The rain poured all night.
When Ron said goodnight to Harry, he hesitated before adding, "Professor Moody really is quite old, Harry. Don't push him too hard."
Influenced by his father, Ron had a fairly positive impression of Moody.
Harry reluctantly agreed. 2
Harry reluctantly agreed.
The next morning, the rain finally stopped.
Most of Hogwarts' students were sporting dark circles under their eyes. The news of the Triwizard Tournant had kept them awake, and even after a night to process it, the tournant remained the sole topic of conversation at breakfast.
Fred and George were furiously calculating their grades and brainstorming ways to create a résumé impressive enough to convince Professor McGonagall to allow them, as underage students, to enter the competition.
Ron, too, seed tempted.
Harry and Hermione encouraged him. As the third-best student in Gryffindor's fourth year, he had every reason to give it a shot.
Inspired, Ron joined his brothers in their planning.
After breakfast, their busy fourth-year schedule officially began.
The first class of the day was Herbology.
Professor Sprout thoughtfully prepared a plant for her teenage students called Bubotuber. It was a repulsive, writhing plant resembling a slug, emitting a pungent odor. But after Hermione answered a question in class, many students quickly grew fond of it.
Its slimy sap, once processed, could be turned into a powerful acne treatnt—a blessing for adolescents.
Even Hermione had been dealing with acne, thanks to the stress of using her Ti-Turner last year and again this term.
Even Ron, who rarely worried about appearances, wasn't spared.
Only Harry remained unaffected. His face was flawless, devoid of acne or even dark circles under his eyes. 1
Only Harry remained unaffected. His face was flawless, devoid of acne or even dark circles under his eyes.
Everyone was envious. Being magically gifted was one thing, but perfect skin too? It was enough to make the girls twist with jealousy.
After Herbology, the students trudged through the muddy grounds to Hagrid's hut near the Forbidden Forest for Care of Magical Creatures.
Hagrid was positively brimming with excitent as he revealed a bizarre and grotesque creature.
The creatures looked like shelled lobsters that had been skinned alive, their grayish mucus-covered bodies squirming grotesquely. Limbs jutted out at awkward angles, disrupting any sense of symtry. A foul seafood stench emanated from them, and sparks occasionally flew from their tails as they wriggled in a cramped box.
Hermione turned pale, clutching Harry's arm as she backed away.
"Harry," Ron gagged, stepping back as well, "what are those things? I don't think I've seen them in any books."
"I haven't either," Hermione said, peeking again before quickly retreating. "I don't think they're recorded anywhere."
Hagrid's face glowed with pride. Raising his hand high, he declared, "I'm thrilled to share with you the fruits of my entire sumr's labor—a brand-new magical creature!" 2
Hagrid's face glowed with pride. Raising his hand high, he declared, "I'm thrilled to share with you the fruits of my entire sumr's labor—a brand-new magical creature!"
"Can anyone guess what its parents are?"
Hermione had a guess but didn't raise her hand.
The other students frowned and tossed out wild guesses—shrimp, lobsters, maggots...
Hagrid looked disappointed. So guesses were close but still not correct.
"Harry, what do you think?" Hagrid looked to him expectantly, knowing Harry often ca to his rescue in monts like these.
Harry pondered briefly before saying, "I think part of it has fire crab lineage."
Hagrid's face lit up. "Aha! I knew you'd figure it out, Harry. You're always so brilliant. Yes, they do have fire crab lineage!"
"And the other part?"
The students were stunned.
These revolting things had fire crab lineage?
"Fire lizards? Fire ash snakes?" Harry ventured.
Hagrid shook his head. "Fire lizards couldn't create sothing this impressive. Fire ash snakes... I'm still trying to figure out how to stop their explosive growth. Even Newt hasn't solved that one."
After another mont of thought, Harry admitted, "I'm sorry, Professor Hagrid. I can't figure out the rest."
Hagrid sighed. "Well, you're only fourth-years. I can't expect too much. But spotting even one lineage is impressive—five points to Gryffindor!"
He then reached into the box and grabbed one of the creatures, letting it writhe in his hands.
"I've nad them Blast-Ended Skrewts. I created them over the sumr by crossbreeding a manticores and fifty fire crabs!" 1
"I've nad them Blast-Ended Skrewts. I created them over the sumr by crossbreeding a manticores and fifty fire crabs!"
The students were dumbstruck.
Even Harry was shocked.
Wait.
How was that even possible?
Setting aside the vast size difference between manticores and fire crabs, breeding one with fifty of another species... 5
Setting aside the vast size difference between manticores and fire crabs, breeding one with fifty of another species...
This was beyond extraordinary.
The students shuffled further from the box, their expressions mixed with awe and disgust.
"Although I created them, they're still a new species with many unknown and fascinating traits," Hagrid said, lost in his excitent. He even kissed the Skrewt, causing Ron to nearly lose his breakfast.
"For our first lesson, we're going to figure out their diet. Are they herbivores? Carnivores? Do they prefer fresh food or carrion?"
Hagrid explained, pointing to the array of food items he had prepared.
Students groaned but obediently followed instructions.
"Professor, what's the point of these creatures?" a Slytherin student asked, raising their hand.
Hagrid froze. "What do you an, 'what's the point'?"
"Can they do sothing useful like dragons? Or magical like unicorns?" the student asked sarcastically.
Hagrid hesitated. "That's... for the next lesson!"
"You don't know, do you?" the Slytherin sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.
The Slytherins burst into laughter.
Draco Malfoy, however, stood apart, silent and pale. He didn't laugh; he rely watched indifferently. 1
Draco Malfoy, however, stood apart, silent and pale. He didn't laugh; he rely watched indifferently.
Harry stepped in.
"Creating a new species—especially one combining manticores and fire crabs—is a monuntal achievent in itself," he said calmly. 1
"Creating a new species—especially one combining manticores and fire crabs—is a monuntal achievent in itself," he said calmly.
"If Hagrid didn't teach you, you couldn't co close to achieving this in a lifeti."
He paused and added, "Well, maybe not impossible—you purebloods always manage to produce sothing peculiar, don't you?" 1
He paused and added, "Well, maybe not impossible—you purebloods always manage to produce sothing peculiar, don't you?"
Ron poked Harry's back and whispered, "Hey, my family's pureblood too."
"You're pureblood traitors," Harry replied. "It's not the sa."
Ron puffed his chest proudly.
Exactly. The Weasleys were known as "blood traitors," and they wore the title like a badge of honor. 1
Exactly. The Weasleys were known as "blood traitors," and they wore the title like a badge of honor.
"Potter!" a Slytherin hissed, glaring.
Hermione interjected, "Professor Hagrid, soone is disrupting your lesson and undermining the learning environnt."
Hagrid snapped to attention. "Oh, right! Thank you, Hermione. Five points from Slytherin!"
He added, "And two points to Gryffindor for Harry's contribution to maintaining classroom order."
The Slytherins shot daggers at Harry with their eyes.
Despite their recognition of the Skrewts' uniqueness, the students still found them revolting. As the offspring of two dangerous creatures, they were predictably aggressive—stinging with venomous barbs and occasionally shooting sparks from their tails.
Hagrid, to his credit, had prepared antidotes in advance.
So Skrewts even had suction-like appendages on their bellies, clinging to skin like leeches and drawing blood. Hagrid had to put down several of his beloved creations to free the students.
By lunchti, the students returned to the Great Hall, reeking of the Skrewts' foul stench. Other Gryffindors avoided the fourth-years, and students from other houses despaired over their own upcoming lessons with Hagrid.
The afternoon classes were comparatively better. Ancient Runes beca more engaging as they experinted with magical properties of runic inscriptions.
Divination, with Professor Trelawney, introduced star charts. Despite her reputation for being overly dramatic and occasionally fraudulent, her astrology lessons were solid and well-received.
Finally, on Thursday, the fourth-year Gryffindors had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Moody.
The atmosphere was starkly different from Professor Lupin's warm and inviting classes. Instead, a heavy, oppressive feeling hung over the classroom as the students filed in.
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: /michaeltranslates
Reviews
All reviews (0)