Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Eighteen: Ministry Idiots

All three of the Gardna trio groaned as they opened their eyes. They felt like they had fought a long and hard battle with how their magic felt so weak and drained. It gave them monster headaches.

"Anyone else feel like they've been run over by a herd of unicorns," Harry shielded his eyes from the sudden light.

"More like the time a banshee got all up in my face and started screaming," Krinos groaned. "Screaming psychos."

"I wish we still had some of Celest's headache potion," Melody said. "But we used it up because of that redhead without an off switch."

The three all sat up in their beds. Looking around, they saw that they were in the Hospital Wing. Each of them also had piles of candy in front of them, most likely from their friends. Wolf soon jumped onto Krinos' bed and lied onto his lap. Frost was on a stand on Melody's side table. Selene was also next to Harry's bed. The familiars had been worried for their chosen bonded.

"Chocolate, yay," Harry childishly cheered, snatching up one of his chocolate frogs.

"Oh no, you don't," Krinos immediately said.

A vine shot out from around the nature mage's wrist and slapped the treat out of his brother's hands.

"Hey," Harry protested.

"No candy until after we are cleared by Madam Pomfrey," Krinos scolded him.

"Spoilsport," Harry fake pouted.

"Ah, good to see you three awake," the three looked to see their headmaster coming into the Hospital Wing.

"Hello, headmaster," Melody greeted. "How is Professor Flitwick? He was with us when that smoke came out of two-face. Excuse the Batman reference."

"I do not know who, or what, a Batman is, but Professor Flitwick is just fine," Dumbledore told them. "He is a lot tougher than he looks, even at his age."

"That smoke wasn't really smoke, was it," Krinos asked. "Quirrell must have been possessed for the entire year. That smoke was a wraith."

"No wonder it knocked us out," Harry rubbed his forehead. "Wraiths are seriously evil spirits that thrive on darkness. But then... how could one possess a teacher?"

"Everyone has a little darkness inside of them, my boy," Dumbledore says. "And given the right incentive, anyone can be swayed. Usually, a possessed person would not survive as long as he did. But with Hagrid coming to me about something killing unicorns in the forest a few months ago, I think we have our answer."

The siblings gasped. Harry instinctually put his hand on Selene in a protective way. While they believed magical creature shouldn't be killed, unicorns deserved to be killed the least out of all of them.

"Who would kill a unicorn," Harry tightened his grip on his familiar. "They're the symbol of good magic and everything pure in the world. Isn't that right, Selene?"

His unicorn familiar neighed in agreement.

"Only a person truly desperate and on the brink of death would commit such a despicable deed," Dumbledore said. "The blood of a unicorn has the power to save someone even when they're directly in front of death's door. But the cost they pay is a cursed life for killing such a pure creature."

"Serves them right," Krinos crossed his arms. "Nature values creatures, like the unicorns, as very sacred beasts. Just look at Selene. She's a Moonlace Unicorn, one of the last of her kind. They don't deserve to be killed."