THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
tions. 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, 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 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.
Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.
“Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?” Harry asked.
“Not fast enough,” said Hagrid. “It’s not easy ter catch a uni-
corn, they’re powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be
hurt before.”
They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running
water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still
spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.
“You all right, Hermione?” Hagrid whispered. “Don’ worry, it
can’t’ve gone far if it’s this badly hurt, an’ then we’ll be able ter —
GET BEHIND THAT TREE!”
Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the
path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it
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