Chapter 605: Order of Education No. 24 (Edited)

A new week had begun, and the Gryffindor students were excited to enter Defense Against the Dark Arts class after lunch.

Umbridge was still at St. Mungo's Hospital with the frog head, and it was unknown which professor would cover the class.

Another professor was supposed to cover the class this year, as in previous years, but when the bell rang, an unfamiliar face entered from outside: a middle-aged man with gray hair, impeccably neat clothes and hair, and a pair of thin gold-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Good afternoon, students."

As the group stared, the man at the podium spoke.

"My name is Pierre Sampson, and I am here to substitute for Professor Umbridge," he introduced himself with an indifferent air.

"Good afternoon, Professor Sampson."

After a moment of hesitation, everyone responded in a disorganized manner.

Fortunately, the new professor was not as nitpicky as Umbridge; he simply nodded indifferently and said, "Now, please put away your wands and take out your quills."

There was a chorus of groans.

Although there was a new professor, nothing seemed to have changed during the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Everyone was bored but did as they were told, and the class proceeded as before.

"Fish, you mustn't attack this professor again," Hermione whispered to the cat-transformed Fish.

"Nya~"

?(=?ω?=)?

Fish nonchalantly replied while climbing onto the table, rubbing its head against Hermione's arm.

If this new professor wasn't so bothersome, it wouldn't bother Fish to do it again. Not only would Fish be scolded by Professor McGonagall, but there would also be other punishments... it wasn't worth it.

Professor Sampson heard Fish's meow and looked towards it, but instead of saying anything, he continued with indifference, "Turn to page twenty-five in your textbooks. You should have learned the last lesson here..."

"Fudge doesn't give up so easily, does he?" Hermione whispered, shielding her cheek with the textbook.

The person she was talking to wasn't Fish, who was sleeping at his desk, but Hannah Abbott, the Hufflepuff Prefect, who was sitting beside her. To be precise, it was Hermione who deliberately sat next to Hannah.

"You're right, Hermione," Hannah sighed and replied in a low voice, "In the next few days, I'll take attendance and send it to you by the end of the week."

Hermione nodded, not saying another word but lowering her gaze to the book she had already finished reading in her hands, Magical Defense Theory.

The dull Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson had ended, and the topic of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor quickly became a topic of conversation among the students.

By dinner time, some well-informed students had already told everyone where he came from.

Like Umbridge, Pierre Sampson had been assigned by the Ministry of Magic, and it was said that he was a former Auror who had been reassigned to the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Materials Office, under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and then to Hogwarts after Umbridge's attack...

It was clear that the Ministry had sent someone strong... although whether it was Fish or Dumbledore responsible, there wasn't much difference between the two.

Although Professor Sampson was once an Auror and no amateur in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he followed Cornelius Fudge's orders just like Umbridge, so his teaching style didn't change at all.

The only saving grace is that Professor Sampson is not as annoying as Umbridge, and although distant, he demands little from his students, giving them the feeling of having a living Professor Binns.

For Pierre Sampson, teaching at Hogwarts was nothing more than a task entrusted to him from above.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been a disappointment, but it had also opened the eyes of some students to the Ministry's ideas, and some of those who had hesitated to accept Hermione's invitation had made up their minds.

So, in the meantime, Hermione had been busy talking to the Prefects about the Dueling Club. She had even neglected Fish.

She didn't have to be so busy because she had already contacted almost all of them. She was only waiting for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to finalize the list for their respective houses, and then they would discuss it in the library.

However, during this period of time, the Ministry of Magic issued "Educational Decree No. 24".

It was not so much an educational decree as a reward, but a simple decree instructing the staff and students of Hogwarts to report any suspicious activity to the Ministry, and there would be a great reward.

With this educational decree, Hermione and the others had to keep their actions secret, and the existing list had to go through a new round of selection to prevent any student from being tempted by the Ministry.

Having faith in Fish's loyalty was one thing, but being discreet was another.

Furthermore, Fish was not upset about being left out because he knew what Hermione had been plotting, and because...

Fish had a hard time.

To punish Fish for the trouble he had caused, Professor McGonagall asked him to stop using the quick-quotes quill given to him by Rita Skeeter for his homework and gave Fish an extra task every day, in addition to his usual assignments.

Even the supervision of Fish's homework had been handed back to Hermione, and lately Fish completed his assignments in Professor McGonagall's office before returning to the dormitory.

...

"I've finally finished!"

(`Д´)

Fish threw down the quill in his hand and slumped into the chair, almost sliding to the floor lazily.

Professor McGonagall looked up and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why have you finished so quickly today? Are you trying to be mischievous again?" She gave Fish a warning look.

"No, I'm not!" Fish continued to wiggle his bottom to sit upright. "It's Hermione's birthday, and Fish has to go back to celebrate it, nya!"

(Φ﹃Φ)

With a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, the little glutton explained to Professor McGonagall.

"Oh..."

Professor McGonagall realized, smiling as she took Fish's homework and examined it carefully.

Fish couldn't be beaten in Hogwarts assignments. After checking them and finding nothing wrong, Professor McGonagall returned them to their place.

"Since it's Hermione's birthday, I won't give you extra tasks." Professor McGonagall said as she took out a small box and handed it to Fish. "This is my birthday gift for her. You can give it to Hermione on my behalf."

...

"Mibbly Mibbly." Hermione opened the portrait of the Fat Lady with the password, then stepped through the hole in the wall.

She had just returned from the library, and it had taken her so long that she had finally finalized the first batch with some of the other Heads of House.

The next step was to inform Fish, and then set a time to gather everyone, sign the contract, and establish the schedule.

As Hermione pondered on it, she walked through the hole in the wall and entered the Gryffindor common room.

"Boom!"

As soon as her feet touched the floor, she saw a multitude of ribbons bursting in front of her, and then Fish leaped forward with a happy smile.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!"

?●ω●?

Fish ran towards her and gave her a tight hug.

"Ah..." Hermione remembered that it was her birthday. She had been so busy with the dueling club that she had forgotten about it.

But after being pleasantly surprised for a moment, she soon showed a disgruntled expression.

After two consecutive years of those thieving little witches ruining her birthday party, Hermione had planned to spend this year's birthday outside, secretly, with Fish.

Turned out... she was busy and forgot.

"Hermione?"

(?ω?)

Fish tilted his head towards her and waved his hand in front of her eyes twice.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied, smiling, as she took hold of Fish's hand and walked towards the center of the common room, while smiling at the girls surrounding her who had come to celebrate her birthday. "Thank you so much!"