Chapter 20

Friday.

At the start of a sunny morning, the young wizards were still discussing yesterday’s open class with great enthusiasm, a wave of enthusiasm that provided a boost to the dull school life.

What was the topic of discussion the other day?

The perfectly handsome Professor Lockhart?

But that news has now been taken out of the equation, not only because Lockhart’s performance in class was disappointing – even the word “disappointing” was the result of some True fans’ comments.

More importantly, Professor Hap has become the iconic professor of the new generation, stealthily replacing Professor Lockhart, who is known to be the “lover of the masses”.

This has irritated a certain professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

The dozen or so portraits hanging in his office have the same irritated look on their faces.

“I have to do something, yes, something. … God! He’s a real show-off!”

Before coming to Hogwarts, he had thought that the only person qualified to compete with him for the headline page of the Daily Prophet would be the famous Harry Potter, and he was prepared for that. But now he has to admit that he is facing tough competition.

This reminds him of that nasty woman, Rita Skeeter, with whom he competed for the title of the best-selling author award a few years ago, and lost because of that woman’s trickery when she published his dirt during his school days!

Still, he’s no slouch. Doesn’t Skeeter know how badly he was treated when he was in school?

Professor Lockhart loosened his robe, which was strapped tightly around his chest, back in the days when his passions really burned! Now the urge to fight came back to him again.

“A tough opponent, huh?” He paused in front of an etched mirror to cheer himself up, “Gilderoy, you’re dealing with a tough guy, and someone’s trying to take you down! You have to do something!”

Seeing himself in the mirror, he relaxed a little. How could he possibly lose with such a handsome face?

Without mentioning what happened in that small office, Felix’s popularity has reached new heights in small and large groups of wizards, and everyone is looking forward to his official classes.

“Maybe he’ll continue with the golem battles in the classroom? You know, a lot of people didn’t get their turn yesterday.” Ron grabbed a beef pie in his left hand, stuck a piece of potato on his fork in his right, and his mouth isn’t idle either.

“Perhaps, but we’re only in the second year, remember, Ron? We’ll have to wait at least a year to get into his class.” Harry said more sensibly.

Ron’s eyes widened, “Harry, you’re ruining my first dream of the year.” He nudged him with his arm, “You know what I was wondering? I was just imagining beating the crap out of Malfoy with a golem …”

Ron closed his eyes and made a dreamy face, “Malfoy’s robe is lit up by a big fireball, he tried to hide, but it is no use, my golem is just too fast! And he tried to cast a wicked spell, but it was no use either because the golem is too small for him to aim at!”

Harry ate his pie in silence, thinking that Ron is the only one who would miss, as his wand was broken in half.

Hermione, who had been reading while eating her breakfast, looked up and pointed out, “Ron, I must remind you that Professor Hap said in open class that for the safety of the young wizards, the golem would only emit the most basic kind of fire, which is not as powerful as the Fire-Making Spell we can cast ourselves.”

Ron seemed to suddenly choke on his beefpie and couldn’t speak, he didn’t remember Professor Hap saying that, but Hermione is always right about something like this. He muttered a little, “It’s your Fire-Making Spell, neither Harry nor I know it, I think you forgot.”

Hermione grunted.

“I thought you were reading the book, haven’t you finished it yet?”

“I think I just told you yesterday that I have twenty books on my list!”

Ron stopped talking.

Harry is interested in what Hermione had to say, and he couldn’t resist asking her, “Hermione, what do you know about this professor? Ron and I didn’t make it to the school opening dinner.” He is referring to the fact that he and Ron had made their way across half of Britain in Mr. Weasley’s car.

As a result, he and Ron had to spend time in Snape’s basement, wondering if they would be expelled. Fortunately, they were not expelled from the school, nor did they receive the penalty for their behaviour, and Professor McGonagall even prepared food for them.

But after what had happened, it was impossible to return to the dinner party politely, and Ron missed his sister Ginny’s sorting ceremony for this reason.

Hermione quickly and fluently rattled off the information she had heard at the dinner, “Professor Hap graduated from Slytherin House-”

“Slytherin!” Ron suddenly shouted but is met with a sharp glare from Hermione, and he ducked his head to nibble on his pie.

“Yes, Slytherin. He’s nine years older than us and just graduated three years ago. But he’s so well known that all the senior students at school know him well. Professor Hap specializes in ancient runes, spells, transfiguration, muggle studies, and, of course, dueling.”

“Dueling?” Harry looked mildly stunned, his impression of Professor Hap is that he is clearly not the fake as Lockhart, but he also looked gentle and somehow like one of his school teachers at the Muggle school he attended.

It is hard for him to associate Professor Hap with the word duel.

“That’s right.” Hermione looked from side to side and carefully lowered her head and voice, ” I’ve heard that he’s a Muggle and that the Death Eaters had just fallen when he enrolled, and the students at Slytherin weren’t very friendly to him, but …”

“But what?”

“But he beat them back with his spells, the senior students of Slytherin were scared of him because they had been taught.”

Harry and Ron had a look of fascination on their faces.

To be honest, they wanted to beat up some Slytherin, too.

But the rumours Hermione had heard were obviously wrong; Felix had been in Year 5 when the current 7th Year had enrolled, so why should he have to teach them a lesson? Naturally, they would be lectured by someone else.

In Potions class, the young wizards were still talking about yesterday’s public lesson, and Harry could clearly see Malfoy in the Slytherin crowd, boasting loudly about his “relationship” with Professor Hap and how his cousin and Professor Hap were close friends.

Harry couldn’t help thinking that he might have “fought” for his friendship.

Ron is also exaggerating about the time he had fought with a golem in open class, and from what he is saying, it sounded like it wasn’t a golem fighting, but rather him and Harry in a real-life PK.

“Quiet!”

Snape’s voice came from the back of the classroom, and the young wizards instantly shut up. The professor walked with a swagger, his black gown emitting a “hunting” effect with a +10 pressure.

He looked around the room and his eyes lingered on Harry Potter, making the boy’s body tense. But Snape averted his gaze, this time on Ron, and in his characteristic low, mocking voice quipped, “Ronald Weasley … Yes, you’ve certainly made quite a splash these last few days. But you should be focusing on how to improve your terrible potion grade, I don’t want to add another T to your final paper.”

The Slytherin students burst into laughter.

Ron’s face turned red, and he clutched his duct-taped wand in his hand, wanting to cast a spell on Snape’s face.

“And Miss Granger, put that extra-curricular book away, this is Potion class, not some ancient rune class. You’re still a year away from that elective.”

Hermione huffed and put the book away

———-

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