Chapter One

1st Year : Detention In the Forbidden Forrest

An eerie blue night met Hermione, as she trudged through the thick fog that draped the floor of the Forbidden Forrest. She was serving detention, much to her dismay, with Hagrid. Hagrid had instructed the children to look for a wounded unicorn; she'd never seen a unicorn before, and she wondered if it was anything like the fairytale movies and books she'd seen as a kid.

Crisp leaves crunched underfoot, as Hagrid led her and Neville down a narrow path of barren trees. He had sent Harry and Malfoy in the opposite direction, hoping to cover more ground. Suddenly she heard the unmistakable voice of Harry in the distance: "HELP!"

Red sparks shot above the trees, and her heart raced as they began running in his direction. She gave no care to sharp branches or treacherous undergrowth, as she tore through the forest toward him. By the time she reached the clearing, her usually bushy hair was a frightful mess, and her robes were disheveled and torn. Before her stood a creature she'd never seen before; it was half-horse and half-man—a centaur, she realized— and Harry sat safely on its back. Her step faltered at the sight of him, and she swiped the back of her hand across a scrape on her cheek, leaving a faint smear of blood behind.

Breathing hard, she asked Harry, "Are you alright?"

He nodded as he dismounted the creature, and she felt a wave of relief crash over her.

There was a rustling behind her, and Hagrid suddenly appeared. Behind him was Neville, Malfoy, and Fang.

"Firenze," Hagrid greeted, "E'rything alright then?"

The creature, Firenze, shook his head solemnly. He recounted the story of the slain unicorn, and how he rescued Harry from the damnable being that feasted on it.

"It's in the clearing back there," he pointed. Turning to Harry, he said, "This is where I leave you."

Hagrid turned to the group, "Alright you lot, we need to go collect that unicorn."

Neville shook his head fearfully, as Malfoy cried, "You're trying to get us killed! I'll tell my father about this."

Hagrid grumbled, "Alright, you two take Fang an' head back. Harry, you go with 'em." Turning to her, he said, "Hermione, you'll help me with this unicorn."

They made their way through the dark, dense trees, to the clearing. Hermione gasped at the sight before her. She'd never seen anything so beautiful and tragic. The unicorn was a bright pearly white, with a glowing silver mane. The dark leaves of the forest floor were illuminated by its ethereal glow. Shimmering silver blood oozed around it, glinting in the bright moonlight.

"We need to get this thing out of 'ere. Dumbledore will be wantin' to have a look at it, ya see" Hagrid told her. He began digging around in his many coat pockets, "I got summat in here to help."

While Hagrid dug through his pockets, she crouched down near the unicorn to get a better look at it. The unicorn's blood was such a beautiful thing; it was brighter than any gemstone she'd ever seen. Without thinking, she reached her hand out to touch it. It was cold, and soft as silk. It was so captivating; she wanted to look at it forever. She stole a glance at Hagrid, who was still distracted.

Surely it wouldn't hurt to collect some, she thought, pulling a vial from her pocket. Mesmerized, she waved her wand, and watched as the silvery substance filled the glass.

"Ah, there's the devil," Hagrid exclaimed.

She quickly stored the vial in her pocket. Hagrid used his umbrella to enlarge a wooden, rolling cart. Hermione helped him load the unicorn on the cart, and they began their journey out of the forest.

7th Year Summer

The Burrow was lively, as guests began to arrive for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Inside, Hermione was preparing for the worst.

She stole a second glance into her beaded bag. She had packed potions and books and all the camping supplies she could possibly think of. She wasn't sure when they would leave, but she knew she had to be ready.

Inside the bag, a glint of silver caught her eye. It was the unicorn blood she'd collected so many years before.

She recalled how she'd gone to the library almost immediately after that night. She was fascinated, and wanted to know more about unicorns. It was only after she'd done research that she realized the magnitude of what she'd done.

She read slaying a unicorn would cause someone to be cursed to live a half-life. She remembered fearing if she'd be cursed, but reasoning that she wouldn't be, since she didn't slay the unicorn. Nevertheless, she vowed to treat the unicorn blood with respect and caution.

Even now, looking in her beaded bag, she knew it was a risk, but it was also security. Unicorn blood had incredible healing properties, and could bring someone back from the brink of death. She knew magic was often about intent, and she prayed if she had to use the unicorn blood, it would curse her instead of the dying recipient. Unfortunately, there was very little study done on unicorn blood, so she was merely speculating. Due to the lack of research on the subject, it was possible unicorn blood had properties that nobody knew about.

She wrapped the vial of unicorn blood in a soft cloth, and stored it away in a safe place. She vowed to only use the unicorn blood to save another's life, and only as a last resort.

Battle of Hogwarts

The war was won, but the Great Hall was a somber sight to behold. The dead and the dying littered every stone of the floor. Families mourned their losses, and quiet sniffles and sobs filled the air. Beside her, Ron cried into his father's shoulder. Looking before her, Fred lay lifeless on the stone. She fought back tears as she stepped away, giving privacy to his family. It was a sight too devastating for Hermione to bear, so she ventured out onto the grounds.

She felt a sense of unreality, looking around Hogwarts. Stone from the castle had been blasted into a thousand tiny pieces, covering the courtyard. Her eyes traveled across the hills in the distance, where the enemy stood just hours before. The quidditch field had been burned black, and the bridges that connected the castle towers had been destroyed. Even the Black Lake looked somber in the aftermath of the fight.

She finally rested her eyes on the boathouse, and Hermione's heart ached. Professor Snape was such a brave man to work as a double agent. He was ridiculed for years, never trusted by anyone, and in his final moments, he gave Harry the key to win the war. He made the ultimate sacrifice, and nobody knew. His body was alone in the boathouse, forgotten about and missed by nobody. She couldn't stand the dishonor, and decided she would collect his remains and share his bravery with others.

She arrived in the boathouse, and the wooden deck creaked gently beneath her steps. Her eyes caught the blood spattered on the wall, and she winced as she remembered Snape's horrible death. He was slumped over in the corner, with blood still trickling from his wounds.

Just as she was about to levitate his body to bring back to the castle, she heard an unmistakable rattling breath escape his lips. Heart racing, she dropped to her knees beside him.

"Professor Snape?" she asked, looking rapidly for signs of life.

She placed two fingers to his neck, and found a thready pulse there.

"Oh Merlin," she breathed, thinking quickly. She cast a quick clotting charm, to close up his bleeding wounds. That was the extent of her healing abilities, but she reckoned she could take him back to Madame Pomphrey for further treatment.

She levitated his body and brought him to the Great Hall as quickly as she could. She supposed if most people in there weren't already grieving so heavily, they may have protested. After all, nobody but her and Harry knew the truth about Professor Snape, and what he did to help win the war.

She lowered his body to an empty cot, and began looking around urgently for Madame Pomphrey. She finally found her in the large crowd, and got to her side as quickly as possible.

"Madame Pomphrey, please, I need your help," She started, but was cut off by the busy witch.

"Everyone needs help dear, look around you, we are trying to get more healers here as soon as possible."

Hermione paused, looking to see that Madame Pomphrey was elbow-deep in blood, trying to revive an unconscious child.

"Right," she whispered, realizing Snape likely wasn't going to be high on the list of people to heal first.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She clutched her beaded bag and walked back to Snape's side. Hermione knelt beside him, and conjured the vial of unicorn blood from her beaded bag. The silvery substance glowed in the light of the great hall, and she opened it carefully.

She remembered all her research about the intent of magic- about how the cruciatus only worked if the caster filled their spell with hatred, and how the patronus charm was made stronger by happiness. She knew there was more to magic than action—you had to pour your emotions into it.

Holding the vial of unicorn blood between them, she begged, "Let this gift not be wasted. Let this gift not cause curse or harm. Let this bring life and love and happiness to a man who deserves a second chance."

Tilting his head back, she gently poured the silvery substance into his mouth.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a bright white light began shining out of nowhere, blinding her vision. Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation engulf her body. Her skin began to prickle and burn, and she cried out in pain but heard no sound. She felt like she was drowning, like she was choking on air.

I'm cursed, she thought, just as her world went black.