Chapter 11: Swooping Evil
Following Dennis' instructions, Ethan arrived at their most important and only possession—a small, brown suitcase that looked no different from those found in the Muggle world.
At Ethan's signal, Dennis and the others opened the suitcase and climbed inside with Kipling's body. After ensuring everything was in order, Ethan followed them in.
The interior was surprisingly large, about the size of three football fields if measured that way. However, the area was rather shabby, with only a small pond, a few large iron cages, a square stone house, and the rest just muddy ground.
Under Dennis' guidance, they approached the stone house. Upon entering, Ethan's expression immediately changed.
Inside were creatures resembling mice, not particularly large, but each had a tumor-like growth on its back that resembled an anemone, making them unsettling to look at. And there were a lot of them.
Ethan recognized them instantly. From the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he knew these magical creatures were native to Britain: the Murtlap.
Their magic came from the tumors on their backs, which, when pickled and consumed, could enhance one's resistance to evil spells and bad luck for a period of time.
Magical creatures were categorized into five levels based on their danger:
X: Boring or annoying.
XX: Harmless or easily tamed.
XXX: Competent wizards can handle them.
XXXX: Dangerous, requiring specialized knowledge to manage.
XXXXX: Deadly to wizards, and considered untamable (Newt Scamander: That's nonsense!).
"Why do you keep so many Murtlaps?" Ethan asked curiously. While the tumors had some value, they weren't worth much due to the rats' rapid reproduction. Murtrlaps were abundant and easy to capture in their native habitat, so their price remained low.
"Once the tumors are removed, these Murtlaps don't live long," Dennis explained. "But while they're still alive, we can use them as food for other magical creatures. Some animals only eat live prey."
Ethan thought this was a clever approach. Murtlaps were prolific breeders and omnivorous, meaning they'd eat almost anything. After removing the tumors, which could be sold, the remaining rats, which couldn't survive long, were repurposed as feed—a perfect example of waste utilization.
After leaving the stone house, they reached the Murtlap farm. Here, Ethan saw several large cages. One, however, stood out. It was made of a completely enclosed plastic-like material, though its composition was unclear. Inside was a pile of black, unidentifiable matter that resembled discarded garbage.
"What's this?" Ethan asked, puzzled.
"That's a Lethifold," Dennis said quietly. "It's in bad condition, though. We haven't found a buyer yet, and without knowing the Patronus Charm, we can't release it. We're just keeping it locked up for now, but it's close to starving to death."
Dennis spoke in hushed tones, explaining that they never left Knockturn Alley and thus couldn't sell it in any reputable wizarding tavern. No one in Knockturn Alley would dare buy a Lethifold without knowing how to control it.
Ethan, unfamiliar with this magical creature, couldn't do much. This black heap didn't resemble the Lethifold from the movies at all! But given its starvation, Ethan felt helpless—he didn't know the Patronus Charm either, so he couldn't risk opening the cage.
Dennis then led Ethan to the next cage. "This is a Swooping Evil, but it's not yet an adult."
Before the incident, Dennis explained, the Fly family had been interested in purchasing the Swooping Evil, but they couldn't agree on a price.
Ethan knew the Swooping Evil—a magical creature that resembled a cross between a butterfly and a bat, with a blue-green hue. It had a preference for eating brains, and its venom was potent, though when diluted, it could be used to erase memories. Despite its dangerous nature, Ethan found the Swooping Evil oddly beautiful.
This one wasn't fully grown, so there was a chance it could still be tamed. As for the Ministry of Magic's claim that XXXXX-level creatures couldn't be domesticated, Ethan dismissed it as nonsense.
"Bring some food for the Swooping Evil," Ethan ordered. He wanted to feed it himself to see if he could bond with it.
Dennis complied, heading to the Murtlap farm. With practiced ease, he summoned a few Murtlaps with the Flying Spell, neatly removed the tumors with another spell, and brought the rats to Ethan. He held them by the tails, clearly disgusted, and tossed them one by one into the Swooping Evil's cage.
The Swooping Evil immediately seized the rats, pinning them with its claws before swiftly biting their heads and sucking them dry. In just a few seconds, it tossed the remains out of the cage and hungrily eyed the rest of the rats Dennis had floating nearby.
Ethan marveled at how fast the Swooping Evil devoured its prey. As he continued to feed it, he asked, "The Swooping Evil is supposed to be able to shrink into a palm-sized shelled egg. Won't it escape from this cage?"
Dennis reassured him. "It's not the cage holding it in, but the collar around its neck. It limits its ability to use magic."
Satisfied with the explanation, Ethan was eager to see what other surprises awaited him. However, Dennis informed him that the remaining cages were empty. They had previously held magical creatures like Billywigs and MoonCalf, but those had been sold at low prices. Large and rare magical creatures were difficult to sell, but there was always a market for smaller, cheaper ones in Knockturn Alley.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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