Hogwarts: Proficiency Panel

Chapter 531 532: Communion with Magical Beasts

"It tried to kill me!"

Malfoy completely ignored Hagrid's reassurances and continued to howl. The

students crowded around, watching as Malfoy clutched his arm as if it had been

severed.

Hagrid scooped Malfoy up with effortless ease. He pried Malfoy's hands away to

look at the arm. There was nothing there—the skin was completely unbroken,

though Malfoy was shaking like a leaf.

Sean walked over. He saw Malfoy's body go rigid as the boy stared at his own arm

in disbelief. It was perfectly fine, save for the slight trembling of shock.

"It... it was going to kill me..." Malfoy stammered, his face flushing a deep

red, though he refused to drop the act.

"We all saw it! That monster raised its talons—it was inches away!" Pansy

Parkinson cried, her voice thick with tears. Sean could tell she was genuinely

terrified.

The Slytherins began a chorus of complaints, directing their anger at Hagrid.

Hagrid's face grew pale. He opened his mouth to explain, but the words seemed to

fail him.

"He is fine."

A calm, steady voice cut through the commotion. Sean stepped forward, his dark

hair ruffled by the breeze. He glanced briefly at the red-faced Malfoy before

addressing the group in a voice that carried clearly to the furthest edges of

the paddock.

"Hippogriffs are creatures of immense pride. In the wild, such a provocation

would result in a lethal response. But when a wizard respects their Order... the

danger vanishes."

Sean slowly raised his hand. Buckbeak, who had been snapping his beak moments

ago, immediately lowered his massive head and rested it in Sean's palm. The

contrast was staggering. The class watched, breathless, as the proud beast

nuzzled against the young wizard's cheek, letting out a soft, contented trill.

"In 1750, Clause 73 was added to the International Statute of Wizarding

Secrecy," Sean recited softly, quoting a passage from his own book, Green's

Notes: A History of Magical Beasts. "Every wizarding governing body is

responsible for the concealment, care, and control of all magical beasts

residing within their borders. If such a creature causes harm or draws the

attention of Muggles, the Ministry of that nation faces disciplinary action from

the International Confederation of Wizards."

He looked around the silent class. "The ingredients for our potions and the

cores of our wands come from these creatures. They are the silent partners in

our magic. Therefore, caring for them is a duty. In this relationship, weakness

is not the obstacle to civilization—arrogance is."

The quote was famous among those who studied Sean's works. It was often cited

alongside the classics like Newt Scamander's original texts.

"Mr. Malfoy," Sean said, addressing Draco directly for the first time.

Malfoy looked stunned. He seemed lost, as if the wizard he—and the entire Malfoy

family—wanted to align themselves with was proving to be something entirely

different from what he had imagined.

"You aren't hurt, are you? Right... well, class is dismissed," Hagrid said,

finally finding his voice. "You'd better head up to the hospital wing just to be

sure."

"I... I'm fine!" Malfoy snapped, hauling himself to his feet. He marched away

toward the castle, flanked by the other Slytherins.

"Hmph... Malfoy only has himself to blame," Dean Thomas noted loudly as they

departed. Crabbe and Goyle turned back to flex their muscles threateningly, but

one look at the calm, observing Ravenclaw Assistant was enough to make them

scurry off after their leader.

The remaining Gryffindors began chatting excitedly. Sean and Hagrid shared a

look, and Hagrid raised a massive hand for silence.

"Well, now... that was a bit of a thrill, wasn't it? But you all learned summat

important today. That's what I wanted. Beautiful creatures, aren't they? Treat

'em with kindness, and they'll give it back. Treat 'em with arrogance... well,

you saw what happens."

"I bet Sean taught him that line," Ron whispered to Harry. Harry wanted to

defend Hagrid, but he knew the giant's vocabulary didn't usually include words

like "provocation."

Regardless, the Gryffindors were impressed. They broke into a round of applause.

"He's actually right..." "I thought he'd just be a big, bumbling bloke." "Looks

like we've got a proper professor."

Hagrid's face turned as red as a prize tomato. He beamed, ushering every student

safely back toward the castle. He returned to Sean at a light jog, his eyes

shining.

"You did great, Hagrid," Sean encouraged him.

"Aw, blimey!" Hagrid shook with joy. Sean knew how much this meant to him.

Hagrid was a Dumbledore man through and through, but he had always lived under

the shadow of his third-year expulsion. Now, he was a legitimate professor.

Dumbledore would be so proud.

"It was all you, Sean," Hagrid said bashfully.

"The Headmaster... he's going to be very happy for you," Sean added.

"Right! We gotta celebrate!" Hagrid cheered, practically dragging Sean into his

hut.

Hagrid's hut was just one large room. A massive bed sat in one corner, covered

in a patchwork quilt. A giant wooden table and chairs sat before the hearth,

where a vast collection of cured hams and dead birds hung from the ceiling.

Hagrid began brewing tea and a pot of pumpkin juice for Sean.

While Hagrid was busy, Sean finally took a moment to check his newest system

notification.

[Title Unlocked: Favored by Beasts] Greatly increases affinity with magical

creatures; significantly boosts understanding of creature temperaments;

substantially increases Magical Creatures talent, and grants the ability of

'Limited Direct Communion'. [Advancement: Possess seven 'Master-level' magical

creature companions to unlock the 'Master' title in this field.]

Substantially increase talent? Sean checked his stats.

[Wizard Sean Green: Magical Creatures Talent - Purple (Favored by Beasts title

active. Original: White). Note: Average wizard is Green.] [Evaluation: You are

naturally favored by the animal kingdom. You possess the rare gift of direct

communion with magical beasts. You are a once-in-a-century prodigy in this

field; with time and wisdom, you are destined to become a world-renowned

Master.]

Direct communion... Sean pondered the phrase. He was becoming more like the

legendary wizards of old every day. He could transform matter, he could turn

people into animals, and now he could speak to them.

But how did it work?

Sean stepped outside the hut to test it. He found Hagrid in the middle of a

domestic crisis.

"Buckbeak, my beauty, how could I forget you?" Hagrid was hovering near the

Hippogriff's wing, looking distressed.

Buckbeak was no longer the calm creature from earlier. His eyes were wide,

showing the whites, and his gaze was fixed and glassy. He was staring directly

at Hagrid, his ears pinned back and his nostrils flared. Every breath he took

was a sharp, aggressive snort. He was clearly furious.

"You ignored him, Hagrid," Sean noted.

After the "perfect" lesson, Hagrid had been so caught up in his excitement that

he had led the other Hippogriffs away, leaving Buckbeak tethered and alone.

Buckbeak, who had done all the work to make the lesson a success, felt slighted.

Now, the beast looked ready to headbutt the hut into splinters.

"Sean... don't say it. I know, I know..." Hagrid groaned, looking ready to cry.

Sean looked at Buckbeak. The beast shifted its weight back, its front legs

leaving the ground in a "rearing" pose—a severe threat from a Hippogriff. It

meant a stomp was coming.

SCREE-AH!

Buckbeak let out a piercing, long shriek. As the sound hit Sean's ears, his body

went momentarily rigid. He didn't just hear a bird's cry; he heard a demand.

"Hagrid," Sean said. "Buckbeak wants an apology."

"Oh... er... right." Hagrid didn't question it. He bowed low, his face full of

genuine remorse. "I'm sorry, Buckbeak. Truly."

"And he wants those specific beetles from the hollow tree on the south side of

the forest," Sean added.

"Oh, come off it, Sean, that's Acromantula territory..." Hagrid looked torn.

Buckbeak began pawing at the ground aggressively.

"Fine! I'll get 'em!" Hagrid relented. He'd face a thousand spiders before he

let his favorite Hippogriff stay mad at him.

Buckbeak let out a satisfied snort and trotted away toward the treeline.

"See ya, Buckbeak! Thanks for the help today!" Hagrid called after him. He

turned to Sean. "D'you want to stay for dinner? I've got some fresh stoat

sandwiches."

Sean politely declined the offer of stoat and shook his head.

Twilight was beginning to fall, the mountains turning into jagged silhouettes

against the darkening sky. As Sean climbed the stone steps back toward the

castle, Hagrid finally realized what had happened.

"Sean... you... that bit with Buckbeak. You understood 'im." Hagrid's voice

trailed off into a stammer. He stared at Sean with wide eyes.

"Just a little trick," Sean smiled.

"Oh!" Hagrid wanted to ask more, but he caught himself. He was a discreet man

who respected a wizard's secrets. He gave a wave and headed back to his hut.

Sean entered the castle, looking down the empty corridor. He tapped his wand

against his chest.

[You have practiced the Disillusionment Charm at an Expert level. Proficiency

+50]

Enveloped in the scent of evening gardenias, Sean approached the dungeons. He

was only three thousand points away from reaching [Master] level in Fiendfyre.

At this rate, he'd achieve it within three days.

As he walked, he passed Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"D'you think Malfoy's actually hurt?" Hermione asked.

"He's fine," Harry said dismissively. "Unless Madam Pomfrey finds a way to

transplant a heart into him."

"It's a shame it happened on Hagrid's first day," Ron said, looking worried.

"Malfoy's bound to make a stink about it later."

"Don't worry," Justin added, joining them. "The class has more than one

professor looking out for it."

Sean slipped past them. Closer to the dungeons, he encountered Professor

McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Professor Trelawney... she really is..." McGonagall looked stressed, though

there was a hint of relief in her eyes.

"Intriguing? Enigmatic? All the Seers I know are like that, Minerva," Dumbledore

replied. He cast a brief, knowing glance toward the "empty" corner where Sean

was standing.

"I just wish she would speak clearly for once," McGonagall huffed.

"On that, we are in total agreement," Dumbledore chuckled, still looking at the

corner.

"What are you looking at, Albus?" McGonagall asked, her sharp instincts picking

up on his focus.

"Oh, just a wall, Minerva. A very quiet, very interesting wall," Dumbledore

twinkled, moving on.

The Second Day of Term.

It was time for Sean's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It was also

the day he expected his Fiendfyre mastery to finally peak.

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws arrived at the classroom to find Professor Lupin

hadn't arrived yet. Sean took a seat next to Hermione; they had been spending a

lot of time together lately.

Just as they were setting out their ink and parchment, the door swung open.

Professor Lupin walked in, a faint smile on his face. He looked much healthier

than he had on the train. He wore a set of brand-new robes, and his eyes were

bright, as if he had finally found a purpose. He set his battered suitcase on

the desk.

"Afternoon," he said clearly. "Please put your books away. Today is a practical

lesson. You will only need your wands."

The class exchanged curious looks. They hadn't had a proper practical lesson in

DADA since... well, since Lockhart had released a cage of pixies and hidden

under his desk.

"Right then," Lupin said. "Follow me."

The students followed him out of the room and through the winding corridors. As

they rounded a corner, they spotted Peeves the Poltergeist. He was floating

upside down, busily stuffing chewing gum into a nearby keyhole.

Peeves didn't look up until Lupin was two steps away. He wiggled his curly-toed

feet and suddenly burst into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin!" Peeves jeered. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin—"

Peeves was usually rude, but he generally showed a modicum of respect to the

staff. The class watched Lupin, waiting for his reaction.

To their surprise, Lupin simply smiled and shot a quick, amused glance at Sean.

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