Chapter 45: Gardening and Professor Auror
Chapter 45: Gardening and Professor Auror
As if he had found a toy he fancied, Kyle was having the time of his life in the Room of Requirement.
With a gentle wave of his finger, the rain instantly turned into a blizzard, and with another wave, it became hail the size of eggs.
To be honest, the feeling of being able to change the surroundings with a flick of his wrist was simply exhilarating.
Only after indulging to his heart's content did Kyle suddenly remember that he had more important things to do, so he reluctantly changed the room back to sunny weather.
Ah well, there would be plenty of time for this later.
Kyle crouched down and carefully took out two seeds the size of soybeans from his pocket, afraid that he might crush them by accident.
This was mainly because the seeds were very precious, and they weren't even his. He had... picked them up during Herbology class.
Yes, he had indeed picked them up.
Coincidentally, during the previous Herbology class, a Gryffindor student had become so excited after successfully answering one of Professor Sprout's questions that he had accidentally flung his shovel at the nearby Mimbulus mimbletonia.
As expected, the shovel was instantly reduced to a pile of scrap metal, and the student was docked a point.
The incident would have ended there, but Kyle inadvertently noticed that shortly after spitting out the remains of the shovel, the Mimbulus mimbletonia had actually spat out two seeds.
Professor Sprout had been looking for a new shovel at the time and hadn't seen this.
As an outstanding Hufflepuff, Kyle felt it was his duty to help his head of house, so he took the initiative to pick them up.
However, he had forgotten about it later due to his obsession with white lilies.
Kyle dug two suitable holes in the ground, placed the seeds inside, and then covered them with a thin layer of soil.
After finishing, Kyle nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good, I'll keep them safe for now, and bring them back to Professor Sprout during the next class."
...
After leaving the Room of Requirement, Kyle returned to the common room. In the afternoon, he attended the Dark Arts Defense class with the other Hufflepuff first-years.
Along the way, everyone was excited, whether it was due to their anticipation of the Dark Arts Defense class or their pure interest in the legendary annual replacement professor.
It could also be both.
The Dark Arts Defense classroom was on the second floor.
When they pushed open the door and walked in, they found that the usually neatly arranged desks had all been moved to the side, making the classroom look very spacious.
Professor Auror was already there, standing behind the lectern and fiddling with a covered cage.
Kyle was surprised to see this, as he hadn't expected their year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to be a practical teacher, just like Lupin.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Professor Auror said gently, looking at the group of students. "Put your books away. We won't be needing them, not just for this lesson, but for every lesson from now on."
With just one sentence, Professor Auror had won over the favor of many young witches and wizards.
What could be more delightful than not having to bring books to class? If there was anything better, it would be not having to bring books to any class at all.
Fortunately, Professor Auror had granted both wishes.
"This professor must be the real deal," said one of the students immediately. "He's sure to get re-elected!"
"I'll borrow your good words, Mr. Bog, but I can't give Gryffindor extra points just for that.
With that, Professor Auror gently pushed the cage, and a dull buzzing sound filled the room. The cloth covering the cage shook violently, as if it could fall off at any moment. Some of the students standing closer to the front took a few steps back, startled.
"Don't worry," Professor Auror assured them, "Although this little creature is dangerous, as long as I'm here, you won't come to any harm. I just ask that you remain calm and pay attention to every word I say."
With that, Professor Auror lifted the cloth covering, revealing the creature within the cage.
...It was a blue insect, about an inch in size, and the source of the buzzing sound from before. But unlike other insects, it had wings growing from the top of its head. When it flew, it looked like it was wearing a bamboo dragonfly, its body twisting and turning in the air.
It looked rather adorable.
Katie Bell couldn't help but snicker. "Professor, it doesn't look as dangerous as you said."
In her opinion, Professor Auror's earlier words were clearly an exaggeration. This tiny creature was no threat; she could easily squash it with her hand, even without her wand. How could it be dangerous?
"Oh?" Professor Auror smiled faintly and asked, "Then, Miss Bell, I hope you'll maintain that confidence in a moment. Now, can anyone tell me what this creature is? The first person to answer correctly will earn five points for their house!"
In the crowd, Micah heard a faint voice whispering what sounded like a name. Tempted by the offer of extra points, he blurted out, "Billywig!"
"Wonderful, Mr. Micah!" Professor Auror exclaimed happily. "Five points to Gryffindor!"
"That's right, a Billywig, an XXX-class magical beast," Professor Auror explained. "Notice the long stinger at the bottom of its body. Anyone stung by a Billywig will feel dizzy and then start floating uncontrollably in the air. If stung multiple times, one might even spend several days floating without any control."
Professor Auror turned to Katie Bell. "Now, do you still think it's not dangerous?"
Katie Bell averted her gaze, remaining silent. However, her expression suggested that she still wasn't convinced.
"Professor..." A curious student asked, "So, for this lesson, we'll be dealing with this Billywig, right?"
"Not exactly," Professor Auror shook his head. "Before that, you'll first need to learn the spell to counter it. Only when I'm certain you've mastered the spell will we proceed to the practical part."
(End of Chapter)
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