WILD FLOWERS ✿ d.malfoy

48.

I was so lost in admiring the baby, I didn't even notice the otherspecimen present at this scene: the sickly pink toad. And when I did, I wish I hadn't. She had the same mirage of a smile pasted onto her lips and I wanted to punch her.

"Oh hello!" Hagrid says, smiling, having located her.

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" says she, slowly, "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"

"Oh yeah," Hagrid says brightly. "Glad yeh found the place allrigh'! Well, as you can see — or, I dunno — can you? We're doin' thestrals today —"

"I'm sorry?" asks Umbridge loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. "What did you say?"

Hagrid looks a little confused."Er — thestrals!" he says loudly. "Big — er — winged horses, yeh know!" He flaps his gigantic arms hopefully.

Professor Umbridge raises her eyebrows at him and mutters as she makes a note on her clipboard," 'has . . . to . . . resort . . . to . . . crude . . . sign . . . language . . .' "

"Well . . . anyway . . ." says Hagrid, turning back to the class and looking slightly flustered. "Erm –"

"What do they eat?" cuts Caelum loudly, walking around the other winged horses, "Other than meat, I mean. Do they eat fruits or –"

"No Caelum," I laugh, momentarily forgetting Umbridge, "I don't think they'd eat an apple if I gave them one."

"Maybe give it meat?" Caelum asks referring to the baby curled up in my lap. His eyes sparkle as he walks towards me.

I chuckle, "you can do that. I'm vegetarian."

He bends down, stroking the baby. It lifts its head to look at Caelum, its eyes wide like a lost puppy. Caelum's eyes we are wide, lips upturned, and he looks like he is going to cry (because the baby is that cute), "isn't it the most adorable creature ever?"

I grin, nodding. "Is it a he or a she?" I ask Hagrid who was smiling at us.

"She," Hagrid grins, "yer can name her if yer' want."

"I'm going to name her Celestia," Caelum picks her and makes funny faces at her.

"Why would you name her Celestia?" I laugh, getting up and dusting my coat.

"Because I like that name and her eyes look like they hold the entire galaxy in them."

"Oh my, isn't that –"

"I beg your pardon, but what sort of a Professor lets students talk gibberish in their class?" Umbridge's high pitched voice drips sweet poison as she smothers me with one of her sick smiles. I gag internally and look away, trying to control myself from pouncing on her.

"Care of Magical Creatures is all about getting ter know the creatures more to be able ter take care of 'em," Hagrid states, unfazed by Umbridge's tone. "An' I'm sure Celestia an' Caelum know a lot bout thestrals."

I nod, "of course. Thestrals are one of the most majestic, intelligent magical beasts to exist. Training Thestrals is only something a very skilled witch or wizard can achieve due to the fact that they forcefully remove anyone they view as a threat. Or in the case of domesticated Thestrals" – I motion to the herd in front of us – "the trainer's enemy. They are loyal to their last breath. They also have an extraordinary sense of smell. Theses gentle, winged beasts are also some of the fastest and can travel vast distances."

"Not to mention," Caelum adds, now holding the sleeping baby Thestral – or should I say Celetsia? – in his arms, "The Thestral tail hair is a powerful and tricky substance that can only be mastered by a witch or wizard capable of facing death. It was used to create the most powerful wand known to wizards – The Elder wand."