"Lumos Solem!" Michael gripped his wand tightly and cast the Wand-Lighting Charm again.
The light appearing at the tip of his wand this time was even brighter than before.
He knew time was running out, so he simply strode forward, moving through the increasingly dense fog.
Just then, a burst of clamorous noise came from all directions.
It sounded somewhat like laughter, but far sharper—like a flock of chattering parrots.
Michael's expression changed, and cold sweat had already formed on his forehead.
He knew perfectly well that this was an exam, but these strange, omnipresent sounds were still rather unnerving.
All he could do now was stop immediately, take up a stance, and brace himself for a possible attack.
Michael had barely stopped when the chattering cries grew louder and louder, until several Magical creatures appeared before him.
These Magical creatures hovered in midair, roughly the size of a palm. Their skin was an iron-blue color, and their nut-sized black eyes gleamed with undisguised malice, making them rather creepy to look at.
Around their long necks hung outrageously large pouches, almost as thick as their bodies, dangling heavily before their chests and swaying constantly as they swooped up and down.
The instant he saw these Magical creatures, Michael recognized them. "Cornish Pixies..."
He had a rather deep impression of this particular Magical creature.
After Gilderoy Lockhart became the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, his first lesson, aside from having the students fill out meaningless questionnaires, involved introducing them to Cornish Pixies.
Through that lesson, the students not only got to know Cornish Pixies—they also came to know Gilderoy Lockhart all over again.
In that lesson, Gilderoy Lockhart's performance had been utterly at odds with the image he presented in his books.
The series of events that followed proved it