"Mr. Diggory."
"Miss Parkinson."
"Mr. Potter."
"Miss Abbott."
"Mr. Longbottom."
The Quintaped was responsible for getting cursed, and Owen was responsible for lifting the curses. After calling out a dozen names, Owen waved his hand, conjuring a glass of ice water. He downed it in one go, then addressed the students. "Please wait a moment. I need to catch my breath."
The students erupted in laughter. Even the observing professors wore relaxed smiles.
With a flick of his wand, the Quintaped—which had been petrified countless times—floated into the air. Owen stepped forward and addressed the professors. "Please forgive my presumption. Since this is a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and the professor is incapacitated, as the Teaching Assistant, I have the authority to take over. Please allow me to continue the lesson."
Dumbledore smiled again. "Of course, Mr. Corlett. That is your right."
Well, the minor detail of the professor being injured... Snape had already carted the unconscious Lockhart away, so there was no need to worry about him.
"This is an incredibly rare opportunity..." Having received the Headmaster's permission, Owen turned back to face the students with a smile. "Class XXXXX magical creatures like this are not easy to find. Here, let us give a round of applause for Professor Lockhart. Without him, this lesson would have been much less colorful."
The students were very cooperative. Applause thundered through the hall. Pity Lockhart wasn't there to hear it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please hold your triumph for a moment. I don't know if you recall what the textbooks say: Quintapeds are actually capable of spitting venom."
Owen's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly. Before stepping up, he had secretly cast a Sonorus charm on himself.
"To boost your confidence and eliminate fear, I sealed its mouth beforehand. Otherwise, we might have been eating dinner outside tonight..."
No one laughed this time. Owen's words made them realize that everything they had just done was under controlled, protected conditions.
"First, I want to praise the students who participated. You firmly remembered one key point: we are wizards. Our magic isn't meant for close combat; it allows us to cast from a safe distance. I also want to commend Mr. Malfoy. Your hard work has paid off. Your casting while moving was beautiful!"
Applause broke out. Owen pressed his hand down, and the applause stopped.
"However, I must remind you all that there were issues with the timing of your spells and the distribution of your magical power. If this weren't a single Quintaped, but a swarm, would your magical reserves support such high-intensity casting?"
"Furthermore, not a single one of you managed to use a spell of absolute control on your first cast. Remember, I said absolute control. Not just petrifying it or putting it to sleep, but controlling it. For example, a Levitation Charm, or using Transfiguration to imprison it. This gives you the safety to cast your next spell or buys you time to escape combat. The former is for when you think you can win; the latter is for when you lack confidence."
The hall was silent. Even Snape, who had returned, made no sound.
"Finally, as the professors often say: when casting magic, you need absolute confidence and determination. Professor Lockhart is an example. When the Quintaped got close, he failed to remain calm, so all his spells failed. This isn't unique to him; many people experience it. Therefore, keeping yourself calm is crucial!"
The professors nodded in agreement. This was absolutely correct. Often, getting hurt wasn't due to a lack of strength, but a failure to stay calm.
"You all did very well just now. You successfully cast the spells you intended because you were confident and calm enough. I hope you remember that feeling. Maintain that confidence and composure!"
"Finally, let us thank Professor Lockhart once again. Through his erroneous demonstration and by finding this rare Quintaped, he gave us a wonderful open class. This time, I won't assign homework. But I hope that after class, before you go to sleep, you say one thing to yourselves: I can do it!"
"Of course, while having confidence, don't forget the basics. It would be fatal if you charged forward full of confidence, raised your wand, and then realized you forgot the incantation..."
The students roared with laughter.
"Class dismissed. Please exit in an orderly manner. Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl, please remain behind."
Prefects were at least fifth-years, and the Head Boy and Girl were the best of the best. Keeping them behind was to restore the Great Hall to its original state. They had to eat dinner here, after all. They couldn't have students and professors standing around eating from plates, could they?
Of course, Owen and the professors pitched in too. In no time, the Great Hall was back to normal.
"Excellent. Truly, excellent!"
Dumbledore clapped a hand heavily on Owen's shoulder. "Owen, you've left me without words to praise you."
A Headmaster must maintain absolute fairness. Occasionally, small privileges could be used—like adding points before the House Cup announcement...
But in major matters, there could be no bias. That was why Owen's "House" was Hogwarts itself, not any specific one.
Facts proved Dumbledore right. Owen showed no prejudice against any House. He was extremely fair!
And the students' improvement? Dumbledore saw it all.
Owen smiled faintly. Just as he prepared to quietly pocket the Quintaped, Dumbledore waved his wand. The Quintaped was sent back into the cage, which instantly shrunk and landed in the old wizard's hand.
Owen: ...My experimental subject, gone just like that?
"Owen, there is a favor I'd like to ask of you..."
"Headmaster, no need for formalities. Please, go ahead."
---
Smoke rises straight over the lonely desert; the round sun sets over the long river.
Looking at the desert before him, Owen wanted to punch himself from two days ago in the face!
Next time, he couldn't be so stubborn. Or at least, he shouldn't agree to things before knowing what he was agreeing to!
And so, here he was. Sent from the comfort of Hogwarts to Egypt. Supposedly representing the school in a month-long curse-breaking operation.
Since when did Hogwarts have international business operations?
He hadn't brought the big cat or Whitey. It was just him, all alone, here to eat sand...
"Mr. Corlett?"
A guy wrapped up so thoroughly he was almost invisible appeared in front of Owen with a CRACK. After confirming Owen's identity, the man was incredibly enthusiastic, grabbing Owen's hand and refusing to let go. "After receiving Dumbledore's letter, I couldn't believe it. Thank you to Hogwarts for supporting our work! Thank you so much!"