Hermione heard the centaurs' arrival due to the sound of hooves and stopped sparking, already exhausted from that as well. Seeing how the creature was gone, she ran out of the trees to stand next to me. She didn't know if those who arrived were on our side or not, but she still held her wand in her trembling hands. Only seeing Hagrid and the rest of her group arrive was she able to calm down.
The centaurs were divided into three groups, two pairs would continue to chase Quirrell-mort through the woods trying to ambush him, while one of them stayed behind with us. The centaur who had stayed with us was Firenze, a blond-haired, blue-eyed centaur who seemed younger than the others.
Hermione saw that the danger was over and she had a hard time standing up due to her weak legs. She was so happy to see Hagrid that she almost wanted to run to him and gave him a big hug but she didn't go far from me and tried to help me up.
I looked very bad, with a pale face and teary eyes. Exhausted, I was only able to get back on my feet thanks to Hermione and Firenze, who had come to help me.
"Thank Merlin they're alright" Hagrid exclaimed, seeing us safe and sound.
"Hagrid! We found...whatever that is... it, he attacked us! He attacked Red and he blew up!" Hermione was in an almost hyperactive state, recounting what happened without stopping for a breath.
It was kind of funny the expression that the others put on seeing her say that 'I exploded', but after seeing that Hermione was very serious, they didn't did anything more than ask how we were. Hermione also realized that what she saw explode was a clone and calmed down, but she still came toward me with some concern.
"Are you okay?"
"I look okay?" I asked something sarcastic. Not that I wanted to answer her badly, but I didn't feel good.
The unicorn blood problem didn't affect me anymore, it didn't hurt, but the consequences are horrible. I made a considerable effort not to attack the dark lord with my vomit... although it might have been a good surprise attack.
"Your clone... Ehhh...? He dies? Will this affect you?" She asked, ignoring my earlier sarcasm. It was the first time she had seen a human body explode like that, and had no idea how clones worked. She was terrified that this could have happened to a real person.
"Okay, I won't die from the loss of a clone, it will just shorten my life expectancy... nothing important" I said tapping my fingers on her forehead, which would have looked pretty cool if it wasn't for my weak hands that wouldn't stop shaking.
"WHAT?!" Hermione exclaimed in horror as she understood my words and grabbed hold of my clothes.
"S-s-s-Stop…! Or I'll show you something not very nice" I said, putting a hand over my mouth and making an effort to keep myself stable from the small jolt that Hermione caused me by holding me. I don't know what the clones would throw up, but I'm sure Hermione won't like being covered for it.
After pushing the worried girl away a bit and taking a breath to steady myself, I took out some potions from my inventory to recover. They were anti-nausea, calming, and restorative potions, and it wasn't just this clone who took them, but also my real body that was sitting on the bed with Gemma rubbing her hand in circles on my back to 'comfort' me.
I was feeling much better, at least my vision wasn't blurry anymore and I didn't feel like I would fall while walking. This is the last time I drink unicorn blood. Even though I no longer have a problem with it for my ability, this feeling is not one I want to repeat.
I may have recovered a lot, but the expressions of the people around me were not the best. Hearing me say that my life span was shortened, no one could rest easy. Hagrid blamed himself for letting me come, Harry and Neville worried too. Draco didn't care and he just wanted to get out of here... And Hermione was the most affected since she considered that it was her fault that discovered us and that was why my clones died.
"But...?!" Hermione was about to speak, but an agonized groan stopped her.
Looking to the side, we could see how the unicorn that was on the ground covered by his own blood had not yet perished, but was suffering a slow and lonely death.
Firenze was the first to approach but he did nothing, there was nothing he could do. Hagrid also wanted to go help, but after seeing the situation and struggling to find a solution, he had to accept that he couldn't do anything either as he watched the children approach.
Harry and Neville had a very sad look on their faces, to see such a beautiful creature crying at being so close to its end tore them apart, even Malfoy was a little uncomfortable with what he saw.
Hermione and I also slowly approached, thus forming the circle around the unicorn. I've recovered enough thanks to those potions, and Hermione, although was worried about what I said, seeing me better she also decided to see the unicorn, getting distressed.
Using my [Life Sense] I could see the strong vitality of the creature, but also how it was constantly fading away as if a flame was dying out or a fountain was drying up.
"There's nothing we can do now" Hagrid said sadly "We should end his pain"
"Isn't there something we can do?" He asked Harry, who didn't want to accept the death of such a beautiful creature.
"Not anymore, it's too late" he answered with difficulty, while we all noticed how the moans became weaker and the movements slower.
Nobody wanted to see this, not even me. I thought about collecting the remains of the unicorn at first, but I didn't want to have to witness its death, I hoped it was already dead. If it were any other creature, maybe it wouldn't affect me so much, since I've already seen humans die, but only now that I could see the unicorn in life I could feel the majesty of it.
This creature is almost like a living work of art, maybe not as beautiful in appearance as other things, but it gives you the feeling of purity. It is a beautiful thing and you can feel that it will never hurt anyone. It feels hideous to see something like that vanish in front of you... and not nicely.
Hagrid was readying his crossbow to put an end to the creature's suffering, and when the other children couldn't help but shudder a little.
Firenze began to look at the stars. Neville covered his eyes and turned away, while Harry and Draco were braver, but neither really wanted to see it. Hermione… Hermione squeezed my hand still not wanting to give in and, remembering that I have healing abilities, she wanted to ask me if I could do something but remembering what happened before, she didn't have the courage to ask me for anything.
I could see how her gaze fell on me and her mouth opened to say something to me but she instantly closed in conflict, refusing to say anything. I knew what she was going to ask for, since it is common for the surrounding girls to ask me for solutions to very difficult things, but I have unorthodox methods to solve.
"Okay… I'll try" I responded to Hermione's plaintive look as if I gave in to her plea, not that I was too against the idea though… I think it's best to try and save him and drop the project 'Zombie Unicorn' for now.
As Hagrid was about to take aim at the already unconscious beast, I walked over and got on my knees in front of his body, reached my hands towards his stomach, and started using my [heal blood]. I must say that this fur that was losing its shine feels very nice, even with the blood smeared on it.
Hagrid wanted to tell me to get out of there, but both he and the others were surprised to see how the wounds, at least the external ones, closed very slowly. I had used my power to make the shining blood, which was scattered over the body, separates it from everything that isn't blood, and go back where it should.
Amazed and somewhat hopeful again, they were once again surprised when I made all the blood I had used to fight Quirrell-mort come floating towards me, like long streamers. I was exhausted and the wound I was trying to heal was not easy, so I needed to increase my reserves.
"The rivers of life..." Firenze muttered.
It took me a while, but there were no visible injuries. I removed my hands from my body and stood up, but as I did so I could feel with my [Life Sense] how the regained vitality was extinguished very quickly.
"Shit...shit...shit" I said as I quickly dropped to the ground so I could start healing again.
My actions surprised the others a bit, more so when there came a time when I took my hands back slightly to be able to witness the same situation.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked as she walked up to my side.
"Well… I guess we'll have to put off your devastation for a while" I whispered as she put on a pitying expression. Turning my gaze to the others I said "This may take much longer than I thought, if I stop he will undoubtedly die so... I think you should go to the castle"
"What? No, we can't leave you here." Hagrid said that a moment ago he was excited to see how the unicorn recovered.
"Hagrid, this is a clone like the others. The real me is at Hogwarts, in my room, this doesn't hold me back or put me in danger. I'll stay here to try to save him, I don't think I can't do it" I stated with confidence, I wasn't going to leave my job half done.
This is also the first time I've seen something like this and it will serve me as an experience, I don't want to run into a similar situation in the future where I get overconfident with my healing and it fails horribly.
"But if something happens to your clone? Then you...?" Harry asked, also worried.
"There must be a place where I can continue to treat the unicorn with no problems…" I mentioned, thinking maybe we could go near Hagrid's hut since I didn't think they would accept a unicorn inside the castle and from what I saw on the others' faces, they also thought similarly.
"We can take her to our camp" Firenze said, who until this moment remained silent.
"Thanks, Firenze, but that's not necessary, we'll take him to my cabin and..."
"That will only put them in even more danger. Whoever attacked will do it again and it will only be easier if they bring him closer to the castle. In our camp he will be safe, we also have healers who can help" He insisted.
At that moment we saw how the group of centaurs returned without having been successful. Firenze and Hagrid moved aside to argue with the others, while the children stared into the distance. Among that, we could hear things like:
"How do you come up with that, Firenze?..."
"You yourself understand what that means..."
"It is better to have it close and be able to act when necessary than to have it far away and not be able to do anything about it..."
"You'll put us in danger..."
"And if we do nothing, we can endanger others..."
"What are you talking about...?"
The conversation was not very peaceful, or so it seemed. Firenze talked about his idea of taking me and the unicorn to camp, while the other centaurs talked about the stars and disagreed. Hagrid looked more confused than anything else.
In the end, it was decided that we would go to his camp, even against Hagrid's wishes. I took some things out of my inventory and with this we made a kind of stretcher big enough to place the unicorn on it, which would be held and carried by the centaurs while I stayed to the side so I could keep touching it and thus maintain my healing.
Hagrid would take the children to the castle and when they were there, both he and the real me, or quite possibly one of my clones, would go to Dumbledore to tell him what had happened and that one of my selves would be staying in the Forbidden Forest.
"Bye Red" Harry and Neville waved goodbye.
"I'll see you at the castle" I answered and then looked at Hermione who was next to me looking at the unicorn on the makeshift stretcher, "Don't worry Hermione, we'll have another chance to go to some desolate forest. It may not happen today but it will happen. Don't worry, I'll make sure it is."
Hermione was silent for a moment without arguing about my insinuation or getting upset, she just looked at me a little worried and hugged me lightly saying "Be careful" before leaving with the others.
Going their own way, the centaurs and I started to slowly move towards the forest, mainly because unlike them, I have short legs and if they went at their normal speed they would probably leave me behind and the unicorn would die in my absence.