(7) Something About Hermione

The party at the three crowded tables in the back room at Honeydukes went splendidly.

There were those snide comments from Draco, when he, Crabbe, and Goyle sauntered past, but except for that little episode everyone had a fun time. Bea's gift card provided plenty of sweets and sparkling drinks.

But the best part was when Harry announced his present for Giselle and invited everyone to join in.

"Hagrid got a flying unicorn yesterday from the Dippet Foundation," he said excitedly. "It's for his Care Of Magical Creatures class next week. He says Giselle can have a ride if she likes. So, Gee, are you game?"

Ride a flying unicorn! Giselle blushed and said, "I suppose I can give it a little go."

And so the boisterous party took itself off to Hagrid's hut.

"How's tricks, Harry? I see you've brought half the school with ye! Come along, then. This way." He led them around back to the corral where the unicorn was nibbling on a bale of alfalfa.

"Betsy girl," Hagrid called to it.

Betsy was black with yellow spots. Her folded wings were shades of orange and red. She looked across the paddock at the group of excited third-years, and with a shake of her mane trotted over to the corral gate.

"She's fond of riders, she is. Very well trained. She'll go soarin' round the castle and back. Don't worry none, she flies steady with not a lotta ups and downs. Some types of flyin unicorns are pretty frisky in flight, like to do acrobatics and other freaky stuff. But Betsy here is a Thracian unicorn. Them's steady flyers, they are. You ready to try her out, Giselle?"

She laughed nervously. "I flew a hippogriff at Merlin's Fair last summer," she said. "It didn't go too high. A short ride. Will Betsy be going high? I do get a little dizzy sometimes on the broom."

"She'll go no higher than the castle towers," Hagrid assured her. "Unicorns don't normally fly much higher than tree-top level. Usually they only fly when they're gettin away from a predator, like the horned sphinx, or the sabertooth bear. Now, there's room for two riders. Eh, Hermione? Want to accompany Giselle?"

"Oh yes, Hagrid, very much so!"

Giselle had to smile at Hermione's enthusiasm. She had noticed how charming the Gryffindor girl was. She couldn't imagine that this was the same Hermione who had spooked her in the strange common room last night, or who had sat in the bleachers with the Befriendly bookbag. Auntie had suggested that the 'phantom Hermione' might have been an illusion caused by one of the lingering spells that permeated the ancient school, spells that lived on indefinitely, like ghosts.

Hagrid led the unicorn out from the corral, party-goers stroking the sleek fur and silky feathers.

"Stand back now. Here we go--"

He lifted Giselle onto the broad back, then set Hermione close behind her.

"Grab handfuls of mane, both of ye. Keep your legs pressed snugly to her flanks. All set now? Off ye go!"

Giselle instinctively shut her eyes during the gallop. She felt Hermione's arms against her sides getting a grip on the mane. When the pounding of hoofs ceased, and that funny feeling in her stomach told her they were now off the ground, Giselle opened her eyes.

Already the Forbidden Forest was a dark green carpet below, to their left. Betsy was angling to the right, bringing the castle in view. How awesome the castle looked when seen from high in the air! From the ground it was too huge for one to appreciate its majestic symmetry. But way up here, gliding through the fragrant cool sky, the mighty wings humming their rhythmic beats, the castle displayed all its granduer.

They passed high over the outer wall, over the inner courtyards where the tiny figures of the gardeners were working; over the slanting roofs of the Great Hall and the jutting ediface of the library.

"That's West Tower," Hermione said in Giselle's ear, "the windows of our Common Room."

No sooner had she said this than the unicorn turned sharply between the rounded pinnacles of West and Bell Towers, rising on an updraft that made Giselle a little dizzy. Below were narrow courtyards and the faculty house, then, as Betsy gained even more altitude with powerful strokes of her wings, the tiled roof of the hospital complex swerved in sight.

They were heading straight for the highest point of the castle: the Astronomy Tower.

Betsy swung around its flat roof where a series of telescopes stood. She dipped down suddenly, the two girls gasping with anxiety, and with a clattering of hoofs landed on the flagstone aisle between the 'scopes.

"Why on Earth did she land here?" wondered Hermione.

Betsy was acting as though she were confused.

"Come on," urged Giselle. "Back to the corral, please, like a good horsey."

The unicorn was turning to and fro, as if lost and hoping to find her way out.

"Betsy, let's go!" said both of them together.

The unicorn neighed. She reared up a moment on her hind legs, drawing an "Oh!" from Hermione. Then she leapt over the parapet and free fell for a second or two, her wings outstretched, the two girls screaming.

The wind of the fall caught the wings. The fall became flight, leveling out over the covered bridge that connected the east side of the castle to its west side. With sighs of relief her riders watched the castle pass away beneath them, past the sloping lawns meandering toward the lake, and, at a gentle angle, across the rocky meadow to Hagrid's hut.

Harry and Ron were laughing as the unicorn trotted up to the corral.

"Haha! We heard you screaming," said Ron.

Dumbledore had witnessed the flight off the Astronomy Tower. He turned to McGonagall and Snape, and said to the former, "If my eyes haven't deceived me, that was your niece and Miss Granger."

"An intriguing combination," Snape remarked.

They were having their late afternoon meeting in one of the narrow courtyards, the one with the brick pathway winding through the flower beds. McGonagall had just informed the Headmaster of her discovery, that Hermione had a Slytherin ancestor, and therefore a drop of dark personality in her blood. She speculated about the reference Hellington had made regarding what was almost certainly the Heir of Slytherin prophecy.

"It has to do with the Green Star Night," she concluded. "If so, then this is the motive. Miss Granger's double is involved in identifying the heir, so as to enhance his talents for that one night. I gather it will bring insights to him, and guidance. And this tells us that the heir is a current Slytherin student. And what Severus has discovered tells us that Narcissa is probably hoping that the heir will be her son, Draco."

Dumbledore turned to Snape. "You were saying, Severus, about the conversation between Narcissa and the shop owner, Munstead? We still don't know why Giselle was drawn into this by the doppleganger. Can you shed some light on this mystery?"

Snape frowned. "I fear not. After purchasing a bolt of necromancer's weave, Narcissa insisted on the Unbreakable Vow of Secrecy. Munstead was very reluctant, but, not without reason he feared the Malfoy name. Then Narcissa bought a small can of paint made from human blood and slime from the mossy salamander."

"Ah, a green paint," said Dumbledore. "The Slytherin house color. But surely there is more to it than just an aesthetic value."

"Unguestionably," Snape said.

Dumbledore gave McGonagall's arm a sympathetic pat. "We may have to let the scheme play itself out, Minerva," he said, "taking whatever precautions we may for Giselle's safety."