Chapter 20:

"But why did you stop dead in your tracks Tonks? You gotta tell us!" You may say.

Well dear readers . . . I don't know how to explain it.

There, in front of me was an unbelievable scene. A large and magnificent kelpie was in the middle of pulling a young unicorn into the depths of a murky pond. Its seaweed-like tendrils were wrapped around the unicorn's body, its teeth were clamped deep into one of its hind legs. The unicorn fought frantically against the kelpie's grip, but to no avail. The kelpie was winning, and slowly pulling it deeper into the water.

Not that its uncommon to find kelpies and unicorns in an English forest. They were native to Britain after all. But to find a kelpie attacking an innocent unicorn? Less common . . .

Kelpies were water demons that usually appeared in the form of a horse. They preferred human flesh and would usually lure unknowing muggles into climbing onto their backs. If the human complied, the kelpie would pull them under water and eat them. But predators never attacked unicorns. Their blood was toxic to them in a less subtle way than it was for humans. This kelpie must have been so desperate for food it had ignored all its instincts . . .

"Get away from it!" I yelled and ran towards them. I sent a stinging hex at the kelpie's head and hit it right between the eyes. The kelpie released its bite around the unicorn's leg and looked up at me with an angry roar. It stopped moving deeper into the water, but it didn't release the grip around the poor foal.

"Get off it!" I yelled again and sent another stinging hex. At this point the unicorn fought even harder to get loose from its attacker's grip, but the kelpie was too strong.

"Why are you attacking a unicorn!? You know its poisonous to you!" I asked the kelpie in the hopes of distracting it. It ignored my question and roared at me a bit more. Could I not see that it was in the middle of dinner?

Not wanting to think about which target would be next if I freed the unicorn, I sent another stinging hex. Frustratingly enough my spells didn't seem to do much damage. I was merely a nuisance to the kelpie. I wrecked my brain to remember how to deal with kelpies. If I remembered correctly, there was a failsafe way to defeat them, but I couldn't remember what it was at the moment . . .

While I continued to fire stinging hexes, I got more and more frustrated with myself. Why could I not remember something so important!? I got an "O" at my Defence against the dark arts Newts for Merlins sake!

The kelpie had started to ignore me. It began to slowly pull the unicorn into the water again. I locked eyes with the youngling, who had a strangely apologetic look on its face. It looked like it had come to terms with its fate and prepared itself to be eaten. "I'm sorry!" I called, still trying to remember what I had learned about kelpies. In school we had always been taught that unicorns looked like white horses, but that was not entirely true. Their faces were thinner, their eyes larger, and they were smaller than horses. Not like the size of this kelpie, or like Goddart's horse Mattheus who - . . .

I looked up at the kelpie with new determination. Finally remembered how to defeat it. Now I could clearly hear the voice of the defence against the dark arts professor from my third year at Hogwarts. 'A kelpie could most easily be rendered harmless by using a placement charm to put a bridle upon its head'. I summoned a bridle with my wand and quickly used a placement charm upon the kelpie's head. The kelpie roared again, this time with real fury. It finally released its poor prey and thrashed to get out of my makeshift binds. The poor unicorn shot out of the kelpie's grip and out of sight. It was clearly limping on its bitten leg.

I was glad the unicorn was safe, but I couldn't look after it. I had more pressing matters at hand. A furious kelpie was even more dangerous than a hungry one. As long as I held my focus and kept my grip on the rope I had attached to the bridle, I would be fine.

But if I lost my grip, even for a second . . .

Still thrashing, the kelpie started to move in my direction with murderous intention. I held onto the rope like a lifeline and met its gaze stubbornly. I was about to pull away to avoid a tendril that reached for me slowly when the kelpie begrudgingly stilled.

I breathed out in relief when it bowed its head in defeat.

"Leave" I ordered before I deliberately released the rope. With another murderous look, the kelpie was forced to listen to my request. It slowly slid back beneath the murky waters and disappeared.

I let out another breath of relief. That was a close call. I didn't move before I was completely sure the kelpie would stay away. After a minute of weary silence, I heard a rustle behind me and startled violently. When I turned I found the little unicorn right behind me.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked. "You're free now, you didn't need to stay."

The unicorn only looked at me with its large and innocent eyes. That was when I remembered the large bite on its hind leg, and the many bruises and cuts across its body. Its golden fur was covered in the shimmery silver substance that was unicorn blood, and it stared at me with pitiful eyes. "Merlin, look at you. Let me see that." I said soothingly and knelt next to its damaged leg. "How did you get yourself into this mess, eh?"

The unicorn gave me a glare as if to say; 'It wasn't exactly my intention to be attacked by a giant lake-monster . . .'

"Oi, don't look at me like that" I said while I tried to assess the wound on its leg. "If I hadn't appeared when I did, you would have been kelpie meat." This earned me another glare from the unicorn. The look in its face reminded me of Severus . . . Speaking of Severus, why had had he not come running after all the ruckus I made? Had I really strolled so far away from him he couldn't hear me? I wanted to go and look for him, but I seemed to have more pressing matters at hand. The unicorn (who I quickly realised was a female) made a pitiful sound to regain my full attention. I sighed and decided to leave Severus to it for a bit longer.

"My healing spells are not that great." I informed the young unicorn for no other reason than to keep it calm. I had noticed how professor Kettleburn always talked to the animals he was caring for in soft and soothing voices. Especially when he used magic to heal them. He had always been clear in Care of magical creatures that if you could avoid using magic to heal an animal, you should. Human magic stressed them and could more than often make them run away before you finished. I took a leaf out of Kettleburn's book and continued speaking nonsense to the unicorn while I worked.

Luckily the young unicorn seemed unfazed by the fact that I was currently male. Most adult unicorns were weary of male humans especially, but the young ones were more trusting and less shy around strangers. This one stood completely still while I worked on her, only flinching now and then if I touched a particularly sore spot.

Her hind leg was not badly damaged, but it was bleeding heavily. When I was done healing it up, my hands were covered in the silver substance that was unicorn blood. I quickly dried it off on the moss on the forest floor, hoping the substance wouldn't seep into my skin somehow. I had heard stories of how unicorn blood affected humans. It was true it could keep you alive, even forever if you wanted, but the life you had after drinking it was supposed to be worse than death. I had heard stories of curses, extreme mental strain, depression, and madness. Most people who tried to drink unicorn blood eventually ended up killing themselves.

The unicorn looked grateful for my help until straightened to have a look at her less serious injuries around her neck and body. When I put my left hand on her neck, she reeled away from me with a sudden shriek. I startled violently and looked around to see if the kelpie had decided to come back after all, but the surrounding area was devoid of murderous water beasts. When I looked back at her I realised it was me she was looking at . . .

"What? What is it?" I asked in complete confusion. "What are you glaring at me for?"

Suddenly, and rather shockingly, I experienced something I didn't even think possible. The unicorn spoke to me . . . Not in the human way of course. Its intentions were not uttered aloud. Instead, I heard her in my head. The unicorn could communicate the same way Severus and I could. I could feel rather than hear her message. Through a mental connection, or perhaps even through legimency. . .

She had no language, but I could clearly make out her meaning. "Trickery! Evil!"

I could only stare at her in shock. Me?! Why did she accuse me of evil? "I just saved you from being eaten alive! How am I the bad one?" I asked in utter disbelief.

"Evil!" she conveyed again, and this time she forcefully pointed in the direction of my left arm.

". . . Oh" was all I could say.

A pit formed in my stomach while I looked down at my arm. I slowly rolled up my sleeve to show her the dark mark. It stood out so clearly against my skin in the morning light. While the tattoo was still visible the lines were not as distinctly black as they had been before I arrived in medieval England. I assumed it had something to do with Lord Voldemort's absence from this time. I had hoped it meant the magic around it had at least gone dormant, but if this unicorn foal could sense its vile intent, the magic around it was still very much active . . .

The unicorn backed away further at the sight of the ugly mark, but she didn't run away from me. Instead, she glared at me as if demanding an explanation for this foul play. As if I had done her a great offence by taking the mark.

"You have to understand" I said carefully. "I- I didn't take this mark . . . This body isn't mine" I pointed at myself to indicate. I felt silly explaining myself to an animal, but the unicorn scrutinized me thoroughly. Seemingly listening to my every word.

I told the unicorn everything about the potion that made us switch bodies, the wardrobe that brought us to this timeline, and the journey we were currently on to find the Well of lives. "As for this" I extended my exposed left arm again "It's the mark of someone bad. He is a powerful and evil wizard who in our time is threatening the piece in magical Britain. He likes to brand his followers with this mark so he can call them to him. I don't know how it works really . . . my friend has it because he -"

"Follows!" accused the unicorn harshly.

"No no! It's not like that! I think he used to follow him, but it was a long time ago and I think he truly regrets it. I don't think he knew what he got himself into . . . I have no idea what made him turn to the good side, but I can tell you he's on our side now. He's a good person." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought of him "frustrating and annoying, yes, but a good person all the same."

The unicorn continued to glare at me suspiciously. "Trust?" she asked dubiously.

"Yes" I said without hesitation. "Yes, I do. I can't explain why, but I trust him with my life."

The unicorn seemed to accept my explanation. Her eyes softened considerably. She looked down at my visible dark mark with a pointed look. "What do?"

"Do . . . ? What do you mean?"

She tapped the dark mark with her dangerously pointed horn "What do!?"

"I . . . I don't think there is anything I can do . . . the dark mark can't be removed or neutralised. The magic it too powerful. Besides, he needs the connection to its master if he is to spy for the good side."

"Pain?" She asked. This time with concern.

"I don't know. I think so. If what I have heard is correct, it gives him a lot of pain when he's called." I lowered my eyes to the dark mark and felt another pit form in my chest. I couldn't imagine how much pain he'd have to endure whenever he was summoned and forced to go to something as terrifying as a death eater meeting. Let alone pretend to serve that evil monster . . .

A sudden wave of guilt hit me when I realised I had never been concerned about how the mark affected him before. I knew only a couple of months ago I didn't even like Severus, but that didn't excuse my lack of interest in his welfare. I had taken for granted ever since I joined the Order that he'd be alright on his own, and that Dumbledore would take care of him if something happened. But thinking about it now, I realised he'd never go to Dumbledore for help with something as trivial as pain.

The unicorn gave me a curious look. "Help?" she asked.

"Of course! I want to help him. I don't exactly want him to be in pain, but I don't know how . . ."

The unicorn had an air of determination when she stepped closer to me again. "Present" She conveyed.

I frowned at her, not understanding what she wanted me to do. ". . . You want me to give him a present?"

She snorted indignantly. That was not what she had meant. "Present!" She conveyed again. Obviously frustrated at how dim I was. She lowered her head towards my left arm again, even more determined this time. She nodded her head and shook her mane slightly before she touched her muzzle to my wrist right below the mark.

The moment she touched me; a strange feeling spread from my wrist through my body. It felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. There had been a constant stream of pain from my left arm, one that I hadn't known was there before it disappeared. A wave of dizziness came over me when I released a tension in my muscles that I didn't know I had. It was like my body had become several pounds lighter and I could float away from the earth if I didn't hold on to something.

I could barely keep upright while a wave of relief washed over me. I tilted forwards and landed on my knees and elbows clutching my head with both hands, desperately trying to stay conscious.

It took several seconds for it to fade. When it finally did, I was left with a distant thud in my ears and a light-headedness. I looked up at the little unicorn and met her eyes. She had an air of concern about her, but she didn't seem frightened about my sudden display.

"How did you do that?" I asked. I had never heard of unicorns performing their own kind of magic on humans. One could usually find their hairs and horns around the forests, if one knew where to search, and I knew that unicorn hairs for wands had to be willingly given to the wand maker from a live unicorn. But performing magic on someone? That was definitely new to me.

In answer to my question, the unicorn pointed at my left arm. I looked down and realised I was unknowingly clutching my left wrist with my right hand. Removing my hand revealed a web of silver hairs from her mane that weaved themselves around my wrist and up my arm while I watched. They slithered up my skin and crisscrossed over the dark mark like thin and lightly weaved cage. They only stopped moving when they reached the top of the dark mark. Then they went limp as if they had never moved by themselves in the first place. Now only silver hairs draped over my arm.

"Keep on" the unicorn conveyed. Her eyes now strict.

"Did . . . did you just remove the curse?" I asked a little bit concerned that Severus could no longer be a spy because of this.

The unicorn seemed to find it funny that I thought her powerful enough to do such a thing. She snorted and answered with a negative.

So, the hairs only held a protective magic then. One that kept the pain away from the dark mark but allowed the connection to its master to stay. An erratic laugh escaped my lips. I had never been so grateful in my life.

"Thank you" I uttered, almost sobbing "I don't think I'll ever forget this". I touched her muzzle with my forehead. She whinnied in a 'don't mention it' kind of gesture and stomped her hooves in delight.

Before I knew it, she made to leave. The little unicorn probably had parents to go to wherever her home was. She nodded her head at me once more before she turned and disappeared through the trees.

I looked after her for a long time, wondering what I was supposed to do now. Kneeling in the dirt had made me filthy. My pants were wet from the knees down, and my elbows and hands were covered in mud from sprawling on the ground. I also had a net of limp silver hair covering my arm. the unicorn probably meant for me to charm the hairs to stick to my skin, but one had to admit it was uncommon in the human world to have hair stuck to your arm.

Standing up I pulled out my wand. My body still felt strangely light, a feeling that made it surprisingly easy to stand up. While trying not to drop the limp hairs hanging over my arm, I performed a thorough cleaning spell on my clothes. When finished with that, I looked down at my precious gift and assessed my options.

I had an idea of how to keep the silver hairs on my person without having them draped so visibly across the mark, but I didn't know how far I could move them away before the pain came back. Without taking the hairs off my skin, I slowly brushed them off the mark and down to my wrist. Luckily that made no difference. I breathed out in relief. Good. I could wear the hairs as a normal bracelet. That would make my life much easier.

I slowly picked the hairs off my arm with my wand to weave them together into a bracelet. As expected, when the hairs came away from my skin the pain came back with double force. Gritting my teeth, I clutched my arm to my chest while I weaved the hairs together as gently as I could. I managed to form a thin braid from the silver hairs before I draped them back over my wrist.

Looking at the string of silver, I felt it was a good idea to conceal the hairs inside a normal bracelet. I didn't know about this time period, but in our time wearing unicorn hairs around your wrist would be considered very, very strange.

I searched my brain for ideas. If only I had some leather string, I could braid them into a cord, and conceal the hairs inside. Looking around the only thing I found that could be fitting were the leather laces on my boots. Pulling the laces out by magic, I didn't care that my boots fell limp around my ankles.

I focused on the strings that I magically weaved into a chord, about a quarter inch thick. I left the inside of the chord hollow so I could charm the hairs to slither inside. Finishing up my weaving and sealing the hairs inside, I tied the leather cord tightly around my wrist. Then I cast as many protective charms around it as I could think of. I made it unbreakable, waterproof, and even considered sticking it to my arm with a permanent sticking charm. Luckily I thought better of it. Severus should be allowed to choose whether he wanted to wear it or not. I breathed out one more time and tried not to skip like a little girl when I headed back to look for Severus.