"Are you okay, Mione?" Rose asked, concerned, observing her friend's pale face.
"Just shocked by everything," Hermione whispered, looking at the purple blood spreading with a repugnant sound. She knew about cursed spirits, but she had only seen small and insignificant ones until now. Witnessing one so grotesque up close and the bloody scene deeply impacted her.
For the first time, she felt that the wizarding world wasn't as bright as she had previously imagined. It was a world based on blood and power, cold and prejudiced against people like her. However, the curly-haired girl didn't let herself be frightened for long. She had the determination to stand firm in this world, and she would. She didn't want to be just another statistic reported on TV and would protect her parents.
"Rose, have you seen worse?" Hermione asked without taking her eyes off the cursed spirits in the cages.
"Yes, much worse. These monsters are truly disgusting when they're devouring people," Rose didn't hold back and spoke calmly. In her eyes, it was much better for Hermione to get used to the concept of death as soon as possible to avoid accidentally harming herself in the future. Hermione seemed to take a deep breath, clenching her fists as she spoke, "Rose, can you help me get stronger?"
"I won't go easy on you, Mione," Rose said, looking at the girl with a smile.
"No need to go easy," Hermione replied determinedly.
Rose smiled and continued to listen to the professor.
"Each house, form a line and approach the cages," Edward ordered coldly, regardless of the pale faces of the teenagers.
In the Slytherin line:
"Don't you dare vomit on me, Zabini," Theodore taunted his friend with a challenging look.
"Those are my words," Blaise replied calmly.
"Boys are so childish," Tracey murmured, rolling her eyes as she watched the two.
Beside her, Daphne nodded in agreement as she approached Asterion, seeking some comfort as she leaned her body against his.
Unfortunately for her, Asterion simply coldly withdrew and said, "Daphne, I understand it's scary, but you must face your fears head-on. Seeking comfort won't save you in the future."
Daphne felt abandoned upon hearing his cold words. Although she knew he said it for her own good, she still looked at her future husband with resentment and turned her face away, refusing to meet his gaze.
Then, Daphne and Tracey muttered quietly to each other, casting critical glances at Asterion.
Asterion simply shrugged, indifferent. He wouldn't go easy on her just because she would be his wife; on the contrary, he would be especially demanding of her. Although Daphne's chances of becoming a Special Grade Witch were slim, they were much higher than most witches. With rigorous training and a bit of luck, Daphne would have a significant chance of achieving that status.
The first in line from Slytherin was Asterion, who looked boredly at the Cursed Spirit. Unlike the other first-year students, he was familiar with Cursed Spirits, especially with the horrible taste they left behind.
"I heard of your work exorcising Special Grade Cursed Spirits, Lord Black," Edward said, looking at Asterion with hidden admiration behind his stern gaze.
"Not as good as I hoped," Asterion murmured, staring coldly at the Cursed Spirit. Suddenly, the image of twenty thousand bodies flooded his mind, and for a brief moment, his bloodlust leaked out, drastically lowering the temperature around him.
The students around felt a sudden chill and rubbed their arms, puzzled by the sudden drop in temperature.
"Lord Black," Edward spoke with a tone louder than usual.
Asterion snapped out of his reverie and looked apologetically at the man, suppressing his bloodlust.
"Professor, will these images ever disappear?" Asterion asked in a low voice.
After that, one by one, everyone faced their fears head-on. Some were terrified, others vomited again at the sight of a Cursed Spirit up close, while some tried to appear calm, or at least, controlled.
But Asterion doubted that any student present would dream of anything good tonight; this was a truly memorable experience for everyone.
The class ended with the last person facing the Cursed Spirits.
"The next Defense Against Cursed Spirits class will be in a month, by which time you will probably have learned some lethal spells from Professor Flitwick," announced Edward, his voice echoing and capturing everyone's attention.
A shared thought formed in the minds of the students.
We're going to fight cursed spirits!!!
"Yes, it's exactly as you're thinking, you'll be facing Cursed Spirits," confirmed Edward, as if he were reading their minds, his cold voice reinforcing everyone's concerns.
He continued regardless of the incredulous expressions on their faces. "Before you go, I'll give you a tip: instead of socializing and playing with friends, I advise you to study well. Because I'll only help you when your life is at risk, which means I'll remain indifferent to broken bones and fractured ribs."
Everyone swallowed hard upon hearing this. They definitely wouldn't die, but the prospect of getting hurt was almost a certainty in the professor's words. It terrified them completely. No one wanted to end up with a broken arm or leg, especially while fighting Cursed Spirits.
Unconcerned with the students' reaction, Edward left without looking back, leaving behind hundreds of students alone with the Cursed Spirits still in the cages.
The atmosphere became even more tense and frightening. The outdoor classroom quickly emptied out, with students practically running outside, even with the Cursed Spirits still trapped; no one wanted to be near them without a teacher present.
Asterion almost laughed seeing everyone panicked, thinking they would have to face a powerful Cursed Spirit. He was almost certain they would be Grade 4 or 3 Cursed Spirits, nothing too dangerous, but the students didn't seem to think so.
"Daph, I'm going to study hard from now on," said Tracey, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She was clearly nervous about the class next month.
Daphne beside her also didn't seem calm at all. The news came very suddenly, and she was still processing the whole situation, even though she was almost a Grade 1 Witch. It showed how lack of experience could affect even someone with some training like her.
Even the most talkative in the group, Theodore, was silent, thinking about the next class. Blaise seemed to be the calmest of the group, his expression remaining serene despite the tense atmosphere.
"They can't do this!? If something happens to me, I'll tell my father," exclaimed a loud and fearful voice, causing everyone to look at the platinum blonde teenager with a strange look.
"If I were your sister, I'd break off my engagement," Tracey said with a playful tone, the teenager managing to change the entire atmosphere of the class with her sudden outburst.
Daphne looked at Draco and shook her head, thanking Merlin that her husband would be Asterion, not Draco. Although Asterion seemed cold most of the time, she knew that behind that icy exterior, he was a lovely and loving marshmallow with his own family.
Compared to the spoiled Draco, Asterion was the perfect husband in her eyes: powerful, handsome, coming from a powerful family, and loving (in his own cold way).
The other members of Slytherin couldn't help but look strangely at the Malfoy Heir. So what if his father was part of the school board? This was Hogwarts; even the most powerful wizard in the world couldn't control it, let alone his father.
Dorea Malfoy even distanced herself from her twin brother when she noticed the looks she was receiving. She glanced irritably at Draco and remained silent, even if she said something, he would ignore her.
It had always been like that; her father, Lucius, always favored Draco over her, despite her showing more talent. But in his eyes, she was just a girl who would marry and leave the family.
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Author's Thoughts: I think I wrote the Draco personality right... >.> Well, Lucius being patriarchy isn't surprising.
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Next Chapter: Chapter 50 - Request (1), Chapter 51 - Request (2), Chapter 52 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (1), Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2), Chapter 54 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (3), Chapter 55 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (4), Chapter 56 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (1), Chapter 57 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (2), Chapter 58 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (3), Chapter 59 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (4), Chapter 60 - School Council, Chapter 61 - Mission (1), Chapter 62 - Mission (2), Chapter 63 - Mission (3), Chapter 64 - Mission (4), Chapter 65 - Mission (5), Chapter 66 - Consequences of the Attack (1), Chapter 67 - Consequences of the Attack (2), Chapter 68 - Invasion of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 69 - Invasion of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 70 - Invasion of Hogwarts (3), Chapter 71 - Invasion of Hogwarts (4), Chapter 72 - Invasion of Hogwarts (5), Chapter 73 - Invasion of Hogwarts (6).