A small boreal owl swooped in through the open window, bringing in a gust of wind and sending papers flying around the little grey office. He landed haphazardly in a box labeled "inbox", scattering more objects off the oak desk.
"Oh, Gerald!"
Hermione rushed to pick up the pages before they mixed out of order and waved her wand to repair her broken picture frame - again. Gerald ignored the mess and held out his leg, showing a folded up letter.
"You are the most clumsy owl I have ever seen," she told him, placing the papers neatly on the desk before turning to his outstretched leg. The letter was from Charlie Weasley, though she did not need his signature to tell her that. Gerald was also the fastest owl she knew, making trips to and from Romania with ease.
Hermione unfolded the parchment and settled into her chair to read. She grabbed an owl treat from a small jar and absently handed it over. Gerald took it happily and flew to a perch by the window.
Charlie wrote to ask her opinion on closing down the breeding program of the Romanian Longhorn. Apparently, the law enforcement had finally got the poachers under control and the program was flourishing. They had so many hatchlings, the area was at risk of over breeding.
Hermione looked over to her collage of photos in the wall as she pondered how to answer. Charlie waved at her from a pile of these hatchlings; the babies crawling all over him. She smiled, remembering a trip she and Ron had taken to Romania a while back. Charlie had told her all about the program, even introducing her to other handlers and specialists. The dragons were Ron's favorite bit. She had to admit they were fascinating. The trip had inspired her to pick up a book on dragon breeding and handling, which was still very much illegal in Britain.
Hermione grabbed a quill and spare piece of parchment. She was well into her third paragraph when a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," she called out, not breaking stride in her sentence. The door opened and someone plopped down gracefully into the chair across from her. She set the quill aside, thinking of finishing her letter later. She glanced up, a polite hello stuck to her lips.
Draco Malfoy sat comfortably in her chair, looking put out for having to wait to be acknowledged. She made a show of straightening papers, placing her letter on top.
"Malfoy," she greeted evenly. "What brings you to the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"
"It seems I have a tiny problem at the Manor that needs seeing to."
Hermione waited for him to elaborate. He simply looked at her, drawing out the silence with a knowing smile. She resisted rolling her eyes.
"What is the problem?"
"It seems a creature has come onto the property by unknown means and taken residence."
Hermione nodded, her hand already reaching for the correct form. "I can have Creevey -"
"No, I'd rather not deal with lower management."
Hermione clamped her jaw shut and closed the drawer. Of course he was going to make this difficult. "We have a way of doing things around here, Malfoy. If you want to report an unauthorized beast, you have to go through the correct process."
"Even if said beast doesn't exist?" He leaned forward. "Tell me, Granger: what is the process for that?"
Hermione placed her hands in the desk, exasperated. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, a creature that doesn't seem to be on any records or in any book or listed in the wizarding archives in any way."
She paused at this, her eyebrows knitting together. She racked her brain for how to go about such a procedure but - surprisingly enough - came up empty. Surely, there was a method to new beings: some form or list of paperwork that needed filing, possibly a record of the creature's habits and abilities. In all her years in the department, though, Hermione had never came across a new creature. Rare ones, yes. Some that were thought to have been extinct reappearing, yes. But never new, not to her knowledge.
What about Nargles? Her mind whispered. Hermione had just started working for the Ministry when Luna had brought hard proof of them to the Head of the department. Maybe she could floo the woman and ask her how they had went about it. But, no...now that she gave it more thought, she knew Nargles had already existed. Luna had even found old parchments and an ancient book that mentioned them, much to everyone's surprise.
Her inner musings were interrupted with a hmph. Hermione glanced up, all but forgotten Malfoy sitting there. She straightened her back and gave him hard look.
"And you are sure this creature hasn't ever been recorded? Even the slightest mention could give us somewhere to start."
Malfoy arched an eyebrow at the word "us" but did not comment.
"I have scoured many possible leads with no luck. The Malfoy name still holds favors among some, but this beast doesn't seem to be known about any wizarding circles, or text, or listings. Even Professor Grubbly-Plank had never heard tale of it."
"Well, what is it?"
Malfoy extended a vanilla envelope she did not notice before. Inside was pages of handwritten notes, different references for common plants, and cross references to unicorns and other widely known creatures. What caught her attention, however, was a polaroid picture.
What appeared to be a deer glided across its front. But it was no deer Hermione had ever seen before. The creature seemed to shimmer as it moved, its fur shining without casting light. A long skinny tail trailed behind it, ending in a tuft of hair that swished this way and that. On top of its round, apple-shaped head was a small horn not unlike that of a unicorn. Big fluffy ears turned towards the camera and black doleful eyes searched the bushes.
Scrawled under the image was a date and the words "third sighting". At least he was being thorough.
"We can start by going through the Ministry library and databases. From there we may have to branch out, possibly look into different countries."
As she spoke, Hermione took notes on his notes, prefering to have her own copy. He watched with a smirk that she ignored.
"I know a few species to look into that may have similar genes, your unicorn theory included. Until then, keep a close eye and record any further behaviors that might hint at something: What magical features does it possess? Is the shinning a defence mechanism or a way to lure prey? What is the horn used for?"
She looked up from her parchment. "For now, we will mark it as a single creature on the verge of extinction. That will give it the protection it needs until we can classify it."
"What do we do with it until it is classified?"
"What do you mean?" She had just told him what they were going to do. Wasn't he listening? She felt a twang of annoyance returning. It was like him to ignore her, even as he came asking for her help.
"What I mean, Granger, is where are we putting this creature until it is classified."
"Where it is," she stated matter-of-factly. "I have no intention of moving it until we can say whether doing so is safe." He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off, giving him a stern look usually reserved for Ron.
"Honestly, Malfoy, think about it. If we attempt to capture the beast before knowing what it's capable of, we could be endangering not only the animal but also those around it. This thing could be strong enough to blow up all of England for all we know. You can't judge it based on how it looks."
At that, Malfoy scowled but did not say anything. Hermione handed him back the envelope.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to get together. Please keep me informed if anything changes."
Seeing as he was dismissed, Malfoy stood and walked out without so much as a thank you. As the door closed, Hermione ran her hands over the top of her hair, pulling it slightly to release some tension.
An owl hooted. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She had forgotten Gerald with all the excitement of a new discovery. He swooped over to the desk, knocking over her quill holder, and pecked hopefully at the jar of dried owl treats. Hermione smiled at him, glad to have someone pleasant to share the rest of her work day with.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter series. Those rights belong to JK Rowling. I am only borrowing her beautiful creations.
Disclaimer: The savicorn is not my creature, just one I couldn't leave alone. The art for this creature was originally created by Savannah Horrocks: https/pin.it/wxb5avh4gexe6y
This is my first attempt at fanfiction. Feedback and comments are greatly appreciated!!