"Hey, Norbert, want something to eat?"
Draco Malfoy lounged in front of the baby dragon Norbert, holding out a strip of meat and teasing him.
The group had grown used to Draco hanging around.
While their relationship with him had always been rocky, Kevin saw it as little more than childish bickering — nothing that couldn't be smoothed over into a new friendship.
In Kevin's mind, Malfoy was far from irredeemable.
In his previous life, he had watched the sixth Harry Potter film, where Draco clearly wrestled with his conscience despite working for the Death Eaters.
He wasn't truly evil at heart, and Kevin intended to help him change.
"Kevin, are you sure about this? What if he—" Harry began, still wary.
"Hey, Scarhead, I can hear you," Draco cut in sharply. "I'm a Malfoy — a noble pure-blood — and I stand by my word!"
"It's fine," Kevin said with a smile. "Draco's a bit arrogant, but he's not a bad person."
Draco looked away, oddly unsettled by Kevin's trust. "...What's it to you!" he muttered, more to save face than anything.
Kevin, however, wasn't about to let him get too comfortable. He flicked a small spark of magic that struck Draco's backside.
"Ah! Ow!" Draco yelped, startling Norbert. The baby dragon let out a puff of smoke — and a quick burst of fire that singed the golden hair at the back of Draco's head.
The sight left everyone else stifling their laughter.
Later, while the others fussed over Norbert, Kevin sat with Hagrid by the fire. Tonight, he knew, was the night Voldemort would appear in the Forbidden Forest to hunt unicorns.
"Uncle Hagrid, are there unicorns in the forest?" Kevin asked casually.
"'Course there are," Hagrid said at once. "Magical creatures, they are. A few live deep in the Forbidden Forest."
"Have you seen them recently?"
Hagrid paused before answering. "Not lately."
"I read that unicorn blood can keep a person alive, even if they're close to death," Kevin said.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned sharply toward him at the word "alive."
"Oh, Kevin, where'd yeh hear that?" Hagrid asked quickly, suddenly concerned. "I'll tell yeh straight — unicorn blood's not summat to be messed with!"
"I know," Kevin replied. "A unicorn has to willingly give you its blood. If it's killed for greed, the blood becomes a curse."
Hagrid relaxed slightly. "Right… But why d'you ask?"
"Has anyone ever actually been recognised by a unicorn?"
"Not that I've heard of," Hagrid said — but then his brow furrowed. "Couple o' weeks back, a unicorn was killed in the Forest. Someone drank its blood. Just yesterday, I found more blood — looks like another one's been hurt."
The three Gryffindors exchanged alarmed looks, each thinking the same thing: Snape, the Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life.
"Then let's go find it," Kevin suggested suddenly. "We're all here — we can help you."
"What? No! Students aren't allowed in the Forest!" Hagrid protested.
Harry stepped forward. "If we work together, we'll be fine. We've faced worse."
Draco tried to shrink into the background, but Kevin gave him a pointed look. "You're coming too, Malfoy. If we go in, we all go in."
Draco grimaced but didn't argue.
Reluctantly, Hagrid agreed. He grabbed his crossbow and led them to the edge of the forest.
They split into two groups — Hagrid and Fang one way, Kevin, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco the other.
The misty forest was unnervingly silent. Kevin gripped Hermione's hand in one hand and a crowbar in the other — a Muggle purchase from the Christmas holidays — swinging it lightly as they moved forward.
Eventually, Harry found it: the unicorn, lifeless on the forest floor. And crouched over it, drinking its blood, was a cloaked figure.
Harry's scar seared with pain. Draco tried to bolt, but Kevin hooked him back with the crowbar.
"Kevin… is that a person or a ghost?" Ron whispered.
Hermione squeezed Kevin's hand tightly, her eyes fixed on the shadow. Kevin stayed alert — ready for any difference from the events he remembered.
Just as the figure began to move toward them, a centaur burst into the clearing, rearing and striking with his hooves. The cloaked figure fled into the darkness like a wraith.
"It's all right," the centaur said. "He's gone."
The centaur introduced himself as Firenze and told them the truth — the figure was Lord Voldemort, surviving by drinking unicorn blood.
Hagrid arrived moments later and led them out, leaving the centaurs to tend to the unicorn.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry laid out his suspicions.
"That was Voldemort. He's weak, but Snape's helping him — stealing the Philosopher's Stone so he can make the Elixir of Life."
Kevin lounged on the sofa, idly twirling a strand of Hermione's hair. "Oh yes, Hogwarts — safest place in England."
"Kevin, stop joking! We need a plan," Hermione scolded.
"What plan? Confront him directly?" Kevin asked. "Harry, you're Voldemort's only failure — when he's strong enough, you'll be first on his list. Better think about how not to lose instantly."
Hermione nudged him to ease up, and Kevin relented. "You're safe as long as Dumbledore's here. But if he leaves, that's when Voldemort will make his move."
Ron frowned. "But he can't get past Fluffy."
Kevin smirked. "And yet, somehow Hagrid ended up with a dragon egg from a stranger who just happened to ask about Fluffy."
Harry's eyes widened.
"Exactly," Kevin said. "Hagrid's not great at keeping secrets. I'd bet the way past Fluffy is already known."
Harry jumped up. "We have to tell Dumbledore!"
"Relax. Voldemort won't act with Dumbledore here. Ask Hagrid about the egg — you might learn more."
The next day, Harry did exactly that, learning about the music that lulled Fluffy to sleep.
For the next few days, things were quiet. Then Kevin's "system" finally chimed in:
[Mission Released!]
Host, help Harry Potter defeat Voldemort tonight.
Reward: Constitution +10, Magic Power +10.