Humble & Wild

After everyone is full from the feast the Prefects lead the First Years to their House Dormitory, Terra followed along with her fellow Hufflepuff’s the Perfects lead them to where their House is, Rolf as the boy Prefect and the girl Prefect brought them to the basement, where the entrance to Hogwarts Kitchens was nearby, the group came in front of a pile of large barrels. Of these, the two older students informed the first years how to enter the Common Room, the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, opened after Rolf tapped in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'.   

Once inside, Terra now understood why Rolf says that it felt like a second home to him, the Common Room was huge, the style was quite similar to the Scamander Cottage, with the plants in terracotta pots either on wooden shelves or hanging from above, cosy armchairs and settees and the temperature in the room was just right, not too hot nor too cold it was perfect. Rolf showed where the boys would be sleeping and the Girl Prefect showed the girls bedroom, the beds are furnished with comfortable wooden bedsteads, all covered in patchwork quilts. Terra spotted her trunk with her initials T.M.L.S, her bag, and her Owl cage now empty, she was informed by her Father that the Owls will be at the Owlery located at the West Tower.

Terra noticed that most of her Hufflepuff roommates are getting ready for bed, going along with the idea, she opens her trunk, and starts taking out a few belongings to help in the morning, like putting her books in her bag, never knowing what subjects will be on the first day, as she starts to get her PJs out, she spotted something moving under her knitted jumper, she carefully lifted it up and had to stop herself from gasping out of shock, she looked backed at her roommates, thankful they didn’t notice it.

She picks up her jumper what was moving in her trunk safe and quietly hurried to the bathroom, and placed it on the sink. What was moving appeared out of the jumper.

“Lulu?!” Terra whispered, not wanting anyone to hear her. “What are you doing here? I put you back at your tree before packing my stuff yesterday. Oh, you must have followed me from the woods.”

Lulu climbed on her sleeve up to her shoulder, walked up to her to hug her cheek nuzzling into her face, Terra giggled at the Bowtruckle’s affection, she could not kid herself, she missed Lulu even if it was 24 hours ago, she needed this.

“Yeah I missed you too,” Terra confessed. “I’ll have to let Dad know in the morning, he said he would check up on you, you’ll have to stay hidden, not here in the Common Room where everyone comes and goes, you stay in my robe pocket that way I know you’re safe.”

Lulu climbed down into her inside robe pocket near her chest, once nestled she pokes her head out, looking up at Terra chirping happily, Terra smiled down at her. 

“Ok, big day tomorrow, better get to bed,” Terra says to herself.

Terra woke up early, got her stuff making sure Lulu was safe in her pocket, and quietly leaved her bedroom not to disturb her Roommates, before going to sleep she wrote a small letter to let her Father know, after asking the Fat Friar Ghost on how to get to the West tower, she made it there in no time. She entered the tower where countless Owls were sat, some sleeping but most were wide awake.

“Archimedes,” she called out.

Hearing a hoot that she recognised, the Barn Owl came flying down on a stone pillar.

“Good morning Arc,” Terra greeted, stroking the Barn Owl’s head, he closed his eyes enjoying the petting. “I need you to take this letter to Dad as quickly as you can.”

He pecked at her finger affectionately, after she gave him an owl treat he lifted his leg for her to tie the letter to.

“See ya soon,” she bid her Owl goodbye as he flies out of one of the many open windows.

She was about to leave when a Snowy Owl flew down and land on her shoulder.

“Oh! Hello beautiful,” Terra greeted. “You made friends with Arc?”

The Snowy Owl hooted softly.  

“Good to hear, feel free to say hello at Post time, I wonder who your owner is?” she says giving the Owl a treat. “I better get to the hall for breakfast, see ya.”

The Snowy Owl flew off her shoulder heading outside, as Terra heads back, but not before finding some woodlice for Lulu.

When she entered the Great Hall, the Four House Tables had several student attending breakfast, at least with her Common Room was so close to the kitchens she could easily grab something quick if she needs to in the future. She takes a seat, keeping her distance from other first years in her house, her shyness is growing.   

“Hi Ter,” her Brother’s voice came from her right side.

“Hi Rolf,” she greeted back, watching as he sits next to her.

“So how was your first night?” he asked as he grabbed a few slices of toast.

“Different, but good,” she replied after taking a bite of her toast.

“Good, I love to stay a chat but when we get the timetables I'm off, cannot stay long sis, it’s my OWLs year so I’ll be swamped. But do not hesitate to ask for anything, homework, where stuff is etc.”

“It’s okay.”

Rolf spotted some leaves poking out of her jumper.

“What is Lu doing here?” He whispered.

Terra looked down and quickly cover up the leaves gently pushing them down out of sight before anyone else saw them.

“Before you say anything,” Terra quickly says, stopping Rolf from talking. “I did put her back in her tree, but she followed me home then sneaked in my trunk when I wasn’t looking, I've already sent a letter to Dad he should get it sometime today.”

“Alright,” Rolf replied. “You need to keep her out of sight, if Filch finds out, Helga only knows what could happen.”

She remembered how Rolf would write to her or whenever he returned for the school holidays telling tales of his time, and that includes the foul mood Caretaker of Hogwarts and his obsession of bringing back old punishment on the kids, she shivered at the thought of him hurting Lulu or any person or being that she cares for.

After getting her timetable and saying ‘see ya soon’ to Rolf, she left the Great Hall, Transfiguration was the first subject on the day, after Rolf told her the quickest route to the classroom she started to make her way over, where she meets up on the brown bushy hair girl from the train, the two made their way, Hermione started chatting about how she was excited about the subjects, and after finding out she was a Muggleborn she started asking to young Scamander loads of questions. Terra did her best to answer, and she got curious herself the ways of a Muggle, Hermione told Terra her parents are Dentists, and Terra in return told parts of her family and about her Great Uncle Jacob, a Muggle or No-Maj as they are called in the US, him living in New York with Great Aunt Queenie, telling her how he is an amazing baker and how he taught her and her brother how to bake when they were younger. Hermione took in every word when she asked the topic of Magical Creatures, Terra had to hold back on her information, she would explain how her Grandfather Newt introduce her to selected Creatures, and learning to take care of them.

Terra was liking Hermione and vice versa, she tried to sit with or near her when it was their other lessons, in Charms she got to sit with Harry, happy to know she was with someone she has already met, and same again in Defence Against the Dark Arts and in History of Magic, during that lesson Terra never felt so bored in her life, and she was not the only one, while the Ghost Professor Binns taught she got out a small sketch book and begins to draw her Magical Creatures, Harry noticed and starting asking which drawing was what, seeing nothing like them at all. Terra started to tell him what Creature was and their names in a hushed voice so they would not disturb the lesson but with the Ghost Tutor going on without even noticing what each student was doing to kill time in their boredom.

During lunch Hermione would ask Terra to join her on the Gryffindor Table, where she got to know more about each of the First Years in the House, meeting Ron’s Older Siblings Fred and George and the Gryffindor Prefect Percy.

Thankfully each lesson had a mix of the four houses, immediately noticing the pattern of most if not all had the Slytherins that she has quickly come to hate, Draco Malfoy and his two friends Crabbe and Goyle, more brute then brain, and several girls from the serpent house, Pansy Parkinson caught her notice at once not just because of her Pug-like face, but out of nowhere she had been her number one target to bullying her, whenever Terra was asked a question she replied her best trying not to stammer, and faintly hearing Pansy laughing with her friends. She really hated it whenever she stutters, however she realised she stopped doing it when she was talking to Hermione or Harry or any other Gryffindor she was starting to know more and slowly stopped doing it when a fellow Hufflepuff would talk to her, but when it came to being in Class, that was a different story.

She was dreading Double Potions, not only will it be with Slytherins but hearing about Professor Snape favouring those in his house, she had no problem with the subject itself seeing she does know how to make several potions already, with helping her Father, Grand Uncle Theseus, and Grandfather Newt, plus it was her Mother’s Favourite subject, and she would watch her when she would make potions at the Cottage.

Entering the Dungeon where the Potions lessons are being held, she was the second to last to enter, and takes a sits next to Harry, who was sat next to Hermione, Neville was the last one to enter and sit down next to the only empty chair which is next to Terra. When Snape entered, he made it abundantly clear he hated any student that was not a Slytherin, he asked Harry questions that the boy did not know, Terra remembered that Harry lived with Muggles, so he was not informed to such knowledge like her, while Hermione was raising her hand to answer but Snape ignored her. Terra knew her Gryffindor friend had the knowledge for the time she has talked to her, hell there was things that she did not know until Hermione told her.

After Snape basically humiliated Harry, they started to work on a cure for boils, Terra knew the potion well enough she knows what to do step by step, but with Snape glares can knock off the most confident witch or wizard. Same cannot be said for Neville who is struggling badly, halfway through the lesson she quickly spotted that Neville as he was about to do something that would have ended badly for him.

“Neville wait!” she whispered loudly, reaching her hand out, stopping him from adding another ingredient. “You need to take the cauldron off the fire first then add the porcupine quills.”

“Oh right, thanks Terra,” Neville said gratefully.

When Terra returned back to her own potion, she spotted Snape glaring at her, she nearly jumped out of her seat, his black eyes felt like he was staring into her soul, he carried on walking around the class overlooking the students.

The days went on, Terra found a routine that was perfect for her, waking up early to gather enough woodlice for Lulu, meeting her brother for breakfast, lessons, lunch, more lessons, tea, do homework before going to bed and repeat. When the Post came Archimedes always came to greet her with or without post, sometimes the Snowy Owl would join in too, soon finding out that the Owl was Harry’s named Hedwig. On her free time, she would wonder near the Black Lake and wonder slightly into the forest without getting spotted of course, she meets a Centaur named Firenze, he was aware of her being the youngest child of the Scamander family, respecting the law of the Centaur she did not stay long, but was happy to meet him, and her curiosity to find out what else could be in the forest grew. One afternoon after gathering more food for Lulu, she crossed paths with Hagrid who was taking Harry and Ron to the Castle but before being knocked over by a huge Boarhound named Fang.

The day of the first flying lesson arrived, Terra would prefer riding a Hippogriff then a broomstick, but it never hurts to learn. All the same as long as she does not embarrasses herself, she stood next to a fellow Hufflepuff Susan Bones.   

“Good afternoon class,” Madam Hooch says, as she walks down the two rows of students.

“Good afternoon Madam Hooch,” Terra and her classmates said together.

“Welcome to your first flying lesson, well what are you waiting for, everyone stand by a broomstick, stick out your right hand over the broom,” called Madam Hooch. “And say ‘up!’”

“Up!” everyone shouted.

Terra’s broom flew straight into her hand, this surprised her, she looked around her classmates seeing if anyone else has done on the first go, only her and Harry, the Gryffindor smiled at her, she gave him a small smile back, one by one every other students succussed in getting there broom in their hand, however Ron had an unfortunate moment for his broom to hit him in the face, Terra had to suppress her giggles while the Gryffindor boys laugh at the redhead. However, the lesson was cut short when Neville somehow took off on his broom and ended up with a broken wrist, while Madam Hooch took him to the Hospital Wing,  Malfoy spotted Longbottom’s Remembrall and starts to make fun of the boy, Harry demands the Remembrall, only for Malfoy to take off on his broom saying that he should hide it for Longbottom to find, Harry being the Gryffindor tries to put a stop to it and flies off after Malfoy.

Malfoy then throws the Remembrall, Harry chased after it, he dives and catches it before hitting the ground, Terra may not be the biggest Quidditch fan but knows when someone is talented for the sport, she and the rest of the class who did not side with Malfoy cheered and congrats him, only for Prof McGonagall to come storming over and telling Harry to follow her into the castle.

The students soon went their separate ways before long the dinner bell rang, after Terra had her fill she was on her way to the Hufflepuff Common Room to give Lulu her seconding helping of woodlice, she is tripped over someone’s foot and fell flat on the stone floor, her bag hits the floor, knocking most of her belongings out, when the sound of girls laughing from behind her reached her ears, she looks over her shoulder to see no other then Pansy and her group laughing away before walking down the corridor.

Terra quietly starts to gather her stuff when someone else approaches her.

“You alright?” a boy’s voice asked her.

She looks up to see the older boy, seeing the yellow and black badger crest on his robe, a few years older then her, and a few years younger than her brother.

“I’m fine,” Terra replied, as she puts her Standard Book of Spells back in her bag.

The boy bends down and helps picking up her things.

“You’re Rolf’s sister?” the boy questioned. “Terra is it?”

“Yeah, and you are?”

“Oh, I'm Cedric,” he says holding her ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ book in his hand. “Cedric Diggory, third year.”

“Nice to meet you,” she replied, taking the book from Cedric. “You know my brother?”

“Who doesn’t know a Scamander,” Cedric responded with a smile.

“Right,” Terra mumbled, she stands up after putting the last item back in her bag. “Thank you for helping me.”

“No problem,” he stands up too. “But those Snakes have a bad rap don’t they.”

“Some do.”

After bidding farewell to her fellow Hufflepuff, she finally reached the Common Room, however by the time she went to get the woodlice, she noticed something was wrong, normally Lu would be climbing out of her front pocket and down her sleeve, but she felt nothing, she checked her pockets, and nothing.

Lulu is missing.

“Merlin’s Beard,” Terra gasped. “She must have fallen out of my pocket when I was tripped.”

Unfortunately, Terra could not have gone for looking her beloved Bowtruckle while classes where happing during the afternoon, nor can she during the day where everyone is walking around, student and teacher, so her mind was made up, she will have to search for her at night time. When curfew was underway, she headed to bed early, and waited until her Dorm-Mates came to bed and waited until quarter to 12 that she would make her move, she carefully got out of bed, not in her PJ’s thinking it would be better sneaking around in something darker and not drag behind in like her dressing gown, wearing a simple long sleeve t-shirt, with a handmade knitted cardigan by her Grandma, with sleepwear bottoms, she slips on her slippers, puts her wand in her pocket, and ever so silently like mouse she exits the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Walking around the castle at night was so different, for one it did leave a haunting aura in the air, but thankfully it was quiet enough for her to hear any signs of Lu, or Filch or his cat.   

“Lu,” Terra whispers loudly. “Lulu where are you?”

And then she heard it, the chattering of a Bowtruckle came from a small cracked hole in the stonewall in the corner, and seeing Lulu crawl out and hurrying towards the young Scamander as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

“Lulu there you are,” She sighed in relief, kneeling down scooping up the Bowtruckle in her hands, “are you alright?”

Lulu nodded, but the poor creature was shaking, nights are getting colder, and the castle did not help.

“Come on lets head back,” Terra says putting Lulu in her cardigan pocket to get her warmed up.

She goes to turn back around the corner only to bump into someone, knocking them both to the ground.

“Terra?!” a voiced she recognized.

She looks up to see Harry who was the person she bumped into, behind him is Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

“Scamander?!” Ron spoke. “What are you doing here?”

“I was, looking for my brother’s cat,” she lied, as she stands back up. “What are you doing here?”

“Never you mind,” Ron spat, that made Terra shrink a bit.

“They are going to duel with Malfoy, I tried to stop them only to get myself locked out of the Common Room, and Neville forgot the password to get in,” Hermione quickly informed the Hufflepuff.

“Oh,” Terra replied, not really sure what else to say about that.

The boys enter the Trophy Room, Terra and Hermione follow, nobody else was in the room, they waited but Malfoy didn’t show up.

“He’s late, maybe he’s chickened out,” Ron whispered.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump.

“Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner.”

It was Filch, Terra’s heart stopped for a moment, Harry waved madly at the others to follow him as quickly as they can, they scurried silently towards the door away from the caretaker’s voice.

Terra heard Filch muttering, following Harry down a long gallery full of suits of armour, hearing Filch getting closer, Neville suddenly lost his nerve let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run, tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist and the two toppled right into one of the suits of armour. The sound was so loud it could have awoken the entire castle.  

“Run!” Harry yelled.

The five of them ran down the hallway as fast as they could, not looking back to see if Filch was hot on there heels, Harry was in the lead of the group, ripping through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, and ending out near the Charms classroom, miles away from the Trophy Room.

While the Gryffindor’s talked or in Hermione’s case told off, Terra was catching her breath, she checked her pocket, Lulu was still safe, feeling the Bowtruckle’s little twig fingers cling on to her index finger, her relief was broken by the voice by someone who is the worse when trying to hide from the nasty Caretaker.       

“STUDENTS OUT OF BED!” Peeves the poltergeist bellowed. “STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!”

The five of them ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor, where the Gryffindors slammed into a door, Terra was quick enough to stop herself from crashing into them and from hurting Lulu, Harry tried to open the door.

“It’s locked!” he said in frustration.

“That’s it!” Ron moaned. “We’re done for!”

“Oh, move over,” Hermione snarled, taking out her wand from her dressing gown. “Alohomara!”

The lock clicked and the door opens, they hurried inside, Harry and Ron shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it along with Hermione. Unknown to them, Terra was staring at something she was surprised to see but has always hoped to see with her Grandfather or Father.

A Three-Headed Dog or a Cerberus, laying fast asleep no more then five feet away from them, Terra heard Neville freaking out, quickly she covers Neville’s mouth to prevent him from screaming out, remembering her Grandfather’s and Father’s teachings. The dog did hear them and started to wake up, they have made eye contact, and it is not happy on seeing them.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” Terra ordered in a hushed voiced, the dog started to growl. “And don’t-”

She would have finished saying ‘and don’t make any loud noises’ but that was cut off by Harry, Ron, and Hermione screams of terror. Acting quickly, Terra grabbed Neville by the arm, and pushed the other three Gryffindor’s though the door, and quickly shutting it before the Three-Headed Dog could get one of its head at the door. Without a word they ran down the corridor, Terra had to separate from the others and heads back to the Hufflepuff Common Room without running into Peeves or Filch.

The minute she walked into the sitting area, she just collapsed on her back onto one of the settee’s, trying to slow down her racing heart, Lulu came out of the pocket and climbed up onto her chest looking worried.

“You are staying, in my bag, for now on,” Terra says pausing at each inhale, too tired to walk to her bed, the settee is just as comfortable to fall asleep.