HP: The Right Way To Use Fantastic Beasts

"I can't believe that classroom reeked of garlic!"

On Thursday afternoon, a trio of Gryffindors made their way through the castle corridors, fresh from their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ron was still on a tirade, but Harry wasn't in the mood to join in. He was too busy dreading their upcoming flying lesson, which, to his dismay, was shared with the Slytherin first years. He had already survived one Potions class with them and was now faced with the grim reality that it wouldn't be the only time he had to endure their company each week.

And speaking of Potions class, it was impossible not to think of Professor Snape. The man was a walking embodiment of every negative stereotype Harry had ever heard about Slytherin: arrogant, gloomy, and speaking in a strange, drawn-out tone. His standards were impossibly strict, and there were whispers that he had once been a Dark Wizard.

Harry was now more certain than ever that he'd made the right choice during the Sorting. Professor Kahn may have come from Slytherin, but he was clearly a rare exception to the rule.

Ron's voice, laced with disgust, cut through his thoughts. "You know what Fred and George told me? They said his turban is stuffed with garlic, too!"

"He said it was to ward off a vampire he met in Romania," Harry added, the memory stirring his own dissatisfaction. With a sigh, he finally joined Ron's rant.

Encouraged by Harry's participation, Ron's complaints grew more elaborate. They walked and talked, lambasting the entire class, from Professor Quirrell's bizarre headwear to the supposed vampire encounter.

"You two had better not talk about professors behind their backs," a sharp voice interjected.

Hermione, who had been practicing her new spell, finally lowered her wand and gave them a stern look. "If another professor heard you, you'd get detention for sure."

"Ha, detention!" Ron scoffed, a mocking grin on his face. "What would he make us do? Clean out a tomb haunted by Inferi? That might actually be an improvement. At least it would prove he knows something, instead of just saying, 'What a lovely day!' when Seamus asks a real question!"

"You—"

"Hold on, stop arguing," Harry said suddenly, cutting them off. He pointed out a nearby window. They were on the third floor, which offered a clear view of the sprawling lawns below. "Is that Professor Kahn?"

A group of older students, likely third or fourth years, were gathered on the grass.

"Oh, right! Fred said their first Care of Magical Creatures class was today," Ron remembered, crowding the window beside Harry.

"No wonder he wasn't in the library this morning," Hermione added, standing on her toes to get a better look.

Professor Kahn stood before the students, his arms full of what looked like small, furry creatures. It was too far to see them clearly, but their sheer number suggested they weren't particularly dangerous.

"He doesn't look thirty yet," Ron muttered skeptically. "Does he even have any teaching experience? He's not another Quirrell, is he?"

"Of course not!" Hermione retorted, her cheeks puffing out indignantly. "Professor Kahn has helped me many times in the library! He even taught me a spell he invented himself! He's a truly knowledgeable professor!"

"Yes, a truly knowledgeable professor," Ron said, a triumphant smirk spreading across his face. "So you admit Professor Quirrell is terrible, then?"

"Puffskeins are a common magical creature, but do not underestimate them," Evans announced to the class of third years. He held a wriggling armful of the fluffy, sphere-shaped beasts. "They are one of the most suitable magical pets. If you can make a Puffskein happy, it will release a calming emotion that can help you face stressful situations, like an exam, or provide an anchor when you feel overwhelmed."

"Today's lesson is simple: try to meet a Puffskein's needs, make it happy, and experience that sense of calm. Believe me, once you've felt it, you'll be hooked."

As he spoke, he scanned the faces of his students. He could clearly see the boredom and lack of enthusiasm on some of them. This was all part of the plan. A first lesson with third years couldn't feature anything too dangerous, but safe creatures were bound to underwhelm some of the more thrill-seeking students. He just needed a catalyst.

"Professor, can you show us something more exciting?"

Right on cue. A boy with bright red hair raised his hand, his voice loud and eager. Evans recognized him instantly. He had heard Percy's dramatic retelling of the 'common room incident' and was clearly curious.

"Yeah, Professor! Can you show us a dragon?" another boy, his identical twin, chimed in.

Perfect. The Weasley twins were as reliable as ever. A slow smile formed on Evans's lips as he looked at the two troublemakers.

"Want to see something exciting?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm.

He slowly lifted his left foot and then stomped it down, hard.

An invisible wave of energy surged from the point of impact, gathering above his head and briefly forming the translucent, shimmering image of a massive bull's horn. The next moment, a violent tremor erupted from beneath the students' feet. The world shook. Several students lost their balance and tumbled to the ground, crying out in shock. The tremor lasted for a full ten seconds, the vibrations so intense that the ground itself cracked, splitting into a web of deep, bottomless fissures. Nearby trees groaned and toppled over.

Yet, just beyond the edge of the clearing, the grounds remained untouched. The grass was perfectly flat, and not so much as a speck of dust drifted from the chaos.

The shaking stopped. Evans raised his wand. "Reparo."

With a single, casual wave, the fractured earth knitted itself back together. The fallen trees righted themselves, their roots sinking back into the soil as if nothing had happened.

"That," Evans said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence, "is one of the innate talents of a Re'em Bull. They possess immense mass and the power to connect with the earth to cause earthquakes. The power I just used was merely a tenth of what the creature itself can do."

He let that sink in. The students who had been bored were now wide-eyed, a glimmer of excitement replacing their earlier apathy. Evans decided to fan the flames.

"I have reverse-engineered this ability into a spell that anyone can learn. I will be teaching it in the lesson after Halloween. The student with the highest theoretical score in this class between now and then will be personally taught this spell by me, until they have mastered it."

He paused, a smirk playing on his lips. "How's that? Exciting enough for you?"

The students stared back, their eyes shining with a fierce, competitive light.

"Excellent," Evans said, his smile widening. "Now, line up. Come forward in groups of three to receive your Puffskein."

As the now highly motivated students formed an orderly queue, Evans felt a surge of satisfaction. The plan had worked perfectly.

His triumphant thought was cut short as he felt a sudden, light pressure on his leg. A tabby cat had appeared from nowhere, its paw resting gently on his calf. An impossibly faint yet utterly sharp voice entered his ear.

"Keep it down."

(End of Chapter)

***

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