meant to be (1)

45

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Neville and I at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

Your detention will take place at elevn o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall.

Prof. M. McGonagall

I had completely forgotten that we still had detentions to do in the furore over the points we'd lost. I felt like I deserved what we'd got.

At eleven o'clock that night we said goodbye to Hermione and Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville.

Filch was already there - and so was Malfoy. I had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention too.

"Follow me" said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading us outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he continued, leering at us. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me.. It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists frim 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... Right, off we go, and don't think of running of now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

We marched across the dark grounds. Neville kept snuffing. I was wondering what our punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be so delighted.

The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing us into darkness. Ahead of us was Hagrid's hut. Then there was a distant shout.

"Is that yeh, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Harry and I exchanged relieved looks. If we were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad.

"I suppose you two think you'll be enojoying yourselves with that oaf? Well, think again - it's the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all get out in one piece."

Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The Forest?" he repeated. "We can't go in there at night - there's still all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

Neville clutched the sleeve of Harr's robe and made a chocking noise.

"That's your lookout, isn't it?" said Filch. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding towards us out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He wa carrying his large crossbow and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time" he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Julie?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to the, Hagrid" said Filch coldly. "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late isn't it?" Hagrid asked, frowning. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn" said Filch. "for what's left of them" he added nastily. I couldn't help but shoot him a dirty look before he turned and started back towards the castle. Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that Forest." he said. I was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts." said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now you yeh've got ter pay for it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

"-tell yer that how it is at Hogwarts." Hagrid growled. "Writin' lines! What good's that fer anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously but then dropped his gaze.

"Right then" said Hagrid. "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led us to the very edge of the Forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted our hair as we looked into the Forest.

"Look there" said Hagrid. "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. 

"There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang." said Hagrid. "An keep ter the path. Right now we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang" said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's loong teeth.

"All right, but I want yer to know, he's a coward." said Hagrid. "So me, Harry an' Julie" Harry sent me a wink moving closer to me. "go one way an' Draco, Neville an' Fang'll go the other. Now if any of finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practise now - that's it - an if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."