𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑

the one with the second task

"When robbed of options,
go feral."

•

EVERYBODY GOT UP LATE on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to me and Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears. I told Harry the Potion was invented and marketed by Fleamont Potter, our grandfather, and Harry never looked more stunned that I knew more about the Potter family than he did. Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did. I would've commented something about that but I was slightly caught up with my three stolen kisses from Draco Malfoy. Honestly, we were both fourteen and I hardly knew how to kiss but for some reason, Draco was good at it. It's not like I had a reference, but he was good.

It was time now to think of the homework we had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over - everybody except me and Harry, that is - we were starting (once again) to feeling slightly nervous.

One hour under the water seemed easy. I could simply ask for a scuba diving gear and have Remus Owl it to me. But the problem with the scuba diving gear would be, I didn't know how to swim. Although I was from Australia, we never went to trips or vacations to the beach and where I lived in Brisbane, it was more plains and valleys than waterbodies. I never got around learning how to swim and it was way risky to take that risk. So gillyweed seemed like the reasonable answer. The main concern was, who was my most precious? It couldn't be Harry because Harry was a champion. So it had to be Fred or George or Draco. I hope it's not Draco because his skin is very white and sensitive. One hour under water could make him prune up too badly.

The first day of the term arrived and I was happily ahead with my homework. I spent an awful amount of time with the Slytherins after that, although me and Draco refused to acknowledge the kiss in the Yule Ball too. It should make us something, but I didn't know if he thought the same too. Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that we couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm us up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire. It was a nasty suggestion but I wondered if it was stemmed from his internal discomfort with half-breeds.

Hagrid wasn't there. Grubbly-Plank woman was. And Draco was very close to me in class brushing fingers and making me panic with every look he gave me. I tried to ignore him thoroughly. I also tried to ignore Pansy's suggestive wiggling eyebrows. Nothing worked. I was screwed. So we saw a unicorn.

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. Heck, it even made Draco fade. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it."