"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." — Robert Brault
…
The next morning, Regulus woke to a commotion in the cave.
The cause of the disturbance was Emma, who was currently stomping on Charlus. There was a bright red palm print etched onto the left side of Charlus' face. It looked painful; Regulus winced at the sight and silently admired the force of whoever had slapped him. Judging by the ruckus, it must have been Emma.
"Eh… What is going on here?" Regulus asked, his voice interrupting the violence unfolding in front of him.
"Regulus! I was sleeping in my bed when I sensed movement near me. I thought it was Hestia, but Hestia sleeps on my right side. So I woke up and found this pervert sleeping beside me, putting his legs on mine!" She pointed an accusing finger at Charlus and kicked him again.
Regulus's memory jogged back to last night. Ah right. I kicked Charlus to Emma's side in annoyance.
He had assumed Charlus would roll back to his own bed eventually. Who would have thought the idiot would get comfortable in Emma's space and sleep there all night?
He looked around, thinking of how to save his buddy from Emma's wrath. His eyes landed on Hestia.
She had opened the poisonous insect jar and was currently holding a creepy-looking centipede with a pair of long pincers. She was eyeing Charlus with scary interest. Regulus did not want to know what she planned to do with it.
So, he stepped in to stop the execution.
"I have been Charlus' roommate for three years. He always rolls in bed. Once, he fell out and broke his arm. It wasn't intentional, Emma. Why don't we switch places? From tonight, he will sleep on the far side, and I will take the bed next to you."
Emma narrowed her eyes at Regulus, searching for a lie, but failed to catch it. She looked down at Charlus, who was now hiding behind Regulus's legs, nodding his head like a chicken.
"Alright. It better be true. If I find him near me when I wake up again, I will cut off his... parts and ask Hestia to feed them to her insects."
Hestia raised her pincers, still holding the wriggling centipede, to affirm Emma's claim. She actually looked a little happy about the prospect.
"Not today, Hestia," Emma said.
Disappointed, Hestia dropped the insect back into the jar and closed the lid.
Regulus wiped non-existent sweat from his brow. Charlus was clinging to him like a lifeline.
…
While they were settling down and preparing breakfast, Mr Morrow appeared at their campsite.
"How are you doing, kids?"
Without waiting for a reply, he looked at the breakfast being prepared—leftover elk and herbs—and nodded. "I see you are all settling in well here."
Regulus gave him a look that said, 'Wouldn't you know? You've been watching us,' but he didn't say it out loud.
"We are indeed doing well, Instructor," replied Emma, her voice suddenly sweet. "Would you like to stay for breakfast? We made a lot."
Her tone was almost identical to Molly Weasley doting on Harry Potter. The contrast between her demonic fury this morning and her angelic politeness now was miles apart.
"Oh, thank you for the offer, but I am here on official business," Mr Morrow declined smoothly. "You have been assigned a task. You have thirty days to complete it. So listen up: you kids have to locate a hive of Glumbumbles."
"Hope you guys know what a Glumbumble is?"
Hestia, who was proficient in Care of Magical Creatures, immediately straightened up. She began reciting as if reading from a textbook.
"A Glumbuble is a grey, furry, insect-type magical creature which closely resembles a bumblebee. They are known for the treacle they produce, called Melancholy. This melancholic treacle is used as an antidote to the hysteria produced by eating Alihotsy leaves. Glumbubles are often found in hollowed-out trees where they nest. They are also known to infest beehives and stop the production of honey. They are—"
Charlus, Regulus, and even Emma found it unsettling to listen to her speak so much. Hestia usually communicated in single words; seeing her ramble about animals was a shock.
Mr Morrow had to intervene before she could continue until Merlin knew when.
"Ahem. You clearly know about them. So, you guys have to collect a jar of Melancholy Treacle and submit it by the end of the month. This task is considered less dangerous, but finding the Glumbubles is not going to be easy. Be careful roaming the forest alone, and do not put the Melancholy in your mouth. It will make you sad and cause you to spill your secrets."
Mr Morrow directed the last sentence at Charlus, causing the boy to hang his head as he remembered the Alihotsy incident yesterday.
Hestia was visibly angered by the interruption, an emotion she displayed only by folding her arms tightly across her chest. Emma had to whisper to her, convincing her that she would be happy to hear the rest later—which Emma clearly was not.
Mr Morrow took his leave, his job finished. He didn't go far, merely perching up on a tree a little way back from the cave.
Regulus noticed Mr Morrow's new location, noted it, and acted as if nothing had happened. He gathered his group to discuss strategy.
Everyone knew the basic information about Glumbubles, as it was a standard magical creature studied in the early years. With Hestia's recitation—in true Hermione Granger style—their memories were refreshed.
Charlus proposed a plan. "We search for hollowed-out trees and caves. That's where they are most often found. The dark areas are where they produce the treacle."
Emma countered with her own plan. "It takes too long to search every cave and hollow tree blindly. Instead, we can find the Nettle plant. Nettles serve as a primary food source for Glumbubles. We can narrow our search by finding the plant first, then checking the dark places around it."
"Just find the plant," Regulus said confidently. "I will find the trace of the Glumbubles from it."
Emma, who had heard of tracking spells, asked sceptically, "Are you sure you can cast such a spell? It is quite advanced."
"It is not more advanced than the Fidelius Charm I cast yesterday," Regulus pointed out. "I am confident."
Everyone agreed to the strategy.
"It is dangerous to search alone," Regulus continued. "We will form groups of two to find the plant and return to base in the evening. Emma and Charlus will go East. Hestia and I will go West. Do not go further South; I sense magical animals and plants far more dangerous than anything we've seen residing there."
Everyone remembered the deep roar that had emanated from the depths of the forest yesterday and nodded grimly.
"Why am I going with this pervert?" Emma complained, gesturing at Charlus.
"I am not a pervert!" Charlus barked back. "I just rolled in my sleep! Regulus vouched for me!"
"Humph!" Emma snorted. "If you try anything while we are out, I will ask Hestia to put you inside the poisonous insect jar."
Charlus glanced back at the jar of horrors and shuddered. "I won't do anything even if you ask me to," he mumbled in a voice so soft only he heard it.
Regulus, seeing their bickering, reminded them to behave. The forest was no joking matter; carelessness meant death.
They began preparing for their journey.
Emma crushed a pungent plant she had found yesterday into a liquid paste. She planned to mark their path by splashing the liquid on trees, creating a scent trail back to the base.
Regulus prepared a tracking spell that would lead him back to the campsite regardless of his location.
Once their preparations were complete, they stepped out of the safety of the cave and began their journey into the forest.