Chapter 46: Billywig

"The charm to deal with a Billywig is very simple, but it requires your full concentration. You must be completely focused when reciting the charm, clear about your goal, and not careless in the slightest. You should know that Billywigs fly very fast, and they won't give you a second chance to cast the charm."

After carefully explaining the key points, Professor Oren continued, "Let's not practice with our wands just yet. Repeat after me—Relashio!"

"Relashio!" the young witches and wizards echoed in unison.

"Very good," said Professor Oren, clearly satisfied. "Now, we'll test the effectiveness of your charm."

He instructed the class to line up and take turns casting the charm on the Billywig inside the cage. Kanna was the first in line, though she hadn't started there. Originally in the middle of the group, she had been nudged to the front by the enthusiastic Gryffindors surrounding her.

Ever since Professor Oren had called out her name, the Gryffindors had been whispering, curious as to what made this small witch so special—how had she managed to win over someone like Snape?

"A brave girl," Professor Oren smiled warmly. "I remember your name is Kanna, correct?"

"Yes, Professor," she replied.

With two previous experiences under her belt, Kanna felt more prepared than before. Though still nervous, she was now capable of holding a normal conversation, and instead of her instinct being to flee, her first thought was to answer the professor's question.

"Don't be afraid; it's just a simple spell," Professor Oren encouraged patiently. "Remember what I told you—focus, concentrate. You can do it. Believe in yourself."

Kanna took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, and thrust her wand forward with all her strength.

"Relashio!" she shouted.

There was a loud swish as the air seemed to part with the force of her spell. Professor Oren instinctively took a small step back, impressed. The power behind her casting was enough that, had anyone been close enough, no charm would have been necessary to deal with the Billywig—it would have been taken out by sheer force.

Fortunately, the result was what mattered. As the spell ended, the Billywig in the cage collapsed to the ground.

"Not bad, Hufflepuff. One point," Professor Oren praised, already preparing a second cage.

The day before, out of inexperience, he had only brought three Billywigs to the Ravenclaw and Slytherin classes. He had assumed that would be enough, but he was wrong. Sometimes the first Billywig hadn't even recovered before the third one had fallen.

And each time, the students would stare at him expectantly, leading to some rather awkward moments. Today, however, he had come better prepared, bringing ten Billywigs—enough to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of yesterday's embarrassment.

"Next up, Santos," Professor Oren called.

Santos stepped forward nervously, raised his wand, and attempted the charm. "Relashio..." he muttered.

Nothing happened. The Billywig inside the cage continued to spin merrily in circles.

"Relax, don't be so tense," Professor Oren said gently, walking over to him. "You need to pronounce the incantation clearly. The last sound was too soft. Try again."

Santos nodded, took a deep breath, and raised his wand once more. "Relashio!"

This time, the spell worked.

"Very good. Next!" Professor Oren said, switching out the cage once again.

With two successful attempts in a row, the other students felt their confidence grow. They eagerly awaited their turn. However, their newfound confidence led some to become careless. As their turns came, a few completely forgot the instructions and, without even aiming at the cage, simply shouted the charm.

The result? The Billywig remained unharmed, but the cages fell apart instead.

Professor Oren, now forced to be on high alert, had to constantly repair the cages, casting the Mending Charm over and over. But soon, he realized he had underestimated just how chaotic things could get.

Near the back of the line, a Gryffindor student, unable to see past the taller students in front of him, muttered the charm under his breath, practicing in advance. He wanted to be ready to impress everyone when his turn came... but in his excitement, he forgot that he was still holding his wand.

Over by the lectern, Professor Oren, in the middle of repairing yet another cage, suddenly felt his legs give way as he collapsed to the floor.

If it had just been a simple fall, it wouldn't have been much of a problem. After all, Professor Oren was a strong adult wizard, and at worst, he would have grazed himself—an injury easily remedied with a quick Dittany Band-Aid.

The real issue, however, was that his Mending Charm had been interrupted.

A Billywig escaped from the broken cage, buzzing furiously toward the students in front of it.

For a long time now, the Billywig had harbored resentment. It had been made to feel weak and powerless since yesterday. Now, it was ready for revenge.

Chaos ensued. Some of the young witches and wizards panicked and began running around the classroom, while others raised their wands, shouting desperately.

"Relashio!"

"Relashio!"

...

A dozen Charms flew through the air, not quite hitting the Billywig, but effectively stopping it from advancing. The young wizards, now more excited than ever, acted as if they'd stumbled upon a thrilling new challenge. With their wands raised high, they prepared to target the Billywig again, eager to repeat their near-success.

"Stop right there!" Professor Oren, still on the ground, suddenly shouted, his voice full of frustration.

As the Billywig buzzed over his head, he whipped out his wand and bellowed, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The spell hit its mark, and the Billywig stiffened in midair before tumbling to the floor. Professor Oren reached out just in time to catch it. With some effort, he placed the immobilized creature back into its cage and slowly stood up, wincing as he rubbed his aching back.

No wonder they say being the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts is a thankless task, he thought bitterly. It really is a pain in the ass.

Gritting his teeth, Professor Oren turned to the class, his concern evident despite the obvious pain. "Are you all right? Did anyone get stung?"

"No, Professor," the students responded in unison, shaking their heads.

"That's good," he sighed in relief, using his wand to fix the damaged podium. "Now, let's continue with the lesson. But... except for the one in first place, put your wands away."

The students, though slightly disappointed, followed his command without protest. Having witnessed the professor's anger moments before, none of them dared to test his patience again. The last thing anyone wanted was for that petrification spell to be directed at them.

With that understanding in place, the lesson progressed much more smoothly. Almost everyone succeeded on their next try, and the pace picked up significantly. However, Professor Oren didn't appear any more relaxed—in fact, he seemed even more on edge.

When the class finally ended, Professor Oren left without assigning any homework, walking out of the classroom as fast as he could, not even sparing a backward glance. The lesson had utterly drained him, and he wasn't keen on staying a moment longer than necessary.

Once back in his office, Oren closed the curtains and sank into his chair with a sigh of relief. He took a well-deserved sip of his black tea, savoring the peace at last.

Finally, he thought, it's over. There had been a few close calls, but nothing catastrophic had happened, and all ten Billywigs were—wait.

Oren's eyes widened. Something's not right.

He quickly set down his teacup and counted the cages on his desk. Nine. He counted again, twice. Still nine.

There's one missing!

His eyes darted to one of the cages, which had a fist-sized hole in its side.

"By Merlin's beard..." Oren muttered in disbelief. Panic rising, he hurried back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, frantically searching for the missing Billywig. But there was no sign of it.

It must've been hit by one of those overexcited students' spells, he realized grimly. His gaze shifted to the open window at the far end of the room.

Oren groaned, rubbing his temples. "Fifty galleons... gone!"