Stay - Mattheo Riddle

Viktor Krum

After breakfast, they went back to their dorms to grab their supplies for class before meeting back up to walk down to care of magical creatures together. Hagrid, who had told them last lesson that they had finished with unicorns, was waiting for them outside his cabin with a fresh supply of open crates at his feet.

Kirra's heart sank at the sight of the crates — surely not another skrewt hatching? — but when she got near enough to see inside, she found herself looking at a number of fluffy black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention.

"Nifflers," she muttered happily under her breath, looking at the cute creatures.

"These're nifflers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff. . . . There yeh go, look."

One of the nifflers had suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy Parkinson's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward.

"Useful little treasure detectors," said Hagrid happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth Harry had watched him dig- ging from the Owlery window. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an' get ready ter set 'em loose."

Kirra took off the collection of jewellery she had on, which she almost never took off, and stuffed it all into her pocket. Then she picked up a niffler. It put its long snout in Kirra's ear and sniffed enthusiastically. It was really quite cuddly.

"Well arent you a little cutie," she giggled

It was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands. Jasper's was particularly efficient; it had soon filled his lap with coins.

"Can you buy these as pets, Hagrid?" he asked excitedly as his niffler dived back into the soil, splattering his robes.

"Your mum wouldnt' be happy, Rowle," said Theodore, grinning. "They wreck houses, not to mention it would steal all of your mums fancy ass shit."

"I reckon they've nearly got the lot, now," Hagrid spoke up, pacing around the patch of earth while the nifflers continued to dive. "I on'y buried a hundred coins."

"Well, let's check how yeh've done!" said Hagrid. "Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added, his beetle-black eyes narrowed. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."

Goyle emptied his pockets, looking extremely sulky. It turned out that Jasper's niffler had been most successful, so Hagrid gave him an enormous slab of Honeydukes chocolate for a prize. The bell rang across the grounds for lunch; the rest of the class set off back to the castle.

They climbed the steps into the entrance hall and went into the Great Hall for lunch.

"Do you reckon you could bring me back one of your niffler friends that you always feed in the forest," Jasper jokingly asked, when they had sat down and started serving themselves roast beef and Yorkshire puddings. "I'd be able to set it loose in the common room and see what it brings back."

"While I would love to see what expensive, fancy ass shit the people in your house are hiding, you know I cant do that," said Kirra with a laugh. "Besides, you're literally the richest one out of all of us."

"Thats my parents money though, not mine," Jasper shrugged. "I'd love to have my own money, I hate that I rely on my parents. The assholes always use it against me"