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Chapter 28: Educational Plan
Chapter 28: Educational Plan
Using Transfiguration to transform into Tom to teach was entirely Sherlock's desperate measure.
He had only been familiar with the original owner’s magical techniques for about two months and had not yet managed to elevate his skills to the level of an adult wizard.
Through the progress he had made at Hogwarts, Sherlock estimated that his current understanding of magic was roughly equivalent to that of a sixth-year student, though he knew a significant number of spells they had not yet learned.
While he knew many advanced applications of Transfiguration, he could not make the transformed object as detailed or realistic.
To avoid a botched transformation, Sherlock decided to start with a cartoon character like Tom, which had fewer details and was much simpler to transfigure.
As long as Tom possessed the magical effects Sherlock imbued during the transformation, it would be sufficient. Presenting Tom in a cartoon form might also help the students view him more favorably.
After all, those who enjoy Tom and Jerry are unlikely to be as unapproachable as Professor Snape.
Sherlock had also considered using real Dark Creatures as teaching aids.
However, living cautiously at Hogwarts, he had no idea how to obtain such creatures.
Perhaps this issue could be resolved through Hagrid in the future.
The challenge in class continued.
The consecutive failures of the Hufflepuff boy and Ron stirred the competitive spirit of the remaining young wizards.
While observing, they did not find Tom particularly powerful, only noting that he was fast, flexible, and could change shape at will. There was nothing particularly special about him.
Sherlock's transfigured Tom was indeed not a formidable creature.
A simple "Incendio", which fourth-year students learn, could defeat it, and the general counter-spell "Finite Incantatem", which third-year students learn, could undo the transformation, turning Tom back into an ordinary desk.
Unfortunately, the class consisted of second-year students who had not yet mastered either "Incendio" or "Finite Incantatem."
Thus, their attempts to defeat Tom using only basic spells were futile. They tried in relays for the entire class, but no one managed to hit Tom with a spell.
As the class neared its end, Sherlock transformed Tom back into a desk and had the students return to their seats for a summary.
"Tom is not strong; you all can feel that. But why has no one managed to defeat him?"
"Is it because the spells you know are not powerful enough, or is the classroom limiting your performance?"
"Perhaps these are factors, but in this classroom, is what you learned in your first year truly insufficient to defeat him?"
"Or do you believe that the magical knowledge you gained in your first year is limited to mindlessly waving your wands and casting spells at your enemies?"
"Think about how you can use what you've learned to defeat Tom. This will be your homework. Reflect on your ideas and write them down on parchment. Your homework is not limited in length; even a single word is acceptable if it is effective."
"Next class, you can try to defeat Tom using the methods you write in your homework. Those who succeed will still earn twenty points, but the homework for the next month will not be waived."
The second-year class ended, and the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students left the classroom excitedly.
In theory, this was their first true Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Quirrell's lessons last semester, which consisted of reading from the textbook, were no different from self-study.
Professor Forrest's class was very interesting.
This was the first day of the school year, and the second-year students had already reached a consensus.
The incident with Tom had also given them a different perspective.
Professor Forrest, who usually had a cold expression and spoke in a stern tone, didn't seem as cold and unapproachable as he appeared on the surface.
A truly cold-hearted person wouldn't enjoy Tom Cat, a cartoon that brings joy to people, right?
Thus, even though Sherlock behaved similarly to Snape, both of them maintaining a cold demeanor during their lessons, the students, especially those who had taken Defense Against the Dark Arts before, weren't particularly afraid of him.
Just a few days into the school year, some outgoing Ravenclaw students had already gone to Sherlock's office to seek help with Defense Against the Dark Arts-related questions.
From this trend, it was clear that the students at Hogwarts were getting along well with the new professor.
This was something Sherlock was pleased to see.
Only when the students understood that his inner self wasn't as cold and reclusive as he appeared would this perception influence the other professors at Hogwarts.
Gradually, this would lead to a change in how Professor Mcgonagall and Dumbledore viewed him.
Just as Dumbledore had said during the opening feast, he expected Sherlock to change, and Sherlock was more than willing to show them his transformation.
The first day of teaching for the second-year students ended, and Sherlock felt even more prepared for the upcoming higher-level Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
On the second day of school, in the morning, the fifth-year students were whispering excitedly, wondering what kind of unique lesson Professor Forrest would present to them.
Then they saw Sherlock walk in, carrying a thick stack of parchment.
"Once you've reached fifth year, do you know what the biggest challenge you'll face is?"
Without much preamble, Sherlock began his opening remarks.
Below, the students all shook their heads in confusion; they had no idea what challenge they would be facing.
Sherlock shook his head in disappointment.
"Each generation seems worse than the last. When I was a student, even the fourth-year students were already feeling the pressure, and here you are, already in fifth year, and you don't even know what you should be preparing for."
This was purely Sherlock using his past life's teacher's words to bluff at Hogwarts; he hadn't actually studied here, so he had no idea if the original owner of his body was nervous in fourth year.
"O.W.L.s, or Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, are the first major exams that will determine your future in the magical world. You will take them at the end of your fifth year."
"Unlike regular end-of-term exams, the O.W.L.s are administered by the Ministry of Magic and consist of twelve subjects. The grading system remains the same—O, E, A, P, D—but this time, the grades will reflect the Ministry's assessment of your five years of study at Hogwarts. They will also serve as a crucial reference for other wizards to evaluate your abilities once you leave school."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts is one of the twelve subjects, and it is a required exam for everyone."
"Professor Quirrell's teaching last semester was not effective, meaning you are already behind in your studies compared to a typical year. Therefore, in the upcoming year of Defense Against the Dark Arts, you will need to work twice as hard to prepare for this exam."
"I have a comprehensive plan for your studies over the next year—the Exam Preparation Plan."
(End of Chapter)
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