Upon hearing Newt's voice, the surroundings fell silent, and everyone could hear the snowflakes falling on their shoulders and the sound of their robes dragging on the ground.
Everyone stood still in their place.
Luna shivered and abruptly lowered the hood of her cloak, covering her silver hair. At the same time, with a light touch of her wand, she tore a piece of fabric from her cloak and transformed it into a mask.
She struggled to control the tremors in her body and quickly put the mask on her face.
In a matter of seconds, Luna was completely disguised, and it was impossible to recognize her original appearance at a glance. She looked like an ordinary, insignificant witch sensitive to the cold.
Advancing with short steps, Luna positioned herself behind Tom and Hermione, allowing the two of them to cover her with their bodies. Although Hermione had some objections to Luna skipping class, after living with Tom for these years, she had become more understanding and had ceased to be the same girl from their first year. Therefore, she accepted Luna silently and willingly covered her.
By this time, Snape had already approached Newt.
"Professor Snape, I suppose there's no need for an introduction," Newt said with a smile, making way for Snape. "Some of you may know that, besides teaching at Hogwarts, Professor Snape is also a recognized master in the world of magical potions. Ashwinder eggs, which are very valuable potion ingredients, gave me the opportunity to invite Professor Snape here. He will introduce you to the medicinal value of Ashwinder eggs."
In reality, Newt was being quite subtle. The reason he invited Snape was not for him to present Ashwinder eggs but to oversee the situation and prevent any incidents.
He knew Snape had a deep knowledge of curses and would be a reliable assistant. So, using the Ashwinder eggs as a condition, he managed to get Snape to agree to come.
When Snape heard that he could obtain a batch of Ashwinder eggs, he was also tempted. Obtaining this rare potion ingredient was not easy, especially one that was so fresh. If handled correctly, its effectiveness would be considerably greater. Therefore, he told the students to work independently during the first class and arrived on his own.
"Let's applaud and welcome Professor Snape."
The young wizards: ...
After that phrase was uttered, no one moved, and the atmosphere became uncomfortable. Snape's face twitched slightly.
Newt felt embarrassed; he didn't expect Snape to be so unpopular that he didn't even have a follower. Fortunately, at that moment, a timely sound came from the bonfire, relieving Newt's discomfort: the Ashwinder was being born!
"Quick, everyone gather around!" exclaimed Newt loudly, pretending as if nothing had happened. He pointed to a spot in the bonfire and said, "Look, that's an Ashwinder."
Tom approached and peered into the bonfire. He had never seen an Ashwinder before. This magical being born from magical fire, with a lifespan of only an hour, piqued his curiosity.
The Ashwinder in the bonfire was slender, with red flashes in its eyes, and its body was grayish, like a piece of burned charcoal.
When Ashwinders were born, they didn't stay within the flames like a fire lizard but tried to crawl out of the bonfire.
"After birth, Ashwinders emerge from unattended flames and head towards the shadows of houses to find their dwelling place," Newt quickly explained to the young wizards while skillfully pulling out wooden boards and building an improvised cabin.
Only a wizard could build a house so quickly.
The Ashwinders seemed to have detected something; they approached Newt's wooden cabin quickly, leaving gray tracks in their wake. It was only when all the Ashwinders entered the cabin built by Newt that he could breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at Snape and noticed Snape nodding slightly, which made Newt feel relieved.
At this point, half of the class was completed.
"Does anyone know why I teach classes outdoors? Even on a snowy day like today," now that he had relieved himself of a burden, Newt could ask a question.
Hermione raised her hand, and as she did, she gave Tom a discreet look. She noticed that Tom didn't seem to have any intention of answering Newt's question, which made her feel a bit pleased. It was like studying in secret while her roommate played video games.
Finally, it seemed like she was a bit ahead of Tom.
"Miss Granger," Newt said, smiling satisfactorily and nodding to Hermione's name.
"It's because Ashwinders have a lifespan of only one hour. During that hour, they will seek out a dark and hidden place to lay their eggs. Afterward, their bodies crumble and turn into dust. But the eggs they lay emit a fiery light. If people don't discover these eggs in time and freeze them with the proper spell, they will set the house on fire within minutes," Hermione explained seriously. "Any wizard who notices one or more Ashwinders lurking in a house must track them immediately and find the location of the eggs, or else the house will be destroyed."
"By choosing to teach outside the castle, it's to prevent the Ashwinder from escaping and laying its eggs somewhere in Hogwarts. Outside the castle, the Ashwinders will have priority to enter the cabin you've built, so you'll have everything under control."
"That's right, ten points for Ravenclaw," Newt said as he applauded after hearing Hermione's answer. "I really can't afford to have Hogwarts burn down. It's a good thing it's snowing today!"
Hearing this, many young wizards shrank their necks. Was snow a good thing? It was very cold! They were standing in the middle of the snow, and they were almost freezing.
"In case a fire really happens, it's easier to put it out in the snow," Newt murmured softly.
Young wizards: ...
Next, Newt had the young wizards approach the cabin he had built and wait in silence for the Ashwinders to lay their eggs.
An hour passed quickly. All the Ashwinders crumbled and turned into a pile of ashes, leaving behind shiny, red snake eggs.
"Glacius!" Newt didn't hesitate and, with a single stroke, blew up the cabin, quickly using the freezing spell to freeze all the Ashwinder eggs exposed to the air. Snape, at his side, also acted swiftly. Each time Newt froze an egg, Snape placed it in a small box. It was evident that the box was also enchanted by Snape to keep the Ashwinder eggs in a frozen state.
In three minutes, all the eggs laid by the Ashwinders were in the box.