Harry Potter and the Unexpected

"A PI beta reader beta-read this (Tarhisie)."

"Must you be so immature, Ron?" Hermione whined at him. Ron was now petting the thestral pulling the carriage closest to him. He knew he couldn't see it, but he petted what he guessed was its head. The nose of the thestral grazed Ron's palm and the first years laughed at him. To them it seemed like he was petting thin air. They didn't know what a thestral was. Ron let his hand find the joint between its back and its wings, lodged his foot between them, and hoisted himself into thin air. The first years screamed as they saw the boy floating and ran away in fright. Ron gave a laugh of accomplishment and let his body fall softly to the ground.

"Why yes," Ron said as he brushed off his front, "yes I do, Hermione!" Harry's shoulders shook with silent laughter as he watched the first years run in desperation toward the boats in which they would take to the castle.

"Into the carriage, Ron." Harry beckoned him inside. Hermione followed and gave a long sigh as she sat down next to Harry.

"What?" he asked her tenderly.

"Them," she said as she indicated a group of two boys moving fairly quickly down the path to a carriage. It was Draco Malfoy's former "friends," Crabbe and Goyle. They were strutting down the cobble stone pathway, knocking several first and second years down in the process. Harry heard the thestral of their carriage snort softly as it began up the short trail to the castle.

"What is it this time?" Harry and the others were all squished into a small crowd in front of the Great Hall's magnificent, wooden doors. They would not let anyone in, and they usually only did that to first years, but the first years were still on their way on the boats.

"Beats me," said a boy, Seamus Finnigan. Finally, Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor house, stepped in front of the group of students.

"Students!" she called; her voice echoed through the stone hallway. "We have special visitors. They are― different― and yes, I heard that, Mister Goyle!" Crabbe and Goyle where standing but a few feet away from her and had just sniped a rude comment. She started again. "Further information will be given to you before the feast, and please feel free to ask questions when you arrive." The doors opened and the students flooded the hall with great pleasure and confused looks on their faces.

***

"Welcome, all!" came Professor McGonagall's scratchy voice once more." It brings me great happiness to inform you all that we are now hosting guests. It is a very complicated process, you see." McGonagall strode the length of the staff table and stopped in front of a door that Harry was sure hadn't been there before. "I am quite afraid to announce that... very unlucky circumstances are about to occur." A wave of whispering spread through the hall.

"As most of you already know, our school has come under many terrors, including You-Know-Who." Professor McGonagall and student body directed their attention to Harry. Harry didn't look back. "You also might be aware that unicorns have been spotted at platform nine and three quarters. We are very fortunate to have this year of Hogwarts continued. You will all be able to learn in peace. Extra precautions have been introduced to the castle after I was assigned Headmistress due to our―," she paused, "unlucky ideals with a certain Professor Snape!" She raised her voice on the last word and her face turned a furious shade of red. At this time, she opened the door next to her and out came the most beautiful sight. Seven teenagers, no older than seventeen, filed out of the door. They certainly did not look normal; their hair was pure white and had a semi glow, even though the candles where all blown out. They walked gracefully and patiently, almost like a slow trot, their hands at their sides and eyes ahead. The skin of the teenagers was like snow, and their eyes a brilliant shade of blue even from a distant. No one paid attention to the seventh girl that followed the others from the door. Surely not veela...

"The unicorns," McGonagall said quietly, "if you please..."

***

After the mysterious introduction, the 'unicorns' had been led to an unknown area to eat in peace, leaving others in confusion. Hermione refused to answer any further questions from Harry or Ron until they arrived in the common room. That left the duo eating their treacle tart with pondering minds. After the feast and after many non-sensible rumors had spread, Professor McGonagall's voice started yet again.

"I am happy to say that Professor Slughorn will be continuing his teaching here as the Potions Master." At this time, Slughorn stood up gracefully and gave a quick wink to Harry, then took his seat again.

"And you will all be wondering who is taking up this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts position." A dramatic pause drummed in Harry's ears. "May I introduce... Professor Tonks!" It was unbelievable. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks as Nymphadora Tonks took her seat next to Slughorn.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way up to the Gryffindor tower in a deep conversation about how Tonks could make it through an entire year due to her conditions the previous year. All was quiet until the threesome plopped down in front of the fireplace. Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"Hermione," they said in unison. Hermione had learned that whenever her friends said this, it meant they had no clue what was going on, nor did they pay attention when they were told in great detail about the situation. She sighed.

"Why are they here?" Harry asked as his first question.

"They are the guardians of the Cryptic Realm." She paused to look at the clueless faces of Ron and Harry. "It means that they are here to help us. V-V― You-Know-Who is yet again coming back even after your spectacular performance last year, Harry," she added with another sigh. She then pulled out the book she had been reading earlier on the train.

"Every time the world is in great peril, the unicorns take the form of the race in danger; in this case, humans." Her finger followed a line in her book.

"So, where― how can they help us? They're just horses!" Ron sat in disbelief.

"Ah contraire, young one," came a voice behind their backs.

Ron turned around slowly to see two of the Hogwarts unicorns standing but a few feet away from him. Up close, they were even more mystical, giving off a pale light. The voice had come from the tall male closest to Ron. He reminded Harry much of Draco Malfoy. Harry noticed the necklace around his neck.

"What is that?" Harry asked shyly, hoping it wasn't an insult. This seemed to lighten up the unicorn's stiffness, and he slipped the necklace off his neck.

"Hermione..." Harry looked at her, and then lowered his gaze towards the pendant on her throat. It was exactly the same as the male unicorn's.

"We each have one," the unicorn started.

"But I lost mine..." came yet another voice. It startled the unicorn they were talking to.

"Annelynn, you have disgraced us all; go up to the sleeping chamber and disgrace me no longer," he commanded her. She bowed and followed her orders. Harry watched her leave. She did not look like the others. Her hair was light brown, and she dressed slightly more down than the others. Her eyes were a lighter blue.

"I'm sorry. She has disgraced our kind. I cannot bear to be by her side... my own sister. My name is Cylle. Might I ask yours?" He eyed Hermione with a charming smile that made her blush slightly.

"Hermione... Granger," she said lightly as she held out her hand to shake his. Instead, he reached out for her hand and grazed his lips on her palm. She took her hand away slowly, as though shocked by his notions. They shared a gaze until Ron stood up.

"I'm Ron. Nice to meet you, old chap!" He slapped Cylle on the back gruffly, making him wince slightly. Harry shook his hand. "Harry Potter."

"Hermione's got a cru-ush, Hermione's got a cru-ush," Harry chanted after Cylle was long gone into the boys' dormitory.

"Shut up." She threw a pillow at him. "I do not have a crush on Cylle. He was just... attractive," Hermione said fondly. After snapping out of her daydream, she gasped.

"You don't think this was Annelynn's, do you?" She took the pendant off of her neck.

"Whose?" Ron asked in confusion.

"His sister's! The one he picked on! Oh, God!" She stormed upstairs to the girls' dormitory.

"What's eating her?" Ron shrugged and followed Harry to their room. Cylle was standing by his bed staring at it.

"Cylle?" Harry asked. The unicorn jumped.

"Sorry," he replied, then continued his staring. Harry and Ron looked at him together, then walked over to their beds and got under the covers, leaving Cylle standing up, a shadow against the wall.

Hermione entered the room. No lamps were on, but the faint sound of someone crying came from a lump on the bed beside hers.

"Annelynn?" came Hermione's concerned voice. The crying continued. Hermione walked over to the unicorn and uncovered her slowly.

"Annelynn... I think I have something that belongs to you." Hermione handed her the pendant. Annelynn's crying stopped immediately, and she grabbed the pendant.

"Why do you have this?" she asked quietly.

"Harry gave it to me, or rather, someone gave it to him. The Ministry found it on the train. I thought it might be yours," Hermione said slowly, hoping that she wouldn't be angry. Instead, Annelynn burst into tears of joy, hugged Hermione, and ran out of the dormitory.

The boys' dormitory door flew open, awakening Harry, Ron, and Cylle, who had decided to use the bed after all.

"Cylle!" Annelynn yelled, "Cylle, I found it; the Hermione girl had it! I'm not a disgrace anymore, right?" Cylle jumped out of his bed and rushed over to his sister, who was jumping up and down with her pendant in her hand.

"HOW DARE YOU AWAKEN ME?!" he yelled. Cylle grabbed his sister by the wrist and hit her hard on the side of her head. She screamed and collapsed on the floor. Stumbling to her feet, she headed toward the door.

"YOU WILL ALWAYS DISGRACE ME! YOU ARE A MUTT AND WILL ALWAYS BE ONE!" With that final statement, Cylle crawled back to his bed, watching her with every step. Annelynn stood by the door, her eyes clouded with tears and her hand on the spot where she received the blow.

"Leave," Cylle commanded her. She didn't move. Harry watched this scene in horror. He would never hit his sister like that! He was out of order, but before he could control himself, Harry was standing up and walking over to Cylle.

"You need something?" Cylle asked Harry as if nothing had ever happened and his sister wasn't even standing there.

"Why would you do something like that?" Harry asked him breathlessly, trying hard not to punch him.

"She is not pure," Cylle responded casually. "You of all people I thought would understand!"

"I don't know what you do in your world..." Harry was sweating with anger now. He didn't know why, but he felt a bond between himself and Annelynn. "...But hitting a girl― you― you just don't do it. Especially not... your... sister!" Harry walked over to Annelynn, who was still holding her head, and escorted her out of the room. Hermione was already sitting on one of the couches in the common room with fear in her eyes. Ron soon followed. Harry planted Annelynn down on the seat beside himself. She was breathing heavily and sobbing uncontrollably.

"I heard yelling," was all Hermione could say. Obviously she had been waiting for Annelynn to come out, or to see if she was in trouble.

"It hurts," Annelynn whispered to Harry. She was smiling. Annelynn removed her hand from her wound, wincing in the process.

"Good God, Hermione, Ron, look at this!" Harry beckoned them over. A mixture of silver-red blood was oozing from a wound on her head. It was fairly large.

"Goodness," said Hermione as she conjured a wet towel. She dabbed it on the unicorn's head. After the bleeding had stopped and most of the blood was off her hair, Annelynn began crying lightly again.

"Thank you all so much, but you really didn't have to do anything. I've had worse than this before." Annelynn focused on Harry. "I thank you the most, Harry. No one has ever stood up for me before." Harry grinned broadly before asking, "What did he mean when he said you were un-pure, or a mutt? You're his sister, wouldn't that make him a mutt, too?"

"Oh, Harry, he's only my half brother. Different fathers, you see? Our mum's a unicorn, but my father was just a mere carthorse." Her hand was on her welt again. Harry just realized how odd it sounded to hear her father was a horse, but he recovered from that quickly. "He's always been like this, though. He's superior to me. My entire herd is. I guess it's a lot different here though, right?"

"You can say that again," Ron started. "The first thing you learn― when you're little, that is― is to NEVER hit a girl.... Unless she's a rampaging bitch, but that's a different story." A silence passed over the room.

"Why does it matter if you have that necklace or not?" Hermione broke through.

"It helps me morph into what I am now. If I'm not wearing it, I can't turn back into a unicorn. Not that it matters, though. No one wants me, anyway." She sighed the last part.

"I guess all creatures can be prejudiced," Hermione said.

"He's always been ashamed of me; always abusing me," Annelynn finished. Harry did notice several scratches, bruises, and scars all along her arm. But she was so pretty, Harry thought.

"Thank you all again." She bent over and kissed Harry on the cheek, shook Ron's hand, and hugged Hermione, with whom she walked up the stairs to bed. Ron and Harry sat for a moment, Harry's hand on his cheek where she kissed him.

"Isn't that just precious? Look who's got a crush now!" Ron teased.

"Yeah," Harry said, barely aware of what he was agreeing to. "What do we do about Cylle?"

"How about we leave that until morning," Ron chuckled. Harry was sure that Ron was plotting evil things to do to Cylle, and frankly, he couldn't wait to find out what they were.