The second class of the morning was Potions.
This class took place in a dimly lit dungeon, the shelves lined with glass jars containing all sorts of pickled creatures and ingredients—some recognizable, others completely alien.
Snape was exactly as his reputation suggested: cold, harsh, and intimidating. His mere presence in the classroom created an inexplicable pressure that weighed on every student.
Many of the first-years were terrified of him. As soon as he swept into the room, the whispering stopped dead. Of course, a few unlucky students were too slow, and their houses lost points immediately.
Upon entering, Snape's dark eyes lingered on Rey for a moment longer than usual. The boy had clearly left an impression.
Rey didn't dare make eye contact. He sat perfectly straight, eyes lowered, looking like the picture of obedience. His book was open in front of him, signaling he was ready to learn.
"Turn to page five..."
Once Snape was satisfied that every student had submitted to his glare, he began the lesson.
He started by explaining what potions were, their effects, and the strict safety protocols required in his lab.
To Rey, this was like unlocking a door to a brand-new world.
Everything about it fascinated him. In his past life, magic and potions were just fiction in books and movies. Now, he was seeing them up close, zero distance.
having lived two lives, Rey possessed incredible mental focus and a memory to match. He absorbed the knowledge the professors threw at him like a sponge.
If he didn't understand something, he raised his hand and asked. With the mind of an adult in a child's body, he had the potential to become the top student of his year very quickly.
---
For those hungry for knowledge, class time always seems to fly by.
Potions wrapped up quickly. To Rey's absolute shock, the notoriously stingy Professor Snape actually awarded him ten points for his excellent performance.
This was unprecedented. In Rey's memory of the stories, Snape almost never gave points to anyone outside of Slytherin.
"What is it, Mr. Faest? Are you dissatisfied with my points?"
Rey had frozen in surprise, only to be snapped back to reality by Snape's cold, questioning voice.
"No, Professor. Thank you for the points."
Seeing Snape's icy, slightly annoyed expression, Rey was glad his reaction time was fast.
If he had acted out of line or stared blankly for a second longer, he probably would have lost those points just as quickly as he got them. Earning points from Snape meant this Potions class was a massive success.
After a lunch break, the afternoon began with their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
The classroom was on the second floor. Since it was afternoon, sunlight streamed through the windows. For first-years not used to skipping naps, the warm sun made the room feel drowsy.
Several students were already nodding off when Professor Caradoc Dorry walked in, tucking his textbook under his arm.
He held his wand in his right hand. As he walked from the door to the podium, he waved his wand at every window he passed. The shutters slammed shut automatically, plunging the bright classroom into gloom.
The students who had been dozing off were instantly wide awake.
"Hello, everyone. I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Caradoc Dorry. I am pleased to be here to teach you how to defend yourselves against the Dark Arts."
Caradoc Dorry had a gaunt frame and a pale, waxy face. If not for the permanent, kindly smile plastered on his lips, Rey would have thought he was looking at a walking corpse—especially in the dim light.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts is not just about countering dark spells. You could say this course teaches you how to use magic to protect yourself in actual combat."
"For example... dealing with a sudden, bewildering attack."
Dorry's smile was stiff and fixed. The transition between smiling and speaking felt unnatural. It gave Rey the creeping feeling that the smile was completely fake.
He spoke loudly about the lesson plan, and then—pop—he vanished from the podium.
"Ahhh!"
A high-pitched scream pierced the air.
Caradoc Dorry had suddenly materialized behind two girls in the third row. The scream came from a brunette girl.
The other girl was Agnes. She was too terrified to scream, her chest heaving in panic.
Dorry's wand was already pressed against Agnes's neck. His eyes glinted with a cold light, looking at her as if she were prey.
The atmosphere in the classroom froze.
"This is a surprise attack. What I want to teach you is how to protect yourself in a situation like this."
Dorry scanned the room, then vanished again, instantly reappearing back at the podium.
It was a brilliant display of skill. He had shaken every student in the room, including the troublemakers.
---
Agnes sat at the end of the third row. Rey was also in the third row, separated from her only by the aisle.
"Are you okay?"
Rey looked at Agnes, who was clutching her chest and still trembling. He asked with genuine concern.
Agnes forced a smile and shook her head, indicating she was fine.
Caradoc Dorry, the Auror who survived a vampire siege. His teaching method made Rey frown.
The way Dorry vanished and reappeared... Rey found it incredibly eerie.
That movement didn't look like Apparition. Besides, you couldn't Apparate inside Hogwarts castle; the protective enchantments prevented it.
When Dorry moved, a sudden gust of wind swept through the aisle. That wind gave Rey an inexplicable sense of danger. It felt remarkably similar to the way vampires moved in movies—defying the laws of physics.
Fast. Blinking in and out. Catching people off guard.
Dorry continued the lesson by using this method to appear behind different students, letting them experience the terror of a sudden ambush one by one.
It was certainly a unique Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The lesson finally ended amidst a chorus of girls' screams and nervous laughter from the boys.
"Rey Faest, Cedric Diggory. Please stay behind for a moment."
As the class was packing up, Professor Dorry made an unexpected request.
Rey, who had just started to stand up, was surprised. "Oh. Alright, Professor."
Cedric Diggory looked just as confused. The two boys exchanged a glance, unsure why everyone else was allowed to leave while they had to stay.
---