Care of Magical Creatures Assignment #5
Title: Untitled
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood
Rating: G
Word Count: 911
Author's Note: Written for the Care of Magical Creatures summer class at the MNFF forums, on the subject of Clabberts. Once again I’ve been curious about the reproduction of the magical creature in question. I used the same steps of maturity that a frog goes through, but added a monkeyish touch to it.
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She had not even cared what kind of wacky creature Luna claimed they would find, she had just been eager to get away, on her own for once.Why on earth did I agree to come along on this hellish trip?
Ginny muttered to herself as she pushed another armful of plate-shaped leaves out of the way. Three weeks in the Brazilian jungle with Luna, far from boyfriends, brothers and her anxious mother had seemed like a brilliant idea. She had not even cared what kind of wacky creature Luna claimed they would find, she had just been eager to get away, on her own for once. But now, as the straps of the backpack were cutting into her shoulders and as she felt a chafe burst on her right heel, she wished she was back in the hammock behind the Burrow.
“Luna!” she shouted to the woman ahead of her.
Ginny’s friend, who had been moving like some agile jungle-creature through the vegetation, stopped and turned towards her. She bit back her whining at once; not even if her feet started bleeding would she want to erase the expression of complete happiness that lit up Luna’s face.
“Are you doing all right?” she asked.
Ginny nodded. To be honest, she was extremely annoyed with herself for not being able to keep up with Luna. She was supposed to be the fit Quidditch professional, while Luna spent her days in some dark laboratory.
“I thought we could set up the tent just over there,” Luna pointed. “It’s the flattest clearing I’ve seen in a week, so we should really make use of it.”
Sitting down and taking off her boots three hours earlier than expected seemed like a heavenly idea to Ginny so she sped up. The clearing was fairly flat, with the murmuring of a stream reaching them from underneath some dense bushes. Luna had already put up their portable home with a confident wave of her wand, and was now re-sizing a cauldron, so Ginny dropped her backpack and sat down. She closed her eyes, but was not left in peace for long.
“I’m making meatloaf!” Luna announced. “Do you think you could get us some water from the creek, Ginny?”
She could hardly complain about fetching some water when Luna was busy preparing a full meal for the both of them, so she got up again, conjured a bucket and limped over to the water. She kneeled to fill the bucket, but pulled her hand back almost at once as something slimy brushed against her arm. Cursing herself for her silliness, she bent her head down to take a closer look. To her surprise, she found collection of gel-like balls, about the size of Snitches, stuck halfway up the stems of the reed. Something dark green moved inside each lump, and it only took Ginny a moment to realise the bizarre resemblance to frogspawn. Suddenly curious, she reached out to touch the nearest ball of odd substance. But before she even made contact with it, a strong red light was lit in the greenness, and a vicious hiss was heard from above. Jerking her head upwards, she saw an identical light on the forehead of a creature in the tree.
“Luna!” she screamed, and backed a few steps, wand drawn and pointing at the animal.
Luna was at her side almost instantly. “What’s the matter?”
“There is a monkey in the tree! You said there would be no monkeys here!”
Luna looked in the direction her friend’s wand was pointing, and to Ginny’s great frustration she chuckled. A Gryffindor was supposed to be brave, and Ginny had found it difficult to confess to Luna about her unfounded fear of monkeys. But the former Ravenclaw girl had seemed to understand, and assured Ginny that they would be travelling through “monkey-free” land.
“That’s not a monkey. It’s a Clabbert.”
“A what?” Ginny asked, far from convinced that the grinning creature wasn’t a variation of the form a Boggart would assume in front of her.
“A Clabbert. They’re harmless, and quite cute. Its pustule is just flashing because it feels threatened. I wonder why, though? They’re normally curious of humans.”
“Perhaps because of that?” Ginny said and pointed at the slimy orbs.
“Ooooh!” Luna exclaimed and turned to have a better look. “Clabspawn!”
“Its babies?”
“Well, sort of,” Luna nodded and gave the Clabbert in the tree a glance to make sure she was not worrying it further. “This is the first stage, the Clabspawn. Clabberts mate in the trees, but go into the water together when it’s time for the female to lay her eggs. The couple work together to fasten them at the reeds, and then they leave them for a month or so. They will keep watch over them, like the one up there, but not touch them. Once the Clabpoles hatch they will fall into the water and live there for another couple of months. They’ll grow into Clablets then, and learn to climb the trees. Once their tails fall off and they start grinning with their mouths wide open, they’re classified as adult Clabberts.”
Ginny stared at Luna, who chuckled again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you a lecture. They’re rather fascinating though, for such a common species.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Luna Lovegood,” Ginny smiled. “But these are not the creatures we’re looking for, are they?”
“Merlin, no!” Luna said and shook her dirty blonde hair. “What we’re searching isn’t recognised by the Ministry of Magic. Just wait until we find it; I know you’ll love the Four-Feet-Fanged Whisker-Wolf!”
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