Chapter 24: Defence Against the Dark Arts Practical Class
A gentle breeze drifted past.
The swaying blades of grass bowed in the wind, shaking off dew that reflected the moonlight. Countless sparkling droplets shattered before Harry's eyes. He raised his head and saw the meadow ahead, the shadowy forest, and the distant mountains blurred into dark blue beneath the night sky.
And the full moon hanging high in the dim heavens.
In the wind blowing toward him, Harry caught a scent that seemed to belong to the Forbidden Forest—or rather, everything before his eyes felt exactly like the time he had ventured into the Forbidden Forest at night.
The rustling wind, the chirping insects, the cries of birds.
The bushes swaying in the lush woodland, and the indistinct, unsettling rustling from the grass that made one's skin crawl.
"Where are we?"
Ron's surprised voice came from behind him.
Harry, who had been staring blankly, turned around and saw a huge black "circle" standing suspended about a foot above the grass.
The other students were stumbling and tumbling out of it.
He had probably fallen out of that "circle" too just now—
At that thought, Harry's face darkened. He had not forgotten that someone had clearly shoved him before they came in!
Slytherin could be ruled out first. Those people might be cunning, treacherous, shameless, and despicable, but their relationship with Gryffindor was terrible. Even if the two Houses shared the same class, they would not be standing in the same group.
The only ones who could have stood behind him were Gryffindors.
A bunch of disloyal bastards!
And that disloyal Ronald Weasley!
Harry suspected that it had been that rotten friend of his, but he had no proof.
The young wizards gradually all came through. The abrupt shift in space