On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Two Jabberknolls
And a Fwooper in a Star Tree.
The following morning Olympe took Hagrid for a walk around her expansive grounds. It was a beautiful clear winter morning. The sky was blue with only a hint of white fluffy clouds and the winter sun shone down upon their faces (just strong enough to warm their cheeks) and glinted against the white snow that blanketed the ground.
“This place is ‘uge,” Hagrid commented as Olympe led him around the grounds, “Imagine the creatures yeh could keep ‘ere.”
“Eet ‘as always been tradition for ze ‘eadmaster or ‘eadmistress of Beauxbatons to ‘ave a large property to live during the ‘olidays,” Olympe told Hagrid, “Eet ees supposed to be a sign of respect to ze postion zey ‘old.”
Halfway through their walk Hagrid began picking something from the bark of the trees, Olympe watched him curiously, and when he returned to her side, shoving his hands into his large pockets as he did so, she asked,
“What are you doing, ‘Agrid?”
“Collectin’ Twitchety Beetles,” Hagrid beamed, “Fer yeh Fwooper. Fwoopers love beetles, an’ Twitchety Beetles jus’ ‘appen ta be their favourite.”
“Oh ‘Agrid, you are so sweet,” Olympe smiled.
After their long walk, in which Hagrid actually gained the courage to hold Olympe’s hand, they returned to Olympe’s home and sat down with huge mugs of hot cocoa.
Later, while Olympe was busy preparing lunch, Hagrid took the opportunity to sneak out of the house to collect Olympe’s second gift.
Hagrid reached a group of trees and fumbled around inside his large furry jacket. He pulled out a tiny golden bird-cage and placed it upon the ground. Then he reached inside his pockets and pulled out some of the Twitchety Beetles he had collected earlier. He placed a few beetles inside the golden cage then made a trail of beetles to the trees. Hagrid then stood back and waited.
It wasn’t long before Hagrid’s bait had the desired effect. Several tiny blue speckled birds disembarked from the tree they were hiding in and started hopping around on the snowy ground, picking up the Twitchety Beetles in their beaks. With each beetle they hopped closer and closer to the little golden cage. The first bird hopped into the cage without even realising it had done so. It picked up a Twitchety Beetle from the cage floor and started eating it contentedly.
Hagrid waited patiently, he wanted two of these tiny birds for his gift. Soon enough, a second bird hopped over to the cage. It stopped at the door and peered inside curiously, with its head cocked to one side. The bird seemed indecisive, torn between its desire for a delicious snack of Twitchety Beetles and its uncertainty of entering the cage. Finally hunger won over uncertainty and the little blue speckled bird hopped through the door. Hagrid gave a flick of his wand and the cage door closed upon the two little birds.
After hiding the cage inside his furry coat, Hagrid returned to Olympe’s house, where she had prepared a feast of French cuisine for lunch. Once they had eaten their fill Hagrid confessed to Olympe that he had another gift for her.
“Oh ‘Agrid! You are too much,” she said blushing slightly, “You ‘ave already given me a gift, you needn’t ‘ave brought me any more.”
“Now, now, Olympe,” Hagrid replied with a smile, “’Tis Christmas time after all.”
Hagrid reached inside his jacket and pulled out the golden cage containing the two tiny blue speckled birds.
“’Ow sweet!” Olympe exclaimed, “Zey are Jabberknolls, are zey not?”
Hagrid nodded his shaggy head in confirmation.
“Ees eet true zat zey make no sound zair entire lives until ze moment zey die?” Olympe asked, “And zen zey let out a scream zat consists of all ze sounds zey ‘ave ever ‘eard?”
Hagrid nodded again.
“They’re dead useful, too,” Hagrid said in an excited tone, “Their feathers can be used for making powerful memory potions.”
“Oh ‘Agrid, you are ze sweetest man,” Olympe said, kissing him on his cheek, “Whatever will you surprise me wis next?”
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