Once the train arrived at the station, they walked to the carriages. They were almost recovered from the effects of the Dementors, though they didn't feel at all reassured by the experience. Both Salazar and Godric exchanged uneasy looks. They disliked what had happened and had many questions, none of which they could ask or answer in front of the other students. The sky was black, the clouds covering everything.
When they arrived at the carriage area, they saw some seventh-year Ravenclaw students bullying Ginny and a blonde girl who wore blue and bronze colours. The bullies were calling her "Loony."
"I don't like bullies," Godric said, his voice low.
Salazar frowned and nodded, agreeing with his friend's words. When they had founded Hogwarts, they had agreed not to tolerate abuse. Whenever they had detected it, they had tried to stop it quickly. Seeing this now made him feel a familiar anger, a desire for retribution.
"We can invite them to travel with us to the castle," Salazar said, gently stroking one of the Thestrals.
"That girl is crazy, I don't know how my sister is her friend," Ron said dismissively. "Harry, what are you doing?"
"Stroking this beautiful Thestral that will take us to the castle. And as for sanity or the lack thereof, our nature will out."
"What?" Ron asked, confused.
"We're all a little crazy, Ronald," Hermione translated, looking a little awkward at Salazar. "Can you really see them, Harry? Or are you making it up?"
"I can see them too. Those who have seen death and have accepted it can see them. Those who admit death to themselves as something natural," Godric explained. "We'd better get to the castle. Ladies first," he offered his hand to Hermione to help her into the carriage.
"Ginny, travel with us; there's room for two more," he called out to the girls. "Actually, it would be a great honour for us if you agreed to travel with us."
"Thank you," Ginny said gratefully.
"Thank you, Harry Potter. You're very sweet and polite," Ginny's friend said. "I'm Luna Lovegood."
"It's no trouble at all."
"This way, ladies," Godric interjected. "Before it starts raining." He repeated the gesture he had made to Hermione.
"You're weird," Ron observed. "Both of you. What happened to you this summer?"
"Nothing," Godric replied in a neutral tone that left no clue as to whether he was serious or joking. "We're just attending a literary gathering."
"Yes. I still have to read the book you lent me, Neville. Pride and Prejudice. I hope to be able to read it before Christmas," Salazar replied, correcting himself in time to use the word Christmas instead of Yule.
"But..."
"Food, Ron. Large amounts of food await us at the welcome feast."
"Food," Ron said, licking his lips. "I'm starving."
They began their journey to the castle in the carriage pulled by the Thestrals. The six of them were jostled by the bumps in the stone road, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. The subtle movements were not too bothersome. They soon reached the edge of the school grounds, where the Dementors were stationed. It was disturbing, as these creatures did not respect any boundaries. Both the Ministry and the Headmaster were playing with fire.
The carriage stopped and they walked towards the castle. In the lobby, they met Professor McGonagall, who approached them to check if they were all right. They all claimed everything was fine and that they had taken chocolate. Then the professor took Hermione aside; apparently there was something very important she wanted to talk to her about. Out of the corner of his eye, Salazar saw that Professor Flitwick was holding the Sorting Hat. He would be in charge of the Sorting Ceremony this year, which made a certain sense, as he was Head of Studies.
They said goodbye to Luna at the Ravenclaw table and went to the Gryffindor table, with the boys sitting on one side and the girls opposite them. In the hat's song, they could hear the description of the four Houses, as well as a slight warning against being carried away by the darker side of any of their qualities. Courage could become recklessness, leading to catastrophes or unnecessary losses. Loyalty could be dangerous when it led you to sacrifice the world for those you cared about, or when you gave it to someone with clearly dishonest purposes. Intelligence needed wisdom to temper it, because by itself, the desire for knowledge could become a self-destructive pride. Ambition could become greed when it went too far, when certain limits were crossed, and there was no turning back.
Both Salazar and Godric looked at the other students in a general way, careful not to be caught doing so. Most of them seemed to dismiss the hat's words. An instrument that served to transmit the wisdom of the founders was seen as a simple talking rag. The only ones who seemed to appreciate its words were the ghosts and some of the teachers.
After the Sorting Ceremony, the Headmaster spoke. "Welcome to the new students, and welcome back to the not-so-new ones for a new school year," Dumbledore began. "Before we begin with our wonderful dinner, I must remind you of the rules for the beginning of the term. You must not approach the Forbidden Forest; it is off-limits to any unsupervised student. The list of forbidden objects is in the office of our caretaker, Mr. Filch; I advise you to consult it. The try-outs for the Quidditch team will be held between the twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth of September; those of you who wish to join your House teams should contact your House Heads." He paused for a moment, looking seriously at the students. "This year, until further notice, we have some Dementors stationed on the edge of the castle. They are here as a protective measure, yet I beg you to be cautious. It is not in a Dementor's nature to respond to entreaties, and they cannot be deceived by any kind of disguise, not even by an Invisibility Cloak. We do not want to have to regret any misfortune."
The warning was more than clear. Dementors were not to be trusted, so it was best not to give them any reason, however minimal or innocent, to have carte blanche to attack. "In addition to the Dementors, the Ministry has also assigned a couple of Aurors. They will be patrolling the castle, but they will not disrupt the normal running of classes or have the power to apply punishments. They are here for a purpose purely external to the academic."
The Headmaster's speech ended, and the platters filled with food. Immediately, the dining hall began to fill with whispers. All the students at once started conversations with their friends and classmates.
"In other words, you can attack a fellow student in front of the Aurors," Godric whispered angrily. "If they tell you anything, they will be exempt for exceeding their duties."
"He can't have meant that," Hermione said, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Maybe it wasn't his intention to say it, but he has done it," Salazar said. "Saying there would be Aurors patrolling the castle was enough. It was not necessary to explain what their functions were not. They should already know what they can or cannot do." He served himself a little bit of everything on his plate. "Which, Neville, means that more than one person, being able to read between the lines, will now have realised that they can do whatever they want, and at most, they can only be told off by a teacher."
"Bloody hell... Malfoy will take advantage of this," Ron protested.
"I doubt it, brother. His father is highly respected at the Ministry. Malfoy won't give him any reason for his behaviour to reach the wrong ears," Ginny reasoned, blushing. "By the way, Harry, thank you for helping Luna and me earlier."
"It was nothing," Salazar said, frowning again. "Will she be all right?"
"She knows how to take care of herself. Last year they already teased her, but they're just jokes and some unpleasant comments."
"Those aren't jokes," Godric said with aplomb. "A joke is enjoyed by both parties. That is harassment. I don't know why the teachers haven't intervened."
The starters and main courses gave way to desserts. On this occasion, Salazar preferred not to overeat. So much food caused drowsiness and made it harder to sleep. He was not willing to overindulge. He leaned over to Percy, who had finished his dessert, and asked him for the password. As a prefect and Head Boy, he would be aware of it. This way, they could enter the common room.
---
As soon as they finished in the Headmaster's office, they made their way to the kitchens. Kingsley allowed his companion to guide him; he wasn't familiar with the cellars. He was a little surprised to be led by a different route than the one they had used to get to the office. He knew how to access the cellars from the main corridor, but this way...
"Tonks..."
"Don't worry, Kingsley. I know the castle very well. I wasn't exactly a model student, according to Professor Sprout."
"So you were a rule-breaker. I don't know why, but I imagined as much."
"It was fun."
They walked down a passageway to the lobby, one that came out right next to the entrance to the store rooms. They were in a hurry; after all, the students weren't supposed to see them. This didn't seem like a good decision to Kingsley—it limited their work significantly. They walked through the corridor until they reached the painting Dumbledore had mentioned. He stepped aside, allowing his companion to proceed.
"It's just a pear. It's not like we're entering a den of dragon egg traffickers."
As they entered the kitchens, they saw hundreds of house-elves working frantically. Kingsley noticed an unreadable expression on his partner's face.
"Is something wrong?"
"Those elves don't get the rest they should. They're healthy, yes, but overworked. They don't even have a decent uniform," she murmured. Despite her calm tone, there was a certain restraint in her voice. "Let's take a seat." She pointed to a small, empty table.
On one side of the kitchen, five large tables were filled with food. The system was very simple: food was left on those tables and from there was sent to the respective tables in the Great Hall. The kitchen was so spacious that those tables were directly below the dining hall. Much of that food was going to be wasted.
"Do the sirs want anything?" one of the elves asked.
"The Headmaster has suggested that we take our meals in the kitchens while we're in charge of some of the castle's security," Tonks reported. "Can you get us something, please? Anything will be fine."
"Right away."
Kingsley stared at her for a moment. He was surprised by how naturally she had taken the presence of the elves, and even by how she had spoken to them. It was a detail he hadn't known about the castle. In fact, he had always imagined that there were paid wizards, not house-elves. He had always associated them with upper-class families. The elves soon served them before going about their business. He looked at his companion; she seemed thoughtful.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, Kingsley. I just don't agree with the Headmaster's behavior regarding Harry Potter. If you want to protect someone, you explain where the danger is and what could happen. I don't think keeping him in the dark is keeping him safe and calm."
"Perhaps the Headmaster wants to preserve his innocence."
"Perhaps. But they are not incompatible things. I can understand hiding it from an eight-year-old boy, but at thirteen, he's almost a man. At that age, children hate being treated like children."
"There's nothing we can say. Dumbledore will be upset if we tell the boy before he decides to say anything."
"And I'm not going to say anything to Harry Potter."
He looked her straight in the eye. He couldn't deny that this decision troubled him, especially because of what he had heard Mr. Weasley say about the boy when he was discussing the same thing with the Minister for Magic. Someone who faced a Dark wizard to protect a unique magical stone and killed a Basilisk to save the school could certainly handle this information. Kingsley was loyal to the Headmaster, who had helped him prepare for his Auror proficiency exam. He owed him a lot. That was a side of Dumbledore no one knew. So now he was at a crossroads, because Tonks was right in what she had said. Not telling Harry anything could cause more problems than doing so.
"Our oaths as Aurors are above anyone's political desires," Kingsley said, finally making up his mind. "So here's what we'll do: we'll stand by and watch. The moment the slightest alarm goes off, we will do our duty above any questionable order." His voice was firm and poised, showing confidence. "I ask you to be patient, Tonks."
"I know how to be patient."
---
With the dawn, Harry Potter got up. The other roommates in the dormitory were still fast asleep, all except for one. Harry sat up and stretched to avoid his back from seizing up. He would never have done that before, but since his birthday and his awakening, things were completely different.
"How did you sleep?" Neville asked his friend.
"Good," Harry replied tersely as he dressed in his school uniform.
He was aware that it was early, much earlier than he had been accustomed to at Hogwarts, but he preferred to have breakfast calmly rather than rushing it to wait for Ron to stop squirming. When he was ready, he gave Neville an amused smile.
"I'm afraid of you. Do you plan to wake them up?"
"I won't be the one to wake them up. That will be the work of water." With a wave of his wand, Neville conjured floating masses of water over the five beds. He prepared them to fall suddenly in about ten minutes. That would give them time to sit quietly in the Great Hall for when the others woke up.
"I'd better protect my things from the water," Harry said, casting a waterproofing charm on his things and Neville's. "The elves will be upset, you know?" he asked, unable to help but let out a small smile.
"Maybe, but it's just water. It's not like I've done some kind of graffiti or anything like that."
"That's true. Let's get some breakfast."
They went down to the common room, which was deserted except for Hermione, who seemed to have gotten up early to study. She stared at them in surprise. Before she could begin any kind of interrogation, they left through the portrait that guarded the entrance and began to walk towards the exit, with Neville close behind. Hermione caught up with them moments later.
"Harry. You didn't wait for Ron."
"I didn't want to wake him up. Just because I get up early doesn't mean I'm going to force others to do it."
"But you always go down with him."
"Harry always wakes up first and waits for Ron to wake up," Neville informed her. "Should he continue to wait for him at the expense of having a bad breakfast?"
"That sounds selfish. Ron is our friend."
"Yes, Hermione. He's our friend, my friend. But I'm not his babysitter."
They kept going despite Hermione's exasperation. She was a good person, but she was someone incapable of giving in, who always had to be the best and have the last word. Always be right. He didn't think it was the best way to proceed, but he couldn't say anything to her until she hit a wall. They sat in the Great Hall facing each other. Hermione sat down next to him, sulking. There were a few students in the dining hall, besides the professors. Many from Slytherin, and some from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. At the Gryffindor table, there were only the three of them. Salazar poured himself something light and nutritious while he watched the students and teachers. The teachers, who were all there except for the Headmaster, seemed indifferent to him at that moment. He wanted to see if any of his other friends were present. He felt Helga's presence in the castle, but he was surprised that he had not yet located her; Godric would have told him if he had spoken to her. The Slytherin students were silent, not speaking to each other. The Hufflepuffs whispered in different groups, and the Ravenclaws were in small groups except for Luna, who was somewhat separated from the rest, as if she didn't really fit in with them. He concentrated, detecting nothing in the Great Hall. He could feel her in the castle, but she wasn't in the dining hall.
"Have you ever played a treasure hunt, Neville?"
"What does it involve?"
"Someone hides something, and the others look for it. I am sure that this castle hides many treasures and secrets. Would you like us to look for them?" Harry gave him a meaningful look. He could not speak clearly in front of someone who did not know, nor should anyone outside of them know anything.
"I would like to. I don't think we'll have a lot of schoolwork today."
"But that's child's play," Hermione interjected.
"It's our business," Neville replied, using a voice that denoted how sure he was.
That way of talking to her left her speechless. Salazar gave his friend a look. Both were completely private people; neither he nor Godric liked to be told what they could or could not do. They were already halfway through breakfast when the rest of the students began to arrive. Salazar composed a stoic grimace, hiding his desire to laugh. Godric, on the other hand, composed a big smile. Dean, Seamus, and Ron arrived with their hair completely soaked. Behind them, the twins were laughing.
"Brilliant," Fred said.
"... absolutely magnificent," George added.
"It was the best."
"That we have seen."
"It happened just like doing something like that."
"Stop at once!" Ron shouted. "Scabbers is ill, and now he's going to get even worse. He's been completely soaked."
"Even I don't sleep with Trevor," Neville said. "It would be very strange."
"Our brother..."
"... was born weird."
"What happened?" Hermione asked.
"Someone woke us all up suddenly with water. The whole room is wet," said Dean Thomas. "Harry and Neville have been lucky not to be there."
"Was it you?" Hermione asked them, looking at them sternly.
"Of course, Hermione," Salazar replied. "I got up this morning and had nothing better to do than disturb the sleep of my roommates."
Hermione frowned at him, and Neville let out a small laugh. You could tell that Harry had not liked the tone of the question at all. Ron kept arguing with his brothers and accusing them of having caused it. The only ones who didn't seem to protest were Dean and Seamus. Finally, Ron sat down abruptly on Harry's other side.
"You didn't wait for me."
"Good morning to you too."
"Don't make fun of me, I've had enough with Fred and George flooding our room. Poor Scabbers, I don't want him to catch a cold. Harry, why didn't you wait for me?"
"I'm not your squire or your butler or anything like that, Ron. And before you get offended, I'll tell you the truth. I prefer to have a calm breakfast than to swallow my food so I don't get late for class." He pointed to Professor McGonagall. "Look, she's already distributing the timetables."
"Great. I want to start with the electives." Hermione's excitement about this was too much. "Which will be better, Divination or Arithmancy? Do you think Muggle Studies will be more difficult than Ancient Runes? And what about Care of Magical Creatures?"
"Stop, stop... the race has not yet begun," Neville said in a calming and patient voice. "Did you really take them all?"
"I can attest to that," Salazar said. "I took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. I hope I have not made a mistake."
Salazar took the timetable given to him by Professor McGonagall. He focused on looking at Monday; he could check the rest of the week in the afternoon. Divination and Transfiguration before lunch; then Care of Magical Creatures and History. The two electives to start the week. He finished breakfast and got up from the table.
"I'll wait for you in the North Tower, Ron. The portrait of the wacky medieval knight is on our way."
"Hey, he's not wacky," Neville protested. "I'm sure he was a great warrior in his time."
"Surely he was someone who died committing the great stupidity of challenging someone without considering the global picture," Salazar said. "Have breakfast calmly, Ron. Food doesn't run away. Come on, Neville."
"Harry..."
"Hermione, please. I appreciate your friendship, but don't tell me what to do. I have finished my breakfast and I am going to the Divination classroom calmly. If you want to come, you can. If you prefer to wait for Ron, you stay. But don't tell me what I should do as a good friend," he replied with complete calmness. He had met a lot of people like her, controlling people. "A good friend lets his friends make their own decisions. They can give their opinion, yes, but never force them." He looked at Ron, ruffling his wet hair. "See you, Ron. I'll save you a place in the classroom, don't worry."
"Thanks."
Salazar and Godric left the Great Hall together, waiting until they were on the first floor to talk about what they had not been able to discuss earlier. While on their way to the classroom, making use of the different shortcuts and secret passages that saved them time, they were planning how to locate Helga. They knew she was in the castle, but she was not among the students or the teachers.
"The Aurors," Godric said. "The Headmaster mentioned that there would be two of them in the castle. How many did he say?"
"Two," he said. "I know Helga was always strong and fearsome when she was disturbed, but to imagine her as an Auror. It was not something I would have bet on."
"She was a great duellist. The only one who could keep up with you."
"Even defeat me."
"Well, this makes it more interesting. Don't you think?" Godric asked. "In the past, it was frowned upon for a woman to get into a duel or go after Dark wizards to capture them. It's a big change."
"It was Hogwarts that laid the groundwork for that change. Our school did."
"And yet Britain is lagging behind the rest of Europe in many respects. Even the United States has advanced far more than our society."
"I'm very behind in politics, Godric. You'll have to help me with that. Dumbledore had the brilliant idea that I knew nothing about our world."
"Do you suspect that he intended to use you?"
"Think wrong and you will be right."
As they passed Sir Cadogan, they greeted him with the typical formulas used in the Middle Ages but lost in modern times. Something that the knight seemed to like, but he could not show it much, as he was busy trying to get his own sword out of the grass. Without saying anything else, they went ahead. At all times, they had looked for areas where the portraits could not hear their conversation. They were sure that the portraits would report any strange event to the Headmaster, and Salazar did not trust speaking freely in places where everything could be discovered before they themselves chose to reveal it.
The corridor ended in a dead end. It was Godric who, after elbowing him, pointed to the trapdoor. They both took out their wands and pointed at it, making it descend gently so they could access the classroom. The interior of the classroom was oppressive. It was a warm classroom, completely immersed in darkness and with an intense smell of smoke from several floors. At that point, the friends separated. Godric was closer to the entrance, while Salazar went next to one of the windows at the back of the classroom. A few minutes later, somewhat fatigued, the rest of the class arrived, a clear sign that they had chosen the longer route.
"Welcome, it's a pleasure to see you in the physical world at last," said a theatrical voice in the shadows. "I'm Professor Trelawney. It's probably the first time you've seen me. I notice that descending very often into the bustle of the main school clouds my inner eye. The ability to see is a delicate thing that must be trained with moderation." The teacher looked at the class in general. "Boy, is your grandmother well?" she addressed Godric.
"The last time I spoke to her she was fine."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Then she turned to Parvati.
The professor began an incessant chatter about the divinities of divination mixed with predictions of easy probability and designed to frighten people in general. Salazar stopped paying attention to her. He knew well that only those who were born with the gift of clairvoyance could make the most of these classes and find in them the guide to develop their skills. The rest could come to understand enough of the discipline to dedicate themselves to jobs where such an understanding was necessary. All this with a good guide. For the moment, the class seemed like a waste of time.
"Now you are going to get a cup of tea. You will fill it with the teapots that you have on the table. Then you will stir it, without using any utensil, three times in an anti-clockwise direction, drink it, and let the cup rest for five minutes," the teacher explained. "It will be your companion who will read the grounds in your cup." The teacher opened the sideboard where she had dozens of pink and blue cups. "When you break it, would you mind taking one of the blue ones? Roses are my favorites."
Salazar remained seated, watching Godric's expression at that comment. It was a comment that was undermining him in some way, making him look useless, and highlighting the usual clumsiness he had shown in the previous two years—surely the result of a lack of confidence. He leaned back expectantly in his seat, watching his friend's movements. He saw him intentionally knock over not one, but an entire row of pink porcelain cups.
"I'm sorry, Professor, I'll repair the damage immediately," he said, feigning complete innocence and using a charm to repair the cups.
He drew his wand. It was annoying to see the whole class take refuge under their desks. It wasn't as if he was going to collapse the roof on people. Salazar remained impassive. He watched what was happening with hidden amusement.
"No. You don't have to," the teacher interjected. "Just take one of the blue ones, please."
Once he got his cup, Salazar poured the tea for himself as well as for Ron and Hermione. Now he was glad that he had chosen to drink only milk for breakfast. If he had had coffee or tea, by the end of the class, he would have ended up with an excess of stimulants. He would have to take that into account for future classes. He absentmindedly moved his cup of tea, drank the contents until the grounds were left.
"You start," Ron said, offering him his cup.
Salazar picked it up, turning it over and consulting the Divination textbook. As he did so, he could see Hermione's frown; you could see the disgust on her face, to the point that she hadn't even drunk her cup of tea. He could understand it.
"I see a spot in the shape of a mushroom hat and a crooked cross. According to the book, the cross means suffering and hardship, and the mushroom hat means prosperity," he said, looking at Ron with a bored expression. "I think we could say that you will achieve success after following a path full of obstacles and difficulties."
"What nonsense. Everyone knows that to get what you want, you have to work," Hermione snorted.
"Hey!" Ron protested. "I like what my cup says." He snatched the cup from Harry's hands. "I'm going to read yours, Harry."
"Go ahead."
Harry ignored a little what Ron was doing and looked around the room. He could see that among the rest of his classmates were almost the entire Gryffindor House, a couple of Ravenclaws, and a few Hufflepuffs. He leaned over to Hermione, who had finally agreed to drink her cup of tea. He took it, looking at its deposits. He looked at her questioningly, but she silently shook her head. She didn't care what the tea said about his future. He found that to be quite sensible.
"I see... an animal's head on a chicken bone," Ron said. "Maybe you're going to inherit a farm and raise animals."
"That would be an interesting change," Salazar commented. "Truly unexpected."
"What's so interesting?" Professor Trelawney asked. Apparently, she was passing by at that time. "Let me see the cup."
The professor took the cup from a bewildered Ron. Salazar looked at her expectantly, as did Hermione, who had decided to stop swirling her tea grounds and raised her weary gaze. The class had fallen silent, and everyone was looking in his direction. It was clear that this had raised a certain level of expectation.
"Poor boy. You've got the Grim. It's the worst of omens; it's an omen of death. I'm so sorry, boy, you're going to die."
"I thank you for your frankness, Professor. I will compose my epitaph and choose the coin with which to pay the ferryman. It has been a very kind gesture on your part to communicate the situation to me; it's good to know that one day I will die."
Salazar felt great relief at being able to leave that classroom. He had not liked the way the class was presented at all. He walked quickly to get to the Transfiguration classroom on time. Neville and Hermione were at his side. Behind them, the rest of the Gryffindors and the two whispering Ravenclaws. Ron, Harry noted, was completely pale.
"Hermione. Do you think Professor McGonagall would let me change Divination for Runes? Since I'm going to die, I want to at least study something more productive."
"I don't know, Harry. Ask her when class ends."
In Transfiguration, he sat in the second row, next to Neville. He was distracted during the beginning of class, with his mind on other matters: finding Helga, since she was in the castle; looking for candidates who might at some point awaken like Rowena—that would be complicated, although perhaps Helena could help them if Godric and Helga agreed to stay awake before her; and, thirdly, how to adequately argue for changing his class. Professor McGonagall's voice snapped him out of his thoughts; she was annoyed because almost no one in class was paying attention to her.
"Professor, we just had the first Divination class, and—"
"I don't need you to say more, Miss Granger. Tell me, who is going to die this year?"
"Me," Salazar admitted, looking up at the teacher and ignoring the looks of most of the class. "I apologise for being distracted; I was thinking about what I'm going to put on my grave. Something like, 'Here lies the boy who survived, whose fate was marked by some tea leaves.' I can't think of anything better." He used a tone of bored skepticism. "Since I'm going to die, I'd like to ask you a favour, Professor. I would like to drop Divination and take another of the electives. Runes, for example. In return, I promise that I will live long enough to deliver you the best essay you can read." It was not how he wanted to approach the situation, but it was a good opportunity.
"We'll talk about that during the lunch break, Mr. Potter." For a few seconds, he thought he saw an amused smile on her face. "You have nothing to worry about, none of you. Sybill Trelawney predicts the death of one student every year, and to date, none have died. It is her favourite way of welcoming a new class of students." Professor McGonagall pursed her lips sternly. "I will not deny that Divination makes me lose my patience. It is completely meaningless, and even if it were real, it is so ambiguous that any interpretation is dangerous." You could tell she was biting her tongue about it. "Now let's continue with the subject of the class."
They spent the next half hour taking notes on the Animagi, how complicated the preparation and study required were, and how dangerous it was to transform without supervision and proper training. In his previous life, he had not considered animagus, but now it could be something interesting. However, having to register took away any advantage that might have been had in this regard. In addition, there was a vulnerability that did not exist in the past: a charm that revealed whether an animal was actually an animal or an Animagus, along with another transfiguration spell that forced the Animagus to return to its human form. These were factors to be taken into account.
Salazar had spent the half-hour of lunch in Professor McGonagall's office, talking to her about changing his class and his motives. He had to explain why he chose Divination in the first place, when he was still just Harry, and make sure that it wasn't just changed because of the teacher's words about tea leaves. He didn't want to change on a whim but because he had decided to act a little more sensibly and not take what apparently seemed easier. In the end, the teacher had agreed to manage his change of subject.
When he left the office, lunchtime was nearing its end. So he went straight to the castle grounds. He didn't care about missing lunch; it wasn't the first time he'd missed a meal at will, and it would never be the last. He joined the rest of the class while remaining a little further behind than the others. He understood the annoyance of many students at the book Hagrid had sent. It was one of those books that would have been better sent with an instruction manual included. They had all brought their books tied with ropes and belts. He was the only one who hadn't tied it up, although he hadn't figured out how to tame it either.
"How did you get him to sit still, Potter?" one of the Slytherins asked, to his surprise. He thought it was Nott.
"I used a Freezing Charm."
"Immobulus. I must admit that's ingenious, Potter." The surprise could be seen in his voice.
"Sometimes I have good moments."
He followed the rest of the class into a meadow half-hidden among the trees. He leaned relaxed on one of them while Draco Malfoy ranted against their new teacher and the general level of classes in the castle. The boy seemed to keep whining that his father had been demoted from the school board. It seemed that he was still a spoiled child who achieved everything by calling on his father. In Salazar's opinion, that boy was doing himself a disservice.
He was struck by the type of creature Hagrid had brought to class: Hippogriffs. It was a strong way to start, strong and spectacular, and since Hogwarts had always had academic freedom, he could say that it would be a good start. At least for those who had teaching experience, but for someone like Hagrid, who, despite his knowledge of the subject, did not have such experience, it was a risky gamble. Very risky. He paid attention to Hagrid's explanation, although he played a little coy when he asked for a volunteer. He wanted to try, but being the first would draw too much attention to himself. Harry Potter was already too flashy to have more publicity.
It was Godric who volunteered, to the surprise of many in his own House and to the delight of most of the Slytherins, who seemed to be preparing to enjoy a catastrophe. Salazar observed his friend calmly. He knew he could do it, and he knew that by doing so, he would earn the respect he didn't enjoy in his own House. It was his moment, and he fully supported it. Hagrid let him try a Hippogriff named Buckbeak. He saw him approach it and bow without stopping looking it in the eye, without breaking eye contact. Hagrid then mounted him on the Hippogriff, and it took him for a short flight around the grounds.
"Well done, Neville!" Salazar congratulated his friend, happy with the success he had had.
Many more came to congratulate him. It was a well-deserved moment of triumph, a moment in which he had shown great courage and mettle. So now every third-year Gryffindor was happy and pleased by the guts shown by what they considered their least Gryffindor member, and the Slytherins were surprised and in shock. Only one of them showed his bitterness: Malfoy. Although it was difficult to tell if it was because of Neville or because he had seen an opportunity to cause trouble.
"There's nothing good about you, you damn deformed hen," he rebuked the Hippogriff.
Salazar quickly analysed the scene. The whole class had fallen silent, completely blank at Draco Malfoy's comment to the Hippogriff, at the clear provocation towards it. Hagrid had frozen, not knowing how to act. Buckbeak had quickly turned towards Malfoy and was preparing to attack him. Salazar had to quickly choose what to do. He had decided not to attract attention, but he could not stay out of this. He knew what would happen if he allowed the Hippogriff to hit Malfoy. It would be the perfect opportunity to cause trouble.
Without thinking too much, he stepped in, pushing Malfoy back and shrinking down to protect his head and neck. He felt the skin on his back tear from the left shoulder to the waist. He collapsed because of the pain and the loss of blood, without being aware of the commotion that was forming around him. He would later curse himself for acting so stupidly instead of pinning down the Hippogriff as he had done with the book. His eyesight turned black as his body was lifted by an unknown entity. Finally, he was knocked unconscious.