"Unbelievable! This has never happened before!"
Madam Pomfrey's face was red with anger as she shouted sharply:
"A professor actually got into a fight with students! More than half of the students were injured!"
"How can you treat your students like this? How can you treat your classroom like this? I've worked at Hogwarts for so many years, and I've never seen a professor send all their students to the hospital!"
Professor Abigail weakly defended herself, "But, if we really encounter an enemy..."
"The children are here to learn, not to go to war! They're only in second year, they're at school, it's safe here! Even if practical exercises are necessary, it should be for upper-year students!"
"Professor Abigail, they are students, not soldiers! And certainly not a suicide squad!"
"I don't know what kind of battles you've faced before! But since the children call you professor, please care for them with the heart of a teacher, a parent!"
"If you continue to treat students so harshly in the future, I will strongly request Professor Dumbledore to terminate your employment! I mean it!"
Madam Pomfrey's anger swept through the classroom like a storm, and Abigail, facing the fury, attempted to speak several times but couldn't find the opportunity, her expression gradually becoming somewhat dazed.
Then Madam Pomfrey waved her magic wand, causing the fainted students to levitate, and stomped away.
A group of students glanced at Professor Abigail and then followed the school nurse, tiptoeing away like little chicks.
Michael walked some distance and realized someone seemed missing next to him. He turned back to find, and before reaching the door, he heard a dull "thud."
Behind the door, a sneaky eye appeared. Michael peeked around and saw Vid climbing from the floor, raising his arm to wipe away blood from the corner of his eye.
At the other end of the classroom, Professor Abigail also had a bruise on her forehead.
"It's obvious your physical strength is a bit better than your peers, but compared to students from Uagadou, you're still far behind."
Abigail said, "Many wizards in the United Kingdom think all they need is to be proficient in spells, but I can prove this idea is completely wrong!"
She pulled off her robe and tossed it aside casually, revealing a black athletic outfit beneath, with some dangerous tools tucked into the belt. Her long limbs showed faint muscular lines even under the clothing.
The woman, like a cheetah, wielded her magic wand like sharp claws, crouching slightly, then suddenly dashing forward!
"Boom!"
In the next instant, the spell's light remained blocked by armor, yet Vid was grabbed by the shoulder and thrown out!
Michael covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight, and heard a series of "pop pop" sounds of a beating from inside.
"Should we call a professor to stop this?" a trembling voice nearby asked, "I'm afraid Vid might get beaten to death."
Michael turned and saw Padma hiding beside him. On the other side of the classroom door were Anthony and Terry.
"Why did you guys come back too?" Michael asked in surprise.
"Did you think you sneaked back without anyone noticing?" Anthony nodded sideways, "Madam Pomfrey hasn't gone far! Professor McGonagall's office is nearby too..."
Michael hesitated, then shook his head.
"Let's wait a bit… If Vid didn't want to get beaten, he would have left with us earlier…"
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the classroom, as if hundreds of birds were flying at once.
Several people hurriedly peeked inside and saw countless small birds attacking the new professor, giant spiders crawling towards her, and a book that someone had dropped suddenly expanded, unfolding like a giant curtain enclosing Abigail.
Vid, bloody-faced, staggered to his feet, raised his wand, and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Abigail's wand immediately flew away!
"YES!" Michael cheered, punching the air, and the others nearly jumped for joy.
But then, a figure shielding their eyes with an arm charged through the obstacles directly, raising an arm and throwing a punch fiercely!
"Boom!"
The black-haired boy slammed heavily against the wall, his head tilted, motionless.
Everyone stared wide-eyed in terror, seemingly forgetting how to shout.
The little birds pecking at Abigail's hair vanished instantly, while the spiders' enlarged sizes rapidly shrank, and they scurried away along the corners of the wall.
"A little guy, but pretty difficult to deal with!"
Abigail muttered as she wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, then turned sharply and saw the four heads poking out from the doorway, like a string of cherries.
"Hey! You guys!"
Several young wizards shuddered in fright.
They initially thought this professor's manner of teaching was too rough, but now, in comparison, they realized they were facing the "gentle version."
If Professor Abigail taught them like she dealt with Vid... Michael suspected he might not see tomorrow's sun.
"...Pro-Professor?" Anthony stammered.
"Goldstein, right?" Professor Abigail said, "Take this kid to the school infirmary, and tell Madam Pomfrey he was the one who wanted to come to me for a rematch, not me bullying him!"
After finishing, the professor waved her hand, and the robe on the ground jumped up and wrapped around her automatically. She strode out of the classroom, and only upon reaching the empty corridor did she wince in pain.
Michael and the others were naturally unaware of the professor's plight. They watched her retreating figure in awe until she disappeared, then went inside.
Padma, skilled in Transfiguration, turned a table into a stretcher, and the boys used Levioso to transport Vid to the infirmary, also conveying what Professor Abigail had said.
Then...
They were scolded severely by Madam Pomfrey.
Actually, each of them had sustained some injuries in the chaos earlier, but after being scolded till they felt dizzy, as soon as Madam Pomfrey paused to catch her breath, they quickly took their leave and fled away.
Having escaped the infirmary, they remembered their wounds remained untreated. But to turn around and go back... they simply didn't have the courage.
"I actually brought Dittany Essence." Michael lifted his damp backpack and chuckled bitterly, "But it got shattered."
"No worries, I have a bottle in the dormitory." Padma said.
Anyhow, there were a few hours until Astronomy class, so the group headed towards Ravenclaw Tower.
The staircase that usually felt long seemed even more torturous as they climbed with injuries.
After a long while, Terry let out a long sigh:
"When will our Defense Against the Dark Arts class be a bit more normal!"