The process of obtaining the Diadem had gone smoothly, but Kyle was left uncertain about what to do next.
For a long time, every time he prepared to study the Diadem, he ended up simply staring at it. Now that this object had become one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, any secrets Rowena Ravenclaw might have hidden within it seemed utterly inaccessible.
Why not try wearing it?
Kyle held the Diadem above his head, waving it around for a moment before giving up on the rather reckless notion. Once again, there was no result.
…
As Kyle returned the box to its hiding place and made his way back to the common room, he ran into Kanna, who seemed to be looking for him.
"Class is about to start. I thought you'd already left."
"No, I just had something else to take care of," Kyle replied, shaking his head and pulling out a stack of textbooks. "What's our next class?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Kanna answered with a hint of excitement. Since the new professor had taken over, the class no longer involved just reading textbooks and acting out scenes, making Defense Against the Dark Arts suddenly engaging and everyone's favorite—everyone except a few Slytherins, like Malfoy.
His reasoning was straightforward: if Harry enjoyed the class, he despised it. That was all. Though his only criticism of Professor Lupin was that he wore shabby clothes and owned just one decent robe, he never claimed the lessons themselves were dull.
"I wonder what we'll learn today," Kanna mused as they walked. "We've already covered Fwoopers and Leprechauns, so I bet it'll be a new magical creature."
"If only he could teach us how to deal with Dementors," she added hopefully. "Yesterday, on the way to Herbology, I caught a glimpse of one from a distance and felt a chill down my spine."
"Professor Lupin probably won't be teaching that," Kyle shook his head, "but if you're interested, I could show you the Patronus Charm."
"Is that the spell you used on the train?" Kanna asked.
"That's right," Kyle confirmed. "The Patronus Charm is considered the most effective way to ward off Dementors in the wizarding world. So, what do you think? Want to learn it?"
"Yes…" Kanna answered without a second's hesitation.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Then you can call me Professor Kyle, and I'll teach you."
"In your dreams!" Kanna huffed, giving him a swift kick to the shin before turning away, leaving him to follow with a smirk.
The two of them continued on to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, only to find—unexpectedly—that Professor Lupin wasn't there. Instead, Snape was waiting.
Snape took one look at Kanna's irritated expression and then glanced over at Kyle. His face darkened immediately, as if a certain realization had just dawned on him.
Kyle quickly suppressed his smile, lowered his head, and silently entered the classroom under Snape's withering glare. Kanna followed and sat beside him.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but ever since she sat down, Kyle felt a distinct chill at the back of his neck.
Thankfully, the bell rang shortly afterward, signaling the start of class.
Snape strode to the front of the class, turned to face everyone, and in his usual chilly tone announced, "Unfortunately, Professor Lupin is unwell today and cannot attend class, so I will be taking over."
"What's wrong with him?" someone asked, sounding concerned.
"Raise your hand when you want to speak in class, Ravenclaw lose five points!" Snape shot the student a cold glare, which immediately silenced the entire class.
"Nothing life-threatening," he added with a faintly regretful tone. "And if anyone speaks without permission again, they'll lose ten points."
The room fell into a tense hush, and even the sound of breathing grew quieter.
"Professor Lupin has left no notes on what he's been teaching you…" Snape continued. "I must say, this lack of organization is remarkably amateurish."
"Professor Lupin teaches pretty well…" someone dared to mutter, and a few murmurs of agreement rippled through the students.
"That's because you're easily satisfied. First-year students should be able to handle Leprechauns… That's another ten points deducted from Ravenclaw."
Silence settled over the classroom once more.
"We're going to learn something different today!" Snape declared in an unsettlingly calm voice. "Everyone, turn to page 394."
The students exchanged puzzled glances, but under Snape's unyielding gaze, they muttered quietly to themselves as they opened their textbooks.
"Werewolves!" announced Snape. "Can anyone tell me how to distinguish a werewolf from an ordinary wolf?"
A few students raised their hands.
"Miss Prince!"
Kanna stood up. "There are a few subtle differences. A werewolf's muzzle is slightly shorter, and their pupils are smaller…"
"Very good. Hufflepuff, ten points."
Snape nodded with satisfaction and continued, "Werewolves typically appear no different from ordinary people, except for one distinguishing feature. Can anyone tell me what that is?"
More hands went up, and Snape pointed to Cho.
"Werewolves only transform during a full moon."
"Incomplete." Snape waved her off dismissively, giving no sign of adding extra credit. "In fact, they're also weakened a few days before and after the full moon. Why are you all sitting there? Write this down."
The students scrambled to grab their quills and parchments, and a flurry of rustling filled the room.
"Now, turn to page 395, where you'll find a more detailed explanation…"
For the rest of the lesson, Snape asked no further questions. Instead, he instructed the students to sit silently and copy down notes on werewolves from the textbook, while he paced back and forth between the desks, making sure each student was writing enough. It was as though they had traveled back two years, to when lessons often involved filling pages with copied notes.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Snape didn't release them immediately.
"I want each of you to write an essay on how to identify and kill a werewolf. Two full rolls of parchment, due Monday morning."
The students left the classroom as quickly as they could, with Kyle leading the way. He had spent the entire class trying to minimize his presence, remaining silent to avoid drawing any attention from Snape, who seemed especially menacing today.
Once they were clear of Snape's range, the students began murmuring about the class.
"My god, two rolls of parchment," Mikel complained. "That's enough to cover my Defense Against the Dark Arts homework five times over."
"Even in Transfiguration, it would be enough for three essays," Ryan groaned. "I really hope Professor Lupin recovers soon so we don't have to write this."
Kyle didn't join in on the complaints but quickly descended the stairs. It wasn't until he reached the common room, and the barrel door behind him closed with a soft creak, that the uncomfortable prickling sensation in his neck finally faded.