I've been really busy, so I haven't been updating as much as I would like.
But here's Chapter 11 now. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I'm so glad
you like the story.
DISCLAIMER: All Harry Potter characters, etc., etc. belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros. They do not belong to me.
***
Care of Magical Creatures was almost over by the time Harry, Ron and Hermione rejoined the class. They waited out the few minutes left without paying much attention. Their minds were still on Jessica Starsparkle. After class ended, Harry and Ron stayed around while Hermione gave the cage back to Hagrid.
"I'm sorry the niffler's gone," Hermione said. "But here's your cage back."
"That's alright. Did it work?"
"Oh, yeah. It worked great!" Hermione said, with a broad grin on her face. "It got rid of that snoggart immediately."
"I'd like a snoggart," Hagrid said.
"You'd like one?" Harry asked. "Why on earth would you like one?"
"Well, they're kind of funny and cute. Fascinating creatures, snoggarts," Hagrid said. "But snoggarts don't like me. I'm not really their type."
*
After Jessica Starsparkle, they had no more major issues with snoggarts the rest of Tuesday or all day Wednesday. Sure, there were the attractive girls regularly trying to guess the password into the Gryffindor dormitories. But they only guessed names of flowers and candy. They got frustrated and left when they couldn't come up with the real password (which was still "bobotuber pus").
On Thursday morning, Harry, Hermione and Ron were talking excitedly. Immediately after breakfast would be a double period of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"I still don't understand why they're so dangerous," Ron said.
"Oh, Ron, you've seen what they can do," Hermione said. "You saw what they did to Harry and Snape. The snoggarts made them act completely out of character!"
*
Moody began the class by surveying them all critically. "Good. No snoggarts in our midst. I think we can begin.
"Today we will continue to work on recognizing snoggarts. It's no good trying to deal with them if you can't positively identify them," Moody said. "Now, I've invited a classic snoggart to come participate in this class. It wasn't too hard to convince her. Snoggarts love to show off."
Moody opened a door, and Jessica Starsparkle entered the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione gasped.
"Don't worry. She's already been discovered and dispatched, so she's harmless at the moment," Moody said. "Take a close look at her and tell me what color her eyes are."
"Blue."
"Violet with flecks of sapphire."
"Emerald orbs."
"The deepest shade of silver I've ever seen."
"Chocolate brown ... no, amethyst ... no, midnight blue!"
"Exactly!" Moody said. "Her eyes are any color, sometimes multiple colors at the same time. She can change the color of her eyes at will. This is a classic trait of a snoggart. Not all snoggarts take advantage of color- changing eyes, but many do. Also, you'll note that her eyes could be purple or silver. What does that tell us?"
"Er, that snoggarts don't look like regular people?" Seamus offered.
"Precisely," Moody barked. "Regular witches and wizards do not have color- changing eyes. Nor do they have eyes that are gold, purple or silver. The obvious exception is Metamorphmagi, which, I hardly need remind you, are exceedingly rare."
"Why do they change eye colors? And why do they pick such strange colors like gold?" Lavender asked.
"Excellent questions," Moody said. "Perhaps we should ask Miss Starsparkle. Why do you change your eye color?"
"Purple eyes are pretty!" Jessica said. "And color-changing eyes are beautiful and cool and unique. Don't you have any imagination?!"
The class shifted uncomfortably as Jessica's eyes flashed red in her anger. What was she all worked up about?
"Ah, thank you Miss Starsparkle," Moody said. "You've provided a perfect segue into another point I wanted to make: Snoggarts are highly sensitive and extremely defensive. They don't take criticism well. That's part of the reason many of them take on such beautiful, intelligent and powerful forms.
"However, that's also their downfall. It makes them easier to recognize --- both for their beauty and for their defensiveness. Go on, try to insult her."
"You're stupid," Dean said to Jessica.
"Oh how typical!" Jessica said, holding her head up proudly. "I have battled all my life against the blatant sexism shown by all men. And I have proved myself smarter and more skilled than any man. Not that they'd ever see it. They just think I'm an ornament with no abilities whatsoever. You're just like Boromir!"
The class looked at each other in confusion. Dean certainly wasn't sexist. He hadn't even said anything about her being a girl. And who was Boromir?
"You ... can't sing!" Parvati said.
"You're just jealous because I can sing so much better than you! I don't notice you singing. That's because you can't sing. You suck. All you can do is go around making fun of people who can sing," Jessica said before turning her back on Parvati.
"You aren't all that beautiful," Hermione said to Jessica.
"How dare you?!" Jessica screeched. "You only say that because you're an ugly, fat, mean lesbian!"
Hermione looked startled and amused. But this was too much for Harry and Ron, who leapt to their feet.
"She's not fat or ugly!" Harry said.
"She's not a lesbian! And I should know!" Ron shouted before turning a brilliant shade of red and dropping back into his seat.
DISCLAIMER: All Harry Potter characters, etc., etc. belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros. They do not belong to me.
***
Care of Magical Creatures was almost over by the time Harry, Ron and Hermione rejoined the class. They waited out the few minutes left without paying much attention. Their minds were still on Jessica Starsparkle. After class ended, Harry and Ron stayed around while Hermione gave the cage back to Hagrid.
"I'm sorry the niffler's gone," Hermione said. "But here's your cage back."
"That's alright. Did it work?"
"Oh, yeah. It worked great!" Hermione said, with a broad grin on her face. "It got rid of that snoggart immediately."
"I'd like a snoggart," Hagrid said.
"You'd like one?" Harry asked. "Why on earth would you like one?"
"Well, they're kind of funny and cute. Fascinating creatures, snoggarts," Hagrid said. "But snoggarts don't like me. I'm not really their type."
*
After Jessica Starsparkle, they had no more major issues with snoggarts the rest of Tuesday or all day Wednesday. Sure, there were the attractive girls regularly trying to guess the password into the Gryffindor dormitories. But they only guessed names of flowers and candy. They got frustrated and left when they couldn't come up with the real password (which was still "bobotuber pus").
On Thursday morning, Harry, Hermione and Ron were talking excitedly. Immediately after breakfast would be a double period of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"I still don't understand why they're so dangerous," Ron said.
"Oh, Ron, you've seen what they can do," Hermione said. "You saw what they did to Harry and Snape. The snoggarts made them act completely out of character!"
*
Moody began the class by surveying them all critically. "Good. No snoggarts in our midst. I think we can begin.
"Today we will continue to work on recognizing snoggarts. It's no good trying to deal with them if you can't positively identify them," Moody said. "Now, I've invited a classic snoggart to come participate in this class. It wasn't too hard to convince her. Snoggarts love to show off."
Moody opened a door, and Jessica Starsparkle entered the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione gasped.
"Don't worry. She's already been discovered and dispatched, so she's harmless at the moment," Moody said. "Take a close look at her and tell me what color her eyes are."
"Blue."
"Violet with flecks of sapphire."
"Emerald orbs."
"The deepest shade of silver I've ever seen."
"Chocolate brown ... no, amethyst ... no, midnight blue!"
"Exactly!" Moody said. "Her eyes are any color, sometimes multiple colors at the same time. She can change the color of her eyes at will. This is a classic trait of a snoggart. Not all snoggarts take advantage of color- changing eyes, but many do. Also, you'll note that her eyes could be purple or silver. What does that tell us?"
"Er, that snoggarts don't look like regular people?" Seamus offered.
"Precisely," Moody barked. "Regular witches and wizards do not have color- changing eyes. Nor do they have eyes that are gold, purple or silver. The obvious exception is Metamorphmagi, which, I hardly need remind you, are exceedingly rare."
"Why do they change eye colors? And why do they pick such strange colors like gold?" Lavender asked.
"Excellent questions," Moody said. "Perhaps we should ask Miss Starsparkle. Why do you change your eye color?"
"Purple eyes are pretty!" Jessica said. "And color-changing eyes are beautiful and cool and unique. Don't you have any imagination?!"
The class shifted uncomfortably as Jessica's eyes flashed red in her anger. What was she all worked up about?
"Ah, thank you Miss Starsparkle," Moody said. "You've provided a perfect segue into another point I wanted to make: Snoggarts are highly sensitive and extremely defensive. They don't take criticism well. That's part of the reason many of them take on such beautiful, intelligent and powerful forms.
"However, that's also their downfall. It makes them easier to recognize --- both for their beauty and for their defensiveness. Go on, try to insult her."
"You're stupid," Dean said to Jessica.
"Oh how typical!" Jessica said, holding her head up proudly. "I have battled all my life against the blatant sexism shown by all men. And I have proved myself smarter and more skilled than any man. Not that they'd ever see it. They just think I'm an ornament with no abilities whatsoever. You're just like Boromir!"
The class looked at each other in confusion. Dean certainly wasn't sexist. He hadn't even said anything about her being a girl. And who was Boromir?
"You ... can't sing!" Parvati said.
"You're just jealous because I can sing so much better than you! I don't notice you singing. That's because you can't sing. You suck. All you can do is go around making fun of people who can sing," Jessica said before turning her back on Parvati.
"You aren't all that beautiful," Hermione said to Jessica.
"How dare you?!" Jessica screeched. "You only say that because you're an ugly, fat, mean lesbian!"
Hermione looked startled and amused. But this was too much for Harry and Ron, who leapt to their feet.
"She's not fat or ugly!" Harry said.
"She's not a lesbian! And I should know!" Ron shouted before turning a brilliant shade of red and dropping back into his seat.