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Chapter 99: The Sound a Rabbit Makes When It's Angry: Coo! Coo!
2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
On Friday, brilliant sunlight pierced through the canopy of trees in the Forbidden Forest, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow on the damp, earthen ground.
William and the others, carrying cages woven from wood, searched diligently through the Forbidden Forest for a relatively dry patch of land.
"So, why did we have to come to the Forbidden Forest today—the ground isn't even dry yet!"
Adams complained with an exaggerated expression after accidentally stepping into a hidden puddle.
"It's dried up nicely. We're lucky it's not raining; Hagrid said a big one is definitely coming this weekend. Getting into the Forbidden Forest won't be this easy then."
William gave Adams an apologetic smile—Hagrid had mentioned the path might be difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this muddy. The aftermath of Wednesday's rain was more severe than he had thought.
"Merlin's beard! The ground in the Forbidden Forest is worse than the greenhouses, and I just irrigated the soil there this morning."
Adams used his wand to dry the moisture on his shoes. His voice was full of energy, not at all as dispirited as his words suggested.
"Oh, shut it, Adams. I don't feel much better than you do. At least you're usually awake at this hour. But Professor William told me that breathing in the fresh air of the Forbidden Forest would help improve my sleep quality."
Professor Singid grumbled as well, but judging by the smile on his face, he was having a great time.
'These two buffoons started messing around just a few steps into the forest—they were supposed to be helping me catch rabbits, but it looks like they're just here to entertain a child!'
Behind the two of them, Afra walked with the air of a miniature adult, taking steps that were overly large for her height.
Perhaps because she had heard the two adults complaining, her steps became even more vigorous, and she walked with her head held high like a proud little hen.
——
The whole thing started on Friday morning. When William woke up and found the sky not only cloudless but a brilliant, clear blue, he delightedly ran to Hagrid's hut.
During class yesterday, he had realized he lacked teaching aids. He certainly couldn't use humans to practice on those wounds, so finding some lab animals was the logical next step. After thinking for a while, he decided to get some rabbits to serve as teaching aids.
Considering Hagrid was the Keeper of the Grounds, William planned to ask if he had any channels for getting a batch of rabbits. Buying live rabbits all at once wasn't out of the question, but if Hagrid could provide a venue, it would solve some future training problems and be far more convenient than just buying them.
"Rabbits? The Forbidden Forest is full of them. There are plenty near the edge. Just bring some containers, and you'll catch a full load in no time."
That's what Hagrid had said. William had wanted to invite him along, but he had to go out on Friday to buy some supplies for the school, so he had to drop the idea.
With the idea of roping in some help and turning it into a fun activity, William sincerely invited Adams. Adams found it interesting and dragged along Singeade, who was usually resting at this time. Just as the three-man team was about to set off, Professor Taylor appeared.
"Excuse me, Professor Singid, but if you all go, there won't be any teachers left in the Staff Room this morning. If it's not too much trouble, could you help me look after Afra for a bit?"
Although Adams kept complaining to William on the way that Professor Singid must have been entrusted with the task because he looked so old and mature, the four-person rabbit-catching team was officially formed.
The comedy duo was trying all sorts of tricks to amuse Afra, the group's darling, leaving William, the designated cage-carrier, to just watch their performance. Because of how he'd teased her last time, Afra now called him Uncle Swindler and regarded his every action with suspicion.
"Afra, don't take such big steps. Be careful or you'll get that muddy water all over your new robe."
Walking at the back of the group, William scanned the surroundings for rabbits while keeping an eye on Afra, reminding her not to fall.
The little girl was wearing a brand-new, bright red robe today. It looked very nice, but by now it was covered in damp rainwater from the branches and splashes of muddy water from the occasional puddle she stepped in.
"I won't! You're tricking me again!"
The little girl made a face at William, then skipped along, humming a tune.
'Does she have to hold such a grudge?'
William shook his head helplessly, then spotted a rabbit darting out from a bush, shooting off into the distance like an arrow.
Before it could get more than a few steps, Adams, who was up ahead, had already raised his wand: "Accio Rabbit!" (Note)
The speeding rabbit shot into the air, its dusty gray form tracing a beautiful arc before landing in Adams's hands.
Adams grabbed the rabbit by its ears, twirled it triumphantly in front of Afra, then pulled open the cage in William's hands and stuffed it inside.
Wizards catching rabbits is just that casual. After all, rabbits themselves couldn't resist any spells. Even a first-year student could easily wreak havoc on the Forbidden Forest's rabbits, which was likely the reason why Hufflepuff students were often caught at the forest's edge.
"Say, William, if you're going to experiment on them, won't these rabbits be scared to death?"
"Hagrid said it should be fine. These aren't exactly ordinary wild rabbits. After all, there are centaurs in the Forbidden Forest."
As they spoke, they ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The number of rabbits here was noticeably greater. The three professors waved their wands, and one by one, rabbits were sent flying through the air making cooing sounds, only to be grabbed by the ears and stuffed into the wooden cages.
The sole spectator, Afra, shouted continuously, her little hand pointing wildly to indicate the rabbits' locations—though before she could even finish pointing, the unlucky creatures would already be flying through the air.
"A bountiful harvest."
William did a quick count and found they had enough; the cages were almost full. He then weighed the last rabbit in his hand and began to appraise it.
'Forget it, too skinny.'
William held it by the ears, placed it on the ground, and gave it a gentle nudge with his foot. The rabbit, which had been playing dead, shot off like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"We've caught enough. It's still early. Should we wait a bit and have lunch in the Forbidden Forest, or head back?"
"Let's eat in the Forbidden Forest. I'm a proud graduate of Hufflepuff, you know. Carrying cutlery with me is a basic skill."
Adams said with a look of pride, then turned to the little girl beside him. "Afra, what are you doing?"
Afra was squatting there with an incredibly dejected expression. She tugged at her robe, showing the three of them the stains, her tone filled with a little girl's despair for life:
"I'm going to get a spanking."
Note 1: The Summoning Charm can be used on living creatures. In the seventh book of the original series, during Harry's escape on his birthday while being pursued, he used the Summoning Charm on Hagrid to save him from falling to his death. At that time, Hagrid had lunged at a Death Eater mid-air to save Harry.
PS: Didn't finish writing this during the day. I'm in despair...
Also, that's all for today. There will be an update tomorrow.
(end of chapter)
2022-07-14 Author: I'm Just a Pigeon
On Friday, brilliant sunlight pierced through the canopy of trees in the Forbidden Forest, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow on the damp, earthen ground.
William and the others, carrying cages woven from wood, searched diligently through the Forbidden Forest for a relatively dry patch of land.
"So, why did we have to come to the Forbidden Forest today—the ground isn't even dry yet!"
Adams complained with an exaggerated expression after accidentally stepping into a hidden puddle.
"It's dried up nicely. We're lucky it's not raining; Hagrid said a big one is definitely coming this weekend. Getting into the Forbidden Forest won't be this easy then."
William gave Adams an apologetic smile—Hagrid had mentioned the path might be difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this muddy. The aftermath of Wednesday's rain was more severe than he had thought.
"Merlin's beard! The ground in the Forbidden Forest is worse than the greenhouses, and I just irrigated the soil there this morning."
Adams used his wand to dry the moisture on his shoes. His voice was full of energy, not at all as dispirited as his words suggested.
"Oh, shut it, Adams. I don't feel much better than you do. At least you're usually awake at this hour. But Professor William told me that breathing in the fresh air of the Forbidden Forest would help improve my sleep quality."
Professor Singid grumbled as well, but judging by the smile on his face, he was having a great time.
'These two buffoons started messing around just a few steps into the forest—they were supposed to be helping me catch rabbits, but it looks like they're just here to entertain a child!'
Behind the two of them, Afra walked with the air of a miniature adult, taking steps that were overly large for her height.
Perhaps because she had heard the two adults complaining, her steps became even more vigorous, and she walked with her head held high like a proud little hen.
——
The whole thing started on Friday morning. When William woke up and found the sky not only cloudless but a brilliant, clear blue, he delightedly ran to Hagrid's hut.
During class yesterday, he had realized he lacked teaching aids. He certainly couldn't use humans to practice on those wounds, so finding some lab animals was the logical next step. After thinking for a while, he decided to get some rabbits to serve as teaching aids.
Considering Hagrid was the Keeper of the Grounds, William planned to ask if he had any channels for getting a batch of rabbits. Buying live rabbits all at once wasn't out of the question, but if Hagrid could provide a venue, it would solve some future training problems and be far more convenient than just buying them.
"Rabbits? The Forbidden Forest is full of them. There are plenty near the edge. Just bring some containers, and you'll catch a full load in no time."
That's what Hagrid had said. William had wanted to invite him along, but he had to go out on Friday to buy some supplies for the school, so he had to drop the idea.
With the idea of roping in some help and turning it into a fun activity, William sincerely invited Adams. Adams found it interesting and dragged along Singeade, who was usually resting at this time. Just as the three-man team was about to set off, Professor Taylor appeared.
"Excuse me, Professor Singid, but if you all go, there won't be any teachers left in the Staff Room this morning. If it's not too much trouble, could you help me look after Afra for a bit?"
Although Adams kept complaining to William on the way that Professor Singid must have been entrusted with the task because he looked so old and mature, the four-person rabbit-catching team was officially formed.
The comedy duo was trying all sorts of tricks to amuse Afra, the group's darling, leaving William, the designated cage-carrier, to just watch their performance. Because of how he'd teased her last time, Afra now called him Uncle Swindler and regarded his every action with suspicion.
"Afra, don't take such big steps. Be careful or you'll get that muddy water all over your new robe."
Walking at the back of the group, William scanned the surroundings for rabbits while keeping an eye on Afra, reminding her not to fall.
The little girl was wearing a brand-new, bright red robe today. It looked very nice, but by now it was covered in damp rainwater from the branches and splashes of muddy water from the occasional puddle she stepped in.
"I won't! You're tricking me again!"
The little girl made a face at William, then skipped along, humming a tune.
'Does she have to hold such a grudge?'
William shook his head helplessly, then spotted a rabbit darting out from a bush, shooting off into the distance like an arrow.
Before it could get more than a few steps, Adams, who was up ahead, had already raised his wand: "Accio Rabbit!" (Note)
The speeding rabbit shot into the air, its dusty gray form tracing a beautiful arc before landing in Adams's hands.
Adams grabbed the rabbit by its ears, twirled it triumphantly in front of Afra, then pulled open the cage in William's hands and stuffed it inside.
Wizards catching rabbits is just that casual. After all, rabbits themselves couldn't resist any spells. Even a first-year student could easily wreak havoc on the Forbidden Forest's rabbits, which was likely the reason why Hufflepuff students were often caught at the forest's edge.
"Say, William, if you're going to experiment on them, won't these rabbits be scared to death?"
"Hagrid said it should be fine. These aren't exactly ordinary wild rabbits. After all, there are centaurs in the Forbidden Forest."
As they spoke, they ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The number of rabbits here was noticeably greater. The three professors waved their wands, and one by one, rabbits were sent flying through the air making cooing sounds, only to be grabbed by the ears and stuffed into the wooden cages.
The sole spectator, Afra, shouted continuously, her little hand pointing wildly to indicate the rabbits' locations—though before she could even finish pointing, the unlucky creatures would already be flying through the air.
"A bountiful harvest."
William did a quick count and found they had enough; the cages were almost full. He then weighed the last rabbit in his hand and began to appraise it.
'Forget it, too skinny.'
William held it by the ears, placed it on the ground, and gave it a gentle nudge with his foot. The rabbit, which had been playing dead, shot off like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"We've caught enough. It's still early. Should we wait a bit and have lunch in the Forbidden Forest, or head back?"
"Let's eat in the Forbidden Forest. I'm a proud graduate of Hufflepuff, you know. Carrying cutlery with me is a basic skill."
Adams said with a look of pride, then turned to the little girl beside him. "Afra, what are you doing?"
Afra was squatting there with an incredibly dejected expression. She tugged at her robe, showing the three of them the stains, her tone filled with a little girl's despair for life:
"I'm going to get a spanking."
Note 1: The Summoning Charm can be used on living creatures. In the seventh book of the original series, during Harry's escape on his birthday while being pursued, he used the Summoning Charm on Hagrid to save him from falling to his death. At that time, Hagrid had lunged at a Death Eater mid-air to save Harry.
PS: Didn't finish writing this during the day. I'm in despair...
Also, that's all for today. There will be an update tomorrow.
(end of chapter)
