HP: Fantastic Beasts And The Right Way To Use Them

The sky was still dark, but a faint, starlit glow illuminated the alleyway, casting the scene in a spectral light.

Within that light, a terrifying drama was unfolding—at least, for the one being held captive.

Caught firmly by its hood, the little black cape twisted, trying to squirm free, but the lingering effects of the Petrification Charm left its fabric-like body stiff and unresponsive. It struggled, sending out wisps of shadow from beneath its hem, but they dissipated harmlessly against a translucent barrier, unable to reach the human holding it.

Its desperate movements only seemed to annoy its captor; the hand gripping its hood tightened.

"Oh? Still daring to resist?"

As the man spoke, the platypus-like creature on his shoulder waved a paw, its expression fierce and menacing. The little cape flinched, its hood shrinking back as it trembled uncontrollably.

It regretted everything. Grandma's warning, which it had dismissed as an old wives' tale, was coming true.

If you do too many bad things, an Evil Wizard will come for you. He'll throw you in a cauldron and stew you into a sauce for his potions.

This wizard wasn't exactly as Grandma had described—he smelled fragrant, almost delicious, not like the stench of a gutter. But he was far too strong. The little cape was powerless to resist, let alone get a taste of him.

Thinking of the tragic fate that awaited it, the cape let out a faint whimper, the edges of its hem drooping in utter hopelessness.

Watching the creature's wonderfully expressive movements, Evans couldn't help but laugh out loud. Who knew a mere cloak could have such vivid body language?

Once his amusement subsided, he began to examine his catch more carefully. The black cloak in his hand was small, no bigger than a child's garment. This Lethifold had to be a juvenile, which explained why his charm had subdued it so easily. An adult, a true XXXXX-class dark creature, would have been a far more difficult and time-consuming battle, even for him.

But small as it was, its power was undeniable. While tracking it, Evans had witnessed its masterful torment of the unfortunate Muggle fisherman. The little thing had a real flair for creating terror, and the perfectly timed rain had only amplified the poor man's fear. Drenched and terrorized, the man would surely fall ill.

Thinking of this, Evans gave the little cape's hood another sharp pinch.

And yet, it wasn't entirely malicious. After the Muggle had dropped his gear and fled, the creature hadn't pursued him. Instead, it had painstakingly gathered the fishing rod and the bucket of salmon. It took over an hour for its small frame to drag the items to the Muggle's house. That wasn't the behavior of a predator; it was more like a prank.

A true predator would have given the Muggle no chance to struggle. This was a Lethifold, a creature that could overwhelm even a wizard. Every sighting report, save for one lone survivor, ended the same way: an escaped Lethifold and a vanished wizard.

But this creature's idea of a prank was dangerously cruel, reminding Evans of the mischievous human children he had seen in his past life. The thought alone made his temples throb. Human toddlers were terrifying enough without magic; a magical creature with a penchant for troublemaking could become utterly lawless.

This kind of personality must be corrected.

Putting on a fierce expression, Evans lifted the little cape's hood and spoke, his voice laced with grim authority. "Tell me, how many people have you eaten? Were any of them innocent?"

Though it hadn't eaten the Muggle, Lethifolds were dark creatures that fed on flesh and blood. If it had harmed people, it could never be a friend—not unless it had a very good reason, like self-defense.

Feeling the terror in the Evil Wizard's tone, the little cape's hem went flat, and it shed a few black, inky tears of fright. But it didn't know how to speak. Grandma had never heard it speak; she had only understood its meaning through its movements.

"It's okay. Just speak. I can hear you."

The black tears stopped. The little cape's hem lifted slightly as it stared blankly at the wizard. He can hear me?

Then… isn't he even more powerful than Grandma?

But Grandma was the strongest human it had ever known; none of the monsters in the forest could defeat her. If this wizard was even more powerful than Grandma, then…

Wuwuwu… I've never eaten anyone… Don't stew me…

Thinking of its grim future, the little cape choked up, its thoughts tumbling out in a rush of silent words as it recounted its past.

Watching the creature begin to shed black tears again, Evans felt a flicker of helplessness. When did I say I was going to stew you?

From its fragmented story, however, he pieced together its history. Its first memories were of the sea, of being washed ashore in England, dying. An old witch had found it on the beach and taken it home. At first, it couldn't fly, only crawl, and the old witch had fed it bits of beef until it grew strong. But the witch was already old, and a few years later, she passed away. Before she died, she made it promise not to do bad things and to protect the nearby village.

Keeping her words to heart, it had survived by stealing meat from the slaughterhouse and catching rats. Whenever monsters from the Forbidden Forest wandered too close to town, they became its meals. The old witch had cleared this part of the forest long ago, leaving nothing strong enough to threaten a juvenile Lethifold. Because of her efforts, the town had remained safe.

But perhaps it was the loneliness, or simply the onset of a troublesome adolescent phase, that led it to begin its pranks, gradually creating the town's urban legend of the black shadow.

Evans slowly nodded, the analysis complete. The creature was still salvageable. A mischievous personality wasn't a major flaw, as long as it was corrected and taught some boundaries.

But never eaten anyone? Evans was curious. Could a Lethifold survive on rats alone? How could a dark creature living so close to humans suppress its natural instincts? Was it trying to trick him?

He closed his eyes, and for a moment, the faint, spectral image of a unicorn's head appeared behind him. When he opened them again, his expression was one of surprise. Under the unicorn's innate perception, the little cape only gave off a slight feeling of discomfort, likely from its nature as a dark creature. Beyond that, he sensed no bloody aura of having killed an intelligent being.

Well… not that I can talk, he thought, guiltily recalling a few unfortunate poachers in Egypt who had pushed him too far. He quickly dismissed the unicorn's power and released his grip on the little cape's hood, though he didn't fully lift the restraining magic.

Even if its experiences had kept it in check so far, the creature was still a Lethifold. Cannibalism was an instinct. One taste—a bowl of blood, a single finger—could be enough to awaken the memories buried in its bloodline and cause it to fall completely. This was why Evans had never befriended a dark creature.

How could he prevent that from happening? He lowered his head, lost in thought.

…

Hmm… he doesn't seem to be planning to stew me?

Floating cautiously, the little cape saw the wizard still pondering. Its gaze drifted to the platypus-like creature dozing near the large bird not far away. Although it had been scared by the creature before, its plump figure and distinctive bill were now strangely appealing. A wisp of black smoke seeped from under the cape's hem.

I'm a little hungry.

I've never seen such a large, duck-billed rat before. It must be very tasty.

I'll just lick it. At most, one little bite. He'll never find out…

Thinking this, the little cape drifted silently behind Nana. The edge of its robe touched the Niffler's back. A moment later, a silver-white sigil flashed.

The mark on Evans's hand suddenly burned hot. He stopped thinking, turning his head in surprise just as a patch of black cloak attached itself to Nana's back. The Niffler, still dozing, was completely oblivious.

"You can't eat that!"

(End of Chapter)

***

[Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All

Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]