Chapter 2. What's Going On?

The school year was inevitably coming to an end. Beams of warm spring sunlight were peeking through gathering clouds. Hermione and Tommy were walking in Oakridge Park on their way home. Their friendship began more than two months ago when Hermione defended Tommy from Jake and his friends. It had grown stronger over time, despite the mockery from their classmates. They offered the much-needed solace to each other in a school where both were seen as outcasts.

Tommy walked in silence, idly kicking a pinecone along the path. Hermione could tell he was hesitating, realizing he had something to say but was struggling to find the right words. She wasn't one who liked guessing or reading between the lines – that just wasn't her style. Hermione stopped and turned to Tommy, asking right away:

"What's up, Tommy? Something on your mind?"

Shuffling his feet in embarrassment, Tommy began:

"I heard today…"—Tommy looked away—"Barbara and her friends were having a laugh, saying you turned down Silverleaf. Is it true? Are you switching to Oakridge Middle School?"—When he said this, he looked back at Hermione, hope flickering in his eyes.

Hermione got why Tommy was worried at once. He was pretty much an average student: not the worst, not the best, and definitely not the most eloquent. Hermione was helping him out with extra tutoring for the last month, but it didn't really change much. Silverleaf was still out of reach for Tommy, and it looked like he was going to end up at Oakridge Middle School.

"Yes, I'm not heading to Silverleaf; I'm going to Oakridge," Hermione said, a playful glint in her eye as she added, "I can't leave you alone to deal with Jake and his crew."

Jake, along with most of his buddies, was headed to the same local school. Though he tended to be rude, Hermione was not as bothered by his blunt insults as she was by Barbara Grayson's more sneaky and hurtful comments. Barbara had a unique talent for making her sarcastic remarks seem all innocent, always knowing how to hurt Hermione the most. Even though Grayson backed off a bit with her bullying, she didn't stop at all. Hermione still found herself coming home in tears now and then. She was really looking forward to the school year being over.

"Wow, that is great!" Tommy blurted out excitedly, taking Hermione's words a bit too seriously. "Just don't worry, okay? I've got your back. And I'll stand up to Jake for you, swear! I even joined a gym, you will see! By next fall, I'm gonna be super strong!"

Saying this, he flexed right arm to show his bicep, which was small and barely noticeable on his skinny forearm. This innocent attempt made Hermione chuckle softly. Thinking she was laughing at him, Tommy's face fell, and he looked hurt. Frowning, he turned and stomped off along the path.

"Tommy, stop! Please, I didn't mean to upset you!" Hermione yelled, running after him.

Tommy, feeling upset, kicked a pinecone hard, and it zipped away towards a gray tabby cat sitting by the path. The cat nimbly jumped aside, avoiding the pinecone just in time. When it landed, it gave Tommy a look that Hermione swore was full of disapproval. Hermione shook her head, trying to dispel that silly thought. "Geez, what an imagination I have..." she thought to herself. But then the cat started to licking its paws, not caring about them anymore and getting back to its cat business. That's when Tommy couldn't keep it in any longer:

"I know!" he said, his voice shaking. "You think I'm just a weakling, not good for anything..."

Hermione quickly caught his hand to stop him from walking away.

"Tommy, no, that's not it at all," she said seriously, "I really like how determined you are and that you're giving it your all. Just so you know, being strong or not doesn't really matter to me. What I value most is your friendship and your kindness, not how strong you are!"

Tommy, a bit embarrassed at first, looked at Hermione, and seemed to cheer up. They kept walking through the park together, just like before.

"Honestly, I was sure you'd pick Silverleaf. That's where all the top students, like you, go," he said with a bit of doubt.

"I thought so too, but a lot has changed lately," Hermione replied, her voice tinged with regret. Deep down, she had really wanted to go to that fancy school.

"That's really cool!" Tommy missed the hint of sadness in her voice, sounding truly happy. "I love our friendship. It'd be bad if we ended up at different schools."

"We'd still be friends, no matter what," Hermione said confidently. "Going to different schools isn't a reason to end a friendship," she added, like she knew what she was talking about.

Tommy gave her a thankful look. His emotions were as clear as day on his face. Hermione really liked his honesty and openness.

"So, how did you get your parents to agree? Did you promise them something?" Tommy asked, curious. "They must have really wanted you at Silverleaf."

"Yes, especially my dad. He was totally against it at first," Hermione said with a slight smile and sighed, "But he changed his mind at the end…"

After their evening chat where Hermione talked about switching to Oakridge School, her dad, John Granger, decided to step in. He figured out Barbara Grayson was at the root of the problem and headed to Hermione's school on Monday, determined to 'sort this out once and for all.' At the school, he found out about the book explosion incident and Barbara suffering from it. By coincidence, Oakridge's mayor, Barbara's dad, was there too. It looked like there was a really tense talk between Hermione's dad and Barbara's in the principal's office. John Granger left the office clearly upset by how things went. Walking out, he nervously adjusted his tie, which was already impeccable, and there was a fire of anger in his eyes. Hermione had never seen her dad so furious before. 'Guess getting under people's skin runs in the Grayson family,' Hermione thought as she gave her dad a goodbye hug.

Watching the school's staff later trying to win over the mayor, with all their apologies and promises, was especially hard for Hermione. They went on and on about what happened during that math lesson, promising to get to the bottom of the explosion. Hermione couldn't forget the mayor's cold, unfriendly glance that landed on her by chance. It was clear Barbara had turned her dad against Hermione, and now he seemed to view her as suspect number one in the explosion.

That evening, after Hermione's dad came home, he and her mom talked for a long time in private. Their conversation stopped whenever Hermione got close. She was left in the dark about the details of their talk but understood it was about the book incident and the chat with the mayor. It was after that day her dad agreed with Hermione's move to Oakridge School and didn't push for Silverleaf anymore.

"Oh! Totally forgot!" Tommy suddenly blurted out, pulling Hermione back from her thoughts. "I need to pick up my little sister from daycare."

He stopped abruptly, glanced at his watch, and after a quick goodbye: "Gotta run, see you tomorrow!" — he rushed off towards the park exit.

Hermione watched him leave. 'So much for a gentleman walking me home...' she thought to herself. Yet, she wasn't ready to head back home. Recalling those tough days made her feel sad. Sighing deeply, she looked around and spotted a bench under the shade of a blooming tree – just the right place for a break. Hermione decided to take a moment for herself, getting comfortable among the park's lively greenery and letting the flower scents distract her from her sadness for a bit. She let herself dwell on her gloomy thoughts for a while, but soon she had enough of it. Taking out her textbooks and notebooks from her bag, Hermione started with her homework, using it as a distraction from the memories that were bothering her.

It wasn't until she felt the first raindrops that Hermione noticed a light spring rain had begun. Still not keen on going home, she tilted her head, hunching her shoulders a bit, and dived into another task. That's when she realized something odd was happening. Except for a few stray drops, the rain seemed to be missing her, as if some invisible shield was keeping her dry. She chose to stay put on the bench, watching the rain perform its magic dance around her. Hermione was struck by this wonder, her mood lifting as the rain seemed to wash away her troubles.

The rain slowed to a stop. Putting her notebook aside and lifting her gaze, Hermione noticed a cat under the bench across from her—the same one Tommy almost hit with a cone. It looked like the cat was watching her. 'Really,' Hermione thought, 'after all that rain magic, a cat keeping tabs on me is the last thing I need.' She shrugged off the strange thought this time.

"Kitty, kitty, come over," she called softly, tapping her knees lightly. The cat tilted its head, as if considering her call.

"Ah, pity I've got nothing on me for you," said Hermione, sighing. "You know, I actually love cats. They're so graceful and, I reckon, pretty smart," she said, lowering her voice like she was telling the cat a secret. "Maybe I should get a cat? What do you think, would you like to live with me?"

Hermione's offer didn't seem to catch the cat's interest; it went back to doing its own thing, then shook off and wandered away. Next time Hermione glanced up from her notes, the cat had vanished. It was quiet around, with just one woman in a weird dark cloak, clutching an umbrella and hurrying down a path.

Realizing it was time for her to head home too, Hermione couldn't help but smile at her suddenly improved mood. She quickly packed up, stood from the bench, and looking up… she burst into laughter. Above her was a branch dense with leaves. 'So, every miracle has its explanation!' Hermione thought, still grinning, 'But there was some real magic here, or else why do I feel so good now?' Light-hearted and chuckling, Hermione jogged home.

***

When the elementary school doors shut behind Hermione for the last time, she felt both relieved and excited. She really hoped that Barbara, with all her endless teasing and mocking, was now left in the past. A new school, new subjects, and, Hermione hoped, new friends lay ahead. Meanwhile, she had the whole summer vacation ahead — a time for freedom and discoveries!

During the first days of her holidays, Hermione let herself completely unwind. She dove into books she never had the chance to read before. Hermione also got into gardening — her latest hobby, turning her home and its surroundings into a little paradise full of blooming plants. But, after a few days of peace, Hermione's familiar craving for learning kicked in. In the quiet evening hours, she started to explore new subjects, aiming to get a head start and get ready for middle school.

Sometimes, Hermione would hang out with Tommy, exploring the area around Oakridge together. Growing up in the countryside, Tommy had picked up a lot of knowledge about plants and animals, and he often drew Hermione in with his stories about them, simple but fascinating. In one of these talks, Hermione told him about what happened in the park that spring day he left her alone, and also about her thoughts on the magical rain and a suspicious cat. They ended up laughing and joking about her vivid imagination, but deep down, Hermione felt a twinge of sadness. From time to time, when she was by herself, a weird mix of nostalgia and yearning for something magical and new would wash over her. During those moments, she'd replay in her head all the strange things that happened to her, picturing herself in a world where there was more than just strict science, but a world full of enticing mysteries.

Hermione didn't let these daydreams take over for too long, though, and she had barely talked about them with anyone except her mom. Her mom always listened with a smile, which was enough for Hermione. Her dad, on the other hand, had zero patience for anything that sounded like fairy tales or miracles. He'd scoff at any mention of the unexplained on the news, asking, "Why do people always have to find silly explanations for natural events?" He shut down any talk that ventured into the unscientific or mysterious, insisting that it was just people not understanding these things yet, trying 'like cavemen to come up with some fantasy or divine reason for them.'

Actually, Hermione often found herself agreeing with her dad, likely inheriting her knack for analytical thinking from him. So, diving in her fantasies didn't last long, only occasionally pulling Hermione in and sparking her desire for adventures. Maybe it was this latent desire that led her sneaking off with Tommy to explore beyond their little town. Together, they'd spend hours wandering on hard-to-spot trails, searching for hidden places in nature.

One day, after coming home from one of these walks, Hermione was particularly excited. Her mom noticed that at once and asked her what happened. Hermione, with a sparkle in her eyes, began to describe an incredibly beautiful and unusual place they had stumbled upon with Tommy.

"We've definitely never been there before," Hermione said, convinced and a bit flushed.

Her dad, smiling skeptically, asked, "Do you really think we could have missed something around Oakridge?"

Hermione understood his skepticism. Her family traveled all of Oakridge's surroundings, and it seemed unbelievable that there could be a place they hadn't explored yet. John Granger would meticulously study the map before each walk, marking new directions to explore. So, the map of the surrounding area was covered in a dense web of dots indicating their past journeys.

"Maybe you're right," Hermione decided not to argue with her father. "I just suggest we go there tomorrow and check it out together."

She figured it would be much more convincing to show him the place rather than try to explain it. Her dad was about to argue - his skeptical look said it all. His trust in his own experience and knowledge made him question the need for another trip. But Hermione's mom beat him to it, by saying:

"Great idea! Why not spend Sunday exploring the woods? We could have a picnic and enjoy the scenery..."

She glanced at John, who, after a brief pause, nodded in agreement.

The next morning, after breakfast, the Granger Family packed what they needed for a picnic and headed out. The weather was perfect: bright sunshine, clear skies, and just the right temperature for a stroll. What more could any nature lover ask for? After parking near the trailhead leading into the forest, they took their backpacks and followed the trail down.

"We've definitely been here before," John Granger said right away. "Do you see that big oak tree?" Hermione's dad pointed toward a slightly scorched tree a bit off the path. "You climbed it last year and ended up covered in soot, remember?"

"Yes, Dad, I remember," she answered, not the least bit embarrassed, "But trust me, the place I'm taking us to is somewhere we've never been before."

Her dad gave a skeptical half-smile, but after a sharp look from his wife, he said:

"Alright, lead the way to this amazing place." His tone was still laced with doubt.

Hermione confidently led the way for their little group. Her dad kept making comments from behind, pointing out different sights and talking about their past visits. This attempt of his, to be always right, slightly annoyed Hermione. Yet, she brushed it off, focusing on their nearing destination. Eventually, the twisting path led them to a hidden spot, encircled by tall trees and bushy shrubs, with a small passage peeking through. Stepping through it, Hermione's parents were struck by the scene they saw ahead.

They found themselves in a large clearing bathed in sunlight. Tall, majestic trees surrounded it, creating the feel of a private garden hidden within the forest. The clearing was dotted with flowers sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow, some of which Hermione and her parents had never seen before. Butterflies danced from one flower to another, adding even more beauty to the stunning scene.

"Oh!" Hermione's mom gasped, "It's like something out of a fairy tale!"

Her eyes sparkled, trying to take in everything at once, soaking up the beauty before her.

"Sorry, Hermione," her dad mumbled, '"I was an idiot not to believe you!" he said, looking around in amazement. "This is incredible! How did we ever miss such a wonderful place?"

A pleased smile appeared on Hermione's face. Her dad did not hesitate to admit he was wrong the moment he saw the place himself. It looked even more magical in the morning light than in the evening when Hermione and Tommy had stumbled upon it. Back then, they could only stay for a few minutes, as dusk was falling fast, and they needed to get home before dark. Now, the sunlight flooded everything, making each color brighter and adding even more enchanting hues to the place.

Hermione's mom picked a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers. Surprisingly, one of the flowers left an odd scratch on her hand, similar to marks of tiny teeth bites. This funny incident turned into a joke: they all made light-hearted comments about how a small flower had attacked her. Despite the little mishap, it just made their adventure more fun. Laughter and exclamations of delight popped up here and there, as family members kept finding new plants or bugs, they'd never seen before.

As they took a break for a picnic, feeling a bit tired yet content, her dad couldn't help but exclaim with wonder:

"What an amazing place this is! I had no idea our area was home to so many unknown plants. It's fantastic! We've got to show this spot to the Wilsons; I bet they've never heard of it either."

"They definitely haven't," Emma agreed, taking a sip of her coffee, "otherwise they would've already taken us here."

After the picnic, they continued their walk with joy. The clearing wasn't the only place filled with wonders; the path took them deeper into the woods, towards new discoveries. Hermione, captivated by another flower, turned to call her mom over but then saw her mom wincing in pain. The flower's 'bite' wasn't as harmless as they thought.

"Mom, are you alright?" Hermione's voice showed her worry.

Emma Granger attempted to mask her pain with a smile:

"Yeah, sweetheart, I'm fine," she tried to keep calm, not wanting to ruin their beautiful adventure. "What's that you've found?"

Hermione pointed out the flower, and as her mom came closer, Hermione noticed her hand - the skin around the scratches was clearly inflamed.

"Mom, we should head back, it looks pretty bad," Hermione couldn't hide her concern anymore.

"It's nothing, Hermione!" Emma started, but then John, having a look at the injury, cut the discussion short.

"We need to go back," he stated simply.

Heading home, Hermione kept looking around. Suddenly, beyond the trees to the right, something moving caught her eye. She stepped off the path to see it better and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mom! Dad! Look!" she exclaimed, surprised, her voice louder with excitement. She pointed at the forest's edge, where mysterious shapes could be seen between the trees. "Look at those weird horses! They're like unicorns from fairy tales!"

Her parents, hearing Hermione, followed her lead, while she faced her family, her eyes wide with wonder and disbelief:

"We've really found unicorns!"

But, looking at the clearing, Hermione's mom, with a gentle smile, said:

"Honey, are you sure they're unicorns?"

Hermione, still lost in the moment's magic, answered:

"But look at them! How else would you explain those horns?"

John glanced at his daughter with a bit of reproach and pointed to the simple things:

"Honey, let's be real here. It looks like someone who, just like you, adores fairy tales, decided to turn their white horses into 'unicorns' by attaching cardboard horns to their heads..." He paused, but seeing his daughter's face fall, and quickly softened his tone, "But it does look pretty magical, doesn't it?"

Then, John gave a gentle smile and added:

"Still, we know, unicorns only live in fairy tales. Plus, if you look closer, you'll notice these so-called unicorns are tied to a tree, just like regular horses."

Hermione took another careful look at the 'unicorns'. Now, she noticed the ropes. 'Dad might be right,' she thought with a sigh. Another miracle turned out to be just her imagination. She shifted her gaze from the horse's 'horn' to its eyes… and froze. The 'unicorn's' eyes seemed to beg for help. Hermione felt as if the unicorn's eyes were pulling her in, with a force she could not resist. She stepped forward, once, then again.

"Hermione! Where are you going?" her father's voice came, surprised.

"We need to free them," Hermione said, almost in a trance.

"Are you kidding me?" John held her back. "They belong to someone, and their owners must be nearby. I'm sure they won't appreciate this kind of 'help.'"

"But Dad..." Hermione tried to protest.

"No 'but Dad'," her father insisted. "We can't just free other people's animals. And we really need to get going. Your mom needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. I'm worried about how those wounds look."

Hermione couldn't argue with that logic. She kept turning back to look at the white horses with cardboard horns. She longed to help them but knew her father was right—they had to hurry. All the way home, she couldn't stop thinking about them. 'Why would anyone attach those silly horns to them? And those eyes—they couldn't belong to just any animal...' She wrestled with her thoughts, but Hermione couldn't simply shake off all the magical and strange things they'd encountered today in that enchanted sanctuary...

***

Emma Granger's wounds were pretty bad, forcing her to stay home for a few days with her daughter by her side. Hermione took charge of the household, helping her mom with everything she could, and gradually, her memories of fascinating adventures began to fade. Sometimes, already lying in bed, Hermione wondered what had struck her so deeply about the 'unicorn's' gaze? Was it just the enchantment of that beautiful spot wrapping her in its charm?

By the next Saturday, Emma felt a lot better, and John was keen to take them, along with the Wilsons, back to that same preserve. He really wanted to show off the place to his friends. Hermione had plans to meet Tommy that day, so she opted out of the hike. Besides, hanging out with the Wilsons didn't sound as fun as a family-only trip.

"Mom, just don't go picking any flowers there this time," she warned her mom before she left.

Emma Granger gave a knowing smile and promised not to touch anything in the woods. Once her parents left, Hermione got on with her stuff: she read a bit, cleaned up her room, and started caring for the flowers. Suddenly, a car pulled up to the house, and soon enough, she could hear her parents' loud voices outside. 'Back already?' Hermione wondered, worried, 'I hope Mom's okay.' The door flung open, and John and Emma Granger walked in, looking puzzled.

"What's up?" Hermione asked them, concerned. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, darling," her mom replied, a bit distantly.

Hermione gave her dad a questioning look, and he, after a slight pause, started:

"Um. So... you know we planned to go to that reserve with the Wilsons... where that flower bit your mom?"

"Yes" Hermione replied, still confused about what was going on. "But why did you return so quickly?"

Her dad exchanged looks with her mom and quietly said:

"We didn't find it..."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "How could you not find it?" she asked. "You made an effort to remember that spot. Plus, you're really good at finding your way around that forest."

"That's exactly what puzzles me," he replied, looking bewildered. "On the way to the forest, we were telling the Wilsons about the amazing plants and everything else we'd seen there... They didn't really believe us, but they still wanted to see for themselves and prove us wrong..."

"That reminds me of someone," Hermione said with a smile, winking at her mom, who just gave a weak smile back.

"Yes, yes..." her dad responded distractedly, "And here's the strange part: when we got to the place and didn't find the entrance, I first thought we'd just lost our way. We were chatting so merrily on the way that we could've easily missed the right turn. Deciding to go over the route again, I paid close attention to the path, but it turned out there was no entrance at all. There was just a dense thicket we couldn't get through. And, if that is not enough, the trees in that area were much smaller than I remembered…"

As her dad told his tale, Hermione felt a chill creep down her back. She suddenly recalled how, just a few days back, Tommy had also mentioned he couldn't find that spot when he tried to show it to his family. Back then, she had just laughed it off and promised that they'd go together in a few days, so Tommy could learn the way by heart. But now, hearing about a similar thing happening to her parents, Hermione knew this was no coincidence.

Worried, Hermione grabbed the watering can, went over to one of her flowers on the living room windowsill, and started watering it. Listening to her dad go on, she turned to him, and the flower slipped from her view.

"...The Wilsons laughed over our magical plant stories the whole way back," her dad kept on, "They were dead set on believing we'd just made the whole thing up. But then..." he suddenly cut off, locking eyes on Hermione. A look of growing surprise spread across his face.

Hermione scowled, then, catching her dad's look, glanced at the flower she was watering and froze. It was growing insanely fast right in front of her: new shoots were popping up from the ground, quickly getting leaves and blooming into buds right away. Hermione's mom gasped and collapsed into the closest chair. Her dad, swallowing a lump in his throat, looked back and forth from Hermione to his wife, obviously stunned by what was going on.

Feeling a weird guilt creep up on her, Hermione put the watering can down and bolted to her room, leaving her parents bewildered in the living room. Everything that had just happened knocked her for a loop. Her brain, always up for analyzing and logic, refused to accept the freaky stuff unfolding around her, but it was getting impossible to deny obvious facts.

***

Two days had flown by since the weird flower incident, with no clue about what actually happened. Hermione had been cooped up in her room since, trying to crack what was going on. Tommy called her out to walk, but she wasn't in the mood to get out, especially with her eyes swollen from crying. The whole thing was freaking her out.

John Granger got over the shock pretty fast. His first move was to pull the flower out of its pot to check for any hidden gimmicks. It was just a regular pot with a regular flower. Then he started digging through the library, looking for anything that could explain the freaky growth of the flower. John was on the lookout for a magician's trick that could've done something like that. But no luck finding an explanation for the 'miracle'. He even pressed Hermione for answers when she finally stepped out of her room, asking how on earth she pulled it off. She ended up crying again and ran back to her room, leaving her dad in the living room with her mom giving him a disapproving look.

Monday evening rolled around. John and Emma Granger sat silently in their living room, frowning. John couldn't accept what had happened, and Emma was done trying to convince him to drop it and forget about the whole thing. Hermione was still holed up in her room. Even though it was mid-summer, the weather outside took a nosedive, with the wind picking up and adding to the gloomy vibe at the Grangers'. Thunder rumbled in the distance, hinting at a storm brewing.

Hermione's dad let out a sigh, reaching for another magic tricks' magazine... Then, the unexpected sound of the doorbell cut through the evening's quiet. John shot a nervous look at his wife – they weren't expecting anyone – and went to open the door.