Hagrid had no idea why Silvan had suddenly run toward the heart of the Forbidden Forest, but seeing how anxious he looked, he chose to follow.
Time passed slowly, second by second. The deeper they went, the quieter their surroundings became. Their ears seemed far sharper than usual, as though they could catch every gust of wind and every snapping branch.
Who knew how long had passed before the trees gradually grew denser. The once-spacious path was nearly impassable, but none of the three stopped.
Because there was more and more blood around them.
By now, Silvan no longer needed to lead the way.
Hagrid ran ahead, pushing aside every vine and branch in their path so Harry and Silvan could pass.
After he swept aside another huge patch of brush, something white finally came into view.
It was a dying unicorn, struggling painfully at the roots of an ancient oak. Its silver-blue blood lay scattered like glittering jewels across its body, its mane, and the ground.
Beside the unicorn, a black figure crawled slowly across the ground. It looked like someone wearing a black hood, but moved more like a wild beast.
Harry stood frozen. He had never seen anything so beautiful, so tragic, and yet so strange. He felt that he should do something.
But someone was faster than him.
"What are you?!" Hagrid crashed through the low bushes. "Get away from that unicorn, or you'll answer to me!"
The shadowy figure clearly had not expected anyone to come. Faced with Hagrid's fury, it hesitated for only a moment before pouncing on the wounded unicorn and greedily sucking the blood flowing from its wound.
As it did, the unicorn's struggles grew weaker and weaker. Its mouth opened and closed, as though it could no longer even cry out.