A Birth day

"I could hazard another guess," Angus said. "Nifflers have such a reputation about being uncontrollable little thieves, that it might well be that he's lost his home because someone wanted to train him not to steal."

"Well, that would be incredibly unproductive, I should think," Marcus said.

"Spectacularly," Angus agreed. "Their attraction to shiny things is part of their animal instinct. I would think it would be much the same as telling a cat not to like catnip or a dog not to like bacon."

"Well, you could be right," Marcus said, "And if they expected him not to like shiny things, he likely will not go back to that home ever again."

"That might be sad if they treated him well otherwise, but Aria makes a good point. He is thin. Suppose he has a name?"

"If he had a home, then I presume he had a name," Marcus replied. "you know, I thought I read someplace where some niffler owners planned things for their nifflers to find so that it kept them from taking things their owners didn't want them to take. Sort of satisfying the need before their pets got into trouble."

"Makes sense, if you could figure out a way to do it," Angus said.

"Well, I didn't read that far. I'd have to research it, I suppose, but I didnt figure we'd have him that long--unless my kids see him, and then if that happens, my house is going to be filled with all sorts of contraband, I'm afraid. They're suckers for cute little animals--every one of them."

"So I just need to make sure your kids see him, and then my house will be niffler free. Got it," Angus teased.

"You would see it that way, wouldn't you?" Marcus laughed. "Oh, by the way, ladies, Robert has added a new challenge to the obstacle course. It's a dueling section, but its meant to test your endurance and your dueling skills.. You have to run the running track, go straight on through the obstacle course, and then, if you manage that, it lets you in to the new section. And there's no break through any of it. It just continues. I suppose you could take a breakwhere in the running track or somewhere in between some of the obstacles, but there is not a break in between the courses."

Both Aria and Ruby listened to the men and chuckled " awe that would be cruel it would be like telling Angus not to sail, impossible" Ruby said and chuckled as did Aria " or Marcus to not bodyguard" Ruby continued but knelt by the cage " but it is bad, you can;'t change instinct" she said smiling to the niffler.

"well I'm sure Kate will give him a name , maybe Gorge or Jack" she looked at the niffler who was still sipping his water . " oh well" she said and chuckled " things well be interesting if he gets out though" she added then sat and listened to Marcus explain the addition to the assault course and she smiled " oh that sounds interesting and challenging at the same time, you guys passe it easily I'm guessing" she said and waited for him to let her know how it went for them.

" saw you talking to Joseph too" Ruby said to Angus " hows his training going, he improved any?" she asked as she pored three cups of coffee and sent them out to the men and Ruby while she pored one for herself.

"That boy has a ways to go. He fights like a brawler. If I had to wager, he's far more accustomed to pub brawling than he is dueling. Not that that's a bad thing, because that's how I started, but it didn't take me very long to learn that sometimes using a wand can be a good thing. I think he'll likely figure that out too, but he certainly hasn't had much individual attention so that he can develop stance and technique. He does seem like he wants to learn, and he's pretty observant, so that's a plus."


"He probably will come along and do alright. I think I heard that he's had the training in Colorado," Marcus said, "but he's got a few rough edges that need polishing. He can get that here, but I think he must be related to you and Aria because he wants everything immediately. That one has no patience at all."

Edward came back in with an orange-ish collar and leash.

"Simone thought the color would look good with the color of his beak and his toes," Edward said. "I suppose it does. And, it is deliberately not shiny in any way because if it were, he'd drive himself crazy trying to shove the whole works in his pouch." He opened the cage and put the collar and leash on the niffler. "And this is enchanted so he can take it off or apparate out of it. There. That should do it. You should be able to get rid of that cage until perhaps bedtime, unless one of you intends to keep watch over him all night."

"Hadn't planned on it, but if we must, we must, I suppose," Marcus said.

"Or, put him back in the box at bedtime so he can't cause trouble," Edward shrugged. "Then you should be able to sleep."

Ruby listened to Angus and nodded " so I noticed, I'm sure with some encouragement and more training he'll smooth out those rough edges" she said smiling as she saw Edward return with a collar and leash for the niffler. " oh that's so cute" she said watching as Edward put the collar on and the leash then let the niffler out.

Aria looked up and smiled at the sight of a niffler on a leash " now that's something I haven't seen before , hes cute" she said moving carefully over to the niffler.

Jack stood watching Joseph as he practiced again once all the grounds men were back on patrol or headed to the grounds man tower. " I see Angus taught you how to stand" he said and Joseph nodded " here follow threw like this , gentle and light movements not brutish this isn't a bar brawl, thought they taught you this in Colorado?" he asked and Joseph sighed and shook his head .

"nope its quick and fast for them" he added and Jack shook his head. " maybe they need a new wand instructor."

Minos fluttered in from outside and he stopped short for a moment when he saw the niffler.Then, he fluttered over and landed on the edge of a plant pot and began to chatter in fae speak to the niffler. The niffler listened for a moment and then responded in what Angus could only presume was niffler sounds. After listening for a moment, Minos went over to the desk and wrote something on a small piece of paper and took it to Angus.

"Ah. I see," Angus said. "Minos says the niffler told him his name is Digger. He says niffler sounds are close enough to Fae language that he can get the gist of what Digger is trying to say. Minos, is he a grown up niffler, then?" Minos spoke to the niffler and then wrote that the niffler was large for his age and that, by niffler standards he was still a child."

"What's his story, then?" Angus asked. Minos spent quite awhile talking to Digger and then wrote them a bit of the niffler's story.

"He was stolen from a pet shop, and the humans used a spell that made him bigger because the aurors were coming to arrest the humans for something they had stolen. The humans blamed it on Digger, so the aurors took Digger away. The ministry was going to have Digger put down, but some young human stole him from the ministry at night and put him in his box, and after several days of being shuffled around in the owl post, someone delivered him here."

"So the poor thing was used as a pawn," Marcus sighed. "And spending several days in the post office explains why he's thin."

Ruby and Aria both listened as Minos told Angus who told them of Diggers past " awe poor thing, at least hes now in a good place." Aria said and Ruby nodded to Marcus at his mention of being thin. " well we can feed him for now, there always left over greens"

Ruby smiled and nodded " exactly, and what ever Michael is working on better not involve this little chap" she said " or i'll put a boggert in his sock draw myself" she said smiling to Digger " you have a perfect name for a niffler, Digger and no one will harm you or use you again." she said reaching out and gently stroking the fur on the top of his head .

"No, he didn't want the niffler buggaring it up, so that's why he asked us to get rid of him before he escaped his box, I believe," Marcus said.

"Or before Kate let him out," Angus said.

"Well, yes, and that would very likely have happened before he got out of his box," Marcus replied. "And actually, Michael is doing a job for us. We need him to get Elwood's will because Elwood no longer has a key for either of his vaults. So Michael is going to get into the first vault and get the will and the key to the second vault. Once we have that, Angus is going to get an attorney for Elwood to make a new will and to make some decisions about whatever he has left in terms of material possessions."

"I don't know that I could go back and find much more in that castle of any consequence, but I suppose I could try," Angus said.

"I don't know that you could either. I mean, that's what Jack and his crew went back to do, remember? I doubt they left anything that could have been used or resold. They're pretty thorough when they do a job like that," Marcus said.

Minos handed Angus another piece of paper, and Angus read it and frowned.

"Minos says Digger's favorite treat is a string candy, whatever that is," Angus said.

"Oh, it bet it's a licorice lace," Marcus said. "Minos, ask him if he likes red or black." Minos asked him and then he gestured to Angus.

"Apparently, he likes it all," Angus laughed.

Aria and Ruby both hears Angus and nodded at his words " ah okay , now I get it he wanted him out of the way in case he messed something up, okay I get it now" she said and chuckled hearing Minos talk to Angus again she stood up and walked to the kitchen looking in the jars she smiled " there you are " she said pulling out a single strand of licorice lace, and smiled a she put the lid back on the jar and walked over to Digger " here you go, sorry its the red one" she said handing him the lace and smiling .

"good idea I think one of the boys hid it there , don't know why but hey " Ruby said and chuckled looking to Angus and Marcus " or was it you guys?" she asked watching Digger munch on the lace happily.

Angus and Marcus watched them give Digger a licorice lace, and Digger seemed genuinely excited. He ate it happily.

"Wasn't us, I don't think," Angus said. "I mean, I don't dislike licorice but I've moved on to other candies now, actually."

"Same here,' Marcus replied.

"Why don't you girls take him for a bit of a walk at some point?" Angus suggested. "He might enjoy going outside and not being in a cage. As for me, I'll start working on some preparations for supper. I thought I'd make a old fashioned stout stew. I've got some excellently lean beef shanks, some carrots and celery and potatoes and parsnips, and a fantastic stout I can put in it. And I think I'll send to Sparks for some of their crusty bread to go with it. For dessert tonight, we can either have the lemon shortbread cookies that are filled with lemon curd that Edward brought or I can make something. Stew is best cooked early so it can simmer for several hours, so if I start now, it will have four or five hours to simmer. What do you think?"

"I think this house is going to smell great," Marcus said.

Aria and Ruby chuckled as Angus said it wasn't him " so the boys then" she said smiling " I'm sure they won't mind sharing a few laces" she added with a chuckle. as Ruby nodded hearing Angus mention he'd start supper soon they both smiled and nodded.

" I agree with Marcus it will smell wonderful with that menu" she said and smiled to both of them " we'll take him after supper for a walk hopefully with a full tummy and relived he'll settle down for a sleep later tonight, and I think we'll for now put him in the cage while we sleep" Ruby said  knowing it might be a good option.