𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Beginning

Draco, upon leaving the two Gryffindors, had rushed down the halls and out onto the snowy grounds. Headless of whether or not he would get detention, he sprinted down to where the Forbidden Forest met the Black Lake. If he could just meet Harry, he was sure everything would resolve itself.

The problem was finding him.

Upon reaching the edges of the water, panting heavily, Draco scanned the scenery for any signs of movement. Sadly, there was none.

"Damn it!" He cursed, a burst of fog coming from his mouth. Where was Harry?

Pushing his hair feverishly away from his brow, he concentrated. Potter wasn't by the lake-did that mean he had gone into the forest itself?

Retracing his steps quickly, Draco followed the edge of the forest looking for footsteps leading in. At last, about a quarter of a kilometer past Hagrid's Hut, Draco found a pair of footprints. Their outline was subtle, as already a good inch of snow had appeared to have fallen since the time the person entered.

Draco gulped. He had not set foot in the Forbidden Forest since that time in second year when he and Potter had been forced to serve their detentions there. In all honesty, he had been scared to enter again.

"Get it together. If Potter can do it, you can do it," He said to himself as he withdrew his wand and set off into the trees.

The light quickly faded and, even with his wand lit, Draco found it hard to see. Harry liked walking here? The underbrush was so thick that even in winter it was difficult to walk in-and the place seemed to be in a constant state of twilight.

It made him nervous.

Yet deeper and deeper the footprints continued into the forest, easier to track now that the snow couldn't fall as thickly with the overhang; so deeper and deeper Draco went.

Draco quickened his pace, not daring to think something bad had happened to Harry.

Yet, just as he pushed this thought from his mind he heard a blood curdling scream. At first, he had mistaken it for a wounded animal, or the call of some mysterious creature in the forest. When it rang again through the dense quiet Draco knew-it was human. And he had the sickening feeling that it was Harry making that sound.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," He cried, storming through the bushes.

The scream continued. Draco had heard that type of scream before, having watched his father perform the Crustacias curse on his dinner party guests.

What the hell was happening? Why was Harry out so deep in the woods being Crucio-ed-surely this revenge didn't involve getting himself killed?

Or maybe it did?

Despite the cumbersome brush, Draco broke into a sprint.

He was running so fast that it took him a moment to realize he had arrived in a circular clearing in the woods. It was lighter here, the grey sky visible up above, and the snow falling silently all around him.

"Draco?" a rough voice in front of him questioned.

Turning his view he saw for the first time who had been screaming and what for. Harry was face up in the snow, apparently knocked out.

"Greyback-what are you doing here?" Draco questioned fiercely, keeping his wand extended.

"Dark Lord's orders-didn't your father tell you?"

Draco gulped. "No, father did not tell me."

Greyback shrugged again, and cast a rugged grin. "I admit catching Potter wasn't part of the plan, but the Dark Lord will be ecstatic-after what happened last year at the Ministry and all."