The next morning, Calysta, Jeff, Regulus, Felix and Raymond walked side by side all the way to the Great Hall for breakfast, sleep evident in their eyes. All of them weren't as neatly dressed as they usually were that morning. Regulus had fastened his robes on backwards, Calysta had worn her shirt inside out, and Jeff had forgotten to do the top four buttons of his shirt. 

Raymond and Felix were the only ones dressed properly. The five of them usually started their day neatly dressed, but after the first break, it looked as if they hadn't even bothered to try and get dressed in the morning. 

While walking to the Great Hall, Calysta was tying her hair into a ponytail, until her eyes caught sight of the huge hourglasses that recorded the points for each house. When last night Gryffindor's hourglass was in the lead, now it almost seemed... empty.

"Guys," she gasped, pointing at the hourglasses. "Look."

The four boys turned their heads to look at where her finger was pointing.

"But... Gryffindor was in the lead.."

"There must be a mistake..."

"It's not a mistake," said one passing fifth year, who'd heard what they were saying.

"What do you mean?" Regulus demanded, looking at the Hufflepuff.

"Haven't you heard?" the fifth year spoke, looking at Calysta. "Your twin and two of his stupid friends were caught out of bed last night, and Professor McGonagall deducted fifty points each."

Calysta's jaw dropped, and she exchanged looks with Raymond. 

Both were thinking the same thing.

Oh no.

Calysta was absolutely furious at Harry when he told her that him and Hermione had forgotten the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower, and even more so when she heard that Neville was out of bed too. 

He'd lost the cloak, and she couldn't find it anywhere, despite her constant attempts to look everywhere. Although she too was caught, Professor McGonagall hadn't deducted points from her and Raymond, and they still had to do their detention.

A week before the exams, Jeff had a few questions regarding potions, and him and Calysta decided to go to the dungeons to ask Professor Snape to explain their doubts to them.

Before they entered Professor Snape's office, they heard voices from inside. 

"I'm onto you, Quirrell," hissed Snape, and Calysta could almost picture his expression as he said this. "You may have fooled everyone with your innocent act, but not me."

"I... I don't know wh-what you're t-talking about..." quivered the Defense Professor.

"You know perfectly well, Quirrell, believe it or not, I know perfectly well what you're up to."

Before they could hear any more, there was the sound of footsteps from another part of the corridor, and Calysta and Jeff looked at each other in alarm, before taking off into sprints, hiding in the first broom cupboard they could see, furiously breathing.

"Jeff," said Calysta breathlessly, her chest heaving. "I think you may be onto something."

"I TOLD YOU SO!" Jeff yelled. "I TOLD YOU I TOLD YOU I TOLD—"

Calysta clapped her hand over her cousin's boisterous mouth. "Shh," she hissed. "Do you want the whole castle to hear you? Let's go back to the common room, we need to have a group meeting to discuss this."

When the pair reached their common room, none of the boys could be found. Calysta and Jeff hunted all over looking for their friends, but with no avail. At last, they asked Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, have you seen Regulus, Raymond and Felix?" asked Jeff, in the most charming manner he possessed.

"Yes, Mr. Evans, I do know," Professor McGonagall quipped with a small smile. They're in detention."

"Detention?" echoed Jeff. "We leave them alone for half an hour and they're in detention?"

"What on earth did they even do?" Calysta asked, rather amused.

Professor McGonagall sighed tiredly. "They were playing some muggle sport called tennis in the Great Hall."

Calysta's lips stretched out into a wide smile. "Why didn't I think of that before?" she questioned. "Man, I'm so proud of them!"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Off you go, before I give you detention as well."

"Would we be able to join them?" Jeff questioned. 

"If you want to spend two hours cleaning the Quidditch stands with Mr. Filch, be my guest."

By the time the three boys finished their detention, it was already dinner time. Calysta and Jeff had no time to discuss, or even narrate what they'd heard to their friends all throughout the next evening, since they were so tired after detention.

As they all headed up to the boys' dormitory, no doubt to discuss their theories, Felix, Regulus and Raymond had already fallen asleep.

Calysta bid her cousin farewell before heading to the common room, where she briefly went through her astronomy charts and potions work, before calling it a day and heading for bed. Strange enough, she couldn't find Harry, Ron or Hermione anywhere.

The following morning, identical slips of parchment were delivered to her, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Raymond, during breakfast.

The brunette quickly opened it and skimmed through its contents.

Your detention will take place at eleven o' clock tonight.
Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor M. McGonagall.

Locking eyes with Raymond and Harry, she sighed, knowing they would barely have enough time to spend with their other friends. Calysta showed the note to Jeff, Felix and Regulus, who groaned, claiming they would barely get any time to finish the map.

At eleven o' clock that night, they said goodbye to Jeff, Regulus and Felix, and met up with Neville, Harry and Hermione on their way to the entrance hall. Filch was already there waiting for them— and so was Malfoy.

Calysta had forgotten Malfoy had gotten detention too, and she watched Malfoy glare at Raymond.

"Avery," the blonde spoke through gritted teeth. "I thought you would never befriend such scum."

"One more word from you, Malfoy," Calysta seethed. "I swear I will shove a real mouse under your robes."

They were interrupted by Filch.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes . . . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. . . . It's just a pity 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. . . . Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing, and Raymond was glaring at the back of Malfoy's head. Calysta wondered what their punishment would be. It must be something terrible, otherwise Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.

The moon was bright, but the clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Calysta could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.

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

Calysta's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. Her relief must have showed in her face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girl — 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 small moan, and beside her, Raymond stilled. Malfoy went dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" Malfoy repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night — there's all sorts of things in there —werewolves, I heard."

Calysta let out a snicker. "Pity Parkinson's not there to save you," she said sarcastically. 

Malfoy was too frightened to retort back.

Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise. 

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. 

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

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

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "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," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness. 

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Calysta was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice. 

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "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 copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd —" 

"— tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "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 off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!" 

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze. Calysta let out a laugh disguised as a cough. Truth be told, she wasn't really frightened about going into the forest, she was rather nervous, wondering what new magical creatures she'd discover in there.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "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."

 He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest. 

"Look there," said Hagrid, "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, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. 

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "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, looking at Fang's long teeth. 

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, Calysta, Raymond 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' 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."

The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Calysta, Raymond, Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.

Calysta was ahead of her group. In her cold fingers, she carried an oil lamp, closely following the trails of the silvery fluid. 

Deeper they ventured into the forest, and she could hear Ray's steady breathing as he took long strides a couple of steps behind her. Neville was still sniffing, and Malfoy looked ready to pee in his pants, fear clearly etched upon his face.

Calysta's eyes widened as she marveled over the sights that she crossed. The dark trees were tall, and more than centuries old, each twisted in its own unique way. A light, white mist floated a few inches above ground, while the trees' shadows casted horrifying shapes on the ground. Faint droplets of moisture tickled her skin, and the fresh scent of pine enthralled her senses. She felt wide awake. The tips of her fingertips buzzed with energy, her heart thrumming loudly in her ribs.

Before she could continue on her path further, she found herself blocked by a shadow. Looking up, she stifled her gasp. A majestic creature stood before her, half man, half horse. Instantly, she knew it was a centaur, but had never actually seen one in real life, let alone believe they existed.

"Humans," it noticed. It's voice was silky and its silvery eyes looked into Calysta's hazel ones. 

Behind her, Neville let out a squeak of fright, while Malfoy stood staring rigidly.

"H-hi," Calysta breathed, holding out her fingers to touch its silky, dark mane.

Instead, the centaur shook her hand. "What brings you here? Aren't you a first year?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm Calysta Potter. These are my classmates. We're in detention.." she muttered the last part.

"Pleasure to meet you, Calysta. Potter, you say? I must admit, I am honored to make your acquaintance. "Whatever are you doing so deep in the woods?"

"We're looking for the dead unicorn," piped in Raymond, who seemed to have already warmed up to the Centaur.

"Ah. Do be careful. Mars is bright tonight," the Centaur said, before galloping away.

"Mars is bright tonight?" Ray echoed. "What does that even mean?"

"Beats me."

They progressed deeper into the thicket, and everyone was oddly quiet, until Neville screamed, and instantly shot out red sparks out of his wand.

Calysta stilled, and turned around. "Neville!" she exclaimed. "What happened?" 

But she could already guess what happened, since Malfoy was laughing his head off. "Did- you- see his- face?" howled the blonde. He was too busy laughing to pay attention, and Calysta scowled, before her lips twisted into a grin as an idea formed in her mind.

Crouching down, she crawled across to where Malfoy was laughing, and let out a loud hiss.

Malfoy let out a scream even louder than Neville's, and then it was Calysta and Raymond's turn to burst into peals of laughter.

"That was not funny!" Malfoy remarked.

"It was too. You did the same thing to Neville. Not so funny when you're the victim, Malfoy, is it?"

The blonde only scowled.

"What's goin' on?" asked Hagrid, who'd just emerged from the trees.

"Malfoy found it funny to grab Neville from the trees," Calysta responded. "Until we did the same thing to him."

Hagrid sighed and shook his head. "Alrigh' yeh lot, come with me."

The company of four followed him, Fang trailing behind them. They met up with Harry and Hermione.

"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you four were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups — Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with yer twin, Ray, Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an'we've gotta get this done."

So Calysta, set off into the heart of the forest with her twin, her friend, her enemy, and a dog. They walked deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path seemed impossible to follow since the trees were so thick. The mist too, had gotten considerably thicker and nipped harshly at Calysta's face.

She thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Calysta could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak. 

"Look —" she murmured, holding out his arm to stop the Raymond beside her. Harry and Malfoy stilled, as they watched at where she pointed. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Calysta had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves. 

Calysta had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made her freeze where she stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered. . . .Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. 

Calysta, Raymond, Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood. 

"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted — so did Fang. 

Regulus grabbed Calysta's hand and pulled her to run too, but she realized Harry was still standing there, frightened. 

"You go," Calysta shouted. "I'm coming with Harry."

And Raymond ran.

 The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry and Calysta — unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward them — They couldn't move for fear. 

Calysta tried to pull him to run with her, but he was rooted to the spot. "Harry!" Calysta was calling over, and over again. "Harry, run!"

Harry was groaning, clutching his scar, and Calysta knew he was clearly in pain.

"Harry, run," she said feebly, holding out her arms backwards, trying to force Harry behind her.

The creature came closer to Harry, and Calysta stood protectively before her twin, holding out her arm and willing it to back off. Her eyes transfixed onto its shadow, and back onto the face underneath its hood. She could see the silver blood tracing the outline of the figure's mouth, and when she looked back at its feet, it's shadow was gone.

 Half blinded, she staggered backward, her mind a dreadful haze. She heard hooves behind her, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure. She saw Harry fall down to his knees, and she merely clutched her scar, where the prickling pain had subsided. Harry was still in pain, and he had doubled over, hand pressed against his scar.

A centaur was standing over him, not the one she'd met earlier; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body. 

"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet. 

"Yes — thank you — what was that?" Harry asked. 

 The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, then at Calysta, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead. "You are the Potter boy," he said "And you're his twin," he acknowledged Calysta. 

"You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time — especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that the twins could clamber onto his back.

 There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two centaurs came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty. "Firenze!" one thundered. "What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?" 

"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy, and his twin. The quicker they leave this forest, the better." 

"What have you been telling him?" growled the centaur. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?" 

The other centaur pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice. 

The first centaur kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!" 

Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on. "Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at the angry centaur. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must." 

And Firenze whisked around; with Harry and Calysta clutching on as best they could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. Neither Harry nor Calysta had a clue what was going on. "Why's Bane so angry?" Harry asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?" 

Firenze slowed to a walk, warned the twins to keep their heads bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Calysta thought Firenze didn't want to talk to them anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped. "Calysta Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" 

"No," said Calysta, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions." 

"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips." 

Calysta stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight. "But who'd be that desperate?" she wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?" 

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else — something that will bring you back to full strength and power — something that will mean you can never die. Potters, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" 

"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course — the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who —" Harry began.

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" 

It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Calysta's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, she seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told her and her brother on the night they had met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die." 

"Do you mean," Calysta croaked, "that was Vol —" 

"Harry! Calysta, are you all right?" Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her. 

"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "Cal's fine."

"The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there." Calysta spoke with urgency in her voice. "Can we please bury it?" 

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now." Harry and Calysta slid off his back. "Good luck, Harry and Calysta Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times." 

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving the twins shivering behind him.

When Calysta reached back to the common room, instead of going to the girl's dormitory, she bolted up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, with Raymond by her side.

She spotted Jeff's blonde hair peeking out from underneath his blanket, and wildly shook her cousin awake.

"What is it?" mumbled Jeff.

Calysta couldn't sit down, instead, pacing the room. "Quirrell," she gasped. "He wants the stone for Voldemort. Voldemort's in the forest.. He's living off the unicorns.."

"Wait, Quirrell?" questioned Raymond, who was listening silently all this time. "I thought it was Snape?"

"No, Snape is protecting the stone, he knows Quirrell's after it," Calysta ticked that off her fingers.

At that time, Felix sat up. "Calysta," he croaked from his bed sleepily. "Haven't you heard that Dumbledore's the only wizard feared by You-Know-Who?" he began. "As long as Dumbledore's there, you're safe."

Those words were somewhat reassuring, but Calysta couldn't help but feel uneasy. 

As she caught a glimpse of the window, she noticed that dawn had already began creeping in. "I'm sleeping here," she mumbled. "Too tired to go to the dorm.."

Jeff stood up and pulled her into an awkward hug, patting her back softly. "Of course, you're more than welcome, and you know that."

Collapsing once again onto the spare bed in the dormitory, she shook off her shoes and slipped underneath the duvet.

"We're all here for you, Calysta. We're your friends."

That was the last thing she heard before she drifted off, a faint hint of a smile playing on her lips.

{ one twin says it's snape, the other says it's quirrell... welp- funny thing is... i've got more drama prepared for the final chapters of part i. there's only three chapters left before i finish off the sorcerer's stone, and i cannot believe it's taken me about two months to write. hopefully i'll write chamber of secrets much faster,, although i really do need a proper update schedule for this book. also,, after part i,, i will be completely editing all the chapters of my other fic, 'the hat' which just reached 100K reads,, before starting up part ii of romantic disaster. take care and stay safe. love,, jasmine. }