On Saturday morning, I woke to a tapping at the window.
For a few seconds, I lay with my eyes closed, wondering who had decided to throw stones at our dormitory. Then I remembered we were under the lake.
That narrowed down the list of suspects.
I propped myself up on my elbows. A dark shape slipped past the window, turned, and approached the glass again. Apparently, one of the larger fish had found a new way to entertain itself.
"Go away," I muttered.
It hovered in the greenish water for a moment, fins stirring. Then it swam off.
I chose to believe it had listened.
The dormitory was quiet. Draco was still asleep, and Blaise lay on his back with an open book resting on his chest. He must have fallen asleep reading. Judging by the size of the thing, he was lucky he hadn't dropped it on his face.
It was already past eight.
I got up and started dressing, considering what to do with the rest of the day. I'd finished most of my homework on Friday, and I wasn't planning to practise until Sunday afternoon. There was nowhere I needed to be.
I could even do nothing.
I decided to see how long that lasted.
By midday, I was doing quite well. I'd had breakfast, stopped by the library, and returned to the common room. At one of the tables, Draco was trying to talk Blaise into practising with him.
"You're the one who signed up for a duel," Blaise reminded him.
"Which is why I need someone to practise against."
"I could cheer you on."
"That's not the same."
"I could cheer very enthusiastically."
I settled into an empty armchair.
"We can practise tomorrow."
Draco turned to me.
"After lunch?"
"Yes. If that works for you."
"It does."
Blaise returned to his book, looking pleased.
"There. Problem solved."
"You can come too," I added.
"To watch?"
"To start with."
He regarded me over the top of the pages.
"That's exactly the sort of answer I don't like."
The twins caught me in the entrance hall on my way to lunch.
"Peverell!"
Fred squeezed past two students heading into the Great Hall. George followed close behind, carrying a folded piece of parchment.
"Busy this afternoon?" Fred asked.
"I wasn't a moment ago."
"Excellent. We've got an order."
I glanced at the parchment.
"For what this time?"
"Five unicorn hairs."
For a moment, I waited for the rest of the sentence.
George unfolded the note and held it under my nose. The order was brief: five long, undamaged hairs, preferably delivered before Christmas.
"Naturally shed," Fred pointed out. "We're not planning to pull anyone's tail out."
"Good to know."
We moved against the wall, out of the way. I read the few lines on the parchment again.
"You already have a buyer?"
"Yes."
"But no hairs."
"Hence this conversation."
I remembered what they'd hinted at after our trip to Hogsmeade. At the time, I'd wondered whether they meant collecting hairs that unicorns had left caught on branches.
"You're going to look for them in the Forest? Caught on bark and bushes and things?"
George nodded.
"Exactly. We found a few near a clearing last year."
"And sold them."
Fred smiled.
"We knew you'd catch on."
"You could just buy some."
"We could," George agreed. "But then most of the money would end up in the shop."
"This way, all we leave behind is a few footprints," Fred added.
I glanced through the open castle doors. The grounds lay under a thick blanket of white. A handful of students were putting the finishing touches to something that looked like a snowman after a failed Transfiguration spell.
A walk through the Forest sounded considerably more interesting than another afternoon in an armchair.
"How far away is this clearing?"
"About half an hour from the edge of the Forest. We can look along the way, too."
"Have you been back since last year?"
"We've been past it," George said. "We know the way."
"And why do you need me?"
"An extra pair of eyes. And someone who can use a wand for more than throwing snowballs."
"Besides, you're good company," Fred added. "We didn't even lose anything last time."
"That's your recommendation?"
"One of our better ones."
I laughed.
There was no point pretending I wasn't tempted. I'd wanted to try finding a unicorn hair myself ever since they'd first mentioned it.
"I'm in. But we stick to that route and get back before dark. It's December. We haven't got all afternoon."
"That's why we're leaving straight after lunch," George said.
"And we only take what we find. No sneaking up on a unicorn with a pair of scissors."
Fred looked at his brother.
"See? I told you we should have hidden the scissors."
George didn't miss a beat.
"Too late. He's onto us."
"What about the money?" I asked.
This time, the answer came without a joke.
"Three equal shares," George said. "Once we've sold them."
"Fine."
Fred held out his hand.
"Welcome to the business."
I shook it.
Less than an hour later, we met at a side entrance.
I'd put on thick winter robes, a scarf, and gloves. My wand was within easy reach, and I had some clean parchment and a handkerchief in my bag. The twins had brought a small rucksack.
George was also wearing a hat with an enormous red bobble.
I looked him over.
"If Hagrid spots us, you'll be the reason."
"Why?"
I pointed at the bobble.
George took the hat off, turned it inside out, and pulled it back on. The bobble disappeared inside, leaving a conspicuous lump on one side.
"Better?"
"Now you look as though you're smuggling something in it."
Fred snorted and opened the door.
Outside, the cold immediately bit at my cheeks. Heavy clouds hung over the castle, and a wind swept in from the lake. I adjusted my scarf and followed the twins.
We didn't head straight for the Forest. Fred led us along a dip in the ground, well away from Hagrid's hut. We could see its roof for a while before the trees hid it from view.
"Do you come this way often?" I asked.
"Often enough to avoid the ditch on your left," George replied.
I looked down. Beneath the smooth layer of snow, I could barely make out a ditch at all.
I moved a little to the right.
Under the trees, the wind almost died away. I could hear our footsteps, the rustle of our robes, and the occasional soft hiss of snow sliding from a branch. The castle vanished behind us sooner than I'd expected.
The Forest looked completely different in winter. Bare bushes revealed places that would otherwise have been hidden, but snow covered the roots and uneven ground. The dark trunks seemed to stand closer together.
I paused as a white cloud spilled from a high branch. Fine snow hung in the air, then drifted slowly onto the path.
"Coming?" Fred called.
"Yes."
The twins really did know their way around. They turned without hesitation at a forked beech, and farther on, George spotted a narrow gap between the bushes. They didn't need a lengthy discussion at every tree.
After a quarter of an hour or so, we slowed.
Fred pointed to the low branches near a fallen trunk.
"Worth keeping your eyes open from here. Especially where the gaps are narrow."
I scanned the bark, jutting knots, and thin twigs.
"A silver hair against snow. You could have picked an easier time of year."
"Then you'd have leaves," George pointed out.
Fair enough.
We spread out a few paces, keeping one another in sight.
I soon discovered that thinking about finding a unicorn hair was much more enjoyable than actually looking for one. After a few minutes, every pale strand looked promising. Most turned out to be strips of bark, dead grass, or cobwebs beaded with ice.
Once, I bent to pick up something particularly convincing.
It was a thread from my own scarf.
I pocketed it before either twin noticed.
For nearly twenty minutes, we found nothing.
Then George raised a hand.
"Here."
He was standing beside a tree with a branch growing almost horizontally at shoulder height. A long, silvery strand hung from the rough bark.
I moved closer.
The hair gleamed even in the dim light. When George carefully lifted one end, I saw that it was much longer than I'd first thought.
"Is that all one hair?"
"One whole hair," Fred replied.
George took off a glove. He held the strand with one hand and worked it free of the bark with the other. He didn't pull. Several times, he shifted his grip to keep from putting too much strain on it.
I watched his fingers. A moment ago, they'd barely stopped joking. Now both of them were concentrating on that fine strand as though the entire expedition depended on it.
One fifth of it did, I supposed.
Fred opened an envelope with folded parchment dividers inside. George laid the hair in one of the compartments, then put his glove back on.
"A good start."
I leaned in for another look before Fred closed the envelope.
After that, I searched with rather more enthusiasm.
Farther on, the snow grew deeper. We followed a hollow between the trees, stepping into Fred's footprints.
It was a sensible arrangement right up until he suddenly sank to his waist.
I stopped so abruptly that George nearly walked into me.
For a second, no one spoke.
Then Fred looked up.
"Don't come this way."
George doubled over laughing. I struggled to keep a straight face too, especially when Fred tried to brace himself against the snow and his elbow sank even deeper.
"Could you help?"
"Of course."
I held out a hand, but then started laughing myself and had to plant my feet more firmly. George caught his brother's other arm. Between us, we hauled him onto solid ground.
Fred brushed down his robes and dug snow out of his collar.
"Not a word."
"About what?" George asked.
"Exactly."
We went around the hollow.
A little farther on, the trees opened into a small clearing. Fred stopped beside two trunks growing close together and looked up at a forked branch overhead.
"This is where we found them last time."
The snow was shallower beneath the trees. Several trails crossed the ground, though I couldn't tell what animals had made them. I followed one, examining the bushes on either side.
This time, we didn't have to wait long.
"Found something," Fred said.
Two hairs were caught on a thorn between the trees. One hung loose; the other had wound itself around the twig several times.
I held the branch steady while Fred slowly worked the strand free. George held the envelope open beneath it.
Up close, I could see how easily one impatient tug might ruin it. Fred's breath misted against his scarf, and his bare fingers were beginning to redden.
At last, he loosened the final loop.
"Got it."
I carefully let go of the branch.
George put both hairs away and fastened the rucksack. We had three, but the afternoon was slipping away faster than I would have liked. I took out my watch.
"We need to leave ourselves enough time to get back."
Fred glanced at the sky through the branches.
"Let's check the far side of the clearing. Then we'll turn round."
He pointed to a line of bushes along the trees. We wouldn't be heading deeper into the Forest, towards the place Frederick had warned me about.
I put my watch away.
"All right. I'll take this side."
I'd managed to check two bushes when we heard barking.
George froze.
A moment later, a voice carried through the trees.
"Fang! Get back here!"
We looked at one another.
George pointed to a fallen tree with a tangle of roots jutting into the air. We hurried behind it and crouched among the bushes. Snow immediately worked its way under the hem of my robes.
I had nothing against Hagrid, but I'd rather have met him some other time. Preferably somewhere I wouldn't have to begin by explaining why I was crouching in the Forbidden Forest with the Weasleys.
Something cracked beyond the trees. I heard heavy footsteps, then another bark.
Fred cautiously peered round the trunk and immediately ducked back.
George sat still beside me, staring down between the roots. He touched my sleeve and pointed at something near the ground.
I didn't get a chance to look.
"Fang! Over here. Come on!"
The dog barked again, from a different direction this time. The footsteps stopped.
I pressed my knee into the frozen ground and waited.
After a moment, Hagrid called again. This time, he sounded distinctly relieved.
"There yeh are. Come on, we're headin' back."
The rustling receded through the trees.
None of us moved straight away. Only when we'd heard nothing but the wind in the branches for a while did Fred peer out again.
"They've gone."
I stretched my stiff leg.
"Then so are we."
"Hang on," George whispered.
He was still looking between the roots.
I crouched beside him. A few dry twigs lay in a sheltered hollow. A fine strand gleamed on one of them, partly trapped beneath a clear layer of ice.
I only spotted the second when George brushed away a little snow.
Fred leaned over our heads.
"You're joking."
George grinned.
"Saw them when we ducked down."
I examined the two hairs. They'd snagged on the twigs, then frozen to the wood when the snow around them had melted and refrozen.
George tried gently moving one end.
"It won't budge."
I drew my wand.
"Wait."
We didn't need fire. I aimed the tip at the icy twig and slowly warmed its surface. After a moment, the ice began to glisten, and the first drop of water appeared beside the root.
George carefully lifted the hair.
"A little more. Here."
I moved my wand.
We worked for several minutes. Fred held the twigs steady, George freed the hairs a little at a time, and I made sure not to apply any more heat than necessary. Water trickled down the bark and dripped onto my sleeve.
At last, George drew his hands away from the roots.
Both hairs were intact.
Fred opened the envelope while I put away my wand and flexed my fingers.
Once the final compartment was closed, we started laughing. Quietly at first, in case Hagrid was still nearby, then a little more freely.
"You two are ridiculously lucky," I said.
"It was a carefully chosen search location," George replied.
"You dived into it when you heard a dog."
"And look how well that worked out."
Fred tucked the envelope into his inside pocket.
"You can discuss our technique on the way."
This time, no one suggested checking one more bush.
It began to snow.
At first, only a few flakes drifted through the branches. Then more followed, settling on our shoulders and slowly filling the footprints we'd left on the way to the clearing.
Fred led, and we followed a little faster than before. We no longer stopped at every pale thread.
My fingers were cold despite my gloves. One sock was damp. Snow had probably slipped into my boot while we were hiding behind the fallen tree.
I was thinking about hot tea when I heard a faint crack to our right.
I stopped.
"Wait."
The twins turned.
Something pale moved between the trees. For a moment, all I could see was part of a flank behind a dark trunk. Then the animal stepped into the open.
A unicorn.
It was larger than I remembered. Its coat looked almost impossibly bright, even against the snow. A long mane fell over its neck, and its spiral horn stood out sharply against the dark trees.
It raised its head.
I stood with one hand still lifted towards the twins, unable to look away.
Snow settled on its back. One ear swivelled towards us. For a moment, it watched calmly, though the tension in its neck suggested it knew exactly where we were.
Fred lowered the hand holding his rucksack strap.
George said nothing.
For the first time that afternoon, none of us had anything to say.
I didn't reach for Trace or try to examine its magic. I watched its nostrils move, its mane shift against its neck, and the snow crumble beneath a hoof as it took a step.
I wanted to remember it exactly as it was.
The unicorn turned its head. For a few seconds, it gazed deeper into the Forest, then walked quietly between the trees. I caught one last glimpse of its pale flank. After that, only the branches moved.
George slowly let out a breath.
"Nice."
I looked at him.
"Nice?"
He hesitated, as though searching for a better word.
"Very nice."
Fred was still staring into the trees.
"You don't often get to see one this close."
"We were lucky," I said.
This time, neither of them claimed it was professionalism.
When we emerged from the trees, there was still daylight over the grounds, though the castle windows were already lit. The wind hit me so hard that I instinctively tucked my chin deeper into my scarf.
A few students were making their way back from the lake. Near the steps, someone was dragging a friend through the snow by the ankles, to laughter and loud protests.
After the quiet of the Forest, everything seemed strangely noisy.
George tapped his brother's pocket.
"Still got it?"
Fred pulled his robes aside just enough to show the edge of the envelope.
"Yes. I haven't sold anything since you last checked."
"Worth asking."
At the side entrance, we brushed off the snow. Water dripped from George's hair, and Fred was still fishing lumps of snow out of his pockets.
My cheeks ached from the cold and from smiling.
"We'll let you know when the buyer confirms they've arrived," George said.
"And you'll get your share once we've been paid," Fred added.
"Good."
Fred glanced at my wet sleeve.
"That spell came in handy."
"You said you knew someone with useful spells."
"We were right."
We parted in the entrance hall. I went straight to change out of my damp socks, then settled by the fire.
I was ready for dinner long before it was served.
Once the food appeared, I helped myself to a generous serving of meat and potatoes.
Blaise studied me over his cup.
"Where were you after lunch?"
"Out for a walk."
Draco put down his fork.
"In this weather?"
"It's less windy under the trees."
They both looked at me a little more closely.
I reached for the gravy.
"I was with Fred and George."
"That doesn't explain much," Blaise observed.
"We got some fresh air."
Draco glanced at my hair, which was still sticking out in several directions despite my attempts to dry it.
"I can see that."
Blaise pushed a platter towards me.
"At least you made it back in one piece."
"And I intend to stay that way tomorrow. Still on for practice?" I asked Draco.
He nodded.
"After lunch. Don't disappear this time."
That evening, I went to bed earlier than usual.
My legs ached from trudging through the snow, but it felt good to stretch them out at last. I pulled up the covers and listened for a while as Blaise turned pages in the next bed.
Five hairs.
In a shop, we could simply have asked for them. It would probably have taken a few minutes.
I remembered Fred stuck waist-deep in the snow and snorted.
"Peverell," Draco said.
"What?"
"I don't want to know."
""I haven't said anything."
"You're making enough noise."
I rolled onto my side. An indistinct shadow slipped past the dark window, but this time nothing tapped the glass.
For a while, there was silence.
"Next time you go somewhere with the Weasleys…" Draco began.
"Yes?"
"At least tell us whether you're coming back before dinner."
I smiled.
"All right. I will."
The mattress beside me creaked softly. Blaise closed his book and put out the light.
I lay awake a little longer. When I closed my eyes, I saw snow settling on a white back, and a unicorn watching us from between the trees.