Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ Elias’s first class was scheduled for the afternoon.
Since the course had been added halfway through the term, Professor McGonagall had spent a considerable amount of effort rearranging schedules around Quidditch practice, which also took place in the afternoons three times a week.
His first lesson was for the first-years from all four Houses at once.
The location was the Quidditch pitch.
When Elias arrived, he found a cluster of young witches and wizards gathered in a noisy little crowd, their heads bobbing together as they whispered and chattered.
The moment they saw him approach, the students fell silent almost as one.
Several stared at him with visible unease.
His catlike amber eyes still had that effect on children.
At first, Elias had intended to teach with both swords on his back.
Professor McGonagall discovered this intention and objected with absolute firmness.
Elias argued with equal firmness that carrying swords was a witcher tradition.
When persuasion failed, McGonagall recruited Professors Flitwick and Sprout into what Elias privately considered a professorly intervention committee.
Under the combined force of three relentless, well-meaning professors, he finally agreed not to carry both swords around Hogwarts.
Now Elias let his gaze move over the timid-looking first-years before speaking.
“Since Magical Close-Quarters Defense has no textbook yet, this term’s lessons will be held here on the Quidditch pitch.
Hogwarts has only one proper outdoor class, first-year flying, so Headmaster Dumbledore is very concerned about your physical condition and your waistlines.
To be honest, I have already seen quite a few round little wizards in this castle.” He exaggerated a frown.
The first-years burst into laughter.
The tense atmosphere loosened at once.
Elias used the moment to open the large crate behind him, revealing stack after stack of Fanged Frisbees.
The students cried out.
The relaxed mood vanished almost immediately.
Fanged Frisbees were not a harmless name to Hogwarts students.
Older years loved throwing them at younger ones as pranks.
The Frisbees tore at clothes and hair like vicious little dogs, and sometimes they bit.
Many first-years had suffered at their hands and were understandably afraid of the banned joke item.
From a distance, Professor McGonagall rose in alarm the moment she saw the crate.
She clearly meant to stop Elias before he used such dangerous props in class.
Professor Flitwick quickly intercepted her.
He believed Elias would have prepared properly.
More importantly, a professor’s first lesson was a crucial moment for establishing authority.
If other professors openly questioned him in front of the students, it would damage how the children saw him.
McGonagall considered that, then reluctantly sat back down, still watching with concern.
The first-years stared at the crate of Fanged Frisbees as if it might explode.
Elias, however, remained perfectly calm.
“I would like one student to help me demonstrate their use.
Any volunteers?” The children instinctively shrank backward.
No one volunteered.
“Mr.
Colin Creevey,” Elias said, choosing a name.
“You will do.” Colin Creevey belonged to Gryffindor.
He was an enthusiastic admirer of Harry Potter, adored photography, and in the future would cause Harry no small amount of trouble through that admiration.
During second year, Harry would spend a great deal of time avoiding both Gilderoy Lockhart and Colin.
Harry would be especially horrified when Lockhart heard that Colin and Ginny wanted to form a Harry Potter fan club.
Years later, Colin would fight in the Battle of Hogwarts at only sixteen and die for peace.
He was a true Gryffindor.
At the moment, however, he was a pale first-year shuffling toward Elias with pleading eyes, clearly hoping the professor would change his mind.
Elias did not.
He picked up a Fanged Frisbee and threw it at Colin.
Colin squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for pain.
Pain never came.
Instead, a broad tongue began rapidly licking his face and hair.
Within moments, Colin was damp, disheveled, and covered in Frisbee drool.
He looked thoroughly miserable, though he also discovered, with some surprise, that the saliva had a fresh mint scent.
The other students had been watching with sympathy and dread.
When they saw Colin being licked into a ridiculous mess instead of bitten, they erupted into laughter.
Colin looked at the laughing crowd and, for reasons he did not quite understand, began laughing too.
Elias clapped his hands and recalled the Frisbee.
Then, to reward Colin’s courage, he awarded Gryffindor twenty points.
The Gryffindor first-years cheered.
Colin returned to his Housemates with pride, accepting their excited praise as though he had survived a duel.
The three professors watching from a distance also relaxed.
When Elias had thrown the Frisbee, all three had nearly risen to stop him.
Once they realized he had modified the toy, they settled back down and continued observing the lesson.
Elias then announced the structure of the class.
It would be a game.
Slytherin and Gryffindor would form one side, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff formed the other.
Within the Houses, students would split into smaller teams of six.
Each round, every team would choose one player as its king.
The rules were simple.
Each team had to protect its king from being hit by a Fanged Frisbee.
If an ordinary member was hit, that member was eliminated.
If the king was hit, the entire team lost and the round ended.
Players could not leave the marked field.
Two boundary violations meant elimination.
Whichever side currently held the Frisbee served.
Opposing players could catch it; if they succeeded, they could immediately throw it back at an opponent.
Feints were allowed.
Almost every young witch and wizard cheered when they heard they were going to play a game.
Once Elias gave the command to begin, the teams formed themselves with impressive speed.
After a few trial rounds, the students understood the rules and threw themselves into the activity with delight.
Fanged Frisbees kept striking students, sending them fleeing in damp, disheveled panic.
Those who landed successful hits shouted in triumph.
The Quidditch pitch filled with noise, laughter, and movement.
Elias watched the lively scene with a faint smile.
After a while, he noticed that one Ravenclaw girl seemed to be getting picked on.
She had pale, silvery eyes, dirty-blonde hair, a permanently startled expression, pale skin, and very light eyebrows.
She often wore radish earrings and a necklace made from butterbeer corks.
Luna Lovegood.
Luna had been chosen as her team’s king, but her teammates did not seem interested in protecting her.
Again and again, in ways that looked deliberately accidental, they let Frisbees slip past them so Luna would be hit.
By now she looked very bedraggled, her pale hair wet and tangled against her face.
Even so, she kept running and dodging with all the effort she could muster, still trying to win points for her team.
In the eyes of several of Luna’s teammates, Elias saw the unmistakable gleam of spiteful amusement.
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CREATORS’ THOUGHTS EmberHollow Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you deeper into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.