Harry Potter's : Fantastic Beasts Guide

David twisted a handful of dried fish from the bag and sprinkled it onto the surface of the lake. The tiny particles drifted lazily, tempting the creatures lurking beneath the water.

"What's in it?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with curiosity as she watched the fish food float on the surface.

Moments later, sleek, pitch-black fish about an arm's length long shot up from the depths, their glossy bodies gleaming in the sunlight. Just as one opened its mouth to snatch a morsel, it suddenly froze in place. Then, with a flick of its tail, it disappeared in an instant.

Startled, Hermione turned to David. Before she could ask, he said with a smirk, "Watch out. They're here."

The surface of the lake rippled, bubbles rising as green-skinned creatures with webbed fingers and long, gangly limbs emerged from below. Their eerie, glowing eyes locked onto the floating fish pieces, and their sharp teeth flashed as they moved swiftly through the water.

"What... what are those?" Hermione gasped, taking an instinctive step back.

David chuckled. "They're Grindylows—water-dwelling magical creatures. They usually live in lakes and feed on small fish. Harmless unless provoked."

Hermione hesitated but, reassured by David's casual demeanor, moved a little closer.

The Grindylows eagerly devoured the dried fish, splashing and writhing as they competed for food. Some even leaped from the water, their long fingers slicing through the air as they fought over the remaining scraps in David's hands.

Hermione yelped and quickly retreated behind David.

"Want to try feeding them?" David offered, holding out the bag.

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not."

"Alright then." David grinned and emptied the rest of the bag into the water.

Chaos ensued as the Grindylows wrestled for the last bits of food, their sharp teeth snapping. Their fragile fingers, adept at grabbing, were ill-suited for combat, and soon, severed limbs floated on the water's surface, accompanied by streaks of greenish blood. In no time, the dried fish were gone.

Seeing Hermione's lack of enthusiasm, David chuckled and motioned for them to head back. "Let's go. Ron and the others are probably waiting."

As they left, a few figures emerged silently from the depths of the lake. Their humanoid forms were covered in scales, their tangled black hair matted with lakeweed. Their yellow, jagged teeth gleamed as they observed the departing students, stone spears clutched tightly in their hands.

The merfolk of the Black Lake.

A larger mermaid with piercing yellow eyes hovered just beneath the surface, watching David and Hermione disappear into the distance. If they had stayed any longer, she would have made sure they learned a lesson about disturbing their lake's creatures—by adding a few new holes to them with her spear.

Upon returning to their meeting spot, David found Ron and Neville lounging under the shade of a large tree, cards in hand.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked, sitting up eagerly.

"We went to see some creatures in the Black Lake," David replied, settling down beside them.

"What kind of creatures? Were they dangerous? Anything like the three-headed dog?" Ron's eyes lit up with excitement.

David smirked. "Grindylows. Just small aquatic creatures, no real fighting power."

Hermione crossed her arms. "They may not be dangerous, but they look terrifying enough to make you not want to see them twice."

"Oh..." Ron deflated, losing interest. Neville quietly resumed shuffling the cards.

Once the deck was arranged, Neville placed a small white card in the center with a bold "0" printed on it.

David tapped his wand against the card, and instantly, the deck split into four piles, each flying neatly in front of a player.

"I'll start," David explained to Hermione. "We each take turns playing a card in a clockwise order. If two matching cards appear, you have to call it out quickly and claim a point on the white card."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "And if you get it wrong?"

David grinned. "The card flies in front of you and... well, explodes. Be careful."

Hermione pursed her lips, then nodded. "Alright. Let's play."

David flicked his wand, and the first card floated to the center.

Several rounds later, Hermione had four points, David five, Ron two, and Neville—unfortunately—still at zero. The pace of the game quickened, cards flying into the center at an alarming speed. Everyone leaned in, eyes locked, nerves on edge.

"Catch it right!" Neville suddenly shouted in excitement.

But as the card flipped, his expression crumbled.

A knight on horseback appeared, lowering its lance in Neville's direction.

"Oh no..." Neville groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

The card zipped toward him, releasing a puff of black smoke before exploding into pieces. When the smoke cleared, a faint dark mark stained Neville's face.

David burst out laughing. "Looks like you're earning a free trip to Africa."

The black mark, though harmless, would deepen with each mistake. If he continued at this rate, he'd soon have a completely darkened face for a full ten minutes—no spell could remove it early.

"Again!" Neville said determinedly, setting his jaw.

The game resumed.

This time, Ron played a card identical to Neville's. Before David could react, Ron shouted, "Catch it right!"

His white card flipped to three points, and he beamed. "Thanks, Neville!"

By the final round, David had ten points, Hermione eight, Ron six, and Neville, despite a small comeback, had only four. But more importantly, all three of them had significantly darkened faces from their mistakes.

David, having avoided errors, stood victorious with an unblemished face.

"You lost." He grinned, taking a few steps away in anticipation of the final punishment.

Before Hermione could react, the unclaimed pile of cards in the center trembled ominously. A moment later, they divided into three stacks—the largest one targeting Neville.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Wait... these are going to explode in front of us?"

David smirked. "Of course. The losers always get punished."

As the cards flew toward them, Hermione suddenly glanced at David, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Before he could react, she lunged forward, burying her face in his chest just as the cards arrived.

With a loud bang, a cloud of black soot burst in the air, settling squarely on David's face.

When the smoke cleared, Hermione peeked up at him and burst into laughter.

David, now sporting a completely blackened face, groaned. "You little—"

Hermione giggled. "What? I was just following the rules."

Ron and Neville roared with laughter as David sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine. You win this round, Granger. But next time... no hiding."

Hermione smirked. "We'll see."

As the sun shone down on the Gryffindors, their laughter echoed across the castle grounds, sealing yet another unforgettable day at Hogwarts.