Jon didn't get up as early as usual on Sunday morning.
It wasn't until around nine, when most of the new students at Hogwarts had already gotten out of bed, that he finally left his dormitory.
He headed to the Great Hall for breakfast and, from a distance, overheard Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table bragging loudly about how he'd taught a Gryffindor a lesson:
"I didn't even need to draw my wand—figured that idiot Weasley wouldn't be able to touch me. And guess what? He botched the spell and cursed himself, ended up puking up a whole bunch of slugs! Hahahaha…"
Apart from the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students all shot him disgusted looks, not that Malfoy noticed.
Jon didn't linger in the hall. After finishing his meal, he returned to the Hufflepuff common room and picked up the glass cage holding his two South African red spiders.
On his way out of the castle, a ghost floated past, prompting him to quickly step aside.
"Good morning, Jon!" the ghost greeted warmly.
"Hello, Friar!" Jon gave a respectful bow to the Fat Friar, who nodded back.
"I'm looking for Professor Sprout's office…"
"Ah, looking for Pomona, are you? Her office is in that little wooden hut next to Greenhouse One... Go on, then. She's usually there every Sunday," said the Fat Friar with a kind smile.
"Thank you, Friar."
The Fat Friar was easily the friendliest ghost in any house. School had barely been in session a week, and Jon had already asked him for directions three times—each time, the Friar had answered with patience and care.
...
Professor Sprout wasn't in her office. Jon checked the nearby greenhouses and eventually found her in the third one.
She was wearing a pair of fluffy pink earmuffs and was in the middle of pulling up a green-and-purple seedling.
Jon quickly stepped back and covered his ears.
A moment later, Professor Sprout finished dealing with the plant and walked out wearing dragon-hide gloves.
"Jon?" she said in surprise, pulling off her earmuffs.
"It's a Mandrake, isn't it, Professor?" Jon smiled. "I covered my ears just in time!"
"Very wise—otherwise, you might've been knocked out for a few hours," she said, giving him a thumbs-up. "If this were during class, I'd be giving Hufflepuff a few points... Now, what can I help you with?"
"Um… Professor, it's my pet. Something seems wrong with it lately," Jon explained, pulling out the glass cage.
"A pet?" Sprout shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jon—I'm a Herbology professor. For something like this, you should see Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"But… I'm a first-year, Professor… we don't have classes with Professor Kettleburn yet…" Jon said awkwardly.
"So you've never met him?" Sprout patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you to see Silvanus myself."
...
Professor Pomona Sprout was arguably the kindest teacher at Hogwarts—especially to Hufflepuff students.
No other professor would take the time to personally walk a first-year to another part of the castle over something like this.
Following her, Jon arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
There was no sign of Hagrid's hut, so they were clearly on the opposite side of the forest.
A small thatched cottage stood nearby. Professor Sprout raised her wand and knocked gently on the door.
"What is it?" came a raspy voice from within.
"Silvanus, it's me—I've got a student who needs your help!" Sprout called out.
"Pomona... Morning, Pomona…" An elderly man with white hair hobbled out of the cottage.
In that moment, Jon realized why Hagrid would be replacing him as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher the following year. Professor Kettleburn was clearly very old—his hair and beard completely white—and he walked with difficulty, supported by a wooden prosthetic leg and arm.
"And you are?" Professor Kettleburn looked him over. "You look unfamiliar."
"Professor, I'm a first-year Hufflepuff student!" Jon quickly replied.
"First-year... Hufflepuff…" Kettleburn's eyes softened. "Once upon a time, I was a first-year Hufflepuff too… That was over eighty years ago…"
"Silvanus, Jon's pet seems to be having some issues. He was hoping you could take a look," Sprout said, explaining the situation.
"Alright… not a problem," said Kettleburn as his gaze shifted to the glass cage in Jon's arms.
"Two spiders. Pretty ordinary ones at that. And you keep them as pets… I think you'd get along well with Hagrid," Kettleburn murmured.
"Careful, Pomona—there's a Grindylow in the water tank behind you. Don't let it get out!"
"And Mr. Hart, don't knock over that teapot at your feet—there's an Occamy inside…"
"They're perfectly healthy. Nothing wrong with them at all," Kettleburn concluded after a quick inspection.
"But they keep banging on the cage, trying to get out. They've been like this since last night. They've never acted up like this before," Jon said calmly, having already prepared what to say.
"That is strange…" Kettleburn frowned. "Ordinary spiders acting this agitated—I've never seen anything like it."
"Could it be… fear?" Jon asked quietly.
"Fear?" Kettleburn bent down for a closer look. "Hmm… it does resemble that…"
"But that's impossible," he said firmly.
"Why?" Sprout asked, puzzled.
"There's only one creature evil enough to strike fear into spiders—but that species has been extinct in Britain for nearly four hundred years. The Ministry strictly prohibits them from entering the isles, so it's impossible for one to be anywhere near Hogwarts!" As he spoke, Professor Kettleburn handed the cage back to Jon.
"Maybe you just forgot to feed them, Mr. Hart… I'll give you a mild calming potion. Try giving it to them and see if that helps."