Chapter 237: Unforgivable Curses
Chapter 237: Unforgivable Curses
Fortunately, not long after the official start of classes, Harry and his classmates welcomed their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of their fourth year.
Sherlock's classes were always something to look forward to, as his teaching methods varied from year to year.
Starting from fourth year, they would begin to delve into truly dark magic.
Before the class began, the students in the classroom were still discussing the Triwizard Tournament.
Although the tournament was still more than a month away, all the students were eagerly anticipating it, wishing time would speed up and bring them closer to October.
When Sherlock entered the classroom, he immediately noticed the students' excitement.
It wasn't just the fourth-year students; other young wizards were equally restless. The Triwizard Tournament added a new dimension to Hogwarts this year, making the students even more distracted from their studies.
"Before we start, remember that the tournament hasn't officially begun. You are all fourth-year students, and none of you are over 16. So don't entertain any fantasies about participating."
Even before the lesson started, Sherlock doused their enthusiasm with a dose of reality.
"I don't know who Dumbledore has invited as judges, but even a random fool from the street would recognize that a fourth-year student can't be 17. And Dumbledore certainly won't choose a fool. So you might as well be more grounded. Fourth-year students have no chance of participating, so focus on being good spectators this year and don't neglect your studies."
His words brought the students back to reality, at least for a moment.
Of course, it was only a brief moment. Once the class ended, they would likely revert to their excitement, only settling down once the Triwizard Tournament's participants were officially announced and the novelty wore off.
After Sherlock finished speaking, Harry leaned in to whisper to Ron and Hermione.
"If it were before, I might have thought it impossible for a fourth-year student to be chosen, but after Professor Forrest's Jinxed Mouth, nothing seems impossible anymore."
Hermione immediately shot down his idea.
"Probability, don't talk about Professor Forrest's Jinxed Mouth without considering the probability. What are the odds that an 'umpire' would select an unqualified student? Less than one percent. Professor Forrest's Jinxed Mouth isn't that powerful, so it's not possible."
Ron wasn't entirely convinced.
"But what if? What if a fourth-year student is chosen?"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"There is no 'what if'! Just give up that idea! Focus on your classes. You're already in fourth year, and think about how Mrs. Weasley will react if you come home with no certificates at the end of fifth year!"
Among the three, Hermione was always the voice of reason, bringing Harry and Ron's wild ideas back to earth. Their attention then returned to the lesson.
"Fourth year marks a turning point in your seven years of magical education. From this year on, whether in Spellwork or Transfiguration, you will start to delve into more advanced magical knowledge."
"Whereas in the earlier years, if you applied yourself, you could learn the material. From fourth year onward, some of the knowledge will not be as easy to grasp."
"Before we begin the class, I want to give you all a heads-up: I don't want any students to fall behind in their studies because of the tournament. I don't expect everyone to master the obscure and complex magic knowledge, but you should be able to handle the regular content without difficulty in your exams."
Sherlock's expression was stern as he made sure every student was paying attention and taking him seriously. Only then did his demeanor relax slightly.
"Starting from fourth year, Defence Against the Dark Arts will formally introduce you to true Dark Magic. In the past, this content was typically covered in sixth year, but some questions about these topics have already appeared on the Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) exams in fifth year."
"That's why I proposed to Dumbledore last year to slightly accelerate the teaching schedule. This year, in this class, we will start to learn about the notorious Dark Magic in the Wizarding World."
The students in the classroom instinctively held their breaths.
Many young wizards knew what true Dark Magic entailed, and it was vastly different from creatures like the Red Cap, which were merely labeled as dark.
Several students who came from wizarding families from a young age turned visibly pale when they realized what Sherlock was going to teach them.
Their reactions were exactly what Sherlock had expected.
The decision to introduce students to Dark Magic knowledge earlier was made after careful discussion with Dumbledore.
From this year onward, the future of the Wizarding World would become increasingly dangerous, and Hogwarts, long considered the safest place in the Wizarding World by parents, would be at the center of this storm.
By exposing students to this knowledge sooner, they would at least be able to recognize danger and not be caught unprepared when it arrived.
Sherlock looked at the students below and asked calmly,
"Can anyone tell me what the most famous and evil Dark Magic in the Wizarding World is?"
His question was met with silence. After a few seconds, a few trembling hands rose hesitantly.
Sherlock called on Ron.
"Unforgivable Curses, Professor."
His voice was barely audible, as if he was afraid of something.
Sherlock nodded gently.
"Very good, Ron. There's no need to be afraid. No one is pointing a wand at you. You can speak freely. For example, do you know which three curses are considered Unforgivable Curses?"
Ron seemed to gather his courage and spoke a bit louder.
"My dad once mentioned one of them, the Imperius Curse."
"Knowing one of them is already very good. Does anyone know the other two spells?"
Only Hermione raised her hand, but Sherlock noticed Neville hesitating in the corner, as if he wanted to raise his hand but ultimately decided against it.
In the end, Hermione stood up to answer.
"The other two are the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse, Professor."
(End of Chapter)
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