Early that morning, Douglas had to set aside more than two hours to write.
After all, he did not want Mr. Slane sending an owl every morning, noon, and evening to chase him for his manuscript.
Then he made a round of each of the two Practical Lesson Classrooms.
He looked at the long queues in the corridors.
The Seventh Year students in charge of the Practical Lesson Classrooms and the class representatives from each house dragged out some younger students and fifth-years who were trying to sneak in.
Well, Gryffindor's class representative was absent.
Seeing those fifth-years standing there, deeply reluctant to leave, Douglas had no choice.
He used a Sonorus Charm to say:
"Fifth-years, don't be impatient. Your Practical Lesson Classroom has already been arranged.
"What you need to do now is dig out the material and spells you learned in previous years and review them.
"I don't want to find that nobody can even pass the first stage!"
The fifth-years' eyes lit up, and they discussed the hints Douglas had let slip about what would be tested.
Then they raced back to their dormitories or the library.
Douglas glanced through the crowd but found no sign of Percy.
Tsk, that lad really was busy all day.
Apart from Thursday's lesson, he hardly seemed to see the boy.
Still, Douglas knew that Percy was one of the few students taking twelve subjects.
A Time-Turner user.
Douglas had no interest in the Time-Turner in Percy's possession.
Although he had not taken twelve subjects himself back then, Bill had.
And he had borrowed Bill's Time-Turner quite often.
But whenever he used it, he merely hid in the Room of Requirement and practiced spells.
Magic involving time was unstable, and serious violations of the rules of time could also have catastrophic consequences.
The Ministry of Magic conducted stringent checks on guarantees before approving the use of a Time-Turner.
The Ministry of Magic had drawn up hundreds of laws governing the possession of Time-Turners.
It also subjected the misuse of Time-Turners to the strictest laws and penalties.
Douglas did not want a mistake of his to land Bill in Azkaban.
Besides, using a Time-Turner could not change history.
Everything you did was merely part of what had happened in history.
Douglas had once considered using a Time-Turner to return to the scene of that car accident.
But what worried him more was that, if he really did return to the past...
Perhaps that historical car accident would turn out to be an accident he had caused himself.
The past could not be changed!
Ah, that was getting off track.
Douglas did not wait until the afternoon.
At noon, he headed toward Hagrid's Hut with a gift.
He really had not paid much attention to this side of the Forbidden Forest before; there, in a clearing at its edge...
Three long rows of potato noodles hung drying in the shade.
When he knocked on Hagrid's door, it opened.
Hagrid greeted him with a beaming smile:
"Aha, Douglas, you're here! Something's just happened here, and I need your help.
"I'm sure you can sort it out!"
With that, he stepped aside to let Douglas in.
Only after entering did Douglas discover that he was not the first guest to arrive.
Douglas put his gift on the table.
Inside the hut, Ron, who was sitting in a chair, desperately pulled Harry and Hermione in front of him.
He was trying to block Douglas's view.
He really did not want his Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts to see him in such a sorry state.
But Hagrid immediately disappointed him.
Harry and Hermione said awkwardly:
"Good evening, Professor... I mean, good afternoon!"
Before Douglas could reply, Hagrid swept aside the two youngsters standing in front of Ron.
He pulled Douglas over to Ron.
Ron sat with his head bowed and his face scarlet, hiccupping and vomiting slugs into a large copper basin, as Hagrid said:
"Douglas, take a look at him, quick. The boy's own magic backfired on him.
"Unfortunately, I haven't got any good way of dealing with it!"
Then he swatted aside Fang, the large boarhound who was wagging his tail and lunging toward Douglas.
Douglas took a look.
"The Slug-Vomiting Charm! Once struck by this spell, the target hiccups and vomits large, glistening slugs. It may also have the side effect of turning the skin sallow.
"Clearly, Ron, your complexion still looks quite good!"
Hermione said worriedly from beside him:
"Professor, I suppose there's nothing to do except wait for it to stop on its own.
"I've read about this spell. Even under the best conditions, it's very difficult to cast.
"And Ron was using a broken wand..."
Douglas chuckled softly and flicked the wand in his hand.
Ron soon discovered that he was no longer hiccupping or vomiting slugs.
Hermione looked at Douglas in admiration.
Our Professor Holmes puffed out his chest before his students and explained casually:
"Just a Finite Charm cast as a Nonverbal Spell.
"This spell ends and restrains all magical effects. Mm, it's a very practical counterspell.
"Of course, that depends on the difference between the two casters' abilities.
"You'll learn this spell in your fourth year."
Then Douglas told the delighted Ron regretfully:
"It's a pity the Slug-Vomiting Charm doesn't make you vomit horned slugs.
"Those are ingredients for the Cure for Boils. They'd be worth a little money, at least."
Now Ron looked full of regret. Why hadn't he vomited horned slugs?
He had suffered so much for nothing, without any use coming of it.
They tidied up the room again.
Douglas conjured a table beside the fireplace.
Then he placed his gift on it: a large jar of pickled phoenix feet.
Looking embarrassed, Hagrid hurried to make tea for everyone, then said excitedly:
"Aha, pickled phoenix feet!
"I haven't had any since you sent me some the year before last.
"I know how to make them, but you know, they use up too much..."
Before he could finish, he saw the Trio staring at Douglas in shock.
Unlike Harry and Ron's astonishment, Hermione's surprise was mixed with even more confusion. She instinctively raised her hand and asked:
"Phoenixes? Magical creatures rated XXXX by the Ministry of Magic.
"They're extremely rare avian fantastic beasts, although phoenixes can be found in Egypt, India, and China.
"But there are only two known domesticated phoenixes at present.
"One is Headmaster Dumbledore's Fawkes.
"The other is Spark, the phoenix mascot of New Zealand's Moutohora Macaws Quidditch team.
"I mean, how could there possibly be so many phoenix feet?
"Could they be Augureys? They are also known as Irish phoenixes..."
Before Hermione finished, Douglas and Hagrid exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.
At the young witch's displeased expression, they struggled to stop smiling.
Hagrid hastily explained:
"It's not what you think. These are actually chicken feet!
"Like the chickens I keep behind my pumpkins. Of course, these aren't their feet."
As he spoke, Hagrid took out several large, clean bowls.
After setting them before everyone, he poured the chicken feet out of the jar.
Then he grabbed several straight from his own bowl and tossed them into his mouth.
"The heat from pickled chilies still doesn't quite measure up to Extra Spicy!"
Douglas picked up a chicken foot and put it straight into his mouth too.
These were all boneless chicken feet that Douglas had removed the bones from with a spell, so there were no bones to spit out.
He complained:
"You think everyone has taste buds as tough as yours?
"Try the special Extra Spicy seasoning I made for Fawkes, if you've got the nerve!"
"Hmph!"
Hearing that these pickled chilies weren't as hot as Extra Spicy, the Trio finally picked up the chicken feet in their bowls and put them in their mouths.
God only knew what they had been through last year.
Hagrid had invited them for a barbecue, and that Extra Spicy seasoning had sent Hermione straight to Madam Pomfrey.
Luckily, Harry and Ron had upheld the principle of ladies first, or they might have been the ones to go.
So now they were always very cautious about unfamiliar food.
Hagrid continued their earlier conversation as he ate handful after handful of chicken feet.
He pointed at the pot hanging over the fire beside them and asked:
"Now you know Douglas calls chicken feet phoenix feet.
"So can you guess what he calls the pig's trotters stewing in that pot?
"Oh, right. Once the trotters are done braising, we'll stew the vegetables."
That last remark was addressed to Douglas.
Douglas ignored Hagrid and smiled as he teased Fang with a chicken foot.
The three youngsters thought for a moment. After swallowing the food in her mouth, Hermione said:
"Professor Holmes's dish names all seem to have something to do with fantastic beasts. Could they be called Tebo trotters?"
Harry and Ron, neither of whom read much, stared blankly at Hermione.
Hermione had no choice but to explain:
"Like phoenixes, Tebos are magical creatures rated XXXX. They have the ability to turn invisible."
Beside them, Douglas held Fang's head down and said indignantly:
"I name my dishes to make them sound grand, not to commit fraud.
"This is just an ordinary Large White Yorkshire pig...
"Hagrid, why is Fang getting less and less strong under your care?"
That last sentence was addressed to Hagrid.
Hagrid had just swallowed a handful of chicken feet when he heard Douglas's words.
He immediately felt a rush of heat shoot straight into his throat.
He could not help coughing.
Seeing this, Hermione quickly stood and handed him his teacup.
Only then did Hagrid manage to suppress the heat in his throat.
Then he complained unhappily:
"Cough, cough! Douglas, don't forget, you were still a child when you used to play with Fang.
"He hasn't got weaker. You've got stronger, all right?
"I really can't understand it. You're a wizard, yet you actually like working out..."
Before you continue