The Headmaster stared at the students with a neutral expression. None could tell whether the Headmaster had good news or bad news in store for them. However, their questions would be answered soon as the Headmaster began speaking, “Due to recent events, the Ministry of Magic has approached me to take countermeasures in increasing Hogwarts’ security so that we may keep our students safe while they study and learn here. After much back and forth, we have come to a consensus.”

The Headmaster paused once again. Sol stared at the Headmaster, who seemed to purposefully keep everyone in suspense, and scoffed inwardly. The Headmaster resumed, “We have decided to station Dementors around the premises of the school.”

Gasp!

As soon as the word ‘Dementor’ left his lips, it was met with the collective gasp of the entire student body. The great hall burst into hushed murmurs and the frequent ‘Dementor’ being thrown from student to student. Dementors were phantom-like creatures termed as among the ‘foulest beings on the earth.’ They were a soul-less husk capable of literally sucking the happiness out of your body. They were wraith-like creatures, sometimes looking like a hooded figure shrouded in smoke-like black rags. These creatures were strictly controlled by the Ministry and used to guard Azkaban, where the most heinous criminals of the Wizarding World were imprisoned.

So, the students’ shock and panic was justified. After all, who’d be comfortable having a creature around that can suck the literal happiness out of you? As for Sol’s reaction? He smiled and thought, “That’s an interesting approach, but will it work is another matter altogether.” After all, the track record for Hogwarts’ security hasn’t been the best over the years.

“QUIET!” with a powerful shout from the Headmaster, the noises immediately stopped, and the great hall became deathly still. The Headmaster cleared his throat and continued with his announcement, “The Dementors will be stationed at the perimeter of the campus and the Forbidden Forest. While the Dementors have been strictly warned and prohibited from coming close to the students, it is ill-advised for students to wander into their patrol routes. I would like to inform those who haven’t read about Dementors and remind those who have that Dementors hold no true allegiance and are sick creatures who only view wizards and muggles alike as food.

In that vein, all students who have not learned the Patronus Charm are prohibited from entering the Forbidden Forest and going to the edge of the campus. And even those who have learned it must submit a written appeal to their respective head of house with a reason and can only go once it has been approved. Now-” the Headmaster took a deep breath and looked at the students, “-on to less grim news, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor – Professor Remus Lupin. Good luck!”

A man with light brown slicked-back hair, which was dotted with greys and a mustache, stood up with a smile. He was wearing an olive-colored overcoat with a waistcoat of the same color over his white shirt. He had green eyes and a confident yet mysterious air about him. The students all clapped for the new professor, showing him great hospitality. The Professor bowed once and sat down.

The Headmaster ended his announcement by saying, “This marks the end of all the changes this year. Please enjoy the feast in front of you, and good luck to each and every student.” The great hall once again burst into liveliness as the students ate food and gossiped with their friends.

Next to him, Katie asked, “What do you think about what the Headmaster said?”

Swallowing his food, Sol cleared his throat and asked, “About what?”

“You know…-” Katie looked around and lowered her voice, “-the Dementors. Do you think the Headmaster made the right decision?”

“It’s not much about the Headmaster making the decision. Rather, the decision seems to have been forced on him. Because no one in their sane mind would use Dementors for guarding.”

“Why not? Doesn’t the Ministry use them to guard Azkaban?” Cormac chimed in.

“That’s not wrong per sé. But a few factors go into why using Dementors works well for Azkaban,” Sol took a chicken drumstick to his table.

Katie and Cormac looked at each other and asked in unison, “Which are?”

“W-Why are you asking me?” Sol looked at them dumbfoundedly. “Just do as the Headmaster tells you, and you’ll be just fine. No need to ask.”

“Please~” Katie looked at him with puppy eyes. Sol groaned in frustration and caved, “Ugh, fine.” Katie smiled at him smugly.

“Well, you know Dementors can be repelled by the Patronus Charm, right? It’s an easy-to-master spell for most, so we can conclude that Dementors are easy to get rid of if you’re prepared and level-headed. Well, the prisoners of Azkaban don’t have their wands on them, so they can’t cast spells, therefore, can’t repel the Dementors. And they’re also a good source of food for the Dementors. So, the Dementors always linger around them so that the prisoners don’t escape.”

“So, why wouldn’t it work here?” Katie pursed her lips and asked.

“Well, students have their wands; most of the third-year and up students know the Patronus Charm and anyone who wants to infiltrate will have their wand and know the charm. So if you have everything you need to defeat the Dementors, why would they ever be a threat to you?”

“Ah, makes sense, I think?” Katie said and kept thinking.

“So, in the end, we just have to listen to the Headmaster, right?” Cormac asked.

Sol sighed and said, “If that was the conclusion you came to, then why ask me in the first place?”

“More insight,” Cormac answered.

“Knowing which, you’ll do nothing out of the norm.”

“Yes.”

“Why do I even bother?”

“Well, Sol, what are your plans this year?” Katie asked, seemingly nonchalantly.

That question caught Sol by surprise, “What do you mean ‘plans’? Other than what I’ve been doing the last three years, what else can I do?”

“And by that last three years, you mean, be involved in another major incident again?”

“Wha-?” Sol stuttered, “None of those were my fault, and I didn’t even do anything in my first year.”

“Uh-huh, yeah.”

“Ugh, just eat,” Sol shoved the drumstick he picked up earlier into her mouth.

“Mm?” Katie looked at him angrily but still bit into it.

Little did Sol know that a brown curly-haired girl was staring holes into him with a newfound resolution to uncover his secrets.

Seven Days Later

The corridors of the castle were littered with students trying to get to their next class. Black robes with accents of four different colors gave the scene a sense of harmony and liveliness.

“The Dementors are behaving quite nicely, no?” Katie asked.

Sol sighed and said, “It’s only been a week. Even if people wanted to see those wretched things, they’d wait a bit more than this.”

“And who’d have the guts to disobey the Headmaster, especially in this situation?” Cormac added.

Katie glanced at Sol and said, “Well…I can name one or a few.” Her remark made Sol purse his lips bitterly.

“I’m…not going to do anything this year,” Sol whispered quietly.

Katie snickered, “Even you don’t believe that, do you?”

“Let’s just get to Potions Class. We’ll have this conversation later.” Sol picked up the pace, and Katie and Cormac followed behind him, giggling to themselves. All three of them reached the classroom for their class with Slytherin. Professor Snape was still the Potions Professor.

As soon as all of the students had entered the classroom, the door to the professor’s office slammed open, and Professor Snape speed-walked out with a sense of urgency.

With his unique nasally voice, the Professor got straight to the point, “This year, you’ll be primarily learning how to make the antidotes to different kinds of poisons, both natural and wizard-made. Most think it to be a rather unimportant year since being poisoned is an improbability if you’re careful. But make no mistake, no matter how careful you are, you can always be poisoned.”

The Professor paced around the classroom as he continued, “Poisoning someone can be an art; there are a myriad of different approaches and results. And regardless of how careful you are, you will not have your guard up for the rest of your life. Therefore, this year, I will embed these antidotes into your mind. Those who want to go into Potion-making after graduation will find this particular year’s curriculum to be a life-saving grace. Thus, today, we will simply learn how to identify various poisons and venoms based on their symptoms. And by the end of the year-” he came in front of Sol’s desk and smirked menacingly, “-maybe you’ll find out that my lessons will save your life. Right, open your textbooks to page 5.”

As the students shifted through the pages, only one thought was present: "Did he just insinuate that he’d poison us to test us?”