"How did you do that, Katie?"
Cormac asked curiously as he took Katie by the hand, repeatedly pulling her down and then lifting her back into the air.
"A bug bit me. I can't say any more—you know the rules."
Katie didn't seem to mind Cormac playing with her. She was enjoying it herself.
The other students all stared at Katie curiously, and some asked if they could take turns playing with her too. Katie readily agreed.
The younger Gryffindors had found themselves a new pastime. They lined up and took turns, having the time of their lives, until Voldemort spoke.
"Having fun, are you?"
Voldemort smiled. He looked quite pleased. "But I must warn you: if you're bitten by this Magical Creature too many times, you'll float in the air forever. Remember, forever~~"
Katie, who had been enjoying herself, stopped. A little floating was fine, but if she were stuck in the air forever...
"Professor... I won't..."
"You won't," Voldemort assured her. "One bite isn't a problem. It takes many bites. If you run into it again, try to get as far away as possible. Fighting back could leave you floating permanently."
No one wanted to float forever. At least, Voldemort saw no sign in the children's eyes that anyone was getting ideas.
"Good. This lesson was just to give you a taste of what Defense Against the Dark Arts is about. I'm pleased with the duel between Cormac and Harry."
Voldemort nodded to the two of them, then continued, "Winning and losing don't matter, but you must learn to fight. Defense Against the Dark Arts is about protecting yourselves from your own kind. Very few Magical Creatures use Dark Magic."
Even so, the students' eyes turned toward Harry. They all knew he had lost, and the little boy