Link of Hogwarts

Ten

Then again something in him told him that he should have known better than avoiding problems because for some goddesses known reason, problem finds him whether he actively avoid it or ignorant of it.

It happened when Hagrid invited them to his hut near the Forbidden Forest one evening to show off the dragon egg that he somehow won in a poker game. That should have been the first warning bell that Link should have taken notice; Hagrid's bad with secrets let alone winning in a game where one's victory depend on hiding their expression. When the egg finally hatched spring evening, Malfoy saw them and snitched to McGonagall about their plan to smuggle the dragon hatchling to Ron's brother Charlie who worked at a dragon's reserve in Romania. So Link who helped Ron smuggle said dragon using his invisibility cloak, were punished alongside the surprised Malfoy who didn't expect to be punished alongside them due to McGonagall's fairness. On her defense, he did sneak out as well.

So the next night found the three students and Hagrid as well as a gleeful Filch at the entrance of the Forbidden Forest; their punishment was to locate an injured unicorn or find the culprit though the latter was discouraged. Draco, the idiot who sold himself along with them, decided to take Hagrid's boarhound Fang with him and Link. Too bad Fang's more of a coward than a guard dog.

When they were walking in the forest, Link instinctually used his knowledge as a hunter to track the forest's dark ground. Draco blinked and frowned; he had been grumbling about the unfairness and the might of his father in the Ministry and Board of Governor but was ignored by Potter. So he too had fallen into silent as he trekked after the boy, noticing that Link seemed know what he was doing from how he moved and studied the ground even in the little light the lantern lent them in the dark forest. When he suddenly stopped, Draco instinctually crouched, "What? What is it?"

He will sit in his room later, wondering why he had trusted Link's action. But he was glad because Link not only discovered unicorn blood, but he also had forced Draco to hold his scream when he pulled him into a thick brush when they came across the culprit in the action of draining a unicorn foal dry. All Draco can hear was the pounding of his heart in his head for it was so loud he was sure that the monster eating the unicorn have heard it as well. The only reason they presence was betrayed was because of Fang breaking free from Draco's sweaty hold and ran away with a whimper.

When the thing rushed at them, Link had pulled him out of the way of the thing's rush. It was then that Draco screamed out in pure terror. Somehow, Link was levelheaded enough that he can cast the emergency signal before standing between his annoying schoolmate and the monster rasping at them. Just when he thought it was the end, Link roared loud and fierce. It felt like a gust of wind after a lightning strike on water. The energy silenced Draco's beating heart, calming him and freezing the opponent in their track.

In the lull of the moment, Draco raised his wand and casted the calling flare to sky. He will always wonder after from where he gained the sliver of courage to call for help, even when his hip had failed him and he know that all that stood between him and the monster was Link. But that was it, wasn't it? Link stood tall in front of someone who would have abandoned him the first chance he get. He has no reason, he was not paid and he was far from friendly with Draco. But there he stood nonetheless, fierce as he glared back at the terror standing before them.

At that moment, an arrow whizzed into the clearing and almost nailed the creature. The nameless spell, one that was oddly cast from a single fierce roar that deny fear, was broken by that attack and the creature ran just as a centaur galloped into the clearing. Draco lost his consciousness after the adrenaline leave his system...

Firenze, the centaur who helped them chase off an enemy that Link wasn't sure he's ready to face, carried them to safety on his back. A fellow centaur named Bane had mocked him, calling him a pack mule for the wizards. Link took offence, "What's wrong with lending a helping hand where it's needed?"

Bane turned his glare on the child on Firenze's back, before his eyes widened at the sight of the ears, "What...? How can this be?!"

Firenze looked at Link, "This here be the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter (Link corrected, "It's Link,") and it was his war cry that called me to his side," He looked at his fellow herd, "Surely you heard him, Bane?"

Bane narrowed fierce eyes, "How can I not? The whole forest be awoken by his call," He trotted closer to Link who returned his fierce stare with his own. The piercing sapphires sending shivers down Bane's back, "The eyes of a beast you have, Sky Child,"

Link blinked; the name 'Sky Child' resounded in the depth of his mind with familiarity. Bane back down as another centaur appeared. The newcomer sneered at the children on Firenze's back but his eyes stopped its track on Link's ears, "Why is there a Sky Child here?"

Link shook the odd sensation of familiarity to the name they call him and asked, "Why do you call me that? What does Sky Child mean? My name is Link,"

Ronan looked to the sky as well as his fellow centaur, whispering, "Remarkable," He looked at Link with bright eyes, "It would honor the herd much if you will deem it profitable to visit us in the forest," At that moment, the sound of Fang's barking can be heard reaching them along with Hagrid.

Already he can hear Ron and Hagrid calling him, "LINK!!"

Before the herd leave him with an unconscious Draco, Link asked the friendlies centaur, "What was it that does something so cruel to an innocent so pure?" He looked into Firenze's sad gaze, "For what reason does it slay the unicorn? Will you tell me?"

Firenze looked into the eyes of a race not heard of since before the Great Freeze and bent to whisper, "The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. For you have slain something so pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips,"

Link frowned, an image of a gigantic bipedal swine with a trident coming to the mind, "It's not a life worth living, a fate worse than death," He remembered fumbling decaying body, scuffling in the dark, ever searching for life. He looked at Firenze, eyes sad and fierce, "Death would be a mercy,"

Firenze nodded before adding, "Indeed. But there are those out there that fear death so much they would rather be cursed into a half-life. Now who would benefit from this heinous crime, Fierce One?" With the passing message, Firenze bit him goodbye and galloped into the wood where the rest of the centaur herds awaited.

Link could only think of one name, one that pierced him with fury and sorrow in equal measure, "Voldemort,"

The days after, Link unfortunately had taken to wandering the castle at night due to his worsening insomnia and because of this unfortunate habit of his, had come across an interesting conversation between Snape and Quirrel regarding loyalty. While puzzling this out, Ron and Neville both come to the conclusion that the culprit helping You-Know-Who (whose presence on the school ground had caused a mild panic among his friend though it was kept silent to avoid mass panic) invading the school.

"After all," Ron added, "He was one of the people that my Dad told me being suspected Death Eater, You-Know-Who's follower," He then added more to the list, "Put the whole Slytherin under suspect too,"

The group had then taken investigating the strange happening in Hogwarts even more seriously, though Hermione tried to balance it out with education, such as the rather old news about breaking into Gringott back in September when school just started. It had caused quite the uproar but had slipped by their notice completely due to the fact that bank heist was quite normal on the Muggle side of things. They had also put down the ominous warning that year about the third floor's corridor, the reason being the guard dog. The troll incident was also put on the list of things, because it has always been a puzzle as to how it got into the school in the first place (Hermione grumbled, "Wards! It shouldn't have been able to pass through without help!")

Neville put in the ominous and rather overlooked incident with the broom, though no one can puzzle out what it was for only that the broom he used shouldn't have been that bad but it could just be his ill luck with physical activity.

But even with all their investigation, their clues and their discovery of what was hidden, nothing can prepare them for what happened next...