great-warnovel Chapter 113 Field Practice
Chapter 113 Field Practice
Chapter 113 Field Practice
Finally, the new week has arrived, and the long-awaited outdoor practice class for the little wizards is finally about to make its official debut.
Just like the first week, the first class was taught by the second graders, since the first graders had to stay in the classroom and read their textbooks.
Harry was dressed early in the morning and paced back and forth in the common room. Even though he had been severely disciplined by Wood until curfew the day before, it couldn't stop him from being as restless as a pregnant cat, pacing back and forth anxiously.
"Even if you're going to be responsible for Professor Lockhart's impending birth, you should at least have breakfast in the Great Hall first!" the Weasley twins said sourly. Their field trip was tomorrow, and they could only watch enviously as the second-year kids happily headed out.
Hermione remained calm about this. Lockhart was a very reliable professor, and the field trip he arranged should be just right for second-year students. However, from another perspective, her combat power was beyond the scope of the course.
"I hope he doesn't end up with a bunch of Cornish elves, that would be so boring." She dragged the restless boys to the Great Hall, had a delicious breakfast, and then leisurely followed the rest of the second-year students to the castle.
Lockhart and Mrs. Hodge were already waiting on the lawn where the flight class was held.
They will be using flying brooms to go into the wild, and the same will be true when they return. The castle will remain in place until all the students have returned safely before they set off again. However, they will not go too far. This area was carefully selected by Lockhart and is home to a variety of dangerous creatures. This week, all the year's field trips will be held in this area.
"Alright, kids, I'm sure this week has been tough for everyone," Lockhart said loudly, clapping his hands.
"Me too. Losing to the second-year little witch kept me up all night, and I kept thinking about how to escape this school gracefully," he joked.
"Professor, can you tell us what we'll be seeing today?" Harry was already very impatient.
"Oh, that's a little secret. I'll keep you in suspense for a bit. Soon, in less than half an hour, you'll be able to see them. You know, it took me a lot of effort to find them back then!" Lockhart winked mysteriously.
"Alright, children, I expect you to treat the school brooms with care. If you break them outside, you'll have to climb up the castle's legs along with the giant spiders," Madam Hooch said sternly.
"You're all in your second year now, and some of you have even joined the team. I don't think anyone will fall from the sky, but I want to emphasize that you can't pick up a broom, even if it's a little unruly!" As she said this, she gave Hermione a special look. Why was this little witch, who was exceptionally talented in every way, so insensitive to brooms?
Lockhart has his own Griffin, so only the students ride brooms. These are school property and Mrs. Hooch's precious possessions; even the slightest scratch would break her heart.
Hermione, in a fit of pique, refused the sweeping spells offered to her, and instead used gravity magic to lift herself into the air.
After so much practice, she can now fly steadily in the air, but she still struggles a bit in actual combat and is not flexible enough.
"Remember, from the moment you leave the school, stay close to me and don't let yourself out of my sight. If you get separated from the others, send a signal immediately!" Lockhart shouted.
As all the students took flight, Lockhart mounted his Hippogriff and waved to the sullen-faced Mrs. Hodge.
Then I led everyone to fly out of the castle.
As soon as you pass through the Hogwarts barrier, the cold wind hits you and makes you shiver. Although it is still September, the temperature at high altitude is already very low. Fortunately, everyone's school uniforms have thermal charms, so no one is frozen solid.
Everyone was chasing after the professor who was galloping ahead on horseback. A bright glowing spell hung above his head, which he used to guide the students.
Hermione flew alongside Harry, his friends, and her companions. She was the only one who stood out from the crowd; instead of riding a broom, she carried a staff on her back, as if enveloped by an invisible force. At first, Harry thought she couldn't fly very fast, but little did he know how irrational gravity magic could be.
If Hermione wanted, she could launch herself out of the air in an instant, or deliver a powerful meteor shower from the sky. Of course, she couldn't do that with her current physical abilities, but she could also drag other flying objects around her while flying. When others slow down, she speeds up. Relativity makes perfect sense, right?
The sky remained overcast as always. After flying for a short while, Lockhart led them over a series of small hills and landed in an abandoned village.
This place may have been uninhabited for decades. Although it is remote and has not experienced war, the harsh climate has forced people to leave their homes and abandon the places where their ancestors lived for generations, in order to find caves or places with less pollution to survive.
Under the dim light, the village resembled a haunted village from a legend. Beneath the bare, withered trees stood rows of half-collapsed stone houses, and tattered cloths hanging from flagpoles fluttered in the wind, highlighting the desolation of the place.
"Alright, this is our destination, Haunted City!" Lockhart said as he counted the number of people to make sure no one was left behind in the air.
"Haunted? Are they ghosts? Hermione could take them all on her own!" Ron looked around in disappointment.
He was used to seeing ghosts in the castle.
"Oh, of course not. If you were just ghosts, I wouldn't have bothered to get you all out of the castle. Do you know how much responsibility I have?" Lockhart shook his head.
"In fact, several very powerful Boggarts live here."
"This village originally had the potential to develop into a new Muggle community, but because of these Boggarts, it was eventually abandoned and ended up like it is now."
He pointed to a tall stone fortress not far away: "The Muggles originally planned to build new fortifications there, but they had to evacuate from here after only completing half of them."
"Now, can anyone tell me anything about Boggart?"
Hermione immediately raised her hand; she wouldn't miss any chance to earn extra points. However, Lockhart chose a Ravenclaw girl this time.
"Boggarts are shapeshifters that live in dark, cramped places. They feed on human fears and have the ability to sense the deepest fears in people's hearts and transform accordingly. No one knows the shape of a Boggart because no one has ever seen its true form."
"Very good, Ravenclaw gets a point. I'm glad everyone has read this year's textbook thoroughly." Lockhart nodded in satisfaction.
"So, does anyone know the spell to counter a Boggart?"
"It's hilarious!" many people exclaimed in unison, clearly indicating that they had all read Lockhart's book very carefully.
"They might be scary to Muggles, but I feel like it's better for us to fight the ghosts," Ron muttered.
Indeed, once a Boggart's weakness is identified, it becomes quite easy to target.
"If they were just ordinary Boggarts, they would only be nightmares for children at night, monsters under their beds. But the ones living here can actually shatter a settlement. They are extremely rare mutant species, and even Boggart banishment spells cannot effectively deal with them." Lockhart revealed a wicked smile.
"I call them—the pseudo-human Boggarts. They can perfectly transform into human form, blend into the crowd, and then seize the opportunity to frighten others," Lockhart said, scrutinizing the students with a dangerous tone.
"In fact, he has already infiltrated your ranks. Haven't you noticed that there are more classmates around you now?"
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