The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The Screechsnap

Veigler laughed, "No, my dear, we'll be having more practical classes this term."

"Practical?" she asked nervously.

Peter looked pale.

Veigler nodded and went to the center of the room, putting the plant down before them, then taking a couple steps back. "Alright, gather 'round."

They looked at one another, then moved forward to crowd about the plant, which trembled and snapped in random directions, clearly unsure which of them to be most wary of as they encircled it. Veigler stared down at it a few moments, and the students did, too, unsure what else to do as Veigler had yet to give them any instructions. Finally Remus couldn't take it anymore, "Professor, what are we doing?" he asked.

"This," Veigler announced, "Is a sprig of fresh Screechsnap. This one happens to be a seedling, but they grow to be much, much bigger. When left unpruned, a Screechsnap plant can spread and inhabit very large areas. They've been known to take possession over entire homes. A potion brewed and mixed with bubotuber pus and espresso can be sprayed upon them to make the plant recede, but it's a rather dangerous business, as the plant is a carnivore and if it catches you --" the plant chose this moment to snap viciously in the direction of James, who leaped back from it quickly, nearly tipping over, making Sirius snicker, "-- it'll take a good chunk of your flesh with it."

Peter looked sick.

Lily raised her hand.

"Yes... the er, the ginger one?" Veigler asked, looking her direction.

"It's Lily Evans," she said, "And I was wondering, shouldn't we learn about this in Herbology, as it's a plant?"

"Perhaps, and I'm sure they'll come up again at some point there - probably for your O.W.L. - but we'll be covering it today in Defense because the Screechsnap, if you've read the Prophet lately, has become a bit of a concern as it seems a large amount of them have gone missing from Ministry greenhouses all over the country and the Minister has declared that they were most likely taken by none other than the Dark Lord himself and may therefore become of use in dangerous plots of Dark Magic. Therefore, we shall be learning how to defend ourselves from it."

Sirius snickered, "We could just get some water guns and fill them up with the espresso-pus stuff." He mimed shooting a gun at the plant.

It snapped at him and he jumped back, too, the same as James had gone. James shoved him, feeling vindicated for Sirius having snickered at him for jumping away from the snapping plant's jaws now that Sirius had done the same thing.

"As you see, the plant is resistant to any attacks being made upon it, preferring to make the first strike. They have an impeccable perception. They can tell when you mean to cause it harm long before you approach it, and will respond accordingly. If your intentions are good - to build up the plant's well being, for example - then it will allow your approach. Observe." Professor Veigler reached into his pocket and withdrew a large bag, from which he pulled a dead rat. He held the rat up and walked toward the plant, letting the rat hang by the tail from his fingers. The plant twitched and moved so that its wide mouth aimed in Veigler's direction. Veigler held the rat high and the plant opened its jaw. Veigler took two quick steps forward, dropping the rat into the wide maw of the plant. The mouth closed around it and the shape of the rat was clearly visible in the closed petals as the plant processed the food. Lily thought of a venus flytrap that she and Tuney once had kept as a science project in elementary school. Veigler was able to pet the plant, gently stroking the head of it as though it were a good dog.

Sirius looked disturbed. "Why the bloody hell would you want to pat it?"

Veigler smiled, "The screechsnap, while quite vicious, recognizes its caretaker if it becomes familiarized with them... and the caretaker has the ability to control the screechsnap if the proper care has been given. The screechsnap will learn to intuitively recognize those who it ought not to eat and only attack others. Many skilled herbologists use the screechsnap as a sort of security system for that reason. So that, er... you, the rebellious-looking-one... is why you'd bloody hell want to touch it."