The storm that had lasted an entire day finally stopped the next morning.
Kael and Conna arrived at the auditorium, studying their new class schedule for the year while having breakfast.
"Look, we don't have any Potion classes this week!" Mikel exclaimed excitedly, as if discovering a new continent.
"Neither do we." Cedric spread out his schedule, "Let me see... oh, the first Potion class is scheduled for next Wednesday."
"Us too!" Hannah chimed in from the side: "Our first Potion class is on next Friday."
"All of you?" Cedric stood up in confusion, walking along the long table to see that no matter the year, there was no Potion class this week.
He was actually the first one to have a Potion class.
But it's only Tuesday, and including the weekend, that's eight days without a single Potion class?
It's not unusual for one year to be like this, but for all seven years, that's a bit abnormal.
"Conna, do you know anything?" Cedric quietly asked: "Professor Snape didn't come to school?"
"He has other things to do; he might be a few days late coming." Conna said, "Not long after the holidays began, Professor Dumbledore came to see him once, and since then he's rarely been out, and he didn't let me in either... so I don't know exactly what happened."
After saying this, Conna instinctively glanced at Kael, who was drinking pumpkin juice.
She thought Kael might know why Dumbledore went to see Snape that day, especially since during the Quidditch World Cup, he evidently knew and was quite familiar with that house-elf.
But seeing Kael eating silently, she didn't bring it up.
As for the others, they weren't interested in this either; the only thing they cared about was not having Potion classes for a week.
That good news was enough.
Mikel happily drank a large gulp of pumpkin juice as if it were a celebratory champagne.
At this moment, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from above, as a hundred owls flew in through the open window, bringing the morning mail to everyone.
A brown owl dropped a copy of the "Daily Prophet" on the table.
Kael poured it some cornflakes, then opened the newspaper and started reading.
The front page was still about the events at the Quidditch World Cup... former Ministry of Magic staff member Yaxley had been imprisoned in Azkaban after being found to have used an Unforgivable Curse.
It also detailed his entire trial process. From the photo, Yaxley looked quite agitated, constantly shouting; his usually well-groomed hairstyle was as messy as an old broom in the school broom closet.
But it was no use; in the second photo, he was being dragged away by Aurors.
"Ha, I knew it, they wouldn't escape." Cedric said from the side: "I heard from Bill that someone hit Mr. Weasley with two Crucio Curses in a row, it must have been him."
"No doubt about it." Kael put away the newspaper and glanced at the Slytherin long table.
Malfoy was also reading the "Daily Prophet," clearly in a bad mood, his face paler than usual, much like Crabbe and Goyle.
They had never taken their eyes off food during meals, but today they kept staring at the newspaper, leaving their food untouched.
After breakfast, a few of them left the auditorium together, getting ready for their first class.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts..." Conna said, "I wonder what this Professor Moody is like."
"He shouldn't be bad." Cedric, following beside them, said: "Professor Moody is a legendary Auror; it's said he put half of the prisoners in Azkaban there himself, someone like that must have real skill."
"Let's hope so..." Mikel said.
After experiencing Lockhart, he no longer had high hopes for so-called reputation; whether someone was capable depended on how well they taught the class.
On the third floor, Cedric parted ways with them, as his first class was Transfiguration Technique.
Kael and the others went to another part.
Even though class hadn't started, the classroom was already filled with a lot of people; it seemed everyone was interested in Professor Moody's class.
Kael found a row of empty seats at the back of the classroom and sat down, taking out their "Dark Magic: Self-defense Guide" and waiting.
Soon, they heard the distinctive thunking footsteps of Professor Moody coming from outside the corridor.
The previously noisy classroom fell silent instantly, and the atmosphere was particularly solemn.
Before the class bell rang, Professor Moody walked into the classroom, his blue Magic Eye spinning rapidly, looking as bizarre and intimidating as at the banquet the previous day.
"Put the books away." He said gruffly, "I flipped through them last night, there's nothing useful in them, suitable for third years and below, but you have no need for them."
Everyone quickly put their books away, their gazes filled with a hint of excitement.
Past experience told them that any professor who started the first class by asking them to put away their books meant the course was sure to be great.
Like Oren in first year, and last year's Lupin...
Moody walked to the front and began taking attendance, his normal eye moving down the list, while his Magic Eye swiveled around, watching every responding student.
"Alright." After the last student responded, he said: "Before coming here, I received a letter from Professor Lupin, introducing the status of this course.
First, I want to clarify that I have no intention of belittling him, but I don't understand why Lupin spent an entire school year teaching you how to deal with Fantastic Beasts... In my view, that should be a second-year course.
After all, Dark Wizards aren't stupid enough to wander around with a few creatures; they have wands!"
Kael twitched his lips, feeling a bit offended.
How is bringing Fantastic Beasts stupid? It didn't eat your family's cow leg... dare to say this in front of Newt.
Kael grumbled inwardly.
Moody on the podium didn't know what he was thinking, continued, "But since I'm here, it's my duty to give you a taste of how wizards handle things... how to deal with spells."
Everyone immediately straightened up, eager to start; honestly, they were a bit tired of continuously learning about dark magical creatures.
"Let's begin now." He rasped with a smile, "Spells come in various forms, with different levels of power. These include legal charms, and illegal Dark Arts spells, what we commonly call Dark Magic... So, can anyone tell me, what dark magic do you already know?"
A Gryffindor student raised their hand, "I know one, the Crucio Curse."
"Yes, the Unforgivable Curses, among the most evil Dark Arts spells; if someone is found using this spell on another wizard, they will spend the rest of their life in Azkaban."
Moody grinned, showing a sinister smile, "I assume you saw this spell in today's newspaper."
The person nodded.
"That's the best example." Moody chuckled, "That foolish guy even claimed he was under the Imperio Curse, such a poor lie, I don't need to be on-site to know it's false.
Oh, by the way, the Imperio Curse is also one of the Unforgivable Curses... Miss Marian, I believe you should be well-versed in this part of knowledge, can you tell me the name of the last Unforgivable Curse?"