Sophie Pendragon, Year One | Half-Vampire At Hogwarts

Chapter Twenty Five: Dark Forest

          On the night we had to serve detention, I walked with Draco after dinner in the Great Hall. We were serving detention with Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ron with Hagrid. Draco and I waited with Mr. Filch for the other four to join us. We were going into the Dark Forest for detention.

          "I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there! There are werewolves!" Draco insisted.

          "There's a lot more than just werewolves," Mr. Filch said as he looked into the forest.

          A sickly sweet smell was faint and I was drawn to it. What could that be? Draco noticed me staring dreamily into the forest and held my hand.

          "Sophie? Is everything ok?" he asked.

          I flinched and jumped, "Oh! Y-Yeah. There's something in there."

          He squeezed my hand but let it go when the four Gryffindor students joined us. They were rather unhappy about the situation as well. Hagrid gathered us and he was carrying a crossbow while we ventured into the forest with Fang. As we walked, Draco and Neville were carrying lanterns but I started to walk ahead. Something smells really good. What is it? It isn't human. So sweet. My mouth was starting to drool.

          "What is she do-" Draco whispered but Hagrid shushed him.

          I stopped near a large tree and saw a pool of reflective silvery liquid. So pretty.

          Hagrid walked past me and dipped his fingers in it while Harry spoke up, "Hagrid, what is that?"

          Draco hid our hands holding behind him when he stepped in front of me. He was being really protective but I was starting to get hungry. Whatever that was, I wanted it. I squeezed Draco's hand and I really liked holding it. 

          Hagrid rubbed his fingers together and showed us, "What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt bad by something."

          I whipped my head around when I heard a branch snap so softly nearby. Something had the scent of unicorn blood on it and I barely saw its shadow. Unicorn blood. I heard it was supposed to be the most divine blood in existence. To think there's some right here. I wonder..

          Hagrid looked in that direction but I knew he couldn't see or hear what I could, "So, it's our job to find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, and Neville, you'll come with me. Harry and Sophie, you'll go with Malfoy."

          Harry groaned and looked at Draco and Ron whimpered. Draco was annoyed.

          "Fine. Then I get Fang!" Draco demanded.

          Hagrid exhaled a chuckle, "Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."

          I snickered and heard Fang whimper as well. Draco held up the lantern for us to see as we separated from our group. I was following the stronger scent of unicorn blood since I wasn't keen on finding the shadow that left the other pool of blood. It wasn't a unicorn. Draco and Harry were bickering about being scared and how Draco's father would hear about him doing servant stuff. Suddenly, I froze and heard soft crackling beneath us.

          "Don't. Move," I said clearly and loudly.

          We all froze and Draco looked at me, "What is it?"

          I looked at what we were standing on, "This is a hollow dead tree. I can hear it cracking with us standing on it. Slowly walk backwards."

          Sure enough, we could soon hear the cracking dead wood underneath our feet once we started shuffling backwards. Behind me, I heard running footsteps. Oh no. One of us was missing.

          "Where's Fang?" I asked suddenly.

          We looked at each other as Fang jumped onto Harry and we fell through the rotted wood. We screamed as it acted like a slide and we all fell onto each other at a lower level of the forest. Draco was on his back, I was on my stomach on him, and Harry was on his stomach on my back. Draco groaned as we got off him and Fang was cowering behind us. When I looked at what he was scared of, the scent of unicorn blood overwhelmed me and I was sent into a frenzy. The lantern Draco was holding was broken and cut his hand but none of us noticed. Not even me. I could see the dead unicorn clearly, even with the moon hidden behind the clouds and my eyes glowed red as I yearned to drink its blood. My fangs started to grow and I staggered towards the sweet smell. Draco covered my mouth with his bloody hand.

          "Sophie, you can't! Stop!" he whispered in my ear.

          His blood on my lips snapped me out of it and I knew I had to do something. I manipulated Fang. I flourished my hand, sending a wisp of green covering Fang's eyes.

          "Get Draco out of here!" I ordered.

          Fang barked loudly and picked up Draco between his legs to carry him on his back. Draco protested but Fang ran quickly away. The hooded figure was feeding on the unicorn and began to approach Harry and I. We backed up fearfully and Harry tripped on a tree root, falling backwards behind me. I stood in front of Harry and used my powers to attempt to stop the figure.

          "Leave! Us! Alone!" I screamed and used my full strength to restrain the figure from getting closer.

          I could hear Hagrid running to us, Harry's heavy breathing, the blood pouring from the slain unicorn, and the figure's grunts to fight my power. Another noise filled my ears as it got closer to us, like hooves. The smell of unicorn blood and the blood from Draco was making my mind weak and I fainted as a large creature jumped over me to fight the hooded figure. The last thing I remember was the smell of the moss on the forest floor and Harry covering me with his body.