A Crup was a dog bred by wizards.
It looked much like a Jack Russell terrier, except that its tail was forked.
This kind of dog was extremely loyal to wizards, but fierce towards Muggles.
After the lesson began, Professor Kettleburn divided the students into groups of four and had each group get acquainted with a young Crup.
“These little fellows can eat almost anything.”
Professor Kettleburn hobbled among the students, occasionally bending down to stroke the dogs’ heads affectionately.
“You can now feed them the food I prepared beforehand.
Try to form a bond with them.”
Scott and Roger were placed in the same group as the Weasley twins.
Professor Kettleburn assigned them a black-furred puppy.
At that moment, the four of them were crouching on the ground with the puppy surrounded between them.
The puppy barked uneasily and was clearly wary of them.
Only when Professor Kettleburn stroked it did it cheerfully wag its forked tail.
“Oh, little fellow?”
Fred pulled a face and used a stick to pick up some cow offal from a small bucket beside them.
“Want some, little fellow?”
The black puppy came over and sniffed it, then immediately pounced and began devouring it.
“See?
The little fellow’s wagging his tail.
That means he accepts me.” Fred looked smug again.
“I think all of us need to get acquainted with him, so we should take turns feeding him!” Roger copied him, picking up a stick and pushing it into the wooden bucket to stir through the disgusting offal.
A foul, bloody smell rushed towards him.
Scott covered his nose and moved two steps away in disgust.
“No, I’ll pass!”
At that moment, Professor Kettleburn loudly asked the students, “Who can tell me what must be done to obtain a licence from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures if you wish to keep a Crup legally?”
Scott immediately perked up.
It was time to earn House points!
Since there was no reason to turn down free points, he hurriedly raised his hand.
“Then let us have…” Professor Kettleburn’s gaze swept over the students with their hands raised before finally calling Scott’s name.
“Mr Trollope, please answer the question.”
Scott stood up and began reciting directly from the book.
“Any wizard who wishes to apply to keep a Crup must first complete a simple test before receiving a licence from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.
“When a Crup reaches six to eight weeks of age, its owner is legally required to use the Painless Severing Charm to remove its unusual tail, preventing the Crup from attracting the attention of Muggles.
“In addition, a wizard who wishes to keep a Crup must prove that they are able to control the breed within a Muggle-inhabited area.”
“Well said, Mr Trollope.” Professor Kettleburn gave Scott a thumbs-up with his one remaining hand.
“I have nothing to add to that answer.
Ten points to Ravenclaw.”
This was Professor Kettleburn’s usual practice during lessons.
He only asked one question in each class.
If a student answered correctly, he awarded all the points he intended to give out that lesson at once.
The questions were usually not difficult either.
Whoever was chosen was almost guaranteed to earn the points.
Because of this, everyone eagerly raised their hands during Care of Magical Creatures.
“The Crups you are getting acquainted with today are all five weeks old,” Professor Kettleburn continued.
“Over the next two weeks, you must become as familiar with them as possible.”
He announced with some excitement, “Two weeks from now, you will personally remove their unusual tails using the Painless Severing Charm!”
As the students erupted in an uproar, Professor Kettleburn raised his voice again.
“That means that during these two weeks, you must not only learn how to care for these little fellows.
You must also revise your charms outside class.
You must make sure that no accidents occur when you use the Painless Severing Charm.”
“Oh, you poor little fellow.” George immediately stroked the puppy’s tail with ill intent.
“You’re about to lose half of it!”
Unfortunately, the puppy was too busy eating to realise the miserable fate awaiting it.
At the end of the lesson, Professor Kettleburn assigned them an essay on the history of wizards breeding Crups.
“The Painless Severing Charm?
Is it this one?”
After class, as they walked back towards the castle, Fred spoke with a grin and raised his wand.
“Diffindo!”
A beam of bright light shot from the tip of his wand and sliced through a branch ahead of them.
“That’s the Severing Charm, but it might not be painless.
You could try using it to cut off Percy’s nose and see whether he howls,” George said.
“Good idea!” Fred said excitedly.
“Without a nose, Percy won’t be able to keep dreaming about becoming Minister for Magic.
At that, he happily high-fived George, looking eager to try it.
Scott desperately wanted to ask what sort of devils these two were.
Once again, he felt deep sympathy for Percy.
And besides…
why did the idea of someone without a nose sound so familiar?
With two brothers like these, perhaps a noseless Percy really would give up his dream of becoming Minister for Magic and choose the more promising career of Dark Lord instead.
“Professor Kettleburn must have made a mistake.
We haven’t learnt the Painless Severing Charm.
I remember that it’s a spell used for clinical surgery.
I think it’s mainly used by Healers at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.”
Roger tried to recall the books he had read.
“Perhaps we can ask Madam Pomfrey at the hospital wing.”
“No, we can’t go to the hospital wing!” Fred immediately shook his head frantically.
George said in an accusing tone, “Madam Pomfrey has strictly forbidden us from going anywhere near her territory!”
“All because we gave Harry a toilet seat from one of the school lavatories as a present while he was unconscious in the hospital wing last year!”
“Madam Pomfrey put us on her list of people she refuses to deal with!”
“Unless we completely sever our own arms and legs.”
“We won’t be able to set foot inside the hospital wing!”
Scott did not know what to say.
Every time he thought these two had already reached the limit of absurdity, they somehow managed to do something even stranger.
“Leave this to Roger and me,” Scott said.
“I can also ask Professor Flitwick.
Once we’ve learnt it, we’ll teach you.”
Roger also said helplessly, “Let’s do that.”
“Thank you, Scott!
Roger!”
“May Merlin bless you both!”
Fred and George began loudly praising them in an exaggerated manner until neither of them could stand it any longer.
(End of Chapter)
…
T/N :
Feed me Power Stones to keep me motivated.
This translation is pure volunteer work, so every bit of support helps me continue.