31 Nervous Hogwarts

In the end, the professors couldn't uncover any leads, and they had no choice but to instruct the prefects to escort everyone back to their dormitories for the night. Before departing, Dumbledore emphasized the importance of discipline and forbade nighttime excursions.

Rumors swirled around Hogwarts, casting a shadow over the entire school.

Friday brought eager anticipation for the first-year wizards because they had Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the morning. They were looking forward to learning about dueling, defending against dark magic, and dealing with magical creatures. However, their expectations were quickly dashed.

Professor Quirrell proved to be an odd choice. He stuttered when he spoke, and even a raised hand from a student startled him. He dressed strangely and emitted a strong garlic odor. Rumor had it that he wrapped garlic-soaked fabric around his head.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts class left the young wizards disappointed, and Professor Quirrell's eccentricities didn't help.

In the afternoon, they had Greenhouse Herbology with Professor Sprout. The class involved weeding, potting, and deworming magical herbs, nothing out of the ordinary.

After a day of classes, the students gathered in the Great Hall for lunch, but the atmosphere remained eerie. The once-bright starry sky on the ceiling had transformed into dark clouds with lightning and thunder.

The professors wore grim expressions because, in their view, if it wasn't the students who had stolen Snape's potion ingredients, then someone had infiltrated Hogwarts.

The fact that such incidents occurred only a week into the school year was deeply troubling. Dumbledore suspected that the Death Eaters, responsible for looting Knockturn Alley, were also attempting to steal the Philosopher's Stone. They might plan to use Snape's ingredients, combined with the Stone, to concoct an elixir to resurrect Voldemort.

Professor McGonagall and others took this threat seriously and instructed the prefects to keep a close eye on the students, ensuring they moved in groups and avoided being alone. New regulations were put in place to enforce these measures.

Professor Quirrell displayed a palpable sense of panic, which was entirely warranted. Voldemort was lurking on the back of his head, and Dumbledore's words made a lot of sense. Did this mean that there was another group attempting to steal the Philosopher's Stone?

The group that could ransack Knockturn Alley, infiltrate Hogwarts undetected, and pilfer Snape's collection wouldn't find stealing the Stone too challenging.

Quirrell was in a dire predicament. Without the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort would not spare him.

Under the professors' influence, Hogwarts became an increasingly tense environment.

Amid this eerie atmosphere, the two-day weekend came to an end. Artel spent these days leisurely, strolling around the castle with Hermione. When she settled in the library to read, Artel sought solace in the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor to work on his potions.

Moreover, he needed to amass a formidable army of 5,000 orcs, which meant procuring 5,000 doses of the orc potion.

As the weekend came to a close, the young wizards eagerly resumed their classes.

This week marked a change for the first-year wizards as they embarked on their flying lessons. Their instructor was Mrs. Hooch, a woman with short gray hair and piercing yellow eyes.

While most young wizards from magical families had some familiarity with broomsticks, Neville remained the exception. His cautious grandmother had forbidden him from having any involvement with such perilous objects.

Hermione, usually composed, was noticeably anxious. Over the weekend, she had stumbled upon a book titled "The Art of Broomstick Riding" in the library and had diligently studied some basic flying techniques.

Artel, on the other hand, approached the lesson with curiosity rather than nerves.

Neville's anxiety got the best of him during the lesson. He lost control of his broom, soaring skyward before Mrs. Hooch could even count the seconds. Artel, positioned nearby, swiftly intervened with a levitation spell, guiding Neville back to the ground safely.

Neville was visibly shaken, prompting Mrs. Hooch to suggest he take a break. Thanks to Artel's quick action, there was no confrontation between Malfoy and Harry. Though Harry displayed exceptional flying skills, his talents went unnoticed by Professor McGonagall.

After the flying lesson, they had an herbal medicine class in the afternoon. Herbology classes occurred three times a week, making it one of their most frequent subjects.

During lunch, Artel spotted Professor Snape.

Though he appeared slightly more composed, his visage still bore the marks of distress, and his eyes, though indifferent, betrayed hints of weariness.

"I heard Professor Snape sought to return to teaching but was declined by Dumbledore."

"Rumors are, Snape's not in the best of spirits. Someone spotted him talking to himself outside his office yesterday."

"The Weasley twins were out late and claimed to have witnessed Snape casting spells outside his office..."

Whispers and murmurs filled the air, and Artel gracefully enjoyed his meal, listening to the gossip. No one suspected any connection to him.

The herbal class in the afternoon proved as tedious as ever. Professor Sprout introduced them to a herb called Belladonna, followed by a lesson on potting and repotting plants. Artel couldn't help but wonder if Sprout was employing child labor, given the amount of work they were expected to do.

Two days later, Artel overheard Malfoy and his two cronies discussing none other than Harry Potter during the night.

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