By February, the temperature around Hogwarts had risen slightly. The snow that had piled up throughout the winter was beginning to show signs of melting, leaving the castle cold and damp.
To avoid interfering with regular classes, Apparition Class had been scheduled for Saturday morning.
Driven by curiosity and anticipation, everyone had made the rare effort of getting up early on a Saturday.
However, having heard that practicing Apparition was not particularly pleasant, no one dared eat breakfast, afraid they might throw up while practicing.
Of course, there was one exception.
When they reached the training grounds outside the castle, they were surprised to find Professor McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Professor Sprout all there. The short male wizard standing with them was presumably the Apparition instructor sent by the Ministry of Magic.
As nine o'clock approached, Professor McGonagall called roll from a list. Once everyone had quieted down, she nodded to the male wizard, signaling that he could begin.
"My name is Wiggy Tekross," the Ministry wizard introduced himself. "For the next twelve weeks, I will serve as your Apparition instructor. I hope to help you prepare for the Apparition examination. I believe many of you will be taking it by then."
"Over the next hour, I will teach you how to master Apparition." Tekross flicked his wand, conjuring an old-fashioned wooden hoop in front of every student.
"Before that, there is something I need to emphasize. You need only Apparate into your own wooden hoop. Trying to go elsewhere would be unwise. In the upcoming Apparition examination, you will need to control your landing point precisely and Apparate perfectly. Even the slightest mistake will result in failure."
Everyone gathered together and began whispering among themselves. It took the help of several professors to quiet them down again.
Tekross began