Thief
March 8th, 1995
Sixth year
Care of Magical Creatures. One of the best classes Hogwarts had to offer. Hufflepuff 6th years shared it with Gryffindor 6th years. Today they were learning about Swooping Evils.
Hagrid walked out of his hut with 5 spiny green cocoons looking quite pleased with himself, "Now," he said, flinging one cocoon above the class' heads. They watched as it exploded into a vaguely triangular creature with large wings and three long, thin tails.
"These are Swooping Evils, careful they don' pounce on yeh, they like to stick their long tongues in yer ears and eat yer brain. Very misunderstood creatures, they only attack when provoked, otherwise they're pleasant creatures." He flung another into the air as he spoke.
"Now, I've fed them already today, so yeh should be nice and safe, but all the same, don't provoke them. They can deflect certain spells simply be flying into them. Their backs are armored, see?"
"Awesome," Jo said watching the Swooping Evils swoop around. They were an iridescent blue with green armored backs and a vaguely skull-like face; Jo loved them.
"Now, before they suck yer brain out through yer ears they secrete a poison that has been proven to, when diluted, erase bad memories. That's how wizards in New York were able to remain undetected. When they're not flying, they wrap themselves up into cocoons and hang by their tails." Hagrid beckoned the class closer and began to gingerly pass out the remaining three egg-shaped cocoons.
Unless you looked very, very closely you couldn't see the seams in the Swooping Evil's tight fold. The cocoons were surprisingly tiny for a fairly large creature. Jo held it up to eye level looking at all the spikes and pitying the predator that tried to eat these guys. Leili admired the long, strong tails before passing it on and watching the creatures swooping overhead. They glided more than they flew; they were very flexible, curling their wings in and doing somersaults on the air currents before stretching back out. "Amazing. What d'you think Jo? You want one?"
Jo laughed but had to agree they were pretty cool, she was really glad they'd stuck with Care of Magical Creatures for their N.E.W.T years. They'd transferred out of Divination early in their third year and as such had only been behind for a little while. Leili was particularly pleased with the choice; divination had been dull.
After class, Leili crouched down to pet a stray Niffler's head, "Hello there, little escapee. Aren't you cute?" she said, her bracelet slipping out from beneath her sleeve as she reached. Nifflers were renowned thieves and escape artists. She'd heard tell of one who'd broken into a sealed Muggle bank vault. The 4th years were learning about them this week and this one had somehow escaped the burrow Hagrid had made for them.
"Careful of your bracelet there," Leili looked up at the sound of the boy's voice, hand still extended toward the Niffler, "they like to steal shiny things," he was silhouetted by the sun so she couldn't make out his face, though it did set his red hair all aglow.
She knew he was in Gryffindor though; she had a few classes with him, and so recognized his voice. Jo was off talking to Hagrid, trying to wring more details about Swooping Evils from him, like why the heck they were called 'Swooping Evil' and if she could keep one as a Guard Evil.
"I'd heard. That's why I was trying to hide it. Obviously my plan failed," she grinned and looked back at the Niffler, reaching to tuck the bracelet under her sleeve again only to see the furry beastie scampering away, bracelet in tow.
"You brazen little thief!" She yelled, horrifyingly amused. Getting to her feet she raced after the sticky fingered fiend. She pulled a faceted prism keychain from her pocket as she ran; it was nothing magical, just shiny; she'd planned to use it as a zipper pull on her book bag but hadn't gotten around to attaching it yet.
"Jo! A little help?!"
Jo looked up at the sound of her name and then watched Fred as he watched Leili before she went to head the Niffler off at the pass.
George came to stand next to his twin and watched Jo and Leili trade the prism for the bracelet and then snatch up the furry beastie by the scruff of his neck to bring him back to Hagrid. "You talked to her, mate!"