COMC-401 Lessons

Gotta Go Fast

The fourth year students slowly walked into the classroom, clearly not looking forward to the midterm that awaited them. As they sat in their seats, Professor Cattercorn walked in with a reasonably large box in her arms. She nudged the classroom door shut with her foot before placing the box down on top of her desk. The professor let her satchel slide off of her shoulder and onto the floor, next to her chair. She turned to face the class and beamed at the curious faces before her. It was time to begin the lesson.

Welcome to the fifth lesson of the year! We’re halfway through the term, and you know what that means. That’s right; you take your midterm today, which I will get to later. I have faith in all of you and I know you’ll do well. To ease your nervousness, I brought you all a special treat. Inside the box on the desk is brainfood! It is an assortment of fruits, such as blueberries, mangoes, papaya, apples, and bananas. I figured you would like to have something to munch on while I discuss the creature of the day. I will have one of my PAs pass the box around, so help yourselves!

Professor Anne will not be joining us today, but she told me to wish you all the best of luck on your test. Let’s get started, shall we?

Knarls: Lovers of Daisies

Professor Cattercorn smiled as the box was returned to her desk. She peered inside and saw that there was still plenty of fruit left. As the students snacked, Professor Cattercorn walked behind her desk and picked up a different box that the students had not noticed. However, this one did not contain fruit. The professor removed the lid and reached inside, revealing its contents.

This is Clover, one of my pets. No, she isn’t a hedgehog, although no one (not even an expert) would know that just by looking at her! Actually, Clover is a Knarl. Knarls are beasts, with a Ministry of Magic classification of XXX.

All Knarls look exactly like hedgehogs and there is no way to distinguish either of these creatures solely based on their appearances. I see some quizzical expressions amongst you! How could I be so sure that this creature is, in fact, a Knarl and not a hedgehog? Well, the secret lies within the beast’s temperament. A hedgehog is typically a very friendly and social creature. However, Knarls are not. They are skeptical animals; some may dare to call them paranoid, even.

The way to tell hedgehogs from Knarls is very simple, however I would not attempt this method unless you are prepared for impending destruction. The trick is to offer the creature food. An ordinary hedgehog will gladly accept the treat, though a Knarl will react warily. In fact, the Knarl will be so cautious that it will assume that you are trying to trap it. The creature will “overreact” and it will not only run, but also seek out to destroy your yard and outdoor ornaments, including your garden (if you have one).

Knarls are herbivores, so their diet consists solely of vegetation. They will eat most fruits and vegetables, but they will not eat poisonous plants, and tend to stay away from these. Grapes and chocolate are also toxic to these creatures. They are intelligent beasts and know what is bad for them. A Knarl’s favorite thing to eat are wild daisies. Having daisies around your home is most likely the initial cause for having a Knarl. Although daisies are their favorite, instantly offering them to the creature at first meeting will still result in a destructive rampage.

I should tell you that these beasts are not traditional pets, however they may be domesticated. Having a Knarl as a pet is not impossible nor unachievable, but the task is arduous. The process takes at least a month but can take longer if not done properly. If you notice a Knarl around your home and you wish to befriend it, the last thing you should do is offer food to it. Instead, you should spend time around the beast, but only keep to yourself. Have yourself do another task instead. Acknowledge the creature and let it know that you know it is there, but do not pursue it. If the Knarl returns to your yard or garden every day, you can continue your attempts in befriending it. After a month has passed, leave out a small amount of food for it, making sure that it notices you. If it accepts, you have gained the Knarl’s trust. If it reacts badly, you will have to start over again (if the creature decides to return). A domesticated Knarl does not take too kindly to people other than their owners, so I won’t be passing Clover around.

Knarls can make for cute and exotic pets, but there are those that would rather have their garden free of these magical beasts. Many herbologists and potioneers who keep gardens prefer to have no creatures in their plants. Since daisies are a common ingredient, most gardens will surely have them, attracting the Knarls. If you find that you need to keep the Knarls away but you don’t want to see your garden suffer, all you’ll need to do is cast the Stunning Spell on it. It will not cause any kind of pain to the Knarl, but it will keep it from returning.

Knarls do have purposes other than companionship and eating your vegetation. In fact, the quills on Knarls have magical benefits. Knarl quills have been used in potions such as the Laughing Potion, which you could probably guess causes wild laughter to whoever drinks it.  These quills are also used in several products made for Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.

Knarl quills, which look just like hedgehog quills, are just one of many active ingredients in these products that causes laughter. They contain tryptophan, an amino acid which is found in several foods and herbs common today. Tryptophan is what your body uses to produce serotonin. When there is an intake of these quills, they trigger the brain to release more serotonin in one’s body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect one’s mood for the better.

Before we finish up, we’re going to go over Knarl reproduction. Knarl reproduction is very simple and very similar to the way hedgehogs reproduce. A Knarl will reach sexual maturity when it is eight weeks old, after it has been weaned off of its mother’s milk. However, it is recommended not to breed a Knarl until it is at least six months old. If they breed any earlier than this, it will cause many problems for the female, as they are still growing into their adult body. Six months still may seem a bit early to some, but the lifespan of Knarls is only five years on average. Knarls are also polyestrous creatures; this means that they can have multiple litters a year.

The process is fairly straightforward, as is with most mammals. When a male shows interest in a female Knarl, he will circle around her a few times and snort or grunt at her, trying to win her affection. The act seems a bit aggressive and has been thought to be quarrelsome by some people, but it is natural and safe.

The average gestation period in Knarls lasts approximately 35 days. After gestation, the Knarl may have a litter of five offspring, called Knarlets. Although five is the common number, it is not uncommon to have as few as one or as many as ten Knarlets.

Closing

If no one has any questions, I will start handing out your midterms. There are two parts to your midterm: Part A is an essay that covers the information that we learned today. Part B is a standard test that will cover all of the material in Lessons One through Five. There is no time limit to complete Part A, but you have an hour and a half to complete Part B. I hope that you studied! Good luck, and Professor Anne and I will both be back after your midterms!

Lesson content written by Professor Aurelia Cattercorn

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