Harry focused his magic the best he could only for nothing to happen. Meanwhile, the Witch lectured him. "No! You need to feel it!"
"I'm trying!" Harry retorted.
"No, you're not you insolent child!"
Harry's friends waited inside the witch's hut, having traveled with Harry to the witches forest once again for his training.
Alicia pouted as she watched Harry struggle. "I don't understand why Grandma is being so hard on him. I can't change into anything and she doesn't react that way with me!"
Moomin watched his brother from the window with a frown. "Maybe it's because you're here Granddaughter?"
Alicia sighed, "Maybe."
Snufkin joined in, as he fiddled with the stove fire. "Perhaps he's nervous with all of you staring at him?"
Everyone winced, Snorkmaiden looking concerned, "I never thought of that...Maybe we should get away from the window and let Harry try without an audience?"
"Good idea," Moomin replied.
Meanwhile, Harry let out a frustrated groan as he stomped his foot. "I don't understand! Every other spell came easy enough for me so why is this so hard?! Why can't I change into a bird or fox or snake or-"
The witch held up her cane, "Stop right there. THAT is your problem, child. You're already focusing on what you want to change into instead of letting it simply happen."
Harry eyed her warily. "So...What should I do?"
"Let it happen instead. Just feel the magic coursing through you, close your eyes and let it run its path. I can tell you have the ability of transformation in you. You just have to allow it to happen."
Harry gave a skeptical look before closing his eyes with a deep breath. His magic swirled around himself, bright glittering blue and shimmering lights as he boosted his energy more and more. Edging it on as he let his mind drift... It drifted to Snorkmaiden.
He felt a tingling sensation over his body. His eyebrows furrowed as his magic strained. He felt...Funny. Like his body was clay and if moved in ways he wasn't sure if possible. He let out a groan as he felt his form shift.
He heard noises in the background but couldn't make out what was happening.
All his friends rushed out of the cottage. Alicia ran to her Grandmother. "Grandma! What is happening?! We saw all this magic light and-" The witch held up her hand. "Silence child. Let the boy do what needs to be done."
All his friends watched in concern as Harry's form was covered in his magic, obscuring him from them. They heard him let out a groan from the blue light. "Harry!" Snorkmaiden went to rush to him but Snufkin held her back. "Wait a minute." He urged as the light dissipated.
They watched with wide eyes as the light faded completely to reveal a bulky form. The form was shorter, the same height as Moomin and Snorkmaiden. It had blue fur that seemed to shift color as he struggled. A tuft of thick black hair adorned his more bulbous head. His entire form shifted into something bizarre but familiar.
Everyone gasped as he turned around. A stranger stood before them. Little My instantly bristled. "Hey, witch! What did you do with Harry?! And who is this creep?!" She fumed.
The Snork looked at them oddly before grinning. "It worked!" He said, his voice unchanged.
The witch smiled in approval. "Ah, I knew you had the ability. Congratulations."
His friends stepped forward in shock. Moomin tilted his head. "Where is my brother?"
The dark-haired Snork grinned. "You dummy, I AM your brother!... But...What am I? Am I like that creature you turned into when we played with Hobgoblin's hat?" He lost his grin as he turned his new furry hands in front of him in confusion. His fur turning a bit green in worry and fear.
Moomin shook his head at the awful memory. "Gosh no. You look…"
Snorkmaiden gazed at him with sparkling eyes. The lightning bolt mark and round glasses on the Snork, his hair, and his voice. She had no doubt he was right.
"Harry?... You're...You're me. " She felt a smile brightened her face in amazement. "You're a Snork!" She raced to him, wrapping her chubby arms around him. He grabbed her as his fur turned pink. "I am?... I am!" He declared with a smile.
Little My, Moomin, Sniff, and Snufkin stared in shock. "No way!" Sniff muttered as he rubbed his eyes, making sure he was seeing correctly.
Harry hugged Snorkmaiden in his new form as it faded. Soon, human Harry stood in the Snork's place. Snorkmaiden's face fell as Harry soon realized as well that something happened. He looked down in disappointment. "Hey...What happened?"
The witch chuckled, "I'm afraid you'll need a bit more training to maintain it. Maybe even be able to transform into other wondrous things...Some ugly things too." The witch cackled.
Harry looked disappointed but Snorkmaiden shyly kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, Harry. I like you no matter what form you're in." He smiled at her as they parted.
"I think we should head home soon. Mama and Pappa were worried the last time we stayed here as late as we did." Moomin muttered. Before he laughed, "Wait till they see what you can do Harry!"
The witch waved as they agreed and started walking home. She called after them. "Make sure to practice whenever you can. You'll be able to transform at will and for long periods of time if you do so!"
Alicia instantly badgered her Grandma the moment Harry and his friends were walking away. "Grandma! When can I learn that?!"
The witch replied as she walked inside, "Never. You weren't born with the ability."
Alicia whined in response to the news.
Once home, with dinner in their bellies, Snorkmaiden and Harry took a walk away from everyone else. They sat on a stump in the field. Harry eagerly changed into his Snork form, even just for a few moments.
"Snorks change color. When I'm happy, I change into the most precious shade of pink!"
"Why am I blue?" Harry mused as he looked down at his hands. Snorkmaiden giggled, "I love your fur! My brother has a similar shade. He has a more purple tint thought. Your fur almost matches your human eyes."
Harry looked back at his swishing tail. "It's going to take a while to get used to this…"
Snorkmaiden smiled as her tail intertwined with his. They both blushed as their furs turned pink. Harry's pink hue having a cool tint while Snorkmaidens was warm.
They both sat there, enjoying the night. Even when Harry shifted back to human, snuggling up against each other.
Moominmama gazed at them from her porch with a smile as Moominpappa entertained the other children with one of his riveting tales in the parlor.
Harry trained with Hobgoblin, the Witch and even learned a thing or two from the strange book Moominmama had on medicine. By the time a few years passed, he had become a full-fledged magician or wizard. He preferred the term magician as it reminded him of his teacher. He was able to do so many things with no words, just herbs or the wave of his hand.
Harry was able to change his form into many things by his 17th year. But his favorite was his regular form or his Snork form. He changed it according to his mood. It was nothing for the Moomin's to wake up each day with a different form from Harry. His family didn't care what form he chose, he was still Harry regardless.
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Many seasons passed as the years ticked by in Moomin Valley. Before long, the kids were almost grown adults. Endless days of hiding and seek and nights of catching fireflies dwindled as they all grew older.
However, for old time's sake, they decided today would be different.
"Oh, would you hold still!" Snorkmaiden stomped her foot as her eyes searched the yard.
"Is that all you've got?" Harry teased as he twirled her tail in his hand, sneaking up behind her using a bit of his magic. She gasped and bristled, turning around to catch him in his Snork form. Only for the trickster to duck and get away from her again.
"You are awful! I swear, a grown man and still acting so childish!" She exclaimed in frustration as her water balloon wobbled in her hand.
"Would it be childish if the shoe were on the other foot?" He smirked as he produced his own water balloon. Before he could land a hit, he let out a yelp as cold water rained down on him. His form jittered before he reverted back to human.
He sputtered water out of his face and moved his soaked hair from his eyes as he looked up. He saw Little My sitting on the porch roof, an empty bucket in hand.
"You looked thirsty down there with all that gloating. All that powerful magic and you still didn't see that coming!" She quipped as she swung her booted leg to and fro.
Everyone burst out in laughter as Harry let out an astonished laugh of his own. With soaked clothes and hair, he put his hands on his hips and grinned up at her in disbelief.
"Do you EVER get tired of being the most dreadful person in Moomin Valley?!" He laughed out. Little My grinned as she threw the empty bucket at him. Harry narrowly dodged it as she retorted, "Nah, but being the most intelligent does get tiresome sometimes." She jumped from the gutter and shimmered her way down.
She was still relatively small even as a grown woman but was a bit taller than she was as a child. "Don't worry magic man, my ship will be sailing soon enough. Oh, what will Moomin Valley do without me?"
"Prosper, be at peace, be merry-" Harry counted them off on his fingers.
"Oh admit it, Harry! She got you good! Haha, you should have seen your face!" Sniff barked with nasal laughter, clutching his stomach and pointing. He looked the same as he did as a child. A bit taller and a bit more round, but still practically the same as his childhood form.
Harry rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "FINE! She played a rotten trick and got me!"
Little My huffed, "Well if you weren't so impulsively stupid, you would have seen me."
Moomin chuckled, "He was too busy being full of it!" Moomin stood at the same height as Harry. He looked like their Pappa in a way but sounded like a male version of Moominmama, his voice was deep but soft.
Snorkmaiden giggled as she looped her arm through Harry's, avoiding getting her fur wet. "Oh, lay off of him!... He was sadly winning whether we like it or not." She teased as she kissed his cheek, he smirked at her. He was only an inch or two apart in height from her. Snorkmaiden looked the same, just a bit older and more feminine. Still wearing that gold bangle on her ankle with a blond tuft of hair on her head.
Suddenly, Moominpappa looked out his window, "Are you kids honestly throwing water balloons?! The leaves are falling outside!"
Moomin and Harry grinned at one another before yelling back in unison, "Would you rather us use mud?!" All the older teens laughed at their heckling. Moominpappa glared down at them.
"Hey! Don't you two get smart with me! If you insist on being fools, then do it somewhere AWAY from my study window!" He snapped. The 'kids' all sighed and muttered around each other as the walked away.
"Alright, alright, we're going! Sorry, Pappa!" Harry yelled, waving back behind him.
Little My whispered to a chuckling Sniff, "How long is he going to work on that book?"
Moominpappa grumbled to himself as he shut the window. "Crazy kids...Wait till they all get sick!"
The group walked away, Harry shivering.
"Harry, I think you forget you don't have fur sweetie." Snorkmaiden elbowed him as he gave her a sheepish smile.
"Y-yeah...Kind of. I can't switch to my Snork form if I'm s-s-shivering." He admitted.
"Don't worry, I see Snufkin has a fire at his camp!" Moomin excitedly gestured over the horizon, seeing smoke rise.
"Boy, I hope he caught something good to eat. I'm starving!" Sniff muttered as he rubbed his round belly. Little My hummed "I guess. I'll be eating my weight in fish soon."
"Are you a sailor? Or are you doing other things?" Sniff asked to which Little My shrugged. "Hey, Snufkin can't be the only one doing crimes."
"Little My! Being a pirate is not respectable at all!" Snorkmaiden admonished. Little My rolled her eyes, "We're not pirates...We're traders. Although pirate does sound better." She muttered. Snorkmaiden shook her head.
Little My continued, "Look. I find treasures on islands and foreign lands and sell them. Might have a few sword fights once in a while. But hey, stuff happens." Little My shrugged with a smirk.
Snorkmaiden sighed, "Adventures like that seemed glorious as a child but now I simply want a quaint and peaceful life."
"R-really?" Harry asked with a smile.
Little My rolled her eyes, "Lame."
Soon, they made it to Snufkin's camp. The lanky man sprawled out like a cat as he soaked in the fire's heat. He had a small patch of hair on his chin but wore relatively the same clothes he always did. His voice was the same calming tone.
"Hey there." He casually said as the group came closer.
"What are you cooking?! It smells amazing!" Sniff mused, his mouth-watering. Little My plopped down near the fire, helping herself to the fish on a skewer.
"Help yourselves, I have more." Snufkin mused with a lazy smile. It was almost impossible to tell if he was happy, being sarcastic or passive-aggressive. Either way, he didn't seem bothered as he skewered another fish to put over the fire.
The group sat around the fire to talk and gab the evening away. Harry started getting warm as his clothes dried.
"Why were your clothes wet anyways?" Snufkin asked. Harry replied, "We had a water balloon fight. We were just talking about how we don't seem to get to hang out like we used to and thought 'why not?'."
Snufkin huffed in amusement, "In this weather? And more importantly, you didn't invite me?" He mockingly jeered. Moomin replied, "Well, we couldn't find you or we would have!"
The group continued talking as Harry felt in his pocket. He nervously ran his hands against the object as he looked at Snorkmaiden. The firelight looked gorgeous against her warm fur and brown eyes.
"Hey, can I steal you away from the fire for a while?" He inquired. She looked surprised as she nodded and followed him away. He led her to a clearing where the full moon was bright in the night sky.
"Why are we out here? Even I'm a bit cold away from that fire. You gotta remember that in your human form you get cold more easily!" She chastised as she rubbed her round fluffy arms. Harry nervously cleared his throat.
'You can do this. You rehearsed this. You can do it!' He thought as he took her hands in his own. He already felt a lump in his throat and light-headed as he looked at her.
"Snorkmaiden. We've been together for the last 6 years now…"
She looked concerned, "Yes, what about it?" She softly mumbled. He let out a deep breath and continued.
"Well...It's just…I uh…"
Snorkmaiden looked scared and upset, her fur green under the moonlight. "Are you...Breaking up with me?!" Harry blinked in wide-eyed surprise. "What? No!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him.
"Then… What is it?"
"Snorkmaiden. I've loved you for a very long time. You're one of my best friends and I've never had feelings for anyone else…"
He got on one knee and Snorkmaiden let out a gasp. He pulled out a small wooden box and opened it. A ruby that seemed to change colors with every reflection of the moons shining light. It adorned a thick gold band big enough to support the decent-sized rock.
"Will you marry me?"
Snorkmaiden was speechless as her eyes glimmered against the ruby's light. "Oh, Harry...Yes! Yes, of course!"
Harry jumped up with glee as he embraced her. He pulled away to slip the breathtaking ring on her finger.
"I've never seen a more beautiful ring...Where in Moomin Valley did you possibly get it?" She sniffled away happy tears. Harry smiled, his own happy tears threatening to spill.
"Well, when Hobgoblin found the Kings Ruby with ThingaMe and Bob and they wished him one as well, he was generous enough to let me have a small sample from it. I kept it all these years just for this."
"You kept it since we were kids? Oh, Harry…" She whimpered as she hugged him once more. "That's so incredibly sweet of you. It's like a fairytale."
"Well, I wanted you to have a fairytale," Harry replied as they parted. Snorkmaiden held the ring in the light before tackling Harry in a fierce kiss. They pulled away laughing, his face pink as well as her fur.
"I can't wait to spend my life with you...I love you." He whispered as he kissed her again.
"I love you too." She whispered back.