One week later, during a Care of Magical Creatures lesson at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the teaching area was packed with students.
As for why so many people had gathered for today's class, it was entirely thanks to Harry and his two friends.
Hermione had been the one to spread the news.
On Wednesday evening, when the Gryffindor common room was at its busiest, she had "casually" remarked to Ron, "Did you hear? Professor Hagrid is introducing an extremely special magical creature this week. Apparently, even Dumbledore had to grant him special permission."
Her voice was not particularly loud, but it was just clear enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Ron played along by widening his eyes.
"Really?"
Hermione nodded.
"Of course it's true. Harry told me himself."
Ron turned toward Harry.
Harry also experienced a sudden burst of acting talent.
"I think so," he said in a tone that implied he was not entirely certain either. "Professor Hagrid said this might be his most important lesson of the entire term."
The news seemed to grow wings.
It flew out of the Gryffindor common room, and by Friday, the whole of Hogwarts knew about it.
Originally, the students had not been particularly interested.
What sort of "different magical creature" could possibly appear in Hagrid's class?
It would probably be another Blast-Ended Skrewt, Bowtruckle, or Unicorn—the same creatures he brought out and discussed every year.
However, to help Hagrid, Harry resorted to a direct financial offensive and successfully recruited an enormous crowd.
One Galleon.
One Galleon for every person.
Their year and House did not matter. As long as they attended the lesson, they could collect one Galleon after it ended.
One Galleon was enough to purchase several bags of sweets in Hogsmeade or a pile of trinkets from Zonko's Joke Shop.
No one was going to turn down free money.
"The lesson is about to begin."
Edgar checked the time on his Magic Phone, then raised his head and looked toward the Forbidden Forest.
"What kind of magical creature do you think Hagrid has prepared this time?"
He turned toward Lynn, who stood beside him.
Lynn was positioned at the edge of the crowd with both hands in his pockets, staring blankly into the distant Forbidden Forest.
"Who knows?"
Lynn withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
He surveyed the crowd.
There were numerous unfamiliar faces from Gryffindor, more than twice the usual number of Ravenclaws, and even several scattered Slytherins.
At the very back, Lynn spotted Malfoy holding a copy of Advanced Potion-Making. He wore a cold expression as he flipped through a page near the middle of the book.
Crabbe and Goyle stood on either side of him.
Neither held anything.
They merely stood there like two guardian statues.
As Lynn and Edgar spoke, a colossal figure approached from the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
The figure was so large that his movements through the thickets could be seen from a great distance.
Hagrid was pushing a small cart carrying an enormous "box" concealed beneath a black curtain.
When he saw how many students had actually come to attend his lesson, his pace visibly quickened with excitement.
Hagrid pushed the cart into the center of the teaching area, brought it to a steady stop, and turned toward the assembled students.
His smile stretched from ear to ear. His eyes narrowed into two slits, and every part of him radiated joy.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
His booming voice echoed along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
A scattered response rose from the crowd.
"Good afternoon, Professor Hagrid."
Hagrid smiled and waved, indicating that they did not need to be so formal.
He withdrew his gaze from the students and looked toward the small cart—more precisely, toward the black curtain concealing its contents.
Suddenly, an obviously artificial voice emerged from among the students.
It sounded as though someone had shoved a voice-changing device directly down their throat.
"Professor, what magical creature are you going to show us today?"
The instant Lynn heard the voice, his scalp went numb.
He turned toward the Gryffindor students.
More specifically, toward Harry.
With everyone staring directly at him, Harry's face became bright red.
Hadn't Fred and George promised that no one would recognize him after he ate the Voice-Changing Candy?!
(Fred and George: We told you to use it during a commotion! Who told you to use it while everyone was silent?)
Hagrid, meanwhile, was deeply moved by Harry's dedication.
He wiped the corners of his eyes with the sleeve of his coat.
Then he clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back toward him.
"Well..."
His voice was slightly choked with emotion.
"Can any of you guess what magical creature I've brought for you today?"
The students shook their heads in unison.
How were they supposed to guess?
Hagrid chuckled and finally stopped keeping them in suspense.
He walked to the side of the cart, placed one hand upon the curtain, and tightly gripped the black velvet fabric.
His movements were slow and solemn, as though he were about to unveil a priceless work of art.
He swept his gaze across the students' faces.
Then—
He pulled hard.
The black curtain slid away from the "box," fluttered through the air for a moment, and dropped to the ground.
The object beneath it revealed its true appearance.
Inside a transparent enclosure stood an expensive-looking perch.
It had been carved from dark wood and polished until its surface reflected a soft luster beneath the sunlight. The top forked outward like the branches of a small tree and had been covered in gold-and-red velvet.
Sitting upon the perch was a phoenix.
He tilted his head and calmly observed the crowd of students.
Fawkes.
The students immediately erupted into a frenzy.
"It's a phoenix!"
"Dumbledore's phoenix!"
"Merlin, he's beautiful!"
"I've seen pictures in books, but I never imagined he would be so breathtaking in person!"
Voices surged from every direction.
Gasps, screams, and excited shouting blended into a deafening clamor, startling flocks of birds from the Forbidden Forest and sending them scattering into the sky.
No one had expected Hagrid to actually borrow Fawkes from Dumbledore.
Fawkes was no ordinary teaching aid.
He was Dumbledore's companion and one of the oldest and rarest magical creatures in the wizarding world.
Hagrid chuckled proudly.
"I begged the Headmaster for a long time before he finally agreed to lend me Fawkes as a teaching aid for one lesson."
He looked over the eager students.
Some were already pushing forward. Others stood on their toes and craned their necks for a better view. Several had even begun raising their hands despite Hagrid not yet asking a single question.
"So..."
Hagrid deliberately drew out the word.
"Our time is limited. Only students who correctly answer my questions will be allowed to approach Fawkes. The Headmaster has agreed to that as well."
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd exploded once again.
Some students became excited. Others immediately grew nervous. Several had already started frantically flipping through their textbooks, even though the Care of Magical Creatures text contained only a few paragraphs about phoenixes.
Without waiting for the students to settle down, Hagrid asked his first question.
"What effects do phoenix tears possess?"
"Me! Me! Me!"
A boy's hand shot into the air.
He moved so quickly that the students beside him did not even have time to react.
Hagrid pointed toward him.
"You."
"Phoenix tears possess extraordinarily powerful healing properties. They can cure most wounds and neutralize many poisons."
The boy spoke rapidly, as though afraid he might not finish his answer in time.
Hagrid nodded.
"Very good. Anything else?"
"They're also extremely valuable Potions ingredients and are used in the recipes for certain advanced antidotes."
His voice became even louder.
"Anything else?"
"Erm... Phoenix tears also have a special purifying effect on injuries caused by certain Dark creatures, such as..."
The boy thought for a moment.
"Dementors?"
Hagrid nodded in satisfaction.
"Five points to Hufflepuff. You may come forward."
The boy squeezed through the crowd and reached the cart in three hurried steps, stopping directly before Fawkes.
His eyes shone like light bulbs.
He extended his hand, then pulled it back.
He withdrew it, then reached forward again.
He clearly had no idea how he was supposed to pet a phoenix.
Fawkes looked at him, tilted his head, and released a clear, melodious cry.
After Hagrid asked several more questions, Fawkes became visibly more listless.
Hagrid examined the phoenix, then checked the time and realized he could not delay any longer.
He cleared his throat and prepared to ask the final question.
"Last question—what state is Fawkes currently in?"
Just as Hagrid was about to select a student to answer, Fawkes's eyes suddenly sharpened.
In the next instant, the phoenix appeared upon Lynn's shoulder.
Before the astonished gazes of everyone present, Fawkes and Lynn vanished from the lesson together.
The students stared at one another in bewilderment.
"What just happened?"
"Fawkes took Lynn away?"
"Where did he take him?"
"Who knows..."
...
A wave of dizziness swept over Lynn.
He felt an invisible force seize his body and drag him through layer after layer of unseen barriers.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a corridor.
Lynn immediately recognized the location.
The Ministry of Magic.
Second floor.
Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
He had visited this place so many times that he could navigate every office, corridor, and corner with his eyes closed.
The familiar scent filled his nose—a mixture of old parchment, ink, candle wax, and...
Blood.
The smell of blood?!
Lynn frowned.
Why would there be blood inside the Ministry of Magic?
Many people had already gathered before his arrival, and every one of them was a familiar face.
Mr. Bones.
Mr. Weasley.
Scrimgeour.
Tonks.
Naturally, the old Headmaster was also present.
Dumbledore stood at the front of the crowd with his back toward Lynn.
"Fawkes is back!" someone exclaimed.
Everyone turned toward them.
"Lynn?"
Edward rubbed his eyes, wondering whether he was seeing things.
His gaze lingered on Lynn's face, shifted toward Fawkes perched on his shoulder, then returned to Lynn.
"Why did he bring you? Where is the Healer from St Mungo's?"
His voice echoed through the corridor.
No one answered.
Instead, the gathered crowd silently parted, opening a path before Lynn.
Blood covered the floor.
It spread outward from the center of the room, staining the carpet, the legs of the tables, and the base of the walls a deep red.
Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, lay in the middle of a pool of blood.
Her body was curled inward, her head tilted to one side. One hand remained stretched forward as though she had tried to grasp something before collapsing.
Blood covered her face, hands, and neck.
Her eyes were closed.
Her lips had turned purple.
Her breathing was so faint that it was almost imperceptible.
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