Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 339 Long-Awaited Message

No one expected that the very first lesson on Phantom Teleportation would be so direct and practical.

Apparition is no ordinary magic; it's very dangerous, and improper use can easily result in the user splitting into two parts. If it's just an arm or leg that splits, that's manageable, but if it's the neck… well, that's terrifying.

"Alright, everyone stand still and leave at least five feet of space in front of you," said Wickie Tycross. Chaos erupted in the auditorium. Students scattered haphazardly, bumping into each other frequently. They shouted at those they bumped into, telling them to move aside.

This chaotic scene must have happened many times before. The deans, with their experience, walked among the students, mediating and arranging their seating.

In the chaos, Harry ducked down and quickly weaved through the crowd to the very back of the line. There stood Malfoy and his two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, whom Harry had seen arguing about earlier and wanted to listen in.

"I don't know how much longer, you know?" Harry, hiding at the back, saw Malfoy yelling angrily at Crabbe. The chaotic Great Hall provided excellent cover for them; no one noticed them except Harry.

"Listen! What I do is none of your business, Crabbe!" Malfoy, oblivious to Harry's furtive movements, continued to yell, "You and Goyle just do my orders and keep watch for me!"

Crabbe and Goyle looked grim, while Malfoy remained furious, glaring fiercely at the two. But perhaps out of long-standing habit, even though Malfoy's tone was extremely unpleasant, Crabbe and Goyle didn't bother to argue back.

Malfoy knew they would react this way, and after cursing a couple more times, his anger subsided slightly. He looked up, hands on his hips, and saw Harry secretly eavesdropping from behind.

Without the slightest hesitation, he drew his wand, aimed it at Harry, and with a fierce glint in his eyes, was about to launch an attack.

"Quiet!" Just then, the deans shouted in unison, their stern voices instantly silencing the auditorium.

"Thank you," Tecros said, waving his wand. Immediately, a circle made of wood appeared on the ground in front of each student.

"Remember the three most important Ds of Apparition! They are..." Tecros said in a serious tone, "Your target is the circle in front of you... Listen to my command!"

"one!"

"two!"

"three!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone started spinning in place, but everyone failed. Harry lost his balance and fell straight to the ground, Neville lay on his back, and everyone else tumbled about.

Some people did manage to get into the circle, but they tripped over a piece of wood and fell in because they spun too fast.

He looked disheveled; his face was bruised from the fall.

The next few attempts didn't go very well; they all failed. But on the fourth attempt, everyone's attention was drawn by a gasp.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Susan Burns of Hufflepuff standing unsteadily in the circle. She couldn't stand properly because her left leg was outside the circle.

The deans and Tykros all gathered around, and after a burst of purple smoke, when they dispersed, Susan's leg was back in its proper place.

"Remember the three Ds! Now, let's continue..."

Everyone continued to try, but apart from bursts of laughter and exclamations, they gained nothing else.

Harry was the same; he kept the three Ds that Tykroth had mentioned in his mind, but apart from making himself a little dizzy, nothing else happened.

He couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. After all, he had accompanied Dumbledore on two Apparitions, and just a few days ago, he was the envy of others. But as it turned out, experience wouldn't make it easy for him to learn Apparition.

After practicing for a while longer, Harry decided to give up. Since this wasn't magic that could be easily mastered anyway, he figured he might as well watch others struggle and have some fun.

The first person he looked at was Malfoy, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. Malfoy looked truly pathetic. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were covered in dust. After another attempt, he spun around too much and lost his footing, stumbling and bumping into Crabbe.

Coincidentally, Crabbe's legs also gave way, and the two of them collided, also causing Goyle, who was standing nearby, to get hurt.

Then, tragedy struck: the tall, thin Malfoy became the meat cushion for the burly Crabbe and Goyle...

Harry swore the floor of the Great Hall trembled when they fell.

After laughing at Malfoy, Harry searched for Ron and Hermione in the crowd, wanting to see how his friends were doing.

Of course, it was mainly Ron who was the one who hadn't tried it, because Hermione had found it immediately: she was the only one in the entire Great Hall who hadn't tried it.

"Miss Granger, why don't you give it a try?" Professor McGonagall, who had also noticed Hermione's unusual behavior, came over to her and asked.

"Professor McGonagall, do we have to complete these twelve weeks of courses before we can take the exam?" she asked.

“Yes, but that’s twelve weeks from now. What you need to do now is practice, Miss Granger.” Professor McGonagall seemed to think that Susan’s accident had frightened Hermione, so she encouraged her, “Just try it. I’ll be right here. You’ll be fine.”

"Professor, actually... I wanted to take the exam directly..." Hermione started to say, but then she saw Professor McGonagall's serious face. She shrugged, spun around, and reappeared perfectly within the circle.

"Have you been practicing on your own, Hermione?" Professor McGonagall looked even more serious, her face stern. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"No, Professor, I swear this is my first time trying," Hermione replied. "I know how dangerous Apparition is, but I've read a lot of books on the subject and have a basic grasp of the theory. And after listening to Professor Tykroth's explanation, I have this feeling: if I try, I can do it."

"I see... However, I still hope you will persevere and complete these twelve weeks of classes. After all, you can't Apparate anywhere else in Hogwarts except here. This is a good opportunity for you to solidify your skills and make Apparate an instinct."

"I understand, Professor McGonagall." Hermione nodded and turned to appear outside the circle.

"Well then, that's settled then," Professor McGonagall said, and left. She couldn't stay with Hermione for long; the other students needed her more.

Hermione's performance naturally caught the attention of others. As soon as Professor McGonagall left, Lavender and Parvati came over to ask her if she had any tips.

"Of course not! Besides, Professor Tecros already emphasized the principle of the three Ds..."

As she was laughing and talking, Hermione's expression suddenly changed, and her hand naturally fell to her chest, covering the necklace pendant that hadn't reacted for a long time.

It was slightly warm, and its temperature fluctuated rhythmically, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. Upon closer inspection, it was a message:

To avoid any accidents, I want to tell you:

It is my honor to meet and know you...

(End of this chapter)