Chapter 548: Defence Against the Dark Arts
Chapter 548: Defence Against the Dark Arts
On Tuesday morning, it was time for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Wade arrived right on time outside the classroom, only to see students from Slytherin and Ravenclaw chatting in the corridor. The classroom door was still closed.
"What's going on? Is the door locked?" Wade asked, approaching the group.
"No", Padma, who was chatting with Lisa, turned around and said hesitantly. "It's just... you know... our new Professor is Mad-Eye Moody..."
Compared to the gentle and kind Professor Trocca, the new Professor's image was a stark contrast. Padma found it hard to accept him.
But Wade didn't share their concerns or fears. He often saw Moody during his holidays at home and had grown accustomed to his appearance, so he no longer found it intimidating.
"Sure, I've been looking forward to learning a few things from him", Wade said casually, pushing through the crowd of students and opening the oak door.
"Creak—"
Mad-Eye Moody, leaning on his cane, was already seated at the front of the classroom on a high stool. His grizzled hair was messy, and his scarred face showed no expression. His normal black eye fixed on the doorway as if facing a dangerous enemy, while his large blue eye rolled around wildly, suddenly retracting into his head, leaving only a white eyeball visible.
The students, who had been chatting outside, fell silent and followed Wade into the classroom, tiptoeing quietly.
Just then, the bell rang, and several students who were a bit late hurried to their seats.
Moody, unperturbed by the students' covert glances of fear and disgust, took out the roll call list and began calling names.
When he reached Draco Malfoy's name, Moody paused, scanning the room with his eyes, but said nothing before continuing with the next name.
After the roll call, Moody struggled to stand up, leaning on his cane. He glanced at the textbooks on the students' desks and said, "Put them away. We won't be having a theory lesson today."
The students put their books into their bags. Moody waved his wand, and the door slammed shut with a loud bang, startling several students.
He waved his wand again, and all the desks and chairs moved swiftly to the corners of the room, leaving a group of students standing in the center, wands in hand.
Moody limped down from the platform, walking among the students with his magical eye spinning wildly, scanning the room.
He gruffly said, "Defence Against the Dark Arts isn't about memorizing books! You need to learn how to fight dark magic and stay alive when facing real dark wizards."
Suddenly, Moody waved his wand, and Goyle, who had been sneaking a snack, flew across the room and crashed into the wall with a loud "ah!"
The students were shocked, and those closest to Moody quickly moved away.
Michael felt a sudden sense of foreboding and glanced at Wade, as if to say, "Why do you always like this kind of Professor?"
It was clear that Moody's methods reminded him of Abigail, both of whom were known for their sudden and unpredictable disciplinary actions.
Wade smiled and mouthed silently, "Stay alert."
"See that?" Moody snorted. "Dark wizards won't warn you, won't follow any rules of dueling—they won't wait for you to be ready. They'll strike when you least expect it! You must be prepared and stay vigilant!"
In the middle of his speech, he subtly flicked his wand, and a red beam of light sent Michael flying. Another red beam shot toward Wade, but it was blocked by an invisible shield.
The spell ricocheted and hit Pansy, who screamed. The classroom now had two more students on the ground.
Moody looked at Wade with surprise, his magical eye also fixed on him. After a moment, he said, "Nice Protego."
Wade nodded slightly, not speaking but also not daring to whisper anymore.
His gaze fell on Moody's hand, and he noticed that the two Disarming Charms had been cast in quick succession, with very subtle movements. Just this combat technique was worth learning.
"Very good, someone managed to block my spell, but the others clearly didn't have the same ability..."
Moody saw several students who had just gotten up from the floor glaring at him, especially Pansy, who looked quite angry. He grinned, which was somewhat terrifying on his face.
"What, you think it's unfair?" Moody turned to the Slytherin side, looking at Pansy. "Do you think I should have counted down from three, two, one, and waited for you to be prepared before casting the spell? That would make me a proper Professor, right?"
"Isn't it?" Pansy said, holding back her anger. "You're a Professor, not a Dark Wizard, so we didn't expect it!"
"Fair point..." Moody didn't get angry but instead said in a gruff voice. "But that's the first lesson I'm teaching you. Remember... always be on your guard, no matter who you're dealing with!"
Moody then moved to Draco Malfoy's side and looked at him. "I recall you attended the World Cup final. Tell me—when the Leprechauns attacked the camp, were you prepared?"
The entire class turned their attention to the two, and the room fell silent.
Malfoy looked at him with a blank expression, his face stiff. "No, sir."
"Did you get hurt?" Moody asked.
"No, sir", Malfoy replied.
"Why?" Moody leaned in, his scarred face quickly filling Malfoy's vision. "Did the Leprechauns show mercy?"
"No", Malfoy said, his face taut. "We hid in the forest."
"See, if you had been like Malfoy that night in the camp, you wouldn't be asking such foolish questions as 'Why did they attack us?'"
Moody pulled back from Malfoy's face and continued to circle the students, growling, "A real attack always comes without warning, and so does death! But you won't always have his luck to survive such an attack!"
Wade glanced at the pale-faced Malfoy, feeling that the word "luck" Moody used might more accurately be "parents."
"You can't always learn magic by the book; you need to know how to handle the most dangerous and chaotic situations!" Moody said. "Now, pair up and start practicing defensive spells... let me see what you can do!"
He waved his wand again, and dozens of thick cushions appeared around the classroom. He returned to the podium and turned around to see most students still standing there, seemingly waiting for group assignments.
"Get moving!" Moody roared. "The enemy is right here! Are you going to wait for them to make the first move?"
"Whoosh—"
A spell flashed, and Wade sent Michael flying out of the way.
(End of Chapter)
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