In fact, the difficulty of this test set by Adrian varied from person to person.
Because each student's personality, temperament, and appearance were different, the difficulty of suppressing one's malice also naturally differed.
For instance, Hufflepuff students were mostly very friendly and patient.
This was inherently an advantage when it came to interacting with magical creatures.
As a typical Hufflepuff, this was naturally no challenge for Cedric.
As he approached Ray step by step, Ray showed almost no signs of vigilance and quite smoothly accepted the candy from his hand.
"Excellent, Mr. Diggory. Another five points to Hufflepuff." Adrian nodded with satisfaction, applauding and praising.
"You can call me Cedric, Professor," Cedric replied happily.
He had been nervous at first, considering that according to books, Thunderbirds were very dangerous creatures.
But things went much more smoothly than he had imagined.
Next, Adrian let the students behind take turns trying to feed Ray with different foods.
With Cedric's successful start, the other students also seemed encouraged and began approaching Ray one by one.
However, for some students, this process wasn't so simple.
Like a certain Gryffindor student who had almost been struck by lightning earlier.
Perhaps the initial rash approach had made Ray especially wary of him.
Every step Fred took toward Ray, Ray would take one step away.
Finally, Fred had to scratch his head in frustration, looking at Adrian, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
"Clear your mind, Mr. Weasley," Adrian advised. "A small suggestion: you might find it easier if you imagine having a troll's brain."
"Act like an idiot, Weasley," a student nearby laughed. "Abandon your brain; you don't need it anymore."
Fred rolled his eyes, saying irritably to the student, "Thanks for the reminder."
Despite saying so, Fred still did as suggested. His eyes changed, instantly becoming dull.
It must be said that he had a natural talent for making himself look stupid.
When he approached Ray again, Ray didn't retreat further. After observing him for a few seconds, it finally extended its sharp beak, carefully taking the food.
This made Fred breathe a sigh of relief.
In reality, for most magical creatures, those with pure thoughts were more likely to gain their approval, which was why Adrian suggested students empty their minds.
It proved to be effective.
By the end of class, almost everyone could successfully approach Ray.
Some students could even touch its feathers.
Finally, Ray gently shook its wings, and a feather fell from its body, coincidentally landing beside Cedric.
"Hmm?"
The students looked at the feather in amazement, especially Cedric, who almost instinctively bent down to carefully pick it up.
"Professor? Is this..." he looked at Adrian uncertainly.
Adrian glanced at the feather, smiled slightly, and announced loudly, "Congratulations, Cedric. This is Ray's first shed tail feather. It chose to let you pick it up, indicating it greatly approves of you."
Hearing this, the students cast envious glances.
Although they didn't know what use the tail feather had, it was undoubtedly a very precious magical material, perhaps even comparable to phoenix feathers.
Cedric obviously also understood the precious nature of this feather, not to mention it was Ray's first feather.
"Thank you, Ray," He said softly, his tone full of sincerity.
Ray let out a gentle cry, as if in response.
After all this, Ray suddenly flapped its wings, transformed into a beam of light rushing into the sky, and instantly disappeared into the clouds.
Seeing Ray's rapid disappearance, the students exchanged glances.
But only Adrian knew that Ray had probably been overfed and needed to find a place to digest.
"Alright, that's it for today's lesson," Adrian clapped his hands, directing the students' attention toward him. "I hope you've gained something today. Remember, most magical creatures can sense others' emotions and thoughts to some extent. Clearing your mind allows for better interaction with them, and Thunderbirds are especially so. Now, regarding homework..."
The students had been immersed in the excitement of close contact with a Thunderbird, but upon hearing the word "homework," their expressions suddenly stiffened.
It seems that regardless of era or place, homework is always unpopular among students.
"Relax," Adrian smiled, waving his hand, deliberately pausing before continuing, "There's no homework this time."
After a brief silence, the students erupted in cheers.
"However—" Adrian intentionally dragged out his voice, interrupting their celebration, "I need each of you to choose a few magical creatures you're interested in, write about them on parchment, and submit them to me before the next class."
The students' cheering diminished, replaced by soft muttering.
Cedric was carefully examining the Thunderbird tail feather in his hand, his face still showing joy. When he heard Adrian's words, he looked up, with curiosity and anticipation, "Professor, will you bring the magical creatures we write on the parchment to show us?"
With these words, the surrounding students instantly quieted for a second.
Hearing Cedric's question, the corners of Adrian's mouth turned upward as he announced, "Of course."
The students immediately became excited again, beginning to discuss enthusiastically which magical creatures to choose.
"What should I choose, Fred?" George excitedly waved his fist. "How about a dragon? I've only seen them in photos Charlie sent us, never seen a real one."
"A dragon? Oh my, are you trying to send Professor Westeros to prison?" Fred rolled his eyes impatiently. "I think an Acromantula would be better. Little Ronnie would love it..."
"I'd like to see what a Demiguise looks like. I heard its fur can be woven into an invisibility cloak..."
Hearing the students' discussions, Adrian's rising smile slightly froze.
This batch of students had mischievous intentions.
He coughed lightly, then added, "Limited to 'XXX' class and below magical creatures!"
Hearing Adrian's words, the students' enthusiasm cooled slightly.
Although somewhat disappointed, they still excitedly began discussing which magical creatures to choose.
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