The Young Padfoot *Book One*

The Forbidden Forest

 At just before eleven that night, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and I went down to the entrance hall to meet Mr. Filch for our detention. I wondered what we would be doing as there really wasn't much that could be done in the Entrance Hall apart from cleaning the floor or something like that.

Filch was already there when we arrived so we just had to wait for Malfoy, who came swaggering towards us a few minutes later.

"Come along," Filch said, completely ignoring the fact that Malfoy was late. We all followed him in silence out of the castle and down the familiar path to Hagrid's. "It's a pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Harry and I shared a nervous glance.

"Is that you, Filch?" Hagrid's familiar voice called over to us, as we reached his darkly lit hut. "Hurry up, I want ter get started."

The relief that I felt that we would be serving detention with Hagrid was incredible, but this relief must have shown on my face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girl—it's into the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Hearing this, Neville whimpered slightly, moving closer to Hermione, who was next to him. Malfoy on the other hand, stopped dead in his tracks, making me have to quickly swerve out of the way of him so I didn't walk into him.

"The forest?" Malfoy repeated. "We can't go in there at night—there's all sorts of things in there—werewolves, I heard."

"It's not a full moon tonight, I'm sure you'll be fine," I snarled at Malfoy, thinking back to how Remus had been shunned all his life for being what he was.

Hagrid and Fang then came out of the, now dark, hut, a crossbow and quiver of arrows flung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," Hagrid grunted, walking over to us. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, Emery?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them," Filch said coldly. "They're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it? Bin lecturin' them, eh?" Hagrid challenged Filch, frowning slightly. "'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn, for what's left of them," Filch said nastily, turning and stalking away up to the castle.

As soon as Hagrid turned back to face us, Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that forest," Malfoy said defiantly. I was glad to hear some panic in my dear cousins voice.

"Yeh are if yer want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid countered. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay for it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd—" Malfoy began, but Hagrid cut him off.

"—tell yer that's how I is at Hogwarts. Writin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father's rather you were expelled, then get back ter the castle an' pack. Go on!" Hagrid said ferociously.

Malfoy remained silent, his eyes probably piercing mental holes in Hagrid's skull. Hagrid then turned away from Malfoy and instead decided to rest his gaze on the rest of us.

"Right then. Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment," Hagrid continued, leading us over to the edge of the forest. "Look there. See that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor creature."