Chapter 367: The Evil Harpy and the Illusion
Chapter 367: The Evil Harpy and the Illusion
Due to the annual rotation of professors, the classroom for Dark Arts Defense also changes every year.
Last year, Lockhart chose a spacious classroom filled with sunlight to display his large self-portraits hanging on the walls.
Professor Lupin, on the other hand, had neither self-portraits nor many photographs, so he simply selected an ordinary empty classroom.
When they arrived, only a few students were chatting inside the classroom.
They sat down and waited for a while before Professor Lupin finally entered, a faint smile on his face, placing a worn-out old box on the podium.
Perhaps it was because he had finally enjoyed some decent meals, but his complexion looked much healthier than when he was on the train. With a clean new robe, he seemed like a completely different person.
"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Please put away your textbooks. Today's lesson is a practical one, and all you'll need is your wands."
The students put away their books, exchanging curious glances with each other. They vaguely remembered someone saying the same thing... it was Aurelius from their first year.
Aurelius had also done the same, asking them to put away their books and focusing on practical exercises.
Some students started to get excited.
Although Aurelius was a Dark Wizard, it was undeniable that the first year of Dark Arts Defense was the most engaging, and he genuinely put effort into preparing each lesson.
Unlike a certain two professors who were just going through the motions... Their level of dedication was worlds apart, which was probably why only Aurelius managed to escape in the end.
"Alright," Professor Lupin said, seeing that everyone was ready. He brought out a large cage covered with a curtain. "I've prepared a little surprise for you."
At this sight, everyone's expressions became even more peculiar.
Aurelius had done the same during his first lesson, bringing out a cage containing Billywigs and claiming it was a surprise.
If they ignored the contents and focused on the actions, including the opening remarks, the two scenes were almost identical.
Could these two be related...
Father and son? The ages didn't match.
Brothers? But they didn't look alike at all! However, Professor Lupin was unaware of their thoughts.
He lifted the curtain, revealing a bird with vibrant feathers inside the cage.
Its head feathers were fluffy, but its claws were small, making it resemble an upside-down water droplet.
"A professor told me that the Dark Arts Defense lessons from the past two years were almost entirely ineffective, so you..."
His gaze lingered on Kyle for a moment, "...most of you lack a solid foundation."
"We've even defeated werewolves," a Ravenclaw whispered. "In Lockhart's play, there were also trolls, vampires..."
Laughter erupted among the students.
"Alright, but that's not a true reflection of your abilities."
Professor Lupin didn't laugh. He merely tugged at the corner of his mouth and changed the topic. "So, I asked Professor Hagrid to bring this from the Forbidden Forest as a small test to assess your knowledge."
"The first question: who can tell me what kind of creature this is?"
Kyle raised his hand. "An Evil Harpy."
"Correct, an Evil Harpy. Five points to Hufflepuff." Professor Lupin said, "What special abilities does it possess?"
Autumn quickly raised her hand this time.
"The song of the Evil Harpy can drive people to madness, causing them to act abnormally."
"Very correct, five points to Ravenclaw." Professor Lupin said, "When encountering an Evil Harpy, it's best to cover your ears immediately..."
He continued, "But don't worry, the one you see here has just had a big cup of brandy and is still drunk. I believe its song can only make your head spin for a while, nothing more.
"The spell to counter the Evil Harpy is also simple; you just need to prevent it from singing.
"Let's practice the spell without our wands first. Please repeat after me... Silence Tongue!"
"Silence Tongue!" The entire class echoed.
"Great," Professor Lupin raised his hand, signaling everyone to stand up. He moved the tables and chairs to the side. "But knowing the spell isn't enough. Now, form teams. Kyle, why don't you go first?
Kyle nodded and stepped forward.
Professor Lupin opened the cage.
But the evil harpy seemed to be drunk, standing there with its eyes closed, and Kyle could even hear its long breaths...
"Are you ready?"
Professor Lupin took out an old-fashioned record player, and after receiving Kyle's affirmative response, he turned the needle.
The classroom filled with cheerful drumbeats.
It was the Weird Sisters' "Hot Ladle," a fast-paced song that was very popular over a decade ago.
As the music played, the evil harpy's feathers visibly trembled. It opened its eyes and immediately started singing along with the upbeat rhythm.
Some students immediately covered their ears, but others chose to believe Professor Lupin's words.
To their surprise, the evil harpy's song wasn't an unpleasant noise, but rather pleasant, with a crisp and melodious voice, like raindrops falling on leaves, or flowers blooming... Strange, why would flowers make a sound?
It wasn't until they heard the enthusiastic applause around them that they snapped back to reality.
The evil harpy in front, its mouth open, stopped making any sounds.
"How does it feel?" Professor Lupin asked with a smile.
"Amazing!" exclaimed a Ravenclaw girl, "I heard all sorts of sounds and even saw the Forbidden Forest filled with blooming flowers!"
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"Seems like this evil harpy can hold its liquor. If I'd known, I would've given it a bit more."
"But this is good too."
Professor Lupin addressed everyone, "As you can see, this is the effect of the evil harpy's song, allowing you to hear or see things that don't actually exist... Just like them."
He pointed around the classroom, and those who hadn't covered their ears earlier were now mostly out of the group, but not far, just a few steps away.
"Under normal circumstances, they would've already started their adventure in the Forbidden Forest, and you would've seen a series of strange and comical movements."
Most people showed disappointment, as they had hoped for that.
Professor Lupin continued, "This is the second point I want to make. The evil harpy's name sounds unfriendly, but its song is pleasant. Unconsciously, it can make people fall into their own illusions.
So, always be vigilant.
"Later, I'll release the spell on the evil harpy at any time, and you must cast the spell after hearing its song. Got it?"
"Yes, Professor!" everyone said.
"Good, next."
Kyle stepped aside, and Ryan immediately took his place, staring intently at the evil harpy.
Some people covered their ears again, but a few still chose not to, obviously wanting to see the Forbidden Forest filled with blooming flowers.
Compared to this, the spell to deal with the evil harpy seemed less important.
Professor Lupin didn't stop them, watching with great interest.
Just before the class ended, perhaps due to the alcohol wearing off, the evil harpy's song suddenly became much more high-pitched.
Several students who were goofing around immediately froze, with one stretching their arms and legs as if attempting some kind of climbing movement.
Another student lay on the ground, wiggling their legs as if they were a fish in the Black Lake.
The classroom was filled with laughter.
Ryan covered his stomach and ran to Mikel, imitating his movements.
Mikel didn't cover his ears, instead, he was stretching his neck, trying to bite his own heel."
Professor Lupin chuckled and reached out, pulling back a student who was about to perform a high dive from the windowsill.
"I think they should know now how dangerous the evil harpy's song is," he said.
The students laughed even louder.
However, this situation didn't last long, and by the time class ended, everyone had basically recovered.
As the bell rang, they rushed out impatiently, not wanting to stay a moment longer, leaving the classroom in chaos.
(End of Chapter)
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