"Boss, how did you do that?" Theodore asked Tris eagerly on their way back to Hogwarts Castle.
Back at the edge of the grounds, Tris had brought more than a dozen Hippogriffs to their knees with a single sentence, making them bow in submission.
"Just a little trick. Nothing worth mentioning, nothing worth mentioning," Tris said with a smile.
Though he dismissed it out loud, he was actually very pleased with himself.
What he had done in class was a by-product of his recent research into the primordial spirit: mental pressure. Its effects were rather unimpressive, though. It barely worked on humans or wizards, at most making them feel a little pressured.
But it seemed quite useful against animals.
The next two days passed uneventfully, until Thursday's Defense Against Dark Magic class.
"Hey, boss, it's finally time." Theodore looked excited.
He was not the only one. Almost every third-year Slytherin was gathered around Tris.
The new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Kusel Osgilia, was now responsible for the school's third- through seventh-year classes. Lockhart, meanwhile, only taught the first and second years.
At the opening feast, Dumbledore had explained that Professor Lockhart needed more time to write. After all, besides being a professor, he was also a bestselling author.
What could anyone say to that? It did seem reasonable enough.
During his year at Hogwarts, Lockhart had even written a new book. Titled A Year at Hogwarts, it had sold quite well.
Tris had to hand it to him.
Hogwarts only had a few hundred students, but their combined connections could reach practically the entire Wizarding World of Britain. Yet last year, Lockhart had made a fool of himself time and again, turned his classes into a complete mess, and even affected the fifth- and seventh-years' results in