Humble & Wild

November arrived fast, and it was frightfully cold, it became a bit hard for Terra to gather woodlice for Lulu, but thankfully whenever she was in Herbology she took the sneaky chance in getting any insect she could see in the Greenhouses plant pots, this is one of the reasons why her Father did not want her Bowtruckle to go to Hogwarts, the winters in Scotland where more harsh, and even thou the Hufflepuff Dormitory is nice and sung she did not want Lu to get spotted and with the Christmas Holidays are not far away she kept her in her bag wrapped in a knitted jump and scarf made by Newt on the Bowtruckle’s first Christmas with the Scamander Family, and for an added measure she got her softest woolly socks to be used as a sleeping-bag, offed finding the Bowtruckle fast asleep making cute little snores when Terra checked on her.

However, her friends have been getting a little curious to why Terra took her bag with her even after lesson hours and weekends, she would reply saying she would do it at home around this time of season when she was helping the Creatures with her Father and Grandfather, that got them of her back for now. At least the attention was moved on when Harry mentioned that Snape’s got his leg injured, saying that he tried to get pass the Three-Headed Dog on Halloween, and letting the Troll into  the Castle as a distraction. Terra thought it was idiotic even if Snape was a Teacher, she think that the Care of Magical Creature’s Teacher Professor Kettleburn would have done better, even if he is missing a few limbs.

In the Great Hall, the day for the first Quidditch Match of the season, Gryffindor Vs Slytherin, sat with the Golden Trio, Hermione and Ron are trying to get Harry to eat, his nerves where not helping him, at one moment, she recognized the sound of Archimedes along with Hedwig, she looks up they are carrying a lager package together, the whole Hall watched as the owls flow low towards them, letting go and Harry caught it before it landed on the table.

While he, Ron and Hermione opened it, Terra watched as both Owls landed near the Head of the Gryffindor petting Hedwig.

“It’s not just a broomstick Harry, it’s Nimbus 2000,” she heard Ron spoke, still looking at the staff table.

“But who-”

“Look” Terra said to Harry.

Harry listened and looked at the Staff Table, and McGonagall smiled at him, Arc flew over to his owner landing on her shoulder.

“Helping your friend Arc,” she says petting him, earning him to nibble in her hair affectionately. “Aren’t you a gentleman.”

The Hufflepuff girl sat with the Gryffindors, her black and yellow scarf among the many scarlet and gold, even if she was not the biggest fan of the sport, but she will have to admit the cheers can be contagious even when it got too loud for her, she clap whenever the Lions scored, and a small soft clap for the Snakes, when Harry broom started trying to throw him off she feared for him, Hermoine spotting Snape Jinxing and putting a stop to it, Harry regained control found the Snitch before swallowing it, Gryffindor won the match.

Afterwards they were invited to Hagrid’s Hut for afternoon tea, Fang the Boarhound rested his head on Terra’s lap as she rubs his ear, calming him down so he would not go lick Ron’s earlobes. She used her free hand to eat one of Hagrid’s Rock cakes, from before like the boys learned the hard way that the School’s Gamekeeper did not have the best baking skills, she learned to dunk her piece in her tea, softening it more after each bite, the others soon copied.     

“Rubbish, why would Snape do some-thin’ like that?” Hagrid says.

“I found out something about him,” Harry told Hagrid. “He tried to get pass that Three-Headed Dog at Hallowe’en. It bit him. We think he was trying  to steal whatever it’s guarding.”

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

“How do you know about Fluffy?” he asked.

“Fluffy?”

“Yeah – he’s mine – bought him off a Greek Chappie I met in the pub las’ year – I lent him to dumbledore to guard the -”

“Yes?” Said Harry eagerly.

“Now don’t ask me anymore,” said Hagrid gruffly. “That’s top secret that is.”

“But Snape’s trying to steal it.”

“Codswallop” said Hagrid again. “Snape’s a Hogwarts teacher, he’d do nothin’ of the Snape.”

“So why did he just try and kill Harry?” cried Hermione. “I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You’ve got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn’t blinking at all, I saw him!”

“I’m tellin’ yeh, yer wrong!” said Hagrid hotly. “I don’ know why Harry’s broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn’ try an’ kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh – yeh meddlin’ in things don’ concern yeh. It’s dangerous. You forget that dog, an’ Nicolas Flamel- ”

“Aha!” said Harry. So, there’s someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?”    

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

“Flamel, where have I heard that name?” Terra muttered.

Christmas at the Scamander’s Cottage is always filled with much merry, with three different generations, Grandparents Newt, and Tina, with the Great Aunt and Uncles, Queenie, Jacob and Theseus, and long-time family friend Bunty, all together under one roof is something to behold. Terra was happy to be back, her Creatures missed her greatly and she them, her Niffler Puck would always nestle in her hood’s hood, and Lulu at her rightful place on her shoulders. The moment the Scamander children returned home where wrapped in tight loving hugs, once settled, and unpacked they talked about the year so far at Hogwarts, Rolf was studying hard for his O.W.L.S, and he duties as Prefect, slightly annoyed of the Gryffindor Boy Prefect taking it a bit too seriously. Terra tells them that she has made friends with those in her House, half of the Gryffindor House, and at one point Oliver had to mentioned the Hippogriff in the room, about how Lulu had shuck away and got to Hogwarts in Terra’s luggage, she avoided getting grounded seeing how the Bowtruckle did on her own accord, and no one can say ‘no’ to that face.       

Christmas day arrived quickly, everyone was up early and wishing a happy Christmas to one another, Newt gave Tina a kiss when Mistletoe appeared out of nowhere, and gifts were exchanged. It took Terra some thought as to what to give to her friends, Hermione and Hagrid had to be the easiest, she got them each a signed new addition of her Grandfather’s book an added dog treats for Fang, for Ron a good bag of Chocolate Frogs recalling how he collects the cards, and as for Harry she got him a broom polish set with a few Owls treats for Hedwig.

When the Christmas dinner was over, Queenie, Tina, Jacob, and Oliver where in the kitchen cleaning up while Jacob was baking gingerbread man and other bake goods, while Rolf chatted Theseus while playing a game of Wizard Chess, Bunty was reading the Daily Prophet, and while Newt sat on an armchair near the fireplace with Terra sat on the floor watching Puck playing with Teddy. And now was a perfect time to ask her Grandfather a question that has be bugging her since November.

“Grandfather.”

“Yes Little Bow,” Newt replied with a kind smile.

“Do you know someone called Nicholas Flamel?”

“Of course, he is an old friend of ours, meet him in Paris during the era of Grindelwald, we stayed at his home for a short while, and his good with Albus.”

“Oh, when you found the Zouwu.”

“Yes indeed,” he replied. “He is powerful Wizard and brilliant Alchemist.”

The new year came just as quick, now back at Hogwarts now without her little Bowtruckle, she was told along with Hermione what happen in the castle while the boys stay, Harry got an Invisibility Cloak that belonged to belong to his decided Father, and the Cloak tried to look for information on Flamel in the Restricted Section in the Library then crossing paths with the Mirror of Erised, Terra grew tense when the mirror was mentioned. She told them about what her Grandfather told her about Flamel and once that was said Hermione hurried off and brought back a book that was big enough for Hagrid to read with one hand.

“I never thought to look in here,” Hermione whispered excitedly. “I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.”

“This is light?” Ron commented, clearly he had a different idea for ‘light reading’.

Hermione told him to be quiet until she found what she was looking for as she flicked frantically through the pages.

“I knew it here it is,” she said founding the page. “Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone!”

“The what?” said Harry and Ron, Terra just raised her eyebrow out of confusion.

“Oh, honestly don’t you two read,” Hermione said. “The Philosopher’s stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers, it will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Philosopher’s Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel a noted Alchemist, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday.”

The four looked at one another, they now know what Fluffy is guarding. 

On the first lesson back they were dived head first into studying for the end of year exams, Harry would have struggled with keeping up in homework with his back to back Quidditch practice, Hermione and Terra helped out greatly even a few time Terra was doing her own homework in Gryffindor Tower, Percy did not seem too kin on have a Hufflepuff in the tower but with the convincing from his Brothers he let it go, Terra now understood what Rolf meant when he said ‘taking it too seriously’.  

After a quick match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff getting another win for the Lions, Harry told then what he saw in the Forest with Snape encounter with Quirrell threatening the man, they noticed that he was growing more paler and thinner, either he was being brave or shocked out of his wit. The weeks went on and more homework was piling on by Easter, Terra got a letter one morning that Lulu was not eating well, same can be said for Puck and Apollo, her Father was doing what he can, but she knows that they will fill better when she comes home for Summer.

She did her best to study but her mind would go back to her Creatures, thankfully she has someone like Hermione to keep help her. The quartet are in the Library. 

“Terra,” Hermione whispered loudly.

“Huh!?”

“I said what is one of the 12 uses of Dragon’s Blood?” she said. “You did wanted me to test you.”

“Oh, sorry Hermione, my mind wondered off,” Terra replied, resting her chin on her folded arms on the table.

“You and me both,” Ron replied with a yarn.

“You alright Terra?” Harry asked with concerned.

“I got a letter from dad; he says Lulu is not well.”

“Who?” Ron asked.

“Her Bowtruckle Ron,” Hermione pointed out.

“She’s hardly leaves me; she has attachment issues ever since she lost her Branch when I found her one winter when I was 5.”

“Branch?” said a confused Ron.

“It’s a correct term to a group of Bowtruckles, like how a group of wolves is called a pack and a group of crows is called a murder.”

“Oh ri-,” Ron stopped talking looked behind the girls. “Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?”

Terra and the others watch as Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something back his back, looking very out of place.

“Jus’ lookin’,” he said in a shifty voice. “An’ what’re you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin’ for Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?”

“Oh, we found out who he is ages ago,” said Ron impressively. “And we know what that dog’s guarding, it’s the Philosopher’s St-”

“Shhhh!” Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was around. “Don’t go shoutin’ about it, what’s the matter with yeh?”

“There are few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact,” said Harry. “About what’s guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-”

“SHHHH! Listen- come an’ see me later, I'm not promisin’ I’ll tell yeh anythin’, mind, but don’ go rabbitin’ about it in here, students aren’ s’pposed ter know. They’ll think I’ve told yeh-”

See you later then,” said Harry.

Hagrid shuffle off.

Terra just managed to spot the text of the book Hagrid was trying to hide from them.

“Dragons?” she said quietly to herself.

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper’s hut an hour later, all the curtains were closed, and Hagrid let them in quick and shut the door quickly, inside it was stifling hot, terra was starting to piece together on Hagrid’s suspicious behaviour.

“So – yeh wanted to ask me somethin’?”

“Yes,” said Harry. “We were wondering if you could tell us what’s guarding the Philosopher’s Stone apart from Fluffy.”

“O’ course I can’t,” he said. “Number one, I don’ know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn’ tell yeh if I could. That Stone’s here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s’ppose yeh’ve worked that one an’ all? Beats me how yeh even know abou’ Fluffy.”

“Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on around here,” said Hermione in a warm flattering voice. “We only wondered who dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you.”

Hagrid’s chest swelled at the last three words, Harry Ron beamed at her, Terra was looking at the fire place noticing something resting in the roaring flames. She got up from the huge armchair that Hermione and her shared that was clearly big enough for the both of them, while Hagrid told the others what they wanted to hear, she head over to the fire, squatting her eyes from the bright flames, raising her arm to shield herself from the heat as she got closer, kneeling down to get a better look, underneath the kettle was a huge black egg. A dragon egg.

“Where did you get it Hagrid, said Ron, crouching down next to Terra. “It must have cost you a fortune.”

“Not to mention rare, that Norwegian Ridgeback egg,” Terra said with a smile.

“Won it,” said Hagrid. “Las’ night, I was down in the village havin’ a few drinks an’ got into a game of cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it to be honest.”

“But what are you going to do with it when it’s hatched?” said Hermione.

“Well, I've bin doin’ some readin’, Hagrid replied, pulling a large book from under his pillow. “Got this outta the Library – Dragon - Breeding for Pleasure and Profit – it’s a bit outta date, o’ course, but it’s all in here.”

Terra got up and took the book from Hagrid and looks though the pages, as Hagrid explained what he needed to do for the egg till it hatches.

“Hagrid you live in a wooden house,” Hermione says.

Hagrid wasn’t listening.

“Hagrid this book is more than ‘a bit out dated’,” Terra says closing the book. “Half of the dragons in this have been extinct for centuries, you are better off getting another book.”

The Gryffindors looked at her funny as if she grew a second head.

“What? It’s true.”

“Wonder what it’s like to have a peaceful life,” Ron sighed after another evening going through more homework.

“Clearly you have not been at my house,” Terra muttered, recalling when dealing baby Nifflers for the first time.

It was days later when they got a note delivered by Hedwig from the Hagrid, the note only had two words: ‘It’s hatching.’ Ron and Hermione started to bicker about whether or not to go to Hagrid’s Hut to see the egg hatch, is not till after Harry shushed to the two when Draco Malfoy eavesdropped on them, that Terra informed them that depending on the breed of Dragon how long it takes for the egg is fully hatched, and with the Norwegian Ridgeback it does take a few hours, so once the morning lessons where done, they hurried to the Hut, where they were greeted by a flushed and excited Hagrid.    

“It’s nearly out,” he ushered them inside.

Terra was beyond excited to witness a dragon hitching, being told by her Father and Grandfather about seeing one enter the world is something that one cannot miss, Rolf used to tease her when he saw one hatched before her when the boys went to Wales, while she spent the weekend with her Mother and Grandmother together, but now she gets to see one with her very eyes, and with her friends. They pulled up chairs around the table, where the egg is placed in the centre, it wobbled and split open, the baby dragon flopped on the table, it may not look pretty, but to a Scamander, it was the most beautiful thing in the room, she was close to tears at the sight.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Hagrid murmured, after seeing the dragon sneezed out a couple of spark.

He goes to stroke the dragon’s head, only for it to snap at his fingers.

“Bless him, look he knows his mummy!” he said.

“Uhm Hagrid he is a she,” Terra corrected.

“How can you tell,” Harry asked.

“Female Ridgeback’s are more aggressive; a male ridgeback would have tolerated Hagrid petting it and not tried taking off his fingers.”

“Terra how fast do Norwegian Ridgeback grow, exactly?” Hermione asked with a little worry in her eyes.

“Well, that depends on-”

Her sentence was cut off when Hagrid leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

“What’s the matter?”

“Someone was lookin’ through the gap in the curtains – it’s a kid – he’s runnin’ back up ter’ the school.”

Harry and Terra bolted to the door and looked out, no mistaking the platinum blonde hair from afar, Malfoy knows about the dragon.

Trying to convince Hagrid to let the now named Norberta free, is like trying to get blood from a stone, even if Terra kept telling him that baby Dragons can look out for themselves when they need to in the wild if the mother dragon went hunting he still would not listen, and with Draco knowing the about this it’s only a matter of time before the whole school knows or worse.

Then Harry thought of an idea of contacting Charlie, Ron’s eldest brother who studies Dragons in Romania to collect Norberta and take it to a sanctuary with its own kind, as they wait for a respond Terra took it upon herself to help Hagrid with taking care of Norberta, as it took most of Hagrid’s time, and helping with Fang for the Dragon was not comfortable with having it in its home, so she would take him outside to help the poor Boarhound’s stress, how she managed to balance her school work and look after a baby dragon, puzzled Ron the most, being Scamander pays off sometimes.

The following week dragged by, on Thursday morning the Golden Trio told Terra about getting Charlie’s answer, he and some of his friends are to pick up Norberta at midnight on Saturday, Terra then noticed that Ron’s hand was swollen.

“What happen to your hand?” she asked.

“It bite me last night, the sooner it goes the better,” Ron said.

“You need to go to Madam Pomfrey right now,” Terra told him.

“Why?”

“Because Norberta kind have poison in their bite, because she’s a baby it’s not deadly till she is matured.”

“Why didn’t you tell us,” Ron asked with an annoyed tone.

“Because I was helping Hagrid with Norberta the most, so if there was chance she was going to bite anyone it would be me, also she’s only a baby so it’s not deadly till she is two years matured.”

“Well won’t Madam Pomfrey know it’s a dragon bite, can’t you do something about it,” Harry asked.

“No and even if I did it will draw attention, just go to hospital wing, before it gets worse,” Terra says looking closer at Ron’s hand, it starts to look green.

Listening to Terra he went to the Hospital Wing as they head to class, when they notice that Ron did not return, they only assumed that Madam Pomfrey has forced him to stay there, when classes where done for the day, Harry and Hermoine went to go see Ron while Terra headed to Hagrid’s Hut to look after the Norberta as he did his groundkeeper duties, it wasn’t till during the feast that Harry told Terra that Malfoy knows about midnight on Saturday thanks to Ron clumsiness, it was too late to change the places, so with no other choice they go fore with the plan.

Terra helped Hagrid getting Norberta in a crate, she knew it was right to let her be with her own kind, but she could not help but feel sorry for Hagrid, she knows it’s hard to let a creature their love go back into the wild, the first time she watched one of Grandfather Newt’s creature in the wild, she could help but cry, she will have to do this with her own creature’s in the future.

Once Harry and Hermione got to the Hut, Terra made sure that Norberta was secured, and got under the invisibility cloak with them, and began heading back to the castle, Terra and Harry held on to the crate as they crept though the castle, midnight was ticking closer as they heaved Norberta  up the marble staircase.

“Nearly there!” Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.

Sudden moment ahead of them made them almost drop crate, forgetting they were invisible, they moved to the shadows.

“Detention! And 20 points from Slytherin!”

Its Professor McGonagall, and not far behind is Malfoy. 

“Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you-”

“You don’t understand, professor, Harry Potter’s coming - he’s got a dragon!”

“What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on, I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!”

Once they were out of sight, the trio made it to the top of the tower like it was the easiest thing they done all night, removing the cloak they felt the relief of the cold night air hitting the hot face from the stuffy cloak.

“Malfoy’s got detention! I could sing!” Hermione said.

“Don’t,” harry advise her.

“I'm surprised he didn’t go to Snape,” Terra says, holding done the crate so Norberta wouldn’t rattle it. “He would gave believed whatever Malfoy says.”

“Thank Merlin he didn’t,” Harry commented.

Ten minutes later, Charlie and three of his friends arrived on broomsticks, they were are cheery lot, and where pleased to meet Terra, she is in her own way a celebrity in the Magizoology world, but with time against them, they put the crate to the harness, once after shaking hands with them, the first years  watched as they flew away till they were out of sight. They slipped back down the spiral staircase, happy beyond believe, and with Malfoy in detention what can ruin this moment.

“Well, well, well,” Filch whispered. “We are in trouble.”

That would do it, they forgot to out the cloak back on.