Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study.

Hermione was trembling as she and Harry sat down waiting for her.

How could she have been so stupid as to let him leave the Invisibility Cloak?! There was no point in lying now! She might as well just expel them at a moment's notice. No excuse could get them out of this.

Hermione was not ready to leave Hogwarts.

She was really enjoying herself and if Professr McGonagalll knew that they were out of bed, invisible, carrying a dragon, and going to the out-of-bounds Astronomy Tower.

When Professor McGonagall came she was with Neville.

Not him too! thought Hermione.

"Harry!" cried Neville. "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 was shaking his head vigorously.

They were dead meat.

Neville had just confessed that the dragon story was true.

Hermione could see her King's Cross Station already. She was bound to end up expelled. She'd have to attend a Muggle school again. Could things get worse?

McGonagall looked as if she was about to breath fire.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

Hermione wished she could answer, but the truth would lead to their expulsion.

She couldn't bring herself to answer. She stared at her slippers stiffly.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on. 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?"

McGonagall couldn't have made up a more far off story.

Neville looked completely betrayed and upset. He had been so loyal he got out of bed, risked expulsion for them and this is what he got. Hermione couldn't feel more sorry for him.

"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. 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."

Hermione knew what they did was wrong, but fifty points?!

"Fifty?" gasped Harry. They would now be behind Slytherin.

Fifty points each," breathed Professor McGonagall.

Now they would be behind every single House in the school! They'd lose toHufflepuff!

Hermione gasped. "Professor - please -!" she cried.

"You can't -!" cried Harry.

"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 all stalked back to Gryffindor Tower.

Neville was teary-eyed, Harry was dreading the following day, and Hermione was ashamed. She had lost all faith from Professor McGonagall in one night. It was pathetic. She was pathetic. She didn't understand how they could ever possibly forget Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

. . .

Hermione wasn't able to sleep that night.

She was afraid of what the other Gryffindors were going to do when they saw they had lost 150 points overnight and just how it'd happened.

When Hermione finally did get to sleep she woke up late, much later than even Lavender and Paravti. She was lucky it was a Sunday. As Hermione had expected a group of Gryffindors were all standing around the Gryffindor hourglass that held their points puzzlingly.

"How can this be possible?" asked Katie Bell.

"Word on the street's that you can blame Potter, Longbottom, and Granger," said Michelle angrily.

Hermione snuck away, not wanting to get yelled at on the way to breakfast.

. . .

It seemed Harry and Neville were having to deal with the same problems.

Hermione tried to get back in the swing of things by answering Professor's Quirrell's question in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but instead of getting Gryffindor's praises by giving them five points the Gryffindor's rolled their eyes and sneered.

"Great, Granger. Because five points is really something compared to one hundred and fifty!" said Lavender Brown.

After that Hermione just kept her head down in class and stopped answering questions.

. . .

Ron could tell that Hermione was feeling down and offered to study with her, which did cheer her up a bit. Being with a friend for once would make things better. Ever since the points incident she had missed spending time with Harry and Ron.

They studied together before, but they did it silently.

She had distanced herself from them and was happy to accept the offer.

"So that's Mars, then?" asked Ron, pointing to a planet in a picture of the night sky.

"No, Ron! How many times do I have to tell you? That - is - Venus!" she said poking Venus as she said each word.

At that moment Harry entered the library.

"Bad news!" he told them.

"I've just heard Quirrell when I saw going back to Gryffindor Tower. Snape's still threatening him! From the sound of it Quirrell's given up. He's going to tell him - or show him how to get past whatever he needs to know - either way Snape will know! We need to do something!"

"Snape's done it, then!" exclaimed Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"

"There's still Fluffy, though," interrupted Hermione.

It made her feel a bit more safe to know that. Snape did not know how to get past Fluffy.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," suggested Ron. "I bet there's some book in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Wasn't it obvious what they should do?

"Go to Dumbledore," said Hermione. "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 noproof!" Harry objected. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how thw troll got in at Halloween 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 bit of explaining."

Hermione realized that Harry was right.

No one would believe them and if they told the proof they did have then they'd be expelled. They were not caught for roaming around the school at midnight the first time but if they were going to Dumbledore they might as well have already packed their bags.

"If we just do a bit of poking around -" suggested Ron

"No, we've done enough poking around."

.        .        .

The next morning at breakfast Hermione, Harry and Neville were all given the same note:

         You're detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.

         Meet Filch in the entrance hall.

                                                             Professor M. McGonagall

Hermione was silent. She felt they deserved more than what they'd gotten. If her parents knew what she'd done .  .  .

.      .       .

That night Hermione and Harry said goodbye to Ron and went out to the entrance hall. 

Filch, Neville, and Malfoy were there.

Hermione didn't think he would be having the detention with them, but she didn't forget he had gotten a detention too.

"Follow me," growled Filch. He lit a lamp and led them outside.

"I bet you'll think twice before breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he asked as they walked across the dark grounds. "Oh yes .  .  . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me .  .  .  . It's just a pity they let old punishments die out .  .  . hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains sill in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed. . . . Right, off we go, and don't think off running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

Hermione was downright horrified. She could tell from the look on Draco Malfoy's face that he was too.

They continued on and Neville kept sniffing sadly.

After at least ten minutes Hermione could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. 

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Hermione's spirits lifted a bit. This detention would be with Hagrid.

"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."

Neville let out a horrible moan and Draco Malfoy stopped in his tracks.

Hermione wasn't afraid to go into the Forbidden Forest though. Harry didn't seem afraid either.

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

At this Neville grabbed Harry's sleeve and made a horrible choking sound.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" asked Filch happily. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came towards them out of the dark. He had his pet boarhound with him, he carried a big crossbow and a group of arrows over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled weakly and nodded.

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

"That's why yer late, is it? 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," said Filch coldly then he turned away and left.

Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that forest," said Malfoy in a tone of panic.

"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," objected Malfoy, "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," growled Hagrid. "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 ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy didn't move. He seemed to be deciding if what Hagrid said was true or not, if it was worse being expelled to miss this detention. He looked at Hagrid angrily then finally decided he'd have to go along with it.

"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 led them into the forest, holding a lamp up high so that everyone could see.

"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 thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" asked Malfoy in a frail voice.

"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 quickly.

"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 find 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."

They all went the same direction in the dark woods until they reached a fork in the road.

Hermione, Harry, and Hagrid took the left way and Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right.

They all walked silently through the forest looking for any sign of the unicorn."Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" asked Harry eventually.

"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 could hear running water and the spots of unicorn blood were getting larger and she was getting more worried with every step. Hagrid seemed to have noticed because he said, "You all right, Hermione? 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 grabbed Hermione and Harry and pulled them off the path and behind a large oak tree.

He pulled out an arrow and crossbow then prepared to fire. Hermione was now afraid. 

They could all here a slithering sound nearby. After a few seconds the sound faded away.

"I knew it," muttered Hagrid. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

"A werewolf?" asked Harry.

Why was he so stuck on the idea of werewolves?

"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither. Right, follow me, but be careful, now."

They walked slowly, listening deeply. Some was obviously moving. "Who's there?!" screamed Hagrid. "Show yerself - I'm armed!"

Suddenly, out of the clearing a centaur came. From the waist he was a man - a man with red hair and a  matching beard. Below that he had the body of a horse with a chesnut coat and a long red tail. Hermione and Harry's jaws dropped. Hermione had read about centaurs but to see one in real life .  .  .

"Oh, it's you, Ronan," sighed Hagrid. "How are yeh?"

Hagrid walked forward and shook the centaurs hand.

"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan with his deep voice. "Were you going to shoot me?" "Can't be too careful, Ronan. There's summat bad loose in the 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 noticed," said Hermione faintly.

"Good evening," greeted Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"

"Erm -"

"A bit," answered Hermione a bit timidly. She was still in a state of shock from meeting a centaur.

"A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan flung his head back and stared up at the sky. 

"Mars is bright tonight."

"Yeah," said Hagrid, who looked up too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?"

It took Ronan a while to answer.

"Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now." "Yeah," agreed Hagrid, " but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"

"Mars is bright tonight," answered Ronan. "Unusually bright."

"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit near home. So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

"The forest hides many secets," Ronan said after a while.

The trees began to move again, but it was only another centaur. This one had black hair and a black body. He looked really rough and wild.

"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "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? There's a unicorn bin injured - would yeh know anythin' about it?"

Bane walked over to Ronan. He looked upward as Ronan had done before. 

"Mars is bright tonight."

"We've heard," said Hagrid annoyedly.

"Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."

Hermione and Harry followed Hagrid out of the clearing. They stared over their shoulders at the centaurs until they could see them anymore.

"Never," began Hagrid, who was still deeply annoyed, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."

"Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione. She was sure how she felt exactly about centaurs.

"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." 

They walked deeper into the forest. Hermione was looking all around her. 

She didn't want to be caught off guard.

Then she saw it.

Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm in a hurry.

"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"

"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted to them. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!" Hagrid ran off. Hermione shivered. This was the worst first detention in the history of the world. Nothing could make it better. But what about Neville and Malfoy? Even though she disliked Malfoy she didn't hate him. She didn't want him - well - dead.

"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" she whispered to Harry.

She felt better being with him.

"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville . . . it's our fault he's here in the first place."

Hermione gulped. Harry was right. This was their fault. She crossed her arms and stood quietly.

After a few minutes there was a noise and Hagrid had come back. He had Malfoy, Neville, and Fang with him. 

"What happened, Hagrid?!" asked Hermione in a hurry.

"This one," said Hagrid, pointing to Malfoy, "thought it would be real funny ter sneak up behind Neville here ter scare him. It worked though, o'course, 'cause here we are now. Neville sent the sparks up. We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changing groups - Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot."

Hermione saw Hagrid whisper something to Harry she couldn't quite get.

She felt sorry for Harry. As if this detention wasn't bad enough.

Neville was quivering in the darkness as the three of them walked deeper into the forest after Malfoy and Harry had left. They were looking all over the place for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, they heard a russle.

It had been what seemed to be an hour or so. 

Then after that rustle there was a whole rampage of noise.

"Follow me!" ordered Hagrid.

"Stay tergether now!" he said as they ran deeper into the forest. "Hagrid, what is that?" asked Hermione.

"Shhh!" said Hagrid.

"Do yeh hear that?" he asked.

"It sounds like screamin'!" They all walked very slowly to the west.. It took about ten minutes for them to make their way there and Hagrid took the lead. The screaming got louder and more