On Friday, the bright sunlight pierced through the barrier of trees in the Forbidden Forest, casting beautiful patterns of light and shadow on the damp earth below.
William and his group carried a wooden woven cage as they diligently searched for relatively dry ground within the forest.
"Why did we have to come to the Forbidden Forest today? The ground isn't even fully dry yet!"
After accidentally stepping into a hidden puddle, Adams exaggerated his complaint, his expression theatrically dramatic.
"It's already much better than it could've been. We're lucky it didn't rain today. Hagrid said there's bound to be heavy rain this weekend. If we waited, entering the Forbidden Forest would be much tougher than it is now," William replied, flashing an apologetic smile at Adams. Hagrid had mentioned the paths might be challenging, but William hadn't anticipated them being this muddy. The consequences of Wednesday's rain were worse than he had imagined.
"Merlin's beard! The ground in the Forbidden Forest is even worse than the greenhouse's. And I just watered the greenhouse soil this morning!" Adams used his wand to dry his shoes, his tone full of energy, contradicting the supposed frustration in his words.
"Oh, shut it, Adams. I don't feel much better than you do. At least you're used to being up this early. But William told me breathing the fresh air of the Forbidden Forest would improve the quality of my sleep," Professor Singed quipped, though the grin on his face showed he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
These two idiots haven't even walked far into the forest and they're already goofing off. Where's the rabbit-catching they promised? They're just here to entertain the kid!
Trailing behind them, Aphra took strides too large for her petite frame, walking with the air of a little adult. Hearing the reason for the two professors' complaints, her steps became even more purposeful. She strode forward like a proud little hen, her head held high.
***
It had all started early Friday morning. When William woke up to find a perfectly clear, cloudless sky, he excitedly ran to Hagrid's hut.
During yesterday's class, William had noticed a lack of teaching aids. To practice treating injuries, they obviously couldn't use humans, so it made sense to find test animals. After some thought, he decided rabbits would make ideal teaching aids.
Since Hagrid was the gamekeeper, William planned to ask if he had a way to catch a batch of rabbits. Buying live rabbits was an option, but if Hagrid could provide a venue, it would solve part of the training problem and be much more convenient than constant purchases.
"Rabbits? The Forbidden Forest has plenty. There are lots near the edge. All you need is a container, and you'll fill it up easily," Hagrid had said.
William had considered inviting Hagrid to join them, but Hagrid had to go out on Friday to purchase school supplies, so the plan fell through.
Thinking it would be fun, William sincerely invited Adams to join him. Adams, finding the idea amusing, roped in Singed, who usually rested at this time. Just as the trio was ready to set off, Professor Tyler appeared.
"Sorry, Professor Singed, but if you're all leaving, the staff room will be unattended this morning. Could I trouble you to take care of Aphra for a while?"
Adams grumbled along the way, insisting Singed looked so mature that he got stuck with responsibilities like babysitting, but the four-person rabbit-catching team was finally assembled.
The two comic reliefs busied themselves entertaining their little team mascot, Aphra, while William; stuck as the cage carrier, could only watch. After his last attempt to amuse Apra backfired, she now called him 'Uncle Trickster' and greeted everything he did with suspicion.
"Aphra, don't take such big steps. You'll get all that mud splashed onto your new robes," William cautioned as he scanned their surroundings for rabbits, keeping an eye on the little girl to ensure she didn't trip.
Aphra was dressed in a brand-new scarlet robe today. It looked wonderful, though it was already speckled with raindrops from the trees and mud splashes from the occasional puddle.
"No way! You're lying to me again!" The little girl stuck her tongue out at William and then skipped ahead, humming a song joyfully.
Is she really holding a grudge?
William shook his head helplessly, just in time to see a rabbit dart out from a bush, speeding towards the distance like an arrow.
Before it could even take a few steps, Adams raised his wand.
"Rabbit! Wingardium Leviosa!"
The rabbit, running at high speed, was lifted off the ground, its gray form making a graceful arc in the air before landing directly into Adams' hands.
Adams grabbed the rabbit by its ears and spun it around in front of Aphra in a show-off manner, before tossing it into the cage William was holding.
Wizards catching rabbits was that casual. After all, rabbits couldn't resist any spells. Even a first-year student would find it incredibly easy to catch a rabbit in the Forbidden Forest. This was probably why students from Hufflepuff who were caught near the edges of the forest had it so easy.
"By the way, William, if you're going to do experiments, these rabbits won't die of fright, will they?"
"Hagrid said it should be fine. These aren't pure wild rabbits. There are even centaurs in the Forbidden Forest."
As they spoke, they had already ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The number of rabbits had clearly increased. As the three professors waved their wands, rabbits flew into the air, making soft "gugu" sounds before being grabbed by their ears and stuffed into the wooden cage.
The only spectator, Aphra, kept shouting and pointing in random directions, indicating where the rabbits were. Of course, before she could point at any, the poor rabbits were already flying up into the air.
"A great harvest."
William quickly counted the rabbits, finding that they had enough and the cage was nearly full. He picked up the last rabbit by the ears and began to assess it.
Forget it, it's too skinny.
William set the rabbit on the ground, then lightly kicked it. The rabbit, which had appeared to be playing dead on the ground, shot off like an arrow.
"We've caught enough. It's still early. Should we have lunch here in the Forbidden Forest or head back?"
"Let's have lunch here in the forest. I'm an excellent graduate from Hufflepuff, and carrying lunch gear is basic training."
Adams said proudly, then turned to the little girl beside him. "Aphra, what are you doing?"
Aphra was squatting on the ground, looking extremely dejected. She tugged at her cloak and gestured toward the stains on it, her voice full of the despair a little girl felt about life.
"I'm going to get a scolding."
***
Note: The Levitation Charm can be used on living creatures. In the seventh book of the original series, when Harry was being chased and nearly fell to his death, Hagrid used the spell to save him—Hagrid had flown through the air to rescue Harry from a Death Eater.
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