In the end, Phineas, unable to bear the strange looks from others, chose to stay in his private lounge for two full days. Fortunately, the lounge contained a large number of magical books, which kept him from becoming bored.
In truth, Hufflepuff might have been a better fit for Phineas. It was the only house at Hogwarts where almost no one deliberately avoided or isolated him. The Hufflepuffs, known for their loyalty and inclusivity, didn't go out of their way to shun him.
Finally, September 3rd arrived, marking the official start of classes.
Slytherin's Monday morning began with Defense Against the Dark Arts—a course notorious for its ever-changing professors. This year's professor was someone named Jonathan.
Professor Jonathan E. Reed had the bearing of a military man: strict, composed, and distinctly British in demeanor. His teaching style, however, was surprisingly humorous, frequently using vivid examples to help young witches and wizards understand the material.
The Slytherins and Gryffindors were paired together for this class. As usual, the two houses—longtime rivals—frequently clashed with taunts and small disputes during their lessons. All of this, of course, excluded Phineas, who sat alone in the last row.
He hadn't expected the level of isolation he now experienced. When he entered the classroom, small groups of students were already scattered across the seats. Knowing the subject's inconsistency over the years, Phineas chose a seat in the very back, not wanting to attract attention.
That's when it happened. The moment he sat down, the students near him immediately packed up their things and moved away, as if he were something filthy. The closest student to him was now separated by an entire row.
When Professor Jonathan entered the room, he noticed this strange arrangement but said nothing. What could he say? Force others to sit next to Phineas?
"I'm Jonathan Reed, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this term," he announced clearly. "Put your textbooks away—you won't need them in my class."
He glanced meaningfully at Phineas before walking to the front of the classroom.
"Before accepting this post at Hogwarts, I looked into the curriculum," he continued. "Turns out, there isn't much of one. For various reasons, almost every Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has only lasted a single year. I, too, signed a one-year contract with Headmaster Dumbledore."
As he spoke, he raised his wand and drew several intricate images in the air—depictions of various dark creatures.
"This course is divided into three core parts: dark creatures, defensive spells, and curses. In a perfect world, you'd study each over the course of seven years, gradually preparing to defend yourselves from real threats. But we're not in a perfect world. So, I'm going to teach you as much as I can while I'm here."
With that, he tossed his textbook aside.
"You won't need the book. What I'll be teaching goes beyond it. Today, we'll begin with something simple: the Wand-Lighting Charm and the Wand-Extinguishing Charm. And you, young man—" He pointed to a boy in the front. "—you can put your hand down. I don't ask questions in class."
"These two charms are among the most commonly used spells in the field," he went on. "Light is the enemy of many dark creatures. Ghosts can be scattered momentarily by sudden brightness. Even werewolves and vampires may retreat under strong magical light."
Phineas noticed something odd. When Professor Jonathan mentioned vampires, his expression stiffened for a moment.
Phineas had learned these spells years ago, so he didn't pay close attention to the lecture. Instead, he began to study the professor himself.
Jonathan had only appeared once—during the Welcome Feast—and had left promptly after Dumbledore's introduction. He hadn't been seen in the Great Hall since. While professors weren't required to dine with students, his absence was still unusual.
Now, observing him closely, Phineas noticed several things: the professor had closely cropped hair, revealing scalp on the sides. His face was pale and haggard, shadowed by a well-trimmed beard. His pupils were an eerie gray-white, and he wore heavy layers of clothing, almost as if trying to shield himself from the cold.
All of these signs made Phineas suspect that Professor Jonathan might be a vampire. Of course, that wasn't definitive—vampires, though undead like Inferi, could use their blood to appear perfectly human. Temperature, scent, and even appearance could all be magically disguised.
Time passed quickly. While Phineas observed, the class drew to a close.
As a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Jonathan proved more than competent. Even while teaching such basic spells, he gave detailed scenarios in which they could be life-saving. It was clear from his examples that he had extensive experience surviving in the wild—his delivery carried the weight of personal experience.
Despite not using textbooks or engaging students in traditional questioning, his teaching was engaging. He allowed practical spell use and wasn't overly strict, quickly earning the admiration of the students.
Slytherin's afternoon class was the most tedious subject at Hogwarts: History of Magic. And calling it tedious was generous.
The class was taught by Professor Binns, the only ghost professor at Hogwarts.
Binns had taught at the school for decades. Even in old age, when most wizards would have retired, he continued lecturing. According to legend, he fell asleep in the staff room one night, died, and simply rose the next morning as a ghost—leaving his body behind and heading straight to class.
Even after death, he never stopped teaching magical history.
But his lectures were unbearably dull. Professor Binns spoke in a monotone, without inflection, and without ever pausing for breath. Most students could barely stay awake ten minutes into his class—and on hot days, five minutes was enough to nod off completely.