15 Friday

Apparation class had been a bore. Because the teachers wouldn't let the students apparate, or even show them how to, all they did was learn the magical science behind it and more about why they shouldn't do it. Noelle wondered how long they would drag out this class for. She would have to remember to check the semester schedule later on and see if maybe it was a shortened class. If it were, then she would have a lot more time on Fridays open up.

Now all the students made their way down the hill on school grounds, going once more to meet Hagrid for his Care of Magical Creatures class. Several were stating how they hoped to see the Niffler again.

Many of the girls were wearing their pygmy puffs on their shoulders. Small, fluffy creatures, pygmy puffs were a recent addition to Hogwarts as, girls mostly, but boys too, brought them in as new pets. They were being sold at Weasley's wizard wheezes. Besides being pets, the creatures were treated also as a sort of cosmetic item.

The girls were bringing them pygmy puffs in hopes of impressing Hagrid, unsure if he'd ever even seen one before. Noelle would bet he had, or at least knew enough about them, but she wouldn't be the one to crush their dreams.

As she walked, Noelle tried to write her response letter to Azraeyn. She'd gotten a letter back from him in the morning asking general "get to know you" questions like: her favorite color, favorite song, favorite food. It was difficult to write on the move, and even more so without a hard surface to lay her paper against, and most of her writing came out in a messy scrawl. On top of that, Azraeyn himself was at the front of the line within view of her. Now was not the best time to be writing him, but she was anxious.

Finishing her note, she pocketed it just in time to reach the woods, where the students had been instructed to meet Hagrid the week prior. They all weaved around trees until they saw the half-giant ahead. In his hands he held a small pale pink creature, but from the way he cradled it, it was near impossible to tell what it was.

Lining up in front of Hagrid, the students stopped and waited for him to speak. "Good morning everyone! Today I've brought out Squiggly for you all to meet. He's a-" He stopped. "Now hold on a minute." He squinted and pointed with his free hand at a girl's pygmy puff. "Is that a puffskein? What are ye doing here with that? And why is it purple?"

The girl laughed and pulled it off her shoulder, showing it of. "It's a pygmy puff Hagrid. The Weasley's bred it from puffskeins to be a smaller, more colorful pet. What do you think?"

He huffed. "What will they think of next? Miniature hippogryphs as pets?" He rumbled a laugh and then leaned forwards towards the class. "I'll let you in on a little well known fact about a puffskein. They'll eat your bogey's while you sleep!" When the girls looked disgusted and started to glance awkwardly at one another he let out a roar of laughter and wiped a tear away from his eye. "But on a more serious note, their hair can be used as a magical ingredient in potions. Though," he reached out with one big finger to poke a pygmy puff, its soft fur indented where he touched it, "I don't know about these purple and pink ones. They may have lost their magical properties."

Noelle was still curious about the creature he held, and less curious about the pygmy puffs she already knew about. Though, it was hilarious to know that the girls' pets licked their noses while they slept. "What were you saying Squiggly there was again Hagrid?"

He straightened up and looked under his arm as though he'd forgotten about it. "Oh right. This here is a murtlap." He held it out on display and the girls wrinkled up their noses. "Not the prettiest creature with its naked skin and tentacle-like appendages on its back," Noelle noted its sharp buck-teeth in front as well and made a mental note to avoid them as well, "it can be tamed under the right conditions. Many a wizard has pickled its tentacles for healing uses. However, here we don't harm the beasts. There's plenty of other healing magic out there mind you."

Kade stepped forwards, looking intrigued. "Can we touch it?"

Hagrid looked amused at the idea. "You can if you'd like."

Kade reached out for the creatures head tentatively. Noelle saw that this was a mistake immediately. The creature, though calm in Hagrid's arms, was looking around in alarm at everyone else. There was too much stimulation here with everyone around it. Hagrid was having a teaching moment.

Noelle tried to stop Kade in time but was too late. "Kade wait!"

The murtlap, Squiggly, turned in Hagrid's arms, and on seeing Kade, startled, and bit the boy's hand.

"Ahh!" Kade jumped back and looked at his hand, two small bloody puncture holes now there where they hadn't been a moment ago.

Noelle went over to his side and pulled out her wand, pointing it at his wound. "Episky!" The puncture marks sealed themselves, leaving only a drop of blood on his skin.

He looked at her appreciatively. "I just wanted to touch it." He laughed awkwardly.

Noelle smiled back and then looked at Hagrid as he began speaking again. "Now, I'm sorry there Kade, but this is the reason you have to be careful with magical creatures. Or any creature for that matter. They be unpredictable, and must be approached in the right manner. As for your bite, which Noelle already helped you with, you'll want Madame Pomfrey to take a look at ye later to make sure you don't suffer any of the Murtlap's adverse effects."

Kade looked horrified and other kids laughed. Noelle patted his shoulder. "Im sure you'll be fine. Hagrid is just messing around trying to scare you. I'll go with you after class though just in case okay?" She at least hoped Hagrid was just messing around.

Noelle felt herself nudged forwards and turned around to see Buckbeak, the hippogryph, walking along the backside of the crowd. It seemed she'd been the first to notice him and she watched as his eyes darted around between the students.

A couple years before, he'd knocked Draco Malfoy off his feet and let Harry Potter ride him, something he was not well known to do. In fact, according to Hagrid, he rarely took a liking to anyone at all. Although she'd never ridden him, Noelle had never had any trouble with the beast. In fact, she thought they got on rather well as he let her pet and feed him. It was really about mutual respect, as they'd been taught. Draco hadn't shown any respect and therefore had received none in return.

More students had noticed him by now and turned to look. Now Buckbeak stopped, eying the pygmy puff on the girl's shoulder who had spoken earlier on. The girl turned and smiled on seeing the creature, only to have her smile change to a look of stunned horror as, in one swift motion, the hippogryph stretched its neck out and swallowed the pygmy puff whole.

There was silence and then chaos as several students shrieked and back wheeled away from him, girls shoved their pygmy puffs under their robes, and Buckbeak reared up at the sudden din. Hagrid rushed forwards and held a hand up to the creature, urging him to calm down while yelling for the students to do the same.

Eventually everyone did so, keeping their distance from the beast. Hagrid chuckled nervously. "I think that's enough for one day, how bout ye?"

The girl who'd lost her puff started crying as another student held her and tried to console her.

"I suppose ye shouldn't bring your pets next time."

Though she felt horrible for the girl, at the same time, the whole situation was morbidly amusing, as it was a bad idea to bring the pets in the first place. Turning to Kade she shook her head clear of thoughts. "Ready to go to the hospital wing?"