A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Felix didn't finish the game, of course.

Exiting the Potions classroom, Felix noticed the student club roster still hanging on the notice board in the hallway. It had been there for three weeks, a reminder of times past.

Christmas was around the corner.

Planning to visit Newt's place during the holidays - to update his 'library of materials' and explore different corners of the world, collecting rare magical creatures - Felix paused by a massive suit of armor in the corridor. Something magical seemed concealed within it...

The helmet of the armor slowly creaked and tilted, meeting Felix's gaze.

Felix: "..."

"Clank, clank, clank..."

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Felix halted his taps on the armor; facing the custodian, Mr. Felch, with his pale angry eyes, he awkwardly inquired, "Professor Hagrid?"

"It's Hagrid, I thought..." Felch muttered, "I was chasing Peeves just now; he got hold of a bubble gun from somewhere, and the ceiling was covered in colorful bubbles... probably one of Zonko's new products, I have to report it..."

Felix fell silent as Felch walked away. "Clank! Clank!" He knocked twice again, and the armor seemed unable to resist, opening its visor and retching.

"By the way, Professor Hagrid, I wanted to ask—" Felch, who had walked off, returned, looking embarrassed and apologetic. But upon seeing Felix's actions, he froze. Felix, feeling a headache coming on, had only wanted to inspect this peculiar armor.

At that moment, the armor dramatically doubled over, spitting out a red envelope. The envelope, recognized by Felix, began to smoke and burst into flames. Stepping back, Felix swiftly reached out, containing the sound within the hallway. After a few seconds, amplified and cheerful voices of the Weasley twins echoed:

"Be it Peeves—"

"Or Felch—"

"Or the failing mischief-maker—"

"Or even—"

Fred and George's voices alternated:

"You're great—"

"Undoubtedly mischievous—"

"Adventurous—"

"Caught countless times—"

"Resilient—"

"Recurrent—"

"Top troublemaker!" The voices merged here, Felch's face reddening. The roaring envelope continued rolling joyfully in the air. "Take action! We've provided ample help if our minds sync!"

"Boom!" The roaring envelope exploded into a burst of colorful fireworks, vanishing completely.

An awkward silence followed.

Felix dusted himself off, simmering inside but maintaining a nonchalant facade. "Mr. Felch, did you forget something in your toolbox?"

"Oh, uh, yes," Felch mumbled, his sagging flesh on his face twitching unnaturally. As he brushed past Felix, Felix heard him cursing the Weasley twins repeatedly.

Taking advantage of Felch heading towards his office, Felix quickly slipped out of the castle. Stepping onto the stone steps, taking in a few breaths of the dry cold air, he finally relaxed.

Following the steps downward, he spotted Valen enjoying itself from afar. Felix grinned, altered his course, and made his way through the greenhouse and vegetable patch, reaching the edge of the Forbidden Forest. After a few apparitions, he found himself by the cave where Grawp, the giant, spent his winter.

Loud "thuds" echoed from inside, tiny pebbles rolling down from the cracks above. Felix caught a whiff of a mixture of mold and straw.

"Grawp—bit—lion only—" deafening sounds boomed.

"Shut it! You fool!" Hagrid bellowed, running out, clutching his face, panting, his mole fur coat ripped in a couple of places.

"Are you alright, Hagrid?"

"Felix?" Hagrid exclaimed, grinning as he plucked stones from his beard. "I'm fine, it's just little Grawp playing rough; he's improving, though, holding back from hitting people... still might accidentally hurt someone."

"Are you showing him movies?" Felix glanced into the cave, only seeing a colossal, grubby foot from this angle.

"Yeah," Hagrid said cheerfully. "Little Grawp likes small creatures, like me! Planning to introduce him to some friends in the Forbidden Forest when the time's right, no more ropes... but not yet, so I'm just showing him movies. He's never seen a lion, curious fella. I'm planning to give him the book you gave me."

Felix had a flashback to his first visit when he had gifted Hagrid a set of non-magical animal books.

At that moment, another series of heavy thuds resounded from the cave, and Felix spotted the giant foot thumping on the ground, sounding like drums.

"Quiet! I'm talking to Felix!" Hagrid shouted towards the cave.

"Felix? Feli—Hermi—Hagel—Seri—Harri—Ronge—" Grawp growled inside.

Hagrid sighed, "His English isn't quite there, and he's stubborn, he thinks 'Harri' sounds better..."

"Is there something going on at the school?" he gruffly asked.

"Oh, no. It's a personal matter," Felix replied. "I wanted to know the location of the giant community—the ones who've moved deep into the mountains. I know they've been out of sight for a while now."

Hagrid hesitated for a moment, "Alright, I can roughly tell you their location. Do you have a map?"

"I've gathered a few..."

...

When Felix reappeared, he was at the edge of the Black Lake.

Valen stood on the ice, ice skating. Somehow, a student had conjured ice skates for the Niffler, and from the movements, it skated better than most Hogwarts students.

"Valen, one more!" a student excitedly shouted.

Valen happily pulled out its personalized wand, waved it casually, and a gust of wind lifted snowflakes off the ice, forming a swirling snow dragon. Valen dashed into the whirlwind, its little yellow hat and scarf flying high amidst the flurry of snowflakes.

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