A few days later, in the afternoon.
In the Magical Creatures Hut classroom, Evans taught sixth-year students about Horned Serpents.
"The Horned Serpent is a magical creature distributed throughout North America. You may have learned about this creature and know its rating is XXXXX, but among Horned Serpents, there are actually very significant differences."
"The magical community classifies Horned Serpents based on the strongest specimens, and powerful Horned Serpents truly deserve this rating."
"But this doesn't mean all Horned Serpents are XXXXX-level creatures."
Evans waved his wand. Two water serpents appeared on the blackboard beside him, with horns on their heads that looked somewhat different.
One looked unremarkable, only having some peculiar patterns, while the other had a glowing gemstone depicted on it.
"After Horned Serpents mature, some exceptionally talented serpents will grow a gemstone on their horns. Only such Horned Serpents possess prophetic abilities and water manipulation powers, and only horn pieces shaved from them can serve as wand cores."
"Other serpents without gemstones can at most be considered XX-level, even at the bottom of the XX tier."
He waved his wand again. The serpent with the gemstone disappeared, replaced by an Erumpent. The giant beast charged once, and the blackboard serpent writhed and exploded, dispersing into smoke.
After finishing the lecture, Evans looked at the surrounding young wizards and said softly, "If you encounter this creature in the future, remember to look at their horns first. If they have gemstones, absolutely don't provoke them. That level of Horned Serpent generally won't cause trouble for wizards either."
"But if you encounter an ordinary Horned Serpent, there's no need to be intimidated by its rating. If it doesn't provoke you, don't provoke it. If it wants to attack, a bottom-tier XXXXX creature shouldn't pose too much threat to you if you use your heads."
"Understood, Professor!"
The young wizards in the classroom answered in unison. Even several Magical Creatures Club members answered very seriously.
Evans had already taught them this material, but in class, they would still give the professor sufficient respect.
However, Evans noticed that Penelope, listening below, was clearly downcast.
That absent-mindedness wasn't because she had any opinion about his teaching. Something else weighed on her mind.
Moreover, this matter seemed to have troubled her for several days. Since the basilisk incident ended, Penelope's state had been somewhat off.
Did Percy do something with low emotional intelligence again? But Penelope's attitude toward Percy seems fine.
Evans pondered for a moment, then temporarily set aside that doubt and focused on what he was teaching.
Time slowly passed. Soon, the class ended. After assigning homework and watching Penelope pack her bag somewhat gloomily, bid him farewell and leave, Evans finally couldn't suppress his curiosity.
He tilted his head, giving Percy, who was organizing notes not far away, a look. But Percy seemed absorbed in organizing and didn't notice his signal at all.
Helplessly, he could only cough twice lightly and wave his wand, making the papers in Percy's hands move slightly.
With this disturbance, Percy finally raised his head, bewildered. After seeing Professor Kahn's signal, he stepped forward and asked softly, "What's wrong, Professor?"
"Nothing, I just noticed..." After quietly whispering a few words about Penelope's abnormality and watching Percy lower his head with a slight frown, Evans nodded with some relief.
Previously, Percy had basically zero emotional intelligence, but now, at least after hearing his hints, he could consider these matters.
After Percy finished pondering, thanked him and left, the Magical Creatures Hut classroom no longer had other students.
Surveying the empty room, Evans's figure transformed into a silver-white arc of light and vanished.
He'd previously agreed with the greasy bat to go to his office at 3 PM. If he was late, Snape wouldn't give him any pleasant expression.
Just as Evans headed toward the underground classroom, far away in Egypt, in a certain area unknown to Muggles, an urgent voice echoed in a spacious corridor.
"Quick! This way!"
Carrying his injured brother on his back, Bill frantically ran forward through the corridor. Beside him, several wizards vigilantly watched behind while quickly running with Bill toward the corridor's end.
"Roar!"
A strange, hoarse roar came from the corridor behind them. A withered giant claw suddenly appeared at the corridor's end, but before that thing could continue crawling out, it was slapped back by another claw emanating pale golden light.
With no time to notice the commotion behind, Bill carried Charlie in a frantic sprint. After rounding two corridors, sunlight finally appeared ahead.
He rushed out in one breath. He didn't dare stop but kept running until he entered their rest tent. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and place Charlie from his back onto the bed.
"I'm actually not seriously hurt." Charlie lay on the bed, awkwardly twisting his body before continuing. "Just my calf was pierced. Not even the bone was injured. Don't even need Skele-Gro."
"Shut up." Bill pressed down on Charlie's shoulder and checked him thoroughly. After confirming he had no other wounds and no curse aura on him, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked beside him.
Besides him and Charlie, other wizards who acted together also suffered various minor injuries. After all, those traps and monsters appeared too suddenly. They had no preparation whatsoever.
It could be said that if Professor Kahn's friends hadn't reacted quickly, they might not have been able to escape.
Bill couldn't help but look outside the tent toward the suddenly appearing pyramid, which was emanating strange black mist.
Beast's roars still came from inside the pyramid. The friends Senior Kahn called were still fighting inside. However, since they'd already withdrawn, those magical creatures covering them would probably retreat soon, too.
But withdrawal didn't mean the matter was over.
They had originally been chasing the so-called Hunting Association's final remnants. When chasing here, those remnants somehow did something that caused this place, which had been empty, to suddenly raise such a strange pyramid.
After that, those remnants disappeared. They tentatively wanted to explore this suddenly appearing pyramid, but shortly after entering, a group of extremely strange things appeared. If Charlie hadn't reacted quickly, he at the front would probably have lost his life inside.
Fortunately, they retreated in time, and Charlie's injuries weren't particularly difficult to treat.
But this matter had somewhat exceeded their capabilities.
Bill spoke softly. "Contact the Egyptian Ministry of Magic, and also contact Senior Kahn."
"This matter... we probably can't handle it ourselves."