Chapter 97: Animal World
Silvanus Kettleburn is a Pure-blood Wizard, graduated from Hogwarts House Hufflepuff, and developed a strong interest in Magical Creatures during his student days, especially those dangerous ones.
After graduation, he couldn’t go to Romania to raise Fire Dragons, so he found a relaxed miscellaneous job, visiting Romania to see Fire Dragons every holiday, and after being bitten off one hand by an Australian Green during the hatching period, he applied to return to school as a professor.
His professional ability is outstanding, with years of contact with Magical Creatures, Kettleburn smoothly passed the interview, but due to his reckless and hasty personality, his teaching level is average, he often causes trouble, and during his teaching tenure, he underwent sixty-two retention reviews.
About forty or fifty years ago, while rehearsing the drama《 Good Luck Fountain》, he insisted on using a magically enlarged Fire Ash Serpent as a prop, which lost control and exploded midway through the performance, igniting the entire stage, the flames and thick smoke directly sending nearly a hundred students to the Hospital Wing, Professor Bilius suffered a head injury, and the pungent burnt smell lingered for months…
His relationship with Headmaster Armando Dippet became very tense, and he had no reputation among the student body, accumulating no connections over the years.
He received a sum of injury compensation early on, and the school professor salary is not low, yet Kettleburn likes contacting dangerous Magical Creatures and generously spends to rescue wild animals, and over decades, he hasn’t saved any money, instead losing a leg as well.
His body is gradually aging, and his restless soul is slowly settling down.
By the time Dumbledore took over as Headmaster, Kettleburn already had only half an arm and leg left, had become much more steady, and after persuasion from a good friend, he barely lived a relatively peaceful life.
In recent years, unlike his younger days of causing havoc, he used his professional knowledge to save up a sum for retirement, bought a house in Hogsmeade, and plans to settle outside the school in the future.
He actually wanted to retire last year, but it coincided with Harry enrolling, and Kettleburn was also curious about the boy, so he stayed another year.
Entering Hogwarts with Harry was the new Muggle Studies professor Melvin Lavent, an outstanding young man, much better than him back then, just with a Slytherin style of doing things.
Kettleburn originally didn’t want to have any dealings with this professor, but was attracted by the young professor’s performance.
Outstanding teaching ability, able to get students good grades, handles affairs outside his main job well, deals with the Ministry of Magic’s difficulties, thwarts Voldemort’s conspiracy, and passes on Albus’s warning in an unconventional way.
In stark contrast to him is Quirinus Quirrell.
After Easter, learning that Voldemort might return, Kettleburn suddenly felt uneasy, and every night when he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t help thinking that if he retired, what about the school, what about the little wizards?
Kettleburn is unmarried with no children, treats Hogwarts as his home, and worries that after he leaves, the successor Care of Magical Creatures professor won’t be trustworthy; it’s fine if they’re as unqualified as him, but he’s afraid the successor wizard will be someone like Quirrell.
He knows full well that Albus and Minerva can handle these matters, it’s not his place to worry, and he wasn’t a good professor in his youth either, always showing students dangerous creatures based on his preferences, injuring himself was common, and injuring students happened too.
He counts as a veteran professor with seniority, but has no reputation, and a somewhat bad name; being able to work smoothly until retirement age is the result of the Board of Governors considering him a Pure-blood and Dumbledore pleading on account of old ties.
But Kettleburn just can’t feel at ease.
He wants to find a qualified professor for the school before retiring, someone who truly loves Magical Creatures, truly guards Hogwarts, truly cares for the little wizards…
Kettleburn sat on the sofa in the carriage, looking at the big man at the door, feeling he had picked the right person, and smilingly called out: “Hagrid, the wind is strong outside, come sit inside.”
“It’s fine, I like the wind!”
Hogwarts Castle had completely disappeared from view, the Half-giant sitting on the carriage frame still excited, his eyes fixed on the Pegasus flapping wings, making the Isle of Dragon ones all uncomfortable.
Between valleys and hills where winged steeds are born, the dragon skin ropes always remain slightly slack. Unlike Muggle carriage structures, the Pegasus and carriage are not actually fixed by the frame, but maintained stable by invisible magic power.
The carpeted carriage is very steady, with no vibration at all.
Melvin sat by the window flipping through materials, the outside scenery rapidly receding, midsummer June, golden sunlight shining in on the parchment, slightly dazzling.
The light growing brighter, Melvin put away the materials, rubbed his brow to relax his mind, thinking of some unimportant things, and happened to see Professor Kettleburn not far away.
He thought for a moment, continuing the question from before departure: “Does the professor plan to have Hagrid take Care of Magical Creatures?”
Professor Kettleburn was not surprised; Sorting Hat certified Slytherin, with a twisty mind, seeing these signs is normal: “How about it, my eye isn’t bad, right?”
Melvin smiled and shook his head: “Hagrid likes Magical Creatures, can get along well with students, but the current him cannot become a good Magical Creatures professor.”
“Why?”
“In Hagrid’s third year, he was expelled due to a wrongful case, didn’t receive complete wizard education, his knowledge of Magical Creatures all comes from self-observation in the Forbidden Forest, very superficial, and what are simple animal habits to him are another matter to students.”
“…”
Kettleburn couldn’t help but fall into thought.
“Hagrid often says Acromantulas are gentle cute little guys; that’s true for him because the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest are all Aragog’s descendants. What about Acromantulas outside, Acromantulas in students’ eyes?
“You know, Hagrid is not a Pure-blood Wizard, has a criminal record, he won’t get 62 retention review opportunities; with the current tense relations between the Ministry of Magic, Board of Governors, and school, one mistake and he’ll be dismissed.”
Melvin paused slightly: “To make Hagrid a qualified Magical Creatures professor, he needs to learn systematic knowledge, understand Magical Creatures as seen by normal wizards, understand normal animal traits and habits.”
These words from the Special Advisor to the Examination Board were particularly convincing.
Kettleburn’s decades weren’t in vain; familiar with this Slytherin-style persuasion, he followed the young professor’s line of thinking for a moment, quickly reacting, and helplessly smiled: “Melvin, Hagrid is your friend too, just say any ideas and suggestions directly.”
“Muggle scientist Richard Feynman once proposed a learning method, believing repetition practice and teaching others is the best and fastest way to learn; to let Hagrid master professor knowledge quickly, the best way is to learn while retelling.”
“How specifically?”
“Professor, the wonderful memories you sought worldwide in your youth shouldn’t be forgotten; the Magic Mirror Club plans to shoot some informal programs, wants to use those colorful Magical Creatures memory pictures from your mind, then have Hagrid narrate, introducing Magical Creatures’ morphology structure, physiological traits, genetic traits, behavioral traits…”
Melvin smiled mildly: “I’ve named this program《 Animal World》”
“Sounds interesting.”
Kettleburn stroked his beard in thought, his eyes growing brighter.
Hagrid has outstanding traits to become a professor, but many shortcomings too; for example, after becoming Gamekeeper, he’s hardly left the British Isles, not even visited many places in England, travel limited to London and Hogsmeade, hasn’t seen many Magical Creatures with his own eyes.
Using his memories to expand Hagrid’s horizons, teaching systematic animal knowledge midway, is indeed a win-win good thing.
“The Magic Mirror Club will also provide generous remuneration,” Melvin added.
Now it’s a win-win-win.
Kettleburn silently repeated in his heart.
…
The sun slowly rose to its highest point.
Faintly feeling the scorching temperature outside, fortunately the carriage interior is still cool, the black curtain carriage curtain lifted by the wind at one corner, summer hot wind blowing inside.
Hagrid finally willing to shift his gaze from the Isle of Dragons, entered the carriage, pulled out a few Rock Skin Cakes from his pocket and handed them to the two inside, expression full of eager anticipation: “Melvin, Professor Kettleburn, hungry? Eat some Rock Skin Cake?”
“No need, no need.”
The old and young professors both refused his anticipation, and took out food from their luggage, mushroom soup, steak, and stew packed from the School Kitchen, with Jam Bread.
Hagrid instantly felt the Rock Skin Cake in his hand wasn’t appealing anymore.
“Hagrid, save the Rock Skin Cake for Norbert, help us eat these things, once taken out they won’t stay fresh, hot weather, easy to spoil.”
“Hehe…”
Luckily Rock Skin Cake doesn’t spoil easily, Hagrid cheerfully helped the two professors solve the trouble, stuffing his mouth full, speaking unclearly: “Don’t know if Fang has eaten, if the centaurs’ Roast Meat doesn’t suit its taste, I left Rock Skin Cake under the bed for it…”
Listening to his mumbling, Kettleburn turned his head, met eyes with the smiling Melvin beside him, pondered briefly, and asked: “Hagrid, do you know what breed of dog Fang is?”
“Neapolitan Mastiff, of course I know, it looks fierce baring teeth usually, but actually a scaredy-cat.”
“Do you know there’s a very famous dog in England called Tail-dog?”
“I’ve seen it, very like Jack Russell Terrier, the Hog’s Head Inn has a blind wizard from Wiltshire with one, heard him say raising this dog requires docking the tail at a few weeks old, if not, it grows normally into a forked tail, very like a swallow.”
“This is a dog bred by wizards, 3X-level dangerous creature, appearance very like small fox dogs in the Muggle World, like Babylonian dog or Pembroke Corgi, short hair, erect ears, forked tail, common in cream, light brown or white, also piebald individuals; from juvenile stage attacks Muggles, shown as biting trouser legs, barking madly, because their tail can use magic power to track Muggles.”
Kettleburn introduced while observing Hagrid’s expression: “Requires passing the Magical Creatures Regulation and Control Department exam to get a breeding license; according to《 Magical Creatures Regulation》 Article 73-A, all Tail-dog pups must have tail forks clipped within eight weeks of birth.”
“I see…” Hagrid responded perfunctorily.
He is a practical wizard; if there was a Tail-dog in front of him to raise, he’d definitely remember the physiological knowledge well, but now just lunch chat, this knowledge can only go into the digestive system with the food.
Kettleburn felt very helpless about this.
Melvin smiled and added: “In the mid-18th century, American Ministry of Magic President Thornton Hackaway raised a pack of Tail-dogs, later that pack attacked local Muggles in Williamsburg, Virginia, causing a big incident, resulting in Hackaway stepping down, and the Ministry of Magic headquarters moving to Baltimore.”
“There’s such a thing?”
Hagrid listened with wide eyes.
“England region also has many Tail-dog attacks on Muggles; this creature is extremely loyal to wizards, very fierce to Muggles, some guess because its breeder was a Pure-blood Wizard.”
“Is that so?”
Hagrid frowned tightly.
Kettleburn thoughtful, somewhat grasping how to instill knowledge in Hagrid—needs to talk about interesting things.
He thought and said: “Not necessarily, actually many Magical Creatures have unique feelings toward wizards, Mew, Pegasus, and Dumbledore’s Phoenix, loyal pets all have similar habits.”
Hagrid slowed his eating, a bit interested.
Kettleburn continued the lesson: “Some smart animals can even foresee their own death, they often leave on their own, not letting the master discover. Perhaps unable to bear parting, or not wanting to see the master sad.”
“…”
Melvin listened to the two giving the lesson, felt Animal World was set, slowly finished lunch, continued flipping his materials.
Collecting wizard settlement materials, he has fixed partners, quite familiar with each other; the Knockturn Alley Dark Wizards understand his needs better, compiling wizard ecology around Budapest and Romania, laid out clearly bit by bit.
Tables with data, clear at a glance.
Budapest is Hungary’s capital, Hungary adjacent to Romania, that area also has Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine… wizards’ history is backward, even today they still prefer calling that whole region the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire has many well-known Wizarding World existences:
Durmstrang Magic School, Bulgaria Quidditch national team, diverse Fire Dragons, Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, Austria’s Nurmengard Wizard prison, Budapest’s Cabal Remnants…
Melvin combining his memories and these materials, noticed many interesting things; seemingly unrelated matters actually have hidden wondrous connections.
Ukrainian Ironbelly, Hungarian Horntail, Romanian Longhorn, Norwegian Ridgeback… large numbers of Fire Dragons inhabit here, forming natural geographic conditions for establishing Reserves.
Durmstrang especially tolerant of Dark Magic, thus cultivating many extreme personality Dark Wizards, the most famous being that Gellert Grindelwald.
The first Dark Lord utilized this region’s cultural environment to successfully create the Cabal.
