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Chapter 1662: A War with No Victors (Part CXII)
Chapter 1662: A War with No Victors (Part CXII)
As Albert had initially anticipated, Cedric quickly turned his reputation around amongst the students within the first few days of the new term.
With prior experience teaching Dark Magic Defense at the Defense Association, and having recently co-authored a textbook with Albert, Cedric already had a clear teaching methodology. It was effortless for him to gain the respect and attention of the Hogwarts students.
The intense reaction at the welcoming banquet stemmed from the students' desperation for a competent teacher after years of lackluster Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Their high expectations of Albert made them initially resistant to the seemingly unreliable Cedric.
However, Cedric's capabilities proved that age is truly just a number.
His impressive display further heightened the anticipation of the sixth and seventh years for their Defense classes.
Albert's inaugural class did not disappoint either.
Using a pre-prepared blackboard to outline the key knowledge areas for the grade, Albert candidly addressed the class: "I don't know how many of you will be able to keep up with the pace of this course. But I want to emphasize that if you wish to excel in Dark Magic Defense, you must put in extra effort for this class. I'm not referring to your N.E.W.T. grades but your ability to protect yourself when faced with danger. Practical training will be an essential component of our upcoming lessons, ensuring that when confronted by an adversary, you won't miss your spells due to inexperience and nervousness."
A girl eagerly raised her arm, unable to contain her curiosity, and asked, "Now that you've defeated the mysterious person, are there any other dangers we might face?"
"I know many of you are thinking along those lines, but Voldemort was just one Dark Wizard, and he is now part of history. However, there are still Dark Wizards in this world, and learning Dark Magic Defense is about empowering you to protect yourself and those around you," Albert replied, scanning the students below with a serious expression. "If you don't intend to learn anything useful in this class, I'd say you're better off not bothering. To be frank, whatever you gain from my class is entirely up to you, and it has nothing to do with me."
"The content on this blackboard encompasses the key knowledge areas for your sixth and seventh years. As long as you can grasp these concepts, I believe you'll achieve commendable N.E.W.T. scores in your seventh year. But if you aspire to learn more practical knowledge, it will depend on your dedication and effort."
Albert gestured, and the blackboard floated gently to the side. He continued calmly, "You can copy this information in your own time. For the remainder of today's lesson, you'll need to understand how to lift curses and attempt to master a general curse-lifting spell. This means... you'll need to pair up and try casting a harmless jinx on your partner, and then use the general curse-lifting method to remove the spell from them."
Seeing the eager students below, Albert reminded them once more, "Remember, it must be a harmless jinx, or don't blame me if your partner seeks retribution later. Also, if anyone steps out of line, they'll be spending the rest of the lesson standing in the corner watching their peers practice magic."
Albert's blunt words dispelled any mischievous thoughts, but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm in the classroom.
Ever since Albert made an example of a particular unfortunate student, everyone had learned their lesson. They were eager to participate and didn't want to miss out on the practical session, lest they be embarrassed by being made to stand in the corner.
"It's alright if you don't know or understand everything. You have time to learn, and it's better to admit your ignorance than pretend and make a fool of yourself," Albert said as he walked amongst the students, correcting some of their mistakes.
"I never expected you to master these curse-lifting spells in a single lesson, so you'll need to spend a significant amount of time practicing them after class. This requires self-discipline and initiative."
Albert gave them five minutes to copy the content from the blackboard while listening to his instructions.
"Don't use magic in the school corridors, and don't randomly select students to practice on. I don't want Filch or Professor McGonagall coming to me with complaints," he warned.
"Then where are we supposed to practice magic?" someone asked.
"You should all be aware of the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. I know some of you know how to enter it. If you want to take your magic to the next level, you can go there in your free time to practice. Your foundational skills are lacking, and you need real combat experience, which you'll have to work on yourselves. I can't solve these issues for you in the classroom, or you wouldn't be in this advanced class; you'd be starting from the basics."
"In my class, you won't have to worry about loads of homework. I'll only point out what you need to focus on. If, at your age, you can't be self-disciplined, then I'm afraid that's as good as it gets for you."
Albert glanced at the blackboard next to him and added, "Of course, considering some of you are here just for a good grade on your transcript, you only need to pay attention to the knowledge points on this blackboard. If you plan to slack off, be prepared for a failing grade. Also, we'll be covering the content on this board in the next lesson, so finish copying it and then you can leave."
With that, Albert departed, leaving a roomful of young witches and wizards looking at each other in bewilderment.
"This... feels very different from Professor Cedric's class," one of them remarked.
Some of them had indeed sneaked into Cedric's lessons, and Albert's class felt unique in comparison.
To be precise, they realized that Albert's class offered much more than what they could glean from textbooks.
At the very least, many of them were unaware of, and had never even heard of, so many general curse-lifting methods.
News of Albert's first lesson quickly spread throughout Hogwarts, and the younger students envied their sixth and seventh-year peers. A practical class with no homework was undoubtedly a dream come true for most students.
"That's probably the mindset of a genius," Hermione thought to herself, surprised by Albert's unconventional teaching style, but she soon understood his rationale.
Those who opted to take the advanced class were eager to learn practical knowledge, and Albert's lesson provided ample opportunities for those who were willing.
"You're really bold to do that!" Cedric exclaimed, astonished by Albert's audacity.
"You can push them all you want, but it will never be as effective as their own initiative. And if they're in their sixth or seventh year and aren't motivated to learn something new, why bother coming to my advanced class?"
In fact, Albert's approach did not dampen the students' enthusiasm; instead, it made them love Defense Against the Dark Arts even more.
They could now learn so much practical knowledge that they had never dared to dream of before. This led to Albert's advanced Defense class becoming the most popular course at Hogwarts, with students from other grades even sneaking into the classroom to quietly observe from the back.
Whether it was Albert's engaging teaching style or his fame that drew the students in remained a mystery.
Even Kingsley at the Ministry of Magic had heard about this, and his Auror Office Director jokingly suggested that Kingsley invite Albert to provide Auror training for new recruits.
(End of Chapter)
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