Ever since Sirius Black broke into the Gryffindor common room that night, Filch had stuffed every crack in the castle shut.
But his methods were not particularly effective against rats. Those little creatures could practically "fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth," and Pomona did not want the Beauxbatons girls to wake up one night and find a rat in their beds.
"Ew~" Looking at the layers upon layers of rats crammed into the trap, surging like rolling waves, Pomona felt goosebumps rise all over her again.
"Found Scabbers?" Hagrid asked cheerfully. Several dead ferrets hung from his body; they were for feeding Buckbeak.
The weather had turned hot, and flies had begun swarming around the dead ferrets. Not only did they make an irritating buzzing sound, but they also gave off waves of stench.
It was not that she could not tolerate Hagrid's hygiene, or that of his hut, but she had to prepare three meals a day for over a thousand people at Hogwarts. How was she supposed to cook delicious food while thinking about rats and dead ferrets?
"No." Pomona shook her head painfully. She felt that even if she really did catch Scabbers with a Summoning Charm, she would immediately throw him onto the ground.
"Mr. Longbottom will come help you tomorrow," Pomona said.
"All right," Hagrid said. He whistled at Buckbeak, who immediately walked over, his eyes fixed on the dead ferrets in Hagrid's hand.
"Come on, Beaky."
Buckbeak approached. Hagrid then tossed the dead ferrets into a huge wooden barrel, poured the rats in after them, and Buckbeak had himself another "feast."
Pomona could not bear to watch. She said goodbye to Hagrid and returned to the castle.
She was not ordering Neville around; she was only asking him for a small