Now.panicking.slightly.about.the.amount.of.homework.they.had.to.do,.Harry.and.Ron.spent.their.lunch.hour.in.the.library.looking.up.the.uses.of.moonstones.in.potion‐making..Still.angry.about.Ron.s.slur.on.her.woolly.hats,.Hermione.did.not.join.them..By.the.time.they.reached.Care.of.Magical.Creatures.in.the.afternoon,.Harry.s.head.was.aching.again..
The.day.had.become.cool.and.breezy,.and.as.they.walked.down.the.sloping.lawn.towards.Hagrid.s.cabin.on.the.edge.of.the.Forbidden.Forest,.they.felt.the.occasional.drop.of.rain.on.their.faces..Professor.Grubbly‐Plank.stood.waiting.for.the.class.some.ten.yards.from.Hagrid.s.front.door,.a.long.trestle.table.in.front.of.her.laden.with.twigs..As.Harry.and.Ron.reached.her,.a.loud.shout.of.laughter.sounded.behind.them;.turning,.they.saw.Draco.Malfoy.striding.towards.them,
.surrounded.by.his.usual.gang.of.Slytherin.cronies..He.had.clearly.just.said.something.highly.amusing,.because.Crabbe,.Goyle,.Pansy.Parkinson.and.the.rest.continued.to.snigger.heartily.as.they.gathered.around.the.trestle.table.and,
.judging.by.the.way.they.all.kept.looking.over.at.Harry,.he.was.able.to.guess.the.subject.of.the.joke.without.too.much.difficulty..
.Everyone.here?..barked.Professor.Grubbly‐Plank,.once.all.the.Slytherins.and.Gryffindors.had.arrived...Let.s.crack.on.then..Who.can.tell.me.what.these.things.are.called?..
She.indicated.the.heap.of.twigs.in.front.of.her..Hermione.s.hand.shot.into.the.air.
.Behind.her.back,.Malfoy.did.a.buck‐toothed.imitation.of.her.jumping.up.and.
down.in.eagerness.to.answer.a.question..Pansy.Parkinson.gave.a.shriek.of.laughter.that.turned.almost.at.once.into.a.scream,.as.the.twigs.on.the.table.leapt.into.the.air.and.revealed.themselves.to.be.what.looked.like.tiny.pixie‐ish.creatures.made.of.wood,.each.with.knobbly.brown.arms.and.legs,.two.twiglike.fingers.at.the.end.of.each.hand.and.a.funny.flat,.barklike.face.in.which.a.pair.of.beetle‐brown.eyes.glittered..
.Oooooh!..said.Parvati.and.Lavender,.thoroughly.irritating.Harry..Anyone.would.have.thought.Hagrid.had.never.shown.them.impressive.creatures;.admittedly,
.the.Flobberworms.had.been.a.bit.dull,.but.the.Salamanders.and.Hippogriffs.had.been.interesting.enough,.and.the.Blast‐Ended.Skrewts.perhaps.too.much.so..
.Kindly.keep.your.voices.down,.girls!..said.Professor.Grubbly‐Plank.sharply,
.scattering.a.handful.of.what.looked.like.brown.rice.among.the.stick‐creatures,
.who.immediately.fell.upon.the.food...So.‐.anyone.know.the.names.of.these.creatures?.Miss.Granger?..
.Bowtruckles,..said.Hermione..They.re.tree‐guardians,.usually.live.in.wand‐trees...
.Five.points.for.Gryffindor,..said.Professor.Grubbly‐Plank...Yes,.these.are.Bowtruckles,.and.as.Miss.Granger.rightly.says,.they.generally.live.in.trees.whose.wood.is.of.wand.quality..Anybody.know.what.they.eat?..
.Woodlice,..said.Hermione.promptly.which.explained.why.what.Harry.had.taken.to.be.grains.of.brown.rice.were.moving...But.fairy.eggs.if.they.can.get.them...
.Good.girl,.take.another.five.points..So,.whenever.you.need.leaves.or.wood.from.a.tree.in.which.a.Bowtruckle.lodges,.it.is.wise.to.have.a.gift.of.woodlice.ready.to.distract.or.placate.it..They.may.not.look.dangerous,.but.if.angered.they.will.try.to.gouge.at.human.eyes.with.their.fingers,.which,.as.you.can.see,.are.very.sharp.and.not.at.all.desirable.near.the.eyeballs..So.if.you.d.like.to.gather.closer,.take.a.few.woodlice.and.a.Bowtruckle.‐.I.have.enough.here.for.one.between.three.‐.you.can.study.them.more.closely..I.want.a.sketch.from.each.of.you.with.all.body‐