Malfoy shoved Neville aside and, without sparing him another glance, sprinted deeper into the forest with his Ekans slithering close behind.
His position was closer to Quirrell and Voldemort than Harry's group was, so he reached the scene first.
After running for nearly ten minutes, he burst through the trees—only to see a dark figure in a cloak crouched over a beautiful unicorn, about to commit that dreadful act.
How could Malfoy bear such a thing!
Ever since he'd raised his Ekans, his fondness for small creatures had grown considerably. Not to mention that the unicorn's silvery mane was the same color as the hair on his own head.
Without hesitation, Malfoy ordered an attack.
"Ekans, use Acid!"
The snake coiled at his side immediately launched a surprise strike. A glob of violet liquid flew from its mouth like a thick wad of phlegm, interrupting Quirrell just as he was about to drink the unicorn's blood.
Forced to abandon his meal, Quirrell turned and fired a spell that shattered the glob midair.The acid splattered onto the ground with a hiss, releasing a cloud of acrid smoke.
"Who's there?"
Quirrell's hoarse voice cut through the forest. His gaze followed the direction of the attack—and there he spotted Malfoy's silhouette.
This kid's inexperience was obvious. If it had been Charles Gold at the same age, his strikes would have been relentless, keeping up the pressure instead of revealing himself with the first move.
That little brat from the Malfoy family?
Beneath the hood, Quirrell's eyes glinted with hatred.
Since when did House Malfoy start playing the role of righteous Aurors?
Though confusion flashed through his mind, the agony in his body left no room for thought. If Malfoy had come alone, it might've been nothing—but he had brought a Pokémon.
That sealed Quirrell's murderous intent.
"A b–black wizard?" Malfoy stammered, stunned.
He'd assumed some magical beast was causing trouble, not that he'd stumbled upon an actual dark wizard!
It was completely beyond his expectations—but thinking of his Ekans, courage returned to him.
"Ekans, attack again!"
The purple serpent coiled and prepared to strike.
Malfoy recalled what he'd learned from training, and shouted, "Glare!"
Ekans reared up, displaying the sinister pattern on its belly. Quirrell, who had been about to cast another spell, suddenly felt his body stiffen—sharp pain shot through every joint.
"What—what is this?"
The paralysis was dreadful, but hardly enough to stop him. Compared to the torment of his cursed body and the Dark Lord's magic coursing through his veins, this was nothing.
He had endured far worse. A mere status condition would not bring him down.
Breaking free of the paralysis, Quirrell jabbed his wand forward. A streak of black magic shot toward Malfoy.
This wasn't a Pokémon battle—of course he'd aim for the trainer first.
Malfoy froze. He hadn't expected such a shameless move—to strike directly at a trainer!
Fortunately, Ekans reacted instantly. The serpent lunged like a bolt of purple lightning, wrapping its tail around Malfoy's ankle and yanking him to the ground.
The curse seared through the air where Malfoy's head had just been and smashed into a tree behind him.
CRACK—
The trunk, thicker than Malfoy's body, exploded into splinters.
Malfoy's face went paler than his hair.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? I must be insane to think I could take on a dark wizard!
While Malfoy was questioning all his life choices, his clever Ekans already knew the only logical move—run.
It slapped its tail across his face, jolting him back to his senses. Malfoy scrambled up, scooping Ekans into his arms and bolting through the forest.
"Ekans, run!"
The poor serpent dangled helplessly from his grip, its body swinging like a limp seaweed in the wind.
Ekans:If you weren't my trainer, I'd bite you to death!
"Heh… where do you think you're going?" Quirrell sneered.
He raised his wand again—another Confringo!
A crimson blast hurtled after Malfoy. Ekans, dizzy from being shaken like a maraca, spewed several blobs of poison in reflex, but none struck the oncoming spell.
The explosion raced closer and closer. Malfoy hadn't even noticed. Ekans was ready to throw itself between him and the blast—
But just then, a black blur rushed in from the opposite side.
Malfoy froze, thinking another dark wizard had appeared. His legs locked, panic rooting him to the spot.
Yet the dark figure swept past him, leaving only a familiar voice in its wake.
"Iai Slash!"
Neville brandished his wand—its tip blazing with white light like a blade.The glowing edge cleaved through the incoming curse, dispersing it—but his wand shattered in the process.
Wooden fragments and a few strands of unicorn hair drifted through the air.
"N–Neville?" Malfoy's voice trembled.
He could hardly believe it. Timid Neville Longbottom had just saved him—and in such a dramatic fashion!
But wait—wasn't Neville a wizard? Why was he swinging his wand like a sword!?
"R–run!" Neville turned his round, tearful face toward him, voice shaking. "And—send a distress signal!"
…
After Neville's sudden appearance, Malfoy was at least a little steadier.
Quirrell, however, hadn't expected these two brats to be so slippery—or maybe it was the stack of debuffs currently eating away at his body. Whatever the case, he failed to finish them off, and they managed to escape.
The chase continued through the forest for a while.
Now Quirrell found himself in a bind.
Should he hunt the two boys down—or return to drink the unicorn's blood?
If he didn't deal with them, Dumbledore could arrive any second. But if he left, he might lose his only chance at the unicorn. Once word got out, the Forbidden Forest would be heavily guarded.
He had no time to wait for another opportunity. His body was deteriorating fast, barely able to hold together.
If this went on, he might die before Voldemort's resurrection could even begin.
"Drink the unicorn's blood first," came the rasping voice from the back of his head.
Voldemort's priority was clear—Quirrell must not die. Without him, the Dark Lord would be forced back into that desolate half-existence, crawling among vermin.That was a fate worse than death.
"As you command, my Lord!"
Quirrell turned back toward the dying unicorn.
In truth, the act was hardly better than dying outright.
Unicorn blood was not meant to be consumed. It carried a terrible curse—eternal suffering for the one who drank it.
Swallowing a box of razor blades or a mouthful of molten lava would have been easier by comparison.
(End of Chapter)