The Potter Twins and the Philospher's Stone [COMPLETED]

IXL

first off, a shoutout to BlahhhSailor , Draco_Bloody_Malfoy   and EmilyClaire7 for leaving me loads of votes and giving me a follow! it looks like 'updating more regularly' died a death, but oh well... as long as i get them out eventually, right? :/ anyway, on with it...

Filch was waiting for us in the main hall, looking a little more cheerful than usual, probably because there was a good chance we were all about to die. He didn't see me — I was stood silently in the shadows and padded along behind him once he started to walk. "They say evil things are lurking in the forest," the caretaker cackled, and I was struck by how much his voice sounded like a witch. Well, an evil witch, like the ones in muggle stories.

Harry, Hermione and Will said nothing but Malfoy, who had slinked up to us reluctantly and was trying not to show how terrified he was, spoke angrily. "Wait till my Father hears about this. Sending children into the forest..." He trailed off, obviously not having the guts to finish his sentence.

Hagrid met us at his hut, Fang at his side, and Filch stalked off without a word. I hung back in the shadows, sure I'd be noticed if I got too close, and followed the small group into the forest. I could only just make out the conversation they were having. "Alrigh' Hermione and Will, you come wi' me an' Harry, you go wi' Malfoy."

Malfoy started to splutter in protest but was silenced by Harry scoffing. "You're not scared, are you Malfoy?"

"No, Potter," Draco spat back. "But... but I get Fang."

"Alrigh'," Hagrid shrugged. "But I'll warn yeh — he's a bloody coward. Anyway, lately I've bin findin' unicorn blood round this forest 'ere. Our job is to find th' poor bugger, dead or alive. Got it?" The group all said yes, some more reluctantly than others, and Harry and Malfoy split off to a different direction. Hermione, who was with Hagrid, didn't look so worried, so I bounded forward to join Harry and Fang. (And Malfoy.)

I nudged against Harry's hand and he nearly jumped a foot in the air. Malfoy screamed at the sight of me, and Fang just stood still. "Jesus Sam," Harry hissed. "Way to announce yourself." I shifted back to human, which gave Malfoy another fright. "Potter!"

"Yeah, that's me," I shrugged, falling into step with Harry. "You'll — you'll be expelled for this," Malfoy spluttered. "No, I won't," I said. "Because you're not going to tell anyone. And if you do, you might find that Draco Malfoy has a nasty run-in with a lynx one day."

"Fine," he hissed.

"You don't seem on your top form, today, Draco," I said easily. "If I didn't know better I might say you were scared."

Malfoy opened his mouth to fire a retort but chose that moment to plant his shoe in a silvery liquid. He recoiled immediately. "Ugh."

"That's unicorn blood," Harry noted. I shifted back into lynx form, aware of imminent danger. Ahead, in the centre of a clearing, was a shining, white corpse. "The unicorn," Malfoy breathed. Harry shot up red sparks from his wand, but at that moment, a dark figure glided into the clearing. It dipped its head to the unicorn's corpse, and had Malfoy not chosen that second to scream and run away, it probably wouldn't have noticed us.

But he did.

The cloaked figure looked up and a woman's screaming sounded in my ears, unbearable to hear, and the shock made me change to human again. Paralysed and unable to move, I watched the black thing move towards us, sure this was the moment I died, but at the last second, it recoiled. The pounding of hooves drowned the screams in my ears and suddenly I felt myself being lifted up, up off the ground and away.

Then I blacked out.

————

I woke to Harry's voice.

"Voldemort?"

"Where?" I panted, sitting up frantically. "Fear not, Mr Potter," an unfamiliar voice said dryly. "The Dark Lord has fled for now." My eyes shot open and right in front of me was a bare-chested man from the waist upwards, but below that... a horse?

He must have noticed my staring. "I am a centaur. My name is Firenze."

"You... you saved us?" I croaked, my voice husky. "Barely," Firenze said gravely. "The Dark Lord has drunk the unicorn blood. Now, he lives stronger."

"Unicorn blood has incredible healing properties," Harry added. "It can save you from the brink of death."

"But to take the life of such a pure, innocent creature has a consequence," Firenze said. "From then on, you live a half life, a cursed life... a life some men would rather forfeit. Of course, the Dark Lord cares not — all he wishes is for power. You, young Potters, are unsafe."

At that moment, a great crashing sounded in the woods behind us. I scrambled backwards, ending up tripping over a tree root as Hagrid, Hermione and Will came running towards Harry and I. "Wha'— wha' happened?" Hagrid panted.

"The Dark Lord has been seen in this very forest," Firenze said gravely.

update; just realised i numbered the chapter wrong lol