Everyone held their breath.

Draco was kicking himself. Why had he just blurted out to Edward, asking why he was standing so still? Had that person heard him?

It felt like an eternity passed.

The sound of a cloak swishing in the passageway grew fainter until it vanished completely.

After a moment, Edward finally relaxed.

His instincts told him the stranger was gone.

"*Lumos.*"

A dim orb of light flickered from the tip of his wand, illuminating three pale faces.

"Who was that?" Pansy asked, her hand trembling as she clutched her wand.

She hadn't expected her first time joining this little group to be so nerve-wracking.

"Filch, maybe?" Draco's legs were shaking just as badly.

"No way. You forgetting his annoying cat? They're practically glued together," Daphne said, leaning against the wall, deep in thought.

If it wasn't Filch, and likely not another student, who could be wandering the secret passages this late?

Edward had a sinking feeling.

He remembered nearly running into that mysterious figure in the fourth-floor corridor at midnight—the likely mastermind behind all the strange happenings at Hogwarts, perhaps even the hidden Black Knight.

"Whoever it was, we need to get out of here. Follow me," Edward said, pushing the thought aside.

His priority was getting his three friends back to the dormitory safely. As for who that person was, he could come back later, when everyone was asleep, to search for clues.

The group didn't linger. Led by Edward, they hurried through the dark passage, soon reaching the main tunnel.

"Whoa—what's this? It's so slippery!" Draco yelped, nearly losing his balance as his foot slid on something.

It felt like some kind of slick liquid.

In the darkness, imagination ran wild.

Draco didn't dare look down, terrified he'd see a pool of red blood—or worse, a lifeless body.

"Edward, what's… what's under my foot?" His teeth chattered.

Edward had been focused on scanning the tunnel for anyone else, not paying attention to the ground. Draco's outburst made him point his wand downward.

Thankfully, it wasn't blood—at least not the bright red kind.

It was a silvery-white, slightly viscous liquid, just a small amount, as if accidentally spilled. Under the wand's light, it shimmered faintly, like the confetti from Edward's recent birthday celebration.

"What is this?" Pansy asked, cautiously bending down to inspect it.

"Unicorn blood," Edward said, frowning.

He wasn't the only one who recognized it. Daphne's brow furrowed too.

"Unicorn blood can be used in potions to sustain life, even for someone on the brink of death," Daphne said softly, her voice heavy. "But killing a unicorn comes at a terrible cost. Those who drink its blood are cursed with a half-life—a wretched, cursed existence."

"You mean the person who just passed through here killed a unicorn?" Draco asked, still shaken but sharp enough to piece it together.

"So this passage leads to the Forbidden Forest?" Pansy ventured, drawing another conclusion.

"Forget that for now. I'm getting you all out of here—it's not safe," Edward said, resolute. His plan was to escort them back, then return alone to follow the passage and find the likely dying unicorn.

They needed to move quickly.

"Get us back, and then what? Sneak out to save that unicorn by yourself?" Daphne said, standing still while Draco and Pansy followed Edward.

"We all know what you're like, Edward. There's no time to waste. We can follow this passage to the Forbidden Forest, save the unicorn, and slip back."

Her suggestion stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Daphne, have you caught whatever madness Edward's got? What's a unicorn got to do with us? And it's been ages—it might not even be alive!" Draco's face was a picture of disbelief, as if Edward had cast a Voice-Changing Charm on him.

"I don't know if it's alive, but I want to try," Daphne said firmly.

"Of course, you two can head back to the common room if you want. But Edward's coming with me, right?"

"Uh…" Draco faltered, at a loss for words.

Pansy had no interest in getting involved. One night of breaking school rules—sneaking through secret passages, venturing into the Forbidden Forest, ignoring curfew—was enough to cost at least thirty points per infraction if they got caught.

But Daphne's behavior tonight was so out of character. Usually, she was aloof and haughty—why was she so set on saving a unicorn?

"Here's my suggestion," Edward said after a moment's thought, making a quick decision.

"The Forbidden Forest is too dangerous for Daphne to go alone. Draco, Pansy, if you're willing, come with me, and I'll keep you safe."

"If you don't want to come, you can wait in the training room we were just in, or head back to the dormitory. I'm sure that person isn't waiting outside the statue, and I can give you both Invisibility Cloaks charmed with Disillusionment."

It was the best plan he could come up with. There had to be a reason behind Daphne's insistence, but now wasn't the time to dig into it. If he didn't go with her, she might face real danger in the Forest.

The secret passage, by contrast, was safer. Even if Draco and Pansy returned to the dormitory alone, they'd likely be fine.

Draco and Pansy's minds were racing. Daphne's idea wasn't just about danger—seeing a unicorn, even a dying one, was tempting. They were said to bring good luck and were incredibly rare.

More importantly, Draco trusted Edward's presence over going it alone.

"Fine, I'm in," Draco said, steeling himself.

Pansy nodded too. For her, the logic was the same—whether it was one rule broken or a dozen, it didn't matter much now.

Daphne shot them all a grateful look, gripping her wand tightly.

The sound of four young wizards' footsteps echoed through the passage as they hurried away from the school, toward the unknown.