Chapter 446: Luna Skipped Class (Edited)

After the Christmas holidays, Hogwarts returned to its normal routine of classes. However, the worsening weather in the Scottish Highlands brought a sudden and cold change in temperature, not only becoming cold but also damp. The cold dampness seemed enchanted, easily penetrating the defenses of young wizards.

Spots by the fireplaces became highly coveted. And students from the upper years of each House demonstrated their initiative by creating all sorts of "jar fires" to help combat the cold.

Once this incredible magical application was invented, it quickly became popular. During this period, wherever young wizards of Hogwarts went, they carried a jar inside their robes with a burning flame inside.

Tom also had a "jar fire" made by Hermione. She had learned this little spell when she was just starting school and was now quite the expert. The fires she created lasted longer; a single flame could burn throughout the morning without any issues.

However, even with the help of the "jar fires," attending classes outside the castle was extremely painful in that weather. Herbology classes went well as the temperature in the greenhouse didn't differ much from indoor spaces, but Care of Magical Creatures classes were rather painful.

Fortunately, Newt noticed this and modified the curriculum, scheduling lessons on salamanders and Ashwinders for the days after Christmas.

These two magical creatures had a common feature: they were related to fire.

Salamanders were small lizards that lived in flames and fed on fire itself. Newt only needed to start a bonfire and move the salamanders he raised there. Then, all he had to do was watch as young wizards collected twigs and dry leaves from all around and added them to the fire. He also took care of removing overly damp branches to prevent excessive smoke.

Students were fascinated by this small creature and spent the entire class watching them jump inside the blazing wood. After the fire flared up, the color of the salamanders changed according to the temperature of the flames, starting with a bright white glow and then changing to intense blue or red.

The Ashwinder course was much more dangerous, and only Newt had the confidence to teach it. Fire snakes were born from "magical fire." "Magical fire" was fire to which Floo Powder, among other magical substances, was added.

It wasn't difficult to make an Ashwinder be born; you just had to allow magical fire to burn unrestricted, and the Ashwinder would be created. This process was exhausting. Newt spent an entire night preparing before starting the class.

Among all the magical substances used to breed Ashwinders, Floo Powder was the most economical, so Newt chose it. First, he found a large brazier and then spent the whole night adding firewood and Floo Powder to the brazier. By the time the class began, the Ashwinder was about to be born.

Newt wanted all the students to witness the birth of the Ashwinder, but he overestimated his energy; he was already too old and couldn't withstand the fatigue of the preparation, and he didn't trust the students to perform these tasks. Magical fire was extremely dangerous, and controlling the moment when the Ashwinder appeared was crucial, something that only an expert magical creatures master like him could achieve. He didn't feel safe letting the students do it.

So in the end, only the third-year students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had the opportunity to witness the birth of the Ashwinder. As for the other students, although Newt welcomed them to attend as spectators, few responded. Some had classes, and others simply preferred to sleep a little longer. Between witnessing the birth of the Ashwinder and getting an extra hour of sleep in the morning, they chose to sleep.

No wonder they were lazy; it was still snowing today! Tom, upon seeing the weather, instinctively wanted to skip classes. Because that meant being outside, under the snow, for two hours. Due to the danger of Ashwinders, Newt refused to hold classes indoors, even when it was snowing. He insisted on conducting the class on the castle grounds.

Tom and Hermione joined their classmates on the castle grounds. They all wore thick coats, gloves, and carried a jar of fire in their arms to stay warm. To protect themselves from the cold, the girls had given up their usual sneakers and dress shoes and instead wore the boots they had prepared in advance to prevent the cold ground from affecting their delicate feet.

When they arrived, Newt was already standing in the snow.

Seeing Newt, everyone was surprised by the professor's condition; he looked very exhausted. His hair was disheveled, with ashes and burnt hair sticking to it. His eyes were red, his cheeks sunken, and his skin looked smoky.

"Raising Ashwinders artificially requires a lot of effort. You're lucky because I don't think I'll attempt to breed these magical creatures again. It's too exhausting..." Newt sighed with a bitter smile, shaking his head. His gray hair waved in the wind as he explained to the students the reason for his exhausted appearance.

At that moment, Hufflepuff students began to arrive slowly, but among the crowd, Tom saw a familiar figure that shouldn't be there.

"Luna? What are you doing here? Don't you have morning classes?" Tom was surprised, but remembering Luna's love for magical creatures, it seemed normal to see her here.

"I have two morning potion classes," Luna replied with a dazed look, as if she hadn't slept enough.

Tom: !!!

The students around who heard the conversation: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Everyone was amazed by Luna: Is this student so brave? Does she dare to skip Snape's class?

Many looked at Luna with respect. Daring to skip Snape's class, that's courage!

"The appearance and egg-laying process of the Ashwinder are extremely rare; I don't want to miss it," Luna explained briefly. For her, there were things she could make sacrifices for. Plus, she didn't think skipping potions class today would have serious consequences.

At that moment, most of the students were also there. Professor Scamander clapped to calm everyone down. "Children, in the last class, I showed you the fire salamanders and left you with homework about the fire snake... I suppose many of you have already guessed, today we're going to learn about the Ashwinder. This class on the Ashwinder is very dangerous, so I hope you all pay attention during the lesson."

"In today's Care of Magical Creatures class, we also have a special visitor. Let's welcome Professor Snape!"