Mahi and Kitsune were in Madam Nephele's Divinations class when Mrs. Pod
flung open the door. Her curly brown hair was more disorderly than usual
and she had mud on her face.
Madam Nephele gave Mrs. Pod a stern look and waited for her to speak.
"Can I see Ms. Trukineh and Ms. Baka for the rest of the class period?" Mrs. Pod queried. Without waiting for a response, she pushed them out the door.
Madam Nephele snorted on their exit and went back to her lesson on how to properly probe the crystal ball.
Mrs. Pod shoved the girls to walk faster. "What's going on?" Kitsune asked.
"Wait 'til we get to the greenhouse," Mrs. Pod said, "before we talk of anything."
The two girls were silent the rest of the way. Two staircases and five corridors later, they arrived in Mrs. Pod's greenhouse.
"What the hell-" Kitsune started.
"Someone came in an hour ago and freed the ghost," Mrs. Pod interrupted. "I was in a staff meeting." The floor was covered with shattered glass jars of herbs and papers were spread all over.
Mahi walked to the box, being careful not to step on anything, and examined the seams. "I think the master isn't human," she said. "Look at these claw marks."
Kitsune and Mrs. Pod followed, intrigued. "They're not sharp claws!" Kitsune exclaimed.
"True," Mahi admitted, "but they're either claws or very long nails. I don't think it's possible to have nails that long."
Mrs. Pod bit her lip. "I don't understand how someone could get in the greenhouse. I locked the door! Or even get in Hogwarts."
"Maybe they didn't have any trouble getting into Hogwarts because they were already in Hogwarts," Kitsune said.
"What?" Mahi asked. Mrs. Pod had a confused look on her face.
"I mean, the creature or human or spirit--"
"Whatever!" Mahi said.
"Wahtever it was, it's been in Hogwarts for a while, or it's allowed to be in Hogwarts," Kitsune explained.
"So you're suggesting it's one of the teachers?" Mrs. Pod asked.
"Either a teacher or a 'resident' of Hogwarts," Kitsune confirmed. "You've heard of the Bogart who lived in Hogwarts for twenty-three years, right? I'm saying it could be a creature that lives in Hogwarts, but no one knows of it."
Mrs. Pod nodded and Mahi smiled. "I'll do some research and try to find out what kind of creature could be here without us noticing."
"And have long fingernails," Mrs. Pod added with a laugh.
Mahi smiled politely and Kitsune rolled her eyes. Mrs. Pod checked her watch. "You girls better run along," she said. "It's almost time for dinner. I'll meet you tomorrow after Herbology and we can discuss the information."
"I know of a great book on magical creatures, but it's in the Restricted Section," Mahi said.
"Okay," Mrs. Pod mumbled as she picked a piece of paper off the floor. "What's it called?" She picked up a quill and dipped it in a puddle of ink on the floor.
Mahi flinched at this and said, "Dangerous Creatures of the Dark."
Mrs. Pod scribbled the title and signed it in loopy handwriting. "Here you are, Mahi." She beamed and handed the note to her.
"Thank you," Mahi said. "I think we should go now."
~*~(*)~*~
Kitsune and Mahi sat on Kitsune's bed. It was eleven o'clock and they were reading the book Mahi checked out. "Look," Kitsune said, "it's got to be a Bogart; the Bogart could have shape-shifted into a werewolf and opened the box!"
Mahi shook her head. "I don't think so. I have to admit there aren't any other creatures that meet the requirements, but Bogarts are too dumb to shape-shift like that."
"But they shape-shift all the time," Kitsune replied.
Mahi flipped the page to 1247. "The Bogart," she read aloud, "is a master of disguise. It can change into the nearest person's worst fear. Too dull to shape-shift any other time, it is unable to change freely."
She snapped the book shut and sighed. "Okay, so it's not a Bogart," Kitsune said. "Unless there's a person controlling the Bogart whose worst fear are werewolves."
"That's highly unlikely," Mahi concluded.
Kitsune giggled and shut off the light. "I'm beat," she yawned.
"Me too," Mahi said. They both crawled into their beds and closed their eyes.
Not even a minute after they laid down, their door burst open. The two girls stifled a scream and watched a figure enter.
Mahi swiped her wand from the nightstand and muttered a few words. The creature moaned and fell to the floor.
Kitsune clicked on the light and gasped. Dumbledore was on the floor, petrified. "Mahi, it's Dumbledore!" she screamed.
Madam Nephele gave Mrs. Pod a stern look and waited for her to speak.
"Can I see Ms. Trukineh and Ms. Baka for the rest of the class period?" Mrs. Pod queried. Without waiting for a response, she pushed them out the door.
Madam Nephele snorted on their exit and went back to her lesson on how to properly probe the crystal ball.
Mrs. Pod shoved the girls to walk faster. "What's going on?" Kitsune asked.
"Wait 'til we get to the greenhouse," Mrs. Pod said, "before we talk of anything."
The two girls were silent the rest of the way. Two staircases and five corridors later, they arrived in Mrs. Pod's greenhouse.
"What the hell-" Kitsune started.
"Someone came in an hour ago and freed the ghost," Mrs. Pod interrupted. "I was in a staff meeting." The floor was covered with shattered glass jars of herbs and papers were spread all over.
Mahi walked to the box, being careful not to step on anything, and examined the seams. "I think the master isn't human," she said. "Look at these claw marks."
Kitsune and Mrs. Pod followed, intrigued. "They're not sharp claws!" Kitsune exclaimed.
"True," Mahi admitted, "but they're either claws or very long nails. I don't think it's possible to have nails that long."
Mrs. Pod bit her lip. "I don't understand how someone could get in the greenhouse. I locked the door! Or even get in Hogwarts."
"Maybe they didn't have any trouble getting into Hogwarts because they were already in Hogwarts," Kitsune said.
"What?" Mahi asked. Mrs. Pod had a confused look on her face.
"I mean, the creature or human or spirit--"
"Whatever!" Mahi said.
"Wahtever it was, it's been in Hogwarts for a while, or it's allowed to be in Hogwarts," Kitsune explained.
"So you're suggesting it's one of the teachers?" Mrs. Pod asked.
"Either a teacher or a 'resident' of Hogwarts," Kitsune confirmed. "You've heard of the Bogart who lived in Hogwarts for twenty-three years, right? I'm saying it could be a creature that lives in Hogwarts, but no one knows of it."
Mrs. Pod nodded and Mahi smiled. "I'll do some research and try to find out what kind of creature could be here without us noticing."
"And have long fingernails," Mrs. Pod added with a laugh.
Mahi smiled politely and Kitsune rolled her eyes. Mrs. Pod checked her watch. "You girls better run along," she said. "It's almost time for dinner. I'll meet you tomorrow after Herbology and we can discuss the information."
"I know of a great book on magical creatures, but it's in the Restricted Section," Mahi said.
"Okay," Mrs. Pod mumbled as she picked a piece of paper off the floor. "What's it called?" She picked up a quill and dipped it in a puddle of ink on the floor.
Mahi flinched at this and said, "Dangerous Creatures of the Dark."
Mrs. Pod scribbled the title and signed it in loopy handwriting. "Here you are, Mahi." She beamed and handed the note to her.
"Thank you," Mahi said. "I think we should go now."
~*~(*)~*~
Kitsune and Mahi sat on Kitsune's bed. It was eleven o'clock and they were reading the book Mahi checked out. "Look," Kitsune said, "it's got to be a Bogart; the Bogart could have shape-shifted into a werewolf and opened the box!"
Mahi shook her head. "I don't think so. I have to admit there aren't any other creatures that meet the requirements, but Bogarts are too dumb to shape-shift like that."
"But they shape-shift all the time," Kitsune replied.
Mahi flipped the page to 1247. "The Bogart," she read aloud, "is a master of disguise. It can change into the nearest person's worst fear. Too dull to shape-shift any other time, it is unable to change freely."
She snapped the book shut and sighed. "Okay, so it's not a Bogart," Kitsune said. "Unless there's a person controlling the Bogart whose worst fear are werewolves."
"That's highly unlikely," Mahi concluded.
Kitsune giggled and shut off the light. "I'm beat," she yawned.
"Me too," Mahi said. They both crawled into their beds and closed their eyes.
Not even a minute after they laid down, their door burst open. The two girls stifled a scream and watched a figure enter.
Mahi swiped her wand from the nightstand and muttered a few words. The creature moaned and fell to the floor.
Kitsune clicked on the light and gasped. Dumbledore was on the floor, petrified. "Mahi, it's Dumbledore!" she screamed.