Chapter 10: Scamander
After the incident with Ben Dorsett, the students were confined to their houses. Nobody objected. Everyone shuffle about, not talking or doing anything. It were as though something had died when the curse had been cast, an innocence. A Gryffindor had, unprovoked, attempted to murder a Slytherin. An announcement was made that supper would be held in the individual houses that evening. The Headmistress felt it was best that each head of house address the events of the day with their own students.
Professor Sprout gathered the Hufflepuffs about her in front of the fireplace, above which, a very sad looking Helga Hufflepuff still held out her cup, though it seemed less in a toast than in an offering of friendship. Prof. Sprout's usually jovial demeanor matched Helga Hufflepuff's in somberness. The students sat on cushions on the floor, tailor-style, in front of her.
"I regret to inform you that Benedict Dorsett has been expelled from Hogwarts for attempting to use the Blasting Curse on another student."
The words were not wholly unexpected but still a number of students gasped as she said it.
Debbie was the first to speak, "Will he go to Azkaban?"
"The Minister of Magic has not decided yet. Mr. Dorsett is not yet seventeen and so still is not subject to the full effect of the law, but then, what he attempted to do was unforgivable in the wizarding community. It cannot be overlooked simply because of his age or the extenuating circumstances. This is a very serious case. There will be a trial in front of the Wizengamot."
"Will we have to testify?" another student asked.
"No, Professor Flitwick will testify as witness. More will not be required."
"What extenuating circumstances?" Debbie asked, ever the detective.
"I am not at liberty to discuss those," Prof. Sprout answered.
The question that had been burning inside Matthew since lunch burst forth, "Who was Beatrice?"
"I'm sorry?"
"He yelled 'This is for you Beatrice!' when they were dragging him off."
"I apologize, I am not at liberty to discuss that either. I can only tell you we are doing our best to address the problem."
"You want to address the problem? Expel Carrow." Jonas Smith's loud voice carried over the crowd.
"Yeah!" A few other students echoed.
Prof. Sprout's brows knit, her eyes darkened. "No. Mr. Smith, I am disappointed in you. Miss Carrow has done nothing wrong."
"Yeah, tell that to McCraig."
This was the second time Matthew had heard McCraig mentioned in regards to Ceelee, he listened carefully but Prof. Sprout did not address the accusation.
"My Hufflepuffs, these are difficult times for Hogwarts. The houses have never been more divided, even more so than before the war. Everyone has suffered loss in these wars, no wizarding family was left unscathed. We must set the example in friendship. Not just friendship with each other, but with all the houses," she gave Smith a pointed look, "even Slytherin. Always be looking for ways to be a friend, even to those you might not like - you never know when a simple kind gesture can make all the difference in the world."
"I don't know what we're going to do now," McLaggen said, moving his knight as they played chess in an empty classroom the following evening. "I mean, Jerry will come on, of course, but he's barely even practiced with us this year and he's not half as good as Ben was. We've already lost to Slytherin."
"It wasn't by much. You can make it up," Matthew said.
"Yeah, but we really needed a cushion for when we went against Ravenclaw. Last year Creevey managed to catch the snitch and we still lost the match against them. And I doubt you're going to let us have that cushion." McLaggen smiled, wryly.
"Not as far as I can help it."
"I can't believe he did that. I mean, it's not as though I haven't wanted to take a shot at her, I can understand the feeling - just seeing her walking around the halls of Hogwarts, lording it up like her father did makes my blood boil - but I'd never actually try to kill her. But then, as bad as they did me, it doesn't even compare to what they did to him."
"What did they do?" Matthew asked, taking McLaggen's pawn.
They didn't tell you?"
"No." Matthew shook his head.
"Figures. They probably figured they didn't need to give everyone a reason to hate Carrow more" McLaggen moved his knight. "You know how he yelled about Beatrice while we were dragging him off?"
"Yeah." Matthew nodded.
"Apparently, Beatrice was Ben's twin sister. One of the fifth years remembered her. She only attended Hogwarts for one year and then she never returned. But so many students never returned he just forgot about her. She was always quiet, kept to herself, only really talked to brother. Prof. Jones told us that summer some Death Eaters broke into their house and tortured her to death right in front of the entire family."
"Amycus and Alecto Carrow." With chilling clarity Matthew recalled the conversation he had heard on the bridge.
"Yeah. Ben's father was Scrimgeour's Secretary. They needed him to get to Scrimgeour, but they knew Scrimgeour was on the alert for signs of the Imperius Curse, so they had to find some other way to make him do it. His dad's serving twenty years in Azkaban for his part in the Ministry of Magic's fall." McLaggen ran his hands through his wiry hair. "He was my mate and I never knew! He never told me anything about it. Never even mentioned his sister or father. Though I never asked. Didn't want to talk about my own brother."
Matthew resisted the urge to ask about Cormac, instead shifting a to more important question. "Did Prof. Jones say anything about the third Death Eater who was with the Carrows? What his identity was?"
"The third Death Eater? No. It sounded like there were only two. Check."
Matthew took the offending Bishop. "Do you remember what the Death Eaters said on the bridge?"
"Not exactly, I didn't hear everything. It was like hearing someone speak while you're bobbing up in down in the water. I caught bits and pieces. I remember laughter. And screaming. And voices talking. But I don't know what was real and what... wasn't... I remember the bit about you trying to cast a Patronus."
"That was after the dementor was dead."
"I still can't believe they killed a dementor."
"I didn't even know it was even possible." Matthew blocked McLaggen's rook. "You aren't supposed to be able to kill a dementor."
"I suppose no one has ever tried that before, though." McLaggen hesitated over taking a pawn before taking Matthew's knight, instead. "I can't imagine how warped your mind would have be to even think of doing something like that."
The door burst open.
"Peeves!" a grizzled voice shouted. Argus Filch's craggy face appeared in the doorway. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the two boys. "Students..." he hissed, shuffling in. "Shouldn't you be in your Common Rooms this late?"
"We still have half an hour before curfew," McLaggen said, indignantly. "We're allowed to be in here. We haven't seen Peeves either, so you can shift off and find some other rulebreakers to harass."
Filch left muttering something about stringing them up by their thumbs, followed by the cat, Mrs. Norris rubbing against her master's ankles.
"Sneaking Squib." McLaggen spat as he turned back to the game. He looked up to find Matthew staring at him, wide eyed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"I know," Matthew said, trying to hide the sting of the words from a person he was fast beginning to consider a friend. "It's not like I don't know why people say it. I know the history. I know the part some squibs played in the Muggle War against Wizards. I probably know it better than anyone who says it. Spies. Agents for the Muggles. Some sold out their own families. But that was over a thousand years ago. And they still mistrust us. Checkmate."
"Well, for what it's worth, I trust you. Though I don't know how you beat me in chess every single time."
"I suppose that is worth something." Matthew gathered the remaining pieces toward himself.
"We still have time for one more round, " McLaggen suggested, as though hoping for a sign his words had not cut too deeply.
Matthew forced a wry smile. "With the way you play. But we'd better not. Filch will be keeping an eye out for us."
"Good point," McLaggen conceded, helping to put away the board. "I really would prefer not to give him a chance to string me up by my thumbs."
Matthew slid the top of the box on.
"Well, goodnight," McLaggen said so awkwardly it felt as though there should be a formal handshake.
"Goodnight, McLaggen."
"I told you, call me Liam."
"Call me Matt."
McLaggen appeared struck dumb by this. Matthew picked up the box and began to walk away. He was already out the door when he heard McLaggen call out, "Ok, then!" Matthew turned to see McLaggen hanging out the door of the room, waving with a smile. "Goodnight, Matt."
He looked so unintentionally comical, Matthew almost laughed. "Goodnight, Liam."
McLaggen grinned. Mathew turned down the hall heading toward the kitchens.
Recalling McLaggen hanging out the door, Matthew smiled while he walked along. As he passed a large window he noticed something odd, though it took him a moment to realize what it was. The lake was shimmering strangely in the moonlight. And there he saw it, again. The strange creature, flying through the water, leaping and twirling. The full moon on the clear night illuminated the creature, giving its form better definition. It reminded him of a seal, though he had never seen a seal move quite like that. He watched, hypnotized until he felt a strange presence at his leg. Startled he peered down to see Mrs. Norris, the cat, weaving her way between his legs. From down the hall he heard a slow stumping. He glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes past curfew! He was going to get detention for sure! Declan would kill him!
Filch stuck his head around the corner. Matthew stood stock still. Perhaps Filch wouldn't notice him in the shadows from the window frame, though he knew this to be a vain hope.
Filch appeared to scan the corridor, then shrugged. Matthew didn't know how it was possible, but Filch didn't seem to see him. "Come on, Mrs. Norris, let's see if we can find any students leaving the Library late," he said, turning and stumping off in the opposite direction.
Matthew breathed a sigh of relief and, as soon as he could no longer hear Filch's footsteps, he ran down the corridors toward the kitchens, making certain to carefully avoid going by way of the Library.
That Monday, after Lunch, Matthew, Tip, Debbie, and Midge Owens all walked together from the Great Hall toward Hagrid's cabin. As they walked across the grounds Andy Greengrass caught up to them, he was panting from jogging.
"You... you said... you got a Boy Who Lived card," he said, breathing heavily.
"Yeah," Matthew said, producing the card from his pocket. "What'll you trade me for it?"
"I've got a Bridget Wenlock and a Cliodne."
"Hmmm... I'll think about it."
"Come on! I'll throw in Armando Dippet."
"Okay, deal." Matthew handed him the Harry Potter card for the trio of cards.
"Hey, what's up with that Bulstrode girl?" Debbie interrupted, pointing to Gwen Bulstrode who was walking down the sloping grounds alone, a sullen look upon her face.
Andy glanced over at her. "Oh, Ceelee still hasn't let her back in group. I guess, instead of just apologizing for costing Slytherin points, Gwen tried to justify what she said. You can imagine how that went over. Ceelee's got this thing about personal accountability; you screw up, you own it and you pay for it. I've heard she's even less compromising than the Dark - I mean, You Know Who."
"She must be lonely," Debbie ventured.
Andy shrugged, "Probably."
Debbie glanced once more at the girl, straightened herself up, and pulled the straps of her bag tight against her shoulders before turning towards them with a nervous smile. "Hey, guys, I'll meet you down there. Ok?" She turned and jogged toward Gwen Bulstrode.
"Debbie! Wait!" Midge called after her, but Debbie had made up her mind.
Matthew watched as Debbie approached the girl. She said something, Gwen regarded her suspiciously for a moment, and then allowed a slight smile, and the pair of girls continued on their way down toward Hagrid's.
They reached the clearing behind the hut where Hagrid stood. Near the corner, a spare young man with a swarthy complexion holding a briefcase stood looking warily, not at the students, but at something that seemed to be behind Hagrid, a half-giant who could probably hide a midsized elephant behind his large frame. On seeing them approach Hagrid rubbed his rubbish bin sized hands together, a grin of anticipation upon his face.
"Ah! Now that we're all here, ah've got a special treat for yeh! Can anyone tell me what this is?" He stepped aside, his bearded face brimming with glee. It was not a midsize elephant he hid but a creature the size of a full grown rhinoceros, though with a large hump on its back and a stubby, rounded horn on the tip of its chubby snout that glowed faintly red. Matthew almost gasped at the sight of it, instinctively he took a step back. He had heard Hargrid had a penchant for bringing dangerous creatures to class as though they were as harmless as bunnies, but this was beyond dangerous, it was downright reckless. The creature yawned, letting out a small grawp sound.
Midge Owens squealed, "It's a baby Erumpent! Oh look how cute it is!" She moved forward to touch it, her hand out as though she were enchanted.
The swarthy young man quickly stepped forward to block her. "Yes, he is very cute, but he is still very dangerous if startled or scared. Erumpents may be large but they are very sensitive animals and may charge if they feel threatened," he said in a voice that quavered as though he were a bit nervous yet still held authority.
Hargid stepped beside the young man, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder causing the smaller man to wince slightly. "Might I introduce to you Mr. Rolf Scamander, Magizoologist"
"Scamander? Like Newt Scamander? The author of our textbook?" a Hufflepuff named Lewis Springly asked.
"He is my grandfather, yes," Rolf Scamander answered.
"I've known Rolf since he was no bigger'n a bowtruckle. He was tellin' me over the Summer tha' one of his Erumpents was abou' ta have a calf and I thought it migh' be a good chance for you lot ter see one up close."
"If he's a baby, where's his mother?" a nervous looking Slytherin asked, he glanced about warily.
Scamander held up the briefcase and gave it a gentle pat. "She was not eager to let me show him to you today, but fortunately she trusts me."
"How old is he?" Midge asked, her hand shooting up in the air even as she spoke.
"He's three months old, so he'll need to go back inside the case soon to nurse."
"Does he have a name?"
"Well, not officially, but I like to call him... Herbert."
"Hello, Herbert," she cooed. She looked up to Mr. Scamander, "May I touch him?"
"I suppose if you approach him very slowly. But if I tell you to back away, you must do as I say immediately, agreed?"
She nodded, causing her mouse brown sausage curl ringlets to bounce up and down around her round face.
"Good. Now walk slowly forward, hands out in front on you. That's it... slowly now... Let him sniff your hand."
Midge Owens did as she was told, barely suppressing a squeal of glee as the baby erumpent snuffled at her hand before nuzzling its horn against it. She looked to Mr. Scamander, her face positively radiant.
"I believe you can pet him now."
She moved down and patted his giant hump.
"As you can see, erumpents are very docile creatures most of the time. Due to habitat destruction erumpent numbers have steadily declined and they are now on the brink of extinction. It is my hope that over the next few months we will be able to help Herbert adjust to human contact so that we can transfer him to a preserve in Africa where they have a female erumpent. I'm sure you can appreciate how challenging it is to bring a species back from the edge of extinction..." Mr. Scamander continued but Matthew was no longer listening. Over by the corner of the hut he could have sworn he saw something move. He shook his head, it must have been a trick of the light. Suddenly, from behind the hut a giant red catherine wheel sparkler shot out, shooting red sparks as it rolled through the air. Herbert reared, knocking Midge Owens down. He charged forward into the class, the catherine wheel at his tail. Matthew ducked, knowing it would do nothing more than make him more aerodynamic, but not especially caring at the moment.
"Protego!" a voice cried over the crowd. Matthew glance up from underneath his hands to see Ceelee, her wand out from which a large shimmering barrier had been produced. It covered the whole of the class like a bubble. The erumpent ran headlong into the shield, bouncing off he changed course for the woods.
"Partis Temporus," Scamander said, opening up a gap in the bubble which he quickly slid through. He aimed his wand carefully near the baby. "Expecto Patronum!"
A gigantic silvery beast shot from Scamander's wand, charging through the catherine wheel, reducing it to ash.
"An erumpent patronus," Matthew whispered as the giant silver erumpent ran along side the baby, heading it off before it could reach the forest.
Seeing another of his kind had destroyed the horrible spinning red monster, Herbert calmed down and began merrily running beside the patronus.
"There's a good baby," Scamander said gently, more to himself than anyone else, "Just follow your friend." Scamander opened his case and the silver patronus led the baby inside. Immediately, he shut the case and clicked the locks into place. He knelt down beside Midge Owens, "You aren't hurt are you?"
"No, sir." she shook her head, ringlets whipping back and forth.
"Take my arm then." Scamander offered her his elbow which she wrapped her pink hands around and lifted her up from the ground.
"Will we be able to see Herbert again?"
"I think maybe next week. He's had a lot of excitement today and I don't want to overwhelm him." Scamander suddenly pointed his wand toward the sound of a snapping branch behind him. "Petrificus Totalus." A black haired boy in Slytherin robes fell from a low tree branch to the ground.
"Aloysius Selwyn," Hargrid said to the boy who could only move his pupils desperately as though their movement could somehow spur his body into running away. "Yeh'll be havin' detention with me the rest o' the week. An' 20 points from Slytherin."
"That was an impressive shield charm the girl did, she probably saved her classmates from serious injury. What is your name, miss?" Scamander said, turning to Ceelee.
Ceelee took a bracing breath, "Ceelee Carrow."
Scamander winced slightly at the name but managed to collect himself, "Well, Miss Carrow, that was quite a bit of magic you did. Thank you for your assistance. I'm certain the rest of the class thanks you as well. Perhaps 10 points to Slytherin is in order?" he looked to Hagrid who appeared about to speak when Ceelee interjected.
"I was only protecting my house, the Hufflepuffs were just mixed in."
It was a lie and Matthew could tell Scamander knew it was a lie as well, but the magizoologist seemed to intuit the situation.
Scamander pursed his lips, "Perhaps 5 points then. A spell well cast still deserves acknowledgement. Well then, no sense wasting any more time, can anyone tell me what this is?" he said, holding up a small nut brown creature that looked not unlike a fairy.
After a rather interesting lecture on Brownies, Hagrid dismissed the class. Matthew, Tip, and Deborah Johnson were walking up the hill
"That was so cool when Scamander produced that patronus. I didn't even know you could have an erumpent as you patronus!" Tip declared, his hands laced behind his head as he walked, looking up at the sky. "I wonder what my patronus is? I'll bet its something cool like a jaguar or maybe a tasmasian devil."
"Probably a bunny-eared bandicoot," Matthew said. He didn't particularly know what a bandicoot was except that it was small and the addition of rabbit ears to the name made it sound particularly non-threatening.
"A bilby!? Nah! What do you think yours is Debbie?"
"I don't know, maybe some type of bird?"
Matthew scratched behind his ear and realized immediately something was wrong. He was no longer wearing his glasses. He stopped, rifling through his bag.
"What is it Matt?" Deborah asked.
"It's my glasses, they must have fallen off when the erumpent charged us. I'll be right back."
"But you'll be late for class!"
"I know, but mum will never forgive me if I lose them."
"Let me try to get them. What was that summoning spell?" Deborah asked.
"Accio," Matthew answered.
Deborah flourished her wand toward Hargid's hut. "Accio glasses!" Nothing happened. "Accio glasses!" she tried again. Still nothing. Tip started laughing. "Well, let's see you do it then!" she retorted, fire flashing in her eyes.
"Fine, I'll show you how it's done," he said with a cocky smile. He waved his wand, "Accio glasses." To nobody's surprise but his own, nothing happened. Deborah doubled over, her twin hair puffs shaking with laughter.
Matthew turned toward the hut, "It's fine, Tip, we still have a year until they teach us summoning spells. Don't worry, I'll catch up. It's not far to get to the greenhouses."
Matthew scanned the ground outside the cabin for his glasses, running his hands just above the grass so he would not miss them or accidentally step on them. He felt the hard glass before he saw it. Picking them up he rubbed the lenses on his shirt and raised them to the sky to check for smudges. He slipped them on and was about to go when he heard voices coming from around the corner. He hid behind the corner of the hut as Hagrid and Scamander strolled into view.
"Ah reckon ah'll have him feed flobberworms for the week. He can't mess that up too bad, can 'e? The garden could do with a good de-gnoming, too."
"Seems a fair punishment. It was a lucky thing Miss Carrow was in attendance. I've never seen a student able to produce a shield charm so strong, it was quite extraordinary. She's not related to..."
"Yeh, she is. Daughter of Amycus Carrow." Hagrid spit as though the name were a bad taste in his mouth. "But she's alrigh'. Fang likes her, an' ah trust his judgement more than any name."
"She's very powerful."
"Aye, that she is. Some of the professors... well, they say she might be one of the mos' powerful witches of her age; which is sayin' somethin'."
"Why did she feel the need to lie like that?"
"She..." Hagrid appeared unsure where to start. "Well, she... Yeh see, when she firs' got here, well yeh know that was jus' a year after ev'rythin' an' most a the other students didn' take too kindly to her on account of her name. I remember at the sortin' she came up, just a slip of a girl, four stone soakin' wet and when they announced her name... there was just this audible gasp. The whole room went silent. But not like a normal silence, but like the silence before a bomb hits. Like the slightest noise and the whole place would go up. And then, when she was sorted into Slytherin, the whole place just exploded. Guess everyone took it as confirmation that she was bad as her parents. Lotta rumors goin' round abou' her bein' trained up in the dark arts an all that. Mind yeh, back then there was a lot of fightin' between Slytherin and the other houses. Lotta Death Eaters kids were still students and with You Know Who gone an' half their parents in Azkaban, on the run or dead, well there was a lot of bad blood. Couldn' hardly walk down a hall withou' getting caught in the middle of a duel. I guess she tried to ignore it, but yeh know how kids are. She was bullied a lot that first year. Not to speak ill of my house but the Gryffindors gave her the worst of it. I foun' her one day in the forest when I was out feedin' the thestrals, up in a tree hidin' from some fifth years."
Scamander smiled knowingly, "Another one of your strays, eh Hagrid? You've always had a soft spot for hard luck cases."
"It wasn't tha' long ago I found you the same way. Well, mebbe not up a tree exactly..."
"Hiding behind a large pumpkin more precisely. I don't suppose I could do that now. But I can sympathize with the girl; living in the shadow of a famous family member can be difficult."
"'Specially when that shadow is black as You Know Who's heart. Anyway, took her in, gave her a cake, tol' her she could come by whenever she liked. Used to have her by almos' every day - it was like havin' an assistant. But she was always real quiet-like. Well, unless yeh wanted ter talk abou' Quidditch - she's a fanatic for Ginny Weasley yeh know; when she foun' out we was friends she wanted ter hear ev'ry story. I got 'er an autographed poster for Chris'mas. It's not like Ginny don't come aroun' on occasion, but I guess she didn't think she could get one for herself; mebbe tha' if Ginny knew who she was, she wouldn' do it. Ginny's not that type, I don' think. I don' know, mebbe she wouldn't. The Carrows were pretty bad to all of 'em. Yeh know, Ceelee never talked abou' what them other kids was doin'; never raised her wand again' them neither. Guess she though' she deserved it or somethin'. But then there was that incident with that McCraig boy."
"The McCraig boy?"
"He was a 6th year. Beater for the Gryffindor team. Real beefy bloke, yeh know?" Hargid illustrated the phantom boy's shape as a large square with his hands. "He took a particular dislikin' to her. I guess one night he cornered her in a back corridor. Don' know the particulars bu' I know there was an explosion an' McCraig came outta it missin' an arm an a leg. Reckon he was lucky ter be alive. Guess they weren't rumors abou' her upbringin'. A lot of the parents called for her to be expelled, but McGonagall wouldn', said she had it on good authority McCraig had attacked her. After that Ceelee changed. Mebbe she figured after that no one would ever accept her now anyway so why bother, right? Or mebbe she was jus' tired of bein' pushed around. So she started fightin' back. I mean, she never hurt anyone, aside from McCraig an' ah don't think she did that on purpose, but she fought back until everyone was afraid to even look at her wrong. Wasn't long afore all the Death Eater kids made her their leader of sorts. Keeps 'em on a tight leash. I imagin' Selwyn will prolly get it worse from her than anythin' I could ever do. Ever since she took over, fights between the Slytherins and Gryffindors have stopped almost entirely, exceptin' her and McLaggen a'course, so I can' say it was a bad thing."
"But it came at a cost. Beyond an arm and a leg."
"Yeh could say that, yeah. She don' come aroun' here much no more. I never see her laughin' or smilin'; it's like all the life has been sucked outta her."
"She's afraid if she looks weak she'll lose control of them."
"It's no way for a kid ter live, yeh know? These kids, they didn' get the chance ter be kids. It's jus' wrong, it is. Well, let's say we check on them Calygreyhound cubs." Hagrid gestured to the rear of the cabin.
"Yes, my grandfather did ask about them."
"They've been growing like weeds. The mum's all healed up so they ken go back ter Oxford whenever yer ready. Though I will miss the little tykes." Hagrid said, as they disappeared behind the back.
Matthew just stood for a moment, watching them go, trying to process what he had just heard.