Harry and Niamh were eating a late breakfast at the Slytherin table when two owls flew into the Hall, one heading for them and the other for Hermione.  As the owl landed on the table in front of them, Niamh winced visibly while Harry untied the letter from the owl, which flew off a moment later.  Unrolling it, he held it so Niamh could read it at the same time.

Your detention shall be served at 8 o’ clock.  Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

M. McGonagall

“I have a feeling this is not going to be fun.”

Harry laughed harshly and said, “O’ course its na, Ni.  It’s detention.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“You guys too?”

Harry and Niamh nodded as they met up with Ron and Hermione outside the Great Hall.

“Man,” said Ron, “I wonder what you guys are doing.”

Harry shrugged then said, “Whatever it is, i’ won’t be good.  I c’n tell ye tha’.”

“And you know what’s worse?” prompted Niamh.

“What?”

“We have to serve it with Malfoy.”

“Malfoy?  So he got caught?”

“Tried ter get us caught too.”

“So, who caught you guys?” asked Ron bewilderedly.

“Filch,” said Harry, Hermione, and Niamh at the same time.

“Harry got Mrs. Norris to go away though.”

Ron looked at his friend in amazement for a moment then said, “Remind me to take you if we go exploring through the school.”

Harry groaned then said, “C’mon, Ni.  Potions.”

“Ah, joyful day.  I get to see Malfoy, once again.  And then again after that.  And again.  And again.  Isn’t it such a joy to be in the same House as him?”

“Yeh.  Joyful,” replied Harry, completely deadpan.

“I’m being sarcastic here, Harry.”

“So’m I.”

Niamh rolled her eyes then said, “Come along, my friends.  We have a Potions class to get to!”

“How can you be so cheerful?” groaned Ron.

“As a Slytherin, I don’t get yelled at by Professor Snape.  However…”

“We do ge’ yelled a’ by other teachers,” finished Harry.

Niamh whacked the back of his head and cried, “Don’t finish my sentences!”

“Oh, sod off.”

“Harry!” shrieked Hermione.

Harry half-smiled at her and said, “Sorry.  Ye hear things on the stree’s, y’know.”

“Like what,” asked Ron, receiving a whack in the back of the head by Hermione.

“Ow!”

“You don’t need to know, Ron!”

“Well, no need to hit me.”

“Humphf.”

Harry glared at them and said disgruntledly, “C’mon, ye two.  Ye want ter be late?”  Ron and Hermione shook their heads and they were off.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

At 8 o’ clock sharp, Harry and Niamh made their way up to the entrance hall from the dungeons.  When they arrived, Hermione, Draco, and Filch were already there.  Filch gave them all a piercing look then led them outside.

“You’ll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight.”

Niamh and Hermione looked at each other.  Harry, on the other hand, was occupied with trying not to sneer at Draco.

Suddenly, Hagrid’s hut loomed up out of the dark, and with it, Hagrid himself.  He looked at them and said, “Yer four?”

Filch said, “Yes, these four.  I’ll be back to collect them.”  He laughed harshly and added, “What’s left of them, that is.”  With that he vanished into the dark, Niamh looking after him in surprise.

Hermione turned to Hagrid and asked, “What was that about?”

Hagrid replied, “We’ve got ter go inter the Forest.  There’s been a unicorn hurt bad by summat.  An’ you four are going ter help me look.”

Draco cried, “The Forest!  We can’t go in there!  There’s…..werewolves!”

Harry smirked and said, “Doan tell me yer scared, Malfoy.”

Draco turned on him in a flash, a look of haughty arrogance replacing the fear of earlier.

“I’m not scared, Potter.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” muttered Niamh.

Draco glared at her and would have started forward but Hagrid said, “Alrigh’.  Let’s go.”

And so they plunged into the forest, following along behind Hagrid and Fang, their wands lit and held high above their heads as their eyes watched the dark trees around them.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Alrigh’, Hermione, Malfoy, you come with me.  Niamh, Harry, you take Fang.”

Harry and Niamh nodded and started off, the big black boarhound following them.  Hagrid’s booming voice called after them, “An’ stay on the trail!”

Niamh waved in acknowledgement and then Hagrid, Hermione, and Draco vanished in the gray mist that drifted through the forest.

“Okay,” said Harry.  “We’re looking fer an injured unicorn.  Simple enough.”

Niamh shook her head at him and said, “Aren’t you ever worried?”

“Na, really.  Why?”

“I don’t know.  You always seem so…unafraid.”

“Owe i‘ to eleven years on the streets.  Oi, look.”

Harry pointed at a spot on the ground and Niamh knelt down to look at it, holding her wand close.  She looked up at him and said, “Unicorn blood.”  Slowly, she reached out a touched the silver substance.

“It’s still warm.”

Harry nodded and lifted his wand high, eyes scanning the shadows around them.  He said, “We’re close then.  C’mon.”

Niamh nodded and rose to her feet and they continued on.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“I wish we had Jardin.  He could fly ahead and look.”

Harry shook his head.  “Na.  Jardin could’n see out here any better than we c’n.”

“Good point.  Hey, Fang, what’s wrong?”

The big boarhound had been walking in front of them during the entire time they had been talking, his nose to the ground.  Now he was backing up, whimpering.  Niamh tried to console the dog as Harry moved forward and peered around a large tree.

“Ni…”

“What…  oh my God…”

The unicorn lay before them, legs splayed out, showing a clear, pearly white against the dark ground.  The magnificent head was thrown back, as though it had been fighting even as it fell.  And by its neck, head bent low, was a figure shrouded in a dark cloak.

Fang let out a howl and ran.  The figure’s head snapped up and Harry could see silver blood dripping from what looked like gleaming fangs.  Beside him, Niamh convulsed and fell to the ground, emptying the contents of her stomach as she went.  Harry threw himself in front of her, drawing his wand in a futile attempt to protect his friend.  The creature drew closer and with it came a sharp pain in Harry’s scar.  He focused around it as best he could but as the figure came nearer, he could no longer.  Collapsing onto the ground in front of Niamh, he kept her behind him.  If this creature was going to kill them, it’d have to take him before it took his friend.

Harry could feel the harsh breathe of it on his face, his scar pounding so loudly he almost fell unconscious.  Then…

There was a thunder of hooves and something sailed overhead.  The hooded figure weaved back as the black shape reared up, fore-hooves flailing wildly.  A light shone in the dark and Harry’s head cleared.  When he looked, the figure was gone.

And in its place was another unicorn, black as pitch with small dashes of gray in its otherwise unmarked coat.  Its horn was crooked yet smooth as glass, reflecting the light from Niamh’s wand, which she still clutched in her hand.  The unicorn moved towards them, eyes glittering with intelligence.  Harry had read that unicorns preferred girls to boys but those were normal unicorns.  This one was obviously a Darcorn, said to be evil.  Harry reached out a tentative hand and brushed his long fingers against the velvet-soft muzzle.  He smiled and whispered, “Thank you.”  The unicorn seemed to smile with its eyes and nickered softly, nipping his fingers gently, before turning and vanishing into the darkness of the forest.  Harry looked after it in awe then turned to Niamh.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Harry!  What happened!”

Hermione ran forward as she saw them, still sitting on the ground where they had fallen.  Behind her came Fang, Hagrid, and Draco.  The older man spotted the dead unicorn and let out a sigh.  Then he asked, “Ye alright, Harry?”

Harry nodded and said, “Yeh.  I doan know about Ni, though.”

“Well let’s get ‘er up ter the castle.  C’mon, you lot.”

Harry and Hermione helped Niamh to her feet and started to walk with her but gave that up when Niamh’s knees buckled and she slipped in their grasp.  Hagrid handed his lantern to Harry then swept Niamh up into his arms, lumbering off.  Harry, Hermione, and Draco drifted after him, Harry’s thoughts lingering in the forest.

With the Darcorn.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Severus sighed as he collapsed into a chair in his rooms, his right hand lingering on a spot on his left arm.  He looked at the fire, absently rubbing his thumb over a certain spot.

I was sure it tingled, he thought, turning his gaze from the fire to his arm.  Underneath his pale skin he could see it, a shade of silver-gray.  Lying.  Waiting.  Waiting for its master to come and reawaken it, to sound out the call once more.

Severus shivered.

He hoped it would never come to that.  He hoped the call would never pull at him again.

For his sake.

And for Harry’s.