Ferret.
Albus Potter looked down at his homework as he was studying for their upcoming end of the year exams. Scorpius Malfoy, was near him as well. Scorpius Malfoy was Albus's best friend since the train ride, and they were both sorted in Gryffindor, much to Scorpius surprise. Albus's pet ferret was on the desk aswell, pre-occupied with a small bell that it found.
"Remind me again on why you brought that fury rat with you again?" Scorpius asked as his eyes darted to the ferret and the bell noise.
"Call him what he is Scorp, a ferret, and his name is Bandit," Albus said in a matter of fact tone. "Besides, there is no clear rule on pets to bring. Owls, cats, and toads are just the easiest. A few people here have ferrets in case you havnt bothered to notice."
Albus looked back down at his homework, after giving Bandit a quick pet. In Gryffindor, Albus was aware that four other students bought ferrets with them.
"He stole my homework you know, that is about a hundred and forty seven times," Scorpius said after a few seconds of silence between the two friends.
Albus smirked. "You turned each one in the very day it was due," he said, not looking up from the parchment paper.
"I found each one in your trunk along with my watch," Scorpius answered. Scorpius could remember all the things that Albus's ferret had stolen from him. Countless homework assignments, his watch, and an assortment of clothes. Scorpius found it amusing how something no taller than fifteen inches could take something that was heavier and bigger than it was.
"I told you not to leave anything valuable out, besides, he hasn't stolen nothing from anyone else in the dorm." Albus said.
"Why do I even bother arguing with you over that little fuzz ball," Scorpius said, his eyes quickly darting to the ferret and Scorpius literally thought he saw its eyes looking way. "Don't you dare," he muttered under his breath. "Al, he's gving me that look again."
Albus looked up seeing Bandit playing with the bell, still making dinging sounds. "No he isn't, leave him alone Scorp."
Scorpius looked back down and tried concentrating on his homework. His heart began racing, expecting the ferret to attack the piece of parchment at any moment. But nothing happened. It was like Bandit was mocking him. As he began to feel better that Bandit was not going to take his homework again, Scorpius stood up and stretched.
"You see Scorp," Albus said, looking up at his bestfriend. "Bandit doesn't mean any harm to you… or your homework."
"Maybe your right," Scorpius said, but another part of him didn't trust the ferret.
"Come on Bandit," Albus picked up the ferret and ran up Albus arm and stretched itself across his shoulders. Albus stood up and rolled up his parchment.
Scorpius watched his friend walk up the boy's dormitories stair well.
…
"ALBUS!" Scorpius shouted, waking up all the boys in the dorm room. He stomped over to where Albus was sitting up, looking tired.
"Wh-what'smatter?" he asked, looking around the dorm.
"Your—Your furball of a pet stole my homework!" Scorpius said, he saw Albus stand up and walked around the bed so he could face Scorpius.
"Calm down Scorp," Albus said, wearing a grin.
"Why are you grinning? This is serious," Scorpius said, he was looking angry.
"Oh shut up already Scorpius," said Jeff Thomas, a first year boy, who woke up due to Scorpius's yelling. "Only you complain about Bandit."
"Did you look properly before you started being accusatory?" Albus asked, who still wore a sleepy expression.
"Yes," Scorpius said, standing up taller. "Yes I have checked and that is how I know that little fur ball of yours took it. He knows where I keep it, I know he does."
Albus looked at his friend. "Did you leave it out? If so, than no I won't help until after I eat breakfast."
"Of course not, he must have picked the lock or something," Scorpius said, his eyes darted to the movement under the covers and saw Bandit emerge from the scarlet covers. "There is the little culprit." Scorpius pointed towards the ferret.
"DO you have you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds, he can't pick locks," Albus said.
"Yeah Scorp," Jeff Thomas said. "He's only a ferret after all. You could have placed it somewhere else."
"Exactly" Albus said. "Check your things again, you could have misplaced it."
Scorpius glared at the ferret and it seemed to have winked at him.
"He winked at me, that little thief did it," Scorpius said pointing at the ferret. Albus looked at Jeff, and both started laughing. "I am telling the truth, stop laughing at me."
"Oh come on Scorp, ferrets can't wink, not even magical ones," Jeff said clapping Scorpius on the back.
"You made my day there mate," Albus said grinning.
"But he did, I saw him, that little thief is mocking me," Scorpius said. He knew what he saw, or did he? Scorpius always considered himself sane, but Bandit seemed to be pulling his strings towards insanity in the last few months. "Check your trunk."
Albus was still grinning, trying hard not to laugh. "Ok, ok, just hang on to your hippogriff." Albus stifled a laugh as he opened his trunk where bandit would store stolen items. The trunk was empty except for Albus's own items. "Empty mate." Albus stood back up. Scorpius looked flabbergasted as he looked in the truck, his homework was not there. "I guess you owe someone an apology."
"…Sorry Al," Scorpius said as turned to walk back to his own bed.
"Not me, to Bandit," Albus said. Scorpius turned around to face Albus.
"Fine, I apologize to that little fur ball," Scorpius said.
…
Scorpius saw Bandit holding a few sheets of rolled up parchment in its mouth, Scorpius was on all fours, holding out a hand, trying to get Bandit to come closer.
"Come here Bandit," Scorpius said, trying his best to sound nice, what he really wanted to do was yell, but he knew the animal would only run from him even more. Where was Albus when you needed him? Where were any of their bunkmates? He stared at the ferret and it was looking back at him.
"Come here boy," he said, clicking his tongue. The ferret didn't move. "Come here Bandit, just give me my homework back and I won't have to kill you."
Wrong thing to say as Scorpius watched Bandit dash towards Albus's bad and ran underneath it. Scorpius silently cursed as he hurried over towards the bed and moved the bed curtain. Under the bed was dark, and he couldn't see the ferret at all.
"Come here Bandit, be a good little ferret and I won't have to tell Albus what you did," Scorpius said. "Bloody hell I am talking to a ferret." Scorpius realized that he was talking to the ferret like it was human; he surely didn't expect it to start sitting upright and talk to him. Although that will work out a lot of problems. He took out his wand "Lumos" he said as the wand tip ignited, and there he saw Bandit at the other side of the bed.
"Gotcha" he said silently as Scorpius went to the other side and quietly got down to his knees. He bit his bottom lip as he quickly raised the bed curtain. Bendit wasn't there. He looked under the bed and using his wand light, he didn't see Bandit. Scorpius sat up, he could not believe he was just outsmarted by a ferret.