Gunnar Grimmson
No one knows what happened next in the Owlery.
All anyone knows is that since that day, not only has McLaggen become much more restrained, but the Justice Inquisitorial Squad have also stopped bothering any Slytherin students, especially when they see Skylar and his group, they will take a long detour.
Without the tyranny of the Justice Inquisitorial Squad, Hogwarts seemed to have returned to its peaceful past.
For the next week, Dobby continuously brought Skylar the latest intelligence from the Sleeping Dragon Society.
In an effort to win over new allies, the Pure-Blood Traitor Faction continuously increased their support for the existing heads of the Fawley Family and Slughorn Family, intensifying the internal strife between these two families.
Meanwhile, Skylar was not idle either. He mobilized all the Pure-blood families under his command— the House of Selwyn, the House of Yaxley, the Carrow Family, the Crouch Family, and the Greengrass Family —to invest a lot of resources in supporting Claude Fawley and Squall Slughorn.
The internal strife between the two families intensified suddenly, resulting in a stalemate.
A week has passed, and it's now March 8th.
This day was originally supposed to be the day Trelawney was expelled by Umbridge in the original story, but this time it was Hagrid who was dismissed from his employment contract. Of course, Hagrid remains the game keeper at Hogwarts and can continue to live Hogwarts.
Since Umbridge had become the principal, she had the authority to hire new professors, and on the same day, a new professor for the Care of Magical Creatures took office.
No one had ever seen this professor; all they knew was that his name was Professor Grimmson.
Skylar knew this surname—in the 1930s, a bounty hunter named Gunnar Grimmson was very famous, specializing in hunting dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic around the world. He had also briefly served Grindelwald, but ultimately died at the latter's hands.
It seems that the Care of Magical Creatures is about to become quite interesting.
Everyone's curiosity didn't last long, and soon his first lesson arrived.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, students gathered in small groups in a designated area, whispering and discussing the newly appointed professor of the Care of Magical Creatures.
"You mean he really is a bounty hunter?" Ron whispered in Harry's ear. "My God, that's the complete opposite of Hagrid."
"More than a bounty hunter," Hermione said, clutching her book, her face grim, "I'm worried he doesn't care about the animals' survival at all."
"Quiet."
A hoarse, deep male voice suddenly interrupted the discussion.
Professor Grimmson was very tall, wearing a heavy, mottled Dragon Hide robe, his boots stained with dried blood. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, his gaze sweeping over the students like a predator surveying its prey.
He slowly swept his gaze across the students, his rough voice like a file scraping bone. "I am Professor Grimmson, your teacher of Care of Magical Creatures. Some of you may already know that I was once a bounty hunter, and I have particularly in-depth research on Fantastic Beasts..." A cruel smile crept across his lips.
"To be honest, I have some issues with the name of this course. What does 'Care of Magical Creatures' even mean?" He sneered dismissively. "In my opinion, this course should be called 'Taming Care of Magical Creatures.'"
Ron gasped, Hermione's face turned ashen, and Harry couldn't help but frown.
"What kind of person was your previous teacher?" Grimmson strode forward, his voice rising, "Was it someone who made you feed them, cuddle their tails, and name them all day long?"
"I'm not that kind of person." He drew a gleaming silver blade from his waist and plunged it into the wooden stake beneath his feet, sending splinters flying.
"In my view, so-called Fantastic Beasts are nothing more than livestock, their sole purpose being to provide material for great wizards." His eyes were chillingly cold as he said this. "Livestock that cannot be tamed is only valuable for hunting."
"I teach you how to hunt, how to dissect, and how to utilize every inch of their tissues, not out of cruelty, but so that when you face real beasts—you won't die too quickly."
His voice suddenly lowered, as if roaring from the depths of his chest, "Because they won't pity you, nor will they give you a chance to grade the paper."
The entire hall fell silent.
The students looked at each other, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.
Harry frowned, clearly disagreeing with this viewpoint, and was about to speak when Hermione stepped forward, her face full of indignation. "But Professor, * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them * clearly states—"
"Was it written by Newt Scamander?" Grimmson scoffed, interrupting her. "A madman who fought an entire hunting brigade in East Africa to protect a nest of Mooncalf? I respect his philanthropy, but he's unfit to teach."
Hermione opened her mouth, but under that piercing gaze, she instinctively retreated back into the queue.
Skylar stood at the back of the crowd, squinting as he calmly sized up the new professor. He whispered to Daphne, "Umbridge chose him; it seems she did it on purpose."
Daphne's expression was indifferent as she nodded slightly. "I just want to completely change Hogwarts' educational philosophy."
"Today's lesson," Grimmson abruptly waved his hand, and four Blind Dog, confined in iron cages, were dragged out. These magical beasts were born without eyes, but could sense body temperature and magic power, and were extremely sensitive to magical fluctuations. They were creatures used by many dark wizards to guard dungeons. "Your task is to kill one, then cut it open and take out its heart."
A gasp and commotion immediately erupted among the students.
Ron's face paled, and he took a step back. "Is this madman serious?"
"They attack people!" Hermione's eyes widened. "This isn't teaching, it's slaughter!"
"You can choose to withdraw," Grimmson said coldly, "But your grade will be zero, and your passing grade will be lowered. For wizards, cowardice is a crime."
At this moment, Draco Malfoy, however, was filled with excitement. He drew his wand, eager to try it out. "That's more like it—finally not like Hagrid who spends all his time hugging a furball like a pet."
"Brother, don't be careless," Skylar said in a deep voice. He had already realized that Grimmson was intentionally giving the students an unforgettable experience, so these Blind Dog were trained and not easy to deal with.
"As fifth-year students, you should all have mastered the Full Body-Bind Curse, right?" he said coldly. "The trick is in the gestures—attacking isn't the goal; capturing it alive will bring the greatest benefit. Focus on its first Adam's apple—that's its weak point; once hit, it will be unable to move."
He called out, "Potter, come up and give it a try."
Harry was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward.
The moment the cage door opened, the Blind Dog darted out like a cannonball. Harry's eyes widened, and he quickly raised his cane.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A flash of silver light shot out, Blind Dog's body jolted in mid-air, but it didn't stop; instead, it moved even faster!
Hermione cried out in surprise, Ron drew his wand to step forward.
"Step back." Grimmson shouted coldly, flicking his wrist, and a black light shot out like a snake swimming in water.
Bang!
The Blind Dog twisted and stiffened in mid-air for a moment, then crashed heavily to the ground, its four paws twitching a few times before it stopped moving.
"A misjudgment," he said calmly. "Next time, you might be the one dying."
Harry remained silent and returned to the group.
"What you will learn in this lesson is how to remain ruthless, decisive, and merciless when facing life-or-death situations."
A cold glint flashed in Grimmson's eyes as he turned to look at the remaining Blind Dog.
"Now, divide into groups of five. Capture alive, subdue, dissect, and record every valuable part."
How well you do today will determine whether you pass this semester.
"Start."