Chapter One - An introduction to Wrackspurts
Although Wrackspurts have existed for centuries, the majority of evidence supporting their existence has been gathered in the last two to three hundred years. The most common explanation of a Wrackspurt is that they are ‘Invisible’ and that they ‘fly in through your ears and makes your brain go fuzzy’. It has also been claimed that some people can sense the presence of a Wrackspurt in a room.
Indeed, a Wrackspurt is one of the few magical creatures which are truly invisible to all people - magical or Muggle. This may seem to be a strange analysis but some creatures can only been seen by those who have had certain experiences. For example, Thestrals can only be seen by someone who has witnessed death. There are also many other creatures or plants which display similar qualities in that they can only be seen by someone who has experienced something specific. In the case of a Wrackspurt however, they are invisible to all, regardless of their situation or personal experiences. It has also been proved that Wrackspurts cannot be seen by any known species of intelligent creature (including goblins, centaurs, house-elves etc.)
The most recent study into the Wrackspurt population also suggests that instead of flying, Wrackspurts drift or hover. This is due to the evolution of the Wrackspurt, since they discovered their ability to become invisible they have not need of other skills. Hundreds of years ago, when Wrackspurts were still visible, they needed the ability to fly as without quick reflexes they would have become an extinct species. They therefore developed a more leisurely way of moving. Some leading wizards suggest that this is due to their ability to observe the world from a different perspective, although others merely believe that they are lazy. This has been an ongoing debate for many years, and it appears to be unlikely that the matter will be resolved soon.
The notion that a Wrackspurt can ‘make you brain go funny’ is slightly crude and highly inaccurate. It is true that a Wrackspurt can be responsible for making you lose your thoughts but the most likely situations in which you would encounter a Wrackspurt would be; when your friend is talking about an ex, in the middle of an exam, during a class or in the workplace, whilst sitting on the Knight Bus or travelling by Floo powder or whilst cooking a meal. In the majority of situations Wrackspurts involve merely losing interest in your surroundings or forgetting some vital piece of information. In extreme cases however, if you have accidentally harmed a Wrackspurt they can cause headaches, the feeling that you have just fallen from a great height in the pit of your stomach and even the ability to continually fall-up stairs.
The majority of Wrackspurts seem uninterested in humans or other magical creatures however they do enjoy foods such as toast. If you are in the situation where you are being followed by a Wrackspurt the most likely reason is one of these two. The first is that it has taken a dislike to you for whatever reason and will continue to follow you around; although this seems like nothing it could cause great difficulty when you are in exam situations, talking with people or participating in a social gathering. The other reason is that it has decided it likes you and will follow those who insult you, or those who you hate, and deliberately float through them. The most common place for a Wrackspurt to pass is through the head, stomach or knee.
The ability of a person to sense a Wrackspurt has been a highly debated subject for many years. There have been fourteen international conferences on the matter and after extensive research it has been discovered that people cannot sense a Wrackspurt in a room. They have merely had a lot of experiences with these creatures and are accurately able to interpret their surroundings and peoples reactions. This in itself should be classified as a rare gift, as few people are able to do this and the person must have had extensive contact with the creatures to be able to correctly interpret the signs.
It must be emphasized that Wrackspurts are not angry violent, vindictive or aggressive creatures and that the majority of encounters with them are purely random. Over the centuries they have blended into the wizarding society with such precision that the majority of people do not even realize they exist. Under the new laws protecting magical creatures and plants Wrackspurts have been classified as a protected species and it is illegal to kill a Wrackspurt for any reason.
At the moment the Ministry are working on a selection of methods to detect a Wrackspurt although they are unsure about whether this a wise decision given that these devises could then be used to trap and/or hunt Wrackspurts and endanger the species further. The Ministry’s punishments are currently being decided upon and finalized but it is expected that the maximum penalty per Wrackspurt could be anything up to a year in Azkaban depending on the circumstance and manner in which the creature was killed; hopefully however these laws will be seldom used.
The Continual Annoyance of Wrackspurts by WrackspurtGirl
Chapter Notes: This is a strange style but its supposed to be written in the style of a textbook. Most of what I have written is based on the quote from Luna Lovegood "A Wrackspurt - they're invisible, they float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy," she said. "I thought I felt one zooming around in here." The other sections of this are purely the work of my rather insane imagination. This is my first ever fan fiction so I apologise if it's not very good. I'd like to say thanks to my fantastic friend Myth, because she really encouraged me to keep writing and sat and listened to all my ideas. Also a huge thank you to my Bet Laura (Horsegirl_2), she has beta'd the whole of this fic for me and she has done a fantastic job! Thank you so much Laura!