Dark Hogwarts

The rain has passed barefoot on the ground,

There was a rumble at night...

If you're in the castle, that's good.,

And when you walk in the woods, it's bad.

***

They say you get used to good things quickly. By the way, it's also bad, but it just requires a suitable atmosphere of hopelessness. So we quickly got used to the resumed school days.

The second course was noticeably different from the first. There was no overwhelming fear of the unknown. There was no nagging tension when you spend the whole day in a state of readiness to overcome new adversities. It didn't happen that at the end of the school day, your only goal was to collapse into drowsy unconsciousness or, worse, have nightmares inextricably linked to the shocks of the day.

In such a short period of time, the upperclassmen turned from innocent, taciturn neighbors in the castle into companions, mentors, and casual acquaintances.

We showed off our skills at the club on the first day, defeating four Ravenclaw classmates with Ron and Seamus, not to mention two Slytherins and a single Hufflepuff. After this triumph, the seniors essentially recognized us and accepted us into their club team without any problems.

And how many new things were learned from them literally every day! About secret castle passageways, allowing in some cases to avoid dangerous stairs-in-motion. About the cases and events at Hogwarts in previous years, thanks to which it was possible to add new details and nuances to the constructed model of behavior with different teachers, as well as to keep in mind both the likely Halloween tests and the tasks of the headmaster. About optimal ways to earn points and their more reasonable investments. About Madam Pomfrey...

Although, in the case of the healer and her marks, the information was incomplete, and in some cases even varied from student to student.

Someone said that when Pomfrey accumulates five marks, he can easily "play" with his ward's body parts. In the sense that there will suddenly be not five fingers on the foot, but six, or a tail will suddenly begin to grow in place of the coccyx, and there were definitely such cases, although they were shamefully hidden by those undergraduates who had the fate to become guinea pigs.

Others argued with foam at the mouth that, upon reaching the mark line, an invisible damage was applied to the student, because of which the poor fellow was no longer destined to graduate from Hogwarts.

Well, still others even talked about the connection of tags with the severity of punishment for any misconduct and the attitude of teachers towards the student.

In general, it was simply impossible to sort out this cascade of opinions, guesses, conjectures and obvious fantasies. One thing was for sure: the absence of tags was a much better outcome than having them. After all, the version that tags don't really mean anything, but are only needed to strengthen students' motivation to behave more carefully and safely, simply did not exist among the students.

Not only general information and various gossip came from new acquaintances in the Duel Club. They also noticeably moved my progress in comprehending the science of fighting with magic wands. New spells, different combinations, tricks, feints and battle strategies... The students may not have shared it as willingly as they would have liked, but I was like a sponge greedily absorbing any crumbs of such invaluable knowledge and experience. Much stronger than the rest of the sophomores, which is why he soon became considered the main contender for the title of "The best duelist among sophomores."

The dueling hall itself has always been publicly available to us. The club met three times a week and sparred between courses and faculties according to a variety of combinations of rules and conditions. The rest of the time, at least I could come there every day: on the upper tier to do my homework and relax, and on the lower one to perfect the rudiments of my own combat magic.

And this undoubtedly valuable advantage of being in the club suddenly began to have a negative side.

The case turned out to be, oddly enough, in our sophomore team. We spent most of the last year together, studying and preparing for Dumbledore's trials in our rented cubicle. During this time, we got used to each other noticeably, at the culmination of the first year, this bond became stronger, and during the summer holidays with some of the students, she strengthened enough to consider them her good friends.

And so, the new school year began. In the very first days of our studies, our once solid and friendly team split into fragments, which ended up in different clubs. And the upperclassmen here have a natural competition between these very clubs — for prestige and influence in the school environment.

The duelists, that is, we, are constantly competing with travel students from the Explorers Club, which means that we cannot communicate with competitors. We completely despise the students of the Book Club and the Craft Club, we don't consider them an equal at all, and in general, we mock and egg them on in every possible way. We stay away from the Director's Club, because: "You can expect anything from fanatics."

It turns out that our only contacts are with the Quidditch team and the Sorority, which keeps a bit away from competition with the rest and focuses more on the girls' hierarchy at school.

Such rules, such procedures. And I would have no problem giving up on them and not allowing any school principles to influence my social circle if the other guys were at least somewhat in solidarity with me in this endeavor.

But no, children are children, and they will not intentionally resist changes, especially if they entail new useful acquaintances with their elders, and the old ties are not yet strong enough. And they are not torn apart immediately, but gradually.

Even though we continued to attend classes together, even though we ate next to each other in the Great Hall at the same time, but most importantly, we began to spend our leisure time separately. There was no room where we could gather the "old guard", as well as there was no need to purchase it. We had no motivation to share club events, as most clubs carefully ensured that internal gossip, strife and incidents did not come out.

Day after day, I noticed how small groups of guys were moving further and further away from our three boys. The girls had their own problems, some sophomores actively joined the society of their own clubs, but with the boys, our teammates had the most real intrigues, where there was very little room for friendship. Even Harry, who spent all the time he could with us, ended up spending a lot of it on his Quidditch team.

Well, the most significant reason to go with the flow was the loss of my authority in the club, in the event that I would communicate too closely with "unworthy" classmates.

The undergraduates explained to me with a knowledgeable face that neither the artisans nor the so-called "worms" are worth my time and my favor, and those who were not accepted into the club at all should be perceived as if they were permanently smeared in foul-smelling waste.

I resisted it. I was indignant and looked for workarounds. I felt disgusting being inside an elite club, while some of my friends were content with a lower position in the school popularity rank. But when I didn't meet the same determination in return, I finally gave up and accepted the damn rules of the game.

Children are cruel creatures. Put them in an equally cruel Hogwarts and their age-related nature will bear fruit accordingly.

But in other aspects, Hogwarts provided, oddly enough, only continuous improvements compared to the previous year.

The classes were quite peaceful, the teachers didn't make any gestures, and apparently they weren't going to give us any new surprises. Either they've run out of them, or they're saving up new cards for special occasions. Although the training load itself has become more voluminous, however, in a productive and more or less calm environment it has become even easier to carry it out.

The dark corners and dangers of the castle itself were no longer intimidating, because we were told in advance about the rest of the untested threats by our fellow undergraduates without any problems. Now that she knew how to react to this or that Hogwarts scoundrel, she was perceived more as a forced misunderstanding, completely losing all her dark and creepy mystery.

I began to understand why the first course is considered the most difficult. The lion's share of difficulties is the banal lack of information, which you will have to come to independently throughout the school year. In the second year, you can clearly feel the difference, although, at first glance, nothing has changed much during the year.

By the way, about the first year. The guys a year younger were getting to know the castle and its "jokes", and this time I had the opportunity not to take an active part in it, but only to be an outside observer of what was happening.

Feelings, I say, are contradictory. On the one hand, I feel incredibly sorry for the children, but inside I feel a mix of compassionate helplessness, since I can neither prompt them nor help them with anything. On the other hand... In this situation, my dark side was revealed, which, as I think, was not present in me alone.

Looking at all their suffering and wandering in the dark, at all the tin and game happening to eleven-year-olds, something like this, with a slight hint of schadenfreude, was felt... The right one?

"We suffered no less than they did. We will continue to suffer, but we will learn the necessary lessons from the past. So why not enjoy watching these chicks take their first steps on hot coals?" the subconscious villain in me said.

"It's unhealthy to enjoy such a sight. We are not barbarians or monsters to accept this reality as the norm so simply and so deeply!" the bright side answered him.

And in this internal conflict, I wholeheartedly wanted to be Switzerland, so as not to go crazy and at the same time not rush headlong into extremes.

So the freshmen suffered, the sophomores got comfortable in clubs, and I was introspective and found my outlet in learning and practicing new spells.

By the way, a couple of days after the start of the school year, a very significant event occurred, which partially answered some of the questions that I had asked myself a year earlier. The forty-seventh student joined the first year, and it was even written about in the Daily Prophet.

According to the newspaper, Edgar Simon's parents did not want to send their son to Hogwarts and simply ignored the letter they received, as well as the "legitimate demands of Magical Britain." Since they couldn't escape the country, the Simon family decided to climb into some kind of house in the wilderness, stock up on provisions for years to come and barricade themselves with all possible concealment spells, including the one I know from the canon, the Fidelius spell.

But the most impregnable charms, according to the newspaper, were swept away not for the first time by the development of the Ministerial Department of Secrets. A certain "Magic Destroyer" dispelled defensive spells of any power, directing their power inside the hidden space. This led to the fact that Mrs. and Mr. Simon died under the rubble of their own house, and the boy was successfully extracted from the rubble, treated at Mungo's and sent to Hogwarts, where he will be "fully taken care of."

I could only sympathize with the fate of the poor man, forced to live and study in a magical country responsible for the death of his parents.

The following weekdays at school passed without such high-profile events, finally returning us from a safe vacation to school reality.

The week was already closer than ever to the end, but suddenly a rather terrible news came. And it seems that we were not destined to finish the first week of school on a calm note.

***

— Knock, knock, knock...

Leave me alone.

— Knock, knock, knock, knock...

I'm telling you, leave me alone.

A wooden wing flew into my cheek, which was the beginning of my reluctant awakening at such an early hour.

This fiend of hell was looking at me from the bedside table with friendly beady eyes.

—Seamus! Why did you buy this beast, but it wakes me up all the time?! I shouted angrily, swatting the hated bird to the floor.

However, this creature of some evil genius instantly had wooden wings, which is why our alarm clock did not fall, but began to hover very next to my bedside table.

—Huh? What?" — a sleepy friend answered me, rubbing his eyes with his fists with a prolonged yawn.

"Nothing.".. I muttered back. — I said, your sad bird got me, that's all.

He just smiled sleepily at that.

— well... Kyle, she saw that you were always getting up earlier than everyone else and helping to wake up the others, so she focused all her energy on you. I have nothing to do with it! — he disavowed my accusations.

— And why did you buy it at all... I muttered under my breath, even though I knew the answer to my question perfectly well.

Of course, none of us bothered to buy a banal Muggle alarm clock, because we didn't have any problems waking up last year. Unfortunately, I didn't take into account the fact that Dean had the only clock with an alarm clock, and he did... In short, there is no Dean or clock anymore. And Seamus, to the surprise of all of us, took care of such a small thing, only now he has acquired not an ordinary ringing watch, but this enchanted miracle...

Sometimes, I hate magical inventions. Especially if they have a safer and less annoying Muggle counterpart.

Soon, the others woke up, although it was still pitch black outside the window.

"Five—thirty in the morning.".. Who even wakes up so early! Ron was indignant and sleepy.

—Muggle farmers, for example," Seamus replied, looking suspiciously cheerful.

"But we're not farmers!"

"We're worse, Ron. We are magicians... I interjected my jibe.

Waking up so early was planned on purpose, as it suddenly became clear that the next two days would be completely spent on our first lesson with Hagrid. Two days off, by the way!

They even rescheduled our Combat Magic lessons for next week!

When our fifth-year seniors came up and told me this "wonderful" news, at first I didn't believe it and thought it was some kind of stupid joke by the seniors.

After all, even in this place, such a thing seemed unthinkable: to set off on a two-day course under the guidance of a silly half-giant. And where to? Into the Forbidden Forest!

In a dark, gloomy, "forbidden" forest, which was simply forbidden to visit unaccompanied by adults. Into a forest filled with creepy creatures. Into the teeming flora and fauna of the magical world, which is the most dangerous thing in this world.

However, as it turned out, fifth years will accompany us in order to "help protect us from dangers.".. Yes, children of fifteen or sixteen years old will protect exactly the same children three years younger from dangers. And at the head of this insane campaign was Hagrid. It's just brilliant.

So our morning jokes were caused by the tension of the upcoming "adventures", which caused us to wake up so early in order to have time to enter the forest in the early morning. In the midst of the fog that creeps over the ground, in order, apparently, to meet the classic requirements of all horror films.

But the year started so well... Apparently, they jinxed it.

Having hastily done all our morning chores, we finally went down to the living room, as ready as possible for a potentially deadly campaign. The fifth year of Gryffindor was already waiting for us, led by the prefect, Hector Jackson.

— Well, finally. The girls were getting ready faster," he chided us for being slow, even though he had come down less than five minutes ago—I could see that perfectly well. "Are all of yours ready?" Then we go to the Great Hall, have a quick breakfast and move along with the others to the giant's hut. And may Merlin protect us so that we return to the castle safe and sound," he prayed in a peculiar way.

The short-lived and premature breakfast of only two courses out of seven created a feeling of emptiness and was depressing. Such a trip with a full—fledged overnight stay in the forest had not been practiced before and, according to the undergraduates, it could take a maximum of a light day.

Because of this, the fifth year was tense and gloomy no less than ours. It turned out to be the same surprise for the undergraduates, but what exactly caused this innovation to appear in our course is a big, big question.

—All right," one of the Slytherin seniors stood up and said loudly, "let's finish and move out."

And we trudged out of the castle, and with us we had only magic wands, because: "Hagrid will provide everything necessary for the hike." Of course, I didn't have any faith in this, but I didn't dare to take the enchanted bag with me, standing out from the rest in an arrogant way.

The giant greeted us with his huge bulk, wrapped in some furs and skins, right next to his den.

—Khe-khe, guys, you're here," the giant smiled, "we have a lot of important things to do today, and we'll have to work hard on them. Seniors, you know my rules, so bring them to the others, and here it is... He took out a couple dozen small bags from somewhere behind his back, "camping tents, yes. Take it apart and make sure you don't lose it — Filch will eat me alive for school property.

My Slytherin classmate, Morag McDougal, with whom I had hardly crossed paths all the time, managed to raise her hand in between Hagrid's words and make the giant notice her.

— Yes, uh... A girl? Tell me, don't tomy.

— And if there are only tents in the bags, then where can we get food? Are we going to get it ourselves in the forest?

— Heh, heh, heh... Khe-khe... Hagrid cleared his throat. — The cough is wrong. Oh, well, what kind of food is in the forest, and for such a crowd, hehe... The acromantula can only be fried... — The giant was clearly thinking about his idea, while the students were twisting their faces from the presented picture of fried spider meat. "Don't be afraid, I'll have all the food with me," he slapped his voluminous stomach with satisfaction.

—Did he just say that he ate all our food?" Ron whispered a question to me, very worried and offended.

—I hope not," I answered him just as quietly.

My hopes were fulfilled: after the giant realized the meaning of the incident, he took out of his bottomless pockets a couple more exactly the same bags that he gave to the students.

— Here we have enough to cook lunch, and dinner, and even breakfast, like this. Let's make a fire, sit, eat, it's beautiful," he replied in a simple way. — Well, that's it, we've stomped, so we're on the trail. I lead the way, a couple of piglets with me, the rest go behind and make sure that no one gets lost or turns where they shouldn't.

And we "stomped". In a small stream of two or three people, our procession stretched for about thirty yards. In a fairly thick fog, under the almost deathly silence that greeted us in the Forbidden Forest.

"How strange." The forest should be awake by now... Sophie shared her worries, moving right behind the four of us.

"Well, it's a Forbidden Forest. Maybe birds aren't allowed to sing here, and grasshoppers aren't allowed to chirp," Seamus suggested wisely.

Everyone laughed, slowly relieving the tension from this ill-fated walk.

—Either that, or someone ate all the birds and grasshoppers," Malfoy turned to us and grinned.

"Thanks, Malfoy, I'm terrified!" — the girls walking next to him scolded him.

"If your words were true, Draco, we'd know it by your shiny heels,— I quipped back with a friendly smile.

Malfoy frowned and turned away, no longer wanting to get involved in our conversation. I've found a fearless one.

Actually, Draco was pretty upset by the situation at the trials, and it was noticeable. If before he was a focused, secretive, but confident boy, or at least pretended to be, now he rather resembled his original version, hiding all his fears and complexes behind arrogance and venomous anger.

It's a pity, I even thought of making friends with him at one point.

When we were deep in the woods, Hagrid stopped and gathered everyone around him.:

— I completely forgot that. It means that we will go deeper, on the way I will introduce you to the inhabitants of the forest. Then we'll stomp closer to that mountain," he pointed his finger somewhere to the right of the path, "and spend the night there, in the foothills. On the way back, we'll go around the forest a little, and then, if we're lucky, we'll find a centaur camp. Well, if you see anything in the foliage or crowns, tell me right away, yes.

Hagrid looked at us, waiting for something, but then waved his hand and moved on, followed by everyone else.

— Well, we got a guide — I just forgot to tell you the route plan and basic safety precautions before departure, big deal... I mumbled faintly, laughing at the giant and the whole situation we were in.

The journey was long and slow, and I stopped being afraid of the cracking of branches after an hour, because I was tired. I just walked forward, stupidly staring at the heels of the student in front of me. Because this forest could not boast of any picturesque views. Gloomy, dark, scary — that's right, that's fine.

And we didn't see any animals. The forest seemed to have really died out, although the books about Hogwarts talked about how much it was inhabited by a variety of animals and the same centaurs, who in reality, for some reason, graze near the mountains, and not in the forest.

I assumed that these ugly acromantulas had chewed and pushed everyone away, but during the whole journey we did not notice a single spider web from them to fully take this version into account. Or do they live in one place and hunt in another? Damn, I don't even know.

When the sun was already close to its zenith, and everyone's feet, without exception, were tired from endless walking, at least something interesting happened.

"M—Mr. Hagrid! Here... here.".. Something... Well, or someone... It's worth it! Come here, please! — they shouted to the giant from somewhere behind. I think it was Susan Bones's voice.

Hagrid, quite deftly for his size, ran at a brisk pace to the rear of the makeshift column, followed by the students who were walking ahead, interested and a little scared. I was one of them.

I managed to squeeze through and find myself in a semicircle of those lucky people who were looking down at someone and whispering about something.

"Who's that?"

"How should I know?"

"They're menehuns, they live everywhere here,— Ravenclaw's prefect, whose name I didn't know, told the sophomores.

— Break up, break up! Hagrid pushed aside a good half of the crowded students with his bulk. It was only by a miracle that I managed to get on the side of the giant, so as not to lose my place. — Well done, Jeremy, that's right. This is Menehun,— the giant squatted down, examining a strange little creature that looked vaguely like a house elf.

"I've been waiting a long time for one of your brothers to show up," he said to the little creature, who was still standing silently and staring at Hagrid with his alien eyes. — So kids, write it down. Oh, yeah. In short, remember: the Menehuns are small, silent, numerous creatures and have been living here for about fifty years. Rumor has it that Newt the Salamander himself settled them in the Forbidden Forest, and they just stayed, and even multiplied to the envy of all the rabbits, ha, ha,— Hagrid giggled at his simple joke. "No offense, menehunchik,— he glanced at the creature once more, although it had not changed its posture or its facial expression in any way. — So, what else... Rumor has it that if Menehun smiles at you, then expect trouble. This one," he scratched the back of his head, trying to find some more words. "Any questions?"

"Mr. Hagrid, do the Menehuns live here all alone?" — what no one expected was a question from the eternally silent Lily Moon. All the sophomores, without exception, got fucked up here.

— Well, we're not alone, although there really are fewer animals here... They like to eat meat, that's for sure. They have their own animals, I don't know where they came from. Call them scamptooth and I would not advise you to meet them. Toothy critters, that's right... Hey, menehunchik, aren't there any of your nibblers around? We don't need it, I tell you right away.

"Mr. Hagrid, are they peaceful and that's why they don't bother us?" Isobel McDougal from Ravenclaw asked the question.

— Oh, how can I tell you that... Those who come from Hogwarts, they do not touch and even protect. But who can collect what ingredients, or study what... In short, they don't come out of the Forbidden Forest back like that. I don't know how they know who to touch and who not, but for all the time, not a single student has been hurt by their hands, except that some were gnawed by scamp teeth, but these animals are unreasonable, so... Something like that," the giant shrugged.

I looked at the small creature up close, while simultaneously listening to the answers of our guide. Why does it seem so alien to me? His body shape, his behavior, his incomprehensible history with a relatively recent appearance in the Forbidden Forest at a time when everything in the world went awry... Is it related? Another mystery.

— Okay, you look at it as long as it allows, but do not touch it with your hands, because if anything happens, it can bite, scratch, and poke with a branch... We'll move on in five minutes.

The children were whispering to each other and staring at the strange creature, and in order for everyone to have enough time for this, I soon had to give up my place to another student.

I wish I could see that scamptooth again... From a safe distance, of course. I can't remember a single book where I've read about the intelligent race of Menehun or their pet animals with that name. It's getting more and more mysterious...

But the meeting passed, and menehun himself ended it, abruptly running away somewhere and eventually merging with the vegetation. Well, we continued on our way.

It was slowly approaching evening, and we seemed to have passed through the entire Forbidden Forest. And it was a serious discovery for me that, in fact, we never met any other animals. But why is the Forbidden Forest still considered closed to students, if the only creatures in it are carnivorous crumbs that don't even bother students?

But in any case, the fact that there was no mortal danger waiting for us at every turn was clearly a blessing. Now this expedition didn't look as dangerous as it seemed to me at first.

I was among the first the whole way. And when lunch was long over, dinner was already approaching, and the forest was slowly starting to darken, a strong crack was heard from somewhere to the side.

 I began to peer into the depths of the forest to determine the source of this crackling.

The second-year students who were nearby and several fifth-year students who were walking in front did the same. At that time, Hagrid was somewhere behind dealing with Neville's crippled leg, which he had unsuccessfully twisted on the way.

And when we saw what was coming towards us, the body of most of the students was shackled by an irresistible fear.

Monster. A huge tree monster was inexorably approaching us, moving its thick trunk-like legs through the soil and felling nearby trees with its carcass along the way.

While the sophomores were standing in a daze from what they saw, and one of them even ran away screaming in the opposite direction from the monster, the trio of fifth-year students picked up their wands.

—Hagrid! HAGRID! One of them shouted, staring in horror at the approaching creature of nature.

—Incendio!

— Depulso! Incarcero! — the seniors reacted and launched their first spells at the monster.

"Fire!" Strike with fire! "Stop it!" one of them shouted.

After staring too hard at such an unexpected turn of events, I got involved by pulling out my wand.:

— Ignis! Ignis! Ignis! — I cast a weak fire spell from time to time, since a full-fledged "Incendio" was not yet available to me.

However, our charms did not cause any significant harm to the monster. Even the moss and branches sticking out of the revived tree were ignited very weakly and reluctantly, and also quickly extinguished.

"Scattered!" Why are you frozen?! Run, you fools! - Gordon Fawcett, the head of Slytherin, barked at the frozen sophomores, after which he continued to pour spells on the monster.

When it became clear that the fire did not cause any harm to the monster, other charms were used — all that the three brave fifth-year students could think of.

Instead of running with everyone else, they diverted the monster's attention to themselves, because they knew that their goal was to protect the second year from danger. If one of us gets hurt, then they get hurt too. If we die, they will die. That's how it was during Halloween. That's how it worked here.

But run where the hell are you looking? In the middle of a Forbidden Forest? Right before the night? Suicide, either way. It's better to stick to the trail to have at least a small chance to get back alive.

While the real chaos was going on in the ranks of the students, Hagrid ran towards the monster with all his legs. Even from afar, I noticed how the giant's grimace was filled with rage, as he did not hesitate to rush through to fight the bigger giant. But how will he do it? Not with your bare hands?!

But our escort was a little late. While I, Ron, Seamus, Harry, and three seniors were pouring a volley of harmless charms on the monster, it got close. Too close.

With a powerful roar, the monster accelerated, rushing towards us. Already being almost right next to it, we started to move away in a hurry, but the monster jumped! The huge tree carcass soared a good dozen feet into the air, and then landed... Dropping one of his giant feet right on top of the Slytherin prefect.

The ground shook, clods of mud flew in different directions, and the other students scattered like bowling pins from such a powerful landing very close by.

We were a little further away from the main strike group from the fifth year, thanks to which we remained alive and even relatively intact.

At the same moment, Hagrid joined the fray. Like a battering ram, he crashed into the carcass of a tree monster, began to frantically scream like a berserker and beat it with his massive fists. So much so that splinters began to fly from the monster in all directions.

The monster also did not stand idly by and began to strike back, giving our forester a good kick in the sides. However, he was still on his feet, although such blows could easily turn an ordinary person into a cake.

It was noticeable that Hagrid was not coping. He was too serious an opponent, too much bigger than our giant. Now the monster will finish off the furious half-giant and switch to children...

But suddenly, the foliage around them began to move, and small creatures began to crawl out of all the cracks, boldly launching an attack on the ancient one. They were armed with small spears, knives, and chopsticks, but there were so many of them that the forest seemed to come alive.

"Look, Kyle! These are the Menehuns! Harry exclaimed.

Indeed, a whole armada of Menehuns was running headlong towards the giant. They climbed onto the carcass, penetrated into its interior and hacked the monster to the best of their small strength.

The monster, it must be said, managed both to continue to deliver rare blows to Hagrid, and to shake off and trample the oncoming creatures. But now, help came to the little people in the person of those very scamp teeth.

These creatures were much larger than the Menehuns, about the size of an adult dog. They looked exotic: an eyeless potato-shaped body on four ugly paws. There was only a huge mouth on the front side, studded with long, wedge-shaped teeth. The belly of these strange creatures was framed by a kind of armor made of roots and compressed earth, and the paws themselves consisted of either skin or the same roots.

"They look very much like Someone Else's, if he had grown up in a potato patch, and not hatched out of a human," my restless consciousness led the association.

The animals quickly attacked the monster and began to gnaw, tear, and shred it with their sharp teeth. For a while, the revived tree tried to fight back and even managed to kill a couple of these animals, but pretty quickly its body size began to decrease. First they chewed off his legs, then it came to his torso and arms, and in the end a pack of toothy creatures gnawed the roaring head of a dying ancient.

Hagrid was barely alive, but somehow he was still on his feet.

And in the midst of all this chaos, we were. They were scared, dirty, and their eyes were dazed from the events that had swept through them.

And after the monster was finally finished, the Menehuns crowded around the place where the Slytherin prefect had died. And they began to quietly devour his remains.