Chapter 123: Redcap
Chapter 123: Redcap (First Subscription Request)
"Are you asking us to deal with this thing? What if we get hurt?" a young wizard with platinum blonde hair asked.
"Who are you?"
"Draco, Draco Malfoy." He drawled out his surname.
But Belby just nodded. "I've heard of the Malfoy family. Don't worry, I'll be watching from the side." He added, "Of course, if you do get hurt, there's no need to worry. Injuries caused by a Redcap are easy to treat."
He winked at the young wizards below, who were trembling in fear. "I've specially brewed a batch of healing potions, all of which are rare and high-quality items you won't find on the market..."
Draco, already pale, looked even more so at the new professor's expression, which seemed to say, "If you get hurt, consider it a bonus."
"The Redcap is agile when hunting, able to suddenly change direction and roll to avoid counterattacks. We can use the Banishing Charm against it. Additionally, the Petrification Charm, Freezing Charm, Tripping Jinx, Leg-Softening Jinx, Tickling Jinx, and Disarming Charm are all options. I don't have any specific requirements, except for dark magic."
"Young wizards, let me see what you can do!" Belby said with enthusiasm.
"Professor, can we use the Disarming Charm?" a young wizard asked.
Belby looked at him with a peculiar expression. "If you know it, of course. But that's not a spell you should be able to master at your age..."
"Professor, I learned it in Dueling Class", the young wizard with light brown hair said confidently.
The other young wizards took a step back. Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan were known as the two biggest accident-prone students in class. One frequently caused mishaps in Potions Class, while the other was notorious for his unpredictable spells in Charms Class—Professor Flitwick couldn't even explain what went wrong with his spells.
"Very well, you're Seamus Finnigan, right? Please step forward."
Belby released the cage, subtly casting a Softening Charm to soften the Redcap's claws.
With the young wizards watching expectantly, Seamus loudly shouted the Disarming Charm—
"Expelliarmus!"
"Crack!"
Seamus's wand emitted a dull sound, like a distant winter thunder. A series of sparks shot from the tip of his wand, accompanied by plumes of black smoke, sweeping wildly through the air.
The young wizards quickly pressed themselves against the wall. Seamus's wand stopped, but his sparks had set the Redcap's red hair on fire.
Belby quickly cast "Aqua Eructo" to extinguish the flames and turned to Seamus. "Uh... not a successful attempt. Your Disarming Charm isn't proficient—during actual combat, you'll find that using an unmastered spell to face danger is very foolish. Do you know any other spells, like the Tripping Jinx? Good, but first, try it on the table..."
This time, there were no issues. Seamus successfully used the Tripping Jinx to repel the Redcap.
Of course, this might have been because the Redcap was hesitant to approach, with most of its red hair singed.
Belby wiped the sweat from his brow.
Next, the young wizards lined up, taking turns to challenge the Redcap under Belby's guidance.
Since Belby didn't prohibit them from using small hexes they had learned on their own, the young wizards' overall abilities improved. Most of those at the front managed to complete the task with some difficulty—
Dean Thomas's leg-softening jinx made the Redcap suddenly collapse, limp and helpless.
Draco Malfoy's tickle jinx sent the Redcap into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Pansy Parkinson's banishing charm pushed the Redcap back repeatedly, preventing it from getting close.
Hermione Granger's freezing charm left the Redcap frozen in place, with only its small eyes darting around.
Ron's Petrification Charm forced the Redcap's legs together, causing it to fall like a stone.
Harry's Disarming Charm sent the Redcap flying far away, leaving it unable to get back up for a long time.
At one point, the two Redcaps refused to attack any further, but when Belby produced a vial of dark red, blood-like potion and pointed at the young wizards, they became extremely excited.
The young wizards were then thoroughly beaten—
In the subsequent tests, the Redcaps displayed exceptional aggression and skilled hunting techniques. They used their front limbs to turn with great agility, making threatening "squeaking" sounds that made the young wizards hesitate.
For the young wizards, hesitation and fear led to poor performance.
For example, Neville Longbottom, after several failed attempts to cast a spell, began running around the classroom in a panic, much to the amusement of the Slytherin students. Soon, he was cornered, and the Redcap used its softened claws to scratch his thighs—
"Counterattack! Neville Longbottom, you need to counterattack, by any means necessary", Professor Belby shouted from the side.
Neville summoned his courage, grabbed the Redcap's claw, and flung it across the room.
The young wizards watched in awe as the small Redcap flew halfway across the classroom before being caught by Belby with a Levitation Charm.
Neville seemed to have opened a new world for them.
"Very good! Did you see that? The Redcap isn't that strong... When you're cornered, instead of retreating in fear, fight back with all your might."
The tall and muscular Crabbe tried to replicate this, swinging a punch to knock out the Redcap. However, the Redcap dodged with ease and tripped him from behind—
The Redcap then jumped onto Crabbe's chest, attempting to claw at his face and eyes.
"See what I mean? Don't dodge, show some courage... The Redcap doesn't have a physical advantage; it wins through surprise and agility", Belby encouraged.
But Crabbe let out an exaggerated scream and continued to shout even after Belby used a spell to pull the Redcap away.
Draco couldn't help but smack him. "Stop being a fool, you don't even have a scratch on your face!"
...
When the class ended, Belby let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had the foresight to use a spell to soften the Redcaps' claws, or half the young wizards would have been injured.
While he could treat them, it wouldn't look good to have a classroom full of injured students on the first day.
He addressed the young wizards, summarizing the lesson: "How many of you noticed that the Redcap's claws were softened with a spell?"
A few hands hesitantly rose.
"This is not good, not good at all..." Belby shook his head. "After Longbottom, all of you should have realized this. He didn't have a single scratch on him!"
The young wizards felt embarrassed, but they genuinely hadn't noticed at the time.
"Observing details and assessing the situation are crucial skills you need to develop... For homework, write an essay of at least eight inches, discussing your performance and areas for improvement."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
