The Unicorn Ring

As Hermione sat in the window seat, her friend from America, Samantha, entered the room. Samantha gave her a smile, then saw the look on her friend's face.

"What is it?" Samantha asked. "Anything I can help you with?" Hermione returned a small smile at her friend's generosity.

"No, Sami," she answered, turning back to the window, "just thinking." Samantha nodded and left the room. Sighing, Hermione went back to her thoughts and memories of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class she'd had the very next day.

* * * * *

Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat in the courtyard before Defense Against the Dark Arts. They were sharing a small fire that Hermione had conjured, since today the weather had turned chilly.

Harry was, for once, absorbed in a book. Not just any book, either. It was 'Quidditch Teams of England and Ireland' that she'd given him so long ago. Smiling, Hermione decided not to bother him, but Ron had other plans.

"HARRY!" he yelled out of nowhere. Harry looked up.

"Huh, what, did I miss something?" he asked, confused.

"No, Harry, Ron was just being a annoying git 'cause he was tired of talking to me about lessons." She gave a devilish grin just as the bell rang. "Gotta fly." She took off for lessons, excited to learn today's lesson.

Professor Lupin greeted Hermione as she entered. "What are we learning today, Professor?" she asked eagerly, giving him a smile. He returned it, not out of politeness, but in sheer humor that nothing had really changed when he'd left after third year.

"We are learning something Harry will already be familiar with, the Patronus charm. However, I need to teach the rest of you." Hermione was eager to begin, so she plunked herself down in the front row, right in the center. Harry and Ron came in moments later, sitting on either side of her.

"Today we will learn how to perform a basic Patronus charm. Now, most of you will not get this today, as it is a very complex charm. To give you a background, the Patronus Charm is most commonly used as a defense against dementors, but it can be used against any form of Dark art. The Patronus's shape depends on the person. I've never needed one myself, due to my condition, but I happen to know Mr. Potter has an excellent Patronus that transforms into the shape of a stag. I want to teach you how to perform the charm."

And so he began. Hermione already knew how to perform it, from being with Harry, but listened anyway as he described how to perform the charm. Once he was finished, Hermione tried it with the others against a boggart Lupin had gotten from Professor Dumbledore's dresser. They took turns, and before she knew it, it was hers.

"Miss Granger, you're next." Hermione stepped forward and thought of the moment she'd become friends with Harry and Ron.

Focusing, she yelled, "Expecto Patronum" with all of her might. Watching, she saw a weak Patronus come from her wand.

"Try again, Miss Granger," Professor Lupin encouraged. Nodding, Hermione thought of when she'd realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Harry. Harry didn't know, of course, but she'd known for nearly a year.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she roared, pointing her wand and remembering. Out of her wand came a silvery unicorn, running gracefully toward the boggart and bowling it over.

"Excellent, Miss Granger. However, what I really wanted to see was how that ring worked. Have you activated it, Hermione?"

Hermione was confused. "Activate it, sir? I thought it was already ready for use."

"Sorry, Hermie, must have slipped our minds," said Ron, looking up at her from across the room, where Harry was teaching how to perform the spell. "The activation spell is 'protectio patronum.' Okay?"

"All right, then," she nodded, looking at her ring. "Protectio Patronum!" she cried, pointing her wand at her ring finger.

A burgundy mist came from the ring, and when it had cleared, Hermione could have sworn she saw the unicorn give her a wink.

"Now, Hermione, all you have to do is point it at the boggart, who we are pretending is a Dementor, and say 'protectio,' have you got it?"

Hermione nodded, and then yelled, "Protectio!" as she pointed her wand at the boggart. Three patronuses came out: Harry's, as she recognized that stag, her own, the unicorn, and a tiger: she guessed that to be Ron's patronus. "Wow," was all Hermione could say.

"Wow, indeed." There was a distinct twinkle in Professor Lupin's eye. "Wow indeed."

* * * * *

She still remembered how Ron's expression had been when he realized his Patronus was a tiger. "Cool!" he'd said.

She missed Ron. She missed him right now so much that her insides ached. Where was he now? Was he where Hermione thought him to be, or was he much farther away? She could never know until she went that way, too...