Glimmer the Niffler was happily curled inside Soren's robe pocket, nibbling on the silver button he stole earlier.
Soren gently stroked his soft fur as Hagrid stood up with a sudden sigh.
"There's one more thing, Soren. I… I need yer help with somethin'."
Soren looked up, "What kind of help?"
Hagrid shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's Professor Snape. He needs fairy wings for a Beautification Potion he's brewin'."
Soren raised an eyebrow, "Snape? I'm sure he can gather his own ingredients. Why do you need to be involved?"
Hagrid let out an exasperated groan, "That's exactly why I'm upset! He's plannin' to harvest the wings from the fairies in my garden."
Soren froze, "Harvest…? As in—hurt the fairies?"
Hagrid shook his head quickly. "Removin' the fairy wings doesn't hurt 'em physically. They grow back again, sure enough. But they feel awful about it."
He lowered his voice, looking genuinely sad. "They're terrible vain creatures, yeh know. Losin' their wings is a big offence to 'em. Makes 'em feel embarrassed… humiliated even."
Hagrid stroked his beard. "And I've grown rather fond o' the little creatures. I'd hate teh see 'em upset."
"So you want to keep Snape from finding the fairies?" Soren asked.
Hagrid nodded firmly. "Aye. Exactly that."
"I was hopin' teh relocate 'em here, but they're refusin' to leave," he grumbled. "I reckon they like layin' their eggs on the underside o' my pumpkin leaves."
He shook his head miserably.
"Professor Snape'll be 'round my hut any day now, and I'm still not sure what teh do."
Soren thought for a moment, tapping Glimmer's head gently as the Niffler peeked out.
"Well… fairies like to groom themselves. You could try luring one out with a mirror."
Hagrid blinked in surprise. "I tried buzzin' at 'em teh communicate, but it didn't work."
Soren shrugged. "Fairies might just be more self-absorbed than Merula."
Hagrid let out a loud bark of laughter. "Tha's sayin' something."
He scratched his beard. "Movin' all the fairies from my garden teh here won't be easy…"
Soren suggested, "What if you mimic one of the fairies' predators and chase them out?"
Hagrid considered it for a moment. "It's not a bad idea… but if we scare 'em, there's no tellin' where they might fly off."
He pointed toward the castle. "And if they go flyin' further onto the school grounds, Professor Snape'll find 'em fer sure."
"Right… then how about we just capture them and release them somewhere else?" Soren tried.
Hagrid groaned. "I already tried, but they're tricky little creatures. Capturing one isn' easy."
He gestured to a pile of broken orange shells. "The five pumpkins I smashed tryin' to do it can attest teh that."
Soren thought again, then snapped his fingers.
"Then instead of moving the fairies…"
Hagrid leaned in.
"…why don't we just ask Snape directly if he can get fairy wings somewhere else?"
Hagrid blinked, stunned.
"Well… that…" he admitted slowly, "might be the smartest idea o' the night."
Hagrid's shoulders slumped immediately.
"I already tried, but no luck," he said with a defeated groan. "Snape told me he wasn't about teh change his lesson plan on account o' me feelin' bad fer 'some bugs.'"
He mimicked Snape's irritated tone perfectly.
"He doesn't understand, Soren. They're not just bugs. If only we could figure out the best way teh convince the fairies teh move…"
Soren suddenly straightened, his eyes lighting up.
"That's it, Hagrid! We'll test different methods on a fairy and find out which one works best.
Once we know how to persuade them, we can move the whole group safely."
Hagrid rubbed his beard. "That sounds like a good plan… but where'll we get a fairy? I can't use the ones in me garden—Snape might pop 'round any moment."
Soren hesitated for just a second, then said quietly, "Actually… I've been taking care of a fairy here in the Magical Creatures Reserve."
Hagrid blinked, stunned.
"Yeh've what?"
"I brought the fairy from my home, but I didn't show it to anyone yet… I didn't want to cause trouble."
Hagrid's jaw dropped in amazement, and his eyes widened.
"A fairy? From yer home? Now that's surprisin'!
I knew yeh bonded well with Glimmer, but carin' for a fairy too… Yeh've got a real knack for magical creatures, Soren."
"Not every first-year can earn a fairy's trust. Yeh should be proud."
Soren smiled sheepishly.
"I'll go get it and meet you in the Care of Magical Creatures Classroom."
Hagrid grinned from ear to ear, suddenly energized.
"I'll get everythin' set up then! Hurry along, Soren—we've got some experimentin' teh do!"
Glimmer squeaked excitedly from Soren's pocket, as if volunteering to help.
---
As the evening sky dimmed into soft purple, Soren returned to Hagrid's pumpkin garden, Glimmer perched on his shoulder and a tiny glowing fairy fluttering beside him.
The moment Hagrid saw the fairy, his eyes widened in amazement.
"Nice teh meet yeh, Fairy!" he said cheerfully, bending down with a huge grin.
The fairy hovered in front of him, looked him up and down…
And then deliberately turned its back.
"Buzzzzz!" it chirped arrogantly.
Hagrid blinked. "It seems Fairy's not me biggest fan."
"That's perfect," Soren replied calmly.
Hagrid straightened, confused. "It is? But wouldn' it be better if the fairies liked an' trusted me?"
"Think about it," Soren said. "If you can figure out how to convince this fairy to listen to you now… you should have no problem persuading the fairies in your garden to move."
Hagrid's eyes lit up with realization. "Then I can relocate 'em before Professor Snape can find 'em!"
Soren nodded.
Hagrid rubbed his hands together. "So where should we start?"
"You're the creature expert, Hagrid," Soren replied with a grin. "I should be asking you that question."
Hagrid lowered his head sheepishly. "Teh be honest, Iggames, I haven' got much experience workin' firsthand with fairies. I know they're vain, an' they're always primpin' an' preenin', but I'm not sure how that'll help us."
He looked hopefully toward Soren. "That's why I was hopin' yeh'd have an idea on how teh win over a fairy."
Soren gently lifted the fairy onto his hand as it preened one wing proudly.
"The best way to persuade a fairy," Soren explained, "is to play to its vanity."
The fairy buzzed approvingly, clearly agreeing.
"If you try that with the fairies in your garden, you won't have any problem convincing them to move."
"This is great, Iggames!" Hagrid said excitedly. "I can't wait teh try it out!"
"Hold on, Hagrid," Soren said. "It might be a good idea if I study fairies a bit more first. That way I'll know how to react if something goes wrong."
"A little extra studyin' never hurt anybody, I suppose," Hagrid agreed.
"I'll go do some more research," Soren said, watching the fairy glow brighter in his palm. "Then I'll meet you again when I'm finished."
Hagrid nodded, and Soren headed off toward the library — Glimmer bouncing happily in his pocket, and the fairy circling above his head like a guiding spark of light.
---
Later that night, Soren walked into the Hogwarts Library with Cassie, Penny, and Jacqueline beside him.
The moment they stepped inside, the air changed, quiet, cool, and filled with the faint smell of parchment.
Madam Pince watched them like a hawk from behind her desk, but didn't say anything as they passed.
Jacqueline whispered, "I can't believe we're studying fairies at night. This feels… strangely exciting."
Penny nodded eagerly. "Fairies are amazing magical beings. Their behavior varies wildly depending on the environment, magical presence, and social structure."
Cassie smiled. "And also because they're just really cute."
Soren laughed softly. "Cute, yes. Cooperative? That's what we need to find out."
They reached the Magical Creatures section, where tall shelves towered above them. Penny immediately began scanning the titles.
"Here," she whispered, pulling out a thick book:
Fascinating Fae: Social Patterns and Magical Behaviours
Jacqueline grabbed another with a grin: A Practical Guide to Woodland Fairies
Cassie found a smaller volume with shimmering pages: The Vanity and Vulnerability of the Fae
Soren picked up a final book: Handling Delicate Wings: Care Techniques for Fairies and Pixies
They spread the books across a table and began reading.
---
Penny flipped through her book first.
"Fairies communicate through body shine and wing vibration," she read. "If their wings glow brighter, it means they're feeling safe or admired."
Jacqueline tapped a paragraph in her book. "It says here fairies love compliments. And mirrors. And shiny things. And… themselves."
Soren snorted. "So basically a whole colony of tiny Merulas."
Cassie laughed so hard she nearly dropped her book, earning a harsh shush from Madam Pince.
Cassie then pointed to another section, "Look at this: fairies move willingly if the new location has better flowers or more sunlight. They like pretty environments."
Penny added, "They avoid predators and loud noises. So scaring them isn't an option."
Jacqueline leaned over Soren's shoulder. "Anything else interesting?"
Soren lifted his book. "This one says fairies molt their wings naturally when they're relaxed. So if we can make them comfortable in the new location, they'll settle much faster."
Cassie nodded approvingly. "Then we need to make Hagrid's reserve fairy-friendly."
"And appeal to their vanity," Jacqueline reminded.
"And give them a mirror," Penny added.
---
As Soren closed one of the books, he noticed a scribbled note in the margin, "Elara W. — They love music. Soft humming calms them."
Soren's breath caught for a moment.
Jacqueline noticed his stillness. "Soren? What is it?"
He turned the book toward them.
"It's… my sister's handwriting."
The girls looked at one another.
Penny touched his arm. "This means you're following her footsteps the right way."
Soren nodded, feeling something warm and painful at the same time.
He closed the book.
"Alright. I think we know enough. Let's help Hagrid relocate his fairies."
Jacqueline packed her notes. Cassie tucked the books back into place. Penny straightened her bag.
And together, they quietly slipped out of the library, prepared for their next magical challenge.