Chapter 108: A Unicorn's Gift
Deep within the Forbidden Forest.
Moonlight from the full moon washed the ground in silver.
Leonardo and Aurelius had only just arrived when a tug of instinct made him turn his head.
He opened the Peeking Fiend's Eye, twin black vortices blooming in his pupils.
Yes, just barely enough to catch the outline of a unicorn.
Even so, the unicorns were too fast. The Peeking Fiend's Eye sharpened his dynamic vision, but he still saw only afterimages when they ran.
Better than before, though. In the past, they had been wind itself, here one heartbeat and gone the next.
When the unicorn pair, Asterion and Seleneia, finally stood still before him, Leonardo inclined his head and drew a small crystal vial from his robes.
He twisted it open and, with a flick of his wand, guided a drop of Qilin saliva into Seleneia's mouth.
As he worked, another thought stirred.
Intuition.
The core of the book Malfoy had given him, Divination and Inspiration, was a meditation method. First, cast charms to create a distraction-free space, then take a specific potion. Hold perfect calm for an hour or more.
According to the text, this practice sharpened intuition, granting a wizard a special kind of insight.
Just now, for example, intuition had pointed him to where Seleneia would appear.
And there she was.
He had not practiced long, so the feedback was present but subtle. Still, this sort of intuition—this inspiration—would clearly aid Divination later, and it already seemed helpful in study and research, keeping the mind in an optimal state. When tackling a problem or training a spell, good ideas came more easily, and better methods surfaced sooner.
A soft whicker drew his attention.
"What is it?"
"Master, Seleneia says she feels that in forty to sixty day and night cycles, the foal will be born," Aurelius translated gently.
Leonardo nodded. About a month and a half to two months, then. That lined up.
Although that was around when Tom would start needing his blood bags.
Best warn them.
"Aurelius, tell them this. Until the birth, stay deep in the Forbidden Forest. And when it is time, come find me. I will move you somewhere safe."
Voldemort would send Quirrell to hunt unicorns for their blood; that much was certain. Leonardo had even considered slipping the pair into the gourd space until the danger passed. But unicorns were unicorns—untamable by nature, happiest when running free. If Aurelius could not persuade them, he would not force it.
He summoned the Peeking Fiend's Eye again and studied the unicorns' magical pathways.
There was no mistaking it. Magical creatures were nothing like wizards on the inside.
If a wizard's pathway resembled a tree, the unicorn's was a closed ring. Magic flowed continuously, every moment. In wizards, magic surged only when a spell was cast. The difference was absolute.
He also noticed, in Seleneia's belly, a tiny ring pulsing in and out.
The foal's pathway, nascent and alive.
So magical creatures were born with pathways. Did human wizards form theirs after magical awakening, or were they latent from birth?
He thought back to the Acromantula and the Mooncalf he kept. Their pathways were also wildly diverse.
No wonder certain wizarding spells affected magical creatures only weakly, and why Transfiguration struggled so badly with true magical beasts. The pathways were simply too different.
To develop true magical-creature Transfiguration, the pathway problem would have to be solved. A functional, faithful pathway would need to be built…
A horn nudged into his field of view.
"Master, Asterion says he has something for you," Aurelius reported in Leonardo's mind. "He wants us to follow."
Leonardo climbed onto the little Qilin's back and followed the pair to a hollow made of interwoven branches, covered in greenery.
Their nest.
Asterion and Seleneia stepped inside together and emerged a moment later, each carrying something in their mouths.
Asterion held a tuft of tail hair. Seleneia bore a spiral horn.
"Master, these are their gifts," Aurelius said.
Leonardo knew them on sight: unicorn tail hair and a unicorn horn.
"Master, they say this is to thank you for the… treasure," Aurelius relayed, hesitating a beat. The "treasure," of course, was his own saliva. Still, he continued faithfully, "They say it will help their child grow strong, to be a healthy, beautiful unicorn."
Leonardo inclined his head. He was not surprised. Unicorns were highly intelligent; if not for the barrier of language, they could converse with humans outright.
He took the gifts. Starlike motes shimmered across both.
Excellent things. Priceless for potions and alchemy. And one of the premier wand cores in the craft was unicorn tail hair—authority and utility both proven.
He slipped them into his pocket. Whether for his own use or for a trade, they were invaluable.
"Oh—Master," Aurelius added. "Asterion says these came from him. He does not want to give away anything that belongs to his mate."
Leonardo's mouth twitched. This unicorn had personality.
Asterion bumped his muzzle fondly against Seleneia's cheek again—for the who-knew-how-many-th time that night. Leonardo shook his head. Very devoted.
He bid the unicorns farewell, and he and Aurelius vanished and reappeared in a clearing.
A small herd of Mooncalves bathed in moonlight, dancing their strange and entrancing dance.
Leonardo chuckled and drew out a white gourd.
Several Mooncalves hopped out in turn. The wild herd peered curiously at their new kin, and within seconds, they were all dancing together in the silver glow.
That was Mooncalf society—save the questions, dance first.
He lifted his eyes to the perfect full moon.
Then he drew a single leaf of Mandrake and placed it under his tongue.
"Let's begin," he murmured. "The first step to becoming an Animagus."