The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

Like a sudden gust of wind, the calendar suddenly turned to October. The weather was getting colder day by day, and large clouds hung over the black lake and the castle. The chilly air seeped in from between each stone brick, and hot chocolate and pumpkin juice replaced ice cream as the students' favorite desserts. Because of the often strong winds, when the Quidditch players came back from practice, everyone was messy, exhausted, and in a bad temper.

On a cold and drizzling morning, the fifth-year Gryffindor had just finished a Muggle Studies lesson. Immediately following this class was Potions, which explained why the group of students were lazily putting their textbooks into their bags, sighing, and seemingly not wanting to leave the classroom.

Anthony packed up the lesson plans and textbooks on the podium: Please note, ladies and gentlemen, our classes next week and the week after that are cancelled.

What? cried a student. Why, Professor?

Anthony smiled: Because there are still some people waiting for their practical activities. We will go to the zoo next week.

But Professor, O.W.Ls—— The second half of the student's sentence was muffled by his classmates.

Well, since you mentioned the O.W.Ls exam... Anthony said, facing the students in the audience, I have considered whether I should assign you papers, increase the difficulty of the course, or bring up the exam when I find someone is distracted. The urgency of it, he saw several students exchanging guilty looks, but that day I thought of the employment counseling you are about to face. Is a Muggle Studies certificate really that important to your future? ? Or is it really more important to memorize the history of the Industrial Revolution and read Mr. William Wigworthy’s description of Muggle life than to see factories with your own eyes and communicate with Muggles face to face?”

Certificates do matter, muttered the student sitting in the front row.

And I doubt that anyone will lose a certificate because they didn't listen to me for four hours. Anthony said, But it's better to do this: Anyone who is anxious about whether they can get this certificate can continue to read below. I came to this classroom during class time every week and next week, and discussed with me the areas where I felt I was still lacking in previous class tests. Students who have other arrangements or need a break can also use this time to do their own things. How does it sound?

No one had any questions except for a student who was going to visit a chocolate factory and asked if the factory could be ranked before the zoo (the answer was no).

…

No one in the fourth grade was worried about exams, but Angelina asked worriedly: Are they all Saturday, Professor?

Yes, Miss Johnson, just like last semester, Anthony said, What's wrong?

Quidditch practice, said Fred. If she doesn't come, Oliver will be chasing your car on his broomstick.

Then he would point to the lion and tell Angelina what Gryffindor's honor was, George said.

Oh... Anthony admitted, I'm sorry, I forgot to take your training into account. But neither Mr. Diggory nor Mr. Davis seem to need training?

Fred said with a smile: Of course, because our captain has reserved the Quidditch pitch a long time ago. He can't wait to sleep on it.

Poor Angelina, George said, hanging in the sky on a rainy Saturday, cold and hungry, watching her classmates go on their way to the zoo—

Shut up! Angelina said angrily.

Anthony said: I'm afraid the practice will be scheduled for the weekend anyway, Miss Johnson. I suggest you communicate with Mr. Wood, or wait for the next practice.

I'll talk to Wood, Professor Anthony. Angelina said, clenching her fists.

…

A few days later, Angelina knocked on the door of Anthony's office triumphantly. Her braids were a little loose after running, and she gasped slightly: Professor Anthony, I convinced Oliver!

Very well, Miss Johnson, said Anthony. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

I'm looking forward to it too, Angelina said quickly. Sorry, Professor Anthony, I'm going to start running wild again. It's Defense Against the Dark Arts soon, but I'm so excited - ah, Professor Lockhart.

Her face suddenly turned red and her voice dropped as she watched Lockhart walk out of the open door next to her.

Lockhart's eyes turned to them, and a surprise smile suddenly broke out on his face: Good morning, Henry! Oh, isn't this Miss Johnson? He strode over and glanced at the interior of Anthony's office - a table. Two chairs, a catwalk - then looked down at Angelina and said politely, Are you having any difficulty, Miss Johnson? I thought it was about to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts?

Angelina's face could actually become even redder. She whispered: I'm sorry——

Please don't feel embarrassed, Miss Johnson. Lockhart said to Anthony intimately and reproachfully. What's the matter, Henry, the homework is too heavy? The grades are not ideal? God, in my opinion, Miss Johnson is simply One of the most gifted students.”

Angelina's eyes sparkled at Lockhart's compliment. Anthony was surprised that she remembered to defend herself: No, Professor Lockhart. I just came to tell Professor Anthony that I would be participating in practical activities.

Practice?

Anthony explained: Go and experience the Muggle world...

Tsk, tsk, Henry. Lockhart raised his finger and shook it, I don't want to undermine your self-confidence, but you must think it over carefully. With all due respect, Henry, adventure and teaching are not the same thing. Things. I don’t mean to boast, but there are very few people who can do two things well at the same time...

Professor Lockhart, Anthony said, Professor Lockhart! You misunderstood. It's not an adventure, it's just a first-hand experience of Muggle life.

Oh, I know what you are thinking, Henry. Lockhart said with a smile, Don't worry, I understand, everyone will think, if only I was an adventurer like Lockhart! What if It would be great if I could also see the scenery from all over the world! But don’t just see me easily getting through one difficulty after another, and think that it’s not thrilling. That village that was entangled by the Voldemort bats——”

Sorry, Professor Lockhart, Anthony said helplessly, Thank you for the reminder, but we have successfully organized two practical activities last school year.

Lockhart opened his mouth again, but Anthony didn't let him answer: And, I think you're going to be late, Professor. Fourth year Defense Against the Dark Arts?

…

Anthony later heard that Wood yelled at Angelina, and Angelina yelled at Wood like two dragons fighting. According to Hagrid, female dragons are obviously more violent and aggressive than male dragons - this is how he judged that Norbert was a boy.

In addition, Anthony heard that Angelina the Fire Dragon also lost her temper at the Weasley twins because a paper airplane hit her in the face when she and Professor Lockhart walked into the classroom. The students in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class walked into the classroom and were surprised to find that there was no professor, so they decided to wait for five minutes before dismissing the get out of class on their own. When Angelina opened the door, it happened to be the fourth minute.

Did you know that Albus is planning to have his albacore club practice this coming Saturday as well? asked Professor Sprout.

No, I don't know. Anthony said with some surprise, What are they going to practice?

Albus proposed that students try to talk to the mermaids before the Black Lake freezes. Professor Sprout said, To be honest, I don't know why those mermaids agreed to him. Biscuits or cakes?

Biscuits, um—butter cookies. Great, thank you, Pomona. Is it still too cold to go to Black Lake at this time?

Of course the mermaids will come up. Professor Sprout said matter-of-factly, But Albus asked me for some gillyweed, and he might also let those who are willing to dive down and have a look at the mermaid village.

Anthony didn't know for a moment whether he should ask Gillweed or Village first, but Professor Sprout had already glanced at him, smiled and shook his head because of his weak foundation in herbal medicine, and explained kindly: Gillweed is an herb that can make people grow gills and webbed feet after eating it, so that they can move freely underwater.

Anthony secretly wondered how Muggle medicine would react to this. It sounds very much like the circus stories you grew up with: men in vases, men with two heads, mermaids and men with gills - in short, things that would make a Muggle doctor frown.

I'm afraid I won't be able to see it. Anthony said regretfully, Oh my God, I really want to see the mermaid. He looked at Professor Sprout's smile and added, I know that they are related to Muggle stories. The mermaids are different. And, Pomona, you have to admit, it’s not every day that you see an auditorium full of students screaming at the top of their lungs.”

There aren't that many people in the Tuna Club anymore, Professor Sprout told him. I think there are only about seventy or eighty people now.

That's still a lot, far more than the number of students in my grade. Anthony said, But - why? I thought there would be many people staying for the reputation of 'Dumbledore personally teaches'?

I don't know about other houses, Professor Sprout said thoughtfully, but I know that many Hufflepuff students quit when they learned grammar. I heard that there are seven tenses in Mermaid Language. It’s a case, and often modified with the freshness of the fish as an affix. Albus seems to have really brought rotten fish to the club.”

oh……

Pomona learned a mermaid phrase from Mr. Diggory. Professor Flitwick walked past them and reminded Anthony.

Professor Sprout cried, Oh, Philius!

Do you have any tea without cinnamon, Pomona? Professor Flitwick asked, jumping up on his chair and peering into the cupboard. He turned back to Anthony and added, Ask her, Pomona can't wait to practice.

Anthony asked enthusiastically, What have you learned, Pomona?

It's not a very strict mermaid language. Professor Sprout said, a little embarrassed, I haven't really tried to use it to communicate with mermaids.

You know I don't know anything about mermaids, and I won't be able to see mermaids on Saturday. Anthony smiled. Come on, Pomona, I'm really curious.

Professor Sprout put down his cup and cleared his throat. Professor Flitwick jumped out of his chair with a tea bag and watched from a distance.

Then Professor Sprout began to make a shrill, piercing sound.

Anthony couldn't help but clenched the cup and hid slightly, watching Professor Sprout close his eyes in concentration and make a sound that was completely unlike what a human should make. He vowed that he would ask Dumbledore to demonstrate it for him once.

Professor Sprout stopped, took a deep breath, opened his eyes and asked expectantly: How is it, Henry?

Very impressive, Anthony said. What does that mean, Pomona?

Can you please give me some of your grass? said Professor Sprout. That very high-pitched sound at the end was 'thank you', but I guess my pronunciation was not standard because Diggory broke it when he demonstrated it to me. Sounded.

…

Anthony spent some time contacting the person who rented the car, and asked Professor Flitwick to help turn a chair into a portkey with the Portkey Permission Letter approved by the Ministry of Magic.

Even without using Muggle weather forecasts or divination or astronomers' celestial predictions, everyone could tell that Saturday was not going to be a beautiful day.

Angelina worried that it was not worth her fight with Wood over the zoo, but Fred and George reassured her that if she hadn't convinced Wood to cancel Saturday's training, they would have returned to the castle wet and cold. , the hair sticks tightly to the scalp, like a flock of stupid and painful owls.

Hager also expressed concerns about the weather.

Animals don't like rainy days, huh? he asked, wrapping more reinforcing rope around his chicken coop. You might as well let the students go visit that factory first, Henry. At least the factory won't do it because of that. When it rains and you feel depressed, hide somewhere you can’t see, right?”

I have made an appointment with the person in charge of the chocolate factory. Anthony said, handing a wooden pole to Hagrid, Don't worry, Hagrid, I think the students will have a great time. Anyway, there are also people in the zoo. There are some indoor areas and we drive our own cars. Just that is enough to make them happy.”

Zoo, Hagrid repeated, Interesting. If we could have a magical zoo...

No dragons, Hagrid, Anthony warned.