Chapter 41

A/N Thank you Maria for taking the time to beta this.

To anyone hasn't read Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, particularly fic authors, I highly recommend it. The sheer number of plot bunnies living in there is astounding. Excerpted from the entry on puffskeins:

Spherical in shape and covered in soft, custard-colored fur, it is a docile creature that has no objection to being cuddled or thrown about. Easy to care for, it emits a low humming noise when contented. From time to time a very long, thin, pink tongue will emerge from the depths of the Puffskein and snake through the house searching for food. The Puffskein is a scavenger that will eat anything from leftovers to spiders, but it has a particular preference for sticking its tongue up the nose of sleeping wizards and eating their bogies.

Kevric Kettleburn had found it both sweet and mildly disturbing that Tom Riddle had refused to leave Kitten's side all weekend. But now it was Monday and enough was enough.

"Tom, you should go get ready. It's almost time for classes to be starting."

From the look on Tom's face it seemed that idea hadn't occurred to him. "I don't think Kitten is ready to go back to classes yet."

Actually since yesterday afternoon Kitten had seemed back to her old self. Maybe a bit more easily tired than was usual for her, but nothing near the day before. Still, for appearance's sake Kevric didn't plan to release her to go to classes for several days.

"No, but that's no reason for you to miss your classes, Tom."

Kitten seemed to be of the same mind as Tom. "My Tom needs to stay here with me. I do not like to be left all alone."

Kevric raised a hand in submission. "Nobody said anything about leaving you here all alone."

Tom spoke up in his smoothest voice. "Professor, you have classes to teach. Surely it would be simpler for me to miss a few classes than for you to cancel all of yours. I'll speak to Headmaster Dippet. I'm sure he will excuse my absences."

Kevric was also sure that if Tom asked, the Headmaster would let him have his way. He couldn't understand what the hold was that Tom Riddle had over Dippet. Frankly he was beginning to wonder if the boy had naked pictures of Dippet.

"That won't be necessary, Tom. I'll stop by and check on Kitten between my classes, but I was actually thinking of someone else to keep Kitten company."

After seeing Tom's look of distrust, Kitten adopted one as well. Hers didn't last long. It quickly changed to one of excitement as Kevric brought in a custard colored puff of fur from the other room.

"I was thinking one of the puffskeins could keep you company. What do you think, Kitten?"

Kevric had felt miserable about the misunderstanding with the puffskeins since Hagrid's discovery. In hindsight if he had stopped to consider it, the girl's attempt to head towards the Forbidden Forest after her description of its name as 'pretty' probably could have indicated there was a communications problem.

Kitten extended her hand to take the puffskein, but before actually touching it, she pulled her hand back sharply. Her eyes were wide with anxiety as she asked him, "Do cats eat puffskeins?"

That was a problem he hadn't anticipated. Cats and kneazles were very fond of eating puffskeins. He still didn't understand why it was that he girl wanted to be a cat. Dippet's reasons for wanting to be a salamander were easy enough to figure out, but he just didn't get her reasons. Still, there was no mistaking it, she did want to be a cat.

As for the current problem, well maybe what Kitten didn't know wouldn't hurt her…or the puffskein. "No puffskeins don't taste very good. Cats don't eat them."

Of course, if she did transfigure, things could get really ugly. "Cats don't eat them, but you remember yesterday I explained you don't have to drink that potion anymore, but you still can't change into a cat."

As Kitten again held her hands out to take the puffskein, Kevric asked her a question. "So do you think it would be alright for Tom and I to go off to our classes? Tom can come back to visit you again just as soon as all his classes are done for the day."

Kitten examined the puffskein carefully before responding. "He does not look very intimidating. He has not got any claws and his teeth have not grown in yet. What can he do if someone starts to bother me?"

Puffskeins never actually develop teeth, they just use their immensely long tongues to seek out food and swallow it whole. But Kevric didn't bother to explain that. "Don't worry, Kitten. No one is going to bother you. Now do you know what a puffskein's favorite food is?"

As if on cue the puffskein's long pink tongue zipped out and up the girl's nose. She gave a squeal of delight as the puffskein cleaned out all of her snots. Cheerfully she dismissed Tom from the room. "Bye, my Tom."

Tom's jaw dropped as his precious Kitten so carelessly sent him on his way. Kevric felt a small pang of sympathy for the boy as he guided him out of the door and closed it. "You can stop by again after your classes are over, Tom."

"Now Kitten I will come check on you between all of my classes, but if you need anything in between just -"

A knock at the door interrupted him. Hopefully it was not Tom trying to get back in. "Who is it?"

"It's jus' me, oh an' Professor Binns."

'Just me' wasn't a very informative answer, but the accent it was said in made it easy enough to figure out who it was. "Come on in , Hagrid."

Hagrid entered the room but oddly enough was holding his hands behind his back. Not to be outdone in the oddness department, Binns refused to enter the room.

"You go in first, make sure she didn't die while no one was watching her. I don't want to be in a room that has a dead person."

Hagrid ignored Binns. "Hello Kitten."

Kitten smiled up at him and showed off the puffskein. "Hello Hagrid. Look at my puffskein!"

Hagrid bent down low with both his hands still behind his back. "Oh, dat there's a fine puffskein yeh 'ave. I heard yeh wasn't feelin' well and I'm glad teh see yer feelin' better. I got somethin' fer yeh meself."

One hand came around to reveal a box of ice mice. Kitten rewarded Hagrid with a big smile. "Mice are my favorite. I like to chase them around before I eat them."

Unlike chocolate frogs, ice mice didn't move. They just made your teeth chatter when you ate them. Not thinking sugar the best breakfast, Kevric pried the box from her hands as gently as he could. "We'll save those for later. Right now you need to stay in bed and rest. No chasing anything."

Kitten looked disappointed, but contented herself playing with the puffskein.

Still looking extremely uncomfortable, Binns had entered the room. Seeing Hagrid's present of ice mice he looked even more distressed. "I…I brought you a present too." He ruffled through his robe pockets to produce a half eaten bag of flavored beans. Not wanting to accidentally touch the supposedly unhealthy young girl, he dropped the bag into her lap.

Kitten picked up the bag and examined it. "It is open already."

"Yes…well…I opened them for you!"

Maybe Binns thought that brief visit was fulfillment enough of his duties as the girl's Head of House. "Well, I really must be going. I have to go to…to the…go…I have to go."

After Binns left, Hagrid produced the other surprise he had been holding behind his back. Hagrid had really outdone himself in picking the collection of flowers that he tried to present to the girl. Kevric recognized some from the grounds and the school greenhouses, but a few were unfamiliar to him. Frowning he realized Hagrid must have again disregarded the rules about entering the forest.

He was about to comment when he noticed the change that had come over Kitten. She wasn't smiling at Hagrid anymore. Now she wouldn't even look at him. She held the puffskein close and turned her face into her pillow.

Hagrid noticed the change as well. Setting the flowers down he quickly excused himself. "Well, I guess yer getting' kind o' tired so I'll leave yeh to get some rest."

The flowers Hagrid had brought were quite bright and cheerful, but they seemed to upset the girl. She kept glancing up at them and then turning her head down into her pillow. Kevric didn't know what to make of it.

"Don't you like your flowers?"

Kitten hid her face again.

"I think they are pretty. Don't you?"

Kitten agreed without any enthusiasm.

Kevric watched the girl's unhappy eyes gazing at the flowers.

"But you don't like them. Why don't you like them?"

The girl tilted her head, averting her eyes before she answered.

"They are going to die now."

He looked at the pretty bunch of flowers. It was true, now that Hagrid had clipped them they would, in a few days, wither and die. He just hadn't thought of it that way before.

The girl met his eyes before speaking again. He wondered if he was reading too much into it to think she wasn't referring to Hagrid. The look in her eyes would make him wonder just how much she really did or didn't remember.

"I did not tell him to do it. I did not want him to do it, but he did it for me. Does that still make it my fault?"

Suddenly, it wasn't so hard to figure out why the girl had wanted so much to not be a little girl.

He wanted to do something to take that look of guilt from the girl's eyes.

"No, it wasn't your fault. It was his choice."

His words had no effect on the look that was in her eyes. A lie was a lie and it was wrong to lie. Still, he wanted to take away at least some of that guilt.

"Didn't Hagrid tell you? These are magical flowers. If you put the stems back in the dirt, they start to grow again."

Kitten looked back at the flowers again. "Are you sure?"

Kevric nodded. "You should sleep some more. I will take them outside now and replant them. I know the perfect spot, right by the lake."

She laid back against her pillows and began feeding beans to the happily humming puffskein.

As he was going out the door, he ran into the Headmaster. Seeing the floral arrangement the older man carried, he motioned him back out of the room before the girl could notice them.

"Don't give her cut flowers. Try a potted plant or even candy if you must, but not cut flowers."

Dippet clearly didn't understand, but on matters concerning Kitten most of the staff had become willing to gladly take any words of advice offered.

"Where are you going with those?"

Kevric shrugged awkwardly. "I told her I would plant them by the lake."

Dippet looked at the bunch of cut flowers with an uncertain look. "And are you going to?"

Kevric looked even more uncomfortable, but nodded. In response to the amused look he received, he snapped. "I'm a wizard, I have a magical wand. It will only take a minute to do."

A bit less intensely, he continued. "I don't want to have lied to her any more than necessary."

############################################

Armando Dippet looked on in revulsion from the doorway as the child ate a breakfast consisting exclusively of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor beans.

He had never had, nor ever wanted children. It wasn't that that he didn't like children, it was that they frightened him. They were so fragile and easily broken. So many horrible things that could befall them. They could have accidents or develop diseases, become lost or injured.

The fates could be exceedingly cruel.

He had never desired to put the necessary emotional attachment or personal involvement in something or someone that didn't carry a warrantee or some kind of a guarantee to be around forever. Truthfully, it wasn't just children. Even with the people on his staff he did everything in his power to keep a high degree of professionalism. Seldom did he address any of them by their given name. Even with his familiar, Mr. Keys, he did his utmost to maintain a certain distance.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof and unattached , he had felt more than a bit chagrined when Master Dumbledore had related the news of the girl's demise. It had bothered him that his last thoughts concerning the girl had been that she was evil. But what had bothered him even more was the small part of him that had experienced a slight feeling of relief.

Oh, not that with the girl's death none of Artemisia's predictions or his own Visions could come true. He had experienced more than a bit of relief at that thought and held no remorse for it. What he regretted was the slight sense of relief that no longer would he need to spend an hour a day in her presence. He had been mortified to acknowledge he had even for a moment had such a base thought.

To learn several hours later that Master Dumbledore's tidings of doom had been more than a bit exaggerated had been welcome news. And yet, with the girl now looking at him expectantly, he again found himself experiencing a profound sense of dread at the prospect of spending time with her.

He wasn't like Master Kettleburn. He just didn't know what it was children wanted or expected. Yesterday afternoon he had sent Mr. Hagrid out to select the box of chocolates he now presented to the girl. The flowers Kettleburn had confiscated too had been picked by Mr. Hagrid.

It had been over two hundred years since he had been a child himself. While there likely had been others, the only games he could remember from then were checkers and chess. He wasn't trying to be obstinate, but with the girl staring at him it was the only idea he could come up with.

"Would you like to play checkers?"

"I can play chess."

Suddenly realization hit him. "You don't know how to play checkers, do you?"

The girl hesitated but a fraction of a second before adopting a rather standoffish attitude. "Of course I do!"

Dippet sighed. Why he hadn't realized it before was beyond him. As was 'why' the girl would choose to lie when the truth was so obvious.

"You really ought not to lie. For one thing, it's a filthy habit. Also, you aren't very good at it."

Conjuring the necessary board and pieces, Dippet explained the few rules to the game. Though the puffskein's habit of extending it's tongue to capture and devour only his game pieces left him at a severe disadvantage, Dippet still found the hour far more tolerable than any he had previously spent with the girl. He might even have gone so far as to call it enjoyable.

At least until he had offered the girl something to drink. Though Master Kettleburn might not believe the mandrake potion was necessary, he disagreed. After conjuring two glasses from the kitchens, into the girl's glass he covertly added three drops.

After a disdainful sniff of the milk the girl pushed hers aside. "Professor Kettleburn says I do not have to drink that anymore."

"Master Kettleburn is not the one responsible for you. He does not get to decide these matters."

The girl just stared at him quite unconvinced. Though he believed it futile to argue with her, he tried again. "Drink the milk."

He really hadn't expected the girl to do as he requested, but surprisingly she did. Still, the look in her eyes as she drank made him feel uneasy. It didn't take long to discover the cause of her smug look. Taking a sip from his own glass, he discovered precisely how foul tasting mandrake potion was.

##########################################

The door had been left open, so Albus Dumbledore quietly poked his head into the girl's bedchamber to make sure Dippet was not around. The Headmaster had made it quite clear that Dumbledore was not to be here.

Young Minerva was sitting up, propped up by several pillows, but looking incredibly healthy nonetheless. Friday, the night of the accident, Riddle had been in a panic, but he hadn't seemed at all confused about the girl's hiding spot. He had been adamant that he had seen the girl go into the wardrobe and never come back out. Yet after only a moment alone with Kettleburn, Riddle had backtracked from that statement. He now claimed that he had thought he heard her go into the wardrobe, but with his eyes closed so he really couldn't be certain. Perhaps she had deliberately tried to fool him by noisily opening and closing the wardrobe doors. Riddle had seemed far more sincere the first time. Now watching the relatively healthy looking young girl, Dumbledore wasn't quite sure what to believe.

A bed tray was set before her with what appeared to be the greater part of a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans spilled across it. He smiled watching the girl select a bean and offer it to the small mound of fur seated beside her.

As he entered the room and spoke, she gazed up at him. "Hello."

He watched the girl eye him warily. "I am very happy to see you are feeling better."

Still, he got no response beyond a cagey examination. Perhaps a different tack. That first day, he had gotten the girl to at least speak to him by saying something that asked for a response.

"What is that creature you have there? He looks most interesting."

Puffskeins were such a common pet in the Wizarding World that of course, he already knew exactly what it was. Still, his gambit worked. The girl suddenly became very excited and talkative.

"He is a puffskein. He is very nice. He does not have any teeth yet, but he has a very long tongue and he likes to eat bogies. Do you have any bogies for him?"

"Ah…" Nothing in the world felt quite so wonderfully ticklish as having your nose cleaned out by a puffskein, but alas not expecting to find a puffskein available, he had recently used a handkerchief to blow his nose. "Actually, I have something for you. A present."

The girl seemed excited, but confused by this. She gave an unsure frown. "Is it Christmas again already?"

Seeing Kettleburn's puffskein, what was likely one of Binns's bags of Bertie Bott's beans, and knowing that at least Hagrid and the Headmaster had also already been by with presents, he was not terribly surprised by her confusion.

"No, it's just a get well present."

"Oh."

He could see this really didn't mean anything to her. Now that Hagrid had made the connection the first time, it wasn't that difficult to realize when the girl didn't understand something. You could tell by the closed silence and by her frown, quickly followed by an unconvincing look of knowing. She would not openly admit her lack of comprehension.

"It's just something you do. When you visit someone who has been sick, you sometimes bring them a present. It's…well, it's considerate."

The girl seemed to grasp that idea readily enough. She tilted her head, curious and wanting to get a better glimpse at the box in his hand. He handed the box over for inspection.

He had put a great deal of thought into his gift.

When he entered Honeydukes, his first idea had been Chocolate Frogs. He remembered Grindelwald had once made a reference to how much she liked those. He quickly decided that would be a poor choice given the high insertion rate of the new card featuring himself for his 'defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald.'

The next idea he had considered was Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Considering his lack of success with the girl so far, he had quickly given up that idea. With his luck, the girl would blow a large bubble and get the gum caught in her long hair.

Pumpkin pasties were tasty, but rather humdrum.

The blood flavored lollipops and acid pops were definitely not the way to go, but the lollipop that changed colors and flavors seemed like a good idea. But then, he worried she might bite off a piece and choke on it. That same concern had eliminated sherbet lemons, everlasting gobstoppers, and all the other hard candies.

He had left the candy shop and apparated to the bookstore in Diagon Alley. There he had perused the children's section, but hadn't found anything suitable. Most of the children's books perpetuated prejudices and stereotypes. There were trolls who lived under bridges and tried to eat any and all creatures that went by, mice being chased by a knife wielding muggle, a giant that liked to eat people who climbed up his beanstalk, a werewolf that ate a little girl and her grandmother, and a hag that tried to bake children in her oven.

Most disturbing of all was the tale of a muggle who repeatedly attempted to get rid of his pet kneazle by throwing things at it, sending it off in a hot air balloon, paying a little boy to drown it, feeding it to a dog, and shooting at it with a muggle pistol.

Appalled, he had quickly left. While wandering the streets he had caught sight of the perfect present in one of the shop windows. A beautiful porcelain doll with long dark hair that could be combed and arranged. It was quite odd really, when they had found the girl's room the night of Grindelwald's capture, there had been books and puzzles, but no dolls or stuffed animals. He was certain the girl liked playing with hair and didn't all little girls like dolls?

The little girl smiled at the brightly decorated box, looking quite pleased. He looked on, waiting for her to begin tearing off the wrapping paper. Certainly he regretted that he had had to come down to Binns's level of resorting to bribery, but finally, he had managed to do something that had not displeased the girl. She poked at the ribbon, but made no effort to undo it or remove the wrapping paper.

"It is very pretty. I like it."

After another minute of watching her carefully examine the box Dumbledore had a thought. Minerva's parents had been Seers and according to Dippet the girl was as well. Perhaps, she didn't need to unwrap it to tell what was in it.

That thought went out the window as the girl began to shake the box. She smiled. "And it makes a pretty noise too! Thank you."

Listening to the porcelain shatter against the sides of the box Dumbledore decided not to suggest unwrapping the box. The girl seemed pleased enough with it as it was. After a few more minutes of shaking the box, Minerva moved it aside to return her attention to the tray of beans and the puffskein.

She eyed him appraisingly for a moment. It would seem she had finally decided he was not so awful after all. "Would you like a bean?"

He smiled at the girl, but really he didn't want one. He had long ago developed a distaste for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Still, the girl was making an effort, so he wasn't going to decline. "My, there are so many of them. Which one do you recommend?"

The girl shrugged, unconcerned. "Take whichever one you want. We already ate all the good ones. Only the nasty ones are left."

He raised an amused eyebrow at this proclamation. "Oh? What have we left?"

The girl wore a very serious expression as she pointed to a series of beans. "This one is asparagus, this one is mustard, this one is yellow snow, this one is celery, yogurt, yak spit, marmalade, lettuce, stinky feet, arugula, lima bean…"

Clearly, the girl had a dislike of vegetables. He reached out to take one of the beans the girl had not yet gotten to. As he raised it to his mouth, the girl appeared to have changed her mind about letting him have which ever bean he wanted.

"Wait, that one is bogie flavored. The puffskein gets those."

While he was painfully aware that there were snot flavored beans, the chances of this particular bean actually being snot flavored were astronomical. Still, they were getting along so well, he wasn't going to ruin her little game. He held the bean out to the puffskein.

The puffskein certainly did seem to want it, but while snot was their favorite food, puffskeins would eat almost anything. When the puffskein finished eating the 'bogie' flavored bean, he began to hum loudly.

"You can pick another."

"Do you know, when I was your age, I once found a vomit flavored bean."

"There is a vomit flavored one here, too."

The girl's hand hovered over the pile of beans, it seemed to be searching them. Finally, her delicate fingers enclosed on a single bean which she quickly dropped into his hand.

Dumbledore held the bean uncomfortably for a moment. It was the same color that the vomit flavored bean had been, but so many things could be that color, burnt butter, dirty snow, mustard. The girl was only pretending, of course. The whole fun – if you could call it that – of the Every Flavor Beans was that you couldn't tell in advance what you were going to be eating. Like the 'bogie' flavored one, the chances of this one being vomit flavored was astronomical.

The girl looked so solemn and serious. He would play along with her little game. He popped the bean into his mouth and chewed.

"Excuse me."

With his hand over his mouth, gagging, he hurriedly made his way out the door.

##########################################

Alastor Moody had been told by the Magical Creatures professor that the girl was sleeping and wasn't to be disturbed, but he could hear the girl talking. Someone was in the room with her. He turned the knob slowly, trying not to make a sound. The element of surprise was very valuable in auror work.

Despite his best efforts, when he got the door open, the girl was staring at him. She looked like Artemisia, dark hair, pale skin, and gray eyes, but her voice, her words were cold like Grindelwald.

"You should knock. It is not nice to just walk into someone's room."

"Who were you talking to?"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You. I was talking to you. You did not knock."

He frowned at her attempt to be difficult. "Before I came into the room, who were you talking to?"

He couldn't help but tense and grip his own wand as she reached into the folds of the blankets around her. What ever he had been anticipating her hands returning with, it wasn't a fluffy little creature. As he spoke, he reached out a hand towards it.

"A puffskein? You were talking to a puffskein?"

Grindelwald's influence on the girl was easy to see. As his hand approached to examine the puffskein, she pulled it back, clutching it to herself. "Mine!"

Moody flushed as he pulled his hand back quicker than was respectable. He looked around the room. There wasn't anyone else there. Talking to a puffskein was…was...it wasn't what he had expected, but he couldn't find anything to contradict her statement.

As his eyes returned to the girl, he noticed she was searching him with her eyes. He returned an uncertain look as she first checked out his hands and then leaned around to look behind him. Not finding what she sought, her eyes glinted maliciously. "What did you bring me?"

"What?"

The girl tilted her head, eyeing him angrily. "My present. Where is it?"

Moody was confused. "Present? I didn't bring you anything."

This clearly did not please her. Her next words came out slow and demanding. "Everyone-brings-me-presents. It is expected."

Moody stared at her. "Why would I bring you a present?"

Again her answer came with an air of displeasure. "I am sick. It is considerate."

Considerate? So young and already, she was so like Grindelwald. "You don't look sick and I don't have a present for you."

She practically scowled at him. After a moment, she seemed to recover from her disappointment. "If you did not bring me a present, then why are you here?"

As soon as he spoke, Moody realized he shouldn't have. "I am supposed to watch you."

Again she gave an angry tilt of her head. "What for?"

The silence that followed that question was long and uncomfortable.

She was quickly growing impatient with him. Alastor looked at the bed and the side table. He couldn't see where she had her wand.

"Well, can you tell me a story?"

He glanced to the door. He was no longer sure what was going on. What was she trying at? What was her angle? "A story?"

The girl nodded. Again, he looked to the door. Seeing no help on the way and her impatience growing, he struggled to think of a story.

"Well, there was this girl and she was walking in the woods. And she came to a cottage and she went inside. It belong-"

"-Did she knock?"

Moody shrugged. "No."

The girl eyed him disapprovingly. "Are you sure it was a girl? It sounds like you."

He didn't know how to respond so he tried to go on with the story.

"The cottage belonged to three bears and the bears had been trying to have breakfast, but -"

"-No, no! That is not a very good story. Tell me a good story!"

Moody shrugged again. "What's a good story?"

The girl was frowning at him again. "One that is interesting. One about a puffskein."

She held up the puffskein for him to see again.

Moody shook his head. "You can't have an interesting story about a puffskein. It's just a stupid ball of hair. Puffskeins don't do anything, they just sit there."

The girl's eyes flashed dangerously. He really wanted to be able to see where her wand was kept. "You are nasty and foul smelling!"

"What?"

His nostrils flared angrily. Sure, he wasn't one of those narcissistic people who spent half the day before the mirror, but he was hygienic.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You are not considerate! I have a puffskein and I think they are very interesting."

After a moment of frowning at him, she gave him an appraising look. When she again addressed him, it was not at all a question. "You do know that puffskeins like to eat bogies."

Moody stared at her uncomprehending. She raised her other eyebrow. When he didn't get her intent, she continued speaking.

"He could help you."

Still, Moody didn't get what it was she seemed to expect of him.

"You should let him have yours."

Moody shook his head.

The girl again gave him a disapproving look. "I know you have some. I can see them."

Moody looked to the door.

"Are you saving them for someone?"

Moody returned his gaze to the girl when she asked her next question. "Are you going to eat them?"

"Of course not!"

"So let him have them."

"No!"

"If you are not going to eat them, why cannot he have them?"

Moody didn't have a good answer to that question, but he wasn't going to let the puffskein have them. His lack of response again angered the girl. She laid back on her pile of pillows before sharing her opinion of him.

"I think you are mean."

He knew it wasn't a good idea to get her angry. There was no predicting what would happen, so he tried to change the topic.

"What's his name?"

The girl was eyeing him again. "You are not very smart. He cannot talk."

Moody sighed. She was deliberately being difficult. "I was asking you. I know he can't talk."

The girl was giving him that annoyed, superior look again. "How would I know his name? He never told me, he cannot talk."

Moody sputtered a few times, trying to come up with a response. "What did you name him?"

"I did not name him."

"You're supposed to make up a name for him."

The girl seemed affronted by the idea. "Would you like it if I made up a name for you? I can think of a few words to describe you right now."

Moody had had more than enough of this. "Just a minute now-"

"-What's going on here?"

Moody turned to the door as another person entered. Kettleburn admonished him before addressing the girl.

"Mr. Moody, I told you Kitten was resting and not to be disturbed. Kitten, you should be sleeping."

The girl quickly took control of the conversation and distorted the situation. She looked at the Care of Magical Creatures professor with mock earnestness.

"I was trying to go to sleep, but he came in. He did not knock. He kept talking and I cannot sleep with him talking all the time. He is very mean and not at all considerate. He said bad things about my puffskein and he would not give him his bogies."

"That's not true! That isn't what happened!"

Kettleburn turned to regard him.

"Mr. Moody, I told you not to come in here, yet here you are. That tells me you are not to be trusted."

Moody was offended at the allegation. He held his head up high. "You are going to take her word over mine?"

"There is an easy way to see who is telling the truth."

Moody nodded his agreement. "That there is." Let the professor produce some truth serum and see who was telling the truth. Moody frowned, puzzled when instead Kettleburn approached him. The professor leaned his body down slightly and angled his head up. Clearly the professor was under her spell. Rising, he pronounced his judgment.

"You still have all your bogies. Leave now or I will have to speak to the Headmaster."

tbc