As February arrived, the temperature around Hogwarts rose slightly. The snow that had piled up all winter began to show signs of melting, leaving the castle cold and damp.
To avoid disrupting their regular classes, Apparition Class had been scheduled for Saturday morning.
Driven by curiosity and anticipation, everyone had gotten up early for once 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.
Except for one person, of course.
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 wizard standing with them was presumably the Apparition instructor sent by the Ministry of Magic.
Near nine o'clock, Professor McGonagall called roll from a list. Once she had signaled everyone to keep quiet, she nodded to the wizard, indicating that he could begin.
"My name is Wilkie Twycross," the wizard from the Ministry of Magic introduced himself. "For the next twelve weeks, I will be your Apparition Class instructor. I hope to help you prepare for the Apparition test. I believe many of you will be taking it by then."
"Over the next hour, I will teach you how to master Apparition." Twycross flicked his wand, conjuring an old-fashioned wooden hoop in front of every student. "Before that, there is something I must emphasize: you need only Apparate into your own hoop. Going elsewhere would be unwise. In the upcoming Apparition test, you will need to precisely control where you land and Apparate perfectly. Even the slightest mistake will result in failure."
Everyone gathered together and began whispering among themselves. It was only with the help of several professors that they finally quieted down again.
Twycross began explaining the