The Dragon & The Unicorn Hair
Hermione dropped a color-coded study schedule down on the floor of the library ten weeks before finals, found on it the current day and time, and quickly produced her potions textbook. Holly, drowning under her own pile of books, eyed the neatly organized guide. “Did you make that?” she wondered.
“Mm-hmm” said Hermione, distractedly.
“Do you mind if I copy it? I’m drowning over here.” Holly asked, already craning her neck to try and see it better.
Hermione shoved it towards Holly and refocused herself on her potions homework. Holly made a crude copy that she could expand on, and then pulled her own potions book out. When her eyes had gone bleary from reading the next three chapters, she switched to writing essays, and when that nearly drove her mad, she moved to filling out assigned worksheets.
Over the coming days and weeks, they managed to convince (bribe) the rest of their little group to join them, for the sake of passing first year. Neville was easy, and all it took to bring Tracey up from the perfectly good studying spots in the Slytherin common room was a simple scheme to get away with chocolates in the library. The boys though, needed more… convincing.
Easter came and went. They were still in the library.
Then, on the first nice day of spring, buried in books, Holly suddenly felt that she would rather die than study another minute for tests that were still weeks away. Besides, she had completed all of her homework, reading, and suggested extra credit assignments and was only reading what she thought might help her on her end of year exams.
“I’ll never remember all of this!” Ron cried, throwing down his quill.
“Hey, Holly, doesn’t your wand have a dittany core? Weren't you interested in learning more about that?” Harry whispered, nudging a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi in her direction.
“I’ve already read that one, it didn’t say much, see,” she pointed at the single paragraph written about the plant.
“Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?” Ron squawked, and the whole group looked up to see Hagrid standing awkwardly in the nearest row of shelves, and was clearly hiding something behind his back.
“Jus’ lookin’…” he said, shiftily. “Whatr yeh lot up ta? Not still on about-“ but he broke off, looking from Ron to the rest of them. Holly had a sinking feeling that her brother was up to something, yet again, but at the moment all she had time for was studying. Hagrid’s gaze settled on her, and he changed the subject. “How comes I never sees yeh? Would love to have yeh visit from time ta time.”
Holly blinked.
“She’s always up here, reading.” Ron said.
Holly rolled her eyes. “I didn't know I could visit you. I thought students weren't allowed that close to the forest.” She said, and shot her brother a glare for never inviting her or even mentioning it before now.
“We’ll come and see you later. Holly too, Hagrid. I promise.” Harry smiled sheepishly at Holly in a way that had her fooled for exactly no seconds.
“You’re up to something, aren't you?” she hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.
“No idea what you’re talking about.” said Harry, perfectly smooth.
Just after dinner, Holly and Tracey met Harry, Ron, and Hermione by the Herbology classroom. “You're really sure this is fine?” Holly wondered, eyeing the darkening sky.
Harry shrugged and took Holly’s hand. “Come on,” he prodded, “it’ll be fine.”
“...Famous last words…” muttered Tracey, but, as usual, where Holly went, Tracey followed.
Hagrid greeted them at the door wearing an apron and cooking mitts. “Come on in,” he said, warmly. “Hurry now!” they crowded inside his hut, all of them taking immediate notice of the stifling heat radiating through the small space. There was also a strange noise coming from the pot hanging over the old wood fire stove that Hagrid had hurried over to as soon as they were all inside. As the noise grew louder, however, Hagrid fished out the contents of the pan and rushed them to the table, huffing, “oh. Oooh. ah. Ooooooh…” as he went.
Hagrid set a massive metallic, scaly egg-looking thing down on the small round table. “Hagrid,” asked Harry, “what exactly is that?”
“And why was it in a pot?” Tracey added.
“Oh that?” Hagrid began. The egg rattled around, making the same strange noise it had in the pot. “That's um…”
“I know what that is!” breathed Ron, “but Hagrid, how did you get it?”
“I won it! Off a stranger I met down at the pub… seemed rather glad ta be rid a it as a matter a fact…” Hagrid said, with a puzzled look as though he could not conceive why the big weird egg wasn't wanted. The thing was practically vibrating off the table now, as if it were about to-
Explode.
Everyone ducked as the egg burst open, sending eggshell shards in all directions, then, just as they had stood back up, a tiny little winged-claw reached out of the remains of the egg. A its touch, the rest of the egg crumbled, revealing a tiny slime-greed dragon.
“Hagrid… is that…?” hermione began to ask, only to interrupted by Tracey half screaming,
“A dragon! Are you mad?” She looked incredulously at Hagrid, half horrified and half thrilled. Holly was a little scared by the mix in her expression, actually.
“That’s not just a dragon!” Ron was still speaking of, looking at, and generally behaving like, the dragon was the greatest thing he had ever seen in his entire life. “That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother, Charlie, works with them in Romania.
“Isn't he beautiful?” Hagrid asked, choked up at the sight of the new life. The little lizard turned and cooed up at Hagrid. “Oh, bless him, look, he knows his mummy.” Hagrid chuckled heartily at the sight.
Holly wasn’t quite sure what to think. Dragons were, admittedly, pretty cool. But… weren't they dangerous? She didn’t know but she figured that surely, this wasn’t legal. Would they all get in trouble?
Almost as soon as Holly had thought that, Tracey was nudging her and pointing at the window where a very familiar mop of silvery blond hair could be seen peeking through.
“Oh no…” Holly ran out of the hut, trying to stop Draco, but he was too fast. Even when the others followed her out, none of them could catch up to him. In fact, by the time they reached the castle, Draco was standing smugly beside Professor McGonagall.
Holly glared at Draco the entire time the professor was lecturing them, only stopping when she heard her say, “the six of you will receive detention.”
Six? Not five, six?
“Excuse me Professor,” Draco still sounded all too smug, “Perhaps I misheard you. I thought I heard you say the six of us..?”
Professor McGonagall glared down at him. “No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours.” At this, Holly felt at least a little vindicated, though, truthfully, it made no difference. They were all still in trouble.
On the night they were to serve detention, they all met up after dinner to head down to filches together. Well, everyone but Draco, who none of them wanted anywhere near them.
“None of the quidditch team will speak to me.” Harry said. “They just call me ‘the seeker’ when they make game plans.” He looked miserably down at his shoes. Nobody seemed to know how to respond.
They fell into a silent procession the rest of the way. Filch met them on the back steps, Draco already waiting beside him. He led them down towards Hagrid. The sight of the burly man seemed to brighten Harry’s day a bit, until Filch noticed and said “bet you think you’ll be having fun, off with that oaf - not tonight Potter! It’s to the forest you lot’ll be going and I wouldn’t be so sure of your chances of coming back in one piece!”
Draco stopped dead in his tracks. “We can’t go in there!” He protested. “There are all sorts of things - werewolves, I heard!”
Once Hagrid had taken them off of Filch's hands and led them to the edge of the forest, he split them into groups. It took a minute, with Draco arguing the safety of it and Hagrid having to put him in his place, reminding him that his father would rather he did this then get expelled.
Hagrid split them by house, meaning that Tracy and Holly were stuck with pg-face, cowardly Draco, and fang, the useless dog. Wonderful.
They followed the trail of unicorn blood for a while, in silence, until finally, Holly couldn't stand it. “What is your problem, Draco?! Are you stupid? This goes beyond whatever beef you have with my brother, you just screwed our house over as well!” Holly snapped. Draco and Tracy both stopped.
Tracy looked a little impressed.
Draco looked like a beetroot.
“How dare you speak to me like that, Potter!” Draco spat her name like venom, but it wasn’t like was a fool-hardy Gryffindor.
Holly crossed her arms. “How dare you - going around acting like you're better than everyone! You think I don’t know you were too much of a coward to duel my brother even after you challenged him? You think I don’t know you pushed my friend down the stairs the other day? What did Neville even do to you? You’re so bloody worthless, Draco!” She snapped. It was as though all the things she’d been bottling up over the year just came spilling out.
Draco looked murderous.
Tracy smirked. “You’ll never amount to anything if you keep running off like the coward you are and making your daddy fight all your battles for you!” She taunted. “Honestly your lack of personal drive makes me wonder if you were even sorted into the right house.” She continued, nastily.
Holly snorted. “Bravery and stupidity might be the same, Draco, but no snake should never be as much of a wuss as you.” She said, with a sneer.
Draco had gone entirely silent. And pale, too. Or, well, paler than he already was.
Holly gestured for him to lead the way. She wasn’t dumb enough to turn her back to him now, after all.
Swallowing thickly, Draco began to walk. Tracy followed after him. Holly was about to do the same, when she saw the glint of something long and silver laying in the brush. Curious, she wandered over to it, kneeling down to inspect it.
Unicorn hair.
“Holly, come on!” Tracy called from up ahead. They were getting a bit too far away with the lantern for her to be safe.
Holly snatched up the unicorn hair and hurried after her housemates.