Harry had become exceptionally busy lately. Apart from the few classes their two houses shared, every time Su Er saw him, he was covered in mud and utterly exhausted-like a young ox driven by a whip to plow several fields in a row.
Su Er sympathized. Wood, captain of the Gryffindor team, was in his seventh year now. Winning the Quidditch Cup before graduation had been his greatest wish ever since becoming captain, and he had imposed that wish on his teammates.
Not even howling winds and torrential rain could dampen his enthusiasm for training.
The Hufflepuff Quidditch team, by contrast... had embraced slacking off to the very end. Cedric, however, had been infected by Gryffindor's enthusiasm for training and kept trying to persuade his teammates to practice.
"It's so cold, and look how hard it's raining outside. Getting soaked is no fun. We can discuss tactics in the common room just as well, with black tea and snacks. We can practice when the weather clears up." Those were the exact words of the current Hufflepuff team captain.
The weather grew colder and colder. It was as though a hole had opened in the sky, with rain pouring relentlessly down. The entire Castle became muddy and damp, forcing Hagrid to move his lessons indoors.
Since last week's lesson on Bowtruckles, opinions of Care of Magical Creatures had changed dramatically. When Hagrid taught properly instead of taking everyone thrill-seeking, it was actually quite interesting.
Everyone was looking forward to seeing which fantastic beasts Hagrid would bring to class.
The classroom had been arranged in advance. Desks and chairs were piled in a corner, leaving an empty space in the middle where several fires blazed. They lit the classroom brightly, even with dark clouds looming outside the windows.
The young wizards stood