Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying-Chapter 571 - 183: Vampire Professor

"Alright, children, time’s about up. That’s it for today!"

Professor Sprout clapped her hands, her tone cheerful as she said, "Pack up your tools... Morag, don’t forget your trowel underneath the flowerpot... Pansy, be gentle with the geraniums beside you... Don’t leave anything in the greenhouse, and remember to finish your homework on time!"

The students left the greenhouse one after another, covered in dirt and the smell of dragon dung.

Vid maneuvered around a few students and walked towards Professor Sprout.

"Professor?"

"What’s the matter, Vid?" Professor Sprout held a trowel in her hand, tidying up the plants that hadn’t been transplanted by the students, while asking, "Do you need my help?"

"Well, Professor." Vid glanced around and, seeing the last two students leaving the greenhouse, spoke softly, "Do you remember Hayley?"

"Of course," Professor Sprout stopped her work, speaking compassionately, "Such a poor child... Do you need to see her?"

"Yes... well, not really me." Vid said, "Her sister wants to meet her. I asked Professor Dumbledore earlier, and he said it was you who arranged for her adoption."

"Yes, it was me... Oh, Merlin!"

Professor Sprout’s face lit up with both surprise and joy. She was about to shout but suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "Isn’t her sister... are you saying... that child..."

Facing the professor’s questioning look, Vid nodded affirmatively.

A smile almost overflowed from Professor Sprout’s face.

"Wonderful... thank Merlin! I’ve always been worried about her... And what about her little issue?"

"We’re working on it," Vid said. "Dumbledore contacted Mr. Scamander, but he’s recently in Cherrapunji, India... I heard he’s there to rescue a Swooping Evil. Anyway, once he’s back, he’ll start researching treatment methods."

"If there’s anything I can do to help, please come to me!"

Professor Sprout said earnestly, her eyes filled with anticipation, "I’d be very glad to assist... By the way, I think the Ministry of Magic’s decision is as ridiculous as if they’ve been hit by a bouncing bulb!"

Vid couldn’t help but laugh, saying, "I think so too, Professor."

"Oh, right, the address!"

Professor Sprout wrote down a note and handed it to Vid, saying, "You can take the child to this place, but it’s best not to show yourself. I suspect the Ministry of Magic has people keeping an eye on Hayley! They know how much that child treasures the little girl."

"I understand, Professor." Vid glanced at the address, finding it was near a small town close to Kilmarnock, and asked another question: "The people who adopted her are..."

"A distant cousin of mine, he’s a Dud, and his wife is a Muggle, unaware of magic, but they are very nice. They have no children themselves and love Hayley very much now."

Professor Sprout’s eyes curved in a smile as she said, "After all... The child is so adorable and well-behaved, she deserves the best."

...

Sunlight filtered through the narrow window, illuminating the copper chandelier and the oak table as Professor Trokka conducted his class with a book in hand.

"Vampires are ancient magical creatures that feed on the blood of living beings. Of course, they can eat regular food, but their dull sense of taste only perceives very faint flavors, and it’s hard for them to digest."

Professor Trokka spoke with a dry voice, "So most vampires prefer blood or food made with blood."

"Vampires possess exceptional strength, speed, and healing ability, but they also have their weaknesses, such as sunlight, garlic, Holy Water... and certainly stakes."

The professor’s eyes twitched, and he instinctively leaned back, as if wishing to distance himself from the book in his hand, pausing for a moment before continuing.

Vid glanced down at the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, noticing a vampire impaled with a stake through the heart, mouth agape in a silent scream illustrated on the page.

He couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the new professor, looking around the room, finding that aside from himself, no one noticed Professor Trokka’s change in demeanor as most were drowsily sleepy.

Vampires and humans actually don’t differ much in appearance, Vid had learned some things specially from Dumbledore to identify Professor Trokka’s true identity, but the other students had not discovered this.

"Help..." nearby, Michael also lay on the desk, lazily whispering, "Has Professor Trokka gotten infected by Professor Bin? It’s the first time he’s made the Defense Against the Dark Arts class so dull, buzzing... buzzing..."

With a few buzzes, Michael successfully put Goyle nearby to sleep. The tall figure collapsed onto the desk, yet the usually stern Professor Trokka merely glanced over and said nothing.

Michael couldn’t help but yawn, struggling to keep his eyes open to jot down a few notes, suddenly realizing that Professor Trokka had simply been monotonously reading aloud from the book.

He completely surrendered to his fatigue, quietly pulling Goldstein’s hood up from the front row to add a bit of height, and then relaxedly lay down to sleep.

Vid covered his mouth with his fist, barely restraining himself from laughing, and despite his effort to keep it in, laughter spread from his eyes.

Goldstein, naturally aware, looked back at Michael and then at Vid, shaking his head in a speechless manner but did not remove the hood, instead sitting a bit straighter.

The dull textbook reading continued for most of the session until a student finally couldn’t bear it, a hand raising high into the air.

Professor Trokka tried to ignore it, but the student’s determination forced him to put down the book and ask, "Do you have a question, McDougall?"

"Professor!" Morag McDougall from Ravenclaw asked, "We’ve already read this in the book. I’d like to know when we can do practical work?"

"Well..." Professor Trokka said guiltily, "The school doesn’t have live vampires to help you practice..."

"What about the underground Chamber of Secrets? I’ve heard it’s long since renovated!" Blaise Zabini from Slytherin suggested, "Professor Abigail told us that this term we’d be able to do exciting practical exercises in there!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Other students chimed in, "We want to go to the underground Chamber of Secrets! Why aren’t we allowed in there this semester?"

Regarding this, Professor Trokka indeed knew something.

"Hmm... The school temporarily closed the Chamber due to a certain ’top-secret plan’ by the Ministry of Magic, which will only be announced when deemed necessary by the Ministry..."

"What plan, Professor?" The students selectively ignored Professor Trokka’s latter words, eagerly pressing for details.

"I cannot tell... Until everything is completely settled, no one is allowed to disclose."

Professor Trokka firmly refused, but under the students’ pleading mixed with dissatisfaction, he vaguely hinted:

"I can only tell you, it’s an unprecedented event... Prepare well, kids, maybe one of you will earn a lifelong honor from it..."

"Prepare for what, Professor?" Several girls pitifully implored, "Please, Professor Trokka, tell us a bit more?"

"Well... this..." Professor Trokka hesitated for a while, "If I were you, I’d start studying diligently right away, especially focusing on Defense Against the Dark Arts... It’ll definitely come in handy, don’t wait until failure to regret it, kids..."

The classroom suddenly fell silent.

The students looked at Professor Trokka, puzzled and probing, suspecting he just found an excuse to ’seduce’ them into hard study.

After a bout of continued questioning, no further news was obtained. Professor Trokka resumed his class, and soon, the students all showed sleepy expressions.

When the end-of-class bell finally rang, both students and the professor wore identical liberated expressions.

"Vid Gray?" Professor Trokka stood at the classroom door, looking at Vid, "If you have time, could you stop by my office?"