Chapter 54
If his reasoning was correct, Gray thought, then Dumbledore would almost certainly be following Harry tonight—keeping watch from a distance, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.
The only problem was that it was Friday. Gray himself was scheduled to patrol with Hagrid, which meant he would be walking straight into another encounter with Voldemort.
The prospect gave him a headache, but there was nothing to be done about it.
"It's just one detention," Hermione said after the three of them had talked it over. "It's not the end of the world."
Harry nodded. Whatever excuses they might make, they 'had' been out after hours, they 'had' been caught, and they 'had' cost Gryffindor a fortune in house points. This punishment was only fair.
At eleven o'clock that night, Harry said goodbye to Hermione and Ron, then made his way down to the Entrance Hall. Filch was already waiting.
But there was one unexpected addition.
Malfoy stood beside the caretaker, his expression so sour it could have curdled milk.
"What are 'you' doing here?" Harry asked—genuinely curious. He couldn't remember ever caring this much about Malfoy's well-being, but right now he desperately wanted to know what was going on.
"Malfoy here was caught out of bed after hours," Filch explained with obvious relish. "Professor Snape decided he needed a detention as well."
Harry's mood lifted instantly. Suddenly the night didn't seem quite so grim. Having Malfoy along for the ride made the whole thing feel almost bearable—even a little satisfying.
"Serves you right," Hermione said bluntly.
"You—" Malfoy began, furious, but the words died in his throat. This was Snape's order. Refusing would mean expulsion from Slytherin—and quite possibly from Hogwarts altogether.
"Right then, ladies and gentlemen," Filch interrupted, a gleeful edge to his voice. "You can save your bickering for later. You'll need your energy—there'll be plenty of hard work ahead."
He lit a lantern. "I must say, I do enjoy this particular form of punishment. I'm confident that after tonight, none of you will ever dream of breaking school rules again… assuming you make it back alive, of course."
"Make it back alive?" Malfoy squeaked, voice rising to a near-shriek.
Harry and Hermione exchanged alarmed glances.
What kind of detention was 'this'?
"You'll find out soon enough," Filch said cheerfully. "I promise you, it's one you'll never forget."
He led them out across the dark grounds.
The night was very black, but a full moon spread a thin silver sheen across the grass. In the midst of that pale glow, a single warm orange light shone steadily from Hagrid's hut, like a tiny sun guiding them forward.
As they drew closer, Harry saw Hagrid standing outside the hut—and Gray was with him. Both appeared to be waiting.
"You took your time, Filch," Hagrid boomed as they approached.
"Aye, a bit slow," Filch replied with a nasty grin. "Blame these three—they dawdled. But never mind. I reckon they'll soon wish their legs had moved faster."
"Hagrid!" Harry and Hermione called out in relief.
Seeing Hagrid made everything feel instantly less frightening.
"Gray," Hermione added quietly.
Gray gave her a small nod, then scanned the darkness behind them, searching for any sign of the person he suspected was following. Nothing visible, of course.
"So what in Merlin's name is this detention?" Malfoy burst out. "Why are we out here?"
He stared at the shadowed expanse of the Forbidden Forest in the distance, dread pooling in his stomach.
"Can't you guess?" Filch said, his smile turning positively malicious. "You're going into the forest."
He raised the lantern one last time. "I do hope you all come out in one piece. Well… I 'hope'."
With that, he turned and trudged back toward the castle, leaving them standing in the moonlight.
"No—no, you can't do this!" Malfoy cried, stumbling backward. "I've heard what's in there—werewolves, giant spiders, all sorts of monsters. They'll tear us apart!"
"Stick close and don't wander off," Hagrid said calmly. "Do that, and nothing'll touch you."
At nearly three metres tall, he loomed over the four students, radiating a reassuring solidity.
Gray glanced at Malfoy. The Slytherin's face was whiter than Gray had ever seen it—whiter even than after the Astronomy Tower incident. Gray was certain Malfoy would have gladly endured a dozen more high-altitude drops rather than set foot in the forest.
Unfortunately for him, this was almost certainly Dumbledore's doing. There would be no escaping it.
Gray had a strong suspicion why Malfoy had been included: his bloodline. He was Lucius Malfoy's son—and Lucius had once been one of Voldemort's most devoted followers.
In other words, Malfoy was another piece of bait. Another lure that might draw Voldemort out of hiding.
"Right then," Hagrid said, checking the quiver of arrows slung across his back and hefting his enormous crossbow. "Time we were moving."
Compared to his usual pink umbrella, this version of Hagrid looked considerably more formidable. Gray had patrolled with him before and had only ever seen the umbrella; tonight it was tucked into his belt like an afterthought.
"No," Malfoy shouted. "I'm not going in there! This is insane—students aren't supposed to do things that could get them killed!"
Hagrid looked down at him. The sheer weight of that gaze made Malfoy flinch.
"Course you don't have to go," Hagrid said evenly. "Didn't want to bring you in the first place. But you broke the rules, and rules-breakers get punished. If you'd rather not come, head back to the castle right now. Pack your things. You can be on the train home tomorrow morning."
Malfoy's face twisted through several emotions in quick succession. At last he dropped his gaze, fists clenched, and stepped silently to Hagrid's side.
"Good choice," Hagrid grunted.
He turned to Harry and Hermione. "Don't worry too much, you two. Fang and me'll look after you. If we get held up, just stay close to Gray. He knows the forest almost as well as I do."
"Thanks, Hagrid. Thanks, Gray," Harry said.
Hermione simply moved to stand beside Gray, making her decision clear without words.
Hagrid exhaled a long breath, then started toward the dark wall of trees. Malfoy, Gray, Hermione, and Harry fell in behind him.
"Right," Hagrid's deep voice carried back clearly over his shoulder as they walked. "Let me explain what we'll be doing tonight."
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