Linus was having a day. He had written a letter to his mum about how he was getting too much homework and how his potions professor was probably a wanted killer….  And of course, how he badly wanted a pet toad to keep him company. This morning, she had written back, assuring him that he could do his homework, and that Hogwarts would not hire a murderer as a teacher and to stop exaggerating. To add insult to injury, she had once again crushed his hopes and dreams of having a pet toad, insisting that he needed to prove that he was responsible enough. But how he could prove he was responsible enough was difficult when, you know, he wasn’t home for her to see it.

But, he had his own idea on how to prove that he was going to be a responsible toad owner.

And that was by finding a toad and keeping it, forever.

Thus, he had spent his time after breakfast, toad hunting.

“You see, Thales?” Linus held up a rather chubby toad, covered in toadly lumps. “This is Mafalda Hop Croak.” He pouted, “My mum won’t let me get a toad, but I think if I start keeping one, she’ll have to let me have her.”

 Thales peered at the kid holding a frog that was standing in front of him, letting his eyes rest from reading for a few moments. He was sitting under that tree for some time now, at least 15 minutes, and Linus hunted for frogs for most of that time, making a comment or two to Thales that he really didn't care to reply. Not that he didn't like Linus, far from it, his presence at Hogwarts provided some fun in Thales life, and who was he to deny fun? But he had been fairly concentrated on the task that he took upon himself, so Linus presence went on almost totally ignored.
 He rubbed his eyes, having been reading his book since he woke up that day, and decided that it was time to talk to the frog-holding boy, lest he think he had something against him.

 "That sounds like a perfectly fine name for a toad. Do you know how to take care of her?", asked Thales, raising an eyebrow towards the frog. "And why a frog? Feel like surprising some girls in the morning?", half a smile formed on Thales face.

“Well, I’ll learn how. Maybe ask Ambrose.” Linus shrugged. Ambrose was his cousin, who was also a Gryffindor. But he was a fourth year and he knew how to take care of all sorts of animals. “I like toads. They make neat noises and don’t scratch or bite, like cats or owls.” Li wasn’t fond of animals that tried to hurt him. Toads that had no (or few) magical properties didn’t even bother trying. And even if they did try, Linus doubted that a toad could cause him any sort of physical pain.

“Do you have a big family? I do. Lots of people.” Linus said distractedly.  “Grandma’s a veela, when she gets angry she throws fireballs. But only if I make her really angry. I’ve only seen my mum do it once. I don’t think Aunt Elysia and Uncle Flynn throw fireballs but they never get angry either.” At least, he had never seen them lose their temper too terribly. “My cousin Monty likes flying cars and getting into trouble…. And Ambrose’s dad is neat. I like his hair.” He lifted up Mafalda Hop Croak’s front leg and waved it at Thales.

“That’s not even half of them. There’s so many. The Hughes and the Peppers. I want a baby Pepper cousin and I want her to be named Cayenne.” At this point Linus was just rambling. “Wouldn’t that be neat? Cayenne Pepper. Like the actual pepper.” He cleared his throat, “I mean. I don’t think you have a big family, just because I don’t see anyone you’re related to here? But maybe I don’t know you?”  He squinted his eye s at Thales curiously.

Now it was the other boy’s turn to speak.

 Thales blinked slowly twice, trying to follow what Linus was saying. That kid really liked to talk, it seemed, which was good, because Thales himself was more of a listener.

 "So, you are part-veela too? My mother is a veela.", said Thales, re-starting to read his book, though less focused now. "Her name is Aurore, she's from France. Maybe your grandma knows her? Anyway, my family is pretty small, I guess. It's just me, my mother and my dad. We are pretty close, though, so I don't mind it."

 His eyes went from the book to Linus face, and he smiled. Linus was a good kid, in Thales opinion. A little overactive, but so were most of the kids at that age, as Thales reminded himself. His eyes once again focused on the book.

"Say, Linus, what do you like to do for fun?", said Thales absentmindedly, without looking up. "Besides hunting for frogs, I mean."