Hermione didn't know what was worse: that she was about to get punished for being out of bed and in the astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except during classes, or that she was caught only because of her stupidity – how could they forget the cloak?
Filch took them to Professor McGonagall's office on the first floor, were they sat and waited in silence. Hermione had never been so afraid before. She tried and failed to still her body, which was rocked by trembles of fear and huge, silent sobs. Once the secret of Norbert came out she would be expelled without doubt. Her wand would be broken and she would be doomed to a Muggle life, knowing that she was capable of magic, but also knowing that she could never use it again.
The door flew open and Hermione froze. She had thought Professor McGonagall's lips were thin when she had caught Malfoy, but that was nothing compared to how they looked now, as she strode into her office, dragging Neville behind her.
“Harry!” Neville shouted as he caught sight of them. “I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-”
Harry cut him off by shaking his head violently. Professor McGonagall looked at him, her eyes shining with a cold fire. She placed herself firmly in front of the three of them, looking quite as big as Hagrid.
“I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch says you were up the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves.”
Hermione couldn't meet the professor's eyes. She stared at her slippers instead, biting back tears.
“I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on,” Professor McGonagall continued. “It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?”
Hermione kept looking at her shoes. She would have almost been relieved; Professor McGonagall's version wouldn't get them expelled. But the hurt look in Neville's eyes made her feel even more guilty than before. She couldn't even explain it to him properly.
“I'm disgusted. Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense.” Hermione swallowed hard. “As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions – yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous – and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor.”
“Fifty?” gasped Harry. It was a heavy blow, but Draco had lost twenty alone, and they were three.
“Fifty points each,” Professor McGonagall declared.
Hermione stared at her in shock.
“Professor – please -”
“You can't -”
“Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students.”
They ran back to the tower in a daze. Fifty points each. The words resounded in Hermione's head, every repetition feeling like a hammer blow to her stomach. Stupid dragon. What on earth had possessed her to make her agree to this? The dragon should have been Hagrid's problem. But they had to make it theirs.
Silently Hermione counted the points she had won during the year. She ended up twelve points in the plus, but somehow she didn't think anyone would care about that. One hundred and fifty points. That put them in the last place for the Cup by far.
They reached the tower without having said a single word. Neither did they speak when they went up to bed. Hermione lay awake a long time, finally crying herself to sleep.
Hermione dreaded the sight of the giant hourglasses in the morning. A crowd of people was standing around them, whispering and shaking their heads in disbelief. Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried past them, hoping not to be noticed. By lunch the rumours had spread: Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and star Seeker, had lost them the points. Hermione noticed for the first time just how bad fame could be. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, who had hoped that Slytherin would lose the House Cup for the first time in years, turned on Harry because he was the reason Slytherin was in the lead. Slytherins applauded Harry where ever he went.
Only within Gryffindor, where Neville and Hermione were known, did they receive the same treatment. Nobody would speak to them. Percy the prefect had a look of deep disgust on his face whenever he saw any of them.
As for Neville, any attempts to explain at least part of the situation to him failed because he wouldn't ever go near them. He fled whenever they got near and wouldn't even sit near Hermione in Potions. As a result of this and the constant jeers by the Slytherins he did worse than ever, managing to melt two cauldrons in a single lesson.
From all the students in the school, only Ron stood by them, which only brought him the silent treatment too.
“They'll all forget this in a few weeks,” he tried to cheer them up. “Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them.”
“They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?” Harry asked darkly.
“Well – no.”
Hermione stopped volunteering information in class. She could have used the points it brought, but she couldn't stand the looks she got every time she raised her hand. She also vowed to herself never again to meddle in affairs that weren't her business, knowing that Harry had done the same. In fact, Harry and Ron were more studious than ever before. They spent most of their time in the library and stayed up late in the Common Room, learning potion recipes, charms, stars and history.
They were sitting in the library one afternoon. Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy, while Harry had already gone back to the Common Room. Suddenly Harry came back, a haunted look on his face.
“Quirrell's given in,” he announced. “I heard him in a classroom, I'm sure he broke down.”
“Snape's done it, then!” said Ron. “If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -”
“There's still Fluffy, though,” Hermione reminded him.
“Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid,” suggested Ron. He looked at the countless books in the library. “I bet there's a book somewhere in here, telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?”
A dangerous light was flaring in Ron's eyes. Hermione spoke before Harry could agree to do something stupid.
“Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure.”
“But we've got no proof!” said Harry. “Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Hallowe'en and that he was nowhere near the third floor – who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining.”
He was right. They couldn't do anything. Ron thought otherwise, though.
“If we just do a bit of poking around -”
“No,” Harry interrupted him, “we've done enough poking around.”
He took a map of Jupiter and concentrated on it, showing clearly that the discussion was over.
Hermione had forgotten about her detention. The past few weeks had been like a constant detention anyway. But Professor McGonagall had not forgotten, as the notes that were delivered to Harry, Neville and Hermione the next morning showed:
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall.
Prof. M. McGonagall's
Eleven o'clock was very late for a detention, but at least she wouldn't lose the day's revision, which was more effective than the night sessions. Exams were only a week off.
Harry caught her eye. She shrugged.
We deserve it.
Shortly past eleven o'clock they arrived in the Entrance Hall. Waiting for them were Filch and Malfoy. Apparently he was to have his detention with them. Filch looked disgustingly happy at the thought of the four students being punished.
“Follow me,” he said. He lit a lamp and led them outside. “I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh? Oh yes .... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me ... It's just a pity that 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 ...” He glowed at the thought. “Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do.”
He led them across the grounds. Neville had broken into quiet sniffs during Filch's speech. Hermione wanted to comfort him, but he still wouldn't let her get near him. Harry was lost in his own thoughts, too.
Lights appeared ahead. Hermione recognized them as the windows of Hagrid's hut. A voice carried over to them.
“Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started.”
Hermione's heart rose. No detention with Hagrid could be truly bad. He probably felt guilty about the whole affair.
“I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?” Filch interrupted her thoughts. He was smiling nastily at Harry. “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.”
Neville moaned. Malfoy, however, stopped dead.
“The Forest?” he asked, poorly suppressed panic in his voice. “We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things in there – werewolves, I heard.”
At this, Neville actually grasped Harry's robes. Filch, on the other hand, was delighted.
“That's your lookout, isn't it? Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?”
A large figure appeared in the lamp light. It was Hagrid, followed by Fang. Hagrid was carrying a large crossbow and a quiver full of arrows.
“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, they're here to be punished, after all,” said Filch. Their mutual dislike was obvious.
“That's why yer late, is it?” retorted Hagrid. “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 for what's left of them,” Filch said nastily. He turned and lumbered away into the darkness.
He was hardly out of sight when Malfoy turned to Hagrid.
“I'm not going into that forest,” he said, a good deal higher than his usual voice. Harry grinned slightly.
“Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts,” said Hagrid. “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 writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd -”
“- tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts,” Hagrid interrupted him.”Writin' 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 go. He tried to stare Hagrid down, but he might as well have tried to stare a stone down.
“Right then,” said Hagrid, after Malfoy had dropped his gaze,” 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.”
They followed him to the edge of the forest, stopping in the shadows of the first trees. He showed them a narrow path that winded its way into the trees.
“Look there,” he said, “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, his voice still high.
“There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang. 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 immediately.
“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' practise 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 darkness in the forest was unnatural. Every sound seemed muffled to their ears, yet they had the impression that it could be heard widely. Sometimes a ray of moonlight shone through the trees, some of them reflecting in the unicorn blood.
Hagrid looked worried, and that was a bad sign. If Hagrid was worried – Hermione knew very little of unicorns except the use of their hair and horn in potions. She had read that one should never kill one, though she didn't know why, except that they were beautiful and peace-loving.
“Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?” Harry asked.
Hagrid shook his head.
“Not fast enough. It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before.”
Hermione tried to swallow, but her mouth was completely dry. She walked next to Harry, looking only at the path, trying to ignore the unicorn blood that was still visible in the light of Hagrid's lamp.
“You all right, Hermione?” Hagrid whispered to her. “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!”
His large hands grabbed Harry and Hermione and pulled them behind a huge oak. In one smooth motion he pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow. He raised the crossbow, ready to fire. They listened with held breath. Something was moving, gliding over the dead leaves. They saw nothing, though, and the sound faded away.
“I knew it,” Hagrid mumbled. “There's summat in here that shouldn' be.”
“A werewolf?” Harry asked.
“That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither. Right, follow me, but careful, now.”
Absurdly enough, Hermione found herself a little calmer once she got over the shock. They walked more slowly now, carefully listening for any noises. Suddenly a figure appeared in a clearing ahead.
“Who's there?” Hagrid called. “Show yerself – I'm armed!”
Hermione identified the creature that moved into the clearing as a centaur – half man and half horse, with red hair, red beard, a chestnut body and a red tail. She had never seen a real centaur before; she closed her mouth, which had dropped open, and saw Harry do the same.
“Oh, it's you, Ronan,” said Hagrid, clearly relieved. “How are yeh?”
He shook the centaur's hand.
“Good evening to you, Hagrid,” replied Ronan. His voice was deep and sorrowful. “Were you going to shoot me?”
“Can't be too careful, Ronan. There's summat bad loose in this Forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur.”
“We'd noticed,” Hermione managed to say, then slapped herself mentally. She had read that centaurs were proud. She should make a better impression.
“Good evening,” said Ronan. “Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?”
“Erm -” Harry stammered.
“A bit,” said Hermione. That was a little better. She wished she could get her voice under control.
“A bit. Well, that's something.” Ronan looked up at the sky and sighed. “Mars is bright tonight.”
“Yeah,” said Hagrid, looking briefly at the sky too. “Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt – you seen anythin'?”
Ronan kept staring at the sky. Finally he sighed again.
“Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now.”
“Yeah,” said Hagrid impatiently, “but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?”
“Mars is bright tonight,” Ronan said again. “Unusually bright.”
Hermione started to wonder if the centaur was unhelpful on purpose.
“Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home. Se yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?”
Again they had to wait for an answer while Ronan looked at the trees surrounding them.
“The forest hides many secrets.”
Another centaur appeared between the trees, causing Hagrid to raise his crossbow for a moment. This one was completely black and reminded Hermione of an untamed stallion.
“Hullo, Bane,” Hagrid greeted him. “All right?”
“Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?”
“Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? Only there's a unicorn bin injured – would yeh know anythin' about it?”
Bane's reaction mirrored Ronan's. He walked over to where Ronan stood and looked at the sky.
“Mars is bright tonight.”
Hermione decided that it wasn't unhelpfulness, but simply normal centaur behaviour.
“We've heard,” said Hagrid. “Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then.”
They left the clearing, Harry and Hermione trying to keep the centaurs in view as long as possible. Hagrid looked extremely irritated.
“Never,” he growled, “try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy star-gazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon.”
“Are there many of them in here?” Hermione asked him.
“Oh, a fair few ... Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs ... they know things ... jus' don' let on much.”
“D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?” asked Harry.
“Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns – never heard anythin' like it before.”
The trees grew even darker as they walked on. Harry kept looking over his shoulder, and Hermione scanned the surroundings constantly. Suddenly she saw it: red sparks in the distance. She grabbed Hagrid's arm.
“Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!”
Hagrid immediately sprang into action.
“You two wait here!” he shouted, already running into the forest. “Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!”
For about a minute they could still hear him crashing through the plants, then everything was silent except for the trees. They were alone and very scared.
“You don't think they've been hurt, do you?” Hermione whispered.
“I don't care if Malfoy has,” Harry replied grimly, “but if something's got Neville... It's our fault he's here in the first place.”
The minutes stretched into an eternity. They kept close together. It was completely dark around them. Hermione considered lighting her wand, but who knew what the light would draw to them? Even as their eyes grew useless due to the darkness, their other senses sharpened. Hermione could smell the forest, the thick scent of the trees and the rotting leaves, but other scents too, fainter, unknown to her. They sent goosebumps up her arms. She could hear the wind rustling in the trees and twigs falling to the ground, the trees creaking and even an occasional bird calling. They both jumped at every sound.
Then Hagrid returned, coming straight through the trees and dragging Malfoy, Neville and Fang behind him. Hagrid was extremely angry. Apparently, Malfoy had played a stupid joke on Neville, causing him to panic and send up the sparks.
“We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups – Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot.” Hagrid whispered something to Harry that Hermione didn't catch. Harry nodded and they left.
“Come on,” said Hagrid.
They continued on their way. Neville was ghostly pale, yet he looked relieved to be with them instead of Malfoy.
“Really,” Hagrid growled, “I haven' seen such an idiot fer a long time. Thinks he's here fer fun.
“How'd you ever get stuck with this, anyway?” he asked Neville.
Neville didn't answer. He only looked accusingly at Hermione. She sighed.
“It's our fault, really. He overheard Malfoy telling his friends that he was going to catch us and decided to warn us. Professor McGonagall caught him while he was looking for us.”
“Yeh heard about Norbert?” Hagrid asked Neville.
“Norbert?”
“The dragon!” said Hagrid. “T'was mine.”
“There really was a dragon?” Neville said in confusion. “But McGonagall said it was only a joke.”
“We let her think that,” Hermione explained, “because if she had known we really were carrying a dragon to the astronomy tower she'd have expelled us.”
“Oh,” Neville said simply.
“It was really mean of her to say we'd find it funny you got caught, by the way,” she continued. “You know we'd never do that, Neville. We tried to tell you, but you avoided us.”
Neville stared at his feet.
“No, probably not,” he mumbled. “Sorry.”
“No, we're sorry. It's still our fault. That was a great thing you did, trying to warn us.”
“She's right, yeh know,” Hagrid said. Neville smiled weakly. A great weight lifted from Hermione's heart.
“Still, 'tis my fault. Shouldn' have bothered you with the dragon.”
Hermione didn't answer. He had never asked them to help him, but Hagrid could be stubborn as a mule.
They walked in silence for another twenty minutes. Then they found a large pool of unicorn blood, but no unicorn. Hagrid walked around the pool, looking at the ground.
“Right,” he said finally. “No use going on. This mus' be where the unicorn was hurt. We'll go back an' find Harry an' Malfoy, the unicorn must be on their side.”
They turned around and started to walk back. After another twenty minutes they heard quick steps on the path ahead. Fang came into sight, running towards them, closely followed by Malfoy. Malfoy's face was completely white, his eyes wide, his mouth open.
“Terrible,” he panted when he reached them. He seemed to be trying to hide behind Hagrid. “Unicorn – dead – drinking blood – horrible –“ he stammered.
“What about Harry?” Hagrid asked him. Malfoy moaned and squeezed his eyes shut. Hagrid took him by the shoulders and shook him. “What about Harry?” he repeated.
“Thing – terrible – blood –“ was all Malfoy said.
Hagrid cursed under his breath.
“Right,” he said. “Neville, yeh take this fool back ter the castle. Don' reckon he'll be too much of a problem right now. Fang'll go with yeh. Hermione, yeh come with me.”
Neville nodded bravely and led Malfoy away, while Hagrid set off along the path. The crossbow and the quiver greatly hindered his run, though, and Hermione was easily capable of keeping up.
After only a few minutes they saw another centaur in the distance. This one had white hair and a palomino body, and he was carrying a child on his back: Harry. Hermione sprinted ahead, leaving Hagrid behind.
“Harry! Harry, are you all right?” she called.
She stopped next to him. Hagrid reached them shortly.
“I'm fine,” said Harry absently. “The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there.”
Hagrid went off to look.
“This is where I leave you,” the centaur said quietly. “You are safe now.”
Harry slid of the centaur's back.
“Good luck, Harry Potter,” the centaur continued. “The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times.”
He turned and disappeared in the Forest without even acknowledging Hermione's existence. She turned back to Harry. He was shivering.
“What happened, Harry?” she asked, placing a hand on his arm.
“Later,” he said simply. “When we've found Ron.”
“Who was that centaur? I thought they are proud, I didn't know they'd let humans ride them.”
“That was Firenze. And no, they usually don't. Bane was really angry that Firenze let me ride. He said... Well, I'll tell you later.”
He was shaking harder now and rubbed his forehead.
“Are you sure you're all right?” Hermione asked.
“I'm sure. I'm just... You'll see.”
His shaky voice made Hermione nervous. What terrible thing could make Harry tremble with fear?
She found out later when they had woken Ron. Ron had fallen asleep in the Common Room, waiting for their return, and shouted something about Quidditch fouls when they shook him. Harry's story woke him up, though. Harry never sat down, instead pacing up and down in front of the fire, his body still trembling. He started with a short description of their detention for Ron up to the point where he and Hermione had been separated.
“So, I was stuck with Malfoy,” he said after that. “We walked along the path and finally came to a clearing. I stopped him from walking right into it because I had seen something. It was the unicorn. It was lying dead in the clearing.” His voice took on a very sad note. “Even dead it was still gleaming, the purest white imaginable. Its mane was tangled, lying on the muddy ground but still no dirt was on the mane itself...” He trailed off, looking into the fire, watching the flames dance. Then he shook himself and continued in a brisk but quiet tone. “Then, just as I wanted to go near there, I heard the same sound that we heard before, this slithering. The thing that made it came into the clearing. It might have been human, I don't know. It was wearing a cloak with a hood, so I couldn't really see. Anyway, that thing drank the unicorn's blood.”
“Drank it?” Ron burst out. He looked absolutely horrified. Harry nodded.
“Malfoy screamed and ran away. Fang followed him. The thing looked at me and -” He rubbed his scar with his fingers. “- it felt terrible, as if the scar would burst. I guess I just collapsed. Then I heard hooves. Firenze appeared and drove that thing away. Another centaur,” he said, noticing Ron's questioning look. “He said that the Forest is not safe for me and that I should go back to Hagrid. He offered to carry me. Then Ronan and Bane appeared. Bane shouted at Firenze for letting me ride, calling him a common mule. Said something how they are sworn not to set themselves against the heavens. Firenze shouted back and left. Then he told me... stuff. About why someone would drink unicorn blood. And what happens to them.”
“Why would anyone do that?” Hermione asked.
“It keeps you alive. If you are practically dead, it still keeps you alive. But not really. It's not a proper life you have.”
“A cursed life,” Ron mumbled. His face was ashen.
“Cursed?” Hermione gasped.
“Yeah,” Ron said. “Unicorns are kind of the essence of innocence. That's why it's a – crime is too weak a word. Not even the lowest of life-forms would kill a unicorn. And if you drink its blood, you're cursed forever. It's the stuff legends are made of.”
“Not forever,” said Harry darkly. “The Elixir of Life can give you back your full strength.”
“You mean Snape -”
“Not Snape. Voldemort.”
Hermione flinched. Ron let out a loud gasp and recoiled as if he had been hit.
“'Someone who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance,'” Harry recited. He took up his pacing again, faster than before. “That's what Firenze said ... it can only mean that ... 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 ...”
“Stop saying the name!” Ron was staring around the room in horror and his voice was barely a whisper. Harry, however, wasn't listening to him any more.
“Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done ... 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.”
“Will you stop saying the name!”
“So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone, then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off .. Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy.”
At last Harry slumped down into a chair, looking exhausted. Hermione was terrified, not only by his tale but also by his outburst of black humour. He was talking about dying, about being killed, just like he was talking about something nasty Malfoy had done. It wasn't good for him, she was sure. The centaurs had predicted his death? At the hand of You-Know-Who? But You-Know-Who couldn't get into the school.
“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.”
“Maybe,” said Harry.
They stayed up for a long time, discussing the night's events, turning in only when the sky already turned light. Finally they said goodnight and Hermione went up to her dormitory and crawled into her bed. She dreamt of centaurs and unicorns, and Harry lying dead in the Entrance Hall.