On Wednesday morning, the air at the edge of the Forbidden Forest was damp and scorching hot.
The converted greenhouse resembled an enormous iron pot simmering over a low flame.
Inside the pot, a batch of premium stock was cooking, so rich it seemed impossible to dilute.
That overpowering aroma was no longer merely a smell.
It had become a tangible, golden mist that churned and gathered beneath the greenhouse's glass dome, almost dripping with oil.
The aroma burrowed into the nose and immediately ignited a fire in the stomach, then burned through the veins to the brain, brutally seizing control of all reason.
Inside the greenhouse, every sixth-year student wore a comical transparent bubble around their head, constantly fizzing with bubbles.
The Bubble-Head Charm.
It was the only way they could remain clearheaded in this classroom.
Hagrid stood in the center of the greenhouse, having changed into his finest moleskin overcoat, ironed perfectly smooth.
The coat made his already burly figure look even more mountainous.
His untidy beard and hair had been meticulously groomed with some powerful magical styling potion, pressed tightly against his scalp and cheeks, making him look both smart and comically stiff.
Two entirely different emotions were written across his face.
One was the irrepressible pride of someone about to unveil his life's masterpiece.
The other was the nervousness of awaiting someone else's inspection, so intense he almost moved his arm and leg on the same side together.
"All right! Listen up!"
He cleared his throat, his voice ringing out like a bell.
"We'll be welcoming some distinguished guests to today's lesson."
"The headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Madame Maxime, and her Student Representative delegation!"
He had barely finished speaking.
The greenhouse doors opened automatically.
Madame Maxime entered first, her black silk robes flowing with