Chapter 609: He Gave Too Much
Chapter 609: He Gave Too Much
The first class of the day was Black Magic Defense, taught by Sirius Black.
It was the first time students at Hogwarts had the same Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for two consecutive years... at least for students below the sixth grade.
Their professor last year was Moody, so strictly speaking, Sirius was their sixth professor, still disposable after one year.
But due to Sirius' legendary experience, the classroom was already filled early.
"I asked Justin," Mikal said expectantly, taking out his textbook from his bag. "He told me that Sirius' class is interesting, but occasionally some unpleasant things happen."
"Unpleasant?" Connor frowned. "Does he give a lot of homework?"
Although Sirius had taught a few classes for Moody last year, he had only lectured on topics Moody had predetermined, as well as reviewing what they had learned before.
So they didn't really know his teaching style.
"No, quite the opposite," Mikal shook his head. "As far as I know, he rarely assigns homework. I was envious of that for a long time last year."
"Then why is it unpleasant?"
"Because people can get hurt." At this point, Ryan, who was beside him, added.
As he spoke, the classroom door opened, and Sirius walked in.
He looked quite happy and didn't seem bothered by the fact that he had to teach three more grades.
"Hello everyone," Sirius said, waving his wand to open the curtains. Bright sunlight illuminated the classroom.
"I think I don't need to introduce myself," he said with a smile. "Put away your books, you won't need them for the first class."
Everyone immediately put away their books, and Mikal was the fastest. He had always believed that any professor who asked students to put away their books in the first class was a good professor.
"I've already learned about your progress from Professor Moody," Sirius continued. "I have to admit, he's a great teacher, and you can tell from your O.W.L. scores.
"Almost everyone got a pretty high score, even Professor Marchbanks, who was supervising the exam, was surprised... She probably never expected that so many high scores would come from the subject that usually has the lowest scores in previous years."
Everyone subconsciously straightened their backs.
Although Professor Moody was strict and assigned a frightening amount of homework, their improvement was real.
Some people's scores even jumped from an A (Pass)
to an O (Outstanding)
, easily earning them a certificate.
"But... your professor this year is me," Sirius changed the subject. "And I've always believed that the essence of Dark Magic Defense lies in actual combat, not grades.
"Dark magic is diverse and ever-changing, and when you truly face it, you'll find that the knowledge in textbooks is actually insufficient. Only by relying on your instincts and excellent reaction speed can you respond effectively."
Everyone stared at Sirius, his expression serious and his tone devoid of any hint of a joke.
"Therefore, before you truly encounter dark magic, you must be clear about your shortcomings."
"The quickest way... is to let you experience it firsthand." Sirius drew his wand. "Lockhart's Duel Club was a good idea, but it's a pity that it was canceled after the first session. If the club had continued until now, it would definitely have greatly improved your strength."
"But it's not too late now."
Sirius walked to the other side of the classroom and cleared all the clutter piled up in the corner of the room, moving it outside.
"I think actual combat is far more useful than any lecture, so duels will be essential in the upcoming classes. It's best to be prepared.
"I will do my best to protect you from injury, but occasionally I may not be able to prevent it. If any of you don't want to participate, feel free to say so now, and I will agree."
All eyes were on him, and no one backed down. Instead, they looked even more excited.
Seeing that no one raised their hand to opt out, Sirius nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, I knew you would make the right choice... Now, we need to make a small adjustment to the classroom."
He asked all the students to stand up, and then he directed the desks, chairs, and benches to line up and fly out the window, not even leaving the teacher's podium.
"For our first class, we won't be learning anything new. Instead, I want to assess your practical combat abilities," Sirius announced. "Each of you will have five minutes, and regardless of the spell you use, if you can make me step off this platform, you will be rewarded with ten points."
Hearing that there were points to be earned, the students' eyes lit up with excitement, and they all pushed forward, not wanting to be left until last.
"Professor, pick me!"
"I should be chosen..."
"I'm the man who's going to be a Dueling Master in the future!"
...
The classroom buzzed with chatter, and Sirius surveyed the students with his eyes, finally settling on Kyle.
"How about you, Kyle?"
"No problem," Kyle stepped forward.
He glanced at the platform under Sirius' feet. "As long as I can make you fall from there, right?"
"That's right... but you won't," Sirius shook his head, stepping down from the platform. "I think it's necessary for everyone to understand that this is not a game."
"I understand," Kyle nodded, also drawing his wand.
Seeing this, the other students quieted down.
Someone had dashed to the corner, and soon, inspired by that student, a large space was cleared around the two duelists.
Kyle and Sirius faced each other, their wands at the ready. There were none of Lockhart's elaborate rituals, and the duel began abruptly.
Without warning, Sirius cast a spell.
But the next second, it was deflected back at him, even faster than it had been cast.
"Oh, nice..."
Sirius quickly ducked, to be honest, he didn't even know when Kyle had cast the Shield Charm on him.
But as Sirius ducked, a row of sharp stone spikes shot out of the floor.
Fortunately, Sirius' reaction was quick, and with a flick of his wand, he reduced the spikes to powder.
But it wasn't over yet. The fragments of the stone spikes suddenly writhed and transformed into a pack of hounds of varying sizes, rushing towards Kyle, attempting to bite at his wand.
Kyle calmly took two steps back, pointing his wand at the hair clips and Every Flavour Beans that had fallen when they were moving the desks.
The next second, Sirius' hounds were intercepted by a group of shrunken Norwegian Ridgebacks, who began to fight each other.
Taking this opportunity, Sirius stood up straight again and couldn't help but praise, "Excellent Transfiguration... Twenty points to Hufflepuff."
As he spoke, he also cast two more spells, and at the same time, he frantically winked at Kyle when the others weren't looking.
Kyle's mouth twitched. Had this guy decided to cheat so soon? Wasn't that a bit much?
But seeing Sirius frantically winking at him, Kyle sighed. Alright, they were in class now, and time was limited, so he couldn't drag this out too long.
So, Kyle deliberately dropped his Shield Charm, and after being hit by a "Scouring Charm," he stumbled backwards.
"Not bad, very good," Sirius put away his wand and clapped his hands. "I must say, you are one of the most talented young witches and wizards I've ever seen. Thirty points to Hufflepuff."
Amidst the applause, Kyle returned to the crowd.
"Can the Scouring Charm be used in duels?" Connor asked softly.
"You noticed that?" Kyle was surprised. "Sirius didn't seem to utter an incantation just now."
"I did," Connor pointed to Kyle's robe. "During breakfast, an owl knocked over a bottle of pumpkin juice, and some of it splashed onto you.
"But now, those pumpkin juice stains have disappeared."
"Well," Kyle shrugged. "The Scouring Charm usually isn't useful in duels, but given the special circumstances, we couldn't exactly duel for the entire class, could we?"
"So you deliberately conceded?"
"I had no choice. He gave too much... a full fifty points!"
"Well, that's quite a lot," Connor couldn't help but laugh.
...
(End of Chapter)
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