Some things, like thunderstorms in midsummer, come fiercely and passionately, yet leave quickly and quietly.
At first, it swept through like a storm, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the entire castle. The common room, corridors, and dormitories were abuzz with discussions, as if the entire world was engulfed in this fervor.
However, this excitement usually doesn't last long.
Just like a summer storm, it comes quickly and leaves just as fast.
Soon after, people's interest dissipated like the receding tide. The once hotly debated flying car and Slytherin house points were rarely mentioned anymore.
Life returned to normal.
Perhaps this is the charm of life.
It is always full of the unknown and changes, making it impossible to predict what will happen next, and making people sigh at the impermanence of things after it happens.
It was another ordinary morning.
After Draco woke up and washed, he sat on a chair, propping his chin up with his hands, carefully examining a few strange items piled on the table.
Unknown candies, unknown cookies, and a pair of alchemical gadgets that looked like ears.
"Ino, what do you think the Weasley twins are up to, sending you so many things again today? This is the third time, right?"
"I advise you not to touch them. Have you forgotten how swollen your eyes got last time?"
Ino looked at Draco with amusement. Last time, out of curiosity, he played with a punching telescope and ended up with a black eye.
"I'm not interested in touching them. See how far I am from them."
Draco spread his hands, indicating that he wouldn't touch them.
"That's good. These are experimental products. If you eat that cookie, it won't be as simple as having blue eyes."
Despite his words, Ino still put away the joke items on the table.
After all, George and Fred had said that these were experimental products, especially those Canary Creams.
Speaking of these joke items, one cannot forget Ginny.
Because of the Tom Riddle's diary incident, after Percy expressed the Weasley family's gratitude, Ino received letters from Bill and Charlie, and George and Fred frequently sent him new gadgets.
They even solemnly gave him a handwritten membership card with their signatures, saying that holding this card would give him a lifetime 20% discount at their joke shop.
Although the twins' actions were somewhat immature, Ino took the card seriously and carefully kept it in his book.
After all, besides Hermione, George and Fred were the ones he appreciated the most in Gryffindor, perhaps along with the changed Neville.
…
Time flies.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
At 9:30 in the morning, Ino took a stack of hardcover novels and walked out of the dormitory.
In the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, after a series of farcical incidents, students above the third year unanimously recognized Lockhart as a useless show-off.
Likewise, after countless embarrassing moments, Lockhart's popularity waned significantly, and he essentially gave up teaching students above the third year.
Every class consisted of reading novels or performing plays.
Of course, as the future of Hogwarts, the first and second-year students were still Lockhart's targets.
Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
At 10 o'clock in the morning.
Lockhart, as usual, arrived punctually, dressed flamboyantly, as if the Cornish pixies incident two days ago had never happened.
"I!" Lockhart pointed to his photo on the cover of his novel on the podium, smiling, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class…"
As if it was a routine part of every class, Lockhart once again emphasized his identity and his numerous titles.
After a lengthy self-introduction, he changed to a solemn tone:
"I was extremely disappointed in your previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I thought he might be useful, but under his guidance, second-year students couldn't even handle a group of Cornish pixies."
Lockhart's words caused some commotion in the classroom.
Hogwarts has no secrets, and the students were well aware of someone's performance in the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff class two days ago.
"Cough…" Lockhart cleared his throat, "But that's in the past. Since I accepted Dumbledore's invitation, I won't sit idly by! Today! Let's start with something simpler, a Ministry of Magic classified 1X creature, the Billywig."
As he spoke, Lockhart calmly took out a two-foot-high cage from under the podium, as if the 1X-rated Billywig was definitely easier to handle than the 2X-rated Cornish pixies.
The huge cage was placed on the podium, covered with a black cloth, but the buzzing sounds from underneath were incessant.
"He's crazy!" Draco widened his eyes, swallowing hard.
"Ino, let's just run if he dares to open that cage. I'd rather deal with Cornish pixies…"
"It's okay." Ino interrupted Draco, giving him a reassuring look, "Don't worry! Although Billywigs have stingers, they are gentle creatures, otherwise they wouldn't be rated 1X. Let's try not to provoke them, and they will probably fly away on their own."
Looking around the room, there was only one exit.
He knew very well that if they really tried to flee, the chaos could cause more harm than a sting from the insects.
Billywigs, magical creatures about half an inch long with a vivid sapphire blue body, have wings located on the top of their heads. They spin rapidly as they fly and have a long, thin sting on their lower abdomen.
Though this description may not be comprehensive, imagine them as a kind of magical wasp. Being stung by a Billywig can be quite unpleasant, causing dizziness and potential falls.
But one thing is certain, they are non-venomous, and their stings are even used as ingredients in 'Fizzing Whizzbees' candies.
"Alright." Draco, surveying the classroom and seeing only the blue-clad Ravenclaws, agreed, "Maybe you're right. Bookworms aren't reckless."
Classes with Ravenclaw and Slytherin were always the safest.
Because before taking any action, they would always think and assess the situation.
While the two were talking, Lockhart had new actions. He first asked all students to close the windows, reasoning that he didn't want them accidentally throwing their wands out.
This maneuver made everyone's eyelids twitch, but before they could react, Lockhart opened the cage.
"Children, use every method you know to handle them. Don't worry! I'll be outside the door protecting you."
Opening the cage, grabbing his coat, and in three quick steps, he was out the door, closing it behind him with a bang.
Lockhart, once again, successfully lowered the bar.
In a Muggle school, if a teacher brought a box of wasps into the classroom, closed the windows, released the wasps, and ran outside, what kind of behavior is this?
But now, there was no time for complaints, as the classroom was filled with swarming Billywigs.
Unlike the other students who were sitting upright in fear, Ino, watching the flying Billywigs, thought of the Auror's defensive vest mentioned in the original story and was inspired with a new idea for using ice magic.
He had always limited his Transfiguration spells to 'big', whether it was the Whomping Willow or the giant snake.
Today, the Billywigs reminded him of the neglected 'small'.
Perhaps he could combine his strengths, merging ice magic with Transfiguration, turning each snowflake into an ice-sculpted Billywig.
If he could develop this spell, the swarm of insects could not only block deadly curses but also obscure an opponent's vision, conceal his position, and disrupt their spells.
…
"Ino, I don't think we can continue like this."
Draco's expression was tense, and he spoke without daring to move.
Likewise, the young wizards in the classroom were motionless, many with Billywigs crawling on their robes.
Under such circumstances, it would only take one trigger to set off the whole class, causing an unpredictable chain reaction.
Hearing Draco's trembling voice, Ino snapped out of his thoughts and surveyed the room.
Seeing several girls on the verge of tears with Billywigs on their heads, he did not hesitate. He grabbed his wand from the table.
"Winter is Coming!"