meant to be (1)

49

"Are yeh alright?" Hagrid asked.

Neville was running towards us down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind him.

"We're fine." said Harry, but I knew he wasn't telling the truth.

"The unicom's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there." I said.

"This is where I leave you" Firenze murmured as Hagrid huried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."

Harry and I slid off his back.

"Good luck, Harry Potter." said Firenze. 'The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the Forest, leaving Harry and I shivering behind.

🤍

Ron and Hermione had already fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for Harry and I to return.

Ron shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake. I gently woke Hermione up by telling her to wake up and shook her a tiny bit.

In a matter of seconds, though, they were wide-eyed as Harry and I began to tell them what had happened in the Forest.

Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort ... and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest ... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich."

"Stop saying the name!' said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

"Grow up, Ron." I said. "Firenze saved Harry, but he shouldn't have done. Bane was furious and was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. They must show that Voldemort's coming back. Bane thinks Firenze should have..."

I stopped talking. I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"... let Voldemort kill me. I suppose that's written in the stars as well." Harry finished in a whispering tone.

'Will you stop saying the name' Ron hissed.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off ... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy!"

I couldn't bring myself to do anything but sit, sadness and fright swimming through me. Hermione looked very frightened as well, but she had a word of comfort.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky had turned light before we stopped talking. Harry, Ron and Hermione went to bed before I did. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway after everything that had happened.

Suddenly Harry came into the common room back, to my surprise, with a smile on his face.

"Jules, look, we've got the Invisibility Cloak back!" Harry said, showing me the Cloak and a note, which had "Just in case" written on it.

"Brilliant!" I said, forcing a small smile.

"Jules, you look exhausted." Harry said.

"Jeez, thanks." I said sarcastically.

"You have to sleep. Or at least try to sleep." he answered, ignoring my sarcasm.

"Okay, I'll go to bed." I said standing up. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Jules"