Although Professor Kettleburn was undoubtedly the bravest man at Hogwarts, being stung too many times had left him groggy and not entirely in his right mind.
He seemed to share Hagrid's enthusiasm for magical creatures, treating them all as adorable little darlings. However, unlike Hagrid, Kettleburn didn't have the same robust physique.
Hagrid's sheer strength allowed him to handle five or six "little darlings" at once without breaking a sweat. Even after a long night, Hagrid could still perform twenty consecutive backflips without showing any signs of strain.
Being a magizoologist wasn't for everyone. While rare exceptions like Newt Scamander, who thrived, most in the field ended up missing limbs or worse.
Under Kettleburn's guidance, the students reached a dense grove of white birch trees. From a distance, the birches seemed mutated, their trunks intermittently flashing crimson.
"Everyone, gather around!" he called out. "That's it, stand where you can see clearly. Your first task today is to observe the creatures in the trees."
William squinted at the treetops, spotting an array of magical creatures perched among the branches.
They resembled a cross between monkeys and toads. Their green, patterned skin was smooth and hairless, with webbed fingers and toes.
Short horns protruded from their heads, and their wide mouths were filled with razor-sharp teeth that gave them a perpetually mischievous grin.
"Can anyone identify these creatures?" Kettleburn asked.
"Clabbert!" Cho shouted confidently.
"Correct! Five points to Ravenclaw. Clabbert are native to south America, but due to illegal smuggling, they've spread worldwide."
Kettleburn beckoned the students closer to observe them in detail.
"These creatures are incredibly useful magical animals. Their most notable feature is the large sac on their foreheads. When they sense danger, this sac turns crimson and flashes like a warning light.
"If you carry one with you, it can alert you to potential threats, making it an excellent early-warning system."
"I'd never carry something so gross," Marietta muttered under her breath. "Even if someone really was trying to attack students at Hogwarts."
She wasn't alone in her sentiment. The Clabbert weren't exactly charming, and their dangerous appearance didn't help their case.
For the next twenty minutes, the students were tasked with feeding the creatures. Clabbert primarily ate small lizards and birds, making the process both tedious and unpleasant.
Their long, nimble limbs allowed them to swing gracefully between branches, making them incredibly difficult to feed.
Rather than accepting food, they preferred snatching it themselves.
Marietta learned this the hard way when one of the monkeys smacked her head with a stick, leaving her forehead swollen as if mimicking the creature's sac.
"Ow!" A half-hour later, Xabi let out a pained cry. "Help! Somebody help me!"
The Clabbert he had been feeding had swollen its head sac into a column and sprayed a sticky, foul-smelling liquid all over his face.
The stench, like that of overripe honeysuckle, was so overpowering that Xabi nearly vomited.
The rest of the students quickly covered their noses.
Xabi struggled frantically, as the monkey's tongue had wrapped around his arm like a vivid red snake, constricting and sliding downward.
It gave the unsettling impression that Xabi was being polished like a precious object.
Kettleburn floated over, squinting at the scene. "Child, what did you do to the Clabbert?"
"Nothing…" Xabi whimpered.
"Well… I did have a bold idea. I stuck my hand into its mouth to see what its tongue felt like."
Kettleburn frowned, unimpressed. "Alright, give it an injection! Let it loosen up a bit."
A swarm of Billywigs zipped over, stabbing the monkey's skin with their stingers.
The sudden barrage of stings caused the Clabbert to float in the air, releasing Xabi.
This, however, infuriated the other monkeys, who began pounding their chests like enraged gorillas.
One extended its long tongue, attempting to attack the Billywigs.
But the Billywigs weren't to be underestimated. Breaking away from Kettleburn's control, they swarmed like locusts, retaliating fiercely.
A chaotic battle ensued, with tongues twisting and writhing amidst the buzzing swarm. The Clabbert swallowed the Billywigs as if they were jelly beans, quickly depleting the swarm.
The monkeys burped, spitting out long, sharp stingers that clattered to the ground.
Kettleburn, now grounded, looked utterly defeated. A few students crouched beside him, offering words of comfort.
However, William ruined the solemn atmosphere with a single comment.
"I remember Billywig stingers are an ingredient in Fizzing Whizzbees. They're worth quite a bit, and Honeydukes is always looking to buy them."
No one consoled Kettleburn anymore. Instead, the students scrambled to collect the stingers, eager to make some money.
"Is Professor Kettleburn going to be alright?" Cho asked as they walked to their next class.
"I don't know," William replied with a shrug. "But judging by how upset he was, I'd say he might retire in a couple of years."
The incident had undoubtedly worsened Kettleburn's already fragile health.
…
Soon, they arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
The room had been redecorated, with countless portraits of Lockhart adorning the walls, all brightly lit by numerous candles. Some of the portraits even bore his signature.
Students jostled to sit in the front rows, an unusual sight, as the front was typically avoided.
This time was different. Lockhart's reputation had plummeted at Hogwarts, especially after teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to the second years.
Instead of introducing any dark creatures of significance, Lockhart had brought in a swarm of Cornish Pixies.
When he failed to control them, he fled the classroom, locking the students inside with the rampaging pixies. Many second years ended up in the hospital wing afterward.
Madam Pomfrey had scolded Lockhart furiously, calling him useless, and even berated Dumbledore for hiring him. Her tirade lasted half an hour without repeating a single insult.
Apparently, Madam Pomfrey had interned at a magical hospital in Azkaban.
Even Pomfrey's disdain was nothing compared to the students' general opinion of Lockhart. Most now saw him as a famous fraud.
William had considered skipping this class but decided to attend as he had some "business" with Lockhart.
Yes, just a small matter.