After dinner, Mysti headed up the stairs to the library, where she would be meeting Joshua Harcroft.  They had been partnered up for the Care of Magical Creatures mid-term project. They were to take care of an egg together.  The egg wasn’t that small, but not too large either.  It was a dark brownish color with some blue spots on it.  And currently, it was in Josh’s possession, as he had volunteered to take care of it until their meeting in the library.

Mysti found a good table in the center of the library area, where Josh would be able to locate her.  She then pulled out a notebook and quill, where she’d been taking notes in the class.  A couple weeks they’d have to watch over the egg, and make sure it was growing, or happy, or whatnot. It was going to be interesting.  So Mysti looked over her notes while she waited for Josh and the egg to appear.

The prefect in question was currently heading up to the Library himself, carrying the egg in a hidden compartment in his robes. Reaching the library, he entered, spotting Mysti instantly. Heading over, he said quietly " Hello Mysti" and reached into his robes, carefully removing the egg, putting it carefully on the table in between them.

Mysti smiled at Josh when he arrived. “Hey Josh! The egg hasn’t been too much of a problem has it? Or should we give it a gender? I feel like we shouldn’t call it an it. I think it should be a girl. What do you think?”

She looked at Joshua and hoped he would agree on it being a girl. Mysti thought the name Lizzy would be good for it, too. Especially if it ended up being some type of creature that was lizzardy. Lizzy the lizzard!

“And we should probably think of a care schedule. Who will take care of her when, when to switch, and so on. Most evenings I’ll have quidditch practice, so would you be all right with that? Other than that, I think most classes I’ll be good with having her. What would work best for you?”

Mysti hoped it would work out well for scheduling times.  Projects like this could always get a bit messy that way.

Josh listened as Mysti asked if the egg had been a problem “No, the egg hasn't been a problem. As for gender, you can assume it's a female, but we won't know for certain until it hatches." Josh said. “As for a care schedule, you’re forgetting I have Quidditch practice too, and you're a Chaser, I'm a Beater. The chances of me having the egg break during quidditch practice are higher than with you, and I do practice on my own at times. That and the egg have an enchantment on it to detect who’ve cared for it the most. Took me by surprise when I noticed it." Josh said, and then thought a little bit. “When do you schedule your team's practises, anyway? We might be able to have you have the egg when I'm at quidditch practice, and I can have it during yours. As for classes, the only difference in our schedules is you’re in Divination while I've got Arithmancy. Why not do a straight split, I'll take her for half the classes, you take her for the other half? It'd mean we might need to meet up fairly often to hand over the egg when necessary, but we can work around that." Josh suggested.

Mysti had forgotten that Josh was a quidditch player as well. Sometimes things slipped her mind, this being one of them.

“Oh shoot, I’m sorry. I can give you one of our schedules so we can figure it out. Normally try to do it a bit before dinner, when everyone is free of classes. But it varies.” Mysti pulled out an extra schedule and handed it to Josh.

“I think that split will work. Lizzy shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” Mysti said with a small laugh. “Lunches or breaks would be a decent time. We can pick a place that would be best. I think we can work this out well.”

They were both dedicated to the project, and so it should turn out well.  The enchantment on the egg surprised Mysti a little, but was thankful Josh had been able to detect it.  It would be a little weird having an egg, but since there were others around with them, that would reduce the awkward factor.  It also would be kind of neat, too. Especially to see what would happen with the eggs after.

Hogwarts had not heard much from Peeves this term.  Rumor had it that Headmistress Analiza Snark had succeed where all other predecessors had failed and finally banished the poltergeist.  True or not, the marauding mischief spirit had been scarce.

But all these fragile eggs floating around the castle was such a recipe for disaster that the old haunt was summoned from wherever he'd been cloistered.  He materialized over the heads of Joshua Harcroft and Mysti Ketteridge.  In his arms over his head was a giant, iron anvil.

"No one moves or eggy-weggy gets the smush!
How do you take your breakky?
Twitch an inch and I'll serve up scrambled!
Don't twitch an inch, babies, don't twitch and inch!"

" That sounds good Mysti, and it should mean the egg hatches fine" Josh said, then peeves turned up., threatening the egg. Unfortunetely for the Poltergeist, Josh noticed it would take a couple of seconds for the anvil to be dropped, so Josh simply picked the egg up and put it in a pocket deep inside his robes. It would be protcted there. " Peeves, do you want me to get Headmistress Sanrk, or the Blooody baron?" Josh asked, in a falsely sweet tone of voice, that held the implicit promise of great pain for the poltergiest.