Hogwarts: From Luna's House to Godhood Through Intense Competition

His original plan was to wait until the weekend to organize it into a paper and submit it to The Voice of Hogwarts.

“There’s actually such a method… It’s definitely worth a try!” After listening to Vizet’s explanation, Anthony nodded and wrote down the last few notes.

The other roommates did similar things, but none of them took notes as quickly as Anthony. They craned their necks to look at the notebook and filled in the content they hadn't written down yet.

……

The school bell rang, and Lu Ping entered the classroom just in time.

His complexion was rosy, and he looked much more energetic than at the opening banquet.

Seeing Michael and the others still going over their notes, he clapped his hands loudly to get their attention. "Everyone, tell me today's schedule!"

"Because we have two classes in a row, the first class will cover some textbook content... The second class after the break will be a practical class!"

"Practical lessons?"

The students perked up, but were also somewhat apprehensive.

Last year's first lesson was also a practical lesson, but unfortunately Gilderoy Lockhart messed it up and failed to leave a good impression on them.

“It must be Boggart!” Michael whistled. “Justin Finley told me! He’s a reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!”

"They also had a practical lesson, during which they encountered Peeves. Professor Lupin used a little spell to make Peeves run away cursing."

"It can make Peeves escape?" Chris asked incredulously. "Really?"

“I think it’s plausible! Even if it’s just judging by appearances…” Anthony said, “Look at his gray hair, that’s proof of his vicissitudes, it means he’s a wizard with a story!”

"Besides! On the Hogwarts Express, he cast the Patronus Charm! That's the mark of a powerful wizard! Although I don't know what kind of animal his Patronus is."

Chapter 164 The Repelling Spell of Defense Against the Dark Arts

Facing the expectant and curious gazes of the students, Lu Ping stepped onto the podium with a smile.

He said gently, "I know you may have many expectations and questions about Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"So before we officially begin, I'd like to share some of my thoughts on Defense Against the Dark Arts."

He maintained his smile, looking around the classroom to make sure the students were listening attentively.

"In my view, learning Defense Against the Dark Arts is not just about learning spells and spell counters..."

"More importantly, we must learn how to remain calm when facing danger..."

"This is a particularly important point: the more dangerous you are, the more you need to stay calm in order to protect yourself and the people around you."

He picked up the thick book, "Black Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense," and gestured to the students.

"Please turn to page thirty-four of 'Black Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense,' and let's begin with a relatively simple spell, namely the Repel Spell!"

"Putting oneself out of danger is undoubtedly a good way to defend oneself, and it fits the theme of Defense Against Dark Magic very well."

"Without a doubt, the repelling spell can do this. When you are in danger, use this spell to keep the danger away from you."

……

Lupin first used the contents of "Dark Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense" to guide the students through several practice sessions, familiarizing them with the various elements that would be used in the spell.

After making sure the students' incantations and gestures were correct, he raised his wand and chanted towards the back of the classroom, "Dummy, fly here!"

An armored dummy leaned forward and slid down the aisle in the middle of the table to his front.

Lupin rolled up his sleeves to his arms to make sure everyone could see the wand. "Now let me demonstrate... Please watch carefully the casting gestures..."

"First, draw a checkmark, then quickly flick it! When you're not so skilled, you can make a larger movement to ensure the accuracy of your gesture."

"When chanting the incantation, your speech must be clear and your will firm. If you cannot imagine that what is in front of you is an enemy, then imagine that it is something unpleasant, such as..."

"Homework papers! I bet a lot of people hate writing homework papers, unless you don't have to rewrite them even if they fail, and you still get a box of delicious chocolate frogs."

Hearing this, many students smiled knowingly.

In this relaxed atmosphere, Lupin raised his wand again, "Let's connect them all, draw a checkmark, and with a quick flick! The enemy will be pushed back three feet!"

The armored dummy was thrown backward and crashed into the wall with a loud bang.

"That's the effect of the repelling spell. The stronger your will and the more you want to keep danger away from you, the better it will be!"

He summoned the armored dummy in front of him again and used the knockback spell in a real combat manner. This time, his wrist had a very small arc, more like a violent shake, but it achieved the same effect.

……

Amidst the students' applause, Lupin smiled shyly, "Remember, you need to concentrate and have a firm will. Now, please take out your wands and begin practicing!"

The students picked up their wands and, following Professor Lupin's instructions, eagerly began practicing casting knockback spells.

Lupin walked back and forth in the classroom, patiently instructing each student and correcting their posture and pronunciation of the spells.

Vizette had already mastered this magic. In addition to helping answer his roommates' questions, he focused more on arithmetic divination when he was practicing.

Using his knowledge and practice in arithmetic divination, he deduced the name's numerology as "9" by repelling incantations.

In the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the number "9" is in a very important position, acting as a bridge that connects the past and the future.

That is why Lupin specifically emphasized the importance of "firm will";

Only when the repelling spell is cast with unwavering determination can the "9" acting as a bridge function better, conveying the caster's intention to keep the unpleasant things away.

The bell rang for the first class, and all the students present gained something.

Lupin returned to the podium and gave a brief explanation, "Everyone can move around a bit. We'll be heading to another place soon to begin our practical lesson."

……

Michael exclaimed excitedly, "Justin Finley wasn't lying! This professor is absolutely reliable!"

“But that shouldn’t be the case…” Anthony frowned slightly, thinking as he spoke, “He is indeed outstanding… but don’t you think he’s also quite down on his luck?”

“Under normal circumstances, such an excellent wizard should be able to get a good job even if he doesn’t become a professor here. Don’t you find it strange?”

“That makes so much sense…” Chris blinked. “I can’t argue with that.”

“Maybe he has some difficulties,” Terry guessed. “But that’s not something we should worry about.”

“Aren’t you curious about the next class?” Wizette asked. “If it’s confirmed to be Boggart, Professor Lupin might ask questions, which should earn us a lot of college credit.”

“Yes! Vizet is right!” Anthony nodded and opened “Black Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense”.

"Quickly review the Boggart material so you can get more points! What page is the Boggart on again?"

Vizette replied, "Page 110."

……

The school bell rang again, and Lu Ping led the students out of the classroom and down a corridor and down the stairs.

During their time there, they also encountered Peeves, who, contrary to his usual behavior, flew far away from them, clapping his hands and cursing, "Lupin the idiot... Lupin the idiot..."

“See…” Lupin recalled something pleasant, “We’ve had a few dealings recently, and this is the result of those dealings.”

"That silly little devil, it doesn't come near me much anymore, afraid that I'll suddenly cast a spell on it. If it doesn't react in time, it'll definitely embarrass itself and will have no choice but to hide from me."

"As I said at the beginning, when we face danger or unpleasant things, we must remain calm and find ways to solve the problem or get away from the danger."

Mischievous Ghosts indeed dared not approach, and did not even throw chalk at them;

According to the information Michael obtained from Hufflepuff, a similar incident actually occurred the day before yesterday, where Peeves hid far away and threw chalk at the students.

Lupin retaliated, using magic to flick the chalk back, which even got stuck in Peeves' nostril.

Lupin led the students down the stairs, and the cursing of Pippi disappeared.

Turning into a quiet corridor, he explained, "The previous Boggart was too tired and seems to have moved out of the faculty lounge, so we'll have to find another one to practice with."

There was another classroom at the end of the corridor. He quickened his pace, turned the doorknob, and said, "This is it. Hopefully, it's not that exhausted Boggart from before."

Chapter 165 Boggart, who changed without anyone knowing.

The classroom door creaked open, and a musty smell wafted out.

The classroom was dimly lit, with a few rays of sunlight slanting in through the old curtains, casting a deep, eerie light and shadow over the entire room, giving it a somewhat chilly feel.

Several dilapidated desks and chairs lay scattered at the base of the wall, some of them even collapsed, with fragments of wood strewn all over the ground, like rough tombstones on a desolate grave in the wilderness.

In the corner, discarded teaching materials and books were piled up, and the old chandelier hanging from the ceiling was teetering on the verge of falling, occasionally making a slight creaking sound, as if it might fall down at any moment.

Overall, the classroom had clearly been tidied up; otherwise, there would have been little dust, and such a large empty space in the middle.

Lupin walked to the far end of the classroom. "I've spent quite a bit of time searching for this Boggart. So, the first question is, why is there a Boggart here?"

With Wizette's reminder, the roommates were clearly prepared.

Upon hearing Lupin's first question, Anthony Goldstein immediately raised his hand, "Boggarts like to lurk in dark, narrow, and old places."

"For example, in this old, cramped classroom, or to be more precise, its real hiding place is... that cabinet in the corner!"

As Anthony said, there was a locker in the corner of the classroom, the locker door was closed, and there were still traces of cobwebs on the edge.

Seemingly sensing everyone's gaze, the locker unexpectedly tilted backward, hitting the wall with a loud "thump".

The sudden commotion still caused a few students to gasp in surprise, and the lockers seemed to enjoy their reaction, moving even more violently.

"Excellent! Ravenclaw gets five points!" Lupin exclaimed, drowning out the sounds of the collision echoing in the classroom.