"Harry, you guys still with me?"
Every few steps, Hagrid couldn't help glancing back and calling out. With nobody able to see anybody else under the sheets, he was worried sick they'd lose the group.
"Relax, Hagrid. With Tom here, we're not getting separated," Harry answered.
He got why Hagrid was nervous—honestly, he was feeling the exact same thing. This was the first time they'd split into two invisible groups, and even though he couldn't see Hagrid either, Harry kept worrying they'd fall behind.
But unlike Hagrid, he had Tom right beside him.
Harry glanced at the cat, who had somehow swapped into a full purple guard uniform and was now carrying a little iron sword. He had no idea how Tom did it, but he figured that getup was exactly why the cat could keep perfect pace with Hagrid.
"Okay… good. Just stay close," Hagrid muttered, still checking every few yards even while he followed the faint trail on the ground.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Harry. He just didn't really get how Tom's weird bedsheets worked. In his mind they were probably like regular Invisibility Cloaks or Disillusionment Charms—great for hiding, but still tricky for the person using them to stay on someone else's tail. He figured Tom was tracking them the old-fashioned way, maybe with a cat's sharp nose or ears. In the Forbidden Forest, though, neither smell nor sound was all that reliable.
He had no clue Tom was using something completely unscientific.
The skill was called "Guard Tom"—one of the abilities from the mobile game version of Tom. Among its many effects, the big one right now was perfect anti-invisibility. Once it was active, Hagrid's cartoon-logic camouflage might as well have been a neon sign. Even the legendary Invisibility Cloak that was supposed to fool Death itself, or Dumbledore casting a Disillusionment Charm in person, wouldn't hide anyone from Tom.
Tom had only discovered the skill by accident. He'd been thinking about Polyjuice Potion—the stuff that could turn someone into an exact copy of your friends—and decided he needed a foolproof way to see through disguises. The second the idea popped into his head, the Guard Tom skill just… appeared in his skill list.
That was when he realized his powers weren't limited to the classic cartoon versions of Tom. They included every fan-made version, every game version—pretty much every Tom that had ever existed. The only downside was that using these skills swapped his clothes into the matching outfit. At least he could switch back instantly, so it wasn't a big deal.
Otherwise he'd be burning through wizard robes every time he used one, and even with his growing pile of Galleons that would get expensive fast.
The two invisible groups kept moving forward in single file. Eventually, even without Hagrid leading the way, Harry's group could tell exactly where to go. The blood they'd only seen in occasional drops before was now splashed across the ground in wide sheets. Crushed glowing mushrooms lay everywhere, their pale juice mixing with the silvery unicorn blood in a sad, eerie glow.
"Malfoy, you and Harry take it slow—I'm heading up ahead!"
The sight made Hagrid's blood run cold. He knew what that much blood meant. His unicorn friend didn't have long. "If you see me shoot up red sparks, turn around and run straight back to Hogwarts for Dumbledore. This is no place for kids your age."
Before anyone could argue, he shoved Draco out from under the sheet and took off at a run, following the blood trail.
"Wait, Hagrid!" Harry shouted, but he had no idea where the half-giant actually was.
"Tom—" Harry turned, voice pleading. "We can't let Hagrid face whatever's out there alone!"
"So we should all rush in and get ourselves killed too?" Draco snapped, clearly annoyed. These reckless Gryffindors… He almost said it out loud, then remembered his own earlier stunt and swallowed the words. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but if Hagrid doesn't want us following, it's because he's found something really dangerous. If he can handle it, fine. But if he can't, you lot charging in just means nobody's left to run for help. We'd be cutting off our only backup!"
"But I can't just stand here and watch Hagrid—" Harry started.
Hermione cut him off. "I actually agree with Draco on this one. Hagrid told us to take it slow. What exactly do you think you could do if you ran after him? If he can handle it, you being there changes nothing. If he can't, what good are you going to be?"
"I think Harry's right," Ron said immediately, siding with his best friend. "More people means more help. How do we know we can't do anything if we don't even try?"
"I… I think you're all making good points," Hannah said, looking torn. Both sides sounded completely reasonable, and she couldn't decide.
"Ariana, what do you think?" Hermione asked, hoping her friend would back her up.
"Why are you all asking each other?" Ariana looked genuinely confused. "Shouldn't you just ask the amazing Tom?"
The others blinked, then traded glances. She had a point. With Tom around they could instantly teleport back to the castle for reinforcements if things went south. And let's be honest—none of them could fight like Tom could.
In the end it all came down to what Tom wanted.
So—
"Tom, please! Hagrid needs us!" Harry begged.
"No, Tom, ignore this reckless lion. We'd just get in the big guy's way. We should head back for help right now—the sooner we get backup, the safer Hagrid will be!" Draco argued.
Both boys crowded around Tom, each trying to talk him into their plan.
Tom finally had enough. He slipped free with a sharp pop, darted over to Ariana, and shot the girl a glare for dropping the whole mess in his lap.
[Actually, your ideas don't conflict at all. I can do both.]
He could easily drop Draco and the others back at the castle, then take Harry's group to help Hagrid.
[But are you sure you want to go get Dumbledore? Remember—this is technically detention. Only Harry and I are supposed to be out here right now. The rest of you are just night-wandering. If a professor catches you, you're getting punished.]