章 344: 0343 Strange Course

That afternoon, not a single young wizard could focus on their lessons. Everyone was engrossed in discussions about the first real duel between professors in the history of Hogwarts.

Amidst the heated debates, the details of this duel gradually became clearer to all.

No one was overly surprised that Professor Watson had subdued Professors Snape and Black with just one spell. After all, ever since Professor Watson arrived at Hogwarts, the young wizards had witnessed or heard about many of the extraordinary feats he had accomplished recently, and people had grown accustomed to his prowess.

Now, in the minds of the young wizards, Professor Watson's image had gradually drawn parallel to Dumbledore's, and in some houses, there were even whispers that Professor Watson had surpassed their headmaster.

However, the true source of intense speculation centered around the ultimate outcome of the heated duel between Professor Black and Professor Snape.

On this matter, opinions diverged, fracturing the student body into different factions.

From the select few students who had borne witness to the confrontation firsthand, the finer details of the duel gradually materialized. Yet, regarding the ultimate resolution of this clash, these inexperienced student spectators each clung to their own uniquely skewed interpretations, colored by the lenses of their respective preferences.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw could still maintain relatively impartial views, but Slytherin students firmly believed their head of house had emerged victorious. In stark contrast, not a single Gryffindor acknowledged that Professor Black had lost the intense duel.

Within the span of a single afternoon, the very atmosphere that permeated the school had grown inexplicably tense, tense with an undercurrent of simmering animosity.

Whether in class or around the castle grounds, whenever Slytherin and Gryffindor students crossed paths, they would glare menacingly at each other. The confrontational atmosphere between these rival houses had even compelled Headmaster Dumbledore to divert the efforts of professors without active class schedules towards patrolling the corridors, in an effort to maintain the delicate balance of harmony.

Curiously, none of the principle figures directly embroiled in this had made a public appearance. Professor Black and Professor Snape had respectively asked their colleagues to cover their classes, while Professor Watson remained in his office. Even Draco had not shown up all afternoon, and by the time night fell, with the dazzling starry sky appearing in the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall during dinner, they still had not been seen.

Harry withdrew his annoyed gaze from Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, having just noticed the animated manner in which Ernie was voicing his opinion on the duel – a conclusion Harry could not accept.

"Sirius definitely wouldn't lose to Snape!" Harry declared adamantly once more, his impassioned words eliciting a resounding chorus of enthusiastic agreement from his surrounding housemates. Yet, curiously, neither Ron nor Hermione had expressed their respective viewpoints on the matter. The two exchanged a furtive glance, and Hermione, cautiously said, "Why don't you go ask Sirius directly, Harry? Surely he wouldn't hide anything from you—"

In fact, after classes had ended that afternoon, Ron had suggested they should go ask Sirius about it. But it was Harry who had rejected the proposal.

"I'd rather not bother him right now, Ron—" Facing Ron's inquisitive gaze, Harry elaborated, "He has just taken over Professor Lupin's duties and has a lot on his plate. I don't want to disturb him over this."

Harry had stubbornly brushed aside Ron's suggestion with this reason, but in reality, that was not his true motive.

With the conspicuous absence of nearly half the faculty members, a substantial portion of the staff table lay vacant. Headmaster Dumbledore was engaged in hushed discussion with the heads of the three remaining houses, while Hagrid, noticing the hint of worry in Harry's eyes, gave him a reassuring look.

At that moment, Malfoy, who had been missing for most of the day, suddenly appeared. His face was lit with excitement, as if he had encountered something worth celebrating.

The trio exchanged glances, a dull feeling surrounding them.

Usually, whatever made Malfoy happy wouldn't be good news for them.

Curiously, Malfoy had appeared in the company of none other than the grumpy caretaker, Filch. He did not head straight into the Great Hall for dinner but, he instead accompanied Filch towards the notice board situated within the entrance hall, where he proceeded to assist the ill-tempered squib in attaching some manner of announcement.

It was well known that the Malfoy Family had long been staunch supporters of pure-blood supremacy. Draco also looked down upon witches and wizards without pure-blood lineage. During the first half of second year, he had even referred to Hermione as a "Mudblood." And nearly everyone knew that Filch was a Squib.

Moreover, it was common knowledge that the vast majority of Slytherin students routinely treated Filch with thinly veiled contempt whenever their paths intersected within the castle's corridors. So, for Malfoy, considered a prime representative, to go out of his way assisting Filch was truly puzzling!

"I bet that codger Filch has come up with some useless new rules again—" Fred scoffed with disdain. He glanced towards his brother, unsurprisingly finding a mischievous glint in George's eyes.

"Maybe we should give him a taste of his own medicine," George chimed in.

"You'd both better stay calm—" Hermione interjected, her penetrating gaze fixed upon the smug face of Malfoy until he had returned to the Slytherin table, enthusiastically discussing something with those around him.

"Filch now falls under the jurisdiction of the Student Safety Office, which means any decision he makes has been approved by Professor Watson. Unless you don't mind incurring his wrath, by all means, continue your pranks."

"Why don't we go take a look?" Harry suddenly spoke up, his attention captured by Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. Hand in hand with a girl possessing wavy locks of reddish-gold, they made their way towards the notice board, Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Quidditch team captain who had defeated him in a match the previous year, also rose and caught up with Cho, greeting her before they walked over together.

Hermione noticed that Harry's expression was different than usual, and she raised an eyebrow.

"All right, I suppose we can go have a look directly," she acquiesced, recognizing the futility of resistance in the face of Harry's newfound resolve.

Their decisive movement towards the heart of the commotion appeared to trigger a catalytic chain reaction, as the sound of scraping chairs and benches reverberated throughout the Great Hall like a thunderous chorus. Unable to contain their insatiable curiosity, students from each of the four long tables surged forth in a great tide, surging towards the entrance hall.

Within mere moments, the spacious entrance hall grew increasingly crowded, the press of bodies leaving those at the front tightly compressed against one another. Harry found himself mere inches from Cho, close enough to detect the delicate floral fragrance of her hair wafting tantalizingly upon the air. He felt his heart racing faster than it ever had, even more intense than the breathless anticipation that gripped him in the split second before seizing the Golden Snitch during a hard-fought Quidditch match. This heady sensation left him utterly intoxicated, yet bewildered, until he noticed Cho giving him an odd look, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh, what?" Harry blurted, suddenly aware that Cho had been saying something to him, but he hadn't heard a word, so he hurriedly asked in embarrassment.

"Oh—"

Cho bit her lip, a subtle gesture that Harry found utterly captivating, as she struggled against the relentless press of bodies, her arm inadvertently brushing against Harry's chest. Offering him an apologetic smile, she said, "I was asking how your godfather, Professor Black, is doing. Everyone's been discussing his duel with Professor Snape!"

Confronted with this query, Harry realized that he was uninformed regarding Sirius's current state in the aftermath of the duel. Hesitantly, he parted his lips to respond, but before he could utter a word, Cedric, having overheard their exchange, boldly interjected.

"I reckon Professor Black wouldn't lose to Snape. He's a hero, isn't he? The Dementors of Azkaban couldn't defeat him."

Harry felt uneasy at Cedric's unsought input, but he had no choice but to respond in kind.

"I agree with you," Harry nodded. "I don't think anything could defeat him."

Cho clearly knew Cedric better, and seemed more familiar, even intimate with him. As they read the announcement together, they started discussing the recent Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff the previous weekend, which Ravenclaw had ultimately won.

In stark contrast to Fred's dismissive claim that Cedric was "dumb as a rock and too dim to string two words together," he appeared remarkably adept at the art of flattery. After exchanging but a few artfully constructed phrases, Cho's attention had been wholly diverted from Harry, leaving him feeling utterly isolated amidst the crowd.

If the earlier sensation was akin to floating on clouds, Harry now felt as though he had been brutally stomped into an icy hell. Not only were there issues with his vision, but even the words on the notice right before his eyes seemed to evade his sight, leaving him utterly distraught and unable to make out anything.

Hermione, who was standing behind them, saw everything clearly. Faced with Harry easily giving in, she could only sigh and had nothing else to say.

"Oh, Professor Watson is planning to introduce a physical education and training class to train the physical abilities of young witches and wizards, starting with the third and fourth year students—those from other years who harbor an interest may submit an application to the Office of Student Safety, conditional upon securing the approval of their respective house heads," Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Physical education? Physical abilities training? What strange terms!" he added, his brow furrowing as he struggled to grasp the unfamiliar concepts.

Ron frowned as he looked at the frowning Hermione, who was half a head shorter than him and glaring at him disapprovingly.

"Why did you step on me?!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's complaint.

"The notice clearly states that the course covers physical training, exercise, and the development of attributes such as strength, endurance, and agility," she clarified in a tone one might reserve for a particularly dense child. "It maybe intended to elevate the overall fitness levels of the students."

"But why would they want to introduce something so...Muggley?" Ron wondered aloud, his bewilderment palpable as the foreign concept clashed with his ingrained perceptions of the wizarding world.

"Perhaps Professor Watson holds the belief that establishing a strong physical foundation contributes to becoming a more powerful witch or wizard," Hermione hypothesized, undeterred by Ron's apparent ignorance. "In any case, it seems this new policy has his full backing."

"I dunno, it still sounds barmy to me," Ron muttered, though his protest lacked real conviction.

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章 345: 0344 The Attention

It was 9 o'clock in the evening, a time when the studious young students of Gryffindor Tower would typically be getting ready for bed. However, on this particular night, the warmly lit Gryffindor common room remained abuzz with activity, as hordes of eager witches and wizards engaged in lively discussion. The subject of this heated discussion was none other than the highly anticipated upcoming physical education class to be taught by the Professor Watson. Even the Gryffindor prefects forgot to remind everyone to maintain order, joining in on the heated discussion.

In such situations, when a matter of hot topic arises in the wizarding world or Hogwarts itself, 'natives' like Ron are often more sought after for their insights. Because they are born and raised in the Wizarding world, they have a deeper understanding of the Wizarding society and possess more magical knowledge than young wizards like Harry who grew up in the Muggle world. Of course, there are also "oddities" like Hermione.

However, this time, the situation was different. The students born and raised in the wizarding world flocked around those like Harry, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus, who grew up in the Muggle world, eager to learn about this 'physical education' class.

Amidst the indistinct buzzing, the Fat Lady's portrait swung open, and Percy Weasley, the Head Boy, squeezed his way in. Upon witnessing the 'commotion' in the common room, he instinctively frowned, intending to reprimand them. However, considering the special circumstances and the fact that he was also breaking school rules, he ultimately swallowed the rebuke that had risen to his lips.

"Don't block the entrance, Mr. Head Boy!" came a boisterous voice, followed by the arrival of Percy's twin brothers, Fred and George, who squeezed their way through the portrait hole. They grasped Percy's arms, forcibly pulling him aside to clear the path for their younger sister Ginny, as well as Colin Creevey and a few others trailing behind them.

"How is it?" Ron called out, waving to them from his position near the flickering flames of the fireplace's candlelight.

"Easy-peasy," George responded nonchalantly, tousling his hair in a show of bravado. "Didn't take much effort, did it, Fred?"

"Excuse me, coming through, make way–" Fred interjected, yanking Ron from the sofa he had occupied and plopping down upon it with an exaggerated exhalation. "We did have to put in some effort to convince her to sign the application form, though. Professor McGonagall didn't have any issues with Ginny's application, but she clearly wasn't too keen on George and me joining as well."

Fred shook his head regretfully, his expression one of mild disappointment. "She's worried this might cause our OWL scores to become even more dismal. But honestly, who cares about that stuff? You don't care, do you, George?"

"Nope, don't care," George replied bluntly, his casual indifference evident in his tone and demeanor.

Ginny giggled at her brothers' antics, while Ron, unable to secure a seat, glared at her discontentedly.

"Speaking of which, why did you apply to join? You're only in second-year, and you're a girl, aren't you?"

"Do you have any prejudice against girls, Ron?" Ginny retorted, displeased by her brother's attitude. Yet, upon noticing Harry's watchful gaze upon her, her pale cheeks immediately flushed, and her tone became markedly less confrontational.

"Professor Watson must hope his class will gain more support, right? He rescued me from the Chamber of Secrets; I should be grateful. Plus, I think this class will be really interesting!"

This was indeed a compelling reason. Professor Watson had done their Weasley family a great favor, a point Ron couldn't argue with.

"Interesting? Well, maybe not," Ron muttered under his breath, his skepticism remaining undiminished.

"I chose to join for the same reason," Percy interjected, his tone serious. "You probably don't realize how much I have on my plate right now. I have classes, NEWTs to prepare for, order to maintain, and my future to plan for."

It was no secret that Percy's ambitions lay in joining the Ministry of Magic, he didn't shy away from discussing it.

"I thought it was for your girlfriend!" Ginny retorted, her grin revealing her mischievous intent. "I overheard her talking with friends in the entrance hall. She's interested in Professor Watson's class and plans to get Professor Flitwick to sign her application form!"

Percy's face visibly reddened at his sister's teasing remark, making it abundantly clear to all present that this might, in fact, be the true catalyst behind his willingness to dedicate time to the seemingly trivial physical education class.

"If you want to join the Ministry, Percy, I think you should talk to Professor Watson," Hermione suggested, her tone one of earnest helpfulness. She and Percy had always had a good relationship, perhaps the closest among the Weasley siblings aside from Ron himself. Hermione had often consulted Percy on academic matters, and during their exchanges, he had frequently disclosed his aspirations to secure a position within the Ministry of Magic.

While Mr. Weasley himself worked at the Ministry, Hermione was certain that he could not compare to Professor Watson in terms of high-level connections and influence. After all, Mr. Weasley definitely couldn't help her in resolving the issue of her Time-Turner so easily like Professor Watson did.

"Oh, you're right, Hermione!" Percy exclaimed, his eyes widening as realization dawned upon him. "My dad mentioned in his letter that Professor Watson has a very good relationship with the Minister and Madam Bones from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Perhaps he could write me a letter of recommendation to help me join that department. Oh, it's the most powerful department in the Ministry! Thank you, Hermione; I'll go figure out how to persuade Professor Watson!"

With that, Percy hurriedly departed, his figure disappearing up the spiraling staircase that led to the dormitories.

"Tsk, tsk, a creature of power without emotions,"

Fred sighed, shaking his head in mock dismay, and his sarcastic comment made everyone burst into laughter.

"By the way, what were you all discussing earlier?" Ginny inquired, her curiosity piqued by the lively debate.

"Harry and Seamus were telling me about what physical education is like in Muggle schools," Neville said worriedly. "I don't think I'll be very good at this class."

"Don't worry, Neville," Dean said comforting him. "This won't be the only class you're not good at."

"But it does sound rather silly," Ron interjected, his brow furrowed in perplexity. "Harry just told us about some of the activities he did in this class at Muggle school. They don't use broomsticks or bats, just a bunch of people chasing a non-flying leather ball around on the ground, or lifting an iron ball to see who can throw it the farthest. I can't understand why Muggles would enjoy such sports, and is Professor Watson really going to teach us to play these things in physical education class?"

"To be fair, football may not be as exciting as Quidditch, but it's still quite fun," Harry countered. "Many Muggles around the world enjoy the sport immensely. It's not certain, Ron; we all know Professor Watson likes to do the unexpected."

"But no matter what, the name of this class comes from Muggles, doesn't it? And Hogwarts is a school of magic," Ron persisted, his frown deepening as he crossed his arms over his chest in a posture of stubborn skepticism.

"Perhaps..." Hermione began, her expression contemplative as she gave the most plausible explanation thus far. "Professor Watson hopes we can gain a better understanding of Muggles through their sports. Aside from Mr. Weasley, many wizards don't care about changes in the Muggle world. But Muggles are quite remarkable; they've overcome numerous challenges through technology. Professor Dumbledore often tells us publicly that we need to acknowledge Muggle progress, but it has little effect. Maybe Professor Watson is trying to bridge the gap between the two worlds in this way."

Hermione's reasoning was sound, offering a logical justification for the introduction of this unorthodox class. Yet, as some of the students contemplated her words, a nagging doubt lingered – Hogwarts already had Muggle Studies; what need was there for Professor Watson to encroach upon Professor Charity Burbage's domain?

As the heated discussions continued to swirl through Hogwarts, the familiar figures of Professors Black and Snape reappeared at the staff table, their demeanors outwardly calm and ignoring each other as usual much to the disappointment of the few hopeful students who had anticipated a reappearance of the dramatic confrontation witnessed earlier.

In the days that followed, the anticipation surrounding Professor Watson's upcoming physical education class continued to escalate, permeating the very atmosphere of Hogwarts. Although the notice had clearly stated that only third- and fourth-year students were required to participate, there were quite a few of upper-year students from each of the four houses who had submitted applications.

The heads of the respective houses, recognizing the extraordinary nature of the situation, had made the application process a convenient affair for the students. Unless there were truly exceptional circumstances, most applications were swiftly approved, though the students were cautioned that this class might prove to be more challenging than they anticipated, and that they should prepare themselves accordingly, both mentally and physically.

After an agonizingly protracted weekend spent in restless anticipation, all eyes were fixed upon Professor Watson's 'physical education' class as it finally began on Monday morning.

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