Chronicles of Camelot

A stormy end

Then, as the students watched, the unicorn seemed to turn and retreat into the woodlands, before there was a rush of wings and the beautiful creature took to the skies, Hermione's eyes now on the ground. Following her gaze, Harry gasped in awe when he saw what was now lying at the feet of his betrothed;

A beautiful, silver-edged Black Unicorn feather;

'Looks like he wanted my mate to have a gift as well,' Harry told her, before he scooped up the feather and subtly placed it in Hermione's pocket.

Chapter 21: A Stormy End

After receiving their surprisingly honorary gifts from the black unicorn, Harry and Hermione managed to secure their treasures with the Order, Sebastian explaining to his liege-lord that he would find some important use for the unicorn horn while Elora suggested replicating Hermione's feather into a material for a one-of-a-kind robe. Agreeing with their ideas, Harry then added, "Just make sure the original items are kept to their rare magnificence: these are noble gifts and I want to make sure that I can honour the bond I have with the unicorns for a while."

As if to distract Harry from what he was considering to be an exemplary gift, the Hogwarts school year seemed to rush towards its end: Harry and Hermione seemed to battle for the top spot in not only Gryffindor, but the whole of their year, all the while knowing that neither one minded losing to the other; their competition just made it fun.

As March and April passed them by, Harry also grew stronger in the combative sense: Excalibur was now like an extension of his own arm, the melee weapon and blade moving with Harry's moves and commands as if it were some kind of magically-synchronised dance, his strength and prowess shown as impressed praise and comments from the Order and from his small band of friends. Hermione, though not as equally trained in swordsmanship due to her receiving Nimueh later than when Harry had received Excalibur, mostly relied on the bond between her and her betrothed to teach her the finer points of melee combat. These informative mental communications usually resulted in Harry and Hermione locked in deadlock combat deep within the training room of the Lion's Wing, but not before both combatants proved their worth and strength to the other.

However, as Hermione learned after one particular lesson towards the middle of May, there was one thing that Harry would hold the top spot for that year and, quite possibly, more years to come: Advanced Charms.

It was after one of their Friday morning lessons that Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and asked, "Potter, would you and Miss Granger please remain behind for a moment?"

"Yes Professor," Harry nodded, watching as the other third-years left the room, Hermione remaining by his side as Professor Flitwick approached them, his face showing a mix of curiosity and a hidden amount of pride. Once the door had closed, Harry turned back to his professor as he asked, "Was there a problem with the task Professor?"

"No Potter," Flitwick replied, "I have been meaning to speak to you since the start of the new term, but, given your examinations are nearby as well as the fact that you seem to have grasped the full understanding of your lessons, I decided to wait; now though, I must ask. Is it true that, over the Christmas Period, you performed a serious amount of Advanced Charmcasting in an attempt to offer a present for Miss Granger?"

"Yes," Harry replied, looking with a glance of love and memory to his betrothed, "I was able to perform a complex amount of spells to give the right effect, but yes, I did manage it."

"May I see your work?"

Harry, looking to Hermione, shrugged ruefully and, stepping back, nodded to his mentor as he cautioned him, "You may want to step back Professor."

When Flitwick obliged, Harry lifted a hand to his heart, his eyes closed in deep concentration, his breathing as deep and steady as if he were trying to avoid a panic attack. While he was doing this, Hermione then watched as a silvery aura began to cover her betrothed's body, a mysterious mist settling around his feet, forming the same rosy circle that she had seen in the graveyard at Christmas.