After years at Hogwarts, starting the term with an early morning DADA lesson was nothing new to Heath. Something that was new to him? The unusual classroom setup. Stepping into the room, he blinked several times until his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. As he surveyed his surroundings, he couldn’t help but notice how eerily like the Forbidden Forest the room looked, and memories came rushing back of that lesson in his fourth year with the fake headmaster… acromantulas closing in, everyone arguing about what to do… He shook his head to distract himself from his thoughts. That won’t happen again, he reminded himself.

Despite the memories, he couldn’t help but be a little intrigued by the scenery. He wondered what spells Headmaster Trent had used to produce it. He had a few ideas… Maybe he’d ask him about it later. For now, he settled for a polite nod in greeting. “Good morning, Headmaster,” he said.

He stood next to Claudine and Darius, nodding in greeting to each in turn. “Hi,” he said. As he looked at Claudine, he sensed that she, too, was thinking about the Forest, and he knew the memories had to be even worse for her. He gave her a small reassuring smile as if to say, It’ll be okay. Of course it would. He trusted Headmaster Trent not to throw them into anything too dangerous, and whatever happened, he’d be there to protect her if necessary.