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(Noah) Northern Hawk Owl
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 04-08-17 17:23
Noah returned to the competition area after releasing Ramses, the Northern Hawk Owl he'd purchased in Diagon Alley last summer, and which he had just shown for the Best in Show: Magical Creatures SAT event. After a busy morning getting prepped for the competition, Ramses was no doubt ready to stretch his wings and get a snack. That, or roost peacefully in the Owlery until nightfall.
Noah and Ramses hadn't placed, though not for lack of trying. Despite their best efforts, they'd lost to Watling's Olivia Wood and her jackalope and to La Escuela's Francisca González and her fire slug. At least Seth Weasley with his pygmy puff Pistachio placed third. One point for the home team was better than none.
Noah wished he would have done better, and he wondered if maybe it was his choice of magical creature that had led to his poor final ranking. Were owls too mundane, compared to the likes of a fire slug and a pygmy puff? He'd never even seen or heard of a jackalope before today's competition.
He sat back down in the seat he'd previously vacated and watched as the second group presented their animals. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Conrad Ellis' Granian horse. It was the sort of magical creature Noah imagined won every sort of contest. It looked impressive. It pranced around like a champ. It even performed tricks in the air.
A winged horse certainly looked more prize-worthy than the common owl, even if Ramses was anything but ordinary. Ramses could deliver post, for Merlin's sake! That had to count for something.
Despite feeling disappointed about his loss, Noah was still excited to be a part of the Best in Show: Magical Creatures event. He got to see all sorts of creatures he'd never knew existed, and some he'd only heard of in books. Today was definitely an interesting day!
Conrad at the Best in Show: Magical Creatures Event
Author: Ellis
Date: 04-09-17 07:48
Conrad couldn't believe he'd earned first place in his group of the Best in Show: Magical Creatures event. He'd knew he'd done a good job caring for Genie, but he also thought she was a star in her own right. She looked majestic without trying too hard and seemed to soak up the attention directed her way. Genie liked showing off, and she responded well to Conrad's commands.
Despite Genie's natural-born talent and grace, Conrad had been very impressed with the other magical creatures presented in his group. The second place winner, Pedro Loya from La Escuela de Hechiceria, had presented a Peruvian salamander. The salamander was a deep, rich purple and when taken out of its terrarium, remained calmly perched on Pedro's arm.
The third place winner, Ruby Martin from Sydney's School of Wizardry, raised of all things a Billiwig. The insect was tiny, barely half an inch long, but it was a bright, sapphire blue. Ruby's magical creature shimmered beautifully in the sunlight, which perhaps helped earn the little bug a place in the top three.
Conrad later learned that it was very in for young wizards and witches in Australia to purposefully get stung by Billiwigs, because the effect was to suffer giddiness and levitation. Conrad wondered if Ruby had ever let her Billiwig sting her. He also half-wondered what it would feel like to get stung himself, though he wasn't sure he was brave or stupid enough to try it.
The third group was now on stage to present their magical creatures. Conrad watched enthusiastically to cheer on the home team and to learn about creatures with which he wasn't familiar, but he also scanned the faces in the crowd. Most of Hogwarts had come out to watch the competition. He spotted Alys and Blakeney sitting together, along with their friends. Daphne and Emily also sat together. They were all pleased as punch that he had won his round of the competition!
Proud Of You
Author: Blossom
Date: 04-09-17 18:07
"Were you "
"No." At Gideon's skeptical look Seth admits, "A little."
They both turn when their father comes up. With the Best In Show: Magical Beasts Scholastic Aptitude Tournament event at Hogwarts Fred, and Blossom, had gained permission to attend, something they'd not been able to do for Gideon's participation in the History Quiz Showdown or Larkin's taking part in the Transfiguration Tournament, both taking place at Durmstrang Institute. Fred claps Seth on the shoulder. "I'm so proud of you!"
"But Pistachio and I only got third."
"You could have gotten last and I'd be proud."
With those words Seth allows his father to hug him without protest despite so many others around to see. It's one thing for Larkin to get hugs and kisses in public from their parents but that's because she's a girl; or so as an 11 year old boy that's Seth's current line of thinking. It's why a few seconds late he protests, "Oooh! Mum!" when Blossom takes things a step up from a hug by giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Seth, Gideon, and Larkin sit with their parents through the next round, which is won by Hogwarts's Conrad Ellis and his Granian horse, called Genie. Fred and Blossom leave just after that. The triplets move seats to sit with friends for the rest of the competition, trying to predict who will win and picking their favorites from each round.
They also talk some about the broom races. Seth has been picked for the full obstacle course, Gideon for long distance race, and Larkin for the obstacle course consisting of rings. This leads, to their friends' amusement, Gideon and Seth once again quizzing Larkin on why she'd want to be in the broom races when she doesn't take Fitness & Athletics.
"What does one have to do with the other?" she demands.
"They're both sporty," Gideon points out.
"So?"
"So you don't take Fitness & Athletics."
"That doesn't mean I don't like flying or broom racing."
"But you could do that more if you took the class."
Larkin gives Gideon a look. "Did you know that for a fact before you decided to take it?"
"No," he admits.
"Is class nothing but flying on brooms for races and Quidditch?"
Seth is the one admitting, "No," this time.
"I've told you I don't know why I didn't sign up for the class. I still don't but you both know I'm sporty and I like to win."
The boys give up on the subject, for now anyway, turning their attention fully back to the creatures being presented for the current group of competitors.
Augurey (Vincent & Devon)
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 04-10-17 14:19
Devon admires Vincent's Augurey, not so imaginatively named Rain. "He's beautiful, Vincent," she says stroking the bird down its back.
Vincent shrugs. "I think so too but I guess the judge didn't."
Rain and Vincent only placed 13th out of 14 in the Best In Show: Care Of Magical Creatures competition.
"There's probably something else, nit picky stuff, and not that Judge O'Dell didn't think Rain is pretty."
"You are correct, young lady."
Both turn in surprise at seeing the judge for the second group, Franziska O'Dell, standing there. She has an interesting accent that Devon can't place. Judge O'Dell reaches out to stroke Rain much as Devon had been doing.
"There is a list of ideal characteristics and standards for every creature in today's competition that serves as the criteria for judging. Each of these standards is ranked on a scale then added together to achieve a score. Because different creatures differ on how many standards there are, that score is then turned into a percent. Ranking is based on those percentages. Your Rain is beautiful but, as this young lady," Judge O'Dell looks questioningly at Devon.
"Devon Abbott, ma'am. I'm Vincent's cousin."
The judge nods with a smile. "As you put it, Miss Abbott, I was nit picky. I had to be. You see here, Mr. Oliver? Rain has a tiny bit of molt. Though the molt appears natural rather than from a sickness, it does detract slightly from the ideal standard of appearance for an Augurey. Also here, Rain's tail plumage is just shy of the ideal standard length. You get the idea?"
Vincent bobs his head, "Yes, judge. Thank you for explaining."
Devon comments, "Judging sounds hard."
"Yes, judging can be difficult, particularly when we have such a variety of creatures rather than say a single dog breed or all the animals being horses."
Vincent and Devon ask Judge O'Dell a few more questions before she moves on to speak with the professors here as sponsors from Sydney's School of Wizardry and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
Devon says to Vincent, "That's all helpful to know."
"Yeah, but it doesn't really make me feel any better. I'm going to go put Rain back in his nest. He's shy and I can tell he needs a break from all these people."
Vincent walks to the Care of Magical Creatures barn where Rain's nest is located and Devon goes to join some of her friends, ready to cheer on her friend Duncan when the fifth years compete.
Arielle and Jolyon
Author: Jolyon
Date: 04-10-17 18:02
Arielle swiftly walked around a designated area for showing off magical creatures like dog breeds or horses. Pete the Crup was on a leash and looked quite pleased to be jogging with his mistress. They made a circuit before coming to rest where they started. Arielle then had Pete pose for the judge. He held perfectly still for the scrutiny, not even wagging his forked tail.
A little while later, when the thirteen other magical creatures had been shown off and judged, Arielle's round of the competition ended. She felt disappointed to learn she had not placed in the top three, but she certainly could have done worse. She placed fifth, while fellow Hogwarts student Duncan Dippet ended up dead last.
Arielle left the presentation area to join Malden in the guest seats. Pete sat at her feet like the good and loyal crup he was. Arielle cast Malden a sidelong glance, noting that he seemed distracted, but then he always appeared to be nowadays. Whenever she asked him what was on his mind, he always claimed to be worrying over O.W.L. preparations or the SAT. Arielle figured his answers might be partially true, but she also had the feeling that there was more to his story. If only he would let her in. She was his girlfriend, after all.
—
The Best in Show: Magical Creatures event had finally arrived. Jolyon had prepared the selected Hogwarts students, including his own daughter, as best he could. In his opinion, they'd all done a fine job of caring for their creatures. There wasn't a single student or creature that had given him any cause for concern.
In fact, things had started out really well. Seth and Pistachio had earned third place in Group 1, and Conrad and Genie had finished first in their round. Charles Fairfax had also ended up on top in Group 3. Unfortunately, the Hogwarts students in the next two rounds––including Arielle's––had not placed at all. Jolyon was still proud of his students, though. They were all winners in his book.
Fawn & Titan
Author: Saffron
Date: 04-11-17 18:09
Watching another of the Best in Show: Magical Beasts group being judged Bran tries not to pout. Beside him Kurt says, "Maybe if you'd not chosen a bat."
"Nothing wrong with showing a bat."
"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. The judge may not like bats or something."
"Whether a judge likes an certain creature or not isn't supposed to matter," Bran harrumphs.
"But subconsciously liking one or not could make a difference."
"I guess."
Bran had only placed twelfth. He looks to the cage at his feet where Fawn, his brown long-eared bat, contently roosts in a bat box. He'd been certain Fawn would be in the top five so can't think of why she, and he, made the bottom five instead.
If he thinks about it too long he'll give himself a headache so Bran tries to pay attention as each of the creatures in the current round are introduced and shown off and their humans asked questions.
When that round ends, without a Hogwarts student and beast placing in the top three for points, Group 6 readies for their time onstage. Marion is part of Group 6, showing an unusual Abraxan.
Titan is tiny compared to other Abraxans. He's a rare miniature and will never be larger than a Shetland pony. Some consider such Abraxans to be dwarves but few show the genetic mutations associated with dwarfism, such as those that cause osteochondrodysplasia.
Marion explains all this as part of the answers to questions asked by Mignon Framboise, the judge for Group 6. Marion is confident in her responses, never stuttering or being slow to reply as she's rehearsed answering a diverse set of practice questions put to her by not only Professor Kent but by her friends.
As Titan is, in Marion's opinion, perfect for a miniature winged horse, they only get a 10th place ranking. She wonders if that's because being a miniature means Titan got lower marks in the different categories that make up the standards by which Abraxans are judged.
It would have been nice to gain points for Hogwarts but oh well. Marion couldn't have forced the judge to see Titan's perfection as she does. Not without using a spell or three and she's fairly certain that would be against the rules and that she would have been caught if she'd tried it, then Titan wouldn't have had any ranking at all and Marion would be spending every weekend between now and summer holiday working off the punishment.
(Paton) Lola the Phoenix
Author: Griet
Date: 04-11-17 19:07
Paton didn't fare any better than Marion in their round of the Best in Show: Magical Creatures event. In fact, he'd placed thirteenth to her tenth. Paton was supremely disappointed to have done so badly, having only edged out Mason Zhang and his spotted newt.
Paton's magical creature was a phoenix named Lola. Professor Kent had managed to get Paton a phoenix egg, which soon hatched and grew from chick to full-sized bird in a matter of days. Phoenixes were notoriously difficult to domesticate, but Paton supposed he'd had an easier time of it since Lola had been his from the very beginning.
Despite having been hand-raised and loyal to Paton, Lola had a mind of her own and did what she wanted whenever she wanted. Paton guessed her "attitude" had to do with the fact that she was still technically considered a juvenile, even if she looked like a full-sized phoenix.
Paton had worried that Lola wouldn't behave during today's competition, but what he hadn't considered was the fact that she might start preparing for her burning day. Just yesterday, she became lethargic and began losing her feathers. Currently, she didn't look entirely like a plucked chicken and there was never any threat of her bursting into flames on stage, but she really didn't look good.
Her sorry state was probably why Paton hadn't done any better today. He supposed choosing a phoenix for his magical creature had been a risky move. His mother's boyfriend's irritating son had even written him those very words, along with You'll probably go down in flames. Paton hated that Festus was basically right. The little twerp would probably gloat about it the next time they saw each other.
Just one more group remained in the competition. Hopefully Hogwarts would get some more points on the board before the end!
Finding Fault (Marlow)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 04-12-17 18:36
Unlike a number of the other Scholastic Aptitude Tournament events Best In Show: Magical Creatures has only one round per group and no eliminations. Contestants show their creatures and ask any questions the one judge per group wishes to ask. The judge may take close up looks at all the creatures, only some of them, or none at all. The judge scores each entrant and once those scores are tallied the order of finish is announced. As a result Penny Puckett and Marlow don't have to wait to be eliminated to know their respective rankings. They learn how they finished when everyone else in their group finds out their own placements.
Penny is beside herself. She and her Garden Gnome Gnobby only placed tenth. Marlow can hear her quietly ranting about how Gnobby is far superior to third place finisher Harold Kumar's Glumbumble. Gnobby is outstanding compared to second place's Inge Van Roekel and her stupid Shrake, stinky fish that it is. And how could a boa constrictor raised by Svetlana Smirnoff be considered so wonderfully perfect that the Durmstrang girl received the first place finish? It's a snake for Merlin's sake.
A snake!
Marlow understands how Penny feels. Though Kneazels aren't considered anything special or unique in the Wizarding World for Marlow her Kneazel Tamsin is both. It's difficult to love an animal as much as she loves Tamsin and to think Tamsin is perfect only to finish seventh, which means that in the judge's eyes Tamsin is lacking somehow.
As the judge has to be objective and has no personal or emotional connection to Tamsin, Marlow supposes she can understand Seomoon Park noticing flaws or faults that Marlow does not. Or that Marlow does but which Marlow finds endearing.
Maybe that's how it is with parents. They can see their children's faults but get their hackles up if someone else points them out. Or how Marlow can make comments about her sisters but no one else better dare within her hearing.
As these thoughts swirl through her head, Marlow goes to congratulate the top three finishes even as she considers apologizing to Professors Kent and McGonagall for letting Hogwarts down.