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Chapter 79: Training Plan
Chapter 79: Training Plan
"Er... I wasn't really paying attention in class..." Harry's face flushed as he sheepishly pushed the book towards Theo.
Indeed, Theo had already guessed as much.
He flipped through Harry's textbook and sighed, "There are quite a few gaps in your notes, and you haven't quite grasped the key points. How about this—"
He waved his hand and raised his voice, "Guys!"
Everyone looked up at them.
"Harry needs to borrow your notes," Theo said, adding, "If you're not using them right now, that is."
"Okay—I'm pretty confident in Potions, so I'll need it back by next Monday." Michael sent over his Potions notes using a Floating Charm.
"I'm good at Astronomy," said Ryan. He lent not only his notes but also a book on the orbits of the stars.
"Um—” Neville also took out his notes: "For Herbology, I'm actually pretty similar to Theo."
"No, Neville, you're better than me." Theo said seriously, "Professor Sprout has been full of praise for you."
Neville's face turned a little red, and he scratched the back of his head, smiling shyly.
"You can refer to my notes for History of Magic and Transfiguration anytime." Hermione offered.
"Then I guess that leaves me with Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts." Ved directed several notebooks to float over, then added, "I assume you'll also need help with writing essays?"
Harry nodded hastily, stammering, "Yes! I... I'm not very good at writing essays..."
Later, Theo whispered to Harry, "Cherish Ved's notes, especially for Defense Against the Dark Arts. His notes are more comprehensive and easier to understand than what Professor Quirrell teaches in class."
"Thank you, Theo," Harry said gratefully.
"You're welcome," Theo replied with a gentle smile, "We're teammates now, aren't we?"
...
"When it comes to writing an essay on the Softening Charm, you can actually approach it from these five aspects, and use this model for future essays as well—a brief introduction, historical background, developmental changes..."
As Ved spoke, he drew a mind map on a piece of paper, starting with the title and listing five sections as the framework for the essay, with each section further divided into two or three smaller points...
No one had ever systematically taught Harry how to write an essay.
In fact, the vast majority of students at Hogwarts had not received any training in this area. Smart students gradually developed their own methods through numerous assignments, while less academically inclined students either referred to the work of their peers or scrambled to put something together haphazardly.
In Harry's previous public school, assignments were mostly an afterthought; while they occasionally wrote essays or compositions, they did so quite casually and with minimal word counts, a far cry from the foot-long essays assigned at Hogwarts.
Hearing Ved's explanation, Harry felt his mind clear and the confusion and uncertainty melt away. With each point Ved listed, Harry's mind buzzed with corresponding ideas, and he suddenly understood how to tackle this type of assignment. By the time Ved finished, Harry was eager to put all his thoughts down on paper, feeling that the seven inches of parchment assigned might not be enough to contain everything he wanted to write.
Of course, when he actually started writing, he found that translating his thoughts into an essay wasn't quite so simple, but completing the assignment was still far easier than it had been before.
Next was Charms practice, which was a hundred times easier for Harry than writing essays. With his innate talent, and with Ved's guidance, he demonstrated extraordinary magical sensitivity and comprehension, quickly mastering the basic spells and surprising everyone except Ved.
Amidst the admiring gazes of his peers, Harry's heart swelled with joy, and he felt as light as a feather. He pressed his lips together, striving to conceal his pride, but the unease and anxiety he had felt upon entering the classroom, along with the feelings of inferiority upon seeing others' notes, had all vanished. His green eyes sparkled with an indescribable vitality and brilliance.
"I'm really good at this," Harry whispered to himself, beaming with newfound confidence.
...
Ved checked the time and noted that curfew was only half an hour away. He clapped his hands, signaling a pause to those practicing spells.
"Everyone," Ved addressed the group, "a few days ago, we had a bit of a run-in with Malfoy and his cronies. Although they ended up on the losing end, we took a few hits as well."
His gaze swept over Harry, Neville, and Hermione.
"I've realized that simply knowing spells doesn't necessarily mean we can protect ourselves. If we lack practical combat skills and can't react quickly when faced with an attack, we'll still be at a disadvantage."
"You mean—" Michael interrupted, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "we should train our combat skills?"
"No, we can't do that!" Padma exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic.
Hermione hesitated, torn between curiosity and apprehension. "But what if someone gets hurt? We'll lose house points if we're caught!"
"Don't worry so much about house points, Hermione," Michael chided. "This is so cool! Can we start now, Ved?"
Ved surveyed the group, taking in their varied reactions. "Of course, we can't just jump into it without preparation. I assume everyone here knows a few minor jinxes, but those aren't suitable for use on our teammates, and they can be a hassle to heal, possibly even requiring a trip to Madam Pomfrey. So, before we spar, we need to master two basic defensive and offensive spells."
"Which spells?" Harry asked eagerly, his curiosity piqued.
"The Disarming Charm and the Shield Charm," Ved replied, meeting Harry's gaze.
"The Shield Charm?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. "We're not supposed to learn that until our fifth year!"
Harry, too, was astonished—not by the fact that they would be learning a fifth-year spell, but by Hermione's knowledge of their future curriculum. Had she already read ahead in their textbooks? As for Ved... Harry no longer felt surprised by anything he said. He felt that even if Ved claimed he could teach them how to Apparate, he would believe him without question.
"Indeed, the Shield Charm is considered an advanced spell and is typically taught in the fifth year," Ved admitted, subtly boasting about his own prowess. "I only mastered it a few days ago myself. But it's incredibly useful, as it creates an invisible shield around your body that deflects hexes and curses. However, it's not effective against extremely powerful spells, so keep that in mind."
Harry subconsciously touched his forehead, his fingers grazing the lightning-bolt scar. Neville tightened his lips, his expression turning solemn at the reminder of their shared vulnerability.
"As for the Disarming Charm, or Expelliarmus, it causes your opponent to lose their wand, rendering them virtually harmless since most witches and wizards are helpless without their wands."
Ved twirled his wand in his hand before grasping it firmly and addressing the group. "So, shall we begin with the Disarming Charm?"
[In the original novel, Harry learns the Disarming Charm in his second year during the Duelling Club sessions with Lockhart, who teaches it to them ahead of the regular curriculum. They learn the Shield Charm in their fourth year in preparation for the Triwizard Tournament, and it's also taught in the fifth year to Dumbledore's Army (with Hermione mastering it before Neville). Thus, the Shield Charm is typically taught in the fifth year and beyond.]
(End of Chapter)
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