Not My Niffler
A/N:
Team subject: Care of Magical Creatures
Beater 1 prompt: Write about someone's passion for the subject
Optional prompts: 3 (word) procrastinate, 12 (word) throw
Character/ student chosen: Walden Macnair
Word count: 2995 words (according to Gdocs)
"Don't procrastinate; the sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave," Emelda huffed.
"I don't know why they even bother making us take the subject. It's not like we need to know how to handle Doxies in the future," her friend replied.
"Well, at least some of us won't."
Walden gritted his teeth, knowing that, without a doubt, Emelda Bulstrode was pointing a finger at his back as she said this, her sniggers growing more irritating by the minute. It was no secret that Walden's family didn't live in a manor, and Bulstrode never missed a chance to remind him. It was all he could do to prevent himself from turning around and clobbering the maddening witch.
"Oh, do shut up, Bulstrode! Jealousy isn't attractive," Jason Avery quipped, catching up to the group as they marched down the grassy hill, and fell into step beside Walden.
"And why exactly would she be jealous?" Dolores Umbridge piped up.
Jason turned around, a smirk on his lips. "Well, dear Dolores, it's clear that Bulstrode has no chance of joining the Slug Club—not when she can barely tell the difference between gillyweed and beetle's eyes." Emelda huffed indignantly as he continued, "So now she's hoping that Kettleburn will make her his favourite, despite the fact that he prefers students with actual brains like Walden here. Isn't that right, mate?"
Walden lifted a brow as he eyed Jason, questioning—not for the first time—how the boy ever made any friends, when that was his best attempt at providing support. Dolores scoffed at Jason's words and, turning to Emelda with one pudgy finger lifted to her lips, mimed throwing up.
Clapping Walden on the shoulder as the girls behind them burst into a fit of giggles, Jason rolled his brown eyes. "Just ignore them, mate. I actually like this class, too—it's an easy pass. It certainly beats sitting in a stuffy classroom all day," he said, looking up and smiling at the clear, blue sky.
Hearing the girls' continued laughter, Walden shrugged Jason's hand off and turned back. Narrowing his steely blue eyes, he glared at the girls, causing Emelda's cheeks to turn red. Then, satisfied that they wouldn't utter another word on the subject, at least for now, he turned around and continued walking.
Walden had a perfectly good reason as to why he loved Care of Magical Creatures, and it had nothing to do with its 'easiness'. Since the age of five, he had relied on the mice that hid in the walls of his house to keep him company, to talk to—when his parents were too busy fighting to pay attention to him. When he came to Hogwarts, he had to leave them behind, thus replacing his furry friends with humans who were always too busy comparing each other's wealth or skill. He now had a perfect excuse to be around creatures who would listen to him even when he remained silent.
To Walden, magical beasts were the only living things worth being around. They were loyal, understanding, and best of all, would never let him down.
"Gather 'round," the professor began as the group of Slytherins finally made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "Now, as you can see behind me, we're moving on from Murtlap and have something new to study. Can anyone tell me what they are?" the professor asked, waving his stump of a left arm at a small, fenced area.
Inside the wooden fence, small, furry, rodent-like creatures were waddling around. Their long snouts were pressed to the ground, brown and green from the dirt and grass. A few Hufflepuffs uttered 'awws', yet none answered.
Heaving a sigh of annoyance, Walden raised his hand. "They're Nifflers, sir."
"Quite right! Ten points to Slytherin," Professor Kettleburn exclaimed, beaming at Walden. With twinkling eyes, he turned his attention back to the class. "Now, what do you suppose they're doing?"
The class eyed the small black creatures. One Hufflepuff, Mary-Jane Oswald, raised her hand timidly. "Erm, are they… sniffing for food?"
"Not exactly, dear, but you're close."
Walden rolled his eyes, raising his hand yet again. Without waiting for Professor Kettleburn to acknowledge him, he stated, "They're searching for treasure. It's a well-known fact that Nifflers are used by Goblins to search for materials they can use in their products."
"Well done! Another ten points to Slytherin! Yes, these beauties are indeed looking for treasure, but I'm afraid they won't find it yet. Which brings me to the lesson—for the next six months, you will be paired up and given a Niffler to look after. At the end of the period, we will see who has managed to raise the best sniffer with a little treasure hunt."
Walden walked up to the pen and waited until the professor sorted out a few silly girls who couldn't choose which 'best friend' they wanted to work with, before opening the gate and letting himself in. Soon, the rest of the class followed, and they ran to various Nifflers, choosing the strongest or cutest creatures.
"Incompetent gits," he muttered under his breath, striding over to the smallest of Nifflers.
Bending down and reaching out a steady hand to it, he respectfully allowed the creature to sniff his hand. Its black fur was thin and soft, chocolate eyes slightly cloudy as they peered cautiously into his own. Lowering his hand to its head, Walden patted the Niffler. Yes, he would raise this one.
"Maybe if I send her a card, or a bunch of flowers or something, she'll be flattered, won't she? I mean, she's got to be, not many guys are after red-heads like her."
Walden ignored Jason's constant chatter about his latest crush, watching Snuffles' nose intently. His Niffler still seemed to be having breathing problems—a whistle often escaping his nostrils. He knew Snuffles' snout was slightly more bent compared to what it should be at his age, but he had hoped that the aloe-vera concoction he had ordered would have helped with the air flow by now.
Despite his concern, his lips tugged into a soft smile as Snuffles began to crawl up his arm, the soft pads of the Niffler's paws tickling his skin. Snuffles continued upwards until he reached Walden's ear, whiskers tickling it as he sniffed.
"You're a hungry little bugger, aren't you?" Walden reached into the paper bag in front of him. Pulling out a wriggling brown Flobberworm, he allowed Snuffles to take it out of his hand and munch on it. "There you go, fella."
"Oi, mate, are you even listening?" Jason demanded.
Walden glanced at him and shrugged, turning back to Snuffles and striking his now silky, thick, black coat.
Looking incredulous, Jason shook his head. "I mean, I knew you were passionate—but doing all this?"
Walden looked at him disinterestedly. "What?"
"This." Leaning forward, Jason tried to flick Snuffles off his shoulder. Walden pulled back, glaring at him as he set Snuffles gently down on the ground. Jason rolled his eyes and continued, "I mean, late nights in the library looking for recipes to feed it, taking it into our dormitory to sleep—I have half a mind to tell Kettleburn that you've been sneaking it out after discovering my new robes torn to shreds."
"They were ugly anyway," Walden replied.
Jason's eyes grew stormy as he opened his lips to speak, but one look at Walden's annoyed face, and he stopped. Sighing, he held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Look, mate, all I'm saying is that you're one step away from knitting a pink, fluffy sweater for it." Jason screwed up his face, looking at Dolores' poor Niffler, who was squirming in her pudgy hands and trying to bite her.
With another shrug, Walden continued stroking Snuffles. He looked into his chocolate-brown eyes, pleased that they had grown clearer over the past few weeks. Sod what everyone thought about him—this creature was more loyal to him than the lot of them. Snuffles' gaze held the promise of never betraying him.
"Suit yourself, mate," Jason said and turned away.
"Go, Sparkles, go!"
"Go, Miss Pip! Yes, that's it, now go find another!"
Walden watched silently as the black balls of fur scurried around the small patch of earth, noses pressed to the ground. Every now and then one of them would shriek, having found a golden coin, yet their sounds were nowhere near as annoying as the raucous calls of his over-excited classmates.
"Alright three... two… one, time's up! Gather up your Nifflers, everyone. Let's count their loot," Professor Kettleburn called, his own voice much too cheerful.
Striding over to Snuffles, Walden picked him up and patted his head. The Niffler began to sniff his ear, licking it as Walden reached into his pocket and took out a reward. Snuffles munched on the Flobberworm happily, cuddled up in his arms. Walden was pleased that he had mustered up enough strength to find five gold coins.
Professor Kettleburn soon called for the students' attention, congratulating a Hufflepuff couple for their find of twenty-six coins, as well as an old, black-stoned ring someone must have lost years ago.
"Well done, Amelia and Braxton. I'm afraid that concludes the lesson. I am pleased to say, however, that you've all passed!" The professor grinned widely. Then, motioning to a large cage, said, "Now, you best hurry off to lunch. As you leave, I ask you to please place your Niffler in here."
Immediately, many began protesting, holding their reluctant Nifflers close to their chests.
"Pro-pro-professor, wha-what will happen to-to them?" Josie Adams sniffed, causing her partner Brian to back away, embarrassed.
"Now, now, they'll be perfectly fine. I will release them into the forest, where they will create families of their own. C'mon, now, in they go."
Walden brushed past his weeping peers and set Snuffles down into the crate without a word. Snuffles instantly clawed at his sleeve, demanding to be picked up. Walden turned away and straightened his back, unable to look into his Niffler's eyes. He had known this time would come, and there was no use postponing letting go.
Then, as the professor began prying off the Nifflers from various students, Walden joined Jason, who was already making his way back to the castle.
"Can you believe it? Umbitch finally got what she deserved! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard," Jason chortled, referring to the large, red scratch across the witch's chin. He was completely oblivious to how Walden's heart felt like lead, or the way the corners of his eyes stung.
"Not much further now," Professor Kettleburn assured him, his crutches creating a low thumping sound on the forest floor. Turning to his companion, he smiled. "Thank you for volunteering yet again, Walden. None of my students seem to care about looking after magical creatures—at least none since good old Rubeus Hagrid. Now he was a delight to teach."
Walden smiled politely as the professor continued chatting happily, pausing every now and then to catch his breath. "I do believe Hagrid did a dissertation similar to yours. Tell me, how is your study of the habitats of Thestrals coming along? You didn't pick too challenging a topic for the NEWTs, I hope?"
"Not too bad," Walden replied. "Except, I must say, it's difficult to be as accurate with my findings when so many of their 'natural' environments are merely well-planned replicas. It's not exactly the same when food is just left out for them."
The professor nodded thoughtfully, a smile growing on his lips. "Ah yes, such dedication to detail will often go ami—"
Kettleburn's agreement was interrupted at that moment by a squeal of delight at their feet. Looking down, Walden saw Snuffles tugging at the hem of his robes. Glancing at the professor and seeing him smile knowingly, Walden bent down and scooped the Niffler into his arms. Pulling out a Flobberworm, he fed it so Snuffles.
"His coat is looking much thicker now." Leaning forward, the professor tried to pat the little black ball, only to have the creature ignore him in favour of staring lovingly into Walden's face. Still smiling, Professor Kettleburn shook his head. "I've told you once and I'll tell you again, I was not at all surprised when you volunteered to raise the little tyke."
Walden cracked a smile of his own, bending down so he could put Snuffles on the ground. Producing another worm, he pointed a finger in warning at Snuffles. "Now, it's 3pm and way past your bedtime. Have this, and off you go, alright?"
Professor Kettleburn laughed as the Niffler obeyed, grabbing the worm before scampering off.
Without a word, Walden continued walking. Professor Kettleburn followed suit, mercifully remaining silent.
After several minutes more of trekking, however, the professor signalled for Walden to stop. Pressing a finger to his lips, he nodded towards a small clearing in front of them, where the Hippogriffs were lazing about.
Creeping forward, the professor motioned for Walden to wait as he interacted with them. The Slytherin watched in awe as the professor approached the large beasts, impressed by their sheer size. Up until this point, he had only ever been able to watch the creatures from afar—it had been a sore disappointment that the Ministry deemed them too dangerous to study the year before.
The Hippogriff Kettleburn had approached—presumably the leader of the herd—suddenly reared up, causing him to quickly back away. The beast continued pawing at the ground. Huffing, the professor rejoined Walden, his forehead shining with sweat but a small smile on his face.
"I'm sorry, dear boy. I must have misjudged the timing. Their mating season isn't for another fortnight, but perhaps their protective instincts are already kicking in," Professor Kettleburn apologised, dabbing at his forehead with a dirty handkerchief. He must have caught the disappointment flitting across Walden's face, however, for he hastily continued, "But this trip won't be a waste. I'd say we can still feed them from afar."
Walden's lips twisted upwards and he nodded gratefully. Whilst the professor leaned on his crutches, Walden bent down and gripped the tail of one of the ferrets, pretending that the feel of its fur didn't bother him.
"Alright, now, step forward. Yes, that's it. Alright, keep looking into its eyes, yes, like that. Now I want you to throw it at its feet, aim it away from the other Hippogriffs. We don't want them to fight. Whenever you're ready."
Taking aim, Walden thrust his arm forward and released the ferret. He watched as it flew towards the Hippogriff, who caught it mid-air.
With a loud crunch and slurp, the ferret soon disappeared. Others lifted their heads to watch, snapping their beaks in anticipation of a free feed. Nodding at him to continue, the professor encouraged Walden to throw more.
Ferret after ferret, he continued to feed the beasts, marveling at their ability to tear through flesh so easily. It was only when he ran out of the ferrets that the professor gestured for them to leave.
"Did you have fun?" he asked.
Before he could answer, Walden froze. A shrill shriek cut through the air, growing louder and louder. Swinging around, his heart in his throat, he saw with horror that his Niffler had wandered undetected into the throng of hooves, his nose twitching as he tried to find the source of the food. The Hippogriffs began to cry, their hooves kicking at Snuffles, trying to trample him.
Walden's head pounded, and he felt as though he was underwater, the waves drowning out any other sound. He froze, his legs feeling like they were cemented to the ground.
This couldn't be happening.
Then, as though a button had been pushed in his brain, Walden rushed forward. He wasn't sure if he screamed or yelled or even said a word as he threw himself to the ground amongst the stomping hooves. A searing pain ripped through his right arm, one Hippogriff's talons catching him, but he didn't care. Closing his eyes and biting his tongue, he reached forward, feeling around until he clutched what felt like fur. Backing out just as quickly, he crawled away, shielding the black bundle with his body.
He wasn't sure when the Hippogriffs stopped attacking or what drove them away. He didn't care. Sitting on his knees, he clutched his friend, tears rolling down his face and falling onto matted, blood-covered fur. Snuffles' chest heaved up and down, wheezing as he tried to breathe.
"What in Merlin's name were you thinking—" the professor began in the distance, stopping only as he caught up to Walden's shaking body.
Walden ignored him, burying his face in Snuffles' fur, trying, and failing, to kiss away the wounds in his body. His mind was a whir of curses and prayers as he pleaded with anyone he knew to help his buddy.
Gradually, Snuffles' breath became more ragged, coming out less and less. Ignoring the snot leaking from his own nose, with trembling hands, Walden brought Snuffles closer to his ear.
"C'mon boy, c'mon. Sniff my ear for a treat, you can do it. C'mon." He was barely aware of how desperate he sounded, barely aware that Professor Kettleburn was trying to tug him away. "Please, you promised you wouldn't leave me. C'mon, for a Flobberworm?"
Cuddling the Niffler, Walden clumsily tried to reach into his pocket. His hand shook as he finally pulled it out, spilling worms on the ground. The action only served to spur on the tears, and he moved to look into Snuffles' eyes again.
The chocolate eyes stared back into his, blinking slowly. There was hardly any life in them now, and as Walden watched on, his lips still uttering pleas, they became glassy. Closing his own, Walden gripped Snuffles, rolling onto his back. He ignored the professor's concerned voice, ignored everything around him.
Magical beasts were never supposed to let him down; never supposed to leave him.
A/N: I just want to jump in here again to say that this fic was written by yours truly, Beater 1 for the Falmouth Falcons, for the QLFC Season 4. A massive shout-out to my amazing team for all their hard-work in beta'ing this for me. Not only did they eliminate all SPaG, they also spent (literally) hours helping to delete over 600 words so I could meet the word limit (hence the amount of adverbs and adjectives taken out). In particular, shout-outs to Arianna Waters (especially for coming up with the name 'Snuffles', The Lady Arturia and Malhearst for all their hard work, as well as Lenore483 for listening to my plot! It will make our inevitable win all the much sweeter ;)
Extra love to anyone who gets the reference about the ring, too. Enjoy!