It wasn’t long before the students began trickling in, the first being a second year. He could rest easy for he was definitely not going mad. “Hello, Mr. Melo-Dreamer,’’ Dhruv greeted, a genuine smile in place. If they knew about Ean being thought of as ‘scary tall’, they would have had a hearty chuckle. “Quite welcome.”


Birthdays were usually exciting. Dhruv would hope that Aurora’s upcoming one would be a wonderful one. They suppressed a little smirk when he saw the shrug; clearly they had succeeded in puzzling the Hufflepuff. All would be revealed in due course, naturally. “Good morning to you as well, Ms. Bay.” Dhruv would like to think she was completely settled into life at Hogwarts now.


Xerxes, at first, seemed more interested in settling in and greeting Aurora so at that time Dhruv let him be. However, when they were addressed, they lifted a hand in greeting. “Good morning, Mr. Cadwallader. I’m quite well, thanks. I hope it’s the same with you?”


It certainly was no surprise that Kartik was struggling to decide on a career path; it happened often, and was something that Dhruv had seen. But there was no hurry, was there? The Ravenclaw should take his time in mulling things over. “Good morning, Mr. Joshi.’’

Dhruv called on Aurora, who’s hand they had noticed had raised first. Listening to her answer, they nodded casually. “Very true. Pixies can be quite a handful to deal with, sometimes even for the most capable witch or wizard. Because these tiny creatures are so agile and speedy, the Freezing Charm is a great option to halt their movements.”


The greeting had been returned after Rose’s arrival. Now, they gestured to her with a nod and a call of her name to volunteer her answer. “Bundium. Yes. A highly dangerous beast if left alone, despite their helpful nature to feed on dirt. In addition to the odour, the secretions they leave behind is enough to rot buildings. Those secretions can be used in their diluted forms in some magical solutions.” They paused for a moment. "Correct in both instances, Ms. Snakebark, with regard to dealing with Bundiums. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures - Pest Sub-Division - is which you will need to contact for large infestations.”


Spiders. The man had expected those to be mentioned sooner or later. They nodded seriously, knowing quite a few students unfortunately battled arachnophobia. “Excellent. Those three spells are particularly handy for Acromantulas since members of the species are rather large.” Dhruv chuckled. "The furniture and walls would appreciate your consideration, I’m quite sure, Mr. Melo-Dreamer.” There was no sarcasm in their voice.

Indeed the mystery had been solved, but Aurora - or anyone else - need not worry. There had been many safety precautions put in place for this lesson. “Correct,’’ Dhruv confirmed once Aurora had given her answer. “If you’re not careful around them, pixies will grab you by whatever means necessary: by your ears, your hair, your clothing… and take you airbourne. Naturally that puts you at great risk because there’s a chance you may fall.” The fact imprinted itself upon the board.


So far, Antony had remained silent during the lesson, and unless Dhruv was misreading the body language, the Ravenclaw seemed a little uninterested. No matter just as long as he wasn't zoned in and made relevant notes.

Smiling, the professor nodded. They did like it when students built off of each other’s answers. “Twenty centimeters or approximately eight inches. Quite a marvel that such a small form is home to such strength. They are a fine example of ‘never judge a book by its cover’.”


That was something the class would be finding out in a few minutes; there more than likely would be some degree of chaos for the young witches and wizards to conquer. “Pixies are thieves, yes. Anything to which they take a liking to, those sneaky little creatures will snatch in a second without hesitation or a second thought. In many cases, you might as well say ‘goodbye’ to your belonging.”


“Excellent point, Ms. Snakebark. This certainly would explain the strange sounds you heard earlier.” But just where were those pixies lurking? “Such loud, extensive chatter-like noises can be quite a nuisance.” Which was another reason why Dhruv had ensured that it could not be heard during the theoretical part of the lesson.


Dhruv indicated to Kartik, whose hand seemingly was the only raised one now, to give his answer. They chuckled at it. “Some do, yes. I doubt they have much time for such an act when they usually have other michevious acts occupying their time, however.”

Originally Posted by the Blackboard

Pixie Facts:

• Are electric blue in colour
• Are very strong for their size of about a height of about 20 centimetres or 8 inches
• Are capable of light and can lift people
• Usually steal things
• Sometimes like to dance in the moonlight
• Have very shrill voices; sounds like a lot of arguing budgies/parakeets
• Rated XXX; classified as ‘Beasts’ by the Ministry of Magic
• Are related to Fairies and Doxies
• Are given birth to

Incantation: Arresto Momentum {ah-REST-oh - mo-MENT-um}
Wand movement: Wave of wand
Light: Turquoise
Effect: Slows velocity of target

Diego’s diligent note-taking would be useful in the very near future because yes, pixies would be one of the topics covered at the end-of-term exam. As for that practice, Dhruv thought that the Gryffindor’s wand waving was on par with what they expected. Since the incantation was being whispered coupled with the mutterings of the rest of the class, they weren’t able to discern the pronunciation. “Your practice movement is excellent. Do you mind repeating the incantation a tad louder, Mr. Melo-Dreamer?” they asked cheerfully.


“That’s a great question, Ms. Snakebark. Fairies and Doxies actually lay eggs, up to fifty and five hundred at a time respectively. Pixies, simply put, were built differently from their relatives. There is no evidence to suggest that Pixies have ever laid eggs in the history of their existence.”

They observed the practice, which was flawless. “Perfectly done,’’ Dhruv offered as motivation.


Antony received a look of approval as he made those notes. When Dhruv next observed the Ravenclaw, he had commenced practice, leaving them with the impression that Antony was now going to be more focused. “Wonderful practice work there, Mr. Vexmoor.”