Even after returning to the common room, the first-year students still couldn't forget what they had just witnessed in class.
Those who had worn expressions of terror moments ago were now filled with regret, as though not stepping up to touch the Pyroar like Harry had was the greatest missed opportunity of their lives.
"That was so cool! If Professor Gold hadn't recalled it so fast, I swear I would've gone up and touched it too," Seamus said cheerfully, as if his lack of contact had been due to poor timing rather than fear.
Most of the Gryffindors chose to conveniently forget how scared they'd been earlier—only Neville and Hermione still admitted the truth to themselves.
Even so, Hermione had already made up her mind: if she ever had another chance to approach a Pokémon up close, she definitely wouldn't let it slip away.
"How could Professor Gold not assign any homework?" she said, looking genuinely disappointed. Her comment earned her a series of disbelieving stares from her classmates.
"She's mad, isn't she?" Ron whispered to Harry with wide eyes.
Hermione, of course, heard that.
"Think about it," she said firmly. "This Pokémon Studies class isn't connected to any of our other subjects yet. It's an entirely new field! If we work hard enough, maybe we can make discoveries no one's ever made before. Imagine if, like Professor Dumbledore, we uncover a dozen new magical applications for Pokémon—that would be a remarkable achievement!"
"Maybe our names could even end up on Chocolate Frog cards," Ron said, suddenly looking hopeful.
His brothers were all brilliant in their own ways, but none of them had their faces printed on Chocolate Frog cards, right? If he managed that, he'd finally outshine them all.
"If you actually study hard enough," Hermione retorted dryly.
Older students overhearing their conversation began gathering around, curious about the new Pokémon Studies class they hadn't yet attended.
Meanwhile, Charles Gold had no idea how excited the younger students were. He was currently leading Dumbledore through the Nature Reserve.
The Headmaster had expressed interest in studying whether Pokémon might have alchemical or potion-related properties. Charles, on the other hand, had a stronger grasp of Charms and Transfiguration—after all, when he'd learned magic, he'd been more interested in fighting than brewing.
Though he had decent marks in Potions, he couldn't claim the same depth of study he had with Charms. As for Alchemy, well—he would've known nothing about it at all if not for his time apprenticing under Nicholas Flamel a few years back. Even now, he couldn't exactly call himself a master.
His return to Hogwarts was, in part, to take advantage of the library's vast collection to fill that gap in his knowledge.
He had learned a great deal from the Flamels, but since the elderly couple had already resolved to face death together, he felt it best not to intrude on what remained of their time.
Dumbledore, meanwhile, seemed utterly captivated by a certain Pokémon within the reserve.
"Is that... a wand?" he asked, pointing at a tall, yellow fox Pokémon standing upright, a wooden staff planted in its tail.
It was a Delphox—the final evolution of the Fire-type starter Fennekin from the Kalos region.
Since Charles had received his batch of starter Pokémon a month ago, they had all evolved to their second or final forms.
Delphox, as he knew, channeled its psychic fire through the branch it carried in its tail during battle. That had given Charles a rather curious idea—he'd replaced its usual branch with an actual wand.
"Yes," Charles said with a grin. "Oak wood, with a core made from a Charizard's shed scale."
Thanks to the wand, this Delphox's power far surpassed its peers—especially its Fire-type moves, which were exponentially stronger. Unfortunately, his attempts to teach it actual spells had ended in failure.
Still, Dumbledore looked deeply intrigued.
To wield a wand at all—it was almost as though this Pokémon shared traits with certain sentient magical species.
"I think you should consult Severus and the other professors," Dumbledore suggested. "Each of them is a master in their field."
Charles nodded in agreement. If Pokémon were ever to be truly integrated into wizarding studies, he couldn't afford to remain isolated. Hogwarts' faculty were some of the greatest magical minds alive.
Potions and alchemy were simply the most accessible areas to start with—but even Herbology, he suspected, could intertwine with Pokémon in unexpected ways.
Before leaving, Dumbledore reminded Charles not to forget the special request he had made earlier.
Charles hadn't yet decided how to test Harry Potter. Since he was teaching Pokémon Studies, the exam should naturally involve Pokémon—but considering none of the young wizards had yet fought a proper Pokémon battle, he wasn't sure what level of challenge would be appropriate.
The next morning's class was with the sixth years.
Having just finished their O.W.L.s, they thought sixth year would be a relaxing one, especially at the start of term. Charles knew better—the advanced-level coursework waiting for them would soon prove otherwise.
Still, that wasn't his concern.
In this class, Charles once again brought out four Pokémon to demonstrate—but this time, he added something new.
"Would anyone like to challenge them to a battle?" he asked with a spark of anticipation in his eyes.
The room fell silent.
They'd heard from the first-years about being allowed to touch the Pokémon—but battling them? That was a completely different matter.
After a long pause, a large Slytherin student stood up. His uneven teeth flashed as he smirked at the professor, his expression laced with challenge.
"Professor," he said, "if I win… do I get a reward?"
Charles suspected his motive had little to do with curiosity and more to do with revenge for something his parents might've told him—but he didn't mind. Instead, he smiled.
"Marcus Flint, what kind of reward do you want?"
The burly Slytherin Quidditch player raised a hand and pointed directly at Arbok.
"I want that one!"
Arbok seemed to understand. Its hood spread wide, the markings on its belly glowing vividly, its posture turning tense and aggressive.
Charles gently calmed it down before speaking again.
"To earn a Pokémon," he said evenly, "you must first earn its acknowledgment. If you can truly defeat it, perhaps Arbok will come to see you differently."
(End of Chapter)