Alfie made his way through the dimly lit corridors toward the Detention Chambers, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The day was beautiful and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret that he was stuck inside instead of enjoying it outside with his friends. At least he would be with Poppy, he thought.
He opened the door to the Detention Chambers and found Poppy sitting at a desk and Caretaker Moon standing at the front.
"Ah! Mr. Scamander! There you are. Just the student I wanted to see," greeted the Caretaker.
"Good morning Mr. Moon. Will you be the one facilitating detention today?"
"Yes, and I was quite unhappy about it at first when I was notified by the Headmaster that we were having students in detention so early in the year and I just happened to be the one on call this weekend. But when I heard it was you and Ms. Sweeting, I figured you two were just the ones I needed for the task."
"And what task would that be Mr. Moon?" Alfie questioned.
"I've been hearing rumors that a Demiguise was spotted in the Forbidden Forest. Dreadful things!" The Caretaker shuddered at the thought.
"A Demiguise? Aren't those native to the lands of the Far East? What could they be doing all the way out here?" Poppy inquired suspiciously.
"I haven't any idea. I confronted Pemberton about it, thinking this was some cruel trick but he accused me of being paranoid and crazy. He hadn't the faintest idea of what I was talking about."
"So you need our help to seek out this Demiguise? And what do you plan on doing with it once we've found it?" Alfie asked. Alfie couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Moon had put much thought into this task. However, he was relieved that it wouldn't be the typical detention where they sat in silence and wrote lines all day.
"I'd, uh, get rid of it, of course." Mr. Moon seemed nervous and unsure as he spoke. It was clear that he hadn't thought things through properly. His fear of the beast was too palpable for him to come up with a coherent plan.
"Get rid of it, how?" Poppy asked, her eyebrow raised and clearly concerned for the creature's wellbeing.
Mr. Moon's tone was casual, "I don't know the details quite yet. An Incendio perhaps or... or maybe even a Diffindo should end it."
Poppy rose from her seat and slammed her hands on the desk in a swift motion. "Absolutely not!" she objected sharply.
Mr. Moon flinched at her sudden change in character.
"What she means to say is that when we find this Demiguise, we will make sure it'll never cross paths with you ever again," Alfie intervened, hoping to defuse the situation.
"However you dispose of it is none of my concern I suppose. As long as it's gone for good," the Caretaker said as he waved his hand dismissively.
Alfie nodded while Poppy sighed a breath of relief that the crazy man wasn't hell-bent on killing the poor creature.
"Right then, let's get going. Time is of the essence. We must find it before it stumbles its way to the castle," Mr. Moon said with urgency.
Alfie and Poppy grinned mischievously, because unbeknownst to Mr.Moon, they would be taking it back to the castle, safe and sound in one of Alfie's vivariums.
The Caretaker left the chamber and the two students followed closely behind.
"Mr. Moon, why are you afraid of Demiguises? They're lovely and harmless creatures!" Poppy asked.
"Lovely and harmless? Ha! That's a funny joke Ms. Sweeting. I beg to differ. Awful and horrible creatures are more like it."
As the Caretaker hastened his steps, it became clear that there would be no more small talk with him. Poppy also began to quicken her pace to match his, but Alfie gently pulled at her robe's cuff, signaling her to slow down.
"I wouldn't press him on the issue anymore, Poppy. His fear of Demiguises is too great. In fact, he had me chasing around these Demiguise statues holding moons all last year because he was so afraid of them," Alfie explained to Poppy, who was confused by Mr. Moon's irrational disdain for the creature.
Poppy frowned. "That's a shame. They are deeply misunderstood creatures."
"You've come across them before?"
"Yes, I spent a few summers in Korea and Japan with my parents when I was younger," Poppy's voice started to shake as she spoke, "They were poaching them for their furs which are commonly used for invisibility cloaks. Demiguises are nearly extinct because of people like them."
Alfie immediately regretted asking. Many of Poppy's encounters with rare creatures were because of her parents and their callous behavior towards the creatures she loved.
"I'm sorry Poppy, I didn't realize," he managed to say.
"It's fine, really. I've come to terms with my past a long time ago. I promised myself that for every creature they poach, I will save hundreds more," the young witch said, her voice laced with determination.
Alfie couldn't help but admire her resilience. Despite everything that she's been through, she's somehow managed to smile through it all and come out as a better person.
He could learn a lot from her as he still held a lot of guilt over what happened with Professor Fig and his own choice to open the repository. His old mentor's voice suddenly rang through his head.
After everything you've seen? You, of all wizardkind, are wholly aware of the pain and misery that would cause.
Alfie shook Professor Fig's voice out of his head, wanting so desperately to forget the last words he spoke to him. How do I come out as a better person after everything I've done? His inner monologue brought him nothing but shame and doubt.
"Alfie?"
Poppy's sweet voice pulled him out from the depths of his own mind.
"Yes?" His dreary gaze turned towards hers.
"Are you alright? I think you dozed off there."
"I'm fine, I guess I'm just tired. It's early for a Saturday morning." He had become adept at concealing his emotions.
"I suppose it is. It's a shame we're in detention. It's so beautiful out."
She was right. The morning sun illuminated the lush fields of green grass and vibrant flowers. Lacewings flies and birds were abuzz, peppering the landscape with pops of color.
"At least we're not spending it in that old and stuffy Detention Chamber," he remarked.
Poppy smiled, "Agreed, I much prefer this."
As they approached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Mr. Moon suddenly came to a halt. His hands trembled, and his face grew clammy as they stood on the threshold of the dark expanse.
"I can't do it. You'll have to go on without me," he spoke quietly.
"Mr. Moon are you alright?" Alfie reached out and gently placed his hand on the Caretaker's shoulder, trying to offer comfort and assurance. However, the man recoiled at his touch, clearly overwhelmed by fear.
"I n-need to sit down," he stuttered. He retreated a few steps away from the forest and sat down on the grass, cradling his head in his trembling hands as he swayed back and forth.
"Give him a moment. He must be having a mental breakdown," cautioned Alfie.
"Poor Mr. Moon. I wondered what happened with a Demiguise to make him react this badly." Poppy observed Mr. Moon with concern. She nervously held her fingertips to her lips, empathizing with his mental state.
Gradually, Mr. Moon's rocking slowed down as he released his head from his hands and wrapped his arms around his knees. He looked up at the sky, closed his eyes, and took several measured breaths through his nose. The brief meditation appeared to have provided some relief to his nerves.
"I'm afraid I can't go on. I thought I'd be ready to face my fears, but I can't bring myself to do it," the Caretaker lamented in defeat.
Poppy knelt down to where her face was directly across from his. "It's alright Mr. Moon. No need to worry, we can take it from here." Her reassurance seemed to bring the Caretaker further at ease.
"Very well then. Head down the path for a while, until you see a large pack of butterflies. Once you see the butterflies you'll find a sort of camp to the left of the path. From what I've overheard around Hogsmeade, you should find the Demiguise inside that camp," he instructed.
"A camp? You don't suppose they're poachers?" Alfie asked. It was unusual for a Hogwarts faculty member to allow a couple of students to face a pack of poachers themselves, not that Alfie was particularly worried.
"You defeated Ranrok didn't you? What's Ranrok to a few poachers?" Mr. Moon asked.
Poppy stood back up on her feet. "We can handle them," she said fiercely as she faced the Forbidden Forest, eager to take on the Poachers.
"Ah, that's the spirit!" Mr. Moon exclaimed as he also stood up from where he sat. "I'll wait here. You two be careful now. I don't want to have to explain to the Headmaster how I lost two students in detention, but I think you can more than handle yourselves, being the Hero of Hogwarts and all." He grimaced nervously.
"We'll be back in no time Mr. Moon with the Demiguise gone. Let's go, Poppy," he gestured towards the forest and the both of them marched on into the darkness.
-Forbidden Forest Poacher's Camp-
With Mr. Moon's directions, the poacher's camp was not difficult to find. The pair scoped the area. A few poachers, maybe about five, walked about the camp and several beasts were caged outside the main tent.
Poppy gasped and pointed at a cage that housed a beautiful blue two-legged serpentine creature with wings. "That's an Occamy! They're incredibly rare and they're also from the Far East, just like the Demiguise. What are they doing here and where is the Demiguise?"
Alfie scanned the area but could not find it. "Let's get closer," he suggested.
They both cast disillusionment on themselves and stealthily approached the camp and stopped by a stack of boxes, close enough to hear the conversation between the poachers.
"How did you lose that damn Demiguise? They won't be happy when they find out that you lost it."
"Don't blame it all on me! You're equally responsible."
The voices grew further, indicating that they were walking away. From the corner of Alfie's eye, he saw another poacher round the corner but stopped shortly before catching the pair and instead leaned against the stack of boxes. Alfie approached him closely.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The poacher collapsed sideways and Alfie quietly dragged his body behind the boxes. "Let's try to be stealthy about this," he whispered to Poppy.
"Got it."
The pair went to work and paralyzed all five of the poachers they surveyed previously. When all seemed safe and quiet, they removed their disillusionment charms.
"Alohamora!"
Poppy freed the Occamy from its cage and it slithered out of it immediately, grateful to be free.
"Don't worry, you'll be safe now," Alfie spoke soothingly. He held out his nab-sack and rescued the winged serpent.
"Ahem."
Poppy froze. Alfie turned around and saw two poachers emerging from the center tent.
One was a middle-aged woman, brunette and fair. The other was an older man, with striking sideburns and dirty blonde hair.
"Poppy, is that you?" The woman asked.
"Poppy dearest, please tell your friend not to touch things that aren't his," demanded the man.
"Mother? F-father?" The young witch's voice quivered and tears started to form in her chestnut eyes.