Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 456 Defense Against Dark Arts Lesson
The once bustling corridor suddenly became quiet.

“Ah, I bet it’s your cat, isn’t it?” Sirius stopped and looked Tom up and down. “What do you feed it? I’ve never seen such a big cat.”

“Actually, I rarely feed it.” Celen picked up Tom and gently soothed its tense back. “Usually, Tom will go to the Forbidden Forest to find food when it’s hungry; there’s plenty of food there.”

“That’s true,” Sirius said. “When I was in school, I used to see rabbits and chipmunks all the time in the fields, but now they seem to be less common.”

"They were probably all eaten by Hagrid's pets; those big guys reproduce pretty quickly," Siron said.

He put Tom back on the ground and gently patted its head.

"Stop causing trouble here, go play somewhere else with your little brother."

Tom didn't run away immediately. Instead, he looked back at Sirius again, his pupils shrinking into thin lines, his face showing human-like doubt and wariness.

Tom only turned around and, with Crookshank in tow, darted downstairs after Celen kicked it in annoyance.

After this little incident, everyone followed Sirius back into the classroom.

“First of all, I must say I’m very disappointed.” Sirius walked to the podium and shook his head slightly. “You’re all far too disciplined. I deliberately arrived five minutes late, and you were just waiting in the hallway like this?”

With a whoosh, Hermione raised her hand high.

“Please speak, Miss Granger.”

“Professor, we are supposed to follow the school rules,” she asked. “What’s wrong with that?”

“It has nothing to do with right or wrong, it just proves that you are all good children,” Sirius said with a smile. “But Miss Granger, if I don’t show up for one or even two classes, are you going to stand in the hallway the whole time?”
“If we open the door and go inside, you can study on your own, and at least you can sit more comfortably, right?”

Hermione frowned.

Although Sirius's words sounded reasonable at first glance, a closer look reveals that they were all fallacies and were simply an attempt to entice them to break school rules.

“In this respect, the seventh graders are better than you,” Sirius continued. “Fred and George, I’m sure some of you know them… Honestly, seeing them reminds me of myself when I was in school, it’s so nostalgic.”

"But now I finally understand why those professors sighed when they saw me. Those clever little devils are really a headache."

Laughter filled the classroom.

Sirius Black did not hide or embellish his past after becoming a professor; he told everyone directly that he had once been a mischievous student.

This honesty instantly won him the favor of many students.

Except for Hermione.

As a friend, Sirius is impeccable, but as for the professor… honestly, she has only said one sentence so far, which is already quite restrained.

“Now, please put all the books away. We don’t need those things,” Sirius continued. “After all, Aurors don’t catch dark wizards by reading textbooks.”

With a flick of his wand, Harry's textbooks closed automatically and jumped into the bag next to him.

Everyone immediately did as instructed.

After a rustling sound, Sirius Black returned to the podium.

“Let me think about what to do.” He said to himself, “Okay, first, let’s introduce myself, although I’ve said the same thing twice already…” “Sirius Black, that’s me.” He pointed to himself.

"He was also a fugitive who killed twelve Muggles, a traitor, or a loyal servant of Voldemort. I must have had a title that you are familiar with. I remember my photos were everywhere back then."

The students began to whisper among themselves again, their memories seemingly returning to two years ago, to that tense and turbulent time.

"but……"

Sirius raised his voice, drawing everyone's attention back.

“If you’ve read the Daily Prophet, you’ll know that I’ve been officially declared innocent. The Ministry of Magic spent months proving my innocence, and the Aurors confirmed that they couldn’t find any trace of Voldemort in my memory… Although it wasn’t a pleasant time, it was worth it.”

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from below. People clapped enthusiastically, even Hermione was clapping vigorously, and Harry clapped so hard that his hands turned red.

That's so genuine.

"Alright, everyone, there's no need for that," Sirius Black waved his hands repeatedly.

The students gradually quieted down.

“I’m really bad at handling these kinds of enthusiastic situations,” Sirius said with a sigh of relief. “Alright, let’s get back to the main topic: the upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts class.”

Hermione immediately sat up straight.

"Don't be nervous, Hermione... well, Miss Granger, just treat this as a friendly chat."

Sirius laughed and said, "I must admit, it's difficult for me to tell you such comprehensive and detailed knowledge as Professor Lupin. Let's put it this way, some of you probably know that we were classmates, but my grades over seven years probably don't even equal his grades in one year."

Another burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

“But I also have my strengths,” Sirius continued. “My combat skills are pretty good. If it weren’t for the lack of certificates, I could have become an Auror right after graduation.”

"So I've decided to teach you my strengths. As for the theoretical knowledge in the books... if you don't understand anything, you can ask Miss Granger. To be honest, she's the smartest witch I've ever met."

Hermione was stunned; she hadn't expected her to be involved here.

When she noticed the stares coming from all directions, her face flushed red, and she sat there awkwardly.

“Sirius is truly something else,” Ron whispered to Harry. “He’s probably the only one who would admit in class that he’s not as good as a student.”

Harry nodded.

He knew Sirius was different from the other professors, but he hadn't expected him to be this special. Moreover, the practical application of Defense Against the Dark Arts was something he excelled at and enjoyed.

"Alright, let's begin our first lesson." Sirius clapped his hands, and the classroom door slammed open.

“This place is a bit small, so I’ve prepared a larger stage in the outdoor area.”

“Prefects…” He glanced at Harry, his gaze lingering on the prefect badge on his chest, “get everyone lined up quickly, we need to get to the real classroom.”

……

(End of this chapter)