Students from each house sat in their respective areas, arranged according to their year of study.
Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet had thoroughly discussed the moral education course and decided to focus primarily on the younger students.
The older students nearing graduation only needed a general understanding.
At 2.20 PM, Garfield woke up atop the Hogwarts tower.
He opened his eyes, stretched, and scratched his plump belly with his sharp claws.
"Ah, that feels good," he thought.
If he did not have teaching duties, Garfield would have decided to take another nap.
A little extra sleep would not be bad.
He closed his eyes again.
It was now 2.40 PM.
Armando Dippet anxiously checked his pocket watch.
Where was Garfield?
He was about to ask Dumbledore to look for him when he found Dumbledore looking completely calm.
"Albus, do you know where Garfield went?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes. Do not worry. He will be here soon."
A burst of stirring music drifted from the sky outside the Great Hall.
The song was "Battle Without Honor or Humanity."
Garfield pushed open the Great Hall doors and slowly walked in.
To create a sufficient atmosphere, Garfield even used his Shadow Clone Technique and Transformation Jutsu to transform twelve of his clones into mysterious guards dressed in black veiled clothing and carrying weapons.
Following the rhythm of the background music, he walked step by step to the edge of the podium.
The twelve clones lined up.
Garfield calmly surveyed the students and teachers present.
"Was my entrance cool?"
The Hogwarts students gave Garfield a warm cheer.
"Cool."
Tom Riddle, sitting in the crowd, was stunned by Garfield's imposing entrance.
He silently vowed to become like Garfield someday.
Garfield snapped his fingers, canceling all his clones.
Seeing the students' surprised expressions, he explained, "It is just a little trick. The reason I am late is not to prepare for this entrance. Actually, I have lost my way in the world of cats."
Dumbledore, who knew Garfield best, smiled slightly.
He knew perfectly well that Garfield's claim of being lost was just a funny excuse.
The truth was that Garfield had fallen asleep on the top of the tower.
The Hogwarts students looked completely bewildered.
What on earth did "lost my way in the world of cats" mean?
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Garfield cleared his throat.
"Ahem, alright. It is an honor to be a professor at Hogwarts for a while. Although my lessons will not teach you many spells or make you invincible, they can teach you some moral principles and boundaries."
"Children, do not look at your textbooks anymore. I will teach you what is in the textbooks later. Now, I will say something that is not in the books."
The Hogwarts students looked confused.
"The world is a vast and uncertain place. Forbearance and gentleness are the best remedies. People who are greedy for wealth perish first. Birds that fight for food die young. No matter how cunning and treacherous you are, you will inevitably be caught in the end."
"You students may not understand the meaning of this poem, but the principle is simple. Life is short. Sometimes, when facing difficulties, do not just charge head on and fight to the death, only to end up battered and bruised or even dead. You must learn to be patient and learn to retreat."
"Retreating does not mean you have to admit defeat. Do you know how to make a punch the most damaging?"
The Hogwarts students offered various answers.
"Take a nail."
"Enlarge your hand."
"Use a spell."
Garfield responded, "Your opponent will also use a spell. Remember, clench your fist. Pull your arm back. Then punch. That is how you generate the most power. Do you understand?"
The younger students tried it and found it novel.
The older students looked thoughtful.
Dumbledore, standing to the side, had his eyes shining.
He was currently outnumbered by Grindelwald.
He had withdrawn many of his men.
Grindelwald's operations were very extensive, inevitably leaving some areas unattended.
If Dumbledore were to attack again, it would be just like what Garfield was saying.
He secretly noted this down and decided to prepare his counterattack plan.
Garfield gestured for the students to be quiet and continued.
"Do you all know the fundamental sins?"
The students answered in unison.
"Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust."
"Greed is the most likely cause of self destruction. Greed is the original sin. Excessive greed will not only harm you but also your family and loved ones.
You live in a magical world, a vast and boundless world, as boundless as the stars. New things happen every moment. There are always ill gotten gains, or special spells and items that can instantly make you powerful."
"Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch. There are gains and losses. On the surface, you may have gained many benefits, but the hidden dangers are endless."
"Birds die for food. This principle is simple. You should all understand that in the Muggle world, scattering breadcrumbs on the ground will always attract birds searching for food.
When they land to look for food, danger naturally arises.
Whether it is a predatory cat lying in wait or someone who wants to eat the bird, you do not know if the danger is actually there."
"That is not quite right. What I am telling you is not to focus solely on the immediate benefits and advantages you gain, ignoring the possibility of being hunted the moment you land.
You can take this as a warning. Do not be greedy for small gains. This can effectively prevent you from being harmed by the dark wizards roaming the wizarding world."
"No matter how cunning or shrewd you are, you are bound to be hunted in the wilderness."
"Treachery, cunning, taking excessive shortcuts while neglecting the most basic things, insatiable greed, and harming others for personal gain."
"These are the characteristics of dark wizards. Most of them are driven by the desire for greater power and longer life."
"Dark magic is extremely dangerous. Some spells even have a backlash effect."
"When you use dark magic, it will gradually erode your soul. When the erosion reaches a certain limit, it will completely devour you."
Garfield continued, "On the other hand, power itself is neither good nor bad. It depends on the heart of the person using it and their purpose."
"For example, you know about the Killing Curse. Evil dark wizards use it to kill ordinary people. But a good wizard could also use it to subdue villains and criminals and protect the weak."
"Similarly, some things that seem virtuous can also be used to do evil."
"The principles keep reversing. Understanding them is not difficult. The difficulty lies in how you view them and how you act upon them."
Garfield's voice echoed through the Great Hall, captivating the students.
Some teachers and students jotted down everything with quick writing quills.
After the lesson, the Great Hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.
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That night, in the basement of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, young Voldemort stared at his copied class notes, lost in thought.