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eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the |
best teachers if you ask me.... It's just a pity they let the old |
punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a |
few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in |
case they're ever needed.... Right, off we go, and don't think of |
running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do." |
They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry |
wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something |
really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted. |
The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them |
into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's |
hut. Then they heard a distant shout. |
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." |
Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it |
wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his -face, because |
Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that |
oaf? Well, think again, boy -- it's into the forest you're going and I'm |
much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece." |
At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his |
tracks. |
"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. |
"We can't go in there at night -- there's all sorts of things in there |
-- werewolves, I heard." |
Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise. |
"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with |
glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, |
shouldn't you?" |
Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He |
was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his |
shoulder. |
"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All |
right, Harry, Hermione?" |
"I 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, frowning 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, "for what's left of them," he added |
nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp |
bobbing away in the darkness. |
Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. |
"I'm not going in that forest, he said, and Harry was pleased to hear |
the note of panic in his voice. |
"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. |
"Yeh've done wrong an' now yehve got ter pay fer it." |
"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd |
be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd |
tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! |
What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or Yeh'll get out. |
If yeh think yer father'd rather you were 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. |
"Right then," said Hagrid, "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." |
He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he |
pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the |
thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into |
the forest. |
"Look there," said Hagrid, "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 thing. We might have |
ter put it out of its misery." |
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, |
unable to keep the fear out of his voice. |
"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with |
me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're |
gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent |
directions. There's 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, |
an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other. |
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 up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh -- so, be |
careful -- let's go." |
The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a |
fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left |
path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. |
They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a |
ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue |
blood on the fallen leaves. |
Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried. |
"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked. |
"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, |
they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before." |
They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; |
there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of |
unicorn blood here and there along the winding path. |
"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've |
gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter -- GET |
BEHIND THAT TREE!" |
Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a |
towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, |
raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was |
slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing |
along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few |
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