Chapter 8: The Smelly-Feet Plant
Snape seemed to be taking out his bad mood on Harry in full force during the Defence against the Dark Arts lesson in the afternoon. Snape had taught them the shield spell and had used Harry as a demonstration. He had taken pleasure in flinging Harry across the room, knowing that Harry had yet to master the spell. He only stopped hexing Harry when Harry managed to conjure a greenish translucent smoky barrier between him and Snape and Snape's Jelly-Leg jinx had backfire on himself. That had infuriated Snape further and twenty points were taken off Gryffindor for no apparent reason.
Harry had climbed out of Snape's hot and stuffy dungeon that evening with a badly aching body and perspiration soaked robes.
"Well, at least I'm safe for the rest of this week," he had told the sympathetic faces of Hermione, Ron and Janieve.
Harry was really looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures the next afternoon and then Quidditch tryouts in the evening. He had been named Captain after their previous Captain, Angelina Johnson had left school. There were a few replacement needed to be made. He would need two Chasers to fill in Angelina and Alicia Spinnet's place, and two Beaters to take over Fred and George's. However, he would need to get Divination out of the way first.
Harry wondered why he had bothered to continue his Divination lesson again. Hermione had long since persuaded Ron and Harry to drop it but Harry thought Firenze's taking over of the class would be an improvement from Professor Trelawney's constant prediction of Harry's death. However, Firenze's constant contradiction with his accuracy of reading the future did not make Harry feel that he was putting his time to good use.
"Wonder where Professor Trelawney is?" Ron asked quietly.
"Not really," Harry replied. But Ron had suddenly brought up a matter Harry had not thought much of. It seemed as though Firenze the Centaur was taking over the class permanently, so where had their ex-Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney gone to? She had after all, twice foresee the future incidentally. Surely, Dumbledore would not let such a valuable asset out of his sight? Then, Harry decided that he really did not care.
After listening to the droning voice of Firenze the entire morning, Harry was gratified when the bell rang, signalling the time for lunch. The trio met up with Hermione after her Arithmancy class and decided to go to Hagrid's earlier and have lunch with him.
On the way to their half-giant friend's hut, Harry filled them in on what he had overheard outside Professor Dumbledore's office yesterday.
"You don't reckon he's talking about Professor Winter do you?" asked Hermione, her face scrunched up in serious consideration, "Mind you, I've seen the way Snape looks at her, and it definitely wasn't friendly."
"Well," Ron declared, "I would trust her over Snape any day."
Hermione shot Ron a nasty look and said, "How many times have you suspected Snape of something and how many times have you been proven wrong?"
"How many times must you say that?" Ron shot back.
"Well, that just proves," said Hermione, with a victorious smirk.
"Stop bickering will you?" Harry said irritably as he knocked on Hagrid's hut. Hagrid opened the door, his large built taking up the entire space, but his beady eyes smiled down at them kindly. "Come on in" he said gruffly.
Janieve however, looked frightened by Hagrid's appearance. Harry noticed this and whispered in her ear, "He's as harmless as an oversized sheep."
At that instant, Hagrid noticed Janieve, took her hand in his and said with a smile, "You mus' be Janieve. Dumbledore talks 'lot 'bout you."
Janieve smiled back at him and visibly relaxed. They spent an enjoyable hour chatting with Hagrid and trying, tentatively, Hagrid's self-cooked sponge cake. They decided to help Hagrid towed out the crates of mysterious creatures that he was going to show the class in a while. Harry had a bad feeling about the crates especially when he kept hearing odd squelching sounds coming from within. It appeared as if he was not the only one feeling that way. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, sixth years from Gryffindor had a look of mild terror on their faces.
Hagrid removed the lid to reveal a number of long, brown creatures about two feet long each. There are tiny fine furs sprouting from their otherwise slimy body. Harry could not tell between the heads and tails.
"These're Wrigglers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "They don't do much 'cept wriggles a few laugh out of yeh. Come 'Arry, yeh show da class wha' they does, won't yeh?" He motioned for Harry to pick up one of the Wrigglers.
Harry reached for one of them when they let out another soft squelching noise. Harry picked it up by two fingers. The brown Wriggler wriggled its way out of Harry's weak grip and slipped into his robes. He felt them moving around his waist and chest as he squirmed with delight. They tickled and writhed around his body and he felt himself giggling uncontrollably.
Hagrid placed a palm on his shoulder and Harry felt him pushing the Wriggler out under the sleeves of his robes and threw it back into the crate. He immediately stopped laughing but felt oddly pleased with himself still.
"These lil things leaves da most depressed person feelin' happier after they've wriggled through yeh clothes," explained Hagrid. "Come," he added happily, "take one of 'em each and have a lil laugh."
The class reached into the crate one by one and picked up a Wriggler each. Everyone began tittering with laughter as the Wrigglers did their magic. By the end of the one and a half hour lesson, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins found themselves walking back up to the castle. Harry and Ron, however, walked to the Quidditch pitch. Hermione and Janieve decided to watch them for a little bit.
Dean and Seamus turned up for the tryout and it did not take long for Harry to realise that they are the best persons to play the Beaters. However, it was taking a really long time for them to decide the Chaser to work with Katie Bell and Ginny. None of them were good enough. Finally, Harry decided to extend the recruitment to next week.
"That was wicked, Harry!" Janieve yelled as she jumped down the stands and ran to Harry's side. "Though I've never seen a Quidditch game before but I already know you're the best seeker in the Wizarding world!"
Her radiant face was beaming at him with excitement as she jumped up and down to greet Harry. "You've gotta teach me to fly!" she added animatedly.
Harry felt another queasy lurch in his stomach as he watched her thick black hair billowing behind her. "Sure I'll teach you," he promised.
"Come on, now," she shouted and grabbed Harry's broom.
Harry however stood staring after her. He was still trying to catch his breath from the hour long flying. "No Janny, I'm too tired. And hungry. I'll teach you tomorrow evening okay?"
Janieve shot him a disappointed look that nearly made him cough back his words and teach her how to fly immediately. He wondered, for the briefest of moment, if she had any Veela blood in her.
"Alright," she said eventually, walking back towards him, "Tomorrow, and no more excuses."
"Deal," he replied. The two of them, together with Hermione, Ron, Dean, Seamus and Katie walked back to the Great Hall for their well-deserved dinner.
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It was Thursday morning and the four of them had free period. Hermione had offered to help Janieve catch up her work by giving her free tutoring. Harry and Ron both decided to stay in the common room to finish up their ever mounting homework.
Hermione was teaching Janieve how to summon all the objects they could find in the common room. Harry and Ron was trying to concentrate on studying for their Transfiguration quiz, which was made doubly hard by the flying objects hitting them on their heads every few minutes. By noon, Janieve had become pretty good with her summoning charm.
It was a lovely afternoon to be out for Herbology. The sun was up, but it was not blazing hot. In fact, it was windy and cool. Their Herbology teacher, Professor Sprout, introduced to them a pot of cactus-like plant called Prodice. They too, had needle sharp leaves, but their leaves, unlike normal cactus, could reach out and prick anyone, if they came too close.
According to Professor Sprouts, however, the powder of these Prodices' needles was very useful in curing stinky feet. They spent an entire afternoon plucking out the needles with a tweezers and when they did, a pungent smell began to fill up the entire greenhouse. Harry wondered unbelievably how these awful smelling needles were going to make their feet smell any better.
"Harry," Ernie McMillan, a boisterous sixth year student from Hufflepuff said conspiratorially, "have you heard? They've taken the Creevey's family. They found the Dark Mark hanging above their house last night. The Creevey brothers had been sent back home early this morning."
Harry looked at Ernie and felt sick. They had taken their family, he thought. What did that mean? Did that mean Voldermort had killed their parents? The Creevey brothers had always been a jovial pair. A little weird, but cheerful alright. He could not imagine how this would change their entire outlook on life.
"Ouch!" he yelped. He had not been careful and one of the Prodice's needles had reached up to prick his finger. He clutched his injure finger with the other hand and hopped around on his toes. There was blood seeping out from a tiny wound from his finger and he wondered if there was blood involved in the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Creevey or if they had just dropped dead from the 'Avada Kedavra' curse. He suddenly felt giddy and his visions blurred and he lost all senses before he dropped to the ground, unconscious.
