Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 165 Slander

When they returned to the common room, Ron was leaning out of the open window, but when he came back his face was covered with snow and he was cursing something about "brats".

"What? Fred and George have started to retaliate against you?" Aris said with a smile.

"I just...a gentleman should not bear grudges...yes...that's it..." Ron muttered as he wiped the snow off his face.

"Come over here to the corner," said Hermione. "I have something to tell you..."

Hermione told Harry and Ron that Hagrid had hidden a giant in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

Ron was so frightened that he collapsed directly into his armchair and nearly slid off the armchair onto the floor.

"Is he crazy?" Ron said in a low, trembling voice, "He's trying to tame a giant? I can't think of anything crazier than this..."

"Of course," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "He doesn't want to accept my lesson plans."

"Hagrid doesn't understand that old toad Umbridge at all," said Harry weakly. "I really hope he takes this seriously."

The four friends were in this small corner, sighing together.

Some were happy and some were worried about Hagrid's return. Students who loved adventure, like Fred and George, were naturally happy that Hagrid was back, but as for most of the girls, they looked obviously depressed when they saw Hagrid coming back.

It was Tuesday, the day Hagrid had his Care of Magical Creatures class. Aris, Harry and his four companions all had obvious looks of worry on their faces.

As for the class process, it can only be described as a mess.

Umbridge deliberately did not arrive at the hunting grounds early, and Hagrid was going to give the students a forest investigation class.

In this class, Hagrid wanted his students to learn about the magical creatures called Thestrals. Just as Hagrid threw raw beef on the ground to attract the Thestrals and proudly said that he might be the only person in Britain who had tamed the Thestrals, Umbridge arrived late and interrupted Hagrid's class.

Hagrid had no idea how carefully he had prepared for this lesson, but it was completely disrupted by Umbridge. Umbridge's tone when speaking to Hagrid was still as annoying as ever.

Umbridge was gesturing with her hands while talking to Hagrid, as if she believed that Hagrid, a half-human and half-giant, didn't understand what she was saying.

Umbridge would also read aloud what she had written in her notebook:

"What is this you teach, Mr. Hagrid!" Umbridge shouted, gesticulating.

"Thestrals!" said Hagrid in perfect clarity.

"What?" Umbridge put her hands behind her ears in an affected manner.

"Thestrals!" Hagrid said in confusion, and flapped his massive arms like wings. "Big fellow..."

Umbridge immediately began writing in her notebook, reading as she wrote: "Teaching... depends on... clumsy... gestures... ..."

Hagrid said to his students somewhat unnaturally: "Let's continue...oh...where was I?"

Umbridge began to scribble on her notepad again, reading aloud: "Memory...poor..."

Hermione beside Aeris was almost crying with anger. She cursed softly: "Hag, evil hag, this ugly, perverted, vicious..."

Then Umbridge walked towards the Slytherin students, as if she wanted to ask the Slytherin students about their impression of Hagrid while Hagrid was giving a lecture.

"She's so annoying!" Draco said. On the way to the hunting ground, Draco took the opportunity to sneak into the Gryffindor team. After entering the forest, he gathered with Aeris and the others.

"She is determined," Aeris also echoed, "After driving away Professor Trelawney, she will definitely do everything possible to drive away Hagrid..."

Listening to the Slytherin's increasingly outrageous slander against Hagrid, Harry's teeth were chattering. If Aeris and Draco hadn't held Harry tightly, Harry would have rushed up and cast a Vulcan spell or a Fire Shield spell on them.

As if she felt it was inappropriate to only ask about Slytherin, Umbridge walked over to Gryffindor.

"Can you see the Thestrals too, Mr. Longbottom?" Umbridge asked Neville with a smirk.

Neville was a little embarrassed, but he nodded and said, "Yes... yes... ma'am..."

"Whose death did you witness?" Umbridge still smiled, but her tone was extremely cold.

"My...my grandfather..." Neville answered.

"What do you think of them? These Thestrals..." Umbridge then asked Neville.

"I feel... they're fine..." Neville replied firmly.

Umbridge scribbled on her notepad again, still reading aloud: "Students... dare not... admit... fear..."

"I'm not!" Neville suddenly shouted, "I'm not afraid..."

"It's okay, my poor child..." Umbridge said with a fake smile, "I understand your fear..."

Umbridge went to talk to Hagrid again, still using that disgusting tone, still gesticulating as she spoke, telling Hagrid that she would receive the "results of the investigation" soon.

After Umbridge left, Hagrid's class went smoothly and was very interesting. It seemed that Hagrid didn't take Umbridge's farce in his class seriously at all.

As Christmas approaches, homework is like snowflakes from the sky, no, it's like an avalanche, which makes the students feel a little breathless. Hermione and Ron, who are the prefects, are getting busier and busier. Looking at Ron who is complaining, Aris is glad that he is not a prefect.

The defense team meetings are also organized but irregular. Sometimes they meet twice a week, sometimes only once. This Saturday's meeting may be their last before the holiday.

"Since there is the Patronus Charm, there is also the Evil Spirit Charm," Aeris said to the DA members, "Why do I require you to learn the Patronus Charm first, and then learn the black magic? Because after practicing the black magic, summoning your own Patronus can effectively dispel the negative emotions in our hearts. Unlike the Patronus that brings hope, the Evil Spirit brings only endless despair... The Evil Spirit Summoning..."

Aeris waved his magic wand, and black flocs began to float in a small area on the floor. Those black flocs twisted and deformed, and turned into black ravens. The surrounding atmosphere began to become very uncomfortable. The blood-red eyes of those black ravens made people shudder at the sight of them.

The DA members couldn't help but move away from the ravens summoned by Aries. When Aries waved his wand, the black ravens disappeared again.

"The Patronus can effectively restrain Dementors, but it cannot attack them physically," Aeris continued, "and the summoned evil spirits can launch terrifying physical attacks. In my second year, the group of ravens I summoned pecked a basilisk alive, leaving only its skeleton..."

The students all gasped, and some members became excited. Fred and George shouted, "Coach! We need to learn this!"

Aris began to teach everyone the wicked magic spell. Unlike Harry who was still practicing the Fire Shield spell, the dozen people led by Harry were warm and bright, but Aris's side became eerie and terrifying after a short while.

Black flocs were flying around, and Eris walked among the crowd, explaining what each person should pay attention to based on their specific circumstances.

"The evil spirit summoned by each person is different," Aeris said, "It is very likely that it is the same animal as the patronus you summoned. The difference is that the evil spirit is black..."

Time passed quickly and everyone was very excited. Before they knew it, it was time for the party to end. After saying good night to each other, the classmates prepared to leave the Room of Requirement.

Harry and Ginny stayed behind. Ron wanted to wait for them for a while, but Lavender took his arm and left. Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny, smiled meaningfully, took Aris's hand, and walked towards the Gryffindor common room.