The others were no better off. Only Hermione looked relatively clean; even after returning to the classroom, pink bubbles still drifted around her, leaving Harry thoroughly baffled.
While everyone was still finding their seats, Harry hurriedly asked in a low voice, "What's with you—?"
"Cleaning Charm!" Hermione answered succinctly. Though she was staring at the podium, Harry somehow felt she was giving him a sidelong glance.
Her tone was full of a top student's contempt for underachievers. "It's one of the simplest household charms. I can't understand why none of you used it!"
"Er—"
Was it possible that nobody knew how?
Vaughn and Isabella stepped onto the podium, where they could still see the confused expressions in the young wizards' eyes.
What exactly had they just gone through?
Had it been a dream, or an illusion?
That disorienting feeling of having seemingly fought and gone on an adventure, while also somehow not having done so, had clearly exceeded their brains' processing capacity.
Seeing the little ones looking utterly bewildered, Isabella seemed delighted, just as she had said she would be in the small world. "How did everyone find the first practical lesson?"
The young wizards below exchanged glances.
Even Hermione, who was always enthusiastic and thoughtful, did not know what to say for a moment.
Isabella happily narrowed her eyes. "I know you must all be confused. The practical lesson gave you no preparation, not even an objective. You were merely driven into the forest by a sudden threat, then left reeling from Dire Wolves and every obstacle along the way—"
"But!"
The smile vanished from Isabella's face. "That kind of confusion, that suddenness and lack of preparation, is exactly what you will encounter in reality. Anything that happens in reality—accidents, chance encounters, surprise attacks—when danger arrives, it will not