I've never struggled so much on a chapter before.

The following morning notes were delivered to Percy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr.Filch in the entrance hall.

Under that was Professor McGonagall's curly signature.

"I wonder what he's gonna make you guys do?" asked Layla, happy that she doesn't have to participate in this.

Percy thought about it for a minute, no way it would be worse than the punishments back at Camp. This would probably be a walk in the park for him.

Layla wanted to see what would happen to them if they skipped detention, but Harry was going on about how they deserved this. Hermione completely agreed with him.

At eleven o'clock that night, they said goodbye to Layla in the common room and went down to the entrance hall. Filch was already there waiting for them and to the right of him was there good pale Draco Malfoy. Percy had forgotten that Malfoy had detention, with them.

Percy gave him a look to stay away. It was really all cause of him that were in this situation.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them.

"Yeah I'll be sure to think about that," Percy said out loud without even realizing it, he didn't care though.

"Hmph, you'll need to be taught a proper lesson... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me...It's a pity they let the old punishments die out...hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days -"

Percy cut him off "I would take that over spend time with you,"

Filch stopped in his steps and put the lantern right in his face.

"I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed..."

Percy wasn't scared of this guy. "You're weird," he said walking over to Hermione and Ron.

"What are you doing?" Ron hissed at him

"Nothing,"

"You're going to make it worse for the rest of us,"

"Calm down," Percy said "His not going to do anything."

In fact, Filch didn't say a word after that. He only led them through the dark grounds. Percy realized they were going to Hagid's. He has been here every morning practicing and sometimes he would stop at Hagid's to see how he was doing with Norbert.

"We're going to Hagrid's," Percy whispered to Harry

Harry said in a low voice "How do you know?"

"I remember this area," he said

They walked over a small hill and in the distance they could see Hagrid's in the distance. Harry opened his mouth.

"Are we going to Hagrid's?"

Filch replied even more grumpy "Yes,"

Percy saw Harry's face light up with a big smile. Percy couldn't help but smile with him. This detention was going to be great. The only person who didn't look happy was Malfoy, but when is he ever happy when he's not bullying some kid.

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang alongside him. He was carrying a long crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

Percy hoped he would have to shoot, knowing his archery skills.

"Abou' time," Hagid's booming voice called "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already." He sent a big smile in Percy's direction.

"Shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, growing at Filch "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

Percy heard him talk some more but he didn't care. He only cared what Hagrid's got in store for them.

Malfoy turned to Hagrid

"I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Percy held back a laugh after hearing the panic in his voice.

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

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines, if my father knew about this, he'd-"

"-tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "If yeh think yer father would rather you 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. And Percy was they were here and not in a cold, stale classroom copying lines.

"What Malfoy," Percy said mockingly "You're not scared of some bugs, now, are you?"

"Werewolves, Jackson, not just some bugs," said Malfoy

"Right then," said Hagrid, before Percy could reply "now listen carefully, what we're doing tonight can get dangerous, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here for a moment."

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding trail that disappeared into the thick black trees.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? That there's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in their bin hurt badly by something. This is the second time this week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing."

Percy wasn't too surprised about there being unicorns. He heard about them back at camp, he was somewhat surprised that they were hear too.

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

"Never thought I would say this, but I'm with Malfoy," Ron said voice shaking "This is stupid."

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid while making eye contact with Percy. "Ight now, keep ter the path, now we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trial in different directions. There 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 long teeth.

"All right but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid "So me, Harry, Hermione, an' Ron go on way an' Draco, Percy, an' Fang 'll go the other."

"Anyone but Jackson," Malfoy whined. "I would rather have Granger."

"Oh suck it up," Percy told him "I don't want to do this either, let's just get it over with."

Percy grasped his shoulder to pull him along, but he shrugged him off. Malfoy was still looking at Hagrid like he could change his mind.

"Oi, now if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble send red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

Fang came by Percy's legs and started walking in circles around him. Percy patted his head, "Good boy."

He, Fang, and Malfoy had been walking for 20 minutes now and nobody had said a word. Unless you count the consent mumbling from Malfoy. It was always around the line of 'filthy' and 'blood'. Percy couldn't recognize the other word.

They got to a bend around an old tree when Percy found many deep silver-blue spots on crumpled leaves.

"Look," he said holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.

The three of them followed the trail deeper into the forest. They had to twice once for Fang, he had some business to do and the other was now cause Malfoy needed a break from walking.

They were sitting on an old long when a quick sound came from the bushes in front of them. Percy's eyes locked on the sound right away. Fang let out a whimper, Percy laid a hand on the mess of brown-black hair. Then another sound came from the bushes this one was loud and went in a hurry.

"Ah hell nah," Malfoy said pulling out his wand

"What the hell are you doing," Percy whispered "You gonna get us killed,"

"No, you are," said Malfoy way too loud and shot up red sparks from his wand.

Percy took out his wand and stood up hoping that Hagrid was close and would find them before the mystery sound maker. He took a few steps toward the bushes when

Malfoy whispered "Jackson, Jackson there's something over there," tilting his head back.

Percy turned around and sure enough, there was a noise straight at them. He moved Malfoy behind and stuck out his wand. Preparing himself to cast an ocean of water at the attacker.

"Percy, Draco, Fang," they heard a familiar voice call.

"Hagrid," Percy called back moving in the direction of the voice. "We're over here." He didn't lower his wand, he thought it might be a Cyclops.

Hagrid appeared from the bushes right where Percy's wand was pointed.

"Woah," Hagrid said. "No need ter blasted me, now, eh."

"Hagrid," Percy said lowering his wand.

Malfoy gushed "Something tried to attack us. I swear, I would have died."

"Nothing tried to attack us," Percy corrected. "There was just some noise in from the bush over there."

"Yah called me, 'cause yeh heard a noise." Hagrid frowned walking over to the buches and looking around. "Well, there nothin' no more."

The four of them tracked back through the woods to find a worried-looking Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Percy," Hermione said, "you're okay. We were so worried there."

Percy laughed it was funny how she was so worried about such a small thing.

"What even happened?" asked Harry

"This idiot got scared at some noise," Hagid huffed looking at Malfoy. "Now we'll be lucky ter catch anything' now."

"Can we go back, then?" Ron asked looking around him like something was about to jump at him.

"We're changin' groups - Percy your with us and Hermione, you go with Fang an' the idiot." Hagrid added in a whisper to Hermione "I'm sorry, but I think you're the one he hates the least."

Hermione nodded and walked off looking stiff standing in between Malfoy and Fang.

Percy was about to say something but Harry beat him.

"I don't think just the two of them is enough," Harry said "Someone else should go with them."

Percy was just about to say the same thing, he didn't like Hermione going with just Malfoy.

"Yer right," said Hagrid, "Harry you go along with them."

The two groups split off, Percy, Hagrid, and Ron went to the right. And Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Fang went to the left. Percy didn't know why, but he felt bad that he wasn't the one who spoke up first and it was Harry.

The group kept on going for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest. The more they walked the harder it got to see and Percy couldn't even see any trace of blood anymore.

"There no point in this Hagrid," Percy said "We should just head back,"

"Can we please," Ron mumbled shivering "There're spiders everywhere."

Only a few steps back they realized they were lost, everything looked the same and the trail was barely visible. Percy was hunched over trying to find the original trail, when Ron shouted

"Look, green sparks, they've found it."

Just after the green light had disappeared they heard a terrible scream. Percy listened to where to came from and blotted off in that direction not far behind he could feel Hagrid's grunts. He kept on running until his whole body was covered in cuts and dirt. He stopped in an open area and saw Ron on Hagrid's shoulders, with his hands covering his face.

"Where - where are we?" Percy huffed out

"Donno," said Hagrid softly "Light was around here, we should be close."

The three of them spread out looking around the area. Percy was really starting to worry until he heard Ron shout "Harry!"

He found Ron go behind a large wall-like bush. He and Hagrid both squeezed their way through, Hagrid had a lot more trouble than him. Getting past the wall the first thing that caught his eye was - Chiron? No, he looked closer this centaur was much taller and smaller. The next thing he saw was a pure-white horse. A unicorn he realized, he had never seen something so beautiful and sad. Its long slender legs were misshapen and its belly looked carved up. Hagrid immediately went to check on it.

Layla had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. She was breathing peacefully when Harry roughly shook her awake. Percy shot him a questionable look. Layla's eyes were wide open when they began to tell her what happened in the forest.

Harry couldn't sit down he paced up and down in front of the hair. 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..."

"Harry calm down, you look worse than me without any sugar," Percy said half joking. "Also why do you keep saying that name? I don't want moldy cheese."

Layla punched him in the arm, "You know who, is the darkest wizard of our age," she said "He killed thousands of witches and wizards."

"Oh," Percy said, he was not expecting that "But who is you know how? I don't know who you're talking about,"

"Voldemort," Harry said "That who,"

Ok, so the Voldy guy was basically the wizard's equivalent to Hitler.

"Well is he still alive?"

"No Percy," Hermione said "He - was killed - or so we thought eleven years ago..."

"On the same night, my parents died and I got this scare." Harry finished quickly

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so... Bane was furious...he 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 let Voldemort kill me... I suppose that's written in the stars as well." Harry rambled on.

Percy tried to listen but it didn't seem that important. He couldn't believe he didn't know about Harry's parents. Also who was he going on about now, Firenze and Bane?

"Will you stop saying the name," Ron hissed, pulling Percy out of his thoughts.

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

Hermione looked very frightened, in fact, everyone in the room was. Layla's skin had gone pale, Ron was shaking, Hermione was breathing heavily, 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."

After Hermione's words, they went off to their dorms to get some sleep. They were half dead with sore throats. Percy wanted to do a quick little recap of everything, but his brain couldn't. He would do it in the morning when he sends his owl to Annabeth.

------------------------------

Thank you, guys, so much for the 3k reads ill try to update more often now