"Don't give up so early! There might still be some opportunity!"
The next afternoon, on the way to the magical creatures hut, Harry was doing his best to cheer up the dejected Ron walking beside him.
"That's right! Professor Kahn has quite a few magical creatures at his hut. As long as you can get one of them to recognise you, passing the assessment definitely won't be a problem!" Hermione added enthusiastically, trying to lift his spirits.
"But the professor's invitation clearly states you have to earn a magical creature's friendship and trust each other completely," Ron mumbled miserably. "I don't think I could gain the friendship of any of Professor Kahn's creatures in just a few days."
He desperately wanted to join Professor Kahn's Magical Creatures Club, but deep down he knew he couldn't even meet the basic requirement.
This realisation made Ron slump his shoulders even more, until suddenly a pixie darted out of nowhere, snatched one of his red hairs, and zipped away cackling with glee.
"Stop that, you little pest!" Ron shouted after the mischievous creature. He started to raise his wand but gave up halfway through the motion.
Since yesterday morning, this particular pixie had been tormenting him relentlessly. Everywhere except the Gryffindor common room, which it couldn't access, the annoying thing would appear to cause trouble. It would pluck his hair and make faces at him, always staying just out of reach. Ron had tried casting spells at it multiple times, but this pixie was far cleverer than its cousins, and his wandwork wasn't reliable enough to hit such a quick target.
Worse still, the pixie had clearly figured out Ron's limitations and was getting increasingly bold with each passing hour! It had already yanked out more than ten of his hairs. While not exactly dangerous, it certainly hurt.
Harry watched Ron glare furiously at the pixie now perched on a distant tree branch, making rude gestures. Then Ron's anger deflated completely, and he hung his head in defeat.
Harry opened his mouth to offer more encouragement but couldn't find the right words. Instead, he quickened his pace toward the hut. Perhaps Professor Kahn could help Ron find a suitable partner, or maybe the professor would consider making a special exception.
When they reached the magical creatures hut, Ron straightened his rumpled hair, took a steadying breath, and stepped forward to knock on the door.
The familiar sharp pain of another hair being plucked stopped him cold. Ron whirled around just in time to spot the iron-blue troublemaker zipping up to perch smugly on the roof's edge.
"I've had enough of this!"
"Some spirit-lifting tea from one of my contacts. Please, help yourselves," Evans said warmly, placing an ornate teapot on the low table between them. Rita had sent the blend just a few days earlier along with her latest gossip column drafts.
Evans studied the three young wizards with barely concealed amusement. "I believe you have classes starting in half an hour? This must be quite urgent to bring you here now."
The magical creatures hut maintained its usual perfect atmosphere. Warm but not stuffy, with crystalline air that somehow always smelt faintly of wildflowers and pine. But Ron appeared far too nervous to appreciate the comfortable surroundings, perching on the edge of the sofa like a condemned prisoner awaiting sentence.
He hadn't expected much when they'd decided to visit, but actually sitting in Professor Kahn's private space made his stomach churn with anxiety. After all, this club belonged entirely to the professor. Whether Ron could join or not depended completely on Professor Kahn's decision.
Wiping his sweaty palms on his robes, Ron opened his mouth to make his desperate plea.
But Evans spoke first, having read the boy's expression immediately.
However, Evans had no intention of bending his carefully established rules. "I'm sorry, Ron," he said with a gentle but firm shake of his head. "The membership requirements are quite explicit. You must earn the genuine friendship of a magical creature and establish complete mutual trust. This isn't merely for the assessment process. Every future club gathering will require you and your partner to attend as a team."
Ron's face crumpled with disappointment.
Of course Professor Kahn wouldn't break his own rules just to accommodate one student. Even if he somehow managed to join without meeting the requirements, he'd probably face mockery from the other members who had earned their places properly.
Harry couldn't bear watching his friend's dejection. "Professor, could we accompany Ron into the Forbidden Forest to help him find a potential partner?"
With official permission, they could enter the forest without violating school regulations. And surely among all the magical creatures living in those depths, at least one might be willing to befriend Ron.
Evans considered this suggestion carefully before responding in measured tones. "I could certainly grant you permission to enter the forest. However, I must remind you that only four days remain until the assessment, and you still have regular classes to attend. Your available time for forest expeditions would be quite limited."
"Furthermore, earning any creature's genuine friendship requires considerable time and patience. Even if you devoted all four remaining days to searching, you might not succeed in helping Ron find a creature willing to establish the necessary trust."
After explaining the significant challenges with Harry's proposal, Evans noticed Ron sinking even deeper into the sofa cushions, looking thoroughly defeated.
But then Evans glanced toward the window, and a slow, knowing smile spread across his features.
"Although the situation isn't entirely hopeless," he added thoughtfully.
Ron's head shot up immediately, hope flickering back to life in his eyes. "Not hopeless? What do you mean?"
Evans's smile widened. "While you might struggle to win over a complete stranger in just four days, what about a creature that has already developed... certain feelings toward you?"
The hope in Ron's eyes died instantly. He collapsed back against the sofa like a deflated balloon. "I've never been good with animals, Professor. Aside from Scabbers, no magical creature has ever shown the slightest interest in me."
"I wouldn't be quite so certain about that," Evans replied mysteriously. With a casual flick of his wand, the nearby window swung open on silent hinges.
Several seconds passed before an iron-blue pixie poked its impish head through the opening. The creature spotted Evans first and offered a respectful little wave, then immediately zipped over to Ron's side and, without any warning whatsoever, clamped its tiny teeth around his earlobe.
"Ouch! Bloody hell!" Ron yelped, instinctively swatting at his tormentor. But the pixie had already darted away, hovering near the ceiling and chittering with malicious glee.
"That really stings!" Ron grumbled, gingerly touching his ear. At least it wasn't bleeding this time.
But Evans was studying the pixie with intense interest, his expression shifting from amusement to genuine surprise.
Earning a pixie's favour was genuinely extraordinary. These mischievous creatures typically felt nothing but casual malice toward their victims. But very rarely, a pixie would become genuinely attached to a particular target, transforming from mere troublemaker into devoted companion. The attachment, once formed, proved absolutely unbreakable.
Evans knew this phenomenon intimately. His dearest pixie friend had tormented him in exactly this manner before eventually becoming the leader of an entire tribe in the Forbidden Forest's depths.
Memories of those early days brought warmth to Evans's voice. "I believe this little one has grown quite fond of you, Ron."