"Well, Severus," Professor Moody said, "it looks like you won't be getting
married after all. But you'll be glad to know that things are back to
normal."
"Back to normal," Professor Snape repeated in a dazed way.
But with the snoggart gone, Snape quickly recovered. He seemed to wake from a trance and become his normal self again. He saw Ron and Hermione in his office, and he did not look at all pleased.
"I don't recall inviting you two into my office," Snape said. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Now leave."
Ron and Hermione didn't need telling twice. They hurried out of the room.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor! That is so unfair!" Ron complained.
"But he gave us twenty points we didn't deserve, so we come out even," Hermione said. "Now hurry up! We're going to be late to Care of Magical Creatures."
They had gone only a few steps when they heard a familiar clomping noise behind them. They turned around and saw Professor Moody walking toward them.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley," Moody said, "I thought you said you had a snoggart problem you needed help with?"
"Oh, yes," Hermione said. "I just forgot about it. We're late to class, you see."
"Don't worry about that. I'll excuse you," Moody replied. "Now tell me about this snoggart."
As the three of them walked through the corridors, Hermione told Professor Moody everything she knew about Jessica. Moody snorted when he heard her last name.
"Starsparkle, eh?" he said. "Sounds like a classic snoggart to me."
"And Harry says she has unicorn blood," Ron put in.
"Well he would think that. He's under her spell. And, I might add, so were you until Miss Granger here helped you snap out of it," Moody said. "I've been worried about young Potter. He's an irresistible target for snoggarts. But so far he's seemed to make out better than Professor Snape has."
They reached the doors and went outside, striding across the grass toward where Hagrid's class was already assembled.
"Ah, Hagrid. I'm sorry to have kept two of your students from coming to class on time. They were helping me with a project," Moody said. "And if it's not too much trouble, I'd also like to borrow Potter and Miss Starsparkle."
Hagrid nodded, and Harry and Jessica walked over. For the first time, Jessica's perfect confidence and poise seemed to falter. She walked as slowly as she could. She refused to look Moody in the eye, sending occasional nervous glances in his direction. There was only one thing left to do. Jessica did what any romantic would do in such a situation: she fainted. It was a delicate, graceful swoon that left her falling lightly into Harry's Quidditch-toned arms.
"Oh, no!" Harry said worriedly and immediately bent over Jessica. He administered gentle slaps to her face and kept whispering for her to wake up.
Moody growled.
"Oh, she's good!" Hermione said with a measure of awe in her voice.
"Wake up Miss Starsparkle!" Moody barked. "Half-unicorns don't usually faint so easily."
That got her attention. "You know?" she gasped. "But I haven't told anybody! I was so afraid they'd hate me when they found out."
"You are half-unicorn, then?" Harry said, putting his arm around Jessica.
She nodded, and two silver tears emerged from her eyes and fell in glittering paths down her cheeks.
Moody looked impatient. "Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your parents?" he said. "I'm sure we'd all love to know where you come from."
Jessica Starsparkle ignored her mistrust of Moody and immediately brightened at the prospect of talking about herself.
"Well, you see... My mother was a very powerful witch. And my father was a unicorn. They met in the Spartoon Forest. They fell in love and... Oh...." Jessica's voice faltered. She looked around, hoping no one had noticed her mistake. But Harry's formerly love-filled face now had an expression of revulsion.
"That's disgusting!" Ron exclaimed. "A witch and a unicorn?!"
"And if you're half-unicorn, why don't you have hooves or a horn?" Harry asked.
"Well, maybe I do!" Jessica retorted. As soon as she said that, her dainty feet turned into hooves and a horn sprouted out of her head.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Professor Moody looked horrified at the bizarre half-breed before them. Jessica took one look at their faces and her face grew red. She ran off into the Forbidden Forest, weeping in a very unbecoming fashion.
"Congratulations Potter! You are now free from the snoggart-spell," Moody said.
"Er, thanks," Harry said. He looked toward where Jessica had fled and shuddered.
"Back to normal," Professor Snape repeated in a dazed way.
But with the snoggart gone, Snape quickly recovered. He seemed to wake from a trance and become his normal self again. He saw Ron and Hermione in his office, and he did not look at all pleased.
"I don't recall inviting you two into my office," Snape said. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Now leave."
Ron and Hermione didn't need telling twice. They hurried out of the room.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor! That is so unfair!" Ron complained.
"But he gave us twenty points we didn't deserve, so we come out even," Hermione said. "Now hurry up! We're going to be late to Care of Magical Creatures."
They had gone only a few steps when they heard a familiar clomping noise behind them. They turned around and saw Professor Moody walking toward them.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley," Moody said, "I thought you said you had a snoggart problem you needed help with?"
"Oh, yes," Hermione said. "I just forgot about it. We're late to class, you see."
"Don't worry about that. I'll excuse you," Moody replied. "Now tell me about this snoggart."
As the three of them walked through the corridors, Hermione told Professor Moody everything she knew about Jessica. Moody snorted when he heard her last name.
"Starsparkle, eh?" he said. "Sounds like a classic snoggart to me."
"And Harry says she has unicorn blood," Ron put in.
"Well he would think that. He's under her spell. And, I might add, so were you until Miss Granger here helped you snap out of it," Moody said. "I've been worried about young Potter. He's an irresistible target for snoggarts. But so far he's seemed to make out better than Professor Snape has."
They reached the doors and went outside, striding across the grass toward where Hagrid's class was already assembled.
"Ah, Hagrid. I'm sorry to have kept two of your students from coming to class on time. They were helping me with a project," Moody said. "And if it's not too much trouble, I'd also like to borrow Potter and Miss Starsparkle."
Hagrid nodded, and Harry and Jessica walked over. For the first time, Jessica's perfect confidence and poise seemed to falter. She walked as slowly as she could. She refused to look Moody in the eye, sending occasional nervous glances in his direction. There was only one thing left to do. Jessica did what any romantic would do in such a situation: she fainted. It was a delicate, graceful swoon that left her falling lightly into Harry's Quidditch-toned arms.
"Oh, no!" Harry said worriedly and immediately bent over Jessica. He administered gentle slaps to her face and kept whispering for her to wake up.
Moody growled.
"Oh, she's good!" Hermione said with a measure of awe in her voice.
"Wake up Miss Starsparkle!" Moody barked. "Half-unicorns don't usually faint so easily."
That got her attention. "You know?" she gasped. "But I haven't told anybody! I was so afraid they'd hate me when they found out."
"You are half-unicorn, then?" Harry said, putting his arm around Jessica.
She nodded, and two silver tears emerged from her eyes and fell in glittering paths down her cheeks.
Moody looked impatient. "Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your parents?" he said. "I'm sure we'd all love to know where you come from."
Jessica Starsparkle ignored her mistrust of Moody and immediately brightened at the prospect of talking about herself.
"Well, you see... My mother was a very powerful witch. And my father was a unicorn. They met in the Spartoon Forest. They fell in love and... Oh...." Jessica's voice faltered. She looked around, hoping no one had noticed her mistake. But Harry's formerly love-filled face now had an expression of revulsion.
"That's disgusting!" Ron exclaimed. "A witch and a unicorn?!"
"And if you're half-unicorn, why don't you have hooves or a horn?" Harry asked.
"Well, maybe I do!" Jessica retorted. As soon as she said that, her dainty feet turned into hooves and a horn sprouted out of her head.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Professor Moody looked horrified at the bizarre half-breed before them. Jessica took one look at their faces and her face grew red. She ran off into the Forbidden Forest, weeping in a very unbecoming fashion.
"Congratulations Potter! You are now free from the snoggart-spell," Moody said.
"Er, thanks," Harry said. He looked toward where Jessica had fled and shuddered.