Tom swaggered over, immediately disturbing the two groups in the tree.
Bowtruckles were gentle and friendly to everyone. They only poked their heads out of their tree hollows and watched him curiously.
The Diricawls were different. They were fierce by nature. Seven or eight round, plump birds flapped into the air and glared at him viciously, as if they wanted to eat him.
"Hey, you're pretty welcoming." Tom nodded to the Bowtruckles, muttering to himself.
These little things were so cute. If he were a Hufflepuff, he'd probably take a couple back to raise, then add a Niffler and call it a day. Oh, right, he'd need a suitcase too, or he wouldn't have room for them.
"Coo! Coo!"
The Diricawls' shrill cries interrupted his thoughts. At least they didn't use their special ability right away. They only warned him to leave, which was fairly sporting of them.
Tom raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but just because you play fair doesn't mean I will."
"Explosive Flash!"
A blinding white light burst into the night. The Diricawls, who had been glaring at him in warning, were instantly dazed. They spun around in confusion, and two of the idiots forgot to flap their wings and went "plop" as they fell to the ground.
Tom reacted quickly, sending out several ropes woven from tough grass to bind the fallen Diricawls' little feet. The ones in the air didn't get away either; he forced them down with spells.
Spells didn't necessarily have to be used on a single target. The Disarming Charm and Stunning Spell could both be cast over a wide area, but that took a lot of magic and spread out their power. Most wizards couldn't be bothered. Tom had plenty of magic, though, so he could use them without a problem.
"Shh—"