Amid the nonstop chatter and bursts of astonishment,
the young witches and wizards poured out of the previous classroom and headed toward the Magical Creature Protection classroom.
Along a crossing corridor—as expected—the little badgers and eagles ran straight into the little snakes and lions.
Compared to the Gryffindors, who were loudly lamenting why the new professor wasn't holding class beside the Forbidden Forest like Kettleburn used to,
the Slytherins walking beside them had far more complicated expressions.
When the four houses finally converged, the Hufflepuffs—true to form—immediately launched into another enthusiastic round of propaganda about Professor Viktor.
The Slytherins' faces became even more entertaining to watch.
Unease, tension, disdain, and—unwillingly—a trace of awe mixed together like colors on a palette.
And when the Gryffindors deliberately amplified their gasps of "wow" and shot meaningful glances their way, the Slytherins looked even more uncomfortable.
A few already had white-knuckled grips on their wands under the Gryffindors' expectant stares.
But to the Gryffindors' visible disappointment, the long-anticipated brawl never happened.
Because the Magical Creature Protection classroom was now right in front of them.
Filled with anticipation and curiosity, the students filed inside.
When the very last one stepped into the wide, completely empty room—no desks, no chairs—
Bang!
The heavy classroom door slammed shut behind them.
When they turned around, Viktor and Tom were already standing on the low platform that served as a teaching area.
At Viktor's feet sat the familiar leather suitcase.
Facing dozens of curious and puzzled young faces, Viktor didn't waste words. He simply raised his wand and smiled.
"Welcome, everyone… to the world of magical creatures!"
Before anyone could ask what he meant—
Click.
With a crisp snap, the suitcase locks sprang open.
A powerful suction force erupted from inside.
Amid a chorus of startled yelps and shrieks, every student was pulled straight into the suitcase like dumplings into a pot.
Viktor gave Tom a grin, then jumped in after them.
The moment they vanished, the classroom stood empty once more.
And somehow, the suitcase that had been on the platform was gone too.
...
A vast grassland stretched under a flawless blue sky. A few lazy white clouds drifted overhead.
Suddenly, a fluffy cloud-bank rippled like a burst soap bubble.
The next instant, a string of screaming students tumbled out, rolling and flailing like falling dumplings.
"Merlin's beard—!"
"I'm gonna die—!"
"Help—!"
Their cries shattered the prairie's peace as robes flapped wildly in the wind.
But just as they were about to slam into the knee-high grass below—
The calm green sea of pasture "came alive."
Countless dark-green vines—each covered in fine scale-like patterns—shot up from the grass like startled snakes.
They wove through the air with astonishing speed and precision, knitting together into an enormous, elastic green net that spanned a wide area.
Thump!
"Oof!"
"Huh?"
One after another, the students landed in the net.
Instead of bone-jarring impact, they felt a gentle, springy cushion.
The vine-net dipped under their combined weight, then softly rebounded, rocking them lightly like a hammock.
Still dazed, the students lay or knelt on the living net, looking around in bewilderment.
Endless prairie in every direction. Low hills in the distance.
A fresh breeze carried the scent of damp earth and green grass.
Overhead, the sky felt impossibly real—warm sunlight actually touching their skin.
"Where… where are we?" a Ravenclaw girl whispered, pushing her crooked glasses back up.
"We're inside the suitcase! I know this!" a Hufflepuff boy exclaimed, stroking the smooth, slightly cool vines beneath him in awe.
"Cool!" Several Gryffindors shouted in unison, already grinning.
Most Slytherins had already climbed to their feet, trying to regain composure and dignity—though their eyes still shone with shock.
"This is unbelievable…" Cedric murmured, standing up and gazing across the boundless landscape.
He recovered faster than most, but the wonder in his eyes was just as bright.
The vine-net gently lowered them to the ground.
The moment their feet touched soft grass, the vines retracted into the earth as though they'd never existed.
As the students stood there, stunned and whispering,
Professor Viktor and Tom appeared a short distance away—as though they'd been standing there the whole time.
"Welcome," Viktor's voice carried clearly to every ear.
He spread his arms, face lit with the quiet pride of a creator.
"Welcome… to my world."
"'My world'?" several students echoed softly.
"Yes," Viktor nodded.
"A pocket dimension I shaped and maintain using alchemy, Undetectable Extension Charms, and weather magic.
"Here, climate, terrain, ecosystem—all operate under rules I set. This place exists to protect and study magical creatures… and it will be our main classroom for hands-on lessons from now on."
"The vines that caught you just now were 'Net Serpents'—a very gentle variant of Devil's Snare. Think of it as the world's way of giving first-time visitors a soft landing."
"A pocket dimension…?" Cedric whispered again.
He stared at the endless grassland, the distant hills, the faint outline of mountains far away.
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't see anything "pocket" or "small" about this place.
And he wasn't the only one thinking it.
Every student in the field had the exact same thought.
Watching the stunned, speechless young faces in front of him,
Viktor didn't rush into the lesson.
He simply waited, letting them absorb it all.
He understood their reaction perfectly.
He'd worn the exact same expression the first time he stepped into Grandpa Newt's suitcase.
Back then he'd thought:
This isn't a pocket dimension.
This is a whole new, untouched world… belonging to magical creatures.