Cassandra White

Forbidden Forest

After the visit to Hagrid that evening. They came back and each retired to their own common room, either to study; do homework; or simply go to bed before getting up again for dinner at the Great Hall. (Yes, first day of the session was very tiring for some students)

Later, that week; James, the captain of the Quidditch team held a Quidditch try outs to recruit new students for this upcoming season. There were many who had signed in for the try outs but only few managed to make it to the top three for each post. Finally James decided on Rose as one of the Chasers, Cassandra as the second Chaser, Jaina and Reg as the beaters, Emma and himself as the Keeper and Jessica as the seeker. The team was a strong one and James hoped to beat the Hufflepuffs this year who for the first time seemed to have an unbeatable team of players. It was odd but not unlikely. The sorting hst seemed to have become less hypocritical and more inclusive after the Battle of Hogwarts specially.

"Alright! So I am hoping that this year's team can win the Quidditch cup and I do believe you will take your practices seriously especially Reg and Jaina. Do be regular for practice will you." James sighed as he finished his speech. He then instructed all of them to take their positions and begin practicing.

After a couple of hours James called off the practice and all of them landed on the floor covered in dirt and mud. They headed off to the bathroom to wash up and then to their common room. Back at the common room Cassandra sat down on one of the chairs near the fire and was about to start her potions homework an essay on the uses and properties of  moonstone, when she heard Janine shriek.

"Ah...why is there a niffler sitting on top of my homework." Cried Janine. Cassandra quickly got up and picked up the tiny niffler and said, "Sorry, he is mine." and saw a shiny orb like thing in it's sharp paws. "What have you got their Pickett?" She asked. She opened the clenched paws of the niffler and saw a shiny red gem stone in it's hand. It was a ruby. Rose who was very distrubed by all this commontion walked up to them and demanded to know what was happening.

"Well, Cassandra's niffler stole a ruby and was about to destroy my homework." Janine accused the baby niffler.

"The niffler will not destroy you homework unless you have used liquid gold for ink, Janine." Rose replied a bit irked at her stupidity.
She turned to look at the niffler in Cassandra's arm and said, "You need to be careful Cassie. Nifflers have an eye for shiny things. It probably took the ruby from Gryffindor point keeper."

"Oh, I am sorry. He did not cause trouble earlier when I got him this week and I keep him in the common room so he does not get out and cause trouble " Cassandra apologised and handed back the ruby to Rose. Pickett did not seem happy about this.

"He must have escaped when the house elves came in to clean." James remarked who was now standing next to Lily, who was now petting the grumpy baby niffler.

"Where did you get it from anyway?" Rose questioned. "Hagrid gifted me this baby niffler. He said it was abandoned in the forest." replied Cassandra. Rose raised an eyebrow when she heard 'Forbidden Forest'

"Interesting." James said suddenly, "nifflers don't usually abandon unless this guy was an outcast of some sort."

"Outcast?" Cassandra asked unsure. "Yes, an outcast. He was perhaps unable to perform effectively like rest of the nifflers so he fell behind and was too small to catch up." James explained. Cassandra did not seem so sure of this.

"But does the Forbidden Forest even have nifflers?" Rose asked. "Yes it does." James replied quickly and seemed to almost regret it instantly. "Like you would know, Jamie." Lily said, "Should I write to dad and tell him you sneek around in the Frobidden Forest?"