Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Sixteen - Kettleburn, Quirke, and Codde

Author's note: CW snakes, animals dying naturally, fear of pet death.

Thanks to Tsu who was the first response when I needed a plant name, and Korppi for helping actually giving it a nice scientific name.

Also I am going to try to get a bonus chapter out this week; not sure if I'll have the time but I want to try. I've been really exhausted due to the fact I have a new puppy and he really sucks the energy and time haha.

~*~

The first class of the afternoon was Herbology, once again with the Hufflepuffs. It was very hot in the greenhouses with the new September sun beating down through the glass, and everyone was soon soaked in sweat. Even the fact they were in a new greenhouse didn't stir much excitement. Greenhouse Four was full of interesting, neat plants, including a rather temperamental specimen of Tsulius Discordia that Sprout told them to stay away from. Usually it wasn't overly dangerous, but this one had been acting up lately.

Sprout ended class a little early, like Charlemagne had, though she did assign them a short essay to turn in the next week. The Marauders gladly left the sauna, plucking at their sleeveless jumpers and shirts and panting heavily. James took his sleeveless jumper off, stuffing it in his bag as they headed into the castle. There was a Care of Magical Creatures classroom on the ground floor, however when everyone taking the class got there, they found a big sign hanging up telling them to go outside, near the Forbidden Forest, a little to the south of Hagrid's hut.

Back outside they went, James and Sirius both shedding their robes on the way. They trooped down the pathway, going past Hagrid's hut, and finding themselves in a nice cleared area in front of the Forbidden Forest. Professor Kettleburn stood there with a big smile on his scarred face.

There were a lot of students. Remus grew nervous as more and more students came down the pathway, and his stomach twisted at the thought of having a lesson with so many others. There had to be around thirty other students. Though from what he understood, Care of Magical Creatures was a pretty popular class.

"I won't bother with register every lesson, but I'll take it in a few minutes to try to remember names. Not that I do a good job, warning you now. I'm better than Binns though. Only thing is we don't have much time right now so try to gather around as best as you can."

That was the first thing they heard from Professor Kettleburn as he motioned for the crowd to circle him and something that was hidden behind a curtain. Kettleburn yanked the curtain aside to show a very large glass box containing two red and grey snakes slithering angrily around. To the side there was a magnifying spell, sending an image of the ashwinders on an enormous white board so everyone could see them clearly. There were a lot of murmurings and Remus couldn't help but glance over where Spinnet stood, rather pale. His biggest fear was snakes. He took a step back, folding his arms.

"Ashwinders," Kettleburn explained. "They're looking for a dark place to lay their eggs. Anyone know why that's a dangerous thing to happen?"

A few students including Remus raised their hand, and he called on one of the Slytherin girls who said that ashwinder eggs could start fires.

"Exactly." He twitched his hand, pulling a curtain up over the entire box, encasing the glass in darkness. "They should begin to lay their eggs now. The glass is treated with heavy fireproof spells, not to worry. It shouldn't melt. While we wait, I'll take register quickly."

The hand, which usually had a hook on the end, now had a sort of three-pronged contraption. The prongs wriggled and moved like fingers, clamping down around a piece of paper. The first name he called was Avery, and Remus twisted to see Mulciber and Avery hanging out near the back of the crowd along with Bulstrode, the third of the group.