Muggle // Severus Snape

42. Lethal

'Severus?' Avalon looked around the potions classroom expecting to see her husband but she didnt see Severus anywhere. Amelia ran around to the desk. 

"Are we playing hide and seek mama?"  Amelia questioned. "Daddy I'm counting to ten!" Avalon peered around. 

"Severus?"

"Five, six, seven-"

"I dont think daddy is hiding in here-" Avalon countered when she heard a bang of a head hitting a shelf.

'blasted.' Severus muttered. Avalon ran to the closet. 

''what are you doing in there?' Avalon questioned opening up the door more, severus rubbed at his head, annoyed.

''I am missing some stocks.' Severus remarked going through his cabinet of supplies.

''you sure you didn't just break it? Banging your head like that?' she put a gentle hand on his head. Severus shook his head taking a step back.

'I'm certain a student was in here.' Severus told her.

"The students should know better than to anger you." Avalon corrected

"Yes they should." Severus agreed.

"I found you!" Amelia declared. "Mama gave away your hiding spot, we can hide again, my turn!" Amelia declared running off. "Um, daddy are these caldrons clean?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason, start counting!" Amelia instructed. 

"Do no climb in the caldron!" Avalon corrected chasing after her. "Those things are never cleaned completely and you dont know what potion your father was whipping up!"

"Mama you gave away my hiding spot." Amelia grumbled. 

"Let us play somewhere less dangerous." Severus suggested. 

Although the classes were still going on, Hagrid was very distracted by madam Maxine. Avalon was assigned to lead the lessons while he fawned over her gigantic self. 

Avalon was teaching the kids about Bowtruckles. Newt so kindly was helping her and he was a marvel to hear teach. The kids didnt quite share her enthusiasm, well expect for hermione, she had her hand raised the entire time. 

Newt put his own little bowtruckle out and he moved to Avalon, she beamed down at him. 

"This is Pickett." Avalon said happily. "We are old friends, right pickett?" He climbed up her shoulder before Amelia stuck out her hand eagerly requesting a turn to hold him. Newt continued to teach, they were in a classroom today, easier to take notes, Pickett sat on Avalon's shoulder as she knelt down. Amelia extended a finger and Pickett gave it a little shake. Avalon smiled up at Newt, he was such a wonderful and wise man, she was so grateful he decided to stop by. He was interested in see the tri wizard tourney as well this year. Which made avalon think the next task had another magical creature in it that might need a magzoologist expert just in case, but then again he wasnt here for the dragons and that was as magical as it gets. 

"ALright class, sorry I'm late but I got a special treat for you- oh, Mr Scamander is it? I'm Rubeus Hagrid!"

"Nice to meet you, Rubeus." Newt agreed. "I'm sorry I didnt mean to take over the class, I was around and Avalon, dear avalon asked if I would like to step in"

"I didnt think you were coming. You dont tell me anything." Avalon whispered. 

"Quite alright, but Im here not and- oh a bowtruckle how cute." Hagrid chuckled. "Anyways come on outside I got a treat for you."

"He doesnt have a syllabus." Avalon was telling newt as they headed outside the children were a chatter of what could it be. 

"How do you know what to study up on?" newt countered, Avalon let out an exasperated breath. 

"Thats what I have been saying!" Avalon declared, Amelia held tight to her hand. 

"Mr. Newt, can I hold Pickett?" Amelia questioned. 

"Oh yes, yes, of course." Newt agreed. He reached out a hand and pickett climbed on before he lowered him down to amelia encouraging him along. "Very nice." Newt agreed when Pickett settled on the top of Amelia's head. Avalon laughed out touching Amelias cheek. But her smile fell when she saw the monster hagrid had. 

"Blast-Ended Skrewts." Hagrid said proudly. 

They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish which made the class take a step back and another. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

"Hagrid!" avalon demanded. "This is dangerous! Remember the last-"

"Come on now, the last few worked out just fine." Hagrid corrected. 

"Three out of four of your last it will be fine creatures ended up students in the hospital wing." Avalon objected. 

 "BLast Ended Skrewts are a species of illegally bred creatures, cross-breeding Manticores and Fire Crabs." Newt informed the class. 

"Illegally?" Avalon demanded as Amelia hid behind her legs. Most of the class had the sensibility to keep moving back. "Illegal? Hagrid!" 

"Hagrid do tell us about them." newt countered. "I am right here nothing will go wrong." Newt assured avalon, she did feel better knowing he was here and certainly would stop the beast if it wanted to attack. 

"The males had stingers and the females had suckers on their body to suck blood." Hagrid remarked. 

"Ew." Amelia whispered. 

"ALso skrewts do not hibernate during winter." Hagrid said proudly. 

"ALright, what else?" Newt encouraged. "How fast do they grow?" 

"Um... well you see..." Hagrid looked to Avalon for help. 

"You dont tell me anything." Avalon corrected. 

"After about two months, Skrewts grew to about three feet long and became extremely ill tempered, making it hard to get close to one." Newt informed the class, Hermione was taking notes while everyone else was trying not to catch on fire.  "This one is a bit younger so its a bit more tame luckily for us." Newt stepped forward and Avalon held her breath. "They grew grey, shiny armor over their pale bodies and began to resemble a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs."

"How can you tell between a male and a female?" Hermione questioned. 

"Excellent question." Newt agreed. "The males hold their stingers over their backs, the females strike you from below, they are both highly dangerous and yes that smell can be quite repulsive."

"How big can it get?" Draco questioned. 

"Another excellent question, Avalon, Hagrid you have an intuitive class." Newt applauded. "After several months, Skrewts grew to about ten feet long, and are again incredibly dangerous and quite lethal. I like to keep repeating the dangers because you all are children and its easy to see something and think I'm a wizard I can handle it but even the cute creatures that dont look like trouble can be dangerous, but also these buggers, they are quite lethal." newt looked to Avalon, he agreed with her hesitant smile. He didnt think this was a good creature for a school of young children either.  'They resembled giant scorpions with stingers curled over their backs. Their shiny armor deflects most spells, and they use their blasts to propel themselves at a foe. Its single undefended spot is its armor-less underside." Newt declared. "ANd with that... I think its time for lunch."