Alex emerged into a dense forest, the air heavy with the scent of moss and damp earth. Towering trees with thick, gnarled roots surrounded him, their canopy casting deep shadows over the forest floor. The rustling leaves filled the silence, but a sound in the distance caught his attention: the rhythmic pounding of hooves and a low, eerie voice chanting.
Focusing his enhanced senses, Alex's vision sharpened, cutting through the darkness of the forest. He spotted a white horse with a single horn on its head galloping desperately, its coat glowing with a soft, sacred light that illuminated the dark forest. Chasing it was a cloaked figure clutching a slender stick. Tendrils of dark energy pulsed from the figure, reaching out to the unicorn, trying to subdue it.
"Damn," Alex muttered under his breath. Realization hit him: he wasn't just anywhere in the Harry Potter universe, but none other than the Forbidden Forest, and the cloaked figure was Professor Quirrell, possessed by Lord Voldemort.
For a brief moment, Alex felt disbelief. Of all the ways to enter this world, he had landed near the big boss from the beginning. He crouched low, his instincts kicking in, and whispered, "Lily, will their spells work on me?"
[No, Alex,] Lily replied calmly. [Neither their magic nor any entities can harm you. You're beyond them.]
A smirk played on Alex's lips. "Good, then. I almost feel like going back there for just a moment."
He followed the sound of the unicorn's hooves and the chanting voice, weaving silently through the trees. As he approached the scene, Alex saw the unicorn had been cornered. Its ethereal glow flickered as it struggled against ropes shimmering with dark energy. The cloaked figure approached it, chanting softly. With a swift motion, he drew a blade and slit the unicorn's neck. Glowing silver blood poured from the wound, pooling on the forest floor.
"Shit," Alex hissed, breaking into a sprint.
The cloaked man bent over the fallen unicorn, his hood obscuring his face, and pressed his lips to the wound. The glowing blood flowed into his mouth, his body convulsing as he drank. The air around him thickened with a vile energy, and the forest seemed to darken even more.
Alex stopped and focused his energy on a nearby rock. With a flick of his hand, the rock shot through the air like a missile aimed at the cloaked man's head. The man jerked upright, sensing the incoming danger. He erected a barrier and leaped aside just in time to avoid being struck. He straightened, scanning his surroundings.
Quirrell spun around, his wand at the ready, his dark eyes scanning the forest. But to his confusion, the magic he cast to detect enemies yielded nothing. Then he spotted Alex, standing calmly among the trees, his modern clothing starkly out of place in the ancient forest. No wand, no robe, nothing that marked him as a wizard.
"A Muggle? Who are you?" Quirrell demanded, his voice tinged with suspicion. His wand remained raised, poised to strike.
Alex ignored him, walking as if Quirrell didn't exist. His focus was on the unicorn, bound by the shimmering ropes of dark magic. It trembled but couldn't move, its desperate eyes pleading for help as its sacred blood continued to flow.
Kneeling beside the unicorn, Alex whispered softly, "It's going to be okay."
He reached for the ropes binding the creature, his hand glowing faintly as he grasped them. The unicorn flinched, its eyes wide with a mixture of fear and hope. With a mere exertion of his strength, the magical bindings shattered into particles, vanishing into the air.
Quirrell froze, his wand faltering. "What… what are you doing?" he stammered. "What kind of magic is that?"
Still ignoring him, Alex placed his hands gently on the unicorn's side. A warm, golden energy radiated from his palms, flowing into the creature. The unicorn's breathing steadied, its glow brightened as the wound closed, leaving no trace of the injury. Its vitality returned, the once-dim light now shining brilliantly, illuminating the forest under the hooded man's unbelieving gaze.
The unicorn stood, its elegant neck arched proudly as it regarded Alex with gratitude. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Alex felt a connection with the creature.
"Who says unicorns can only be close to pure women?" Alex muttered as he stroked the unicorn's neck.
[It regards you as a benefactor,] the voice in his mind sounded. [Besides, aren't you pure too?] Lily joked.
"Cough, ahem... It's just that I'm not into that kind of thing yet," Alex choked.
Quirrell's grip on his wand tightened, ready to cast. "Who are you?" he demanded again, his voice rising.
Alex finally turned his head, his icy gaze locking onto Quirrell. "The kind you wouldn't understand."
Quirrell's face under the hood twisted with uncertainty and anger. He pointed his wand at Alex. "You don't belong here. Whoever you are, you'll regret interfering."
A flicker of dark energy pulsed from his wand as he prepared to cast a curse, but Alex's calm demeanor didn't waver.
Just then, the growl of a hound and two sets of footsteps broke through the tension. A boy with neatly combed platinum blond hair and another with jet-black hair, round glasses, and striking green eyes appeared.
'Based on the movie, these two should be Harry and Draco in detention,' Alex thought. 'Especially Harry. Those round glasses say it all—although he's a lot plumper now.'
Harry and Draco froze at the scene, stunned. Malfoy dropped his lamp, and the dog bolted. They noticed the unicorn standing close to Alex and immediately judged the cloaked figure as the bad guy.
Looking at the two stunned boys, Alex thought for a moment. 'If I fight Quirrell here, they might get implicated.'
This was Quirrell, a vessel for Voldemort's fragmented soul. If Alex acted too hastily, who knew what spells he might use?
"Leave," Alex said coldly. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood to deal with you today."
Quirrell hesitated, his wand still at the ready. But due to the uncertainty and the possibility that his cover might be blown in front of the two boys, plus the unicorn beside Alex, he backed away, disappearing into the darkness.
The unicorn nuzzled Alex's shoulder, its soft glow washing over him like moonlight. He stroked its neck gently, feeling a sense of peace. "You're safe now," he whispered.
The creature lingered for a moment before bounding into the forest, its light fading into the distance. Alex stood and exhaled deeply, his thoughts racing.
This time, Harry stepped forward and asked with curiosity, "Excuse me sir, who are you?"
"Hello, I'm Alex," Alex replied to the curious boy.
"My name is Harry sir, Harry Potter," the boy introduced himself.
"Draco Malfoy," Draco added, looking at Alex's outfit. "Are you a Muggle? Why did the unicorn let you touch it?" he asked with a tinge of envy.
"No, I'm not a Muggle," Alex replied. "I helped the unicorn, so it let me touch it."
"Mr. Alex, were you fighting that cloaked man before? Why didn't you have a wand?" Draco pressed.
"Uh... my wand broke when I fought that dark wizard," Alex lied through his teeth.
"Really? He must be the one hunting the unicorns for their blood," Harry quipped.
"Right, he wanted to drink the unicorn's blood, so I stopped him. Drinking it can extend your life, but you'll be cursed. Who do you think would want to drink the blood to stay alive despite the curse, Harry?"
"That was Voldemort?" Harry answered after a while.
"That's impossible! He died long ago!" Draco interjected.
"Do you think he would just go down like that? As powerful as he is?" Alex asked.
The two children lowered their heads in deep thought.
Alex glanced in one direction meaningfully, then a bark broke the silence, followed by heavy footsteps and two smaller ones.
Hagrid appeared with Hermione and Ron.