Ray and Cedric exchanged surprised glances. It was clear neither of them expected to be singled out.
However, Professor Dorek, who had kept them behind, suddenly reappeared behind Cedric, his Wand naturally pressed against Cedric's neck.
"Cedric, your awareness is lacking. How does it feel to be attacked firsthand?"
Ray didn't understand why Professor Dorek was doing this. He'd done the same to everyone in the class. Before Ray could figure it out, Professor Dorek appeared behind him in the next second.
The cold Wand touched Ray's neck, feeling cool and numb with a brief sting.
The contact between Professor Dorek and Ray lasted less than a second. Ray reacted instinctively, throwing a backward elbow with his left hand.
Professor Dorek seemed caught off guard by Ray's quick reaction. However, he managed to retreat back to the podium before Ray's counterattack could land.
"Your reaction speeds are faster than the other students. Excellent. After class, practice responding to sudden attacks. You may leave now."
Professor Dorek nodded in satisfaction, inexplicably praised them both, and then told them they could leave.
The whole class was filled with the inexplicable.
Cedric probably felt the same way. After leaving the classroom with Ray, they didn't talk much before going their separate ways.
All the classes for today were over. Ray walked in the corridor, bathed in the setting sun, constantly touching his neck with his right hand.
The numbness was gone, but where the Wand had touched him, there was now a stinging sensation.
It was probably red there, like an allergic reaction caused by some kind of caterpillar crawling over it.
"This Defense Against the Dark Arts class is not right!"
"Very strange!"
"It seems Professor Dorek appeared behind every student and touched the back of their necks with his Wand."
"Yes, that's right…"
Ray suddenly perked up. Thinking about it, it was indeed the case. If he went back and confirmed with all his classmates, he could find out if this was a common thread.
The moment the Wand touched the back of his neck, there was a prickling sensation, like a needle piercing his flesh. It reminded him of getting an injection when he was sick in his previous life.
The difference was that injections were to inject medicine into the body, while Professor Dorek's Wand seemed to extract a small amount of blood.
His Wand should have a numbing effect, like a mosquito. It would pierce the body and suck blood while also paralyzing the human nerves. This would make the blood extraction process imperceptible.
If all this was true, then Professor Dorek's inexplicable purpose for the class could be completely explained.
It was still early. After class, some students had already gone to the library.
As expected, when Ray arrived at the library, Agnes and Penelope, the two girls, were sitting together, engrossed in the borrowed magical books.
After a brief exchange with the two little loli, Ray felt a bit confused.
Professor Dorek had appeared behind Agnes and Penelope first.
However, both girls only felt that Professor Dorek's Wand had indeed touched the back of their necks. As for the numb prickling sensation, they hadn't felt it. Furthermore, the areas that were touched didn't have the allergic reaction that Ray had experienced.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Agnes, seeing Ray's confusion, asked with bewilderment.
"Oh, nothing. Just asking, since you two were the first to be frightened, just showing some concern."
Ray smiled faintly, not revealing his guess. After all, he had asked several classmates, and their answers were similar to those of Agnes and Penelope.
"Are you including me in that concern? Or is it just for her?"
Penelope's big eyes were smiling as she looked at Ray, then stared at Agnes. The little girl's expression was a mix of amusement, making one feel she was a bit too precocious.
"Of course I'm concerned about both of you. Isn't it natural for a boy to care about a girl?"
"Since you two are alright, I'll head back first."
Ray replied without blushing or changing his expression, then stood up and left. This foiled Penelope's plan to tease Ray and Agnes. She pouted in disappointment, then continued discussing the content of the book with Agnes.
Not getting the answer he expected, Ray's doubts only deepened.
He didn't understand why he had a different reaction to the same experience. So many people in the class, why was he the only one who felt the sting?
Even Cedric was the same, why?
Ray couldn't figure it out. In his haste, he unknowingly walked to the long corridor in front of the Ravenclaw common room.
"Aha, I see a little one with something on their mind. Come, accept my kind Ink Bottle."
Ray, who had just entered the corridor, suddenly heard a cacophonous voice.
The voice began with a scream, echoing from one end of the corridor to the other, startling Ray, who had been lost in thought.
A short, ghostly figure materialized in the corridor, hovering in the air about five meters in front of Ray.
Looking at the figure, Ray immediately knew who it was. The image could only be the infamous, unseen Peeves.
He was short, with a broad face, a large mouth, and bright, round eyes.
He wore a green blazer, red tights, and a black bowler hat adorned with two vibrant feathers. However, his feet were clad in slippers that exposed his toes.
His bizarre attire was unforgettable; if he had to be compared to something, it would be, well, very "non-mainstream."
Moreover, he held an Ink Bottle in his hand, with a floating trash can beside him. Only after Ray noticed him did he throw the Ink Bottle.
He did it on purpose, making Ray notice him before throwing the Ink Bottle.
Ray successfully dodged the Ink Bottle, but then came the trash can and chalk.
"Dodged that pretty well, didn't you? Why don't you trust your instincts?"
"Aha! Got your nose!"
Another shrill laugh rang out. Ray, who had been dodging so awkwardly, had just turned when Peeves appeared right in front of him, his transparent hand grabbing his nose.
His nose felt cold, and it was indeed being pinched, making it hard to breathe.
Peeves was a ghost with a physical form, or rather, he wasn't a ghost at all, but a poltergeist. At least, all the ghosts in Hogwarts didn't consider him one of their own.
"Peeves, you're at it again..."
The Bloody Baron's roar echoed appropriately. Peeves, upon hearing the sound, became flustered, immediately releasing Ray's nose before vanishing entirely.
Ray had never heard that voice before, but seeing how terrified Peeves was, it was certainly genuine.
Up until now, Ray still had lingering fear from the piercing glance the Bloody Baron had given him during the Sorting Ceremony on the night of the school's opening.
However, after Peeves disappeared, the Bloody Baron didn't appear. Instead, Agnes, whom Ray had encountered in the library earlier, showed up.
"Are you alright? You have to use the Bloody Baron's voice to deal with Peeves, otherwise, he won't stop tormenting you until you're exhausted."
Agnes's voice was very pleasant, like a golden oriole. Ray couldn't understand how she managed to imitate the Bloody Baron's voice so perfectly.
"Why are you here?"
"After hearing what you said earlier, I thought back to how I felt at the time. A stinging sensation, as if I felt it for just a moment."
"Really?"
Ray immediately perked up. If someone else felt the same way, then Professor Dorek's practice of drawing blood from each new student under the guise of lessons was almost a certainty.
Although only Agnes currently shared his feeling, it couldn't be ruled out that Professor Dorek had anesthetized all the other students. He just didn't know why it seemed to be ineffective on the two of them.
"What are you investigating? Can you tell me now?"
Agnes was also a curious person. Of course, she also wanted to know what Ray was trying to confirm.
....
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