Harry Potter : Cael Vale’s journey to Hogwarts

The deeper they walked into the Forbidden Forest, the darker and colder it seemed to grow. Twisted branches clawed at the sky, and fog clung low to the forest floor, coiling around their boots. The sounds of distant creatures echoed faintly—hoots, growls, rustling in the undergrowth—but it all felt… wrong. Off. The usual life of the forest was still there . 

Hagrid, leading the way with his crossbow slung across his back, frowned deeply as he surveyed the shadows ahead.

"Stay close, all o' yeh," Hagrid warned, his voice unusually low. "Forest's not been right lately… too quiet in the wrong places."

Suddenly, the underbrush rustled, and Hagrid held up a hand, signaling them to stop. A faint trail of silvery liquid gleamed along the path ahead, shimmering like starlight in the moon's glow.

Harry stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "What is that?"

Cael's stomach sank the moment he saw it.

Unicorn blood.

Before Cael could even speak, Hagrid grunted, lowering his crossbow. "Right. Change o' plans. Cael, take Malfoy an' Harry that way—" he pointed to the left, down a narrow path lined with gnarled trees, "—toward Addersheid clearing. I'll take Hermione an' Ron the other way. We'll cover more ground."

Cael nodded , eyes flicking back to the shimmering trail. His mind raced, panic bubbling in his chest. Lenny. He'd been so focused on patrolling, showing the others around, he hadn't even thought about her wandering the forest tonight—and now with him here… with Voldemort lurking…

Hagrid noticed Cael's tense expression and gave him a knowing look. "We'll be careful. You lot keep your wands ready."

Cael forced a nod, masking the worry twisting in his gut. "Yeah. Let's go."

They split off, Cael leading Harry and Malfoy down one trail, while Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione followed the other toward Addersheid, the section of the forest known for its peaceful glade and clusters of magical plants. The faint glow of the unicorn's blood stretched like a warning across the ground, leading deeper into the darkness.

The silence between them was heavy as they walked. Only the crack of twigs and their quiet breathing filled the air. Harry clutched his wand tightly, eyes scanning every shadow. Malfoy kept glancing over his shoulder, clearly uneasy.

They didn't get far before the forest seemed to shift—branches parting slightly ahead, and there, kneeling in the clearing, was a figure.

It wasn't human.

The thing crouched low over a pale, shimmering shape—a unicorn, small, its silver coat dulled with blood. The creature's long, hooded form hunched over the unicorn's neck, and Cael could hear the faint, awful sound of it drinking.

Harry gasped quietly, hand flying to his mouth. Malfoy took a step back, face drained of color.

Cael's heart stopped.

Lenny?

Before he even thought about it, Cael stepped forward, wand drawn. "Oi!" His voice rang out, sharp, cutting through the stillness like a blade.

The creature's head snapped up.

A pale, hooded face stared at him—eyes glinting unnaturally in the moonlight, mouth slick with silver blood. It hissed softly, almost amused, then slowly straightened.

"Step away from the unicorn," Cael ordered, voice steady but tight.

The creature tilted its head, studying him in eerie silence. The silver blood dripped down its chin, pooling onto the forest floor. For a heartbeat, Cael thought it might lunge at them.

But the forest shifted again—hooves pounding the ground—and several centaurs burst through the trees, bows raised, eyes burning with fury.

"Step back, creature of darkness," one of the centaurs commanded, arrow aimed at the figure's chest.

The hooded creature hissed low, retreating into the shadows, vanishing with inhuman speed between the trees.

The clearing fell quiet again, only the faintest rustle of the forest following its departure.

Cael wasted no time. He rushed to the unicorn's side, his heart pounding as he knelt beside the small, fallen creature.

It wasn't Lenny.

Relief crashed through him so hard he nearly collapsed beside the unicorn. It was young—a foal, barely old enough to wander the forest alone. Its silver coat was matted with blood, its breathing faint but still there.

"Thank Merlin," Cael muttered under his breath, pressing a hand to his chest.

One of the centaurs, a tall, fierce-looking male with sharp features, approached Harry, and Malfoy, explaining the gravity of what they'd witnessed, but Cael only half-listened. His mind raced, the image of the blood-drinking creature burned into his thoughts.

That thing is still out there. Voldemort's here… hunting her and her kind .

Cael stood slowly, his face hardening with resolve. His first chance after tonight, he would find Lenny. He'd warn her—tell her to stay far from the Hogwarts grounds for a while, at least until things settled. It wasn't safe, not with You-Know-Who this close, desperate enough to attack unicorns, even the young ones.

The centaurs continued their talk with Harry, explaining the curse of unicorn blood and the evil desperate enough to drink it. Harry's eyes widened with every word, Malfoy stayed pale as a sheet, and Harry looked more confused than ever.

But Cael stayed quiet, his eyes drifting toward the dark treetops.

Stay away for now, Lenny , he thought grimly. It's too dangerous.

The forest stayed eerily silent after the creature vanished. The small unicorn lay still on the forest floor, its silver blood glistening faintly under the moonlight. Cael stayed by its side, his eyes sharp but his heart heavy. Even with his relief that it wasn't Lenny, the sight of the dying foal stirred something tight in his chest.

Moments later, heavy footsteps approached—the crack of branches under boots—and Hagrid emerged from the trees with Hermione and Ron trailing behind her. Hermione's face was pale, her eyes wide, and Ron looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Hagrid's eyes fell on the fallen unicorn, and his expression crumpled. "Ah, no," he whispered, his shoulders sagging. He knelt beside the little creature, his large hand trembling slightly as he brushed its silver mane from its eyes. "Poor little one… shouldn't 'ave been out here alone."

Behind them, Ron and Hermione hurried into the clearing, both panting, their faces tight with worry. Hermione's hand flew to her mouth as she saw the scene, and Ron muttered a quiet, "Merlin …"

The centaurs remained silent but watchful. Their bows were still in hand, but their tense stance had softened now that the danger had passed.

One of the centaurs stepped forward—a tall, proud figure with deep blue eyes and pale blond hair shining faintly under the moonlight. Firenze. Cael recognized him immediately from Hagrid's stories—a centaur known for his unusual sympathy toward humans, often to the frustration of his herd.

"We will take the foal," Firenze said firmly, his voice calm but heavy with meaning. "It is not the place of wizards to lay hands upon such a sacred creature."

Hagrid sighed, giving the fallen unicorn one last gentle pat before rising to his feet. "Aye, I understand."

Two other centaurs moved silently to the foal's side, lifting it carefully as if it weighed nothing at all. Its silver mane shimmered faintly, dull now, but still beautiful even in death.

Another centaur, older and broad-shouldered, approached Hagrid. His dark eyes studied the half-giant carefully before glancing at Cael and then to Harry.

"The stars shift," the centaur murmured cryptically, his voice low and thoughtful. "A great darkness rises, and the boy plays a part… the one marked by fate." His eyes settled on Harry for a long moment.

Hagrid frowned, puzzled. "The boy? Harry?"

The centaur nodded. "Mars burns bright… and the patterns do not lie. He is touched by destiny. The forest watches."

Before Hagrid could ask more, the centaurs turned, vanishing with the unicorn's body into the depths of the woods, their hooves barely making a sound. The clearing felt strangely empty once they were gone.

Cael stood quietly, his eyes on the trees, his mind already spinning. The mention of the stars… the signs… it was all coming together in ways he saw in his previous life .

"Back to the castle," Hagrid finally muttered, his tone heavy. "Night's been dark enough."

⸻

By the time they returned to the Gryffindor common room, the castle was quiet. Most students had gone to bed, unaware of the strange events unfolding just beyond the grounds.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat by the fireplace , whispering urgently to one another, their faces tense.

What they didn't know—hidden in the shadows near the staircase—was that Cael stood nearby, concealed beneath a Disillusionment Charm. The faint shimmer of magic cloaked him, bending the light around his body as he listened.

"I saw it," Harry whispered, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. "That thing in the forest… drinking unicorn blood… it wasn't human."

"I read about that," Hermione said quietly, glancing around. "Unicorn blood can keep someone alive even if they're on the brink of death. But it's… it's cursed. Anyone who drinks it is doomed to a half-life… a cursed existence."

Ron frowned. "Who'd be desperate enough to drink unicorn blood? That's… dark magic."

Harry's jaw tightened, his eyes dark with something deeper—something personal. "I heard my dad and stepmum talking, back at home. They… they think You-Know-Who's not really dead. That maybe he'll come back."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You think that was… him?"

"I think it was, my scar was hurting when i stood before that creature " Harry said quietly, putting his hand on his forehead the place that had the scar "And I think he's after the Philosopher's Stone. If he gets it… he'll come back. Fully. Alive."

A heavy silence settled over them, the crackling fire the only sound in the room for a moment.

"We can't let him," Harry added, his voice shaking with determination. "He killed my mum… I won't let him come back, if he comes back again he will kill me and my dad too ."

"We'll stop him, I heard a lot about him, as sometimes my mum crying over my uncles' pictures as they were killed fighting him" Ron said firmly, his usual humor replaced by quiet resolve. "We have to."

Hermione nodded. "But first, we should tell Dumbledore. He needs to know what happened in the forest. If You-Know-Who's there…"

They all exchanged a tense look, the weight of the situation settling heavily between them.

Hidden in the back, Cael's eyes narrowed sharply. They really don't know, he thought to himself. Dumbledore already knows everything. He's making his moves… getting Harry ready to face him. That's why he sent them into the Forbidden Forest — to see him with their own eyes. To see what he's become… the miserable wreck of the one who murdered Harry's mother.