A Crup was a wizard-bred dog, very similar to a Jack Russell terrier, except that its tail was forked.
Crups were extremely loyal to wizards, but very fierce toward Muggles.
After the lesson began, Professor Kettleburn had the students form groups of four and get acquainted with a young Crup.
"These little fellows can eat almost anything."
Professor Kettleburn shuffled among the students, occasionally bending down to affectionately pat one of the dogs on the head.
"Now, you can feed these little fellows the food I prepared earlier and try to bond with them."
Scott and Roger were grouped with the Weasley Twins. Professor Kettleburn had assigned them a little dog with jet-black fur.
They were crouching on the ground, surrounding the little dog.
The puppy yapped uneasily, clearly wary of them. Only when Professor Kettleburn petted it did it wag its forked tail happily.
"Oh, little fellow?"
Fred scrunched up his face and used a twig to fish some cow offal out of a nearby bucket.
"Want some, little fellow?"
The black puppy sniffed at it, then immediately pounced on it and began wolfing it down.
"See? His tail's wagging, which means he likes me," Fred said smugly.
"I think we should all get to know the little fellow, so let's take turns feeding him!" Roger followed suit, picked up a twig, and stuck it into the bucket, stirring the revolting offal.
A foul, fishy stench wafted over. Scott covered his nose and stepped away in disgust.
"No, I'll pass!"
Just then, Professor Kettleburn loudly asked the students, "Can anyone tell me what you have to do to get a license from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to legally keep a Crup?"
Scott perked up.
It was time to earn points in class!
Figuring he might as well take the points, he hurriedly raised his hand.
"Then let's have..." Professor Kettleburn's gaze swept over the students with their hands raised before he finally called on Scott. "Mr. Trollope, please answer the question."
Lucky me!
Scott stood up with a victorious smile. "Certainly, Professor."
He began reciting from memory.
"Any wizard wishing to apply for a license to keep a Crup must first complete a simple test. They can then obtain a license from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
"Crup owners are legally required to remove their Crup's unusual tail with the Painless Severing Charm when it is between six and eight weeks old, so that it won't attract the attention of Muggles.
"Additionally, any wizard wishing to keep a Crup must prove that they can control the breed in a Muggle residential area."
"Very good, Mr. Trollope." Professor Kettleburn gave Scott a thumbs-up with his only remaining hand. "I have nothing to add. For that, I'll award Ravenclaw ten points."
It was Professor Kettleburn's usual practice in class. He only asked one question per lesson, and if a student answered correctly, he used up the entire lesson's allowance of points at once.
And the questions were usually not very difficult. More or less, whoever got called on could earn the points.
That was why everyone eagerly raised their hands in Care of Magical Creatures.
"The Crups you've just met are all five weeks old," Professor Kettleburn continued. "Over the next two weeks, you should do your best to get them used to you."
He announced excitedly, "Two weeks from now, you'll remove their unusual tails yourselves, using the Painless Severing Charm!"
As the students erupted in an uproar, Professor Kettleburn called out, "So, over these two weeks, you must not only learn how to care for these little fellows, but also revise your Charms in your free time. You must make sure nothing goes wrong when you cast the Painless Severing Charm."
"Oh, you poor little fellow." George immediately ran a hand over the puppy's tail with ill intent. "You're about to lose half of it!"
Unfortunately, the puppy was too busy eating to realize the miserable fate awaiting it.
At the end of the lesson, Professor Kettleburn assigned an essay on the history of wizard-bred Crups.
"The Painless Severing Charm? Is this it?"
After class, on their way back to the castle, Fred said with a cheeky grin and raised his wand.
"Diffindo!"
A bright pink flash shot from the tip of his wand and snapped off a branch ahead of them.
"That's the Severing Charm, but it might not be painless. Maybe you could try using it to cut off Percy's nose and see if he howls," George said.
"Good idea!" Fred said excitedly. "Without a nose, Percy couldn't keep dreaming of becoming Minister for Magic. Our future might be a lot easier that way."
At that, he happily high-fived George, looking eager to give it a try.
"..."
Scott wanted to ask what kind of demons these two were. Once again, he felt a deep sympathy for Percy.
And... the whole no-nose thing sounded awfully familiar.
With brothers like these, Percy might indeed give up his dream of becoming Minister for Magic if he lost his nose... and take up the much more promising career of Dark Lord instead.
"Professor Kettleburn probably got it wrong. We haven't learned the Painless Severing Charm. I remember it being a spell used in clinical surgery. Probably only the healers at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries use it much."
Roger tried to recall a book he had once read.
"Maybe we could ask Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing."
"No, we can't go to the Hospital Wing!" Fred immediately shook his head vigorously.
George said in an accusatory tone, "Madam Pomfrey strictly forbade us from going anywhere near her territory!"
"Just because we gave Harry, who was unconscious in the ward last school year, a toilet seat from one of the school bathrooms as a present!"
"Madam Pomfrey put us on her list of people she refuses to see!"
"Unless we cut off our own hands and feet completely."
"Otherwise, we can't set foot in the Hospital Wing!"
"..."
Scott didn't know what to say. Every time he thought these two couldn't get any weirder, they somehow managed to do something even more bizarre.
"Leave this to Roger and me," Scott said. "I can also ask Professor Flitwick. Once we've learned it, we'll teach you."
Roger said resignedly, "Let's do that."
"Thank you, Scott! Roger!"
"May Merlin bless you both!"
Fred and George began loudly praising them both in their usual over-the-top fashion, and only stopped when they couldn't take it anymore.
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