Although Wade still harbored some doubts about Professor Abigail, with Dumbledore's assurance, he chose not to worry excessively.
After all, even combining his past and present lives, Wade's age was still less than half of Dumbledore's. He didn't believe his ability to judge people could surpass that of the old wizard.
However, Wade was certain that Dumbledore had withheld a lot of information.
Of course, given the vast difference in their ages, Wade didn't feel resentful about it.
In fact, whenever he found himself feeling uneasy, he would try switching perspectives. If I were in Dumbledore's shoes, would I reveal classified information to a twelve-year-old?
Of course not.
Thinking this way, his mood calmed again, and he even felt that Dumbledore had been overly accommodating toward him.
…
By the end of March, the weather had begun to warm slightly. Although it rained incessantly for the better part of the month, the gloomy skies and muddy ground did little to dampen the students' enthusiasm for outdoor games.
The Maze Challenge once again became the hottest game at Hogwarts.
After a winter-long hiatus, the students' excitement for the game surged to an almost alarming degree. Nearly every moment outside of curfew found the maze packed with eager participants.
Professor Abigail immediately fell in love with the sport. She also quickly realized that within the game, she could unleash her full strength on opponents without fearing Madam Pomfrey's reprimands.
That said, the professor had finally come to understand that children were far more fragile than adults. When injured, they tended to have "protectors" who would come seeking explanations. As a result, she tempered her strikes considerably.
Students rarely got seriously hurt, but they often found themselves defeated in a flash, barely able to catch a glimpse of their assailant before being sent out of the maze. The game experience was less than satisfying for them.
Frustrated, they repeatedly protested to the "referees," but the professors only offered vague reassurances and made no move to curb Abigail's actions.
Annoyed and exasperated, the students formed various alliances, dividing tasks into roles such as luring, scouting, attacking, and defending. With careful coordination, they hoped to use sheer numbers to overcome the ruthlessly skilled Professor Abigail.
For the young witches and wizards, it was just another way to play the game. But to the adult wizards observing from afar, the children's transformations were both fascinating and unsettling.
"This is practically like... a real army.."
Snape murmured as he stood by a window, watching the students in the distant game field as they attempted to encircle Abigail from all directions. They moved cautiously, and stayed hidden behind obstacles as they darted and dodged.
In a low voice, Snape asked, "Dumbledore, is this your intent?"
"Believe me, not everything goes according to my plan," Dumbledore said in a surprised tone. "At the start, I simply wanted the children to become more familiar with spell usage."
Snape looked at him skeptically, but Dumbledore's expression gave away nothing of whether he was being truthful.
"Fine," Snape said. "In any case, just make sure Fudge doesn't see this... He might be so startled he'd fall flat on his rear."
"You underestimate our Minister of Magic," Dumbledore replied with a chuckle. "His courage, I believe, extends a bit further than that."
Snape smirked sarcastically but said nothing more.
As he gazed out at the chaos outside, his expression gradually darkened.
He couldn't help but wonder—if back then, we'd undergone the same kind of training at school, would Lily have...
Then Snape reminded himself that training would inevitably occur on both sides, and back then, he had been a Death Eater.
We were enemies.
Greater skills on either side would only have made the war even more brutal.
Nonetheless, watching the students grow more capable with each passing day brought mixed emotions to the professors. While it made managing them more challenging, they also felt a genuine sense of pride.
Perhaps it was Abigail's battle hunger being sufficiently satisfied within the maze, or perhaps Madam Pomfrey's wrath had finally struck a nerve. Whatever the reason, the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons eventually became somewhat more normal.
Abigail began teaching straight from the textbook, covering how to handle common dark creatures. However, she placed greater emphasis on how to prevent ambushes by dark wizards and detailed their various techniques.
When particularly inspired, she, like her predecessor, would involve the students in demonstrations of restraint and counterattacks.
The difference, however, was stark. In Lockhart's lessons, students would simply flail their arms and roar dramatically before being "heroically defeated by the great Lockhart."
In Abigail's class, on the other hand, she demonstrated genuine counterattack techniques. Students participating in her demonstrations often ended up bruised and battered.
"Honestly, Professor Abigail is way better than I initially thought. What she teaches is incredibly practical—if only she'd go a little easier when hitting people," Anthony said, grimacing as Michael helped apply a potion to a bruise on his back.
Many students chimed in agreement.
Now, after every Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, most students had adopted a new habit: heading to a nearby empty classroom to help one another apply healing potions.
The girls, meanwhile, went to a separate classroom for the same purpose.
Bruises and scrapes hardly warranted a trip to Madam Pomfrey. Visiting her would likely result in a scolding—or at the very least, a stern lecture. By applying potion themselves, most minor bruises would fade within ten minutes or so.
Most Ravenclaw and Slytherin students were quite skilled in Potions. Even Goyle and Crabbe occasionally managed to brew acceptable potions that actually worked.
Of course, when it came to the most effective potions, Ravenclaw turned to Wade, while Slytherin relied on Malfoy.
As a result, both were often surrounded by admirers.
Last semester, the relationship between the two houses had reached its lowest point. However, as Wade continued to demonstrate his growing strength, past grievances seemed to fade into the background.
After all, they were just teenagers, seeing each other every day in classes, practicing spells together, sitting at neighboring tables during meals, and getting pummeled together during maze challenges by certain professors...
Most people had long forgotten the reasons behind their original disputes.
Gradually, the two groups returned to friendly conversations and laughter. Some Slytherins began walking beside Malfoy again, though Malfoy now treated them with noticeable indifference.
After Friday's Charms class, Professor Flitwick asked the Ravenclaw students to stay behind to announce something important.
"Next week marks the start of the Easter holidays," Professor Flitwick said, standing atop a tall stack of books as he addressed his students seriously.
"During this break, you need to carefully consider which elective courses you'll take in your third year."
"This decision will affect your future, so you must not make it lightly! Before making your choices, I strongly suggest discussing them with your parents. If you need any additional information, don't hesitate to come to me."
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