From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, «Thanks Potter, we owe you one!»
Only Ron stood by him.
«They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them.»
«They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?» said Harry miserably.
«Well—no,» Ron admitted.
It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying. He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.
«Resign?» Wood thundered. «What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?»
But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they called him «the Seeker.»
Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.
Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions...
Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.
«No—no—not again, please —»
It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer.
«All right—all right —» he heard Quirrell sob.
Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was halfway toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling.
All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step—Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.
Harry went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard.
«Snape's done it, then!» said Ron. «If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell —»
«There's still Fluffy, though,» said Hermione.
«Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid,» said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. «I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?»
The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could.
«Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure.»
«But we've got no proof!» said Harry. «Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor—who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining.»
Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't.
«If we just do a bit of poking around —»
«No,» said Harry flatly, «we've done enough poking around.»
He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons.
The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor McGonagall Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.
At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there—and so was Malfoy. Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.
«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. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.
The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry 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.»
Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his -face, because Filch said, «I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy—it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece.»
At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.
«The forest?» he 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.»
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, Harry, Hermione?»
«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 Harry 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 yehve 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.
«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.»