Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 918: Chapter 742: Hagrid’s Request

After the welcome banquet, Dumbledore came back for a lesson with Harry once a week.

But when Kael received the message from the portrait and went to find him, the lesson had already ended, and he had once again left the school, leaving only Harry, who had just finished watching a memory and hadn’t fully come back to his senses.

”Kael, are you here to see Professor Dumbledore too?” Harry said, ”He just received a message from the fireplace saying that the Dark Mark had appeared somewhere, and he hurried off right after that.”

”Ah, it’s okay.” Kael said, ”I didn’t have anything important to discuss with him anyway, I’ll catch up with him later.”

After running back and forth twice for nothing, Kael wasn’t as eager as he was at the beginning. After all, the Time Turner was in his hands, so if Dumbledore needed him, he would come looking for him.

Afterwards, the two left the Headmaster’s Office together.

When they reached the corridor outside, Harry turned his head to look at Kael beside him, his mouth moving slightly, ”Kael, you...”

But as he spoke, he suddenly closed his mouth again.

”What’s up?” Kael asked, puzzled.

”Nothing, nothing.” Harry shook his head.

Because Dumbledore had to leave suddenly after watching the memories, Harry had accumulated many doubts and needed someone to share and talk about them with...

Kael was indeed a good choice; he was smart, knew a lot, and had even personally participated in several secret plans.

But for this reason, Harry found it hard to see him as a peer; he preferred to discuss these matters with Ron or Hermione.

”So...” Trying not to raise Kael’s suspicions, Harry quickly said, ”I just wanted to ask you, is learning Apparition difficult? We can start learning this magic on Saturday.

”Sirius originally promised to teach us, but he left school shortly after the term started and hasn’t had time since then.”

”Not too hard, I guess.” Kael glanced at him and said, ”And there’s a trick to it. If someone takes you along in a Side-Along Apparition before you learn, it becomes much easier later.”

”Well, actually, Professor Dumbledore took me along once... um, in a Side-Along Apparition.”

Harry said, ”That was the night we went to see Professor Slughorn, but the experience wasn’t very pleasant, felt like being a stuffed toy thrown into a washing machine.”

”That’s normal, you’ll get used to it over time.” Kael said. ”Besides, if you’ve experienced something more thrilling, you’d find being a stuffed toy not so bad after all.”

”More thrilling?” Harry asked, puzzled. ”What do you mean, isn’t every Apparition the same?”

”Not a person, a phoenix.” Kael nervously glanced behind him.

He dared to say everyone who’s been flown by a phoenix would find it easier to master Apparition.

Except, few people have had such an opportunity.

Since Harry hadn’t experienced this, he found it hard to understand what Kael meant.

The topic seemed to have reached a stalemate, but fortunately, they had already arrived near the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry glanced at the huge portrait of the Fat Lady, relieved.

”See you tomorrow, Kael.”

”See you tomorrow.”

After Harry left, Kael also headed downstairs in a different direction.

...

On the second day after the holidays, Hogwarts experienced heavy snowfall, with the grounds covered in a thick layer of snow overnight, roughly five inches deep.

A group of first-year young wizards struggled forward, trying to get to the greenhouse for Herbology Class, trudging through the accumulation of snow.

The students heading to Care of Magical Creatures Class faced the same challenge.

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid seemed rather distracted and had brought a batch of Moonstruck Beasts to the already harvested pumpkin patch.

The creatures’ unique appearance quickly captivated the students, who flocked over enthusiastically.

”I really can’t believe it.” Conna said in a low voice, ”Hagrid is actually showcasing Moonstruck Beasts in seventh-year class rather than other species with tusks and claws.”

”Yes, right.” Kael nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t a secret at Hogwarts that Hagrid favored creatures with less friendly appearances.

For students under fifth-year, due to age considerations, Hagrid could only bring creatures below XXX classification for lessons, but sixth and seventh-year students were different.

The N.E.W.T. examinations covered a broad range, with fewer restrictions in course content, recently turning Care of Magical Creatures Class into ”The Complete Guide to Ferocious Beasts.”

Last time it was a blast-ended skrewt... the time before, a crumple-horned snorkack... to be honest, even Kael was curious where Hagrid found them, but he had to admit, the Forbidden Forest’s biodiversity was impressive.

Now that Hagrid suddenly had Moonstruck Beasts, creatures harmless to people and animals, Kael found it somewhat unsettling.

”Perhaps he’s been Imperio’d.” Ryan muttered from the side, obviously on the same page as them.

”Though I think so too, it probably isn’t the case.” Kael replied, ”Controlling Hagrid would require You-Know-Who himself casting Imperio, only then might it be possible.”

”Why’s he suddenly behaving so strangely then?”

”No idea... maybe preparing Moonstruck Beasts is convenient.” Kael said.

They trudged through thick snow toward the pumpkin patch, and it was only when they got closer did Kael notice Hagrid looking rather dispirited, not as enthusiastic about the class as before.