Defense Against the Dark Arts Class (Thanks to Sky Silver Xin for the Bubble Milk Tea!)

The second class was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall's classes had always been difficult, but this one was especially hard. Su Yu had forgotten everything he had learned last year over the holiday. He had spent the entire summer traveling around Europe and had barely touched his wand, let alone practiced something like Transfiguration, which required daily practice.

Su Yu was supposed to turn a beetle into a button, but after struggling for ages, the bug merely crawled back and forth across the desk, as leisurely as if it were strolling through its own backyard. Su Yu poked it with his wand. It sped up for two steps, then continued wandering along at its own pace.

Su Yu took a deep breath, focused, and waved his wand—the bug did not move. He waved again—it still did not move. He kept waving—the bug finally moved, but instead of turning into a button, it crawled toward the edge of the desk. It probably decided this human was hopeless and that it was better off escaping.

The bug crawled and crawled until it reached Nine-Tailed Fox's paw.

Nine-Tailed Fox was lying on the floor taking a nap. Feeling something small crawling around by its foot, she reflexively slapped a paw down.

"Smack."

A crisp sound rang out.

Nine-Tailed Fox looked down at the black lump beneath her paw, then looked up at Su Yu with an utterly innocent expression.

Left with no choice, Su Yu could only force himself to walk up to Professor McGonagall. "Professor, could I have another beetle?"

Professor McGonagall had been inspecting the other students' progress. Hearing that, she stopped and looked down at Su Yu's completely empty desk, then at the small puddle of unidentified matter beneath Nine-Tailed Fox's paw. Her expression changed from confusion to understanding, then from understanding to displeasure.

"Mr. Su Fuli," Professor McGonagall said helplessly, "my beetles are not for amusing your pet."

"Take another one," Professor McGonagall continued, taking another beetle from a box beneath the podium. As she handed it over, she specifically reminded him, "Please keep your Nine-Tailed Fox under control."

But Professor McGonagall was clearly very dissatisfied with this.

Su Yu took the beetle back to his seat and placed it on the desk, then gently pushed Nine-Tailed Fox to signal her to move farther away. Nine-Tailed Fox gave an unhappy snort and shifted positions, but never opened her eyes.

By the time the lunch bell rang, Su Yu still had not managed it. The beetle, on the other hand, was doing quite well. It crawled circles around the desk before Nine-Tailed Fox flicked it to the edge with her paw, sending it into Daphne's bag. Daphne picked it out of her bag and put it back on Su Yu's desk. Su Yu sighed and released it.

Hermione showed off the exquisite button she had made in class. It looked as refined as something bought from a shop—round and smooth, evenly colored, with a faint sheen. She proudly held it up and turned it beneath the sunlight, her face practically spelling out, "I'm amazing." She said she would take it back for Su Yu to use.

The moment Su Yu thought about what it had been, he declared that he could not accept it.

"It isn't a bug anymore!" Hermione protested. "It's already a button!"

"Its essence is still a bug."

"Its essence has already been changed!"

"Then keep it for yourself. I really can't accept it psychologically."

Hermione snorted and tucked the button back into her pocket.

After Su Yu finished eating and took Daphne for a walk in the central courtyard, he saw Malfoy and the others arguing with someone.

The air in the central courtyard was much fresher than inside the castle. Although the sky was still overcast, at least it did not carry that stale old-stone smell. Several ancient oak trees rustled in the wind, and the occasional dead leaf drifted down. Su Yu had originally wanted to find a bench and sit down to digest his lunch.

It started because Colin Creevey wanted to take pictures of Harry and Malfoy. Colin was a first-year Gryffindor this year, small in stature, with a messy head of brown hair and his Muggle camera always raised in his hands. The moment he saw Harry, he became wildly excited and lifted his camera to press the shutter. Then Malfoy came out, and Colin wanted to take a picture of him too.

With Malfoy's proud personality, he pointed at Colin's camera and lifted his chin high. "Don't point that Muggle junk at me. I don't want some cheap rubbish tarnishing my portrait. Take pictures of Harry. He must love lining up to sign things for people."

Harry's face instantly turned red. He clenched his fists and took a step forward, but Ron grabbed his robe from behind.

Colin spoke up then, his voice quiet but earnest. "You're just jealous of Harry. Jealous because he's famous."

Malfoy's expression changed. He was jealous of Harry? Jealous of getting beaten senseless in the Inner World? "I don't think having a scar on your head makes you particularly special. Of course, I don't know whether other people think that way." Crabbe and Goyle laughed nearby, like two deflated balls.

Ron also stepped forward to stand up for Harry, standing beside him and glaring at Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles and prepared to make a move. The two took a step forward, their fists creaking as they clenched them.

Malfoy was still imitating Ron's mother from that morning, pinching his throat and shrieking theatrically, "If you dare take one more wrong step—" His voice was sharp and thin, and the imitation was somewhat convincing, except his expression was far too exaggerated. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his mouth stretched wide.

A group of fifth-year Slytherins nearby burst into loud laughter. Leaning against the corridor pillars with their arms crossed, they laughed so hard they bent over. Several even pinched their throats like Malfoy and repeated the line.

"Weasley wants a signed photograph of Harry," Malfoy said with a fake smile, turning to look at Crabbe and Goyle behind him. The two cooperatively laughed again. "It would be worth more than anything in his house!"

Ron's face turned bright red, and his hand had already reached for the wand in his pocket.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?" At that moment, Lockhart strode toward them. He wore an emerald-green robe that glittered in the sunlight, billowing behind him, and the smile on his face was dazzling enough to blind someone. "Who's handing out signed postcards?"

Then he smugly took another photo with Harry. He draped one hand over Harry's shoulder, made a V-sign with the other, and flashed Colin's camera a standard eight-toothed smile. Harry's entire body was stiff, his expression like someone enduring torture. Lockhart was not satisfied after one picture and changed poses to take several more.

Lockhart fussed around for quite a while, only reluctantly letting Harry go when the class bell rang. As he released him, Lockhart patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "You know, it isn't very wise to hand out signed postcards at your stage—honestly, it makes one seem a little arrogant, Harry. That sort of thing should be done when the time is right. Like me, you have to carry a stack of postcards everywhere you go. You never know when they'll come in handy." Even on the way to class, Lockhart kept saying smugly, "I don't think you've reached that stage yet."

Harry walked ahead without looking back, his pace growing faster and faster. Ron followed behind him, his face even redder than before.

Only after they reached the classroom did Lockhart finally let Harry leave and return to his own seat. Harry practically fled back to his desk.

The other students noisily entered the classroom as well. Su Yu and Daphne found seats near the back. They were in the farthest corner from the podium, beside a window. Outside, the sky was gray, and the distant treetops of the Forbidden Forest could be seen. Su Yu simply did not want to look at Lockhart's disgusting face.

Once the entire class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat and remained silent. He stepped forward, picked up Neville's Gadding with Ghouls, and held it up to show everyone the cover portrait of himself smiling and winking. The pages rustled in the air as he turned in a circle with the book, making sure every student saw it.

"Me," he said, pointing at the cover and winking as well, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Third Class Order of Merlin! Honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts League, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—though I didn't want to mention that. I smiled at the Banshee and made her disappear."

He waited for laughter to erupt, but only a few people gave quiet chuckles.

Lockhart's smile stiffened slightly, but he quickly restored it.

"I see you've bought my complete set of books—that's very good. Today, I'll give everyone a little quiz. Don't worry—this quiz is only to see how much you've read and how well you've understood the books..."

As Lockhart spoke, he began distributing test papers to every student's desk. Su Yu lowered his head and glanced at his.

It read:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest wish?

3. What do you believe is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement?

Almost all the questions were like that, filling three large pages. Su Yu flipped to the last page. The final question read: 64. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday? What gift does he most wish to receive?

Su Yu handed in a blank paper directly. He flipped the test over on the desk, leaned back in his chair, shoved his hands into his pockets, and closed his eyes. He felt that anyone asking such questions was an idiot, and if he answered them, he would be an even bigger idiot! Nine-Tailed Fox lay beside him, glanced at the paper, and flicked it off the edge of the desk with her paw.

Daphne seriously answered several questions, but halfway through, she also set down her quill. She looked at Su Yu, then at the test paper, hesitated for a moment, and put down her pen.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and began leafing through them in front of the class. He walked as he read, constantly saying, "Tut, tut—you people barely remember that my favorite color is lilac. I mentioned it in Year with the Yeti. Also, you need to read A Weekend with the Werewolf more carefully. In Chapter Twelve, I clearly wrote that my greatest birthday wish is for magical and non-magical people to live together harmoniously—but I wouldn't refuse a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky either!"

Lockhart continued looking through the papers, then suddenly stopped, his eyes lighting up. "...But Hermione Jane Granger knows that my greatest wish is to rid the world of evil and successfully promote my hair-care potion line—excellent! In fact—" He looked over her test paper. "All correct! Who is Hermione Jane Granger?"

Hermione raised her hand trembling. Her face was slightly red, but her back was perfectly straight, and she looked forward with unwavering eyes.

"Very good!" Lockhart said with a smile. "Very, very well done! Ten points to Gryffindor! Now then, let's get to the main topic..."

Lockhart bent down and lifted a large cage covered with cloth from beneath the desk. When he placed the cage on the table, it made a dull thump, and something inside moved.

"Now—I must warn everyone! It is my duty to acquaint you with the most vicious creatures in the wizarding world, so that you will be mentally prepared in the future. What I am about to show you may be the most terrifying thing you have ever seen, but don't be afraid. As long as I am here, nothing will go wrong. I ask everyone to remain calm and not panic."

Lockhart placed one hand on the cloth covering the cage. Neville, seated in the front row, shrank into the corner of his chair in fright, curling himself into a ball and leaving only his eyes exposed.

"You must promise me that you won't scream when you see them," Lockhart said quietly, "because that might provoke them."

Everyone immediately held their breath. The classroom was so quiet that they could hear the wind against the windows. Lockhart whipped off the cloth.

"Ta-da!" he announced with great flair. "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies."

Inside the cage was a group of little creatures about eight inches tall. Their bodies flashed with blue electricity, their faces were pointed, and their voices shrill. They dashed wildly around the cage, slamming against the iron bars with sharp clatters. Seeing so many people did not frighten them in the slightest. Instead, they became even more excited, pulling faces and sticking out their tongues at nearby students. Some even reached through the bars to tug the front-row students' hair.

Seamus Finnigan could not help laughing. Not even Lockhart could mistake that for a scream of terror, and several Gryffindor students beside him began laughing too.

"What?" Lockhart asked with a smile, though there was already a hint of stiffness in it. "Ah, aren't they—aren't they—extremely dangerous?"

Seamus laughed so hard he could not stop, clutching his stomach and collapsing over his desk.

"Don't jump to conclusions so early!" Lockhart said, angrily wagging a finger before Seamus. "These little fellows are extremely vicious, clever, and terrifying!"

"Very well," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see how you deal with them."

Then he opened the cage.

The instant the cage opened, the pixies shot out like rockets, scattering in every direction. They were unbelievably fast, leaving trails of blue electricity through the air.

Two of them grabbed Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Neville screamed, kicking his legs wildly as his face went pale. Several others smashed through the windows, showering the back-row students in broken glass. They grabbed ink bottles and splashed ink everywhere, tore up textbooks and test papers, and shredded every painting on the walls. The people in the portraits screamed and fled into neighboring frames. They overturned the rubbish bins, snatched schoolbags and textbooks, and hurled them out the windows.

Within minutes, half the class had hidden beneath their desks. Neville, meanwhile, had been hung from the branching chandelier on the ceiling. He dangled from the fixture, swaying back and forth, his lips trembling and tears gathering in his eyes.

"Come on, subdue them! Catch them! They're only pixies..." Lockhart shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, waved his wand, and yelled, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

But it did absolutely nothing. One pixie snatched Lockhart's wand and threw it out the window. The wand spun several times in the air and vanished into the grass outside. Lockhart swallowed and hid beneath a desk too.

At that moment, Neville fell together with the chandelier.

Su Yu could not endure it any longer.

He stood up and caught Neville with one hand.

The terrifying malice of Nine-Tailed Fox within him instantly engulfed the entire classroom. All the students began trembling for real, and the pixies felt it too. They stopped flying. Every pixie froze at the exact same instant.

They hovered in midair, their bodies rigid, their expressions changing from mischief to terror.

Then they began to explode.

One Cornish Pixie after another burst apart against the ceiling, like blue balloons being pierced, exploding into clumps of flesh and blood. Blue fluid splattered across the ceiling and streamed down the walls.

Neville's whole body had gone limp, like a puddle of mud. Su Yu set him on a nearby chair and patted his shoulder. Neville's lips were still trembling, but he nodded.

Su Yu set Neville down and walked step by step toward the desk under which Lockhart was hiding.

He reached the desk and looked down at the trembling Lockhart beneath it.

Su Yu kicked the desk away. It flew into the wall and shattered instantly, wood chips scattering everywhere. Lockhart was exposed before Su Yu, bracing himself against the floor and shrinking backward, but his back had already hit the wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.

Then Su Yu stepped on Lockhart's head and introduced it intimately to the floor. Lockhart's face pressed against the stone, his nose squashed out of shape, his lips flattened against the flagstones as he let out a muffled, pig-like grunt.

Su Yu bent down and smiled.

"Lockhart, right? I've put up with you for a long time. When was the last time I killed someone? Two months ago? Three?"

"Congratulations. You've successfully provoked my killing intent again."

As he spoke, he prepared to crush Lockhart's skull. The force beneath his foot increased bit by bit, flattening Lockhart's face harder against the stone. He began making muffled cries, like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on.

At this moment, the little Slytherin snakes no longer cared about the frustration they had suffered from the Mandrakes in the greenhouse that morning. The prefect truly was the prefect.

A whole crowd hurried over. Some grabbed Su Yu to pull him back, while others tried to persuade him. Even Theodore, who usually barely spoke, now sounded sweet as honey as he continuously pleaded with Su Yu. "Prefect, it isn't worth it. Someone like this would dirty your shoes." Malfoy abandoned even his pure-blood pride and hugged Su Yu's leg, begging him not to kill a professor in front of so many people. If he had to kill him, he should wait until no one was around, Prefect! There were too many people watching right now!

Daphne had already drawn her wand. Tilting her head, she stood behind Su Yu, green light flickering at the tip of her wand. She was ready to fire an Avada Kedavra after Su Yu crushed Lockhart's head, just in case he did not die thoroughly enough. Her expression was as calm as ever.

Although Hermione was afraid, between Lockhart and Su Yu, she would unquestionably choose Su Yu without hesitation. She stood beside the Gryffindor table, clutching the hem of her robe in both hands. Her face was somewhat pale, but she neither stopped Su Yu nor retreated.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall, who had been teaching next door, sensed Nine-Tailed Fox's profound malice and rushed over in a panic. Her startled cry could be heard from far away. Even her eternally unchanged expression looked flustered from running too quickly, and her glasses had gone crooked.

"Let go of your professor! Mr. Su Fuli!"

"Does someone like him deserve to be called a professor?" Su Yu did not even glance at Professor McGonagall, and the force beneath his foot did not lessen in the slightest.

At that moment, Headmaster Dumbledore Apparated over as well. He appeared in the center of the classroom, his silvery-white beard drifting gently in the air, his blue eyes behind half-moon glasses calmly watching Su Yu.

"Su Yu, let him go," Dumbledore said quietly, still in that unhurried manner. "At the very least, he isn't bad at heart, is he? He isn't someone who deserves to die, though he certainly is rather annoying."

Su Yu discovered then that no matter what he did, his foot could not press down any farther.

That old man! He had been holding back during the group battle last time too!!!

Su Yu took a deep breath and instantly withdrew his strength.

Then he bent down, patted Lockhart's head, which he had dirtied by stepping on it, and said to him with a cheerful smile, "Professor Lockhart, you were frightened, weren't you? I was only joking with you just now. It may have gone a little too far, so sorry about that. I hope you understand." He paused, his smile unchanged but his tone turning cold. "It doesn't matter if you don't. If you can't understand, I'll play the same joke next time anyway."

Lockhart lifted his face from the flagstones. Half his face was red, half white. Dust clung to his nose, blood kept seeping from his head, his eyes were wide, his pupils shrunk to pinpoints, and his entire body shook like a sieve.

"Un... un... understand..." Lockhart's voice came out in broken fragments, as though squeezed from a throat being strangled.

With Professor McGonagall supporting him, he slowly climbed to his feet. His legs were still shaking so badly that he could barely stand, and he leaned his whole body against her.

Professor McGonagall's face was livid as she glanced at Su Yu.

"Slytherin loses fifty points for taking a joke with a professor too far!" Professor McGonagall's voice had returned to its cold, official tone.

Then she dragged Lockhart, whose legs were still trembling, out of the classroom. His steps were unsteady, as though he were walking on cotton. At the door, he even stumbled and nearly fell.

Dumbledore looked at Su Yu, shook his head helplessly, and sighed. "All right. I hope Mr. Su Yu can deeply recognize his mistake this time. Everyone else, class is dismissed."

After saying that, Dumbledore's figure flashed and vanished into the air.

Apparating and Apparating again, coming and going as he pleased, as though nothing had happened.