Chapter 260: The First Week of School
Chapter 260: The First Week of School
The first week of classes after the start of the term was a great way to lose weight. Whether it was squeezing pus from bubotuber plants in Herbology or attempting to raise Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, these tasks were so disgusting that they made eating a challenge.
Especially with Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, it was hard to understand how he managed to breed such creatures. In Liam's opinion, Hagrid's breeding methods were completely misguided. Why focus on making the skrewts more aggressive when they looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters? If he bred them for food, they would surely be more useful. Just imagine, if you caught one, cleaned it, breaded it, and fried it, it would probably taste delicious. Even if they grew as large as a small house and developed shells as adults, it would be easier to remove the shell from a larger creature. Think of how many people one of those could feed.
The highlight of the week was Thursday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Not only had everyone who attended Mad-Eye Moody's classes earlier in the week praised him, but Liam needed a chance to observe him up close to determine if he was the real Mad-Eye Moody.
However, after the class, Liam felt even more confused. Mad-Eye Moody had explained the three Unforgivable Curses but did not demonstrate them or let the students experience how to resist the Imperius Curse. Instead, he used his years of experience as an Auror to teach them through case studies and stories how to defend against these spells.
After the class, Liam feigned disappointment and asked the Weasley Twins, "I thought Mad-Eye Moody would demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses, but he just talked about case studies. Although he explained it very well, it wasn't quite what I expected."
The Weasley Twins exchanged a glance, and George said, "Actually, this approach is very typical of Mad-Eye Moody. He's always been a stickler for the rules. During the war, he inspired all the Aurors with this principle. Even when many Ministry of Magic employees defected to the Dark Lord, not a single Auror betrayed their side."
"Not only that", Fred added, "the Ministry of Magic even lifted the restrictions on Aurors using lethal force during that time, but Mad-Eye Moody still insisted that only those who had been tried could be punished. This philosophy led him to capture as many enemies as possible alive. Many of the Death Eaters now in Azkaban were caught by him personally. Of course, this approach also had its cost; he lost his leg and eye in battle."
"Although I think Mad-Eye Moody can be a bit rigid, his ability to stick to his principles in such a dangerous environment is something our whole family admires", George concluded.
After saying goodbye to the Weasley Twins, Liam felt even more confused. Based on the Twins' description, this Mad-Eye Moody seemed genuine. But Harry had indeed had that nightmare. What would Voldemort do in this situation? Would he still send a spy to Hogwarts to cause trouble?
Despite Liam's concerns, time continued to pass. Finally, it was Sunday, and the first Study Group meeting of the term was scheduled.
As expected, the current hot topics at Hogwarts were Mad-Eye Moody and the Triwizard Tournament. The Study Group members were no exception. After resolving and practicing the problems they had accumulated over the summer, everyone agreed to extend the meeting slightly to discuss recent school events.
The Weasley Twins took turns recounting Mad-Eye Moody's heroic deeds as an Auror, giving everyone a better understanding of what the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was like. This led to a heated discussion about the Triwizard Tournament. Before long, the conversation turned to how to bypass the age restriction to enter the tournament, as even the oldest members of the Study Group, the Weasley Twins, were still a few months away from the required age.
"Professor Dumbledore said at the Opening Feast that due to the challenging and dangerous nature of the Triwizard Tournament tasks, he would personally ensure that no underage student deceives the impartial Judge to become Hogwarts' Champion. This at least implies two things: first, the Champion is not chosen by Professor Dumbledore. Second, this so-called impartial Judge does not care about the age of the Champions; he will only judge who is the most suitable based on his own power. That's why Dumbledore said he would ensure all entrants are of age." Liam spoke first, sharing his thoughts.
"Regarding the judges, I only know that the Headmasters of the participating schools are definitely part of the judging panel", Hermione said. "According to Hogwarts' records, in the 1792 Triwizard Tournament, the Champions had to capture a Basilisk, which went out of control and rampaged, injuring all three Headmasters."
"However, the three Headmasters are definitely not the impartial Judge who selects the Champions. Their positions preclude them from holding this role", Justin Finch-Fletchley added.
"Whoever the Judge is, we just need to fool Headmaster Dumbledore's age restriction. That's why we brewed an Ageing Potion. Anyone who wants some can have a bit", Fred said enthusiastically to everyone.
"I don't think an Ageing Potion will work. After all, this method is too simple, and Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't overlook it", Zhang Qiu said after a moment of thought.
"You might be right", George nodded at Zhang Qiu. "But without more information, this is the only plan we have."
"Besides, Ageing Potions aren't common Elixirs. You could brew more and sell them to others. Whether it works or not, making some money is always good", Jackie Swinton suggested to the Weasley Twins.
"The only problem now is who will review the Champions' qualifications. Without knowing, we can't prepare specifically", Alicia said, a bit confused. "I wrote to my parents to help me find out, but I haven't heard back yet."
"My grandmother also doesn't know how Champions are chosen. After all, the tournament has been stopped for a century. Even in her youth, she only heard about it briefly", Neville added.
"Maybe the Judge isn't a person. After all, Wizards are often influenced by Nifflers and find it hard to make decisions in a completely fair and calm manner", Luna said in her dreamy, singing voice. Everyone thought she was just trying to lighten the mood, but Liam looked at her with surprise.
In the end, by the time curfew was approaching and everyone was preparing to return to their dormitories, they hadn't reached a conclusion. The only real gain from the discussion was the Weasley Twins' decision to brew more Ageing Potion to sell to other students.
However, the Triwizard Tournament didn't dominate everyone's thoughts. Soon, their attention shifted back to their studies, as the professors increased the workload. For example, Professor Mcgonagall said in class, "Your O.W.L. Exams are approaching—"
Some students dismissed this, thinking there was still a whole year until the exams. But Liam sensed a familiar tone in Professor Mcgonagall's voice. Having experienced the College Entrance Exam, he knew that starting to review a year in advance was a common practice.
Time flew by in a flurry of activity, and it was soon the Friday of the second week. Calculating the days, Rogen should be back from his trip. Liam decided to visit him and take the opportunity to ask for help with the Alchemy questions he had accumulated over the past few days.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
