Disclaimer: All but one of the characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I'm just barging in…


A Unicorn`s Gift, part 1

On a surprisingly fine afternoon in the middle of March, most Hogwarts students enjoyed their free time in the grounds that were dry again and positively agleam with fresh new green.

The serene setting was gradually disturbed when at first only a few but then more and more students became aware of an hitherto unprecedented incident: a silvery-white unicorn was carefully and unperturbed picking its way around the garden features and statues decorating the castle`s front yard.

Unbelieving looks and reverential whispers followed the graceful animal, softly radiating in the spring sunlight, as it aimed unerringly for the entrance doors. Students were entranced by this unusual sight and followed the animal with a quiet demeanor, fanning out in its wake like a crowd under a Pied Piper`s spell.

Quite a number of people, students as well as teachers, had already gathered on the front steps too, having witnessed the event through the castle`s windows themselves or been alerted by others. Nobody dared to move or approach the magnificent creature and so the unicorn reached the front steps unhindered.

Amidst a sea of curious glances and not a small amount of pushing going on in the ranks, Alecto and Amycus Carrow had ellbowed their way to the front of the crowd.

As it beheld the male deatheater, the unicorn tossed its head triumphantly and made a beeline straight for the man, even mounting two steps of the flat staircase. With a graceful bow of the head, it presented Carrow with a small sphere gleaming in all possible colours that was sitting atop its spiralling pearly horn.

Creasing his brow suspiciously and apparently undecided what to do, the Dark Arts teacher hesitated. The unicorn nodded its head encouragingly without rising from its prone position. Finally Carrow reached out and picked up the iridescent orb with his left hand. This success made the unicorn back up a few paces, throwing back its head and snorting contentedly. Although clearly having finished what it came for, it kept a curious eye on the deatheater.

"What is going on here?"

A cold and subtly threatening voice made everybody jump with alarm. Severus Snape had appeared in the doorway and now made his way through the crowd which parted for him immediately.

Every head snapped around again as a sudden gasp of terror alerted the crowd anew. While everyone once more stared at Carrow, the man let out a scream of pain, clutching his left wrist convulsively with his other hand.

The small opalescent sphere had begun to melt and was slowly absorbed into his skin. Petrified, Carrow watched as the orb vanished without a rest, now having become a part of himself. Sweating and shaking notably, he was still rooted to his spot when his sister whirled around to face the unicorn.

"You treacherous, filthy beast!" she cried and brought her wand down in a quick, sweeping arc. The poor animal had no chance to escape and as her stunning spell hit it right in the chest, it collapsed onto its side with a small terrified whinny.

Without delay, Alecto ran towards the unconscious form spread out like a glistening heap of snow on the gravel-strewn ground. She aimed a kick to its soft, milky belly, connecting hard. Many people cried out in shock and compassion and a determined Professor McGonagall rushed forward to restrain the crazed woman. But only the headmaster`s white hand on her front, pushing back vehemently, could stop the violent deatheater.

"Stay put and try to show a little more dignity," Snape hissed, coldly staring down his hooked nose into her face.

He whirled around with a swish of his black robes when surprised and gasping outcries from the crowd rose all around once more. Following the pointing fingers with a stare of his own, Snape took a step closer to the unicorn lying on the ground.

Still unconscious and outstretched at everyone's feet, the outlines of the creature's body had begun to shimmer and undulate.

With an almost painful yet close-guarded look on his pale face, Snape watched the metamorphosis in front of him, apparently without being able to move.

Increasingly violent twisting and flowing spasms shook the animal's whole body. Eventually, the otherwise unmoving creature's change came to a halt. The unicorn`s gleaming white had vanished, the flowing silvery mane had become a shock of long, silky dark-brown hair.

Exited whispers soon broke the stunned silence as the onlookers gazed upon the form of a young woman which had replaced the animal. Clad in a cream-coloured blouse and a teal blue skirt reaching to her knees, the animagus remained lying there unconscious. The woman's long and slender limbs, as well as the curved line of her neck, still betrayed a reminiscence of the unicorn`s inherent grace.

Snape was the first to come to his senses. He crouched down by the woman's side and regarded her with a curiously blank expression. Having reached some form of conclusion, he slowly stood up straight again and pointed his wand at the still form lying at his feet.

"Enervate!"

Snape`s spell showed instant results. The woman rose her head and stretched out her arms, uneasily pushing her upper body up from the ground. She slowly tilted her face up towards the headmaster`s and, after a long and evidently intense look shared between the two of them, swallowed visibly.

"Miss Gentley, what a surprise," Snape said with a silky but dangerous tone to his voice. "To what occasion do we owe the honour of your visit?"

"You dirty bitch, what have you done to me?!" roared a man`s voice before the woman on the ground had any chance to formulate an answer. Amycus obviously had found back his voice.

With a hushing motion towards both of the Carrows, who were now standing right behind him, Snape silenced the furious and apparently still hurting man.

"An excellent question. If you would enlighten us, Miss Gentley? And you better start explaining yourself immediately."

The young woman, still supporting her torso with trembling arms, composed herself and stretched out her chin defiantly. After clearing her throat once with a small noise, she began to speak with a calm, yet vivid voice.

"Headmaster, I am sorry to have caused this kind of public commotion but I came here to remedy a situation that should be of concern to every single person at Hogwarts."

"Oh, and what might that be?" Snape asked with a curling lip.

"A grave misconduct of one of your teachers that endangers your pupils more than the present, hm, state of things calls for," answered the woman with a serious look on her face.

She could not further elaborate, for Amycus Carrow rushed forward with an angry growl, barring his teeth. Snape barely managed to hold him back. The woman on the ground recoiled but, nevertheless, seemed even more determined now.

"Your fellow deatheater here developed a certain taste. More than once he harassed female students, and forced them to do unspeakle things for his own entertainment and pleasure! You are disgusting!" The last words she spat into Carrow`s face with true contempt.

Her revelation caused quite an amount of upheaval. Students fearfully shrank back from the Carrows, teachers either glared in silent indignation or exclaimed their own disgust with shocked voices. McGonagall and Snape had all hands full to hold back the enraged Carrows, who were intent on launching themselves onto the young woman staggeringly rising to her feet.

"I will have order! Everyone get a grip on yourselves!" Snape shouted, his face flushed, still struggling with the deatheater in his grip.

"Quit it or I won't hesitate to stun you," the headmaster hissed in the deranged man`s ear, who surprisingly followed suit.

Straightening his robes with both hands and forcing his face into a relaxed albeit grim expression, the headmaster continued: "Students will go back to their common rooms right now. Amycus, Alecto, you better accompany me and Miss Gentley here up to my office."

With a quick flick of his wand he caused iron manacles to shackle the young witch`s wrists together.

"I think the heads of houses at least have a right to witness the further investigation of the matter, Headmaster," said Professor McGonagall with a composed but clipped tone to her voice. Snape fastened her with an evaluating look, staring daggers into her eyes.

"Very well," he abruptly announced. With a sharp beckoning motion of his wand, he forced the bound Miss Gentley in front of him. Soon, both of them were leading on a small procession of teachers climbing up the stairs and scattering the few but quickly dispersing students left in the entrance hall.