By afternoon, Hogwarts had resumed its usual rhythm.
Artel trudged through the History of Magic class. Professor Binns remained unfazed by Quirrell's antics, delving into the goblin riots for his young audience.
Despite Artel's efforts, he succumbed to the monotonous drone of Professor Binns's voice, nodding off halfway through the lesson.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore departed Hogwarts.
His first stop was Lucius Malfoy's office. As chairman of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Lucius needed to be informed of Quirrell's abrupt disappearance from his post as a professor at Hogwarts. Dumbledore also sought to gauge Lucius's reaction, considering his past association with Voldemort as a Death Eater.
"Quirrell vanished?!" Lucius exclaimed, genuinely surprised by the news. He hadn't crossed paths with Quirrell since their last encounter involving a second dragon egg.
"Did he succeed?" Lucius inquired, his mind connecting Quirrell's actions with Voldemort's agenda, particularly regarding the Philosopher's Stone. The Gringotts theft had made headlines in the Daily Prophet, offering a glimpse into Voldemort's plans.
Dumbledore, unperturbed, sipped his tea calmly. "I've come to inform you as the chairman of the Hogwarts Board of Governors about the disappearance of a staff member. Additionally, I intend to appoint Ms. Nagini as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor..."
Lucius, realizing Dumbledore's purpose, bristled but found himself interrupted as Dumbledore rose to leave.
"Old fool!" Lucius muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his cane in frustration, wishing he could confront Dumbledore more directly.
As Dumbledore departed, Lucius let out a disdainful snort, snapping his fingers sharply before barking orders at Dobby.
"Dobby! Fetch my robe. I have business to attend to," he commanded.
"Yes, my lord," Dobby replied obediently, trembling as he hurried off to retrieve Lucius's elegant black robe.
"Foolish creature," Lucius muttered under his breath as he accepted the garment from Dobby, giving the elf a dismissive kick before donning the robe and making his exit.
Dobby, in pain from the kick, whimpered and rubbed his bruised thigh, hunching in a corner as tears welled in his eyes.
Once Lucius departed, he clandestinely met with several escaped Death Eaters, divulging the unsettling news that Quirrell may have come into possession of the Philosopher's Stone, whether intentionally or not.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the group, each understanding the implications all too well. The resurgence of the Dark Lord Voldemort loomed ominously, and those who had dodged Azkaban's grasp by fleeing justice might soon be branded traitors if Voldemort indeed returned.
Days passed swiftly, rumors of Voldemort's potential return circulating among the former Death Eater circles, morphing into various conjectures. Yet, these whispers remained confined, eluding the Ministry's attention entirely.
Meanwhile, Hogwarts buzzed with talk of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's swift replacement, sparking curiosity and chatter among students and faculty alike. Though some eyebrows were raised at the abrupt change mid-semester, many welcomed the departure of Quirrell, whose odd behavior had raised suspicions.
Dumbledore reached out to the Order of the Phoenix, their efforts to track Quirrell's movements proving fruitless as the professor vanished without a trace.
.....
As Friday dawned, the students eagerly anticipated their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, having heard rave reviews of Professor Nagini's fresh teaching style and youthful energy.
In the classroom, Slytherin and Gryffindor students eagerly gathered, brimming with anticipation for their inaugural lesson with Professor Nagini.
Since their heart-to-heart with Harry, Artel noticed a change in his friend's demeanor. Neville remarked that Harry had abstained from his nighttime patrols, opting instead for quiet evenings in the library or friendly chats with Ron and their dorm mates.
Despite the tension of their previous conversation, Harry's interactions with Artel and Hermione remained largely unchanged, his easygoing nature persisting as if nothing had transpired.
A soft squeak signaled the entrance of Professor Nagini, her black robes billowing behind her as she stepped into the classroom, ready to embark on a new chapter of magical education.
It was the first time Artel had seen her since their encounter in the basement.
Nagini's figure was concealed by the wide wizard's robe, though her long legs occasionally peeked out. Of course, apart from Artel, the young wizards present weren't particularly interested in this.
"Good morning, adorable little snakes and lions," Nagini greeted as she approached the podium.
"Good morning, Professor Nagini," the little wizards replied in unison. Nagini smiled; she enjoyed her life despite feeling a bit nervous during her first class. But after so many days, she had grown accustomed to it.
"For some special reasons, I will be taking over Professor Quirrell's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes in the future. I've heard there have been some issues with his teaching content..."
"So, I'll be starting from scratch and teaching you true Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Nagini's words excited the little wizards, some even cheered.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts involves spells to defend against dark magic and magical creatures. Apart from protective spells, there are also offensive ones..."
"Today, I'll teach you a simple spell called The Slowing Charm!"
Hermione grinned smugly upon hearing that Nagini would teach it. With Artel's guidance, she had already mastered it and could perform a quick release.
"The Slowing Charm slows down an opponent's actions, delays them in a duel, or prevents a magical creature from approaching you. It can even immobilize smaller magical creatures," Nagini explained before demonstrating the spell with her wand.
"Its incantation is ' Arresto Momentum... Listen to its rhythm and repeat after me... Arresto Momentum...'"
Nagini guided the students, and Harry, intrigued, quickly mastered it after a few attempts.
"Now, I'll ask my classmates to demonstrate. Harry Potter, would you like to try?" Nagini chose Harry, noting Dumbledore and Snape's mentions of him in their dealings with Quirrell and Voldemort.
It seemed Dumbledore had high hopes for him.
Nagini initially wanted to choose Artel due to their inexplicable closeness, but seeing his lack of interest, she opted for Hermione, who seemed eager to try.
However, Nagini felt an odd hostility from Hermione and sensed her desire to teach Harry a lesson.
"You, Miss Granger," Nagini selected Hermione, surprising her. Hermione stood up, casting a harmless smile at Harry.
Harry hesitated, aware of Hermione's talent in Charms class but encouraged by his own quick mastery of the Slowing Charm.
He looked at Hermione, took a deep breath, raised his wand, and saw a blue-green spark flying towards him.
In that moment, he heard the surprised voice of his classmates along with Hermione's.
"Arresto Momentum!"
.....
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