TMQ #125 - Ask Fran Sanders

This is to discuss The Magic Quill #125 - Ask Fran Sanders. (http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/themagicquill/tmq125.shtml)

Survey: b
Cvontest: the watch does not contain a platypus, but actually a Supytalp. The Supytalp At first glance, this animal appears to be a platypus. One of it's magical capabilities. But if one studies it hard enough, it suddunly looks like it's true form. The Supytalp. It has the body of a yellow duck, and most of it's head is the same way. However, instead of a beak, it has a furry snout. And instead of webbed feet, they are clawed. It has no tail. And instead of being venemous, it has healing properties. Lastly, it eats electrical energy and emits magiocal energy.Thos animal, unaturally impartial to everything around (often running into tree and off of small cliffs), is pretty much the opposite of a platypus.

SURVEY: Which minor TMQ character deserves to star in the next chapter? (A) Tip Kensington-Smith. (B) Marmaduke Spankison. (C) Orion Oldmanson. (D) Signor Subito. (E) Your write-in candidate (see Chapter 99 (http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/themagicquill/tmq99.shtml), "Who's Who," for some ideas).

C - Orion Oldmanson. Surely there's more to his life than trying to keep Rigel out of trouble. Perhaps he knows something useful about that odd watch.

CONTEST: Name and describe a new magical creature not described in Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them. Be sure to say what it looks like, its magical properties, its disposition (friendly, dangerous, reclusive, etc.), and what it eats.

Grimp
M.O.M. Classification XX
The Grimp looks remarkably like a common rat, except that instead of having fur, it's skin is thickly covered in small grayish-brown diamond crystals. These crystals form a highly protective shield for frightened grimps, which curl up in a ball like hedge hogs and armadillos when threatened. Although the diamonds that make up their coats are far from gem quality, some wizards keep grimps because they're quite useful as knife sharpeners, 'sandpaper', scrub brushes, etc..

The only food grimps are known to eat is coal, which they magically transform into their diamond coat. They are found wherever coal deposits naturally occur, and also wherever humans store coal for heat or electricity generation. Since grimps are nocturnal and quite dark in color, muggles always mistake them either for lumps of coal or for common rats.

Over the past several centuries, a handful of wizards have claimed that their pet grimp coughed up a large gem-quality diamond with various magical properties. None of these claims has ever been verified, and, although many have tried, no wizard has ever succeeded in charming a grimp into producing such a gem.

z.

I must say that I like the two creatures described above. Good ones!

Here is an idea for a magical creature:

The Sillytwig is a cross between a billywig and a bowtruckle. This fascinating magical insect was bred by two world-renowned magi-entomologists--Mordred Stinger and Charlotte Webb. It resembles a dragonfly except it has a top rotor instead of two pairs of lateral wings. The stinger, located at the tail, contains levitating powers like the billywig. The six legs end in miniscule sharp clippers not unlike the bowtruckle's feet. The sillytwig guards its wand-quality tree visciously. The only thing it's partial to is glumbumble molasses, which it will eat whenever it can get it. The top rotor (dried and ground up) is an ingredient of truth serums. Found all over the world.

The character ... should be the doorman at The Drains. Tip would be okay, too.

As to the critter ... the Weep. (MoM classification not assigned) The Weep likes to inhabit Muggle households, where it resides in a ceiling or wall. In hot or wet weather, the Weep produces a steady drip of water. Whether these are tears or something else is not known. Weeps are responsible for puzzling 'leaks' which skip the attic and second floor, and drip though the middle of the living room ceiling, or "condensation" staining in walls where there are no pipes.

The Weep is only visible under the influence of an Animavision spell, and then only to the spellcaster. Certain very skilled wizards (Department of Mysteries or Headmaster material) can observe them directly. But wizards don't often observe them, or their effects, because they evacuate the premises and hide from the presence of magic of any kind. Even a Muggle carrying a charmed object will drive them away. Those who have seen the Weep report that they look like a facial tissue made out of sea foam, with two eyes that can swing independently to look out from either the front or rear 'face' of the creature. They don't have limbs; when they are not soaked into a wall their locomotion resembles the flowing of a drop of liquid down (or up) a surface. How they move when they are soaked into a wall or ceiling is not known. It is not known whether they have two sexes, or how they reproduce, nor is anyone known to have tamed a Weep.

(Oh--Nice one, Robbie! I hope Sadie doesn't get in too much trouble ... a few days in the local nick ...)

c.

The Eletrick is a new breed of species that seems to originate from Muggleborn homes, probably due to magic frequently used in Muggle homes. They travel through muggle electrical wires and are rather mischevious creating power abnormalities in Muggle's homes. It's true form is still unknown, but there have been reports that they look like tiny batteries with glowing yellow eyes and lightning shaped limbs. Also there has been some reports that Eletrick can cause disturbance to performed spells, often distrupting a cast spell and causing electrical shocks to the wizard.

"Fran Sanders" for sure! :)
Well, Marmaduke would be very entertaining, I think; but then again, Orion has untapped potential. Guess I'll go for Orion, for now.
Will have to give the critter some more thought. Lots of good ones already! (Hey, greyniffler; how do you exterminate those "weep" pests? Think I've got one in the crawlspace!)

Just have a wizard over for tea three or four days a week. In a month or two, they'll up and leave. You need to have him back about every two weeks after that, or else have him apply a harmless charm to the whole house. Unfortunately, the latter can attract various other magical pests.

Of course, it doesn't have to be tea ...

B

A Churrel. Looks just like a squirrel, but it's fur is highly a highly prized potion making ingredient. It is a mischevious creature; it's favorite pastime being enticing muggle children to follow it idefinetly while trying to see how close it can let them get before they get too frusterated to continue. It's general diet consistes for friuts and berries, but it loves to steal the snacks of muggle children when possible.

I'll be writing TMQ 127 over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Thanks for your submissions!

UPDATE: OK, maybe the next weekend...