Chapter 90: The Curse of the Bloodline - Hogwarts Kill Evil Dumbledore

Adam believed that a proper lesson should be enlightening, direct, and focused on reinforcing knowledge. It should be like how the pioneers of simplified spells made magic accessible to more young witches and wizards.

But the professor standing at the front of the classroom was nothing like that. Professor Snape was full of subjective, biased, and purposeful rhetoric. His very first sentence had silenced the entire room.

Even though they were all used to Snape's challenging questions, like the ones in Potions class, this was different. Sure, his Potions questions were tricky, but they were always about important details from the textbook. He would even throw in some of his own research to help them out.

However, the students today had no idea what Snape's question had to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts. The topic wasn't even mentioned in their textbooks. Adam couldn't help but think Snape might as well just take points from Hufflepuff and get on with it.

Snape stood at the front, his gaze fixed on Adam. He held up a copy of "The Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Protection" and asked in a long, drawn-out voice, "Tell me, what was the greatest achievement of this book's author, Quentin Trimble, in the history of magic?"

He paused, a sneering look on his face, seemingly enjoying the moment. "If you can't answer that, then all I can say is you've never seriously studied Defense Against the Dark Arts—Hufflepuff, lose..."

Adam blinked, then raised his hand. "Apologies, Professor Snape, but the last time you asked me a question about Felix Felicis, I was just guessing."

"But I actually know this one. Professor Trimble's greatest achievement was co-authoring 'Curses and Counter-Curses' with the previous headmaster, Professor Vindictus, back when he was Headmaster of Hogwarts in the 18th century. Their portraits still hang in the Headmaster's office, and the book remains a cornerstone in the field of curse-breaking."

"In fact," Adam added, "some of the minor hexes you hear in the hallways, like 'Tongue-Tying' and 'Leg-Locker,' are actually from that book."

Snape's expression grew even darker. After a long silence, he finally grumbled, "Did no one teach you to stand up when answering a question? Hufflepuff, one point deducted."

He then turned to the other students, sharply ordering them to pick up their quills and write everything down. He asked about their progress, and when he heard that Professor Hogg was teaching first-years the Shield Charm, he visibly sneered.

"He's likely overestimated the brains of some people, which are comparable to a troll's. To those who take weeks to brew a simple Boil-Curing Potion, he expects them to master defensive charms early?"

"Put away your textbooks. For this lesson, you will only take notes... I believe you don't understand the true meaning of the Dark Arts."

"The Dark Arts isn't just about hexes, jinxes, and curses, but that isn't my topic today. I will be speaking about curses, the most wicked form of the Dark Arts."

Snape was completely different from his usual self during Potions class. He spoke very slowly, as if to make sure no one missed a word, and even wrote some relevant incantations on the blackboard.

"Curses come in all shapes and forms, and the effects can vary greatly between different wizards. But most curses share common traits: they are extremely malicious, last for a very long time, and the consequences are difficult to undo."

"Even if a counter-curse is performed in time, it often leaves irreversible after-effects. For example, besides the three Unforgivable Curses, there is one of the most vile: the Blood Curse..."

It might have been Adam's imagination, but when Snape said the last part, his gaze flickered over to him, as if he was trying to hint at something. The glance was fleeting, and Snape continued to describe the Blood Curse, explaining how it could be passed down through a family's bloodline. He then went on to list specific families in the wizarding world that had been affected by these curses.

"A Blood-Curse-Bearer is fundamentally different from an Animagus. Their ability to transform comes from the curse's power, allowing them to switch between human and animal forms at will."

"However, this seemingly wonderful ability comes with an extremely heavy price. This curse, hidden within the blood, will gradually turn the person into an animal, a process that is irreversible."

"Under the influence of the Blood Curse, the cursed person will not retain any of their human memories and will eventually descend into being a complete beast."

After the class was over, the subtle feeling of being watched finally faded. A collective groan went through the room, and the Ravenclaw students rushed to the library. Snape had assigned them a ten-inch essay on Blood-Curse-Bearers, with citations required. He also made it clear that even if the next Defense Against the Dark Arts class wasn't taught by him, he would still use Potions class time to check their work. This crushed the hopes of many students who thought they could get away with not doing the assignment.

But most of the students were more concerned about Professor Hogg. Even without the incentive of their bets, they hoped he would return soon, if only because he didn't assign so much homework.

Adam was also on his way to the library, but his mind was racing. He was trying to figure out if this had anything to do with his previous detention. It felt like Snape had been trying to pass on some kind of hidden message that night. He even wondered if the tracks on the Marauder's Map had been a record of Snape and Hogg's confrontation, and if that Veritaserum had actually been used.

"Oh, you're still here!" Cedric's voice echoed down the hallway, making Cho and Sherry jump. He pulled back a tapestry on the wall, revealing a secret passageway to the fifth floor.

George and Fred were standing on the stairs to the passage. They both had heavy bags under their eyes, looking like they hadn't slept all night. They gave a listless greeting.

"Did you get the stuff?" Adam asked, his voice full of anticipation.

"Yeah, we did," George said, handing Adam a piece of parchment. "Fred and I hid in the library for ages last night. Who would've thought Madam Pince would check the books so many times after closing at eight?"

The handwriting on the parchment was incredibly messy, but Adam could just barely make out names and dates. It was a record of all the books borrowed from the library over the past six months.

"Why do you always need to find such strange things?" Fred asked, scratching his head, completely baffled.

"Because it's important," Adam replied, examining the parchment for Professor Hogg's name. "If I can figure this out, I think I'll understand why Snape is filling in for him."

Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: The Curse of the Bloodline