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Chapter 55: The Plight of Magical Creatures
After Halloween, November arrived, bringing cold weather that made the young wizards even less inclined to get up in the mornings. At eight o'clock, Kyle, wrapped in a thick robe, yawned as he entered the Great Hall for breakfast. As usual, owls swooped into the hall, delivering letters and packages. Among them was a much-anticipated package for Cedric: his new broomstick, a Nimbus 1700, just as he'd hoped.
"Excellent, Cedric, excellent!" an older Hufflepuff player said, slapping Cedric on the shoulder. "You're the Seeker, and with this Nimbus 1700, the gap between us and Slytherin just got a lot smaller. I've seen their Seeker in action—honestly, he's little more than a Troll who can ride a broomstick."
Hufflepuff's first Quidditch match was against Slytherin, and they had been worried about the equipment gap. But with Cedric's new Nimbus 1700, their morale soared. The broom alone might not have been enough, but with Cedric as Seeker, it was a different story. In training matches, Cedric had caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes, coming within seconds of breaking the Hogwarts record for fastest Seeker.
With a top-class broom and a talented Seeker, the Hufflepuff team couldn't see how they could lose. The idea of Slytherin scoring 150 points in five minutes was laughable.
Kyle was also excited, even though he wasn't part of the team. It would be great if Hufflepuff could win the Quidditch Cup. He glanced admiringly at Cedric's new Nimbus until he felt a sharp tingling in his fingers—an owl had landed in front of him.
"Sorry, little guy, I didn't notice you," Kyle apologized, quickly feeding the owl a piece of dried Murtlap rat meat before taking the letter it had delivered.
The letter read:
Dear Kyle,
I'm sorry it took me so long to write back to you, but I've been incredibly busy lately. I always thought I had already replied, until this morning when I found the unfinished letter in my office. I hope you can forgive me.
We received the Galleons you sent, and I'm proud of you, my boy. I wasn't as good as you in my first year.
By the way, your mother asked me to tell you that she accepted the Galleons, but don't even think about a broom.
However, she's prepared something else for you, and it should arrive in a few days. I hope you like it.
That's all for now. I hope you're enjoying Hogwarts.
Your father, Chris
After reading the letter, Kyle's mood deflated. He had suspected his mother wasn't as easy to persuade as Mr. Diggory, but he was still disappointed. And the letter had taken so long—he'd sent it in early September, and now, in November, he was finally getting a response. What could Chris have been so busy with that he hadn't been to his office in two months? Was Mr. Newt Scamander off traveling again?
Before Kyle could ponder further, Cedric slapped a copy of The Daily Prophet in front of him. "Kyle, check this out! No wonder it took my dad so long to send me the broom."
On the front page was a picture of numerous magical creatures, all caged. Next to the image, the bold headline read:
The Plight of Magical Creatures
Kyle read the article:
According to sources, on September 3rd of this year, the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Elimination of Dark Arts failed to apprehend a group of magical creature smugglers, leading to the escape of a large number of smuggled magical creatures, including three highly dangerous XXXXX-class beasts.
We have yet to understand why the Ministry covered up this incident.
"This was to avoid panic in the wizarding world," Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, said this morning. "We've recaptured most of the creatures, and no witches or wizards have been harmed."
However, the veracity of this statement is in question.
Chris Chopper, a spokesperson for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, confirmed in an interview that, with the help of Mr. Newt Scamander, nearly all the creatures—including an Antipodean Opaleye and a Nundu—have been safely recaptured.
However, the whereabouts of one Swooping Evil remain unknown.
Chopper urged the public to treat the Swooping Evil as highly dangerous. If spotted, wizards and witches are to flee immediately and send up a Red Sparks Charm. The Beast Division and Aurors will respond as quickly as possible.
Kyle's eyes widened as he finished reading. Now he understood why his father had been so busy. From the looks of it, over 50 to 60 magical creatures had been captured, making this one of the largest magical creature smuggling cases in the last 30 years.
But that wasn't the point. The point was the Nundu.
Kyle couldn't help but wonder how the smugglers had managed to capture such a dangerous creature. Not only is a Nundu incredibly agile, but its breath is lethally poisonous, capable of wiping out entire villages. The Ministry of Magic's description clearly states that under normal circumstances, it would take more than 100 skilled wizards to subdue a Nundu. Even if there was some exaggeration in that claim, it still demonstrated just how dangerous the creature was. For comparison, it only takes ten wizards to subdue a dragon.
"Fortunately, it was the Swooping Evil that got away," Kyle remarked with genuine relief.
It wasn't that Kyle underestimated the Swooping Evil. While it, too, was classified as XXXXX, it had barely reached that level of danger. The Nundu, on the other hand, was rated 5X only because the Ministry of Magic's scale didn't go any higher. The two creatures weren't even in the same league.
Cedric and the older students, or anyone with a basic knowledge of magical creatures, nodded in agreement when they heard Kyle's words. They understood the magnitude of the difference between the two.
The younger students, however, were far less concerned about the Nundu. Most of them didn't know much about magical creatures, and their focus was on the escaped Swooping Evil. The phrase "highly dangerous" printed in The Daily Prophet certainly caught their attention, and it didn't seem like an exaggeration.
"Luckily, we're at Hogwarts," someone said with relief. "With Dumbledore here, we're definitely safe."
The others quickly echoed this sentiment. Yes, with Dumbledore at the school, what could possibly go wrong?
The mood around the table lightened immediately, and the students started chatting more cheerfully.
But the liveliness didn't last long. The realization soon hit them that a dangerous creature was still at large, and their initial confidence in Hogwarts' safety was soon replaced by more pressing concerns.
Suddenly, a young wizard stood up, abandoning his breakfast, and sprinted toward the owl shed. His reaction reminded the others of something important—sending letters to their families. Several students jumped to their feet, following suit and running either to the owl shed or back to their dormitories to fetch parchment and quills.
In a matter of moments, the previously bustling Great Hall had emptied, with only a handful of students remaining at the Hufflepuff table.
/////
Because of the news in The Daily Prophet, the young wizards were distracted and found it difficult to focus during their lessons. This was especially true for students from Muggle families, who, after quickly gathering as much information as they could about the Swooping Evil, began to worry intensely about the safety of their loved ones. The Swooping Evil, after all, was one of the most dangerous creatures in the wizarding world, known to feed on human brains. The thought of it potentially roaming free in a Muggle community made them even more anxious.
Even while sitting in class, many kept glancing nervously toward the windows, hoping that an owl would soon bring reassuring replies from home. The professors did their best to comfort the students, slowing down the teaching pace and offering words of reassurance, but there wasn't much else they could do.
It wasn't until the second class of the morning that the atmosphere began to improve.
"Cheer up, children," Professor Sprout said as she walked into the greenhouse for Herbology class. She saw the young witches and wizards looking glum and gave them an encouraging smile. "Just now, Mr. Newt Scamander issued a statement confirming that no traces of the Swooping Evil have been found in either the wizarding or Muggle world. So, it has probably flown to another place, and you don't need to worry about the safety of your families."
As she spoke, Professor Sprout took out a collection of briefings she had saved for years and began telling the class about Newt Scamander's many accomplishments. Kyle noticed that some of the briefings were quite old, with the oldest one faded and worn. It detailed Newt's significant contribution to defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald, complete with a photograph of a young and dashing Scamander.
The students, after hearing about Scamander's achievements, felt a great sense of relief. If the most renowned expert on magical creatures was confident, then they trusted his word. The fact that Scamander was a close friend of Headmaster Dumbledore made him even more reliable in their eyes.
By the time lunch rolled around, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was much livelier.
"I can't believe I forgot I had classes this afternoon," Cedric grumbled, disappointed, as he picked up a potato still in its skin. "Looks like I can't go with you to visit Hagrid. What a shame."
Second-year students had more homework than first-years, and rarely had afternoons off except on weekends or during holidays, so Cedric couldn't join Kyle for the visit.
"It's just to get some Mooncalf manure. What's so bad about that?" Kyle asked, taking a bite of his bread. "What, are you going to keep ornamental plants too?"
"No, I'm more interested in Mooncalves," Cedric replied. "I've heard they perform a complicated dance in the moonlight. It sounds amazing, but I've never seen one in real life."
"You probably won't get to see the dance," Kyle shrugged. "That only happens at night, and by then it'll be past curfew, unless you're up for a nighttime adventure."
"I know," Cedric sighed. "That's why I just want to see a Mooncalf, even if it's during the day."
"That's still possible," Kyle nodded. Although Mooncalves sleep during the day, they usually stay in caves, and you can still catch a glimpse of them—assuming Hagrid keeps them near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Kyle put down his pumpkin juice and said, "How about this: let's go right after lunch. We've got over an hour before class, so we should have time."
Cedric's eyes lit up. "Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course, there's no set time for it."
At that moment, Kyle noticed Kanna sitting next to them, showing interest. Casually, he asked, "Do you want to come along?"
"Hm!" Kanna hesitated briefly before nodding.
Thanks to Professor Sprout's stories about Newt Scamander, Kanna had developed a fascination with magical creatures and was eager to see them up close.
After lunch, the three of them headed to Hagrid's cabin by the Forbidden Forest. This time, they didn't bother knocking. When they arrived, they found Hagrid watering his pumpkin patch. After Halloween, the massive pumpkins had disappeared, leaving behind small seedlings.
"Go into the Forbidden Forest?" Hagrid asked, shaking his head vigorously after hearing Kyle's request. "No, no, no. First-year students aren't allowed in there—it's too dangerous."
"It's fine, Hagrid," Kyle said with a smile. "No one knows the Forbidden Forest better than you. Besides, the Mooncalves are at the safer edge of the forest, and with you guiding us, we'll be perfectly safe."
"Even if you say that, I still..."
"By the way," Kyle interrupted smoothly, "you know so much about magical creatures. I bet you'll be the next Care of Magical Creatures professor when Professor Kettleburn retires."
"Me, a professor? No way. I'm not nearly as good as Professor Kettleburn," Hagrid mumbled, looking flustered even through his bushy beard.
Cedric noticed Hagrid's discomfort but pressed on gently. "We trust you, Hagrid. You know the Forbidden Forest and its creatures better than anyone."
Hagrid hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, but you have to promise to stay close to me and not wander off. If you do, I'll send you back immediately, and you won't be allowed near the Forbidden Forest again!"
"We promise, Professor Hagrid!" the three of them said in unison, grinning.
Hagrid blushed at the title, but his expression darkened slightly as he muttered, "I can't be a professor... don't say that where others might hear."
"You need to have a little more confidence in yourself," Kyle said seriously, stepping forward to pat Hagrid on the back of his hand. "Give it four years, and I'm sure you'll be a professor."
"Impossible," Hagrid shook his head. "You don't need to comfort me."
Kyle's eyes twinkled as he proposed, "How about we make a bet? If you're not a professor in four years, I'll arrange for Newt Scamander to let you take care of his dragon for two months during the summer holidays."
Hagrid froze mid-step, turning toward Kyle with disbelief. "Mr. Scamander has a dragon?"
"Yes," Kyle confirmed with a nod. "It's been sent back three times by the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary because of its terrible temper. It attacks anything that moves after it leaves Newt. After the third time, they refused to take it back. It can't be released into the wild, so it's kept in a box."
Hagrid's eyes widened with excitement. "I agree!" he said immediately, unable to resist the allure of spending time with a dragon.
/////
Who in the wizarding world would refuse to raise a dragon? Hagrid certainly wouldn't. And as for his grumpy disposition... so what? Children are supposed to be a little mischievous, after all. Being sent back by the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary only proves those people are incompetent. Just look at how scrawny they are, like walking twigs—how could they possibly manage to raise a dragon properly?
"Alright, if you become a professor..." Kyle began.
"No problem!" Hagrid interrupted before Kyle could finish. With a wave of his hand, he said, "I agree to the bet."
He didn't even stop to consider whether Kyle could actually convince Newt, or whether Dumbledore would allow a dragon at Hogwarts. He just agreed right away.
It almost seemed like Hagrid was worried Kyle might change his mind, as he quickened his pace, leading the three of them—who had to jog to keep up—towards the Mooncalf's cave.
"You lot stay here, don't go any further," Hagrid said seriously, turning back to the group. "Mooncalves tire themselves out when they dance, so they need plenty of rest during the day. You've got to be as quiet as possible."
Kanna and Cedric nodded quietly, their eyes curiously fixed on the cave entrances that looked like tents.
But where was Kyle?
The Mooncalves didn't interest him; he'd seen them countless times with Newt. His attention had shifted to the Wiggentrees surrounding them.
Compared to other places, the Wiggentrees here were tall, thick, and stretched high into the sky. Kyle approached one and knocked on its trunk, which sounded solid and firm.
Noticing Kyle's actions, Hagrid whispered an explanation. "Because Mooncalves stomp their droppings into the ground, Wiggentrees grow really well around them. By the way, this is also a Bowtruckle's nest."
Kyle glanced up and soon spotted countless "little green seedlings" scattered throughout the Wiggentrees. It was exactly like what Newt had shown him. In that magical suitcase, the Bowtruckles and Mooncalves were neighbors.
Kyle picked up a branch from the ground. "Hagrid, can I collect some branches?"
"You can, but what do you need them for?"
"I've got some ideas."
...
When they emerged from the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was carrying a large bundle of dead branches in his hands. Kyle had wanted to use the Floating Charm to help, but Hagrid found that unnecessary and insisted on carrying them himself.
Once they exited the forest, Cedric headed back to the castle for his classes, leaving Kyle and Kanna behind. Unlike their previous visit, Hagrid warmly invited the two of them to stop by his cabin.
As soon as they entered, a big black dog came bounding toward them, tongue hanging out and tail wagging furiously like a fan. Kyle reached down and gave the dog's head a good scratch, nearly rolling his eyes in pleasure. It felt great.
"Alright, Fang, come here," Hagrid called, placing a greyish pot on the floor. Fang immediately rushed over, diving into the pot with excitement. Hagrid patted his head and said, "Eat slowly, there's more if you need it."
As they chatted, Kyle glanced around the cabin. The space was small, consisting of a single room. A ham hung from the ceiling, along with a pheasant, and a brazier with a copper kettle sat boiling water. In one corner was a large bed covered with ragged quilting. The room looked rather shabby, inconspicuous at best.
But Kyle noticed something else. The ham was made from Tebo warthog, and the "rope" used to hang it appeared to be a shiny, white silk—likely from an Acromantula spider. And the cushion they were sitting on? It was made from Unicorn hair. Though not entirely tail hair, it was still an impressively luxurious cushion—the most expensive one Kyle had ever sat on.
Once Hagrid sat down, Kyle introduced them. "This is Kanna, and the one who just left is Cedric. They're both Hufflepuffs like me, but Cedric's a second year."
"Hello," Hagrid greeted Kanna warmly. He then handed both her and Kyle a piece of rock cake from the plate next to him. "You must be hungry. Try some of my cooking."
Kanna picked up the rock cake, only to feel its unexpected weight, as though she were holding a brick. She blinked, wisely choosing not to take a bite. Kyle refrained from eating as well, but he cleverly asked Hagrid for another piece, saying he would share it with Cedric later.
Hagrid, delighted by this, generously handed Kyle the entire plate of rock cakes and encouraged him to come back for more anytime. Kyle, of course, didn't want them, so he took only two and stuffed them into his pocket. He wasn't planning on eating them either; even if they tasted decent, without a Giant's teeth, they were practically inedible. However, they might prove useful for self-defense.
Lately, Snape had been pushing him to his limit, and Kyle felt on the verge of a breakdown. If worse came to worst, the rock cakes would make an excellent tool for self-preservation. He could always claim he offered Professor Snape a rock cake, but Snape had simply failed to catch it.
After handing back the plate, Hagrid looked at Kyle, an awkward expression on his face. "Well, I've got this dog, but he's been a bit sluggish lately, not eating much. What do you think could be wrong?"
Kyle instinctively glanced at Fang, who was eagerly devouring his second bowl of food. Lacking energy? No appetite?
It couldn't be Fang, so Kyle looked back at Hagrid, puzzled.
Hagrid quickly clarified. "Not Fang, the other dog."
"Oh..." Kyle realized Hagrid was talking about the Three-Headed Dog.
Kyle looked around the cabin but didn't see any sign of the creature. "Didn't I tell you before?" Kyle said, turning back to Hagrid. "You just need to let him loose in the Forbidden Forest."
"I did, but it didn't work," Hagrid replied, sounding a bit frustrated. "He perked up while he was out there, but as soon as I brought him back to the cabin, he became sluggish again."
Kyle was momentarily speechless. Hagrid's unique way of thinking never failed to amaze him. Did he really believe he was just walking a regular dog—and then bringing it back here?
"Hagrid, the Three-Headed Dog..." Kyle began.
"Just one head! Just one head!" Hagrid interrupted, denying it frantically.
Kyle took a deep breath, ignoring Hagrid's protests, and continued, "The Three-Headed Dog is a large magical creature that naturally prefers open, spacious environments. If they're kept in a small, low-ceilinged space for too long, they start to feel depressed."
"It's not small in here," Hagrid muttered defensively.
"Well, it's fine for you," Kyle explained patiently. "But within a year, a Three-Headed Dog can grow to three meters tall, and its body can stretch over five meters in length. By then, it'll barely be able to turn around in here."