The "potions tutoring" lasted only one night.
At least Professor Severus Snape never mentioned when the next "tutoring" session would be.
Now that he no longer had to worry about sudden magic surges, Jon could freely summon his Patronus in the Room of Requirement to practice.
Of course, practice without a real target was just theory. He was still curious to see how his rather plain-looking Patronus would perform against an actual Dementor.
With Dementors stationed all around the school, finding a chance to test it wouldn't be hard… Jon had already made up his mind.
...
The first few weeks of term passed quickly.
Defense Against the Dark Arts soon became a favorite among most students—except Draco Malfoy and a few of his Slytherin friends, who enjoyed speaking ill of Professor Lupin. Under Lupin's guidance, they had learned to identify and deal with Kappa, a scaly, monkey-like reptile, and Grindylows, green horned water demons.
Rubeus Hagrid, who shared teaching duties with Lupin in Care of Magical Creatures, wasn't nearly as fortunate.
Rumor had it that after some trouble during his very first lesson, he'd been walking around like a man in a daze. For more than a month, his classes consisted solely of having students care for a small insect called the Flobberworm.
"I've never seen such a ridiculous teacher. We're here to learn, not to help him raise maggots!" Jon had overheard upper-year students say more than once.
"I thought Professor Grubbly-Plank was bad enough…"
"Yeah, I've never missed Professor Kettleburn as much as I do now!"
...
The other classes were much the same as the previous year.
In Herbology, they began working with increasingly dangerous plants—besides Devil's Snare, there was also Moly, Mandrake, and Ghost Vine. Jon's practical skills shone here; whether it was dividing plants, grafting, or collecting spores, he rarely made mistakes.
Professor Sprout valued him highly, often inviting him to assist her in the greenhouse. And she always gave him a small gift afterward—sometimes a rare plant specimen, sometimes an uncommon potion ingredient, and sometimes even a bag of moldy Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
In Potions, they learned shrinking solutions, emetic potions, and Doxycide. These second-year assignments were well below Jon's actual ability, and he had no trouble with them at all.
In Transfiguration and Charms, his performance was also much better than at the same time last year. In Transfiguration, he was the first to successfully transform a beetle into a button, earning praise from Professor McGonagall. In Charms, his skill with the Unlocking Charm and the Freezing Charm ranked among the top in the class.
As for Flying Lessons, ever since receiving that special contribution award from Madam Hooch, Jon seemed to have let himself relax a bit too much.
...
One Saturday at midday in late October, Jon entered the Great Hall to find a crowd gathered around a noticeboard, chattering excitedly.
At the front were the Gryffindor Quidditch team's main players.
"It's the new Quidditch rules!" explained Chaser Katie Bell, speaking kindly to the students behind her who couldn't see.
"The Keeper gets a protected area now—fantastic!" Oliver Wood exclaimed, clenching his fists.
"The Beaters get new gloves so they can actually catch Bludgers—that's brilliant!" one of the Weasley twins said with a grin, though Jon couldn't tell which one.
"The changes for Chasers will be in place for the next Quidditch Cup," said Angelina Johnson a bit nervously. "We can only hold the Quaffle for a few seconds before passing it—much more complicated than before…"
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked the other Weasley twin, noticing Harry Potter frowning.
"Nothing," Harry said with a strained smile. "Just a bit disappointed there's no change for the Seeker position."
"Maybe next time," Wood said, patting his shoulder.
"All right, everyone, practice is over! Get back to your dorms, pack your things, and get ready—we're going to Hogsmeade this afternoon. If anyone's free, we can meet at The Three Broomsticks for a drink!" Wood finished.
As the others left in high spirits, Harry quietly trailed at the back.
Hogsmeade Village, near Hogwarts, was the only entirely wizarding settlement in Britain. By school rules, only third-years and above could visit on certain Saturdays.
As a second-year, Jon naturally didn't have that privilege—
But suddenly he remembered something and hurried to the Hufflepuff common room.
...
Inside, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan, and Justin Finch-Fletchley were already dressed to go.
Jon rushed into his dormitory, grabbed a bag, and ran to Hannah's side.
"Hannah, could you do me a favor?" he asked, slightly out of breath, as he handed her the bag.
"Wow… are these cookies?" Hannah's eyes lit up before narrowing in confusion at the label on the bag of Muggle food. "What? Dog biscuits?"
"Yes!" Jon explained quickly. "They're special treats for dogs. I heard there are quite a few poor stray dogs in Hogsmeade."
"I'm not sure… my grandfather never took me to Hogsmeade," Hannah said softly. "Wait, you want me to take this bag of dog biscuits and feed the strays there?"
"Yes… they're so pitiful," Jon said with a sympathetic expression. "And I can't go to Hogsmeade myself yet."
"Leave it to me!" Hannah promised, patting her chest and taking the bag.
"Thanks," Jon said.
Stifling a grin, he left the common room and made his way back to his dormitory.