it's Hagrid. He's patrolling the forest with students. They must've followed the trail."
"Should I relocate the unicorn first and feed you somewhere safe?"
Voldemort's voice grew terrifyingly furious:
"You idiot! I've waited a month now you're asking me to wait longer?!"
"Master, there's no time!" Quirrell broke into a cold sweat.
"If we're found out now, our whole plan is ruined!"
"You dare defy me?!" Voldemort's voice turned bone-chilling.
Pain lanced through the back of Quirrell's head. He nearly collapsed from the agony.
"I don't dare! I don't!" he cried out, clutching his skull.
"But Master… if Dumbledore finds out you've returned…"
At the mention of Dumbledore, Voldemort's rage receded slightly.
He knew now wasn't the time to confront that man.
"Then what are you waiting for?! Take the unicorn and get out!"
Quirrell let out a shaky breath of relief and moved to the unconscious unicorn.
He placed a hand on its body and Disapparated.
Luckily, Hogwarts' anti-apparition enchantments only covered the castle and grounds. The Forbidden Forest wasn't protected.
With a soft pop, Quirrell and the unicorn vanished.
Minutes later, Hagrid arrived on the scene with Fang.
He looked at the large pool of silver blood on the ground, his expression grim.
"Strange… the trail ends here."
He knelt to examine the ground.
"Where did the unicorn go?"
He looked around but found no other clues. Just the blood.
"Could it have been dragged away?"
He muttered to himself, unease mounting in his heart.
At the same time, in another part of the forest
Just as Quirrell reappeared, he sensed something nearby. He turned his head
And saw Charlie and the others staring back at him.
<><>---------------------------------------
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• TL/N •
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
> Naruto: Mind Control
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed