The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs arrived at the greenhouses for their Herbology class. Located at the back of the castle, the greenhouses were a place of intrigue and excitement for the young students. Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology professor and head of Hufflepuff House, was already waiting for them with a warm smile on her face.
"Good afternoon, students. I am Pomona Sprout, your Herbology professor and the head of Hufflepuff House. It is so good to see you little ones today," she greeted them cheerfully. Professor Sprout was the complete opposite of the stern Professor McGonagall; her warm and bubbly personality made her a favorite among the Hufflepuff students.
"Today, we will be having our practical class in Greenhouse One. The other greenhouses are reserved for the upper classes," she explained as she led the students inside. Once they were settled, she began to introduce them to a semi-sentient plant called the Spiky Bush.
"The Spiky Bush is a fascinating plant," she began. "It has thick, thorny vines that can sense movement and will react defensively if it feels threatened. The vines can entangle and prick anything that comes too close." As she spoke, she showed them a specimen of the Spiky Bush, its dark green vines twisting slowly as if alive.
"To safely deal with the Spiky Bush, you will need to use the spell Incendio," she continued. "This spell creates a fire strong enough to destroy the plant." Professor Sprout demonstrated the spell, emphasizing the correct pronunciation to ensure it wouldn't backfire. With a flick of her wand and a firm "Incendio," a burst of flames shot out, incinerating the plant. "Now, I will give you all a chance to cast the spell and destroy the plant. But don't forget to keep a safe distance," she cautioned.
One by one, the students took turns casting the spell. When it was William's turn, he stepped forward confidently. Mimicking Professor Sprout's actions, he pointed his wand at the Spiky Bush and firmly said, "Incendio." A stream of fire erupted from the tip of his wand, engulfing the plant and reducing it to ashes.
"Amazing job, Mr. …?" Professor Sprout trailed off.
"William Dawkins, ma'am," he replied.
"Mr. Dawkins, right. That was well done, I must say. Ten points to Ravenclaw," she announced proudly. Inspired by William's success, many of the other students managed to cast the spell after a couple of tries. The class ended with a satisfied group of students heading off to their next lesson.
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The Defense Against the Dark Arts class that afternoon promised to be quite different. Professor Bellarose had brought in several caged pixies for a special demonstration. The mischievous creatures, about the size of an adult's palm with blue skin, big eyes, and sharp teeth, created a buzz of excitement and curiosity among the students.
"Good afternoon, class," Professor Bellarose began. "Today, we will be learning about pixies and how to handle them." With that, he opened the cage, and the pixies flew out, causing a momentary panic among the students.
But with a swift flick of his wand, Bellarose cast a spell, "Immobulus!" Instantly, the pixies froze mid-air, suspended and harmless. "This is the Freezing Charm, which temporarily immobilizes its target," he explained. "Now, I want each of you to come forward and try the spell. Remember, precise pronunciation and wand movement are crucial."
One by one, the students took turns trying the spell. Some succeeded, while others struggled. When William's turn came, he stepped up with his usual confidence. "Immobulus!" he commanded, and the pixie he was targeting froze instantly. Professor Bellarose gave him a firm nod of approval.
The class ended with a sense of accomplishment, and the students left feeling more capable of handling magical creatures. As usual, William, Chris, and Minny headed to the library. However, Chris and Minny couldn't help but notice that William seemed unusually relaxed. Both exchanged glances, thinking that something was definitely up with their friend. But William remained tight-lipped, leaving them to ponder in silence.
As the day drew to a close, the students made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. The atmosphere was abuzz with anticipation, as everyone came to know from their respective house heads that Dumbledore was going to make an important announcement. William, Chris, and Minny took their seats at the Ravenclaw table, eager to hear what the headmaster had to say.
(Half an hour ago, before dinner)
The house heads of their respective houses and Madam Hooch stood in front of Albus Dumbledore in his office. Professor McGonagall had finished explaining the events of the meeting with William to the headmaster in the morning. Now that all the classes are done for today, the house heads were present Infront of him right now. They were waiting for Dumbledore's decision.
"What a fascinating young man," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. He was impressed by William's request. The others nodded in agreement at the compliment. Professor flitwick was proud that one of his student was being praised by Dumbledore. Slughorn was also happy that he picked the boy into his club. When he first noticed the boy he knew there was something different about him and his intuition has never let him down.
Leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore announced, "Very well then, I have decided to accept our little friend's requests. I shall announce my decision in the Great Hall." The house heads nodded. They were very happy with the decision. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore dismissed them. As they left, Dumbledore remained in his chair, lost in thought and quite excited about what the future held.