Two unicorns were galloping down a London street late at night—a mother and a foal. The Muggles did not see them, though they looked right at them. The ones up this late were exhausted from a lack of sleep. A couple of them were smoking, and whatever they were smoking pulled them from the sight of real life.

When the mare stopped, she sniffed the air. They were near the Forbidden Forest. Her foal trusted her to lead them to safety, especially after his father had died being slain for his silver blood.

The mother had the sense there was something…evil…within the walls of the school. But she needed somewhere to stay. She was exhausted from running.

A thestral came, walking its bony black form up to the unicorn mare. It let out a welcoming whinny that made the mare close her eyes in relief.

When she opened her blue eyes, she nudged her energetic foal into the woods. The unicorn foal did not want to go inside. The trees were too close together. The moon not quite visible in the silvered shadows.

The foal gave his mother a look from beneath his long, equine lashes. A look that plainly said, "Do I have to?" He didn't mind the thestral, but the thought of meeting some unforeseen meat-eater who'd happily dine on their blood made his hackles quiver.

She nudged him forward then turned trusting eyes upon the thestral. The thestral was an old friend of hers. One she hadn't seen in years. She knew he would do his best to protect her.

Unfortunately, they had to run even more. She followed the thestral through the slight gaps in trees, blindly trusting that he knew the way.

Although the colt followed more reluctantly and warily, he knew if he didn't keep up, he'd lose his mother…and probably get eaten by a wild bear or something. It was this thought that made him hurry.

An owl flew overhead, carrying a package tied to its foot. A giant rodent scurried under the foal's feet. He reared and tried to run faster. Tried to find room in the trees that enabled him to run beside the thestral.

A centaur blocked the thestral's path. "We do not need foreigners. The stars have aligned. They tell us dangerous times are ahead."

The thestral gave the centaur a withering glance, which caused the centaur to sigh.

"Alright, fine. You have no respect for the forest. If you bring trouble to us, remember my warning. Let no one claim that I did not try to interfere. That I did not try to halt this dangerous happenstance. For unicorn blood is not only nurturing—it is evilly sought after.

"That evil in the castle? It will want the unicorn."

The thestral led the mare and her foal on and on.

At last, blindly stumbling into a clearing, the foal saw a circle of adult thestrals guarding some younger ones.

They allowed the three to enter the enclosure. At the heart of it, zoomed three thestral foals, flapping their wings and tossing water on each other.

The unicorn foal raced to join them, and a fourth, shy thestral did as well. Tentatively blowing its nostrils on the unicorn foal's rump and swaggering its head goofily.

The unicorn colt forgot his troubles in midst of the playful fun. And the mare dropped her head to her chest, dosing at last.