The Momo Mountains were originally called the Alps.
But since that name clashed with the Muggle version, wizards didn't like sharing names with Muggles, so they changed it.
Even now, plenty of wizards still call the Momo Mountains the Alps.
Muggles can't see the real mountain—it's full of magical creatures.
To protect Muggles, the Ministry of Magic stepped in big time.
Just like with Hogwarts, Muggles only see ruins. To them, the Momo Mountains look like a fenced-off primeval forest.
There's even a "Beware of Wild Bears" sign at the foot of the mountain.
"Are we gonna run into any danger?" Cho Chang asked nervously, glancing at Tom.
She rarely—no, she never—
Cho had never gone on an exciting adventure like this with another student.
An unknown mountain range could be hiding all sorts of dangerous things, like unnamed magical creatures or terrifying trolls.
A mountain this big? It wouldn't be weird if there were dragons.
"Don't worry, Cho. Hold my hand—the path's rough. Watch your step, and whatever you do, don't fall."
Tom reached back toward her.
The warm sunlight poured over him.
He was backlit, and in Cho's eyes, Tom looked like a little sun.
And now that little sun was reaching out to her.
"Thanks."
Cho lowered her head, letting a few strands of hair fall over her ears to hide the slight flush and the shy flutter in her heart.
She'd never realized "Hermione Granger" could be this charming.
No wonder the school had a whole Hermione Fan Club.
Thinking that, Cho stole another glance at Tom's back.
The air carried a sweet, girlish scent—like jasmine mixed with sugar and something else.
She remembered a line she'd read once:
Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
…
"Cho, you zoning out? You can't space out while climbing a mountain," Tom said, gently patting her head.
"Oh, yeah."
"Look over there." Tom pointed at a unicorn under a nearby tree. "I never thought we'd see a unicorn here. I figured they only showed up in the Forbidden Forest, not somewhere like this."
A unicorn!
Cho's inner fangirl couldn't hold back.
Its snow-white coat almost blended into the surrounding snow, but the long, elegant horn on its forehead stood out beautifully.
This unicorn looked a little pitiful—there was a scar on its neck. It had healed, but you could still tell it had been bitten by something nasty.
Tom sniffed the air, and his eyes lit up.
"Hey! It's you!"
The unicorn startled, lifting its head and spotting Tom and Cho nearby.
"Hermione, not so loud—it'll run away," Cho whispered, gently tugging Tom back. She kept her voice low, afraid of disturbing the beautiful creature.
But to her surprise, the unicorn didn't bolt. It trotted straight toward them.
It nuzzled up to Tom, sniffing his scent, then lowered its head as if asking for a pat.
"Huh?" Cho blinked. "What's going on?"
"I saved a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest once. When I saw the scar on its neck, I remembered—and they all have their own unique scent." Tom tapped his nose. "I've got a really good nose. I remember every magical creature I meet."
The unicorn let out a soft whinny, like it was agreeing.
Tom rubbed its neck gently and whispered, "Can you take us to the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks? Please tell them we just need a little bit of their fur and any shed horns."
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks shed their horns. Every winter, they curl up in caves, waiting for their old, thick horns to fall out so new ones can grow.
The unicorn understood. It nodded, bent its legs slightly, and lowered its back.
Tom hopped on and patted the spot behind him. "Come on, Cho. We're going to find the Snorkacks.
There's no Dark Lord here, no scary creatures. We're totally safe."
Cho's jaw dropped.
Was there anything Tom couldn't do?
She'd never imagined she'd one day ride a unicorn, strolling through deep mountains with snow underfoot and sunlight overhead.
In the entire wizarding world, there probably weren't many people who could pull this off—maybe just a handful.
Tom gave her a hand up onto the unicorn's back behind him.
Tom in front, Cho in back—and suddenly Tom got a weird sense of déjà vu.
It felt just like not long ago, when he and Hermione had done something similar.
Only that time it was on a Firebolt, not a unicorn.
Good thing the unicorn didn't share Tom's mischievous streak. It didn't suddenly speed up or slow down—it kept a steady, gentle pace.
"This place is amazing," Cho couldn't help saying.
No noisy crowds, no nasty little wizards causing trouble.
Just endless white snow, and every now and then a magical creature would appear.
They didn't seem bothered by Tom and Cho. They'd glance from a distance, let out a call, and then bow their heads when the unicorn called back—like it was introducing Tom.
"I didn't expect there to actually be a dragon in the Momo Mountains," Tom said, frowning a little. "But it's sleeping right now. It won't bother us. It'll stay hibernating until spring."
"How do you know?"
Tom pointed at the unicorn beneath them. "I don't—but my friend here just told me."
"You… can really understand it?"
"Of course. I'm basically a magical creatures master-in-training. I've got plenty more secrets too."
Soon, the unicorn stopped.
In front of them, five or six Crumple-Horned Snorkacks were rolling around in the snow. Their new little horns had just started growing in—not fully hard yet.
The unicorn bent down again, making it easier for Tom and Cho to slide off.
The Snorkacks immediately went on alert—they were scared of wizards. Wary.
Wizards often tried to hurt them.
The unicorn nudged Tom, signaling them to step back while it talked to the Snorkacks first.
"Cho, let's wait over here."
Tom pulled Cho a little farther away. Their two small hands stayed tightly clasped in the snow, sharing each other's warmth.