It was only then that the students remembered—they were still in the middle of a practical lesson.
Douglas turned to Theodore and Crabbe.
"You two can return to the classroom and write a reflection on today's exercise—twelve inches, please."
Theodore froze. What was he supposed to write, having barely made it a few steps?
Crabbe looked equally lost. Homework? And he had to do it alone?
What could he possibly reflect on—just running?
He had no idea what to write.
Desperately, he shot a pleading look at his "boss," Draco.
Draco, for his part, looked a little anxious too—after all, Crabbe hadn't shared any information yet.
Catching Crabbe's gaze, he misread it as a sign of loyalty and cleverness. After all these years, Crabbe was finally getting the message.
So Draco raised his hand and, watching Douglas closely, said,
"Professor, I've been thinking about the rules you gave us. You never said we couldn't share information about what's inside the passage.
Of course, that's just my little theory…
You know, Slytherin is a very united house…"
Under Douglas's piercing stare, Draco Malfoy realized he couldn't keep up the charade.
Douglas shook his head inwardly. This boy was always trying to imitate his father's style, but it never quite landed.
Still, he smiled and replied,
"Of course. I'm glad you picked up on that. But only if the student is willing to share what they know!"
No sooner had he spoken than every eye in the room turned to Crabbe.
Poor Theodore, standing off to the side, felt a surge of indignation. They'd both been inside—why did everyone assume the big oaf knew more than him?
Of course, Theodore had no idea the map on the wall displayed everyone's progress.
His classmates had seen for themselves: Theodore hadn't even made it a third of the way through the first passage before failing, while Crabbe had nearly finished the second.
Crabbe blinked, looking both flustered and a little put out—this wasn't what he'd wanted to talk about at all.
But under Draco's encouraging (and ever-so-slightly threatening) look, he had no choice but to stammer out his account:
"I went in, and it looked like a cave…
I just kept running forward… there were some puddles, I think…
I tripped…
Then I turned the corner…
And there was this huge shadow chasing me…
So I just kept running…
And then, at the end, I saw a pair of glowing green eyes…"
The rest of the class listened in bewilderment. It sounded less like a report and more like someone recounting a half-remembered dream.
They turned to Theodore for clarification.
Theodore was just as confused. Why had Crabbe only encountered the monster in the second stage, while he'd run into it right at the start?
Maybe the professor adjusted the difficulty based on each student's performance?
Seeing everyone looking at him, he nodded in agreement,
"Yeah, that's right—definitely a pair of glowing green eyes!"
With that, he turned and left for the classroom. Crabbe hesitated, then followed.
The remaining Slytherins frowned, beginning to suspect that the strange creature had been there from the very start.
Draco tried again, "Professor, may we discuss our findings?"
Douglas nodded.
"Of course, but do remember—there's only so much time left in class..."
Draco swept his gaze over the group.
Pansy Parkinson whispered,
"Don't forget the spell Professor taught us last time. If he bothered to teach it, it must be useful here!"
Taking her advice, Draco immediately sent in a student who'd mastered the detection charm.
By the time class ended, four Slytherins—including Draco himself—still hadn't taken their turns.
Most of their time had been spent in heated discussion.
During this, Draco repeatedly reminded everyone,
"Anyone who comes out has to share everything about the passage—no holding back!
We need to work out the perfect strategy so that, next time, everyone can get through without a hitch.
If anyone withholds information and Gryffindor overtakes us, I'll go straight to the prefects, the Head Boy, even the Head of House!"
The Slytherins, though not without their own ambitions, knew this was about house pride.
If Slytherin ended up behind Gryffindor because of someone's selfishness, it would be a disaster.
The problem was, every student who returned described something different.
Some said they detected a creature as soon as they entered, and in their panic, glimpsed a pair of green eyes in the water.
(Slytherin suggestion: Use a Fogging Charm to hide your reflection!)
Others tried Crabbe's strategy—just run for it—but overestimated their athleticism and wound up floundering in a puddle.
(Slytherin suggestion: Try a Freezing Charm!)
They came up with plenty of solutions, but not everyone could cast the necessary spells.
Finally, only Daphne Greengrass managed to reach the second passage, following the advice of her peers.
She brought back new intel:
The second passage only looked terrifying.
As long as you ran fast enough, the creature would always stay a meter behind you.
She noticed the floor itself seemed to move backward as you ran—about a third of a step back for every step forward. Only by accelerating could you actually make progress.
She'd tried using a Freezing Charm on the shifting floor—it didn't help.
And the closer you got to the exit, the more invisible resistance you felt—like running through water. Breathing was fine, but it took real effort.
The passage definitely narrowed as you advanced, adding a sense of claustrophobia.
Her conclusion: this stage was a test of stamina.
The Slytherins stared at her in disbelief. Was this supposed to be simple, or impossibly hard?
Douglas applauded, genuinely impressed.
"Excellent deduction, Miss Greengrass. Five points to Slytherin!"
He hadn't expected a second-year Slytherin to see through the purpose of his obstacles.
He'd figured it would take a third-year, or maybe a Ravenclaw—possibly even Hermione.
As the others turned to Daphne Greengrass in awe—so it really was a test of physical endurance?—Draco smirked.
This was the wizarding world. Surely there had to be a magical shortcut.
Douglas watched Draco leave, head held high, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He could guess what was going through the boy's mind.
You think I wouldn't anticipate your next move? Oh, you're still so young.
In truth, this challenge had only two purposes.
The first: to see if that diary had made its way into Hogwarts. So far, none of the students had shown any abnormal signs.
He'd have to wait for the lesson to stir things up, and for the esteemed Mr. Riddle to reveal himself.
In the meantime, it gave the students a rehearsal for what to do if the Chamber of Secrets incident occurred.
If any clever student noticed the connection, all the better—he already had his explanations and next moves prepared.
After all, his love of chess and Go in his previous life had taught him to plan several steps ahead.
The second reason: he'd noticed that most Hogwarts students were, frankly, a bit out of shape. Not sickly, exactly, but many of them suffered from racing hearts, shortness of breath, dizziness, or headaches after even minor exertion.
He saw it in class all the time—students panting after running up the castle's endless stairs, or even nearly fainting from a dash to avoid being late.
Potions could treat the symptoms, but he wanted to solve the problem at its root.
Morning exercise could strengthen the nervous system, improve coordination, and build collective spirit—teaching them endurance, teamwork, and grit.
Most importantly, it could nurture their character.
Hogwarts was surrounded by mountains, lakes, and forests—yet most students spent their days shuffling through the castle's gloomy corridors.
Aside from the Quidditch players, few ever enjoyed the beauty of the grounds.
Douglas was determined to let them experience the joy of running along the Black Lake at dawn…
Of course, he didn't expect to change school customs overnight.
He'd have to guide them gently, one small step at a time.
All for the students—everything for their growth!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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