Summary: When the call to protect an endangered creature lands in Luna's lap, she will defend it at all costs, even if it means keeping secrets.

Genre: Adventure

Rating: K+

Warning Tag: Mentions of animal/creature poaching.


Protection

Luna was always good at keeping secrets when it was deemed necessary, even if she had to keep them from her friends, father, or significant others. Her work as an aspiring magizoologist for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures required her to harbor secrets. It was a crucial tool when being entrusted with sensitive information about rare creatures and their locations. Some were on the verge of being placed on the endangered list, others faced extinction, so keeping their protected locations quiet was top priority.

One of her recent assignments was to locate and investigate a rogue occamy that allegedly nested in Ireland. These creatures were exclusively native to the Far East and India, and there were few in numbers, so having one nesting so far from their territory was concerning and screamed the work of smugglers wishing to sell to poachers.

When Luna arrived at the general whereabouts of the recorded occamy, she was already too late.

The creature had been hunted and poached for its wing feathers and glistening feather-like scales for potions and wand cores. Their remains were already attracting flies and maggots, so it had been dead for a little while now. Luna took several photos of the occamy and recorded what she observed in her notes. They had said this female was of nesting age, so there may be a nest closeby. She could only hope that it was not found by her attacker.

She carefully navigated the rough terrain where the ruins of an old church remained that the creature might have taken refuge in. There was no nest. Luna decided to scout the steep cliffside, and sure enough, she found six silver eggs nestled in a large nest where a couple molted feathers and scales lingered. She collected a few for samples before very carefully gathering the silver eggs. Leaving them was not an option.

Back at work, there was suspicion that someone had leaked the occamies whereabouts. The Aurors were given instruction to keep an eye out for unregulated occamy materials being circulated around to the apothecary shops. Luna found the news troubling, and for the safety of the unhatched eggs, she decided to keep them a secret from her superior. A poacher didn't hesitate to obtain the location despite the risks, who would stop them from wanting the priceless eggs as well?

Luna created a makeshift nest for the six little eggs in a secret room hidden in her closet at home. The nest was also an incubator to keep the eggs warm. She didn't risk reporting them, only the empty nest, feathers, and scales. It was a shame to lose the young occamy female that fell into the wrong hands. But with a silent promise, Luna would protect her offspring and return them to their rightful territory once the creatures were capable of surviving on their own.


Originally Written For:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)

Monthly Challenges for All

The Houses Competitions

Word Count: 480

Originally Written: May 2018