Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Chapter 15 - The Forbidden Forest

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Chapter 15

The Forbidden Forest

Filch takes the children directly to Professor McGonagall. She yells and screams and yells some more. She cannot believe the level of disobedience demonstrated by first-year students. She has no choice, she says, but to take away points from Gryffindor - 50 points for each child! They are lucky, she says, that she does not expel them right then and there!

When the other children of Gryffindor house wake up the next morning, they see the House Point Counter. They have lost one hundred and fifty points in one day? At first, they cannot believe it! But then they hear the stories. In one night, Harry goes from one of the most popular and admired students at Hogwarts, to the most hated. Even children from Slytherin make fun of him - they thank Harry for putting them in first place!

The only good thing that comes out of this whole situation is that Professor McGonagall thinks it is only a plan to give Malfoy detention. She still does not know anything about Hagrid and his dragon, or the invisibility cloak. If he wants to remain at Hogwarts and not be expelled, Harry thinks, he decides to mind his own business from now on. He focuses the next few days on preparing for his exams.

Then, one day while he is at breakfast, Harry receives a letter. Hermione and Ron also receive the same letter:

Your detention will take place at eleven o’clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch at the entrance to the castle.

Professor M. McGonagall

Harry has almost forgotten about detention. But they all feel they deserve the punishment. So, at eleven o’clock, Harry, Hermione and Ron leave the Gryffindor common room and go to the front entrance of the castle. Filch is already there - and so is Malfoy. Harry has forgotten about Malfoy, too! “Follow me,” says Filch. He lights a lamp and leads them out of the castle and towards the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid is there waiting for them. “Is that you, Filch?” Hagrid yells, “Hurry up! I want to get this over with! Let’s go, all of you, into the forest we go. We have work to do.” Malfoy makes a strange sound. “The forest?” he asks, his voice is full of fear. “We can’t go into the forest. It’s full of horrible monsters - werewolves and vampires…” he makes the strange sound again. Then he is silent.

Filch has no sympathy for Malfoy. “You should have thought about them werewolves before you broke the rules. Now get in there!” The children follow Hagrid into the dark, Forbidden Forest. They follow a narrow path. It disappears into the black trees. They walk for some time before Hagrid stops them. He calls them over. “Look here. Do you see that? That shiny silver stuff? That’s unicorn blood.”

“There’s a unicorn in the forest that’s hurt. We’re going to find it. There’s blood all over the place. We’ll split up into two groups and follow the blood.” Hagrid takes Hermione and Ron down one path; and Harry and Malfoy go with Fang down a different path. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Hagrid says, “Just yell if you get into any trouble. We’ll hear you.” Harry and Malfoy are not happy that they have to work together.

It is dark and silent as they move through the forest. After a long while, Harry and Malfoy find a large splash of shiny blood on a tree. They stop and examine it. Suddenly, there is a noise off in the distance, like the sound of someone, or something, walking through the bushes. They listen carefully. “Let’s go check it out,” Harry says, even though he is terrified. “It might be the unicorn.”

Malfoy looks just as terrified as Harry, but they move off the path and into the dark forest. Soon they approach a clearing. Suddenly, there is another, louder sound - “Who’s there?” yells Harry. “Show yourself!” They move out into the clearing, and in the moonlight, Harry can see something white and shining on the ground. “Look!” whispers Harry. It is the unicorn.

And it is dead. Harry has never seen anything so beautiful as that unicorn. He feels a deep sadness at its death. Its skin is the color of pearl, and its white mane is spread on the dark leaves. As they begin to move towards the animal, something dark, like a shadow comes from the forest towards the unicorn.

It is a person, wearing a dark cloak and a hood. It moves like a crawling beast along the ground. It lowers its head over the wound in the side of the unicorn and begins to drink the animal’s blood. “AAAAAAARRRRGGH!” Malfoy screams in terror! He turns around and runs away in fear back into the forest. Fang runs after him! Harry is alone with the creature.

The creature raises its head and looks right at Harry. There is unicorn blood running down its face. The creature stands up and moves quickly towards Harry. Harry cannot move! He is frozen with fear! Then, he feels a pain that lances through his head. It is a pain he cannot describe.

Harry almost falls over - he cannot see because the pain is so excruciating. Then there is the sound of shouting from one direction - the shouting is coming closer. It sounds like Hagrid! And then Harry hears another sound: something very big coming through the forest towards him from another direction. It is moving very quickly through the bushes and leaves.

The pain is so terrible in Harry’s head that he falls to his knees. Then, something huge jumps over Harry and advances towards the creature. When Harry finally looks up, the dark creature is gone. But standing next to the unicorn is something Harry could never have imagined…

From its head to its waist, the creature is a man. His hair is long and blond, almost white. But below, he has the body of a horse! Its skin is smooth and the color of gold in the bright moon. His tail is a deep yellow color. Harry cannot believe his own eyes: it is a centaur! Then suddenly, from the other side of the clearing, Hagrid appears! He is with all the other children, and Fang. Hagrid does not look surprised to see the centaur.

“You are the Potter boy,” says the centaur. “You must return to the castle. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you.” The centaur looks up and sees Hagrid and the children. “Hagrid, I will take him back.” The centaur looks back at Harry. “Can you ride? It will be quicker if you can ride. My name is Firenze,” he says.

“Go with him, Harry,” Hagrid says. “He’ll get you back to Hogwarts safely.” Still in pain, Harry moves towards Firenze. The centaur lowers himself so Harry can climb onto his back. “Hold on!” yells Firenze. He bolts away into the forest. Harry has to hold on to his mane tightly so he does not fall off!

“My kind does not concern itself with your kind,” Firenze says as he rushes through the trees. “But we have seen your future in the stars - it is a dark future, Harry Potter. But that creature that you saw tonight is a great danger to all of us. If we do not fight it together, we will surely lose everything!” Harry is confused. He does not know what Firenze is talking about. But he holds on tightly for dear life!

After some time, Firenze suddenly begins to slow down. They are coming to the edge of the forest. “Harry Potter, do you know what unicord blood is used for?” he asks. “No,” says Harry, confused even more by the question. “It is the most barbaric thing, to kill a unicorn,” Firenze continues. “Only someone with nothing to lose would kill a unicorn.”

“The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are close to death. But you must pay a terrible price. The blood will keep you alive, but only in a half-life, a cursed life. Almost dead, but never fully alive.” “But who would be so desperate to do that?” asks Harry.

Firenze does not answer for a long time. Then, “If you only need something to keep you alive… Alive until you can drink something else that will restore your full life... Something that will make you immortal. I think you know who and what I am talking about, Harry Potter.”

Harry understands now. The Sorcerer’s Stone... The Elixir of Life... Voldemort. “This is where I leave you,” says Firenze, “You are safe now. Make your way back to the castle. Stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Stay with your friends.” Harry slides off his back.

“Good luck, Harry Potter. The stars are bright tonight. We have read your future in them, but we have read the stars incorrectly before!” He turns and bolts off into the dark forest. The sound of his hooves quickly fades into the distance. Harry turns and walks out of the forest. He walks slowly back to Hogwarts. He has so many questions in his head.

When the children arrive back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry explains what he has learned, and the conclusions he has come to, “It’s Voldemort in the forest. Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort, and Voldemort’s waiting in the forest, drinking unicorn blood to stay alive.” Ron has a terrified look on his face. “Harry, please stop saying his name…” Ron whispers, as if Voldemort might hear him. Harry ignores him and continues his explanation.

“If Snape steals the Stone and gives it to Voldemort, then he’ll come after me and kill me for sure,” Harry says. Ron looks even more uncomfortable when he hears You-Know-Who’s name. “Harry, everyone says Dumbledore is the only one You-Know-Who is afraid of,” Ron says confidently. “With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won’t try to touch you.”

Harry is not so sure. As the sun begins to rise, they all go to bed. They are exhausted and scared. But for Harry, there is still one more surprise waiting for him. When he pulls his bed sheets back to climb into bed, he finds the invisibility cloak! It is folded neatly next to his pillow. There is a note attached to it:

Just in case