บท 12: Chapter 12: My Dear Ghost Professor
The opening feast had ended, and the lively weekend had passed. Hogwarts' various classes were finally set to begin on this Monday.
As the sunlight climbed up Gryffindor Tower, Eda slowly opened her eyes. The warm blankets and soft bed made her reluctant to get up, not wanting to expose her body to the slightly chilly air. Fortunately, Eda's willpower was strong enough, and after a few minutes, she broke free from the bed's embrace.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she gazed at the distant sky, feeling that her new life was finally beginning in earnest.
Angelina, who had been up for a while, came over and draped a robe over Eda's shoulders.
"It's a bit chilly in the morning. We don't want you to end up in the hospital wing before classes even start," Angelina said, then turned to the still-bedridden Aeliana Spinnet. "If you don't get up now, we might not have time for breakfast, Aeliana."
"Five more minutes, Angelina, just five more minutes..." Aeliana mumbled sleepily.
Eda and Angelina exchanged a knowing glance. Angelina nodded, then went over to Aeliana's window and slipped her somewhat cold hands into the bed.
With Angelina's surprise attack, the drowsy Aeliana finally woke up. The three girls got dressed and left the Gryffindor common room, chatting and laughing along the way.
When they arrived at the Great Hall, it was already bustling with people. The three of them found a random spot to sit, and the empty plates in front of them suddenly filled with delicious food. As Eda happily enjoyed her porridge, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan arrived late.
"What classes do we have today?" Fred asked listlessly.
"Morning is Professor Flitwick's Charms class and Professor Sprout's Herbology class. Charms with Ravenclaw, and Herbology with Hufflepuff," Eda said. "In the afternoon, we have Professor Binns' History of Magic, with Slytherin."
After breakfast, the group headed to the Charms classroom. They were a bit late, and most of the students were already seated. Professor Flitwick, who taught this class and was also the head of Ravenclaw House, was already present.
The tiny Professor Flitwick stood on a tall stack of books, just enough to reach the lectern and be seen by the students. He took out the attendance list and began calling names, familiarizing himself with each student. His voice was high-pitched but not unpleasant, and he chatted briefly with each student as he called their name.
Just from this roll call, the students already felt a strong liking for the small-statured professor.
Standing on his stack of books, Professor Flitwick began the day's lesson, explaining some basic theoretical knowledge about charms. Under his clear and accessible explanation, Eda found that many of her previous confusions about Charms were resolved.
"Did you know, Professor Flitwick is a dueling master!" Fred whispered.
Angelina and Aeliana turned their heads to look at the Weasley twins, their curiosity piqued.
"Professor Flitwick even won a dueling championship when he was younger!" George said. "Pretty impressive, huh?"
"How do you know that?" Angelina asked.
"Charlie, Charlie told us," Fred said, sounding a bit envious. "I wish I could be that amazing!"
"I really want to know how he trained."
"Probably a natural talent," Eda mused after three seconds of thought, having been interrupted from listening to the lesson.
Then she noticed four pairs of curious eyes staring at her, prompting her to continue, "Mastery of charms, battle awareness, and all that aside, just look at Professor Flitwick's stature—do any of you have that?"
The four heads shook vigorously, like bobbleheads. Although everyone was only eleven or twelve years old, they were already much taller than Professor Flitwick.
"Professor Flitwick's height might be a disadvantage sometimes, but in a duel, he's a smaller target, harder to hit," Eda said, maintaining a serious demeanor despite the nonsense she was spouting. The other four found it surprisingly convincing.
"When casting spells, it's essential to pronounce the incantations clearly. Repeat after me: 'Spongify!'" Professor Flitwick said loudly.
The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws repeated, "Spongify!"
"Excellent, now it's your turn," Professor Flitwick said. With a wave of his wand, a pile of small hard wooden sticks flew toward the students, arranging themselves neatly in front of each one, exactly one stick per student.
The classroom filled with the sound of incantations, the flying wooden sticks, and the students' shouts.
Aeliana waved her wand, but she used too much force, causing the small wooden stick to roll all over the table. Angelina's stick behaved similarly. The Weasley twins, however, did quite well; their sticks showed signs of softening under the spell.
Eda looked around; not many students succeeded. It was, after all, their first Charms lesson. Performing poorly was normal and didn't mean much.
"It's your turn, Eda, show them what you can do!" Fred urged.
"Eda is a master at charms," George added. Angelina and Aeliana also looked expectantly at Eda.
Eda drew her wand, pointed it at the wooden stick, and said, "Spongify!" The stick on the table began to change, transforming from a rigid rod into a limp, noodle-like object.
Professor Flitwick, who had been observing the class, immediately noticed Eda's successful spell and praised her, "Well done, Miss Twist! Your excellent Softening Charm has earned Gryffindor five points!"
After class, the Gryffindor students left the warm castle, crossed the courtyard, and headed to the greenhouses behind the castle. Here, they learned how to cultivate strange plants and fungi and understood their uses in Herbology. Eda's performance in this class was not as strong; she wasn't very fond of tending to plants. However, she still managed to answer a few of Professor Sprout's questions, earning Gryffindor another five points.
In the afternoon, after lunch, the Gryffindors gathered in the History of Magic classroom.
Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher at the school, reportedly fell asleep by the staff room fireplace one day and forgot to bring his body to class the next morning, highlighting just how old he must have been.
This History of Magic lesson was attended by both Gryffindor and Slytherin students, as were Potions and Flying lessons. The Gryffindors and Slytherins eyed each other, a silent battle of rivalry simmering between them.
The classroom was suddenly filled with exclamations as Professor Binns passed through the blackboard and into the room. Eda thought to herself, "Having a ghost as a teacher is pretty thrilling!" If it weren't for the fact that Professor Binns was so old, Eda would have considered pairing him up for a "Ghostly Romance" plot—it would surely get high ratings.
History of Magic should be an incredibly fascinating course, filled with notable wizards, magic, and wars. Unfortunately, Professor Binns' class was extraordinarily dull. The most exciting moment was his entrance through the wall—a true peak at the beginning! Professor Binns paid no attention to the students sprawled over their desks, and he began reading from his notes in a dry, monotonous voice that resembled a broken radio.
The usual enmity between Gryffindor and Slytherin faded as students struggled to keep their eyes open. Anyone who managed to occasionally jot down a name or a date was a hero of mental endurance.
The inter-house rivalry dissolved in the face of Professor Binns' soporific lectures.
Eda propped her head up with her left hand, gripping a pen with her right. Her eyelids were in a fierce battle to stay open. Angelina and Aeliana were already fast asleep beside her, and the Weasley twins had succumbed even earlier. Professor Binns' voice and teaching style were perfect for inducing sleep, especially after lunch in the warm afternoon sun, creating a cumulative effect that was impossible to resist.
Eda was still holding on, not because she didn't want to fall asleep, but because she had a mission from her system, and there were just too many tasks to complete!
[Successfully resist sleep during five History of Magic classes and break Professor Binns' 'spell'. Reward: Enhanced Stunning Spell.]
"In that October, a specialized team of wizards from Sardinia..." Professor Binns continued to drone on, casting his impressive sleep-inducing spell over the class.
In the classroom, only a few students had yet to make intimate contact with their desks. Eda pinched the inside of her thigh hard, forcing herself to stay awake.
It felt like an eternity, but the dull History of Magic class finally ended. Eda, who had struggled to stay alert, realized for the first time how torturous a class could be.
The moment class ended, the students woke up, looking vibrant and lively, completely different from their previous lifeless state on the desks. Fred, who had enjoyed a good nap, looked at Eda in horror and asked, "Eda, what happened to you?"
Hearing this, the others also turned to look at Eda. She appeared exhausted, her once bright emerald eyes now dull and bloodshot.
"Nothing, I feel great. Never felt better," Eda replied weakly. She staggered to her feet and was the first to leave the classroom, her shaky steps making her seem like she could collapse at any moment.
I swear, once I complete this task, if I ever stay awake in History of Magic again, I'll write my name backward! Eda vowed fiercely to herself.
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