The Girl Who Had No Escape [1]

Year 1- 42

It had been two weeks since Cassiopeia's nightmare and she hasn't had one since, to which she was glad. The Slytherins were all overjoyed, especially her friends, when she came back from the hospital wing and since then she has been hanging out with them more. However, this did mean that she was spending less time with Hermione, Harry and the Weasleys, to which Draco was pleased but he didn't let her know that. Everyone still managed to see that Cassiopeia was eating less, but when they mentioned it, she would stop eating all together- so they began to not say anything but still keep an eye on it.

It was morning and she and her friends were sitting at the Slytherin table eating breakfast when Liberty flew above her and landed on her shoulder, she had a note in her beak and Cassiopeia took it and then fed the owl. When the owl was satisfied, she flew off. Cassiopeia looked to her right to notice that Draco had received a letter also, they both opened it and it read to say the same:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight, meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall.

Prof. S. Snape

She looked to the Gryffindor table and saw that the Golden trio had received the same.

~*~

That night at eleven o'clock, Cassiopeia and Draco walked down to the Entrance Hall and saw Mr Filch waiting, a little moment later Harry, Ron and Hermione came around the corner. Together the group walked down towards the Forbidden Forest. Mr Filch was attempting to scare them.

"Pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time when detention was hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Mr Filch said, with a smirk. Cassiopeia and Draco exchanged looks of fear. When they reached Hagrid's hut, he was awaiting them outside.

"You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight, he's got a job to do inside the Dark Forest." Mr Filch said to the kids, he then turned his attention to Hagrid. "Sorry about this Hagrid." Mr Filch then noticed that Hagrid was sniffing, as if he was crying. "Oh, good God man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are ya?" he said in a harsh tone.

"Norbert's gone, Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony." Hagrid said to them.

"Well that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." Hermione said to the giant.

"Well, what if he doesn't like Romania? What if the other dragons are mean to him?" Hagrid replied, only to earn an eyeroll from Filch. "He's only a baby after all."

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together man. You're going into the forest after all. You've gotta have your wits about you." Filch said.

"The forest?" Draco said, fear in his voice. "I thought that was a joke. We can't go in there, students aren't allowed! And there are..." A werewolf howled in the distance, "werewolves."

"Oh, there's a lot more than werewolves in those trees, you can be sure of that. Nighty night." Filch said, walking off. All the group looked to Hagrid. Cassiopeia grabbed Draco's hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Right, let's go." Hagrid said, and together they walked into the forest. Hagrid stopped when they reached a tree with a pool of silver stuff on the floor. He put his fingers in it and he examined it.

"Hagrid, what is that?" Harry asked.

"Unicorn's blood." Cassiopeia replied, everyone looked to her.

"That's righ'. This is why we're here, I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now this one has been hur' bad by sommat an' it's our job to find the poor beast." Hagrid paused for a moment. "Ron, Hermione, yeh'll come wit' me. Harry, yeh'll go wit' Malfoy an' Cassiopeia."

"Okay, then I get Fang." Draco replied.

"Fine, just so yeh know, he's a coward." Hagrid replied, as Fang whimpered.

The groups spilt off and went in different directions, as Draco, Cassiopeia and Harry were walking Draco and Cassiopeia were holding hands, attempting to calm the other.

"You wait until my father hears about this, this is servant stuff." Draco whined.

"If I didn't know better, Draco. I'd say you were scared." Harry retorted.

"Scared, Potter." Draco replied with venom in his voice, suddenly in the background somewhere something howls, "Did you hear that?" Draco asked with fear in his voice. Both of the boys looked to Cassiopeia, to see if she was alright. "Are you okay, Cass?" Draco asked.

"I'm fine." She replied in a small voice and gave Draco's hand a squeeze. Together they continued walking. They then came to a clearing where Fang growled.

"What is it, Fang?" Harry asked, and he followed Fang's gaze to see a unicorn lying on the floor with a hooded figure crouched over it. All three of them stood in shock, when Harry's scar started to burn. He gasped in pain, Harry's hand pulled up to his forehead while Cassiopeia ripped her hand from Draco's and put it to her scar, which was searing in pain.

The hooded figure then looked up and growled at the group. Draco screamed and ran off, Fang following. But Cassiopeia and Harry stood there watching the figure, both in pain. As the figure slowly approached the two Harry pushed Cassiopeia away and he began to back up. Cassiopeia slowly backed away while Harry tripped over tree roots. Cassiopeia then looked towards Harry, he saw this and gestured for her to run. She felt guilt but she saw the look on his face, telling her to do as he says. And with that she ran, however in the opposite direction of Draco- the pain being to much to have some sense of direction.

Suddenly Harry heard the sounds of hooves, and a centaur jumped from above Harry and made the figure disappear into the forest. Harry got up and walked to the centaur, it turned to him.

"Harry Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here." The centaur said, "the forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

"But what was that thing you saved me from?" Harry asked.

"A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price, to slay something so pure, the moment the blood touches your lips you will live a half-life, a curse life." The centaur replied.

"Who would choose such a life?" Harry asked.

"Can you think of no one?" The centaur replied.

"You mean to say, that thing that that killed the unicorn, that was drinking its blood, that was Voldemort?" Harry replied, gobsmacked.

"Do you know what is hidden at the school at this very moment, Mr Potter?" The centaur asked.

"The Philosophers stone?" Harry gasped.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice suddenly called, Harry and the centaur looked to the group that just arrived.

"Hullo there, Firenze." Hagrid greeted. "I see you've met our youn' Mr Potter." Hagrid then turned his attention to Harry, "You alrigh' there, Harry?" Harry nodded.

"Harry Potter," the centaur began, "This is where I leave you, you're safe now. Good luck." But before the centaur could leave Harry spoke.

"What about my friend?" Harry said, suddenly Hagrid, Ron, Hermione and Draco then looked to see Cassiopeia missing.

"Where's Cassiopeia?" Hagrid asked.

"I told her to run, so she did." Harry replied. He then realised that the hooded figure ran the same direction. "She ran that way, the same way that the hooded figure ran." He said in a solemn voice.

"Firenze, can I ask you to escort the kids back to the castle? And I'll go on an' find Cassiopeia." Hagrid asked, but before the centaur could reply a scream tore through the forest. They all looked to each other and ran in the direction the scream came from.

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe