Beauxbatons [Charlie Weasley]

Unicorn

Snow is thick upon the Hogwarts grounds, and Isabelle pulls on her knitted scarf as she makes her way down towards Hagrid's cabin, ready to start a Care of Magical Creatures lesson with the fourth-years. And unless she's very much mistaken, that includes both Ron and Harry, both of whom she's rather looking forward to seeing again.

She stands before Hagrid's front door as the bell rings, waiting for the students to arrive.

"Gather around, everyone," she calls out as they start to approach her, shocked faces greeting her at Hagrid's absence.

"Who're you?" a Gryffindor boy with black, closely cropped hair asks. "Where's Hagrid?"

"What is your name?" Isabelle asks him.

"Dean Thomas," he replies, and Isabelle smiles.

"My name is Professor Leblanc, though you may call me—"

"ISABELLE!" a familiar voice exclaims, and a red-headed boy bounds towards her.

Isabelle's smile widens and she lets Ron give her a quick hug, to the complete and utter confusion of his classmates, all except Harry and Hermione, who grin and wave at her.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asks, his freckled face morphing into a frown.

"Like I was saying," Isabelle says, raising an eyebrow at him, "My name is Professor Leblanc, but you may call me Isabelle if you so desire. I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asks.

"I am afraid it is not my place to say," Isabelle replies, and Harry's brows furrow.

Soft and unpleasant laughter reaches Isabelle's ears, and she turns towards a certain blond Slytherin boy who looks rather gleeful. As do all the other Slytherins, none of which seem surprised to see her. Isabelle decides to ignore this fact.

"This way, everyone," she says, and she starts off around the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses are shivering. The class follows along behind her as she leads them past the paddock, and towards a tree on the edge of the Forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn is tethered.

Many of the girls "oooh!" at the sight of it.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" a brown-haired Gryffindor girl whispers. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

The unicorn is so brightly white that it makes the snow all around look grey. It's pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"Boys, keep back, if you please," Isabelle instructs. "I am afraid that unicorns prefer the female touch. Girls to the front, and approach with care. Slowly and gently, now..."

Isabelle leads the girls slowly forwards towards the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching.

"Now, I am going to be talking, informing you all about unicorns. While I do so, boys, make sure you are listening in, and girls, you can slowly and carefully move forwards, until the unicorn is comfortable enough for you to begin stroking it," Isabelle instructs everyone, before beginning.

"Unicorn foals are born pure gold in colour. They remain so until they are about two years old, at which time they turn silver. Around four years old their horn grows in, and they are fully grown at around seven years old, at which time they turn this brilliant shade of pure white. Their hooves are golden, and their blood is silver-blue and shines under the moonlight," Isabelle says, as the girls now slowly take more steps towards the unicorn, some of them even reaching out their hands to let it sniff them.