Chapter 46: Devils and Unicorns

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November 29th, 1992, 1:33 PM - Sunday

Erik and his big family were just finishing their lunch. They spent most of the morning time talking inside the owner's chambers. Well, at least it was what the woman did. Erik spent most time with a happy Serafall cuddling with him in his lap.

Selena had offered the visitors a tour of the castle, and they did one. They visited most of the famous points inside the castle. The women's favorite spot was the astronomy tower. Being one of the tallest towers of the castle allowed it to give everyone who climbed it a wonderful view of the grounds around. The tour outside the castle would be done after lunch.

As soon as everyone finished their lunch, Sona was pulling Erik from his seat. The castle's Lord followed the little devil with no problem, and got up from his seat while holding her hand.

"Come, big brother. You promised to show me the magical creatures."

Sona demanded from Erik.

"Slow down, Sona. They are not going anywhere."

Erik replied to Sona, slowing her down a little. The women at the table got up from their seats and followed after the duo. Slowly, the big family walked out of the Great Hall and of the castle.

As they put their foot out of the castle, the Scottish cold winds of an almost December afternoon attacked them. Erik could very well ignore the cold winds but he was not alone.

*snap*

He snapped his fingers and applied a spell on everyone's clothes to keep them at a comfortable temperature. All the adults felt Erik's magic, but they chose not to comment. Slowly Erik, with a hopping happy little devil on his hand, walked to the hut that was Hagrid's home. Arriving at the place, Erik found Hagrid taking care of his evergreen patch of giant pumpkins by the hut's back. He walked near, still with Sona holding one of his hands and called for the big man.

"Hagrid!"

Erik spoke loudly, calling for the half-giant's attention. Hagrid looked up from the work that he was doing and saw his 'boss' and his wives near his hut.

"Lord Ravenclaw!"

Hagrid called back, acknowledging that he had heard Erik's call. He put down his tools and walked out of the patch of giant pumpkins.

"Good afternoon, Lord Ravenclaw. How can I help you?"

Hagrid greeted Erik and asked. He had noticed the new faces acompaining his 'boss'.

"Good afternoon, Hagrid. This is my second wife, Serafall Leviathan, and her mother and my mother-in-law, Lady Elleanor Sitri."

Erik said while gesturing to each woman, introducing the two Ladies to Hagrid.

"And this here…"

Erik said, looking at Sona. He then pulled her and quickly took her up in his arms.

"... is Sona Sitri, my little sister-in-law."

Erik finished the introductions, and Sona let out a giggle when Erik had pulled her up in his arms.

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the grounds and keys of Hogwarts."

Hagrid said, proudly stuffing his chest when telling them his position in the castle. Sona let out a little giggle, and Hagrid looked at the little girl in Erik's arms.

"You are tall!"

She said innocently to the big half-giant while smiling.

"Yes, I am."

Hagrid replied to Sona, letting a smile of his own to her. Shame that it was hidden by his thick beard. Erik and the women chuckled at the duo trade.

"Hagrid, I promised Sona to show her some magical creatures, and I was hoping that you could guide us to some of them."

Erik asked Hagrid. It was a good opportunity for them to see Hagrid in action explaining about the creatures to a child. Hagrid agreed immediately

"Of course, Lord Ravenclaw. I would like to guide you all very much. Just need to wash my hands quickly."

Hagrid said and walked to his hut side, where there was a water tap. He quickly washed and dried his hands and went back to the group.

"So, any idea of where you guys want to begin? We have a herd of hippogriffs and thestrals, there are kelpies in the Black Lake together with the Giant Squid and the merfolk, we have some nifflers at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and some murtlaps by the edge of the lake. If we have luck, we can even see some unicorns, but they tend to stay deep into the forest."

Hagrid said, quickly listing all the creatures that he had access to show. Other creatures were being maintained by Professor Kettleburn and were for use during his classes. Hagrid helped the man, of course, but he would not impose that he had control in whom to show the creatures.

"Why don't we let you choose, Hagrid? This way we can visit most magical creatures in less time."

Erik said to Hagrid, who agreed and quickly turned to his hut to get some supplies.

"Let me just get some supplies to attract some of them, Lord Ravenclaw."

Hagrid said and disappeared inside his hut. A minute later, he was back with some dead weasels hanging over his shoulder.

"Let's visit the nifflers first."

Hagrid said and started walking in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, guiding the group.

The experience was a very nice one to everyone, and some of the women had the opportunity to meet magical creatures they had only read about in person. Hagrid managed to explain very well about each creature, answering all questions made by Sona and some of the women. Erik had parted with some sickles so that Sona could pet a niffler. He had too flyed with Sona on the back of a hippogriff, after Hagrid had explained to Sona about how to approach one under the watchful eyes of Erik and Elleonore. The thestrals, fortunately or unfortunately, was something that Sona could not see by herself naturally, but with some help of illusion magic from Erik, the little girl could see the black leathery winged horses. She was not afraid of their appearance and wanted to pet them too, which she managed to do after some bribe in the shape of raw meat that came from one of Hagrid's coat's pockets. The murtlaps approached them with no problems after Hagrid threw a handful of seeds and dry insects on the grounds near their burrows. These ones Sona didn't want to touch. The kelpies came near the shore of the Black Lake after Hagris threw some minced meat in the water. It was near enough to all see them and Hagrid explained about them. From the Giant Squid, the only parts that the group managed to see were some of its tentacles that came above the surface after Hagrid threw some broken cupcakes that he had baked. The merfolk were deep in the waters of the Black Lake, so it was not possible to see them, much to the sadness of magical girl Sona.

The true surprise came when they were starting to walk away from the Black Lake. A couple of unicorns, a male and a female, came to the border of the Forbidden Forest. Sona had stars in her eyes looking at the magical creatures. Hagrid stood in place and said to them all to not make sudden moves.

"Don't make sudden moves. Unicorns rarely trust humans, and when they do, it is normally with women."

Hagrid spoke. Erik stood in place, with Sona in his arms. He could feel the little devil wish to pet them, and he, as a big brother, had the obligation to spoil her little sister. Erik stared at the eyes of the bigger unicorn, the male of the couple, and it stared back at Erik's eyes. They kept staring at each other without breaking eye contact for some intants.

"Joan?"

Erik called his saint wife.

"Erik?"

"Slowly walk to me and take Sona."

Joan said and Erik asked her. She slowly walked to Erik and took Sona in her arms, tightly controlling her light aura to not hurt the little devil.

"Now walk slowly to them. The male will let you and Sona approach them.

Erik said to Joan after she took Sona. She then walked slowly to the unicorn couple. Joan managed to reach the unicorn couple's side and stopped. She stood in place and waited. The next movement was made by the female unicorn. It approached Joan and Sona, and sniffed them a little, like she was searching for some strange smell. Not finding anything strange, it approached both of the girls and let them pet it. Joan extended an arm slowly and petted the unicorn mane. Sona did the same and slowly started to pet it together with Joan. The little girls had stars in place of her eyes. Sona's mother, Elleonore, was smiling happily at that. She just wished to have a camera to take some photos of this historic and sweet moment. The other women were smiling too. The scene was extra beautiful to them. Erik, who was still staring at the male unicorn's eyes, was smiling too.

After Joan and Sona had had enough, Erik gave the male unicorn a short bow. The magical creature gave one bow back and broke eye contact with Erik. The female unicorn then walked away from the girls, to the male's side and both walked back into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. When the unicorn couple disappeared from view, Serafall was the first one to talk, or better, to squeal.

"Sona petted an unicorn! Sona petted an unicorn!"

The grown up magical girls started to repeat herself, until her mother calmed her down.

"I know, Serafall. I just wish that I had a camera in my hands to take some photos."

*sigh*

Elleonore spoke, letting out a sigh after.

"I can get you a picture of the moment. It would have to be a black and white magical one, but I can get one for you."

Selena said to her surrogate mother-in-law. She was thinking about using the Room of Requirements to replicate this scenery and apply some strong illusion magic to revive the encounter and so be able to take some pictures. Soon, she was being hugged by a very happy Serafall and Elleonore.

""Thank you!""

Both said in unison to Selena.

Erik was soon taking back in his arms, from Joan, a watery eyed, but very happy, Sona. Erik embraced the little girl in his chest. He then turned to Hagrid.

"Thank you for the tour, Hagrid. You were amazing, and I have no doubt that you would become a very good teacher for the starter years."

Erik said. Hagrid initially was shocked with what he had heard, but soon he was beaming with the news. He had apparently passed some sort of test.

"Thank you, Lord Ravenclaw."

Hagrid said, thanking Erik.

"Don't need to thank me, Hagrid. Just take your exams and get the requisites to teach the classes."

Erik replied back.

"I will. I already managed to schedule the OWL exam. It will be two weeks before christmas."

Hagrid happily said. He had gone to the Ministry and talked personally to the Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, Madam Griselda Marchbanks. The very old woman had indeed confirmed that he could take his OWLs and NEWTs that didn't need the use of a wand. It was a rarely remembered rule that said that you didn't necessarily need to use your wand during the practical part of the exams, but it existed. It had allowed some squibs to take OWLs and NEWTs for some very specific subjects. Madam Marchbanks had them scheduled Hagrid's OWL for Care of Magical Creatures after agreeing that a man of his size and abilities would have no problem with the practical part of the exam.

"Good."

Erik said back to Hagrid, and turned to walk back to the castle with Joan and the other women with him.

It was nine o'clock and the group were saying their goodbyes to Elleonore and Sona in the almost empty Great Hall. The family had had dinner together and Sona had soon after fallen asleep while hugging Erik. The little devil had a busy day and was dead tired. She was now sleeping in her mother's arms.

"Thank you, Lord Ravenclaw, for receiving us in your castle."

Elleonore said to Erik, going all serious and proper as etiquette demanded.

"You are always welcome here, Lady Sitri."

Erik spoke back, falling into the 'proper' ways again. And with their goodbyes said, the mother and daughter duo disappeared in the middle of motes of blue light produced by a blue magic circle of their clan, leaving Erik and their wifes alone again. But Erik was soon hugged from behind by one of his wives, and he heard her speaking close to his ears.

"I believe that we have something to celebrate, husband."

Erik had instantly recognized Serafall's voice. She had stood back with them using a lame excuse about 'catching up on some pending issues'. Serafall's voice had sent shivers down Erik's spine, and he was already hardening at the thought of what type of celebration this wife of his wanted. And with a slow nod, Erik and his wifes retired themselves to their chambers for a night of wild orgies.

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