Facing Voldemort Alone (Revised)

Mia's nighttime excursion was to the Forbidden Forest. Her target was Acromantula fangs, and if she was lucky, getting some Unicorn Blood would be even better. She would also get some practice with the Fantastic Beasts in the forest.

After settling on her task list, Mia nodded in satisfaction. Time to go!

Hagrid patrolled at night with Fang, so she had to be careful to avoid him.

The Forbidden Forest was gloomy, and in the moonlight it was a little eerie. Mia cast Lumos and carefully made her way forward.

Luckily, Mia soon found an Acromantula. Honestly, she really hated bugs.

She flicked her wand rapidly, casting spells, and the Acromantula soon fell. Mia quickly collected enough fangs and blood, then hurried away to another spot.

They were all valuable things she could sell.

Suddenly, she faintly heard something. It sounded like an animal wailing.

Mia followed the sound and saw a figure in black hunched over a unicorn, drinking its blood.

Unicorn Blood possessed powerful magic and could prolong life, even saving someone on the verge of death.

Anyone who killed a unicorn and drank its blood would be cursed. Though they would survive, they could only lead a miserable life, half-dead and half-alive. So almost immediately, Mia thought of Voldemort on the back of Quirrell's head. Voldemort needed to drink Unicorn Blood to stay alive, even if it meant being cursed.

Seeing that the unicorn could barely hold on, Mia hurriedly attacked the figure in black.

"Reducto!"

Although the figure in black dodged quickly enough to avoid the spell, it still stopped him from hurting the unicorn any further.

"Incendio, Incarcerous!" Seeing that the figure in black wanted to run, Mia wasn't going to give him the chance. Killing Voldemort outright would save her a lot of trouble later.

"Cruciatus Curse!" The figure in black also knew that if he didn't deal with Mia, he probably wouldn't be able to leave.

Mia darted aside. "Reducto!"

To be honest, students at Hogwarts were generally forbidden from learning Dark Magic, but its power was undeniable. So, seeing the figure in black cast an Unforgivable Curse, Mia made up her mind to learn it.

"Oppugno, Flipendo!"

"Don't kill her. I still have a use for her," Voldemort ordered from the back of Quirrell's head. Mia's spellwork really did make Voldemort want to claim it for himself.

"Stupefy!" After hearing that, Quirrell had no choice but to hold back a little.

Worried that the unicorn wouldn't last, Mia knew this was no time to drag things out. She had to end the fight quickly!

"Cruciatus Curse." She aimed the spell at Quirrell and kept casting it.

Quirrell knew that using Unforgivable Curses so frequently in the Forbidden Forest would definitely draw Dumbledore's attention. He was just about to run.

"Trying to escape? Petrificus Totalus! Reducto!" As if I'd let you get away.

The Unforgivable Curses soon caught Dumbledore's attention, and he urgently summoned the professors.

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and the others arrived at Dumbledore's office at once.

"What's going on?"

Dumbledore clearly didn't know either. He had been working late into the night when he noticed someone using Unforgivable Curses in the Forbidden Forest.

"Let's go to the Forbidden Forest and take a look!"

"Headmaster Dumbledore!" Hagrid stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, waiting for the professors to arrive.

"Hagrid, lead the way!"

When the professors arrived, they saw Mia in a magical duel with a figure in black. She even used the Cruciatus Curse with everyone watching.

Quirrell's expression turned ugly when he noticed Dumbledore's arrival. No longer caring whether Mia lived or died, he hurled an attack that struck her.

Professor Snape's face darkened. He hit Quirrell with Sectumsempra, covering him in wounds, but Quirrell took the opportunity to escape.

"He actually got away," Mia cursed under her breath.

"Mia!" Snape hurried to her side, his eyes full of distress as he looked at her wounds. He was just about to pick her up and leave when he was stopped.

"Miss Potter, perhaps you should explain why you're not resting at this late hour, but dueling in the Forbidden Forest instead—and why you even used an Unforgivable Curse!" Professor McGonagall looked sternly at Mia. What Mia had done this time was dangerous, so they had to get an explanation first.

Hagrid grew nervous when he saw what was happening. He knew Mia wasn't a bad child.

Although Mia really was a genius, having learned the Cruciatus Curse after Quirrell used it only once, this was also her first real fight, and her opponent was a professor possessed by Voldemort.

"Sorry, Professor." Mia didn't know what to say. After all, she had broken school rules and gone much too far. She was still too weak. If she had defeated Quirrell just now, she could have told the professors who he was, and Harry wouldn't have had to put himself in danger.

Dumbledore began to doubt himself. Mia had actually used an Unforgivable Curse, and she was so clever. It reminded him of Voldemort.

The atmosphere fell somewhat silent. Just then, a clear cry rang out. It was Fawkes.

"Fawkes!" Dumbledore watched his phoenix fly over to Mia. Fawkes first nuzzled Mia gently and affectionately; he was very fond of this young witch. Then he shed a few tears, and Mia's wounds healed.

"Thank you." Mia thanked Fawkes.

You're welcome, little witch. Fawkes nodded and flew back to Dumbledore's hand.

"Fawkes?" Phoenixes were spiritual, divine birds, and Dumbledore hadn't expected Fawkes to like Mia so much. Could he have been mistaken?

Then branches rustled in the forest, and the bushes parted to reveal a centaur with white-gold hair and blue eyes, holding a bow and arrows.

Hagrid was terrified that Firenze would shoot Mia with an arrow. After all, the child had just set the Forbidden Forest on fire.

"Firenze?" Dumbledore looked at the newcomer.

Firenze bent his knees slightly. "I believe some friends would like to meet her."

The professors exchanged looks and decided to follow Firenze and see.