Professor Qiyiji's Dark Arts Defence

Tuesday's Dark Arts Defence class with Professor Quirrell was practically a disaster.

Fortunately, Kyle's expectations for Dark Arts Defence had been very low.

As early as the start-of-term feast, the moment Kyle saw Professor Quirrell's appearance, he had given up all hope for the class.

Professor Quirrell was quite a large man, with a sickly pale face and scars often nestled among his wrinkles.

Though he wore robes, they were filthy and ragged, as if they had not been mended or washed in over a decade.

Compared with the dashing, refined Professor Hiddleston from last term, Quirrell's appearance was truly awful.

What was more, his stammering English carried a heavy curry-like accent, making him difficult to understand.

Combined with the strange turban wrapped around his head, he looked even more like an Indian.

Kyle had heard people discussing it in private. Professor Quirrell had once been an outstanding Ravenclaw student, but after graduating, he had failed to find work and knew no other trade. He had grown poorer and poorer, until he had fallen so low that he had to risk his life coming to Hogwarts as a Dark Arts Defence professor.

The moment Professor Quirrell entered the classroom, a thick garlic stench immediately filled the entire room.

All the little wizards pinched their noses in disgust.

Kyle hurriedly drew his wand and cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, Hannah, and Hermione, narrowly avoiding the danger of suffocation.

Seeing the disgusted looks on the students' faces, Professor Quirrell's face reddened, veins bulging across his forehead. "I... did this... to drive away vampires!"

He told the little wizards about how he had used garlic to drive off a vampire in Romania, explaining that he kept the garlic smell on himself because he was afraid that vampire would come back for him.

After recounting part of his legendary exploits, Professor Quirrell's flushed complexion gradually returned to normal, and he began speaking about his other adventures.

He said that his large scarf had been a gift from an African prince, who had given it to him in gratitude for helping him escape the harassment of Inferi.

But no one could say they truly believed that story.

A Gryffindor lion cub raised his hand and asked, "Professor, did you really defeat Inferi?"

Professor Quirrell looked at the little wizard who had questioned him, wearing an expression of disdainful certainty.

The little eagle asked again, "Then Professor, how did you defeat the Inferi?"

Professor Quirrell immediately looked dejected and uneasy, his face turning grey. His curry-scented English muttered something incomprehensible, and not a single little wizard below could understand him.

The students burst into laughter, and the classroom was filled with cheerful air.

Knowing he could not continue with that subject, Professor Quirrell had no choice but to ask the little wizards a question.

He looked at a certain little wizard whose head was enclosed in a Bubble-Head Charm, making him look exactly like a Celestial Dragon.

"Mr. Dumbledore, do you know the definition of Dark Arts?"

Kyle nodded slightly.

Professor Quirrell said, "Then could you briefly explain it?"

Kyle was a little disdainful. A man who looked like a beggar dared question him?

Still, he stood and answered.

"Dark Arts refers to evil magic primarily intended to harm others and capable of inflicting serious injury upon them."

"Very good. Please sit. Five points to Hufflepuff."

The afternoon's History of Magic was boring to the absolute extreme.

It was the only class at Hogwarts taught by a ghost, a course delivered by an ancient relic from a thousand years ago. What could possibly be worth looking forward to in his teaching?

As Professor Binns droned on in a monotonous voice, Kyle, seated in the last row of the classroom, took off his wizard robes and put them on a life-sized alchemical puppet.

Then, under Hermione and Hannah's incredulous stares, Kyle sneaked out of the classroom.

Hermione:!!!

Hannah:???

There was such a trick?

It was not until dinner that the two girls saw Kyle again in the Great Hall.

"How could you skip class! Even if it was Professor Binns's History of Magic! What you did..."

The moment she saw Kyle, well-behaved Hermione planted her hands on her hips and unleashed a rapid stream of scolding.

Hannah nodded repeatedly beside her.

Looking at the fierce little beaver, Kyle smiled and rubbed her head. "Next time I skip History of Magic, I'll take you two with me."

Hermione slapped Kyle's hand away irritably. "Don't even think about leading us astray!"

The little blonde girl immediately took Hermione's side as well.

"I'll take you to the Forbidden Forest to ride Hippogriffs."

"Please make sure to take me with you next time you skip class!" Hannah instantly abandoned her original stance.

Hermione:???

Why did you defect so quickly, Hannah!

At the Astronomy Tower on Wednesday night, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were having Astronomy class.

Hannah looked at the life-sized alchemical puppet beside her, dressed in Kyle's wizard robes, and stamped her feet furiously.

"Kyle, you liar!"

Hearing dimwitted Hannah's words, the little beaver rolled her eyes.

Hannah was such a fool. She had actually believed something like "I'll take you to the Forbidden Forest to ride Hippogriffs," which sounded exactly like something only a creepy old man would say.

Hermione truly did not know where to begin criticizing her.

But compared to Kyle skipping class, Hermione felt that the more important matter now was reporting Kyle and the others to Dumbledore for privately stockpiling weapons.

Yet until Friday, the little beaver never found a chance to meet Headmaster Dumbledore alone and report Kyle and the others for secretly keeping weapons of mass destruction.

It was not that she had not considered going to Professor McGonagall, but she felt that members of the Dumbledore family were better handled by Dumbledore himself.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry added sugar to his oatmeal porridge as he asked Ron, "What classes do we have today?"

"Two Potions classes with the Slytherin students."

Ron spoke with a sigh.

"Snape is the Head of House for Slytherin House. They all say he favors his own students. Now we'll get to see whether that's true."

Hearing their conversation, Hermione's troubled expression eased slightly. She turned to the two of them and said,

"Don't worry. I heard from Kyle that Professor Snape is a very good person."

"A very good person?" Ron cried out in disbelief.

"I heard George and Fred say Snape is basically a giant bat demon wearing human skin!"

A sinister voice came from behind them. "Bat demon?"

Ron nearly fell beneath the table.

Hermione, who had been startled as well, glared reproachfully at Kyle. "Could you stop being so scary next time!"

"Sorry, my fault." Kyle spread his hands with very little sincerity.

Then he lowered his voice. "I can tell you something about Professor Snape. About why he always looks so gloomy."

After fighting side by side with Snape in the Forbidden Forest, Kyle had gone to Dumbledore to ask for some gossip about Snape.

Dumbledore had told Kyle part of what had happened in Snape's past.

Harry and Ron were clearly drawn in by the gossip. Though the little beaver looked uninterested, she honestly pricked up her ears in preparation.

"Professor Snape once..."

Before Kyle could finish, a dark hand seized his ear.

"Professor Snape once taught me magic! That's why I say he's a very good person! My admiration for him is as endless and unceasing as the waters of the Rhine River!"

The dark hand on Kyle's ear released him.

Watching the old bat gradually walk away, all three members of the iron triangle stared at Kyle in bewilderment.

How could someone start flattering people at the drop of a hat?

As for where to find Konan to be the female lead, I'll answer that here—guess!