Disclaimer: see previous chapter. Please. (Except change it to sixth
chapter instead of fifth.) The term "glory of unicorns" belongs to Bruce
Coville, not J.K. Rowling or myself. And darn, I thought A/N meant
attention…well, at least it did in my typing class. Oh well…now review my
story! Please. (And Michelle, dogs rule. And you know it.)
As soon as she finished screaming, the door opened again.
"When is this going to end?" she said under her breath.
"Callen?" Hermione peeked into the dungeon. "What happened? First Malfoy storms out, then Harry runs out looking even angrier than I've ever seen him, then you scream…what's going on?"
"I want to go home," Callen said, finally breaking down and crying.
"Why?" Hermione asked, crossing to her. "What did Malfoy do?"
"It wasn't him," she sobbed. She sat down in one of the desks.
"What did Harry do, then?" Hermione asked, sitting next to her.
"He was yelling at me for just talking to Draco," Callen explained, attempting to dry her tears.
"Why were you talking to Malfoy?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Because, he gave me a spell to clean the dungeons faster, but he said that if he gave it to me, I had to stay here and talk to him and answer all his questions."
"What did he ask you?"
"Um, why I never answered his questions, why I decided to come to Hogwarts, why I didn't like him, and how am I so different," Callen said after a pause.
"And this got Harry mad…how?" Hermione asked doubtfully.
"I accidentally told Draco I was a fairy princess and Harry found out," Callen said quickly, holding up a hand as if to shield herself from Hermione.
"What did Harry do?" Hermione asked slowly.
"He erased Draco's memory, then started yelling at me for talking to him. But Draco hasn't done anything to me!" Callen added.
"I know he hasn't. But Callen, you have to understand that Harry and Draco are enemies. They hate each other! Malfoy will do anything to get Harry expelled," Hermione explained.
Callen's head was spinning. "I want to go home," she murmured.
"I think it's time you did," Hermione agreed. "Come on, let's go."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The forest was dark outside the pool of light that came from the lantern Hermione was holding. Callen wasn't so sure that she wanted to find the myriod right now, when it was so dark out, but wasn't going to tell Hermione that.
"Are you sure that it was this way?" she asked, instead.
"I'm fairly sure," Hermione said confidently. However, her face betrayed her tone of voice.
"You have no idea where we are, do you," Callen said. She shivered.
"Not a clue," Hermione admitted.
"Well, do you think we'd be able to turn around and get back out?"
"Maybe," Hermione said uncertainly.
"Well, let's try it," Callen suggested.
They turned around and started walking back the way they came. Unfortunately, they only succeeded in getting even more lost.
"Well, that didn't work," Hermione said shortly, because she was out of breath.
"Nope."
The two sat down at the foot of a huge oak tree.
"Wait, I think I see a light up there!" Hermione said happily, scrambling to her feet and knocking over the lantern, which went out.
"Do you think it's the castle?" Callen asked hopefully.
"No, it's too close for it to be the castle. It might be Hagrid's hut, though," Hermione said, going toward it. After a second she turned around. "It isn't his hut, either. It's too white of a light to be Hagrid's hut."
"So what is it?"
"I don't know. Should we go toward it, or stay here?" Hermione asked.
"What if it's that Voldemort person?" Callen asked, half afraid.
"Then I guess we'll just have to be careful," Hermione said slowly.
"Okay," Callen said uncertainly. She stood and crossed to Hermione.
Together, the two girls walked cautiously toward the light. After a few minutes, they reached the edge of a clearing and crouched down. In the clearing were –
"Unicorns!" Callen gasped. There were at least a dozen of them, all glowing brightly.
"I never knew there were this many in here," Hermione said in a hushed tone.
"It's a glory of unicorns," Callen said softly.
"A glory? What's that?" Hermione asked.
"It's a group of them," Callen explained.
"Oh. I've never heard of them described like that," Hermione whispered.
"They're gorgeous," Callen said. "Absolutely gorgeous."
"Shh," Hermione said. "We don't want to scare them off."
"They're so beautiful," Callen whispered.
At this point one of the unicorns looked up, as if it had heard the girls. It whinnied, tossing its beautiful head. The other unicorns looked up and in the direction of Callen and Hermione.
"Uh-oh," Hermione said.
"I think they heard us," Callen said.
"I think so, too."
"What should we do? Stay here?"
"No, we should get away so they don't hurt us!"
"Yeah, right! We're lost! They'll find us no matter what we do!"
"Well, what do you propose? Walking right into them?"
"It's a little too late to do either thing!" Callen said, looking up.
"Why?" Hermione asked, staring at her.
Callen pointed upward. Standing above them, looking down curiously, was a large unicorn.
"Uh-oh."
The unicorn neighed, still looking down at them with a curious expression. Callen tentatively reached up and touched the unicorn's nose. The unicorn nudged her hand gently. Callen laughed.
"I think he's trying to tell us that it's all right," she whispered to Hermione.
"How do you know it's a he?" Hermione asked.
Callen shrugged. "I just do," she answered. She stood and started petting the unicorn.
"Be careful," Hermione warned.
"I am," Callen replied. She stroked the unicorn's velvety nose.
The unicorn knelt down, then looked at her meaningfully.
"I think he wants me to ride him," Callen whispered excitedly.
"Just be careful!" Hermione said.
The other unicorns looked on curiously while Callen mounted. When she was seated, her unicorns stood and started trotting around the clearing. One of the gold-colored foals neighed happily.
The unicorn stopped by the edge of the clearing opposite Hermione and nudged another one of the adult unicorns. Then, he trotted back to Hermione, with Callen still on his back. The unicorn he had nudged followed.
"Hermione, I think that he wants you to get on this one," Callen said excitedly.
Hermione stood up uncertainly. The second unicorn knelt down, touching the tip of its horn to the ground.
"Come on, Hermione, get on," Callen urged.
Hermione timidly climbed on the unicorn, who stood up.
"Now what?" she asked.
"I don't know. But isn't this great? We're riding unicorns!"
"I guess," Hermione said, unconvinced.
Suddenly, the unicorn Callen was on reared and she fell to the ground, where she lay, unmoving.
"Callen!" Hermione shrieked, trying to get off her unicorn without falling herself. Finally, she managed to dismount and ran over to her friend, who still hadn't moved.
The unicorn knelt down again, near Callen, and placed his horn on her forehead. Hermione, too frightened to try and get the unicorn away, simply stared.
After a minute, the unicorn, using his horn, lifted Callen onto his back. Hermione sat on the ground still, watching Callen. Her fiery red hair mingled with the unicorn's mane, giving the impression that the unicorn was bleeding. Hermione breathed in, a shuddery breath. She saw Callen's limp figure do the same and leapt to her feet.
"What's going on?" Callen sat up, looking dazed.
Hermione rushed to Callen's side and explained it all. "I never thought that unicorns could be so cruel," she finished.
"I don't think he did it to be cruel," Callen mused. "I think he was trying to do something."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean, I think he wanted me to understand him," Callen said.
"Understand him?"
"Yeah. Look at him," she said, rubbing the unicorn's neck.
Indeed, the unicorn looked as if he had something to tell them. Callen patted the unicorn on the nose, then slid off his back.
"Well, how does he expect you to understand him?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Callen said, resting her hand on his neck again. Quickly, she pulled away, with an astonished look in her eyes. "I heard him," she said. "He just spoke to me."
"I didn't hear anything," Hermione said.
"Well, I did," Callen insisted. "He said my name!" She placed her hand on his neck again.
"Callen," the unicorn said to her. "You need to be more cautious."
"He's doing it again," Callen said.
"I don't hear anything," Hermione claimed.
"Beware, child," the unicorn continued. "He knows! You may think he doesn't, but he knows where you are. He knows you. He knows…"
The unicorns disappeared.
As soon as she finished screaming, the door opened again.
"When is this going to end?" she said under her breath.
"Callen?" Hermione peeked into the dungeon. "What happened? First Malfoy storms out, then Harry runs out looking even angrier than I've ever seen him, then you scream…what's going on?"
"I want to go home," Callen said, finally breaking down and crying.
"Why?" Hermione asked, crossing to her. "What did Malfoy do?"
"It wasn't him," she sobbed. She sat down in one of the desks.
"What did Harry do, then?" Hermione asked, sitting next to her.
"He was yelling at me for just talking to Draco," Callen explained, attempting to dry her tears.
"Why were you talking to Malfoy?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Because, he gave me a spell to clean the dungeons faster, but he said that if he gave it to me, I had to stay here and talk to him and answer all his questions."
"What did he ask you?"
"Um, why I never answered his questions, why I decided to come to Hogwarts, why I didn't like him, and how am I so different," Callen said after a pause.
"And this got Harry mad…how?" Hermione asked doubtfully.
"I accidentally told Draco I was a fairy princess and Harry found out," Callen said quickly, holding up a hand as if to shield herself from Hermione.
"What did Harry do?" Hermione asked slowly.
"He erased Draco's memory, then started yelling at me for talking to him. But Draco hasn't done anything to me!" Callen added.
"I know he hasn't. But Callen, you have to understand that Harry and Draco are enemies. They hate each other! Malfoy will do anything to get Harry expelled," Hermione explained.
Callen's head was spinning. "I want to go home," she murmured.
"I think it's time you did," Hermione agreed. "Come on, let's go."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The forest was dark outside the pool of light that came from the lantern Hermione was holding. Callen wasn't so sure that she wanted to find the myriod right now, when it was so dark out, but wasn't going to tell Hermione that.
"Are you sure that it was this way?" she asked, instead.
"I'm fairly sure," Hermione said confidently. However, her face betrayed her tone of voice.
"You have no idea where we are, do you," Callen said. She shivered.
"Not a clue," Hermione admitted.
"Well, do you think we'd be able to turn around and get back out?"
"Maybe," Hermione said uncertainly.
"Well, let's try it," Callen suggested.
They turned around and started walking back the way they came. Unfortunately, they only succeeded in getting even more lost.
"Well, that didn't work," Hermione said shortly, because she was out of breath.
"Nope."
The two sat down at the foot of a huge oak tree.
"Wait, I think I see a light up there!" Hermione said happily, scrambling to her feet and knocking over the lantern, which went out.
"Do you think it's the castle?" Callen asked hopefully.
"No, it's too close for it to be the castle. It might be Hagrid's hut, though," Hermione said, going toward it. After a second she turned around. "It isn't his hut, either. It's too white of a light to be Hagrid's hut."
"So what is it?"
"I don't know. Should we go toward it, or stay here?" Hermione asked.
"What if it's that Voldemort person?" Callen asked, half afraid.
"Then I guess we'll just have to be careful," Hermione said slowly.
"Okay," Callen said uncertainly. She stood and crossed to Hermione.
Together, the two girls walked cautiously toward the light. After a few minutes, they reached the edge of a clearing and crouched down. In the clearing were –
"Unicorns!" Callen gasped. There were at least a dozen of them, all glowing brightly.
"I never knew there were this many in here," Hermione said in a hushed tone.
"It's a glory of unicorns," Callen said softly.
"A glory? What's that?" Hermione asked.
"It's a group of them," Callen explained.
"Oh. I've never heard of them described like that," Hermione whispered.
"They're gorgeous," Callen said. "Absolutely gorgeous."
"Shh," Hermione said. "We don't want to scare them off."
"They're so beautiful," Callen whispered.
At this point one of the unicorns looked up, as if it had heard the girls. It whinnied, tossing its beautiful head. The other unicorns looked up and in the direction of Callen and Hermione.
"Uh-oh," Hermione said.
"I think they heard us," Callen said.
"I think so, too."
"What should we do? Stay here?"
"No, we should get away so they don't hurt us!"
"Yeah, right! We're lost! They'll find us no matter what we do!"
"Well, what do you propose? Walking right into them?"
"It's a little too late to do either thing!" Callen said, looking up.
"Why?" Hermione asked, staring at her.
Callen pointed upward. Standing above them, looking down curiously, was a large unicorn.
"Uh-oh."
The unicorn neighed, still looking down at them with a curious expression. Callen tentatively reached up and touched the unicorn's nose. The unicorn nudged her hand gently. Callen laughed.
"I think he's trying to tell us that it's all right," she whispered to Hermione.
"How do you know it's a he?" Hermione asked.
Callen shrugged. "I just do," she answered. She stood and started petting the unicorn.
"Be careful," Hermione warned.
"I am," Callen replied. She stroked the unicorn's velvety nose.
The unicorn knelt down, then looked at her meaningfully.
"I think he wants me to ride him," Callen whispered excitedly.
"Just be careful!" Hermione said.
The other unicorns looked on curiously while Callen mounted. When she was seated, her unicorns stood and started trotting around the clearing. One of the gold-colored foals neighed happily.
The unicorn stopped by the edge of the clearing opposite Hermione and nudged another one of the adult unicorns. Then, he trotted back to Hermione, with Callen still on his back. The unicorn he had nudged followed.
"Hermione, I think that he wants you to get on this one," Callen said excitedly.
Hermione stood up uncertainly. The second unicorn knelt down, touching the tip of its horn to the ground.
"Come on, Hermione, get on," Callen urged.
Hermione timidly climbed on the unicorn, who stood up.
"Now what?" she asked.
"I don't know. But isn't this great? We're riding unicorns!"
"I guess," Hermione said, unconvinced.
Suddenly, the unicorn Callen was on reared and she fell to the ground, where she lay, unmoving.
"Callen!" Hermione shrieked, trying to get off her unicorn without falling herself. Finally, she managed to dismount and ran over to her friend, who still hadn't moved.
The unicorn knelt down again, near Callen, and placed his horn on her forehead. Hermione, too frightened to try and get the unicorn away, simply stared.
After a minute, the unicorn, using his horn, lifted Callen onto his back. Hermione sat on the ground still, watching Callen. Her fiery red hair mingled with the unicorn's mane, giving the impression that the unicorn was bleeding. Hermione breathed in, a shuddery breath. She saw Callen's limp figure do the same and leapt to her feet.
"What's going on?" Callen sat up, looking dazed.
Hermione rushed to Callen's side and explained it all. "I never thought that unicorns could be so cruel," she finished.
"I don't think he did it to be cruel," Callen mused. "I think he was trying to do something."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean, I think he wanted me to understand him," Callen said.
"Understand him?"
"Yeah. Look at him," she said, rubbing the unicorn's neck.
Indeed, the unicorn looked as if he had something to tell them. Callen patted the unicorn on the nose, then slid off his back.
"Well, how does he expect you to understand him?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Callen said, resting her hand on his neck again. Quickly, she pulled away, with an astonished look in her eyes. "I heard him," she said. "He just spoke to me."
"I didn't hear anything," Hermione said.
"Well, I did," Callen insisted. "He said my name!" She placed her hand on his neck again.
"Callen," the unicorn said to her. "You need to be more cautious."
"He's doing it again," Callen said.
"I don't hear anything," Hermione claimed.
"Beware, child," the unicorn continued. "He knows! You may think he doesn't, but he knows where you are. He knows you. He knows…"
The unicorns disappeared.