Hermione clenched her fists in exasperation.
"Do you realize what spell Ravenclaw, the house in first place, is learning? The Trip Jinx.
Professor Holmes told me that every spell we learn will be used in our practical lessons.
It's obvious—the spell the top house learns will give them a real advantage.
That means, when it comes to hands-on practice, they'll be a step ahead of us again.
If we fall behind now, we'll keep falling behind.
And when the House Cup is awarded…
Maybe we'll miss out on the trophy—just because of a single point…
So! Are you honestly satisfied with that? Is that what you want?"
Neville was the first to shoot his fist into the air.
"No way!"
The rest of the students, hearts pounding, echoed his cry.
Click!
First-year Colin Creevey captured the moment on film.
Hermione stood before the roaring fireplace, her fist raised high, surrounded by students who looked up to her like loyal followers rallying to her cause.
Bathed in the firelight, she seemed larger than life…
Before anyone could react, Colin blurted out,
"Hermione, could you have Harry stand there too? This angle is absolutely perfect for a photo!"
The common room fell silent for a split second—then exploded with laughter.
Upper-years and first-years alike joined in.
If only the Weasley twins weren't in detention—the scene would have been even more chaotic.
Hermione's cheeks turned scarlet—whether from anger or the heat of the fire, no one could tell.
All the atmosphere she'd worked so hard to build, gone in an instant thanks to Colin's one-liner.
Harry looked mortified, shooting Colin a glare before grabbing his textbook and fleeing to a corner, hiding his face behind the pages and pretending to read.
But no one in the common room meant any harm; after a good laugh, everyone drifted back to their own business.
Ginny gathered the first-years and gave them a quick rundown of the situation.
The fifth-year class rep was off to the side, conferring with Percy about whether to hold a class meeting as well.
"I asked around about Ravenclaw's classes today—it's a disaster for us. Even our mock exam scores aren't as good as theirs.
Percy, do you think we should ask the Professor for the test papers early and memorize those questions? I heard they're all from past O.W.L.s!"
As for the fourth-year class rep…
Well, they were still stuck in detention in the Defence Against the Dark Arts office.
A few fourth-years looked around at the other grades, each with their own leader organizing study sessions.
Only they seemed completely lost.
Angelina gazed at the ceiling, frustration written all over her face.
"Maybe we should elect a deputy class rep. From now on, the deputy can talk to Professor Holmes.
Let those two be sidelined for good."
Her classmates' eyes lit up at the idea…
At that moment, the mood was similar in every house.
In Slytherin, upper-years even warned the grades ranked below Gryffindor:
If you're still behind them next time, don't be surprised if we take time out of our day to 'tutor' you in magic.
In Ravenclaw, everyone was busy with their own work. The class rep was basically a glorified checklist—mainly there to confirm who had truly memorized everything.
A few students were discussing the Potions Classroom Safety Management System that Professor Snape had handed out.
He'd simply told them to memorize and follow it—no explanation given.
But Ravenclaws preferred to puzzle things out for themselves.
Only the Hufflepuffs took the rankings in stride.
If their house was ahead of others? "Oh, that's nice."
If they were behind? "Well, that's perfectly normal. Nothing to get worked up about."
—
Of course, not everything went smoothly.
When it came to the magical practice study rooms, Douglas had to pull out all the stops—gentle persuasion, appeals to reason, even statistics.
With help from Filch and the school nurse, he compiled five years' worth of data on accidents caused by students practicing magic unsupervised at Hogwarts.
At last, Professor McGonagall agreed to allocate four classrooms for student practice.
Why four?
Well, imagine students from all four houses practicing magic in the same room.
No one could guarantee their wands wouldn't misfire—or that a full-blown inter-house war wouldn't break out.
No one wanted to see that happen.
Once the study rooms were arranged, Professor McGonagall voiced her concern.
"Douglas, I don't think these rooms should be open for just anyone to use. There need to be rules. What do you think?"
Douglas nodded, producing a carefully prepared set of regulations.
"Professor, please take a look at these guidelines. There are a few points I'd like your approval on."
Professor McGonagall accepted the parchment, giving him a mock-stern look—as if to say, "If you'd shown me this earlier, you could have spared me all that nagging."
[Students below third year must be accompanied by an older student to enter the study room…]
[Upon entry, everyone must fill out a practice log—listing the spells they'll work on and who's present.
Only spells taught in class may be practiced. Any extra-curricular spells require a professor's written approval…]
[Absolutely no unrelated items allowed in the study room…]
[Absolutely no horseplay or casting spells on classmates…]
…
[Study room hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.]
[Please observe these rules and supervise each other. Anyone who breaks them will lose their study room privileges!]
Professor McGonagall scanned the list and nodded, clearly satisfied.
"Douglas, I agree with everything here. Is there anything else I can help with?"
Douglas scratched his nose.
"Well, Professor, I think we should offer some incentives!
For example, how's a third-year supposed to find an upperclassman with free time to accompany them for practice? Outside of close friends, it's not easy to get help.
So maybe we could give out a few points for those who help out—say, if someone accompanies a younger student and ensures nothing goes wrong, they get a few house points.
And for sixth- and seventh-years who make big contributions, we could offer a recommendation letter upon graduation.
A letter from a Hogwarts professor would go a long way for their future careers…"
After a lengthy explanation, Douglas finally convinced her.
She even promised to help persuade the other Heads of House.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
—
Wednesday.
Even before the study rooms officially opened, the Gryffindor first-years were about to experience their very first practical lesson at Hogwarts.
In the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Douglas spoke as he drew a diagram in the air with a marking spell.
"Everyone, close your textbooks and take out your wands.
We won't need books for this lesson.
Here's the deal:
Today's practical is simple.
All you have to do is make it safely from the entrance of the passage to the exit.
Of course, you'll face a few little obstacles.
First, inside, it's a cave-like space that'll restrict your movement.
Second, you'll encounter a creature you've never seen in any textbook.
Don't worry—it isn't dangerous.
But…
During this challenge, you're not allowed to look it in the eye, in any way.
If you look directly into its eyes, you'll be hit with a Full Body-Bind Curse—and that's an instant fail.
If you see its eyes indirectly, you'll be hit by a weaker Full Body-Bind Curse and collapse for a minute.
If, during that minute, it doesn't notice you, you can continue. But if it does, you'll get a white mark—meaning you've failed as well.
Whoever completes the challenge first will win a full set of my signed books!"
As Douglas explained the rules, he carefully watched every face in the classroom.
But, much to his disappointment, he didn't see the reaction he'd been hoping for.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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