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Care of Magical Creatures was the second most popular class after Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Because this class was also practical.
After Hagrid had brought Hippogriffs to the first lesson, everyone had been full of anticipation. The second lesson did not disappoint them either. Hagrid brought what he proudly called the father of those Hippogriffs: a powerful griffin.
Although the griffin's personality was different from the Hippogriffs' and it allowed no one except Hagrid to approach, meaning the students failed to ride it, merely observing it up close was enough to make everyone excited.
A griffin was simply too majestic.
The third lesson featured an old acquaintance of Dudley, Harry, and the others: Fluffy, the three-headed dog.
His enormous size gave people a tremendous sense of pressure. Even merely standing in front of him made one feel an immense weight.
Until Fluffy saw Dudley.
Facts proved that a three-headed dog's memory was very good.
The moment he saw Dudley, the once-majestic three-headed dog immediately looked eager to please. His three heads began rubbing against Dudley in turn.
Perhaps in Fluffy's heart, Dudley had already been placed on the same level as Hagrid.
Both were on the list of people who absolutely could not be provoked.
"Dudley, have you met before?" Hagrid asked curiously.
Dudley gently pushed away the three enormous heads and answered Hagrid, "You could say that."
A magical creature like a three-headed dog was also extremely popular. With Hagrid protecting them from the side, quite a few students successfully touched Fluffy, which made everyone even more excited.
Each class allowed them to see a new magical creature, and sometimes they could even touch one. Naturally, the students liked the class more and more.
Its popularity kept rising.
Incidentally, the eggs from the previous carnivorous slug breeding project had not hatched yet.
The three weeks they had agreed on had passed. In this Potions class, Dudley successfully gave Snape a satisfactory result.
He had improved the Shrinking Solution formula.
He had created a new type of Shrinking Solution.
Its properties were more stable. More importantly, the taste was no longer so hard to stomach. It even carried a faint fragrance unique to water chestnut.
"A perfect result. Then, according to our agreement, from today onward, Mr. Dursley may conduct his own research in Potions class."
Snape raised the new potion Dudley had completed and spoke to the students with faint pride.
"If any of you can do the same, then I can grant you the same privilege."
"Of course, if you fail, you will clean every toilet in the school."
Later, after Study of Ancient Runes, the bell rang. Dudley and Hermione rose from their seats and began packing away the textbooks on their desks.
The professor was a serious, meticulous witch named Bathsheda Babbling.
Only a handful of students walked out of the classroom.
Not many people had chosen the subject. The number was almost pitiful. There were fewer students than in Professor Trelawney's grand act of a Divination class. At least in Divination, as long as you said you had seen death and gave a simple description, you could earn points.
Most of the students who chose this subject came from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. The remaining two Houses would almost never choose it. Hermione was the sole exception. In all of Hogwarts, she was the only Gryffindor who had selected this course.
It was worth mentioning that after attending Divination, Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies, Hermione had finally listened to Dudley's suggestion and dropped those three subjects.
Together with Dudley, she chose Care of Magical Creatures and Study of Ancient Runes.
A person's time and energy were limited. Just as Dudley had said, rather than spreading oneself wide and shallow, it was better to specialize in a few things.
Study of Ancient Runes sounded impressive, but in reality, it was a very dry subject.
It was not like the overblown versions Dudley had seen in stories about ancient magic, where students immediately began learning rune arrays and the arrangement of runic symbols. Those things would indeed be touched upon, but only later in the subject. Before graduating from Hogwarts, you could forget about getting to them.
The early content was extremely dull.
Hm. Even duller than History of Magic.
The most basic part of this subject was first learning a language, a language system used in ancient magic.
Then translating ancient magical records into modern language was what they had to do in every class.
To describe Study of Ancient Runes more simply: language learning, translation, and archaeology.
Dudley and Hermione both listened very seriously.
Ancient magical language was the foundation for using ancient magic. If you wanted to use runes without understanding ancient magical language, then you could not even make a spark.
It would be like being handed a powerful grimoire written in a dead language. If you did not understand the words inside, forget mastering the spell. You would not even know where to start.
"Today's classes are finally over."
Dudley twisted his neck slightly, making cracking sounds.
This made the students sitting behind him and Hermione feel their hearts jump. They were afraid he might accidentally twist his own neck off.
"Dudley, do you have any plans tonight? Do you want to watch Quidditch?" Hermione asked while putting her textbooks into the small bag with the Undetectable Extension Charm. "I heard today is Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Harry was invited by Gryffindor's captain, Wood, as a special guest."
The moment Dudley heard Quidditch, his interest immediately dropped. He shook his head at once.
"What is there to watch in Quidditch? I'd rather train."
If he had time to watch Quidditch, he might as well play a round of Wizard Cards or do a set of strength training.
More and more wizards liked Wizard Cards. By rough estimates, its players already rivaled Quidditch fans in number.
Galleons were flowing in like water.
"Is that so..."
A trace of disappointment flashed in Hermione's eyes, and Dudley caught it sharply.
Over the past three years, aside from daily training, Hermione had basically spent all her time in the library. Occasionally, she sneaked into the Forbidden Forest with Dudley or played Wizard Cards.
As for Quidditch, the most popular sport among wizards, she had never gone to watch even once.
Hm. Dudley had gone once, and he had even recorded two things that needed correction in his little notebook.
"Hermione, do you want to watch Quidditch?"
"Mm... not exactly. It is mainly that the two of us have never watched a Quidditch match together."
Hermione was not especially interested in Quidditch.
She wanted to watch it together with Dudley.
The important part was together, not Quidditch.
"Then let us go together."
Dudley clapped his hands and stood up.
"Didn't you say you would rather train than watch Quidditch?"
"Yes. I am not going to watch Quidditch."
"Then what are you going to watch..."
Halfway through her words, Hermione immediately reacted. Hermione went bright red.
If he and Hermione were going together, and he was not going to watch Quidditch, then what was he going to watch?
Surely not the Dementors.
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