Considering that looking after creatures was going to be Aurora’s chosen vocation after she left Hogwarts (hopefully), the Ravenclaw hadn’t found the process of looking after a magically animated plushie to be too strenuous of a task. Fauna was certainly much quieter than her baby brother had been whenever she returned home for the holidays, she had slept on the foot of her bed soundlessly through the night, only occasionally moving to tickle Aurora’s feet with her soft nose. The fifth year had often left the dragon in the playroom instead of lugging her to classes, mostly because she imagined lessons would be boring for Fauna but also because this was arguably the most important few months of her education and everyone knew that the blonde was easily distracted. She didn’t want to put the blame of poor OWL results on an innocent baby, nor did she want to get in trouble with the Professors for not paying attention. She already thought that it must be difficult for them to keep teenagers entertained without the added distraction of several dragons tottering all over the place.

Fauna was presently nestled within Aurora’s backpack which she had slung over her shoulders for the race down the staircases and out into the grounds. She’d hoped to meet Anna on the way to discuss their plans further but as was often the case for the Claw, she was already running late and her best friend had beaten her there. “Here he is” she puffed, carefully swinging her bag off her back to show the Dragon her fellow plushie bestie Sunny as she skidded to a halt next to Anna’s side. “I told you that he’d be here too!” How she had any concerns that the dragons would not get along when their human caretakers were practically attached at the hip she did not know but her worries had been completely diminished the second the pair had met. “And I promise we won’t separate you either.” At least that was what she had hoped, she had every intention of letting their mentors at Creatures and Cwtches know that they could NEVER be split.

As for how she felt about having to return Fauna, well she knew that the plushie was destined for a purpose greater than what she could give her. She had no shortage of plushies, granted none quite as special as Fauna was, and if she could provide a grieving mother dragon with some comfort then her moral compass was telling her she was doing the right thing. The idea that the dragons could be un-animated hadn’t even crossed her mind otherwise Aurora might not have been so chipper.

Sydney was surprised she enjoyed the dragon egg assignment as much as she did. When the assignment started, her interest was purely scientific, but to her surprise, she’d actually bonded with Vox. Normally she wasn’t the type to get attached to anything at all, let alone something soft and cuddly like a plush!

She placed a protective arm around the Swedish Short-snout plush nestled safely in the wrap she wore around her front. Vox gave her hand a playful nip, then snuggled against her chest. She giggled softly. For once she was glad that Vox wasn’t an actual dragon; otherwise that nip could’ve done some damage. Vox was a biter, that was for sure! He also liked to roar in the middle of the night, and he kept trying to set fire to Alastor. It was rather funny, but Sydney couldn’t have Vox hurting her prized venus flytrap!

Sydney’s thoughts began to wander as she waited for Professor Paton. She contemplated the concept of nature v. nurture, and she wondered if Vox would have the same chaotic personality had he been hatched by someone a little more… passive. A horrible thought occurred to her. What would happen to Vox after Professor Paton removed the enchantments? Without his bite, his roar, or his fire, he wouldn’t be Vox anymore! He’d be just another ordinary plush… would he be any fun like that?

She hugged Vox closer to her, feeling suddenly melancholy… though she tried not to let it show in her perpetually stoic expression. Removing the enchantments felt like removing Vox’s personality! Maybe there was a way around it… Her mind raced. She could try to convince Professor Paton to let her keep the non-dangerous aspects of Vox’s enchantments, at least his static-like roar. She could take Vox home at the end of the term and ask her mums to enchant him again. If all else failed, she could bide her time until she learned how to do the enchantments herself, but she hoped she wouldn’t have to wait that long. You won’t lose your personality forever, I promise, Vox! she thought.