Unicorn Child
~*~
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!!! He belongs solely to the goddess of writing, in other words, Joanne K. Rowling. I do own the plot, the forest animals, the unicorns and..... um....... the old oak!!!
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"bla bla" = Human Speech
~bla bla~ = Language of all Forest Animals
*bla bla* = Unicorn Speech
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Chapter 4
The Ways of the Forest
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Harry had never felt this free in his life before and he was happy about his decision to leave the humans. After another five minutes of walking, Harry noticed a butterfly sitting on a flower in a small clearing and crouched down in front of it, watching it. He held out his finger and giggled happily when the butterfly sat down on it.
The peace of the moment was only disturbed when a shrill cry suddenly rang throughout the clearing. ~NOOOO!!!!!!! HELP!!!!~
Harry gasped and jumped up. Who had screamed? ~HELP ME!~ Harry was alarmed. Someone needed help! Without thinking any further, Harry began to run in the direction of the screams.
As he got closer to the source, he frantically tried to think of a way to help the poor animal in danger. What if it was being attacked by- a bear? Harry was only four years old after all and absolutely no match for such a strong animal!
Still, Harry sped up, feeling the inexplicable urge to help the one who needed it.
In no time, Harry reached a rather big clearing. A big crack went through the middle of it, and Harry realized with a jolt that the shouts were coming from there. Completely out of breath, Harry lay down on his stomach and cautiously crawled to the edge of the crack. He peered down and blanched.
The crack was very deep. Harry did not know exactly how deep, but guessed that it had to be almost fifty feet. And there, just a feet below Harry, a tree root stuck out of the earth. Dangling from it on only one paw, was a baby squirrel. It seemed to be rather weak already, and Harry noticed that its left hind leg was strangely twisted.
Upon seeing Harry, the squirrel stopped struggling and called,
~Help me! Please, get me out of here!~ The poor thing sounded quite desperate. Reaching down into the crack, Harry hoped that the little animal would not bite him.
~Hang on there,~ he said, ~I'll get you. Just don't struggle, ok?~
The poor creature nodded its head. Harry realized that its paws had begun to slip off the root. Quickly and gently he put his hand around the squirrel's body. To Harry's immense delight, it did not bite him, and it did not struggle either. Slowly and carefully, Harry lifted the squirrel out of the crack and gently laid it down onto the ground next to him.
The squirrel whimpered its thanks. Seeing how twisted the squirrel's hind leg still was, Harry realized that it was probably broken. Being only four years old, Harry had no idea what to do and began feeling utterly helpless.
To make it even worse, the baby squirrel started to cry for his parents. Harry could feel his lower lip starting to tremble.
~No,~ he whispered desperately, stroking the small squirrel, ~Please don't cry, I don't know what to do, please don't- ~
The squirrel's sobs were infectious, and all too soon Harry found himself trying to hold back his own tears.
"Help!" he called, not realizing that he was talking in human tongue again. "P-please, someone- help us!"
Harry listened, but the only sound he heard was the squirrel's sobs and his own sniffling.
~Rex!~ Harry called. Again, nothing happened.
*Serenity!* Was it his imagination, or had he heard the unicorn answer his desperate call in the distance? Harry held his breath. Yes! There it was again!
*Serenity! Help!* He could hear hooves thundering across the forest floor, coming closer and closer- until, finally, the unicorn burst through the bushes. Harry got up and stumbled towards her immediately, throwing his arms around her neck and trying to stop shaking.
Serenity watched worriedly as the small human cub attached himself to her neck. She nuzzled it gently with her soft nose and muttered nonsensical, soothing words into his ear. After a few minutes, Harry seemed to calm down and Serenity nudged him gently back towards the crack.
While Serenity had been comforting Harry, many animals had assembled. Apparently, all of them had heard the squirrel and Harry's cries of help. they had just taken quite long to get there. Harry noticed with relief that the baby squirrel was being comforted by its mother, who was also admonishing it for walking off into the forest on its own.
~Ahem.~
Harry turned around swiftly. Serenity had moved on to the animals and was talking to a fox. Behind Harry, there was another squirrel, bigger than the other two, a huge, dark-coloured owl, and the crow that had talked to Serenity earlier that very day. All of them were eyeing Harry strangely.
~Um, did you want to talk to me?~ Harry asked uncertainly.
The three animals exchanged surprised glances. Harry realized that they probably hadn't thought he would be able to understand them yet. The squirrel shook its head and hopped forward importantly.
~Yes. Human cub, the little squirrel you saved was one of my children. My name is Dandelion, and I am the elected representative of all squirrels in this forest. I have come to thank you for saving one of our number, as well as my son.~
Harry blinked in surprise. He remembered reading a book about politics in the Dursleys' house. It had been dreadfully boring, and he hadn't understood much of it, but it had been the only thing to do Harry could find. He thought he remembered what 'elected' and 'representative' meant. Realizing that the three animals in front of him were apparently waiting for an answer, he shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled happily at the squirrel 'representative'.
~You don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure to help.~ If there was one thing the Dursleys had taught Harry, it was that you always had to be polite.
The smile seemed to work, too, as the squirrel suddenly seemed to look a lot less stern.
~Yes, well, I had to thank you anyway- oh yes, these are Nocturn, lord of the owls, and Crawx, the speaker of the crows and ravens.~
Harry gave the two of them a brilliant, innocent smile.
~It's nice to meet you!~ The big owl nodded its head majestically and responded that it was a pleasure, while the crow just mumbled incoherently.
Before Harry could say anything else, something nudged him between his shoulder blades and he turned around again. It was Serenity. She nodded politely to Nocturn, Crawx and Dandelion, then nuzzled Harry's cheek.
*Come on, Harry, let's go home now.* Harry smiled and waved goodbye to the three animal leaders.
~Bye-bye Crawx, Nocturn, Dandelion, see you sometime!~ Then, he climbed onto Serenity's back and allowed his surrogate mother to carry him back to the unicorn's den.
*Harry,* Serenity asked, *May I ask how you learned the language of the forest so quickly?*
Harry frowned, trying to answer in unicorn language. *Tree me give-* Harry stopped. How did you say 'wish' in unicorn? But Serenity seemed to have understood anyway, because she stopped short and craned her neck around to face him.
*Tree? Do you mean, the old oak, Harry?* Harry shrugged. Then he nodded. There probably weren't too many talking trees in this forest.
*The old oak? It gave you the ability to speak the language of the forest?* Harry did not understand why Serenity was so shocked. Surely this was a normal thing that happened to loads of people- or animals? Harry nodded again. Serenity snorted excitedly.
*Harry, tell me exactly what happened, in forest language, it will be easier.*
Harry smiled and launched into a detailed and slightly chaotic explanation of what he had seen and what had happened to him after he had left Serenity. He often got sidetracked when his childish excitement got the better of him and Serenity had to stop him gently.
Finally, Harry had finished. Serenity nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
*Harry,* she said, *First of all, know that it is not at all normal for a living being to be granted a wish by the old oak. It is a rare occurrence, and a very great honour indeed. In fact, I don't think it has happened in a few centuries.*
Harry's eyes widened. A few centuries? That- that sounded like an awfully long time! Serenity smiled.
*Also, that was a very brave thing you did, running to help Dandelion's kid. Just try to be more careful in the future, it could have been dangerous, alright?*
Harry nodded, earnestly. Serenity smiled again.
*Good. Now that that's settled, let's go home. Hold on tight!*
And with that, the unicorn queen took of running. Harry squealed in laughter as he burrowed his hands in Serenity's beautiful mane. At that moment, he decided that he loved life in the forest. Everyone was nice to him, he was learning new languages, he was living with animals that shouldn't even exist in reality, and he felt more free than he ever had before. Yes, life was good for Harry Potter.
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Over the next two weeks, Serenity and the other unicorns took it upon themselves to teach Harry the ways of the forest. Harry got educated in recognising and 'reading' the forest animals' footprints, until he could tell whether the animal in question had been male, female, heavy, light, in a hurry or walking slowly. He could even tell quite well when they had been there.
He was also taught how to behave when meeting older and wiser forest animals. There was a strange and complex codex for such cases and a million others. It was lucky that Harry was a fast and eager learner, as well as quite patient for his age, or he would have given up after the first few days.
Rex, Arya (the queen of foxes), Dandelion (who had become Harry's friend after Harry had saved his child), Crown (the king of stags), Cassandra (the wise rabbit) and Nocturn were delighted to help with Harry's training.
Crawx was still a little cranky while talking to Harry, but Harry suspected that it was just the way he was. At least he wasn't insulting Harry anymore, and he did nothing to prevent Harry's friendship with Sayama, his youngest daughter. The two of them had met only a few days after Harry had met her father and had become great friends almost immediately.
Harry had, much to his surprise, found many friends in the forest. Sammy, the squirrel boy he had saved, and Sayama were only a few of them.
Harry's best friend in the forest, however, was Prince. He was Rex' oldest son and was about Harry's age. Prince would one time be the leader of the forest's wolfs and was raised as such. Harry had met Prince while playing in a small clearing near Rex' den. Prince had asked Harry what he was doing, and Harry had answered that he was playing 'Hide-n'-Seek' with his squirrel friend. Prince had immediately been intrigued, never having heard of that game before, and Harry had told him to play with them.
That had been the start of a great friendship. Not much later, the fox queen's daughter Tayleen had joined them, and Cance, Crown's son, and then more and more children of the forest had come.
Serenity once told Harry that Crawx hadn't wanted to include him in their society for fear that Harry might disrupt the peace of the forest animals. But Harry's presence seemed to do the contrary. All the animals' young ones were now friends with Harry and with each other.
In the beginning, the parents were frantic with worry and running around the forest each evening trying to collect their respective children for the night. After a few weeks, they had simply given up.
Whoever caught sight of some young animals in the evenings was to take them in for the night, no matter if they were their own or not. Young wolves and stags sleeping in an extended rabbit's hole soon became a common sight in the forest.
Had a muggle entered the forest and told everyone of the strange behaviour of the forest animals, or maybe even of the human child living in there, people would have shipped him off to the next mental hospital.
Had a wizard entered the forest and told everyone of the strange behaviour of the forest animals, or maybe even of the human child living there, people would have told him that there was no way non-magical animals would act like this and would have shipped him off to St. Mungo's insanity ward.
But no human, aside from Harry of course, ever entered the forest and disturbed the animals living in it. No one, that is to say, until three months later. It was now the end of January, the middle of a thankfully mild winter. Harry had adjusted wonderfully to the life in the forest and for the first time in years had found true friends and happiness. He was unaware that only a few hours later his entire world would collapse around him again, and he would be forced to run from those of his own kind. At the moment, Harry was fast asleep, but not for long.
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*Harry! Wake up!*
Harry groaned unwillingly and turned over.
Someone nudged him.
*Harry! You said you would come and play 'tag' with us!*
Harry groaned again and burrowed himself deeper into the soft grass that was his bed in the unicorn's den.
*Harry!!* Someone nudged him again and then began to lick his face. That woke Harry up.
*Pegasus! Stop that immediately!*
Pegasus ran away, giggling happily (if unicorns could giggle), and Harry sat up grumbling. Pegasus was one of his unicorn friends, about a year or so younger than Harry. That meant that while she had already turned silver (which happened with about two years), she didn't have a horn yet.
Sighing to himself, Harry got up and quickly walked over to the starberry bushes. He got himself three of the juicy berries, then proceeded to quickly eat them. He smiled as he remembered what Serenity had told him. The starberries would only be there as long as the unicorns. When the last unicorn in the forest died or left, the starberries would go with them.
*Harry! Are you coming or not?* Harry sighed and washed his sticky fingers in the nearby river.
*Just a sec!* he yelled, then looked around for Serenity. He spotted her near the entrance of the den talking to some older unicorns and quickly ran over.
*Serenity, me and Pegasus and Prince and Sammy and Sayama and Cance and Tayleen and the others are going into the forest to play, alright?*
Serenity smiled amusedly at her 'cub'.
*Of course, Harry. And it's Pegasus and me, not me and Pegasus.* Harry took off quickly.
*Whatever!* he called over his shoulder to the chuckling unicorn adults.
Harry met his friends on the edge of the clearing.
~Ready to go?~ Prince asked. Harry nodded, and they took off.
They played for almost four hours, moving farther and farther away from the unicorn's den. Harry didn't realize just how far until he suddenly heard a sound he hadn't heard in a few months. Voices. Human voices. And they were straight in front of him.
Harry's first reflex was to run, but it was already too late. The two men came around the hill Harry had been hiding behind. Gasping in shock, Harry quickly pressed himself to a tree trunk, his little heart thumping so loudly that Harry thought the two men must hear it.
"Do you have any idea why we have to do this now, in the middle of winter?" one of the men said, sounding annoyed. To Harry's absolute horror, he sat down on Harry's tree trunk and lit a cigarette. Harry whimpered quietly and tried to stay completely still so the men wouldn't hear him.
"What was that?" the man with the cigarette asked suspiciously.
"What are you talking about?" The other man, this one wearing a strange pair of brilliantly red trousers, said.
"There was a noise! It sounded like- a whimper," Cigarette said, looking around.
"You must have imagined it," said Red-trousers with a shrug, "or maybe it was the wind."
Cigarette nodded, not quite convinced.
"So, why do we have to do this in the middle of winter?"
Red-trousers shrugged and leaned against a tree.
"Don't ask me. Orders are orders. A pity, if you ask me. This is the biggest forest in this area."
Harry frowned in confusion, not being able to understand what the men were talking about.
Cigarette sighed.
"They could at least wait until it is warmer." Red-trousers nodded, and the two of them were silent for a while. There was a spider crawling over Harry's hand. He wanted to shake it away, but couldn't.
"Who do you reckon needs this much wood?" Cigarette asked, looking around in awe.
Harry grew more puzzled by the minute. Wood? They wanted wood?
"Dunno," Red-trousers answered with a shrug, "Don't ask me. I bet you there is some sort of corruption behind all this. I heard this forest is old, it has been around for centuries. Rightfully, nobody should be allowed to cut it down, and yet that's what we're supposed to do. But it's not our job to worry about law, we're just receiving orders. Well, we should get going. You know Warron said he wanted a full report by tonight so we can get started in a week."
Cigarette nodded and got up. Harry held his breath as the two men walked back on the way they had come. Then, Harry slowly sat up, feeling numb.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. They were going to cut down the forest, his forest, within the week! Harry's mind couldn't even begin to understand all the implications.
He jumped up and ran back into the forest. He didn't really know where he was going, blind panic making him oblivious to the branches snapping into his face and the alarmed shouts of the animals he passed.
~Harry!~ The commanding voice, older and wiser than the others, finally served to make Harry stop his pointless flight. He turned to see Cassandra, the wisest of rabbits, sitting on the way in front of him. Harry had met Cassandra a few times and really liked her. He crouched down in front of his friend, barely able to suppress tears of confusion and shock.
~Cassandra, I heard something so awful!~ he called and hugged the rabbit to him. Cassandra felt the small cub's need for comfort and allowed the trembling child a few minutes before she gently pulled back.
~Harry, can you tell me what has upset you so?~ Harry wiped his eyes and shakily relayed the conversation he had overheard to Cassandra. The wise old rabbit sighed and bowed her head in defeat when Harry was done.
~I feared that this might happen sometime,~ she said sadly, more to herself than to Harry. ~The humans cut down forests all over the country, and it was really only a matter of time until they would start on our forest. But I had hoped that it wouldn't be so soon..... I had hoped that we would have a few years-~ Cassandra shook her head.
~Harry, I am going to call in a meeting of the forest council. You will have to tell them what you told me right now, alright?~
Harry nodded, slightly nervous at talking in front of the most powerful animals of the forest. He watched with innocent fascination as Cassandra closed her eyes and seemingly concentrated deeply. He knew that she was contacting the other animal leaders via mind speech. Then, Cassandra motioned for Harry to follow her, and they took off toward the Old Oak at a slow pace. Cassandra, while she was still powerful and completely level- headed, was very old, and not the most healthy of animals.
As it was, it took them almost twenty minutes to reach the Oak Clearing, and by the time they arrived Harry was practically bouncing with impatience. The other animal leaders had arrived long before them, and after giving Serenity a quick hug, Harry nervously stepped into the circle. He listened in awe as the Old Oak spoke the traditional opening words for the meeting:
~Greetings to you, fellow leaders and kings. I hereby call the 1754th meeting of the forest council to order! Cassandra, wisest of the rabbits, please inform us why we are all assembled here.~
Cassandra slowly came over to Harry's side.
~Greetings, fellow leaders,~ she said, sounding more tired and old than Harry had ever heard her. Concerned, he petted her back a little. Cassandra smiled at him and nudged his hand gently, then turned back to the assembled (and now smiling) leaders.
~I am afraid that we are not here for a joyous occasion. In fact, I don't recall a meeting in the history of the Forest Council concerning a matter so grave.~
The smiles on the leaders' faces died down, and Harry, too, felt very sombre.
~Yes, my fellow leaders. The worst has happened. The humans have entered our forest and are now seeking to destroy it- within the week.~
Gasps were heard all around the clearing, and exclamations of outrage followed suit.
~This is unbelievable! We can't let this happen!~
~How can they destroy our forest! It is older than they are!~
~Our ancestors have lived in this forest for decades and centuries, and now they want to make it go away?~
~What about our children? This is their home!~
~What about US? Where will we go?~
~I always knew that the humans would only bring despair!~
~Why don't we attack them?~
~Yes, that's a good idea! That'll show them to mess with us-~
~SILENCE!~
The clearing was suddenly deathly still, and everyone watched in apprehension as the old oak shook with rage.
~You are behaving like seedlings who lose their leaves for the first time in fall!~
The animals looked down, feeling ashamed. Even Harry felt bad, even though he had not said anything. The old oak heaved a heavy sigh.
~Cassandra, please continue.~
The old rabbit sighed.
~Now, of course we cannot attack the humans. As all of you very well know, they are far more powerful than we are.~
~But there must be something we can do!~ Crawx interrupted angrily. Cassandra fixed him with a hard gaze.
~No, Crawx,~ she said firmly. ~There is nothing. Harry, please tell the council what you have overheard.~
Harry stepped forward nervously and quickly relied the two men's conversation. When he was done, Cassandra nodded grimly.
~What we are going to have to do fills me with sadness and grief unlike anything I have experienced before. As some of you pointed out, this forest is our home, and it has been for countless generations. Our forefathers will be turning in their graves when they see the terrible things that will happen to their home – to our home, to the home of out children.~ she paused for a moment, trying to regain control over her emotions. Harry had no such luck. He ran towards Serenity and buried his face in the unicorn's soft mane. Serenity licked his cheek softly, but Harry could clearly see that she was trying very hard not to cry as well.
~Now,~ Cassandra said roughly, ~the humans are going to destroy our home completely. Since there is nothing we can do, there is only one option left for us. We, or those of us strong enough, will have to find a new home.~
The animals bowed their heads in sadness. Serenity, however, spoke up.
~Finding a new home is easier said than done, Cassandra,~ she said quietly. ~Forests big enough to accommodate our number are very rare, especially when there are already animals in there. As sad as this makes me, we will need to split up. There is no way we will all find sanctuary in one forest, especially us unicorns. As you know, we can only live in forests completely untouched by humans. Where will we find another forest like that? Where will we find a forest magical and ancient enough to serve as our home?~
Silence reigned the clearing for a while. Then, the old oak spoke up.
~I understand your sorrow and worry, Serenity, leader of the unicorns. And your fear is reasonable. I feel that there are only two places on this island left with enough magic and purity necessary for the unicorns to live there.
~One of those places is Stonehenge, a many centuries old monument built by wizards. It is full of raw and pure magic, but unfortunately almost constantly swarmed by muggles, making a peaceful life there absolutely impossible.
~The second place, however, might be good enough. It is another forest, far more ancient and magical, but also more dangerous than this forest. Many beings live there, all of them magical. I know for sure that some unicorns live there as well. It is said that there is simply so much magic in the forest that non-magical beings could not survive there. There are other, darker animals in the forest, dangerous mostly to humans. I believe that it would be a suitable place for some of you to live.~
Cassandra was nodding slowly.
~Yes, I once heard legends about that forest. Serenity, you will have to lead your unicorns there.~
Serenity's ears twitched nervously.
~This is all nice and good. But how will I find the way?~
~Forgive me for intruding, but I believe that I know a way,~ Rex spoke up. ~I have a cousin who once told me of a forest like that, near the forest where he lives. From your description, Wise Oak, it must be the same forest. He once told me the way to his den, in case I wanted to visit. If that is alright with all of you, I could lead my pack and Serenity's unicorns to my cousin's forest, and he could take them onwards to their destination.~
Serenity contemplated this idea for a few moments, then nodded, slowly.
~Thank you, Rex,~ she said softly. ~That seems like a good idea to me.~
Cassandra nodded, satisfied.
~Good. Now that this is settled, where will the rest of you go? Arya?~
The fox queen paced for a little while.
~I have a sister, living quite far away. I think, it's not too far away from your cousin, Rex, so we might still be able to visit. Yes, I think I will take my group and family there.~ Cassandra nodded.
~Dandelion?~
The squirrel hopped forward.
~Actually, I think we will just move on to the next forests. Squirrels aren't very selective, you know. And I am sure the other squirrels will welcome us.~
Cassandra moved on.
~Nocturn?~
The owl ruffled its wings importantly.
~My wife's best friend lives in a forest not too far from here. It is nowhere near a city, very quiet area. I've heard that there are lots of rats and mice around to be caught-~
~Thank you, Nocturn,~ Cassandra interrupted quickly. ~What about you, Crown?~
The stag looked thoughtful.
~I don't really have anywhere to go. Rex, do you think it might be acceptable if we came with you to your cousin's forest?~
Rex looked thoughtful as well.
~I think that can be arranged, Crown. From what I have heard, it is a rather big forest.~
Cassandra nodded happily.
~Crawx?~
The crow shook its head.
~Never mind us crows and ravens,~ he told the rabbit. ~We will find a solution living in a nearby forest, or maybe even in town. Us birds aren't bound to forests.~
Cassandra nodded.
~Trillidge?~
The blackbird, speaker of the smaller birds of the forest, fluttered down from a low-hanging branch.
~What Crawx said, goes for us, too. Those of us who need a forest to live in will find sanctuary in the remaining forests in the area. The others can live in the humans' gardens, if need be.~
Cassandra smiled and nodded.
~Slyther?~
The snake slithered into the clearing.
~We will wander into the nexxxt foressssst together with Dandelion and his ssssquirrelssss. The ssssnakesssss there are on friendly termsssss with usssss and will accccept usssssss.~
Cassandra nodded again.
~The rabbits will go to my younger brother's forest not too far from here, under the lead of my oldest daughter.~
Harry's head snapped up.
~But Cassandra!~ he exclaimed, forgetting that he was technically not allowed to just speak in front of the Council, as he was too young and not a leader. ~What about you? Aren't you coming with us?~
Then, he quickly clapped his hands in front of his mouth and looked around with wide eyes, but nobody had the heart to reprimand him. Cassandra smiled softly, and sadly, at Harry.
~No, my little Unicorn Child,~ she said quietly, using the nickname Harry had gained from the animals in his three-months stay. ~I will stay here. No, don't interrupt me! And don't try to convince me otherwise. I have made my decision.~
~But- but that means that you are going to die!~ Harry exclaimed, again not able to stop his tears. Cassandra sighed and brushed them away with a soft paw.
~Don't cry, Harry! Yes, I am going to die, together with this forest. Child, I have been around for many years, more than you can imagine. I am old, Harry, too old to be moving around now. This forest is my home, my existence. I belong to it, just as the old oak does. We will remain here, and wait for our time to come. And when it finally does, we will accept it. We have both lived a long and good life, and we are not afraid to die. But you, Harry, and your friends, you are young. Too young to die. And that is why you must go, and we must stay here.~
Harry choked on his tears and slung his arms around the old rabbit. He didn't, couldn't understand what she was telling him, but what he did know was that he would never see her again, and that knowledge hurt. Not much time later, Serenity nudged Harry gently in the shoulder.
~Come on, Harry,~ she whispered. ~We need to tell the others of the council's decision.~
Harry nodded and sniffed as he wiped his eyes. He whispered a final goodbye to Cassandra, then hoisted himself up onto Serenity's back, and off they were.
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It was a sad group of friends that had assembled this evening. Harry, Sammy the squirrel, Prince the wolf, Sayama the crow, Tayleen the fox, Cance the stag, Pegasus, Harry's unicorn friend, and many others had come.
~This sucks.~ Tayleen said angrily, kicking a pebble across the clearing with a front paw. ~Stupid humans. They always have to destroy everything.~
Harry ducked his head, feeling ashamed for being one of Tayleen's humans. Tayleen noticed that.
~Oh Harry! I'm sorry. I wasn't talking about you. You aren't even really human, right? You're one of us now!~
The others nodded in agreement. Harry smiled and hugged Tayleen.
~Thank you, Tay,~ he said softly, ~That really means a lot to me.~
~Well, at least Tay, Harry, Cance, Pegasus and I will stay close together,~ Prince remarked sadly. ~We will be able to visit each other.~
The young animals (and human) were silent for a while, each trying to think of something to say to lighten the mood, and each failing miserably. Their group of friends was being torn apart, and there was nothing they could do.
~Oh really! This is so stupid!~ Cance exclaimed suddenly, jumping to his feet angrily. The others just looked at him.
~I mean, why are we all so sad! True, they're separating us now, and it's unfair. But it doesn't have to be forever!~
~Cance, what are you talking about?~ Sammy wanted to know.
~It's simple!~ the young stag exclaimed. ~We'll just have to meet again when we are older! Sayama! You can fly. Let's say, in- five winters from now on, in the middle of the fifth winter, you and some of your bird friends contact all of us here and we'll meet! Do you think that you'll be able to find us?~
~I think so,~ Sayama said, excited at the prospect. ~Cance, that is brilliant! Alright, in five years, we'll all meet again.~
The animals nodded in determination.
~Let's make some kind of pact!~ Pegasus said excitedly.
~But how?~ Harry wanted to know.
~Simple,~ Pegasus declared. ~I need a drop of blood from each of you, then I'll seal the pact with the magic in my horn.~
The others liked the idea, and soon, Tayleen discovered a rather sharp stone. Harry gulped when it was his turn, but he didn't want to look like a coward, and he really wanted to be part of the pact, so he shut his eyes tightly and made a little cut on his finger. He quickly let a drop of blood fall onto the leaf that already had drops of the others' blood on it, and then stuck his finger into his mouth, trying to make it stop burning so badly.
When everyone had added their blood, Pegasus approached the leaf. She leaned down and gently touched her horn to the leaf. It glowed a brilliant, white colour briefly, and when Harry could see it again, the blood was gone. And the leaf had changed greatly.
Harry stared in awe at the now purely silver coloured leaf. Fine, golden lines marred its surface. It was one of the most beautiful things Harry had ever seen, it looked like a terribly expensive piece of jewellery.
~Well,~ Pegasus said matter-of-factly, ~One of you needs to take the leaf.~
~What?~
Pegasus sighed in exasperation.
~Listen,~ she said patiently, ~This leaf is now the symbol of our pact. Written in blood, and sealed with magic. One of us needs to take the leaf with them. In five years, when our meeting is due, we will all feel the presence of the leaf and will all be reminded of the pact. I can't take the leaf as I was the one who sealed it with magic. That means that one of you will have to.~
The others nodded.
~Harry, why don't you take it?~ Tayleen suggested. Harry jumped.
~Me?~
~Yes, you, Harry~ Prince said with a smile. ~It's the perfect solution. You can fasten the leaf to a cord or something and put it around your neck. It will be hidden and safe beneath your clothes.~
Harry wanted to protest, he felt a little scared by the trust his friends had in him, after all the Dursleys had never trusted him with an important task. But his other friends seemed to like the idea and were soon practically begging Harry to take the leaf. Harry felt intimidated, but happy none the less.
~I'll take it,~ he promised softly. Pegasus smiled happily.
~Great! Now let me find something to- ah! That will do!~ Pegasus plucked a rather frozen- and dry-looking blade of grass from the ground with her mouth, and in seconds it had morphed into a beautiful, thin, silver chain.
She handed- well, mouthed- the chain to Harry, who took it carefully. Gently, Harry put the stem of the leaf onto the thin chain, closed his little fist around it and willed the leaf with all his mind to attach itself to the chain. He scrunched up his face in concentration, blocking out all other sounds around him- and then felt a tingling sensation in his hand that told him that the magic had worked. Harry smiled in pure delight. Over the past three months with the unicorns, Harry had started to consciously use his magic for little tasks such as this one.
Harry put the chain around his neck and hid the beautiful leaf beneath his shirt.
~Amazing, Harry! Since when have you been able to-~ Sammy was interrupted by a soft voice behind them.
~Children, it is time. Say your goodbyes, and then go to your homes as quickly as possible. Your parents are all waiting for you.~
Rex watched with a heavy heart and terrible sadness as most of the young ones started to cry at his words. It broke his heart to rip this close group of friends apart, but it could not be helped. He turned away quickly, wanting to give them a little privacy.
~Well,~ Tayleen said sadly, ~I suppose that's it. At- at least we know that we'll meet again-~ Harry sniffed and brushed his tears away.
~Goodbye Sayama, Sammy,~ he whispered to the two that were sitting next to him. ~I'll miss you, you know?~
Sayama nipped Harry's finger gently.
~As will I, Harry,~ she whispered. Harry stroked her soft plumage, then Sayama fluttered away to say goodbye to Cance.
~Goodbye, Harry,~ Sammy whispered tearfully, ~I'll never forget how you saved my life. I can't wait to see you again, alright?~
Harry nodded and shook Sammy's tiny paw.
~Bye-bye, Sammy,~ he called sadly after the little squirrel. Then, he went to say goodbye to his other friends- apart from Tayleen, Prince, and Cance of course, who would be travelling with the unicorns for a long while.
Not much later, the four of them, and Pegasus, were the only ones left in the clearing. They looked at each other.
~Let's go then,~ Prince suggested finally. Harry, Pegasus, Tayleen and Cance nodded in agreement, and the five friends parted ways for the night.
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Serenity had not asked many questions when Harry had returned to the den late that night, she had simply motioned for Harry to lie down next to her, as he always did, and allowed him to cry as long as he wanted to, while nuzzling his face and whispering comforting words into Harry's ear.
Harry had fallen asleep quickly, physically and emotionally drained from the day.
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*Harry!* Harry moaned and turned over.
*Harry! You need to wake up! We are leaving in a minute!* Harry breathed in deeply and yawned. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and blinked. It was still dark.
*Serenity?* Harry asked confusedly.
*Yes, child?* she answered soothingly. Harry looked around for a while longer, but could hardly see his own hand in front of his face.
*Why are we leaving so early?*
*So the humans won't see us.*
*I thought they couldn't see a unicorn's horn,* Harry mumbled sleepily.
Serenity smiled in the darkness, though Harry could not see it.
*Of course they can't, silly,* she told her surrogate son affectionately, *but they will still be suspicious when they spot a large group of horses, stags, wolfs and foxes moving around together, don't you think?*
*Oh.* Harry yawned again, and slowly stumbled to his feet.
*Hold onto my mane, Harry, I will guide you to the starberry bushes.* Harry nodded and allowed the unicorn leader to show him the way. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but knew that he maybe wouldn't get a decent meal in a few days while they were travelling. So, he ate four starberries instead of his usual three.
Then, Serenity told him and the others that it was time to leave. Harry climbed onto her back and allowed himself to slowly be carried out of the den that had become his home. Just as they were about to step through the curtain of ivy separating the magical valley from the rest of the forest, the moon broke through the clouds above, casting his gentle light over the unicorns. Harry turned to look at the valley one last time. And jumped slightly.
*Serenity, look! The starberry bushes!* Serenity turned back. Indeed, as they were watching, the beautiful, red star-shaped berries Harry loved so much were starting to turn brown, then black, and then fall down. The leaves wilted, the branches dropped, the trunk was showing first signs of decay.
*When the last unicorns in this forest die or leave, the starberries will go with them,* Serenity whispered sadly. *The legend was true after all. Let's go, my little unicorn child, there is nothing left for us here.*
On the clearing in front of the Unicorn's den, many animals were waiting for them: Wolfs, stags and foxes.
~Ready to go?~ Rex, Arya and Crown had appeared in front of them. Serenity nodded.
~Very well, then,~ Rex said quietly, ~Let's go North and see where this journey takes us.~
Had some of the muggles of Little Whining, Surrey, looked out of their windows that night, they might have seen something that would have made them doubt their sanity: A procession of all kinds of animals, horses, stags, wolfs and foxes, who seemed to be conversing with each other and following a set path only they could see.
But the muggles were sleeping soundly in their beds, and the huge track of animal footprints, coming out of the forest and leading into the middle of a corn field, where they suddenly, apparently magically, disappeared, would forever remain a dark mystery in Little Whining's otherwise uneventful history.
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A/N: There! Longest chapter yet. Please review, and thanks to all the people who reviewed last time!
See ya!
Felinity
~*~
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!!! He belongs solely to the goddess of writing, in other words, Joanne K. Rowling. I do own the plot, the forest animals, the unicorns and..... um....... the old oak!!!
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"bla bla" = Human Speech
~bla bla~ = Language of all Forest Animals
*bla bla* = Unicorn Speech
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Chapter 4
The Ways of the Forest
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Harry had never felt this free in his life before and he was happy about his decision to leave the humans. After another five minutes of walking, Harry noticed a butterfly sitting on a flower in a small clearing and crouched down in front of it, watching it. He held out his finger and giggled happily when the butterfly sat down on it.
The peace of the moment was only disturbed when a shrill cry suddenly rang throughout the clearing. ~NOOOO!!!!!!! HELP!!!!~
Harry gasped and jumped up. Who had screamed? ~HELP ME!~ Harry was alarmed. Someone needed help! Without thinking any further, Harry began to run in the direction of the screams.
As he got closer to the source, he frantically tried to think of a way to help the poor animal in danger. What if it was being attacked by- a bear? Harry was only four years old after all and absolutely no match for such a strong animal!
Still, Harry sped up, feeling the inexplicable urge to help the one who needed it.
In no time, Harry reached a rather big clearing. A big crack went through the middle of it, and Harry realized with a jolt that the shouts were coming from there. Completely out of breath, Harry lay down on his stomach and cautiously crawled to the edge of the crack. He peered down and blanched.
The crack was very deep. Harry did not know exactly how deep, but guessed that it had to be almost fifty feet. And there, just a feet below Harry, a tree root stuck out of the earth. Dangling from it on only one paw, was a baby squirrel. It seemed to be rather weak already, and Harry noticed that its left hind leg was strangely twisted.
Upon seeing Harry, the squirrel stopped struggling and called,
~Help me! Please, get me out of here!~ The poor thing sounded quite desperate. Reaching down into the crack, Harry hoped that the little animal would not bite him.
~Hang on there,~ he said, ~I'll get you. Just don't struggle, ok?~
The poor creature nodded its head. Harry realized that its paws had begun to slip off the root. Quickly and gently he put his hand around the squirrel's body. To Harry's immense delight, it did not bite him, and it did not struggle either. Slowly and carefully, Harry lifted the squirrel out of the crack and gently laid it down onto the ground next to him.
The squirrel whimpered its thanks. Seeing how twisted the squirrel's hind leg still was, Harry realized that it was probably broken. Being only four years old, Harry had no idea what to do and began feeling utterly helpless.
To make it even worse, the baby squirrel started to cry for his parents. Harry could feel his lower lip starting to tremble.
~No,~ he whispered desperately, stroking the small squirrel, ~Please don't cry, I don't know what to do, please don't- ~
The squirrel's sobs were infectious, and all too soon Harry found himself trying to hold back his own tears.
"Help!" he called, not realizing that he was talking in human tongue again. "P-please, someone- help us!"
Harry listened, but the only sound he heard was the squirrel's sobs and his own sniffling.
~Rex!~ Harry called. Again, nothing happened.
*Serenity!* Was it his imagination, or had he heard the unicorn answer his desperate call in the distance? Harry held his breath. Yes! There it was again!
*Serenity! Help!* He could hear hooves thundering across the forest floor, coming closer and closer- until, finally, the unicorn burst through the bushes. Harry got up and stumbled towards her immediately, throwing his arms around her neck and trying to stop shaking.
Serenity watched worriedly as the small human cub attached himself to her neck. She nuzzled it gently with her soft nose and muttered nonsensical, soothing words into his ear. After a few minutes, Harry seemed to calm down and Serenity nudged him gently back towards the crack.
While Serenity had been comforting Harry, many animals had assembled. Apparently, all of them had heard the squirrel and Harry's cries of help. they had just taken quite long to get there. Harry noticed with relief that the baby squirrel was being comforted by its mother, who was also admonishing it for walking off into the forest on its own.
~Ahem.~
Harry turned around swiftly. Serenity had moved on to the animals and was talking to a fox. Behind Harry, there was another squirrel, bigger than the other two, a huge, dark-coloured owl, and the crow that had talked to Serenity earlier that very day. All of them were eyeing Harry strangely.
~Um, did you want to talk to me?~ Harry asked uncertainly.
The three animals exchanged surprised glances. Harry realized that they probably hadn't thought he would be able to understand them yet. The squirrel shook its head and hopped forward importantly.
~Yes. Human cub, the little squirrel you saved was one of my children. My name is Dandelion, and I am the elected representative of all squirrels in this forest. I have come to thank you for saving one of our number, as well as my son.~
Harry blinked in surprise. He remembered reading a book about politics in the Dursleys' house. It had been dreadfully boring, and he hadn't understood much of it, but it had been the only thing to do Harry could find. He thought he remembered what 'elected' and 'representative' meant. Realizing that the three animals in front of him were apparently waiting for an answer, he shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled happily at the squirrel 'representative'.
~You don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure to help.~ If there was one thing the Dursleys had taught Harry, it was that you always had to be polite.
The smile seemed to work, too, as the squirrel suddenly seemed to look a lot less stern.
~Yes, well, I had to thank you anyway- oh yes, these are Nocturn, lord of the owls, and Crawx, the speaker of the crows and ravens.~
Harry gave the two of them a brilliant, innocent smile.
~It's nice to meet you!~ The big owl nodded its head majestically and responded that it was a pleasure, while the crow just mumbled incoherently.
Before Harry could say anything else, something nudged him between his shoulder blades and he turned around again. It was Serenity. She nodded politely to Nocturn, Crawx and Dandelion, then nuzzled Harry's cheek.
*Come on, Harry, let's go home now.* Harry smiled and waved goodbye to the three animal leaders.
~Bye-bye Crawx, Nocturn, Dandelion, see you sometime!~ Then, he climbed onto Serenity's back and allowed his surrogate mother to carry him back to the unicorn's den.
*Harry,* Serenity asked, *May I ask how you learned the language of the forest so quickly?*
Harry frowned, trying to answer in unicorn language. *Tree me give-* Harry stopped. How did you say 'wish' in unicorn? But Serenity seemed to have understood anyway, because she stopped short and craned her neck around to face him.
*Tree? Do you mean, the old oak, Harry?* Harry shrugged. Then he nodded. There probably weren't too many talking trees in this forest.
*The old oak? It gave you the ability to speak the language of the forest?* Harry did not understand why Serenity was so shocked. Surely this was a normal thing that happened to loads of people- or animals? Harry nodded again. Serenity snorted excitedly.
*Harry, tell me exactly what happened, in forest language, it will be easier.*
Harry smiled and launched into a detailed and slightly chaotic explanation of what he had seen and what had happened to him after he had left Serenity. He often got sidetracked when his childish excitement got the better of him and Serenity had to stop him gently.
Finally, Harry had finished. Serenity nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
*Harry,* she said, *First of all, know that it is not at all normal for a living being to be granted a wish by the old oak. It is a rare occurrence, and a very great honour indeed. In fact, I don't think it has happened in a few centuries.*
Harry's eyes widened. A few centuries? That- that sounded like an awfully long time! Serenity smiled.
*Also, that was a very brave thing you did, running to help Dandelion's kid. Just try to be more careful in the future, it could have been dangerous, alright?*
Harry nodded, earnestly. Serenity smiled again.
*Good. Now that that's settled, let's go home. Hold on tight!*
And with that, the unicorn queen took of running. Harry squealed in laughter as he burrowed his hands in Serenity's beautiful mane. At that moment, he decided that he loved life in the forest. Everyone was nice to him, he was learning new languages, he was living with animals that shouldn't even exist in reality, and he felt more free than he ever had before. Yes, life was good for Harry Potter.
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Over the next two weeks, Serenity and the other unicorns took it upon themselves to teach Harry the ways of the forest. Harry got educated in recognising and 'reading' the forest animals' footprints, until he could tell whether the animal in question had been male, female, heavy, light, in a hurry or walking slowly. He could even tell quite well when they had been there.
He was also taught how to behave when meeting older and wiser forest animals. There was a strange and complex codex for such cases and a million others. It was lucky that Harry was a fast and eager learner, as well as quite patient for his age, or he would have given up after the first few days.
Rex, Arya (the queen of foxes), Dandelion (who had become Harry's friend after Harry had saved his child), Crown (the king of stags), Cassandra (the wise rabbit) and Nocturn were delighted to help with Harry's training.
Crawx was still a little cranky while talking to Harry, but Harry suspected that it was just the way he was. At least he wasn't insulting Harry anymore, and he did nothing to prevent Harry's friendship with Sayama, his youngest daughter. The two of them had met only a few days after Harry had met her father and had become great friends almost immediately.
Harry had, much to his surprise, found many friends in the forest. Sammy, the squirrel boy he had saved, and Sayama were only a few of them.
Harry's best friend in the forest, however, was Prince. He was Rex' oldest son and was about Harry's age. Prince would one time be the leader of the forest's wolfs and was raised as such. Harry had met Prince while playing in a small clearing near Rex' den. Prince had asked Harry what he was doing, and Harry had answered that he was playing 'Hide-n'-Seek' with his squirrel friend. Prince had immediately been intrigued, never having heard of that game before, and Harry had told him to play with them.
That had been the start of a great friendship. Not much later, the fox queen's daughter Tayleen had joined them, and Cance, Crown's son, and then more and more children of the forest had come.
Serenity once told Harry that Crawx hadn't wanted to include him in their society for fear that Harry might disrupt the peace of the forest animals. But Harry's presence seemed to do the contrary. All the animals' young ones were now friends with Harry and with each other.
In the beginning, the parents were frantic with worry and running around the forest each evening trying to collect their respective children for the night. After a few weeks, they had simply given up.
Whoever caught sight of some young animals in the evenings was to take them in for the night, no matter if they were their own or not. Young wolves and stags sleeping in an extended rabbit's hole soon became a common sight in the forest.
Had a muggle entered the forest and told everyone of the strange behaviour of the forest animals, or maybe even of the human child living in there, people would have shipped him off to the next mental hospital.
Had a wizard entered the forest and told everyone of the strange behaviour of the forest animals, or maybe even of the human child living there, people would have told him that there was no way non-magical animals would act like this and would have shipped him off to St. Mungo's insanity ward.
But no human, aside from Harry of course, ever entered the forest and disturbed the animals living in it. No one, that is to say, until three months later. It was now the end of January, the middle of a thankfully mild winter. Harry had adjusted wonderfully to the life in the forest and for the first time in years had found true friends and happiness. He was unaware that only a few hours later his entire world would collapse around him again, and he would be forced to run from those of his own kind. At the moment, Harry was fast asleep, but not for long.
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*Harry! Wake up!*
Harry groaned unwillingly and turned over.
Someone nudged him.
*Harry! You said you would come and play 'tag' with us!*
Harry groaned again and burrowed himself deeper into the soft grass that was his bed in the unicorn's den.
*Harry!!* Someone nudged him again and then began to lick his face. That woke Harry up.
*Pegasus! Stop that immediately!*
Pegasus ran away, giggling happily (if unicorns could giggle), and Harry sat up grumbling. Pegasus was one of his unicorn friends, about a year or so younger than Harry. That meant that while she had already turned silver (which happened with about two years), she didn't have a horn yet.
Sighing to himself, Harry got up and quickly walked over to the starberry bushes. He got himself three of the juicy berries, then proceeded to quickly eat them. He smiled as he remembered what Serenity had told him. The starberries would only be there as long as the unicorns. When the last unicorn in the forest died or left, the starberries would go with them.
*Harry! Are you coming or not?* Harry sighed and washed his sticky fingers in the nearby river.
*Just a sec!* he yelled, then looked around for Serenity. He spotted her near the entrance of the den talking to some older unicorns and quickly ran over.
*Serenity, me and Pegasus and Prince and Sammy and Sayama and Cance and Tayleen and the others are going into the forest to play, alright?*
Serenity smiled amusedly at her 'cub'.
*Of course, Harry. And it's Pegasus and me, not me and Pegasus.* Harry took off quickly.
*Whatever!* he called over his shoulder to the chuckling unicorn adults.
Harry met his friends on the edge of the clearing.
~Ready to go?~ Prince asked. Harry nodded, and they took off.
They played for almost four hours, moving farther and farther away from the unicorn's den. Harry didn't realize just how far until he suddenly heard a sound he hadn't heard in a few months. Voices. Human voices. And they were straight in front of him.
Harry's first reflex was to run, but it was already too late. The two men came around the hill Harry had been hiding behind. Gasping in shock, Harry quickly pressed himself to a tree trunk, his little heart thumping so loudly that Harry thought the two men must hear it.
"Do you have any idea why we have to do this now, in the middle of winter?" one of the men said, sounding annoyed. To Harry's absolute horror, he sat down on Harry's tree trunk and lit a cigarette. Harry whimpered quietly and tried to stay completely still so the men wouldn't hear him.
"What was that?" the man with the cigarette asked suspiciously.
"What are you talking about?" The other man, this one wearing a strange pair of brilliantly red trousers, said.
"There was a noise! It sounded like- a whimper," Cigarette said, looking around.
"You must have imagined it," said Red-trousers with a shrug, "or maybe it was the wind."
Cigarette nodded, not quite convinced.
"So, why do we have to do this in the middle of winter?"
Red-trousers shrugged and leaned against a tree.
"Don't ask me. Orders are orders. A pity, if you ask me. This is the biggest forest in this area."
Harry frowned in confusion, not being able to understand what the men were talking about.
Cigarette sighed.
"They could at least wait until it is warmer." Red-trousers nodded, and the two of them were silent for a while. There was a spider crawling over Harry's hand. He wanted to shake it away, but couldn't.
"Who do you reckon needs this much wood?" Cigarette asked, looking around in awe.
Harry grew more puzzled by the minute. Wood? They wanted wood?
"Dunno," Red-trousers answered with a shrug, "Don't ask me. I bet you there is some sort of corruption behind all this. I heard this forest is old, it has been around for centuries. Rightfully, nobody should be allowed to cut it down, and yet that's what we're supposed to do. But it's not our job to worry about law, we're just receiving orders. Well, we should get going. You know Warron said he wanted a full report by tonight so we can get started in a week."
Cigarette nodded and got up. Harry held his breath as the two men walked back on the way they had come. Then, Harry slowly sat up, feeling numb.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. They were going to cut down the forest, his forest, within the week! Harry's mind couldn't even begin to understand all the implications.
He jumped up and ran back into the forest. He didn't really know where he was going, blind panic making him oblivious to the branches snapping into his face and the alarmed shouts of the animals he passed.
~Harry!~ The commanding voice, older and wiser than the others, finally served to make Harry stop his pointless flight. He turned to see Cassandra, the wisest of rabbits, sitting on the way in front of him. Harry had met Cassandra a few times and really liked her. He crouched down in front of his friend, barely able to suppress tears of confusion and shock.
~Cassandra, I heard something so awful!~ he called and hugged the rabbit to him. Cassandra felt the small cub's need for comfort and allowed the trembling child a few minutes before she gently pulled back.
~Harry, can you tell me what has upset you so?~ Harry wiped his eyes and shakily relayed the conversation he had overheard to Cassandra. The wise old rabbit sighed and bowed her head in defeat when Harry was done.
~I feared that this might happen sometime,~ she said sadly, more to herself than to Harry. ~The humans cut down forests all over the country, and it was really only a matter of time until they would start on our forest. But I had hoped that it wouldn't be so soon..... I had hoped that we would have a few years-~ Cassandra shook her head.
~Harry, I am going to call in a meeting of the forest council. You will have to tell them what you told me right now, alright?~
Harry nodded, slightly nervous at talking in front of the most powerful animals of the forest. He watched with innocent fascination as Cassandra closed her eyes and seemingly concentrated deeply. He knew that she was contacting the other animal leaders via mind speech. Then, Cassandra motioned for Harry to follow her, and they took off toward the Old Oak at a slow pace. Cassandra, while she was still powerful and completely level- headed, was very old, and not the most healthy of animals.
As it was, it took them almost twenty minutes to reach the Oak Clearing, and by the time they arrived Harry was practically bouncing with impatience. The other animal leaders had arrived long before them, and after giving Serenity a quick hug, Harry nervously stepped into the circle. He listened in awe as the Old Oak spoke the traditional opening words for the meeting:
~Greetings to you, fellow leaders and kings. I hereby call the 1754th meeting of the forest council to order! Cassandra, wisest of the rabbits, please inform us why we are all assembled here.~
Cassandra slowly came over to Harry's side.
~Greetings, fellow leaders,~ she said, sounding more tired and old than Harry had ever heard her. Concerned, he petted her back a little. Cassandra smiled at him and nudged his hand gently, then turned back to the assembled (and now smiling) leaders.
~I am afraid that we are not here for a joyous occasion. In fact, I don't recall a meeting in the history of the Forest Council concerning a matter so grave.~
The smiles on the leaders' faces died down, and Harry, too, felt very sombre.
~Yes, my fellow leaders. The worst has happened. The humans have entered our forest and are now seeking to destroy it- within the week.~
Gasps were heard all around the clearing, and exclamations of outrage followed suit.
~This is unbelievable! We can't let this happen!~
~How can they destroy our forest! It is older than they are!~
~Our ancestors have lived in this forest for decades and centuries, and now they want to make it go away?~
~What about our children? This is their home!~
~What about US? Where will we go?~
~I always knew that the humans would only bring despair!~
~Why don't we attack them?~
~Yes, that's a good idea! That'll show them to mess with us-~
~SILENCE!~
The clearing was suddenly deathly still, and everyone watched in apprehension as the old oak shook with rage.
~You are behaving like seedlings who lose their leaves for the first time in fall!~
The animals looked down, feeling ashamed. Even Harry felt bad, even though he had not said anything. The old oak heaved a heavy sigh.
~Cassandra, please continue.~
The old rabbit sighed.
~Now, of course we cannot attack the humans. As all of you very well know, they are far more powerful than we are.~
~But there must be something we can do!~ Crawx interrupted angrily. Cassandra fixed him with a hard gaze.
~No, Crawx,~ she said firmly. ~There is nothing. Harry, please tell the council what you have overheard.~
Harry stepped forward nervously and quickly relied the two men's conversation. When he was done, Cassandra nodded grimly.
~What we are going to have to do fills me with sadness and grief unlike anything I have experienced before. As some of you pointed out, this forest is our home, and it has been for countless generations. Our forefathers will be turning in their graves when they see the terrible things that will happen to their home – to our home, to the home of out children.~ she paused for a moment, trying to regain control over her emotions. Harry had no such luck. He ran towards Serenity and buried his face in the unicorn's soft mane. Serenity licked his cheek softly, but Harry could clearly see that she was trying very hard not to cry as well.
~Now,~ Cassandra said roughly, ~the humans are going to destroy our home completely. Since there is nothing we can do, there is only one option left for us. We, or those of us strong enough, will have to find a new home.~
The animals bowed their heads in sadness. Serenity, however, spoke up.
~Finding a new home is easier said than done, Cassandra,~ she said quietly. ~Forests big enough to accommodate our number are very rare, especially when there are already animals in there. As sad as this makes me, we will need to split up. There is no way we will all find sanctuary in one forest, especially us unicorns. As you know, we can only live in forests completely untouched by humans. Where will we find another forest like that? Where will we find a forest magical and ancient enough to serve as our home?~
Silence reigned the clearing for a while. Then, the old oak spoke up.
~I understand your sorrow and worry, Serenity, leader of the unicorns. And your fear is reasonable. I feel that there are only two places on this island left with enough magic and purity necessary for the unicorns to live there.
~One of those places is Stonehenge, a many centuries old monument built by wizards. It is full of raw and pure magic, but unfortunately almost constantly swarmed by muggles, making a peaceful life there absolutely impossible.
~The second place, however, might be good enough. It is another forest, far more ancient and magical, but also more dangerous than this forest. Many beings live there, all of them magical. I know for sure that some unicorns live there as well. It is said that there is simply so much magic in the forest that non-magical beings could not survive there. There are other, darker animals in the forest, dangerous mostly to humans. I believe that it would be a suitable place for some of you to live.~
Cassandra was nodding slowly.
~Yes, I once heard legends about that forest. Serenity, you will have to lead your unicorns there.~
Serenity's ears twitched nervously.
~This is all nice and good. But how will I find the way?~
~Forgive me for intruding, but I believe that I know a way,~ Rex spoke up. ~I have a cousin who once told me of a forest like that, near the forest where he lives. From your description, Wise Oak, it must be the same forest. He once told me the way to his den, in case I wanted to visit. If that is alright with all of you, I could lead my pack and Serenity's unicorns to my cousin's forest, and he could take them onwards to their destination.~
Serenity contemplated this idea for a few moments, then nodded, slowly.
~Thank you, Rex,~ she said softly. ~That seems like a good idea to me.~
Cassandra nodded, satisfied.
~Good. Now that this is settled, where will the rest of you go? Arya?~
The fox queen paced for a little while.
~I have a sister, living quite far away. I think, it's not too far away from your cousin, Rex, so we might still be able to visit. Yes, I think I will take my group and family there.~ Cassandra nodded.
~Dandelion?~
The squirrel hopped forward.
~Actually, I think we will just move on to the next forests. Squirrels aren't very selective, you know. And I am sure the other squirrels will welcome us.~
Cassandra moved on.
~Nocturn?~
The owl ruffled its wings importantly.
~My wife's best friend lives in a forest not too far from here. It is nowhere near a city, very quiet area. I've heard that there are lots of rats and mice around to be caught-~
~Thank you, Nocturn,~ Cassandra interrupted quickly. ~What about you, Crown?~
The stag looked thoughtful.
~I don't really have anywhere to go. Rex, do you think it might be acceptable if we came with you to your cousin's forest?~
Rex looked thoughtful as well.
~I think that can be arranged, Crown. From what I have heard, it is a rather big forest.~
Cassandra nodded happily.
~Crawx?~
The crow shook its head.
~Never mind us crows and ravens,~ he told the rabbit. ~We will find a solution living in a nearby forest, or maybe even in town. Us birds aren't bound to forests.~
Cassandra nodded.
~Trillidge?~
The blackbird, speaker of the smaller birds of the forest, fluttered down from a low-hanging branch.
~What Crawx said, goes for us, too. Those of us who need a forest to live in will find sanctuary in the remaining forests in the area. The others can live in the humans' gardens, if need be.~
Cassandra smiled and nodded.
~Slyther?~
The snake slithered into the clearing.
~We will wander into the nexxxt foressssst together with Dandelion and his ssssquirrelssss. The ssssnakesssss there are on friendly termsssss with usssss and will accccept usssssss.~
Cassandra nodded again.
~The rabbits will go to my younger brother's forest not too far from here, under the lead of my oldest daughter.~
Harry's head snapped up.
~But Cassandra!~ he exclaimed, forgetting that he was technically not allowed to just speak in front of the Council, as he was too young and not a leader. ~What about you? Aren't you coming with us?~
Then, he quickly clapped his hands in front of his mouth and looked around with wide eyes, but nobody had the heart to reprimand him. Cassandra smiled softly, and sadly, at Harry.
~No, my little Unicorn Child,~ she said quietly, using the nickname Harry had gained from the animals in his three-months stay. ~I will stay here. No, don't interrupt me! And don't try to convince me otherwise. I have made my decision.~
~But- but that means that you are going to die!~ Harry exclaimed, again not able to stop his tears. Cassandra sighed and brushed them away with a soft paw.
~Don't cry, Harry! Yes, I am going to die, together with this forest. Child, I have been around for many years, more than you can imagine. I am old, Harry, too old to be moving around now. This forest is my home, my existence. I belong to it, just as the old oak does. We will remain here, and wait for our time to come. And when it finally does, we will accept it. We have both lived a long and good life, and we are not afraid to die. But you, Harry, and your friends, you are young. Too young to die. And that is why you must go, and we must stay here.~
Harry choked on his tears and slung his arms around the old rabbit. He didn't, couldn't understand what she was telling him, but what he did know was that he would never see her again, and that knowledge hurt. Not much time later, Serenity nudged Harry gently in the shoulder.
~Come on, Harry,~ she whispered. ~We need to tell the others of the council's decision.~
Harry nodded and sniffed as he wiped his eyes. He whispered a final goodbye to Cassandra, then hoisted himself up onto Serenity's back, and off they were.
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It was a sad group of friends that had assembled this evening. Harry, Sammy the squirrel, Prince the wolf, Sayama the crow, Tayleen the fox, Cance the stag, Pegasus, Harry's unicorn friend, and many others had come.
~This sucks.~ Tayleen said angrily, kicking a pebble across the clearing with a front paw. ~Stupid humans. They always have to destroy everything.~
Harry ducked his head, feeling ashamed for being one of Tayleen's humans. Tayleen noticed that.
~Oh Harry! I'm sorry. I wasn't talking about you. You aren't even really human, right? You're one of us now!~
The others nodded in agreement. Harry smiled and hugged Tayleen.
~Thank you, Tay,~ he said softly, ~That really means a lot to me.~
~Well, at least Tay, Harry, Cance, Pegasus and I will stay close together,~ Prince remarked sadly. ~We will be able to visit each other.~
The young animals (and human) were silent for a while, each trying to think of something to say to lighten the mood, and each failing miserably. Their group of friends was being torn apart, and there was nothing they could do.
~Oh really! This is so stupid!~ Cance exclaimed suddenly, jumping to his feet angrily. The others just looked at him.
~I mean, why are we all so sad! True, they're separating us now, and it's unfair. But it doesn't have to be forever!~
~Cance, what are you talking about?~ Sammy wanted to know.
~It's simple!~ the young stag exclaimed. ~We'll just have to meet again when we are older! Sayama! You can fly. Let's say, in- five winters from now on, in the middle of the fifth winter, you and some of your bird friends contact all of us here and we'll meet! Do you think that you'll be able to find us?~
~I think so,~ Sayama said, excited at the prospect. ~Cance, that is brilliant! Alright, in five years, we'll all meet again.~
The animals nodded in determination.
~Let's make some kind of pact!~ Pegasus said excitedly.
~But how?~ Harry wanted to know.
~Simple,~ Pegasus declared. ~I need a drop of blood from each of you, then I'll seal the pact with the magic in my horn.~
The others liked the idea, and soon, Tayleen discovered a rather sharp stone. Harry gulped when it was his turn, but he didn't want to look like a coward, and he really wanted to be part of the pact, so he shut his eyes tightly and made a little cut on his finger. He quickly let a drop of blood fall onto the leaf that already had drops of the others' blood on it, and then stuck his finger into his mouth, trying to make it stop burning so badly.
When everyone had added their blood, Pegasus approached the leaf. She leaned down and gently touched her horn to the leaf. It glowed a brilliant, white colour briefly, and when Harry could see it again, the blood was gone. And the leaf had changed greatly.
Harry stared in awe at the now purely silver coloured leaf. Fine, golden lines marred its surface. It was one of the most beautiful things Harry had ever seen, it looked like a terribly expensive piece of jewellery.
~Well,~ Pegasus said matter-of-factly, ~One of you needs to take the leaf.~
~What?~
Pegasus sighed in exasperation.
~Listen,~ she said patiently, ~This leaf is now the symbol of our pact. Written in blood, and sealed with magic. One of us needs to take the leaf with them. In five years, when our meeting is due, we will all feel the presence of the leaf and will all be reminded of the pact. I can't take the leaf as I was the one who sealed it with magic. That means that one of you will have to.~
The others nodded.
~Harry, why don't you take it?~ Tayleen suggested. Harry jumped.
~Me?~
~Yes, you, Harry~ Prince said with a smile. ~It's the perfect solution. You can fasten the leaf to a cord or something and put it around your neck. It will be hidden and safe beneath your clothes.~
Harry wanted to protest, he felt a little scared by the trust his friends had in him, after all the Dursleys had never trusted him with an important task. But his other friends seemed to like the idea and were soon practically begging Harry to take the leaf. Harry felt intimidated, but happy none the less.
~I'll take it,~ he promised softly. Pegasus smiled happily.
~Great! Now let me find something to- ah! That will do!~ Pegasus plucked a rather frozen- and dry-looking blade of grass from the ground with her mouth, and in seconds it had morphed into a beautiful, thin, silver chain.
She handed- well, mouthed- the chain to Harry, who took it carefully. Gently, Harry put the stem of the leaf onto the thin chain, closed his little fist around it and willed the leaf with all his mind to attach itself to the chain. He scrunched up his face in concentration, blocking out all other sounds around him- and then felt a tingling sensation in his hand that told him that the magic had worked. Harry smiled in pure delight. Over the past three months with the unicorns, Harry had started to consciously use his magic for little tasks such as this one.
Harry put the chain around his neck and hid the beautiful leaf beneath his shirt.
~Amazing, Harry! Since when have you been able to-~ Sammy was interrupted by a soft voice behind them.
~Children, it is time. Say your goodbyes, and then go to your homes as quickly as possible. Your parents are all waiting for you.~
Rex watched with a heavy heart and terrible sadness as most of the young ones started to cry at his words. It broke his heart to rip this close group of friends apart, but it could not be helped. He turned away quickly, wanting to give them a little privacy.
~Well,~ Tayleen said sadly, ~I suppose that's it. At- at least we know that we'll meet again-~ Harry sniffed and brushed his tears away.
~Goodbye Sayama, Sammy,~ he whispered to the two that were sitting next to him. ~I'll miss you, you know?~
Sayama nipped Harry's finger gently.
~As will I, Harry,~ she whispered. Harry stroked her soft plumage, then Sayama fluttered away to say goodbye to Cance.
~Goodbye, Harry,~ Sammy whispered tearfully, ~I'll never forget how you saved my life. I can't wait to see you again, alright?~
Harry nodded and shook Sammy's tiny paw.
~Bye-bye, Sammy,~ he called sadly after the little squirrel. Then, he went to say goodbye to his other friends- apart from Tayleen, Prince, and Cance of course, who would be travelling with the unicorns for a long while.
Not much later, the four of them, and Pegasus, were the only ones left in the clearing. They looked at each other.
~Let's go then,~ Prince suggested finally. Harry, Pegasus, Tayleen and Cance nodded in agreement, and the five friends parted ways for the night.
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Serenity had not asked many questions when Harry had returned to the den late that night, she had simply motioned for Harry to lie down next to her, as he always did, and allowed him to cry as long as he wanted to, while nuzzling his face and whispering comforting words into Harry's ear.
Harry had fallen asleep quickly, physically and emotionally drained from the day.
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*Harry!* Harry moaned and turned over.
*Harry! You need to wake up! We are leaving in a minute!* Harry breathed in deeply and yawned. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and blinked. It was still dark.
*Serenity?* Harry asked confusedly.
*Yes, child?* she answered soothingly. Harry looked around for a while longer, but could hardly see his own hand in front of his face.
*Why are we leaving so early?*
*So the humans won't see us.*
*I thought they couldn't see a unicorn's horn,* Harry mumbled sleepily.
Serenity smiled in the darkness, though Harry could not see it.
*Of course they can't, silly,* she told her surrogate son affectionately, *but they will still be suspicious when they spot a large group of horses, stags, wolfs and foxes moving around together, don't you think?*
*Oh.* Harry yawned again, and slowly stumbled to his feet.
*Hold onto my mane, Harry, I will guide you to the starberry bushes.* Harry nodded and allowed the unicorn leader to show him the way. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but knew that he maybe wouldn't get a decent meal in a few days while they were travelling. So, he ate four starberries instead of his usual three.
Then, Serenity told him and the others that it was time to leave. Harry climbed onto her back and allowed himself to slowly be carried out of the den that had become his home. Just as they were about to step through the curtain of ivy separating the magical valley from the rest of the forest, the moon broke through the clouds above, casting his gentle light over the unicorns. Harry turned to look at the valley one last time. And jumped slightly.
*Serenity, look! The starberry bushes!* Serenity turned back. Indeed, as they were watching, the beautiful, red star-shaped berries Harry loved so much were starting to turn brown, then black, and then fall down. The leaves wilted, the branches dropped, the trunk was showing first signs of decay.
*When the last unicorns in this forest die or leave, the starberries will go with them,* Serenity whispered sadly. *The legend was true after all. Let's go, my little unicorn child, there is nothing left for us here.*
On the clearing in front of the Unicorn's den, many animals were waiting for them: Wolfs, stags and foxes.
~Ready to go?~ Rex, Arya and Crown had appeared in front of them. Serenity nodded.
~Very well, then,~ Rex said quietly, ~Let's go North and see where this journey takes us.~
Had some of the muggles of Little Whining, Surrey, looked out of their windows that night, they might have seen something that would have made them doubt their sanity: A procession of all kinds of animals, horses, stags, wolfs and foxes, who seemed to be conversing with each other and following a set path only they could see.
But the muggles were sleeping soundly in their beds, and the huge track of animal footprints, coming out of the forest and leading into the middle of a corn field, where they suddenly, apparently magically, disappeared, would forever remain a dark mystery in Little Whining's otherwise uneventful history.
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A/N: There! Longest chapter yet. Please review, and thanks to all the people who reviewed last time!
See ya!
Felinity