Chapter 39 — Investment
He didn't wait for the young wizards to answer. With a sharp motion, he whipped the cloth off the cage. Instantly, several pairs of red lights flared from within—the glowing eyes of vampire bats.
Professor Corvey tapped the cage lock lightly with his wand. With a crisp click, the bats reacted as if receiving a signal. Their wings fluttered wildly as they burst out of the cage, darting erratically across the classroom ceiling.
Watching those red lights flash across the rafters, some of the timid Ravenclaws were already on the verge of tears.
Perhaps recovering from their disorientation, or maybe catching the scent of food, one of the bats suddenly swerved and dove straight toward the students.
The Ravenclaws screamed and scattered. You could hardly blame them—two red dots rushing at you in the dark was frightening for anyone.
Bruce Wayne had been right.
The darkness left them stumbling blindly like headless flies. They kept bumping into one another, yelping in pain. A few tried to cast spells, but their nerves got the better of them; their wands flashed weakly before sputtering out.
Professor Corvey stood on the podium, head slightly bowed, acting as if none of the chaos concerned him in the slightest.
More bats soon joined the attack, swooping toward the young wizards. Several students were nearly bitten, but still the professor remained unmoved.
Their theoretical knowledge and practice sessions had always been fine—but their real-time performance clearly left much to be desired.
Then, one vampire bat shot straight toward Russell.
"Lumos Solem."
His wand lifted in a steady, unhurried motion. His voice was calm—utterly free of panic. It was only a vampire bat, after all.
A burst of blazing white light exploded from his wandtip, searing the bat's eyes. It shrieked in agony, the sudden pain overwhelming it.
In the next moment, its fur ignited. The creature thrashed wildly midair, trying desperately to regain balance, but eventually dropped to the floor with a dull thud, unmoving.
Seeing how effortlessly Russell had dispatched the creature, the other Ravenclaws found their courage and began casting spells as well.
Colors burst across the darkened classroom like fireworks, illuminating it as bright as day. The remaining bats caught in the light ignited just as the first had, tumbling to the ground one by one.
"Simple enough, isn't it?" Professor Corvey finally lit the lamps. His expression was sour—his usual easy smile long gone.
"Your performance was… disappointing." He shook his head. "Though Mr. Fythorne did quite well. A very clean Lumos spell. Ravenclaw earns two points."
He let his gaze sweep across the class. "Even if you weren't worse than the other three houses—and perhaps even a little better—it still isn't enough. In my mind, Ravenclaws should perform far better."
The young eagles looked down, shame coloring their faces.
"You've learned the Lumos charm, yes—but your emotions affect your spellcasting. Staying calm in moments of crisis is crucial. That is the final lesson for today. Dismissed."
The atmosphere among the Ravenclaws was heavy—normally quiet, yes, but never this gloomy.
Russell's two roommates, however, seemed completely unfazed, as if Professor Corvey's criticism had nothing to do with them. Russell couldn't help thinking that perhaps such a mindset wasn't so bad. Better that than sulking in the dormitory all evening.
Just as they were about to leave the classroom, Professor Corvey suddenly called out to Russell.
"Fythorne, could you stay a moment?"
A smile had returned to his face.
"Of course, Professor."
Russell told his two friends to go on ahead—no point making them wait when he didn't know how long this would take.
Once the last student had left, Professor Corvey closed the door and gestured for Russell to sit. Then he began.
"You did very well just now. And I assume you've already guessed my intention, haven't you?"
His eyes, behind the gold-rimmed glasses, were fixed intently on Russell.
"Yes, Professor. I knew you wanted to see how we would react in that kind of situation. Otherwise, you wouldn't have let us panic like that without intervening."
"You're absolutely right. It's just unfortunate that most of them disappointed me."
Professor Corvey shook his head. "But you are different, Russell." His expression grew solemn.
"In fact, I believe many adult wizards wouldn't have handled it as well as you did."
"You flatter me," Russell replied calmly, not letting the praise get to his head.
"The reason I asked you to stay is simple—I want you to know that if you're interested in learning more advanced magic, you can come to my office any time."
He winked. "I never hold back with promising young wizards."
"Thank you, Professor."
Russell couldn't deny he was tempted. Even learning a few solid counter-spells would be extremely beneficial.
"No need to thank me."
Professor Corvey patted him on the shoulder, wearing an expression that said he had high expectations.
"Do you know why I'm doing this?" he asked—and before Russell could answer, he continued:
"You may not be aware of this, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts is cursed by him. Ever since then, not a single professor has lasted more than one year. They always leave by the end of term for one reason or another. I assume I won't be an exception."
His expression darkened slightly.
"So during this one year I have, I want to train at least one outstanding wizard. Not just because it's my duty as a teacher—" he chuckled lightly, "—but also as a kind of investment."
"If you make something of yourself after graduation, if you become someone important, don't you dare forget about me."
"Of course, Professor. I won't forget you."
Russell nodded seriously.
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"What did Professor Corvey talk to you about?"
James floated beside him on a broomstick, rising and dipping lazily.
"Nothing much—just some words of encouragement."
They were in flying class now. Perhaps because of what happened last time, Fawley had called in sick. Madam Hooch was visibly relieved; if Fawley caused another incident, she might very well lose her job—and Professor McGonagall would probably take over the class herself.
"I have to admit," James said thoughtfully, "Defense Against the Dark Arts is actually pretty fun. Definitely better than Potions."
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