HP/SM: Of Unicorn and Men
Title: Of Unicorns and Men
Author: lolafalola
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Scorpius Malfoy
Age Disparity: (41/15 (prologue) -- 47/21 (remainder of the story))
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy was the first boy at Hogwarts to touch a unicorn.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe - all recognisable characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowling and her associates. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
Warning(s): Character death (not Harry or Scorpius)
Word Count: ~ 30,000
Author's Notes: I would like to thank my tireless friend, MystressXOXO, as a beta and cheerleader, and, snapesgirl_62 my last minute reviewer for all their help. I tweaked it after they made their meticulous corrections - all errors are my own.
This was my submittal for HP_SAS
Prologue
Fall 2021
Scorpius Malfoy was the first boy at Hogwarts to touch a unicorn.
It was not the first time any male had done so, but it was so rare that it made the back pages of The Evening Prophet and gave him a small amount of notoriety for a few days.
Growing up, he had always been fond of the animals at the manor, preferring to spend his time in the stables rather than reading in the library or practicing his arithmetic. By the time he was ten, he was already helping in the feeding and caring of the peacocks, dogs, and crups. He was an accomplished horse rider, having received his first horse when he was five, and was even known to be able to coerce a bowtruckle out of its tree.
So, it did not surprise Scorpius, on that fall day during his fifth year at Hogwarts, that he was able to successfully approach and stroke the unicorns when they had been shown during their Care of Magical Creatures class. On the other hand, it did surprise Professor Gamp as she was ready to scold the boy for scaring them off, but once she saw how the unicorns became less skittish around the youth, she marveled at his technique and mentioned that he might want to think of pursuing a career in the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
He thanked her for the thoughtful career advice but said that he didn’t think he would be cut out for the amount of paperwork and politics the job required. Not being discouraged, Professor Gamp insisted that Scorpius should at least go see the old Groundskeeper, Reubus Hagrid, to learn what he could about the creatures. There weren’t many people who could touch, much less repeatedly stroke, a unicorn, and this may be an opportunity worth pursuing.
That evening, immediately after dinner, Scorpius made his way down to the old Groundskeeper’s hut.
From the outside, the building looked more like a hovel than a cabin. The wood was deteriorating in places, burnt almost to ash in others, leaning extremely to one side, and the roof looked more like a patchwork quilt than a uniform covering. If it hadn’t been for the magic applied to it, the structure would have disintegrated decades ago. As it was now, Scorpius thought it was magnificent and felt at ease for one of the few times since he started Hogwarts. The earthy smells of hay, animals, and outdoors rushed to Scorpius’ senses, and instead of being revolted by it, as his father and grandfather might have been, he was ecstatic as it reminded him of the stables back home.
Before he knocked, he could hear barking from within the hut. Eventually, it was quieted down by a deep human voice as the shuffling of shoes and such were made right before the door opened.
“Hang on, Fifi, it’s jus’ a kid from the school.” As Hagrid turned from the boarhound, a descendant of Fang, to Scorpius, his eyes narrowed when he saw the white blond-haired youth. “Who are yeh? Speak-up! I don’ hear as good as I once did.”
Using the manners he was taught as a child, Scorpius introduced himself to Hagrid and explained the events that happened that morning in his class that brought him down to the elderly man’s home.
“Well, don’ jus’ stand there. Come in, make yerself at home, and we’ll talk abou’ the unicorns. Yeh say yer got to stroke it fer a bit? I’ve seen such before but only with the girls.
“Would yeh care fer a spot o’ tea? I’d have more but the kids who used ter visit haven’ bin down fer mos’ o’ the year. I hear from Professor Gamp that yeh are good with the animals, but ter touch a unicorn is a special honor. They scare easily, but they’re fierce, powerful, an’ proud. One o’ the finest animals there is.”
“Well, Mr. Hagrid -“
“Jus’ call me Hagrid, everyone else does.”
“Well, Hagrid, it was mainly about the unicorns and some of the other creatures in the forest I was wondering about. Professor Gamp said that you know more about the creatures in the Forbidden Forest than anyone. I have always felt more comfortable around animals than people, and this is the year we need to decide a career path. So, I was wondering if I could talk to you about what it takes to be the Hogwarts Keeper of the Keys and Grounds?”
Hagrid’s eyes gleamed with a light that had never been seen before. He had always hoped to find a person who was as interested in animals and magical creatures as he was, and now it looked as if he had finally found a student he shared this passion with.
Thus began a friendship between the two men, some seventy years in age difference but bound by an interest that obsessed them both.
Two and a Half Years Later - Spring 2024
“So, you’re telling me that there was an actual live Basilisk living in Hogwarts plumbing for seven hundred years, and nobody knew about it? You’ve told some outrageous tales before, Hagrid, but I’m having trouble believing this one. They’re not even indigenous to this area. Where did it come from?” Scorpius asked.
He was down at Hagrid’s hut to chat with the older man, something he did most days. They had become very good friends over the last two years. In Scorpius, Hagrid had found an apprentice to pass down his wealth of information concerning animals, the Forbidden Forest, and the great outdoors. In Hagrid, Scorpius had finally found a mentor who appreciated his passion and natural abilities for wanting to raise, protect, and breed animals.
“I wish I was lyin’ Scorp’, but it all came out abou’ thirty years ago, back when yer father was at school. I don’ know if he’d known, but yeh can ask him when yeh finish school. An ol’ friend o’ mine was the one tha’ saw it an’ -”
Knock, Knock, Knock
Fifi jumped up from her blanket and rushed the door, wildly barking at the person on the other side.
“Back, Fifi, back! Yer goin’ ter scare them off befer I can answer the door.”
Hagrid rose from his chair, his movements had slowed considerably in the last few years. Officially, he was still the Groundskeeper, but the title was in name only. The headmistress didn’t have the heart to turn the old man out and kept him on.
Knock, Knock
“Hang on, keep yer robes on. Fifi, back!” The dog was now just emitting a low growl as she worked her way back to her blanket.
Hagrid opened the door, straightened his back, and threw open his arms as he shouted in excitement at the late evening visitor.
“Harry! How are yeh? I didn’ expect ter see yeh. What brings yeh the Hogwarts? Are yeh gues’ lecturin’ agin? Come in, come in.
“Scorpius Malfoy, this is Harry Potter. Now he can tell yeh abou’ the Basilisk at the school. Harry, this is Scorpius Malfoy, Draco an’ Astoria’s son.”
Scorpius stood to shake the famous Auror’s hand. He had seen the man from time to time and had been to a few of his Defense Against the Dark Arts lectures up until fifth year when he had given up the subject. Until today, however, he had never actually met the man.
Harry was taller than Scorpius originally thought. The man had grey hair around his temples, with laugh lines around his eyes. The famous scar on his forehead was now just a minor mark. He kept in excellent condition with broad shoulders that narrowed to a tapered waist. Scorpius thought the man looked very attractive for an older man. His handshake was firm, and he noticed that the hands were calloused like his own. Scorpius thought that was always a good sign. He looked Scorpius in the eyes and said, “Hello, Scorpius, it’s nice to meet you.”
Scorpius was impressed with Harry Potter who didn’t seem nearly as unhinged as his father described him. He was a good friend of Hagrid’s, and anyone who was a good friend of Hagrid’s couldn’t be too unsound.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter,” Scorpius said while shaking Harry’s hand. He then turned to Hagrid and said, “Listen, Hagrid, it’s getting late, and I need to head back to the castle before I get a detention. You two look like you have a lot to catch-up on, so I’ll drop by in a few days. I’ve got a Potions and a Herbology essay to write that’s due in a couple of days. Once I turn them in, I’ll drop by again.”
When Hagrid and Harry began to protest, Scorpius belied their protests and insisted they sit down and catch-up. He then made his way to Fifi, gently scratching the back of the dog’s ears before he headed out the door into the evening twilight.
After the young man left, the two older men sat down and began pouring draughts of mead. It had been several months since Harry had come down to visit his oldest wizarding friend. Several personal, significant events had happened since they had last spoke, and there was a momentary awkwardness to their conversation.
“So, that was Draco Malfoy’s son? What was he doing down here? It didn’t sound like he was down here for a detention. Did he come here with a question on one of those assignments or something?” Harry couldn’t understand for the life of him why a former Death Eater’s son was talking to Hagrid and why Hagrid seemed so at ease with him.
“Nah, he’s bin comin’ down ter talk ter me fer the las’ two years. He loves animals, an’ he’s quite an interestin’ idea o’ what ter do after he finishes school.”
Harry had seen some of Hagrid’s past experiments before and was a bit resistant to ask what he thought would be ‘interesting’.
“Well, as long as it’s legal, I’d be interested to hear it. Tell me all about it,” Harry said as he began to drink his mead.
Chapter One
Author: lolafalola
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Scorpius Malfoy
Age Disparity: (41/15 (prologue) -- 47/21 (remainder of the story))
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy was the first boy at Hogwarts to touch a unicorn.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe - all recognisable characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowling and her associates. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
Warning(s): Character death (not Harry or Scorpius)
Word Count: ~ 30,000
Author's Notes: I would like to thank my tireless friend, MystressXOXO, as a beta and cheerleader, and, snapesgirl_62 my last minute reviewer for all their help. I tweaked it after they made their meticulous corrections - all errors are my own.
This was my submittal for HP_SAS
Prologue
Fall 2021
Scorpius Malfoy was the first boy at Hogwarts to touch a unicorn.
It was not the first time any male had done so, but it was so rare that it made the back pages of The Evening Prophet and gave him a small amount of notoriety for a few days.
Growing up, he had always been fond of the animals at the manor, preferring to spend his time in the stables rather than reading in the library or practicing his arithmetic. By the time he was ten, he was already helping in the feeding and caring of the peacocks, dogs, and crups. He was an accomplished horse rider, having received his first horse when he was five, and was even known to be able to coerce a bowtruckle out of its tree.
So, it did not surprise Scorpius, on that fall day during his fifth year at Hogwarts, that he was able to successfully approach and stroke the unicorns when they had been shown during their Care of Magical Creatures class. On the other hand, it did surprise Professor Gamp as she was ready to scold the boy for scaring them off, but once she saw how the unicorns became less skittish around the youth, she marveled at his technique and mentioned that he might want to think of pursuing a career in the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
He thanked her for the thoughtful career advice but said that he didn’t think he would be cut out for the amount of paperwork and politics the job required. Not being discouraged, Professor Gamp insisted that Scorpius should at least go see the old Groundskeeper, Reubus Hagrid, to learn what he could about the creatures. There weren’t many people who could touch, much less repeatedly stroke, a unicorn, and this may be an opportunity worth pursuing.
That evening, immediately after dinner, Scorpius made his way down to the old Groundskeeper’s hut.
From the outside, the building looked more like a hovel than a cabin. The wood was deteriorating in places, burnt almost to ash in others, leaning extremely to one side, and the roof looked more like a patchwork quilt than a uniform covering. If it hadn’t been for the magic applied to it, the structure would have disintegrated decades ago. As it was now, Scorpius thought it was magnificent and felt at ease for one of the few times since he started Hogwarts. The earthy smells of hay, animals, and outdoors rushed to Scorpius’ senses, and instead of being revolted by it, as his father and grandfather might have been, he was ecstatic as it reminded him of the stables back home.
Before he knocked, he could hear barking from within the hut. Eventually, it was quieted down by a deep human voice as the shuffling of shoes and such were made right before the door opened.
“Hang on, Fifi, it’s jus’ a kid from the school.” As Hagrid turned from the boarhound, a descendant of Fang, to Scorpius, his eyes narrowed when he saw the white blond-haired youth. “Who are yeh? Speak-up! I don’ hear as good as I once did.”
Using the manners he was taught as a child, Scorpius introduced himself to Hagrid and explained the events that happened that morning in his class that brought him down to the elderly man’s home.
“Well, don’ jus’ stand there. Come in, make yerself at home, and we’ll talk abou’ the unicorns. Yeh say yer got to stroke it fer a bit? I’ve seen such before but only with the girls.
“Would yeh care fer a spot o’ tea? I’d have more but the kids who used ter visit haven’ bin down fer mos’ o’ the year. I hear from Professor Gamp that yeh are good with the animals, but ter touch a unicorn is a special honor. They scare easily, but they’re fierce, powerful, an’ proud. One o’ the finest animals there is.”
“Well, Mr. Hagrid -“
“Jus’ call me Hagrid, everyone else does.”
“Well, Hagrid, it was mainly about the unicorns and some of the other creatures in the forest I was wondering about. Professor Gamp said that you know more about the creatures in the Forbidden Forest than anyone. I have always felt more comfortable around animals than people, and this is the year we need to decide a career path. So, I was wondering if I could talk to you about what it takes to be the Hogwarts Keeper of the Keys and Grounds?”
Hagrid’s eyes gleamed with a light that had never been seen before. He had always hoped to find a person who was as interested in animals and magical creatures as he was, and now it looked as if he had finally found a student he shared this passion with.
Thus began a friendship between the two men, some seventy years in age difference but bound by an interest that obsessed them both.
Two and a Half Years Later - Spring 2024
“So, you’re telling me that there was an actual live Basilisk living in Hogwarts plumbing for seven hundred years, and nobody knew about it? You’ve told some outrageous tales before, Hagrid, but I’m having trouble believing this one. They’re not even indigenous to this area. Where did it come from?” Scorpius asked.
He was down at Hagrid’s hut to chat with the older man, something he did most days. They had become very good friends over the last two years. In Scorpius, Hagrid had found an apprentice to pass down his wealth of information concerning animals, the Forbidden Forest, and the great outdoors. In Hagrid, Scorpius had finally found a mentor who appreciated his passion and natural abilities for wanting to raise, protect, and breed animals.
“I wish I was lyin’ Scorp’, but it all came out abou’ thirty years ago, back when yer father was at school. I don’ know if he’d known, but yeh can ask him when yeh finish school. An ol’ friend o’ mine was the one tha’ saw it an’ -”
Knock, Knock, Knock
Fifi jumped up from her blanket and rushed the door, wildly barking at the person on the other side.
“Back, Fifi, back! Yer goin’ ter scare them off befer I can answer the door.”
Hagrid rose from his chair, his movements had slowed considerably in the last few years. Officially, he was still the Groundskeeper, but the title was in name only. The headmistress didn’t have the heart to turn the old man out and kept him on.
Knock, Knock
“Hang on, keep yer robes on. Fifi, back!” The dog was now just emitting a low growl as she worked her way back to her blanket.
Hagrid opened the door, straightened his back, and threw open his arms as he shouted in excitement at the late evening visitor.
“Harry! How are yeh? I didn’ expect ter see yeh. What brings yeh the Hogwarts? Are yeh gues’ lecturin’ agin? Come in, come in.
“Scorpius Malfoy, this is Harry Potter. Now he can tell yeh abou’ the Basilisk at the school. Harry, this is Scorpius Malfoy, Draco an’ Astoria’s son.”
Scorpius stood to shake the famous Auror’s hand. He had seen the man from time to time and had been to a few of his Defense Against the Dark Arts lectures up until fifth year when he had given up the subject. Until today, however, he had never actually met the man.
Harry was taller than Scorpius originally thought. The man had grey hair around his temples, with laugh lines around his eyes. The famous scar on his forehead was now just a minor mark. He kept in excellent condition with broad shoulders that narrowed to a tapered waist. Scorpius thought the man looked very attractive for an older man. His handshake was firm, and he noticed that the hands were calloused like his own. Scorpius thought that was always a good sign. He looked Scorpius in the eyes and said, “Hello, Scorpius, it’s nice to meet you.”
Scorpius was impressed with Harry Potter who didn’t seem nearly as unhinged as his father described him. He was a good friend of Hagrid’s, and anyone who was a good friend of Hagrid’s couldn’t be too unsound.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter,” Scorpius said while shaking Harry’s hand. He then turned to Hagrid and said, “Listen, Hagrid, it’s getting late, and I need to head back to the castle before I get a detention. You two look like you have a lot to catch-up on, so I’ll drop by in a few days. I’ve got a Potions and a Herbology essay to write that’s due in a couple of days. Once I turn them in, I’ll drop by again.”
When Hagrid and Harry began to protest, Scorpius belied their protests and insisted they sit down and catch-up. He then made his way to Fifi, gently scratching the back of the dog’s ears before he headed out the door into the evening twilight.
After the young man left, the two older men sat down and began pouring draughts of mead. It had been several months since Harry had come down to visit his oldest wizarding friend. Several personal, significant events had happened since they had last spoke, and there was a momentary awkwardness to their conversation.
“So, that was Draco Malfoy’s son? What was he doing down here? It didn’t sound like he was down here for a detention. Did he come here with a question on one of those assignments or something?” Harry couldn’t understand for the life of him why a former Death Eater’s son was talking to Hagrid and why Hagrid seemed so at ease with him.
“Nah, he’s bin comin’ down ter talk ter me fer the las’ two years. He loves animals, an’ he’s quite an interestin’ idea o’ what ter do after he finishes school.”
Harry had seen some of Hagrid’s past experiments before and was a bit resistant to ask what he thought would be ‘interesting’.
“Well, as long as it’s legal, I’d be interested to hear it. Tell me all about it,” Harry said as he began to drink his mead.
Chapter One