Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 62: Into the Forbidden Forest

The fallout the next day was mercifully nowhere near as bad as it could have been. Even so, word spread within Gryffindor house that Aerie had been caught out of dorm. Twenty points was still twenty points and people were understandably upset. Hermione really wanted to defend her, but Aerie cautioned her not to for fear she might let slip that she and Neville had been out too. Aerie had sacrificed herself for them, or so she believed. In truth, Aerie wanted to be in detention with Draco to maintain that point in time.

“Don’t feel too bad, Aerie, we’ve lost more points,” George offered at breakfast.

“But what were you doing?” Fred asked.

“Star gazing.”

“Stargazing?” The two chimed.

“Stargazing.”

“But it was overcast last night?”

“Indeed it was.”

“So what you are saying is that you snuck out to watch a meteor shower, and never got to see anything?” Lavender asked. “And let yourself get caught. Why did you let yourself get caught.”

“You’re not suggesting she’s been out before?” Idda asked as she gave her a dirty look. “And you never said anything?”

“Ah… well…”

“You know what? Maybe I don’t want to know. Furthermore, Aerie, for now on, that broom you have is to be stowed away in my room when you aren’t using it for Quidditch.”

“Now why didn’t we think of that?” Chimed Fred and George.

“Your brooms stay in the team locker room,” Wood snapped. “The only reason Aerie was allowed to keep hers with her was to prevent others from trying to ride it.”

Ron was released from the medical ward that evening and Professor Dumbledore awarded Aerie ten points for getting Ron to the medical wings to get his “dog bite” treated.

“Aerie, do you think he knows?” Hermione whispered to Aerie at the dinner table.

“Knows what? Is there anything to know?” Aerie replied as she helped herself to food. “Ron got bit by a dog. A Crup to be exact. It’s a magical creature that resembles a Jack Russel if I’m not mistaken.”

“A Crup?”

“Yes, Hermione,” Ron replied for Aerie. "Professor Dumbledore spoke to me and reassured me that he’d tell Hagrid to be mindful of what sort of creatures he keeps.” Ron was fairly sure Dumbledore knew, but as Aerie had said, he can’t acknowledge it and was perfectly happy to push forward convenient subterfuges. And Ron got to be in on it because he’d been in the middle of it.

“Bites from magical creatures can be problematic,” Bill Bones offered. Aerie looked at him, and a quick scan let her know that he didn’t know about the dragon but suspected that something had happened beyond Aerie suddenly getting it into her head to go traipsing about in the middle of the night. And if she had been sneaking out on her broom, she’d been really careful about it. And why only twenty points? McGonagall usually took considerably more.

Aerie had no trouble picking up the remaining ten points and then some over the following week. Aerie was determined not to get involved in anything she didn’t have to. And yet, she was trapped in the role she was in, and that meant the issue of Quirrell. On the one hand, all she had to do was wait him out, on the other hand, Voldemort needed Unicorn blood to sustain himself. As such it was only inevitable that Aerie would stumble across him arguing with the wraith that had once been Lord Voldemort.

“No – no – not again, please…” Quirrell’s voice could be heard not just by Aerie but by everyone with her. Hermione, Ron, and Neville had been close enough to make out what he was saying, but only Aerie’s keen ears could make out the hiss of his master.

“All right… all right,” Quirrell sobbed, and a moment later he rushed from the room where he’d been and right past the Gryffindor first years oblivious to their presence.

Hermione wasted no time investigating the room but saw no one. “It’s Snape, it has to be.”

“It’s not Snape, and leave it alone,” Aerie scolded. Hermione said nothing more on the matter, at least not where she thought Aerie might hear.

“Do you know who he was talking to?” Lavender whispered to Aerie as the group made their way to the library. Hermione, Ron, and Neville had hung back and didn’t hear.

“That’s exactly who,” Aerie replied.

“I think I’d be better off not knowing,” Aurora replied with a similar undertone.

“Ah, what do you mean that’s exactly who? I asked you if you know… Oh god.”

“Enthralled,” Aerie offered. “I’d say he’s trying to resist but lacks the strength to do it. And there’s not a lot any of us can do. And yes, I’ve talked to Dumbledore. Wizard methods aren’t kind, and Dumbledore is afraid that a confrontation might cause unexceptionable collateral damage. All we can do is wait this one out. Sooner or later he’ll be forced to give up and move on. Maybe then we can help Professor Quirell.”

Aerie received her notice of detention at breakfast the following morning.

“Detention?” Aurora asked.

“I’m to report to Mr Filch at eleven o’clock tonight.”

“Aerie, I should go with you,” Hermione stated. Ron looked up at her with panic in his eyes.

“Hermione,” Idda interjected. “Shut the fuck up.”

Hermione’s jaw hung down in shock.

“Hermione,” Lavender said in a soft tone that was nearly a whisper. “Pretty sure everyone has figured out Aerie was running interference for you and your two idiots.”

“Hey!” Neville protested. Ron looked like he was still trying to compute what was going on. Ron was a wiz at chess but tended to be slow on the uptake.

“Hermione, what exactly would you accomplish?” Aerie asked. “Lose our house more points? Possible expulsion? Maybe worse.”

“Worse? What could be worse than expulsion?” Ron bemoaned.

“Mother after you’ve been expelled,” Percy offered. Oh, he’d an idea or two himself. He also figured that they’d somehow done Dumbledore a favor, while they were out when they’d no business, which was good enough for him.

Hermione had little choice but to keep quiet.

As for Aerie, she made a point of getting an owl to Mrs Silverwood to let her know that there was a very good possibility that Quirrell would be out hunting while she was in detention and may already have struck. And that she expected Hagrid to take her out into the forest to find the injured unicorn. Aerie said goodbye to her Roommates around ten-forty-five and met Hermione down in the common room.

“Has anyone said what you’ll be doing?” Hermione asked.

“Not officially no.”

“But you’ve got an idea though.”

“Down to Hagrid’s to go muck out a barn in the middle of the night. Nothing too horrible.”

“I suppose if it’s Hagrid you’ll be fine.”

“Not like he’d take first years out into the forbidden forest to hunt down unicorns while You Know Who rampages out there and Hagrid accidentally shoots me with his crossbow.”

“Now that you mention it…”

"Oddly specific, Aerie..." Aurora added with a tone that said behave.

“Lieutenant Mouse will be watching my back, and if that’s not enough I’ve Moonie. - I’d better get going.” And with that, she was out the door. Although, she did have to wonder why it was perfectly fine for her to go downstairs in the middle of the night on her own.

Moonie appeared by her side a moment later in her feline form.

“Query?”

“Why did I let myself be caught?”

“You could have locked the door and been back to the dorm with the others before anyone thought to do a headcount.”

“Because Malfoy is going to be out there.”

“He, or rather, it, will be out there.”

“I may not be able to stop him, at least not in a face-off just yet, and at the same time he can’t withstand my Kitsune-bi.”

“The foxfire.”

“The foxfire. And maybe, just maybe, we can cheat him of a victim.”

Aerie arrived in the grand entry hall just in time to see Malfoy being brought out by one of the Slytherin Prefects. Filch was waiting and he had a nasty scowl on his face.

“Well it’s about time, ain’t it,” Filch drawled. “Follow me and no dawdling.” He then picked up a lantern and guided Draco and Aerie out the door. And yes, he lectured them about not breaking school rules as they marched off across School grounds. All the way around the school to be exact. After all, they’d gone out what was essentially the front door when Hagrid’s hut and the barns were behind the school. Meanwhile, Filch was going on about chains, shackles, and pain to teach well-oiled students. Aerie had been tuning him out and was sure she’d heard wrong.

Aerie could be reassured in that the moon was out and there were few clouds that night. From time to time her keen eyes spotted thestral patrols.

“Is at you, Filtch?” Hagrid called as they approached. “Hurry it up, I want ta get started.”

“I suppose you think you’ll be enjoying yourself. Well, think again. It’s into the forest you’ll be going.”

“The forest?” Malfoy repeated, stopping cold in his tracks. “We can’t go in there… at night. There’s all manner of dangerous creatures, like werewolves.”

“That there’s yer problem, ain’t it? Should av thought about it before ya decided ta go traipsen about at night.” Filch was being especially nasty.

“About time you got here,” Hagrid bemoaned as he strode forward. He’d fang at his side and a rather large crossbow that made Aerie think of a small ballista. “I bin waitin’ fer a half hour already. Alright, Aerie?”

“Don’t be too friendly with them, Hagrid. They are here ta be punished, after all.”

“Bin lecturing em, have you? That's why you’re late?”

“We came by way of the front door,” Aerie supplied. Hagrid looked at her and rolled his eyes.

“I’ll be back at dawn to fetch what’s left of them,” Filch stated, turned, and walked back to the castle.

“I’m not going into that forest.” Malfoy’s fright and apprehension were evident in his voice, nor did Aerie take any pleasure in it.

“If’n ya want ta stay at Hogwarts, you’ll do as yer told,” Hagrid stated. No, there was no warmth in his voice for Draco. Which was also understandable. In Hagrid’s mind, he might have been able to keep Norberta if not for him. Or at the very least, keep her a bit longer.

“But… this is servant stuff. It’s not for students to do.” Malfoy was grasping at straws. Granted that he was also showing his entitlement. Aerie figured he’d likely never done anything for himself in his life. Save that one time she’d goaded him into picking out his own wand. “I thought I’d be copying lines… or something. If my father knew-”

“Will you just shut it!” Aerie shouted.

There was a brief moment before Hagrid cut in. “He’d tell yer that’s how it is at Hogwarts. Copyin’ lines?! What’s the good in that? Yeh’ll do summat useful or you’ll get out. Go on then. Go back ta yer room, and pack yer bags. That’s if ya think yer father would prefer you get suspended.”

“And what about that dragon?”

“What dragon?” Hagrid leaned in real close. “Ain’t no dragons around here. Oh, I heard about yer goings on. Mighty serious accusations that. Why you could get yer-self inta Azkaban for spreadin’ lies like that.” Hagrid had been well coached by Dumbledore and it was all Aerie could do to keep a straight face. “What are ya just standing there for? Go on. If that’s what ya want.”

Malfoy didn’t move. He looked up at Hagrid with fury in his eyes, but he knew when he had been beaten.

“Right then…” Hagrid said as Draco dropped his eyes. Hagrid straitened up. “Now listen carefully, 'cause, yes, it’s dangerous out there. And what we 'ave ta do is no less dangerous. There’ll be no taking risks, and no fool’n around. Do as yer told and everyone gets ta go home in one piece. Now, come along.

Hagrid turned, held his lantern up, and made his way toward the forest. Aerie was the first to follow.

“You coming?” Aerie asked of Malfoy who seemed rooted to his spot. Aerie could see him fueling his courage with anger and resentment, first on one foot then the next. “Yes, yes, let the anger flow through you,” Aerie teased.

“Shut up,” Malfoy snapped. He kept going though, even as Hagrid led them deeper and deeper into the forest. After a few minutes, Hagrid stopped. He held up his lantern to look down a narrow winding track. A light cool evening breeze drifted past as he contemplated his next move. His gaze zeroed in on something in the path, he took a few steps, bent down, and dipped his fingers in something that showed silvery in the moonlight.

“See that, that there is unicorn blood.” He stood up, pulled out a rag, and wiped his finger off. “There’s a unicorn in there, bin hurt badly. The second one this week. Found a dead one last Wednesday. We’re going to find it and put it out of its misery.”

“Not going to try to help it?” Aerie asked.

“Help it? A unicorn?”

“Bet he’d be more keen if it was a dragon,” Draco said under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Hagrid?” Aerie pressed.

“Aye, suppose helping it is a possibility, but keep in mind that we’ll probably ‘ave ta put it out o’ its misery.”

“And what about the thing that attacked it?” Try as he might, Malfoy was unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

“There’s nothn’ in this forest that’ll hurt you if you are with me or Fang.” He looked about. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do… We’re gonna have ta split up.”

“Split up?” Draco sounded like he was ready to panic at the very idea.

“We’ll need to follow the trail in both directions. Things's been staggering around and the tracks are all over the place.”

“I want Fang,” Malfoy stated quickly.

“Malfoy and I can go one way, and you can go in the other,” Aerie offered. “We’ll be safer together. And you can go the other as far as needs be.”

Hagrid let out a sigh, as it was entirely possible he’d planned on sending Malfoy off on his own.

“Aye… tell ya what, you two go that way, and I’ll go this other way. Now, if’n you see any sign the unicorn had gone that way send up green sparks with yer wands. If’n ya gets inta trouble, send up red sparks. I’ll come an’ find yeh. So… be careful. Well, come on, let’s go.”

Hagrid didn’t wait to see if anyone had any questions, he handed Draco Fang's lead and strode off into the woods. Aerie and Draco watched him go, and then started off in the other, each getting out their wands to cast a light spell. As they went the forest grew darker, and even Aerie had to admit that she was nervous when she flinched at the sensation of Moonie the cat landing on her shoulder. Draco who’d seen the movement had frozen in fright.

“It’s alright. Just my cat.”

“Your cat?!” Draco gasped out, cracked a smile, and started laughing.

“So, um, you know how to send up red and green sparks? Because I don’t.”

“Well, of course, I do.”

“Can’t say as it ever occurred to me to even try,” Aerie admitted. And she was telling the truth. Granted that what Hagrid was talking about was using the wand to send up magical pyrotechnics. Something that wasn’t actually taught in first year.

“Could a werewolf be killing unicorns? I’ve heard that there are werewolves out here.” Draco asked after a short silence between the two. Even the forest was unusually quiet. Gone was the sound of crickets or the occasional night bird.

“I can’t imagine Nova Silverwood allowing a werewolf to hide out in the forest. Not for long anyway.”

“Nova Silverwood?”

“There’s a grove out in this forest known as the Silver Wood. She’s the matriarch of a family that settled out there.”

“There are people who live in this forest?”

“Kill everything Hagrid sets loose out here. Dumb-ass tried to start an Acromantula colony. Or so I hear.”

“He did? Hang on, I thought you liked him?”

“He’s likable enough. Just not the brightest sort. Doesn’t really think through his actions. Kind of like you when you tried to catch us in the act. You could have gotten Hagrid, but you wanted all of us and you were going to do it all by yourself.”

“And now it never happened, I gather.”

“Just between you and me, Filch is an idiot and probably doesn’t know anything. Even so, he might be right. Try to press the matter without proof, which is long gone, being expelled may well be the least of your concerns. Take into consideration that Dumbledore didn’t even bother to address rumors. That way all anyone has to go on is that you got caught out of dorm and tried spinning a wild tale as your alibi. And considering the reputation you’ve built for yourself…”

“No one’s going to believe a word I say. Ugh!” He thought for a moment. “It was your sudden interest in him that got me wondering what he was up to.”

“And all this time I thought you had developed an unhealthy interest in Ronald Weasley.”

“Unhealthy?”

“Yes, unhealthy. You are obsessed with tormenting him. Granted that he raises to the bait every time. Would you believe that the girls in Gryffindor actually thought you might be the more reasonable one?”

“I… um, that is…” Draco went silent as he had no idea what to think, or say at that moment.

They walked on in silence, their eyes on the path looking for signs that the unicorn they were seeking had indeed gone that way. At one point they could hear the sound of a stream. They’d not gone too much further when the light about them began to grow.

“Aerie, why are you glowing?”

“Moonie, shield us,” Aerie whispered as she crouched down. Moonie jumped up, and a moment later the Night Mare had the two nestled in her wings. Draco not knowing what else to do crouched down as well his arms firmly about Fang, followed by Moonie lying down her wings covering them.

To a passerby, the three simply weren’t there. Which was a good thing as something big slithered by.

“Wha, whoa, Aerie?” Draco’s mind had all but shut down, his voice rasping.

“Quiet,” Aerie hissed.

The creature stopped for a moment, its hooded head lifting up and looking about like some great cobra save that the upper portion was definitely humanoid. Satisfied that there was nothing there it turned back and continued about its hunt.

“It’s gone,” Whispered Moonie. She waited a moment and then stood up.

“My cat’s a Night Mare,” Aerie offered as she too got up. Draco stood up slowly.

“Your cat… Never mind, what was that? That thing?”

“Something that doesn’t belong out here.”

“Its form appeared to be that of a Cecrops, half serpent, half man” Moonie offered. “Now might be a good time to summon Hagrid.”

“Summon… did you mean me?”

“You did say you knew how to do the pyrotechnics?” Aerie reminded him.

“Now’s not a good time, it might attract that thing.”

“You totally don’t know how, do you?”

“I do.”

“Somehow I doubt it,” Moonie scoffed.

“Trouble is, he might be right. Send up a sparkler now and that thing is liable to double back to see who all sent it up.”

“So now what? Do we go back? Do we wait for Hagrid?” Draco didn’t sound happy, and it sounded like he was more angry than frightened at this point.

“I fear that Hagrid’s desire for that Unicorn outweighs his caution,” Moonie offered.

“If Hagrid is half the woodsman he thinks he is, he’ll realize he’s headed in the wrong direction, and turn around and come back.”

“What makes you think he’s the one headed in the wrong direction?” Draco asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? That thing is what’s killing the unicorns. If it’s headed that way, that’s the way the Unicorn went.”

“Fuck.”

“Why Draco, I didn’t think you knew any four-letter words,” Aerie teased.

“Well isn’t it obvious? We’ve got to follow that thing if we don’t want to get suspended.”

“You feeling braver now?”

“Never thought I’d be glad to see a Night Mare,” he said and stepped forward.

“Easier to be brave when you’ve muscle with you, is that it?” Aerie asked as she and Moonie followed along.

Comments

[Flashgo]

I actually had to look up that word. Another great chapter. Might suggest definition at end of chapter for us that are not as knowledgeable about that stuff.

[harts fire]

Filch well i have watched mold grow on coffee that was smarter then him.
please burn him out of Hogwarts?
and as for Hagrid well he is not much better but he does have his uses... i am thinking a few years of some good Moonie nightmares will help him out a good bit.

a completely awesome chapter now we have to people that just need to be dealt with before some one gets killed.

[KittyrinnAiko]

11703061
What word would that be?

[Flashgo]

11703469
Cecrops

[Elderlichlord]

HUZZAH!!! Another one from one of my favorite series by one of my favorite writers!!! I hope it is as groovy as the others were!!!

[KittyrinnAiko]

11703854
OK, I made a couple of changes to make it more clear.