Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 253 A Sudden Increase in the Spirit of Learning

The others weren't much better off, except for Hermione, who looked relatively clean. Even when she returned to the classroom, she still had pink bubbles floating around her, which surprised Harry greatly.

While everyone was still looking for seats, Harry quickly whispered to her, "What happened to you—?"

"Cleansing Charm!" Hermione said succinctly, and although she was staring at the podium, Harry inexplicably felt that she was looking at him sideways.

It's filled with the disdain of top students for those who struggle: "One of the simplest life mantras, I just don't understand why none of you use it!"

"Well----"

Is it possible that nobody knows how to do it?

Recognize and trust, it's super reliable.

Vaughn and Isabella walked onto the stage, and they could still see the bewildered looks in the eyes of the young wizards below.

What exactly did we just go through?

Is it a dream or a hallucination?

That disorienting feeling—as if they had experienced battle and adventure, yet also as if they hadn't—clearly exceeded their brain's processing capacity.

Seeing the little ones' bewildered expressions, Isabella, just as she had said in her little world, seemed very happy: "How did everyone feel about the first practical lesson?"

The young wizards below the stage looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even Hermione, who is usually positive and thoughtful, was at a loss for words for a moment.

Isabella squinted her eyes happily: "I know you're all confused. The practical lesson didn't give you any preparation, not even a goal. You were just driven into the forest by a sudden threat, tormented by giant wolves and all the obstacles along the way—"

"but!"

Isabella's smile vanished abruptly: "This kind of confusion, suddenness, and being caught off guard is exactly what you'll encounter in reality. Anything that happens in reality—accidents, chance encounters, surprise attacks—when danger strikes, it won't wave you on and say, 'Hey, I'm coming, get ready'—reality doesn't offer any kind of preparedness!"

"Crisis usually comes unexpectedly. Slowly tidying up the equipment, opening the books, and elegantly, formulaically, and neatly handling the preconditions—that's not practice, much less the essence of Defense Against the Dark Arts. It might appear in Potions class, but it will never appear in my practical class!"

Listening to Professor Rosier's serious words on the stage, Harry's thoughts wandered a bit—how exactly was Professor Rosier humiliated by Snape when she was still a student, to the point that she couldn't forget it and would seize any opportunity to retaliate?

That makes me really curious!

Of course, it was just a fleeting moment of curiosity.

Professor Rozier's summary on the stage was coming to an end: "—In short, practical courses are courses that emphasize suddenness, on-the-spot adaptability, and the integration of various disciplines. Don't feel confused or regretful. Today is the first lecture, just a simple test."

"Throughout the semester, we have plenty of time for you to gradually experience the charm of this completely different course. Therefore, I'm not in a hurry to grade your performance; grading at this point would obviously be unfair. Of course, I must emphasize again—"

'

As she spoke, she looked in Harry's direction.

But Harry quickly realized that she was looking at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, at the very first moment the squad was attacked by the giant wolf, she accurately determined the significance of the wolf's appearance, and during the escape, she remained vigilant, discovering the Devil's Web immediately and taking countermeasures—her adaptability and knowledge far exceeded my expectations. Therefore, 10 points are added to Gryffindor!"

All eyes in the classroom immediately turned to Hermione.

The atmosphere in the classroom, which was somewhat detached due to everyone's confusion, was broken by the applause of the Gryffindors.

At this moment, even the Slytherins didn't contradict him; led by Malfoy, they reluctantly offered their applause.

Hermione's face flushed red, and she couldn't help but look at Vaughn.

Vaughn was also watching her, smiling and clapping softly.

As the applause subsided, Isabella continued, "Alright, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class is temporarily over. Now I'm assigning homework. When the Defense Against the Dark Arts class begins next week, I need you to submit a five-foot-long paper detailing all your encounters and coping strategies during this practical class, as well as any decisions you realize were wrong or inappropriate, and providing new solutions—"

A wailing erupted from the audience.

Isabella didn't care. Even a few years ago, when she was a student, she loathed homework. But what could she do? It wasn't her doing the homework now.

Although the homework assigned at the end was something everyone hated, after class, the young wizards, who had gradually recovered from their previous state of shock, still discussed the new course with great interest, as well as their nightmarish experience not long ago.

"It felt awful, yeah, awful!" Seamus complained, but his expression was animated as he recounted their team's ordeal to the other students: "We were scattered by the giant wolf squad in the very first moment, and poor Neville was bitten through the heart in a single encounter—"

Of course he's not dead, Neville is standing right here, but he's injured, blood is gushing out like a fountain—he's been healed, don't interrupt, listen to me—"

Beside Simo, Dean, and Neville, Parvati and Lavender, looking visibly shaken and pale, boasted: "What? You were all bitten on the foot by something that looked like a cabbage and wiped out? You were really unlucky. We were a little better off; we encountered a bird-snake—that's what Parvati said, supposedly a very rare and magical creature—"

"Yes, I saw it in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. They are very dangerous magical creatures."

"Yes, it's terrifying. Can you imagine what it would be like to be swept away by a giant snake, at least 30 feet long, flying through the air and creating a gust of wind just by flapping its wings?"

On the other side, Slytherin was not to be outdone. Malfoy raised his head arrogantly: "—Giant wolves? How could I possibly be afraid of those wolf cubs? They can't even make me use a second dark spell—"

"Oh, black magic" 7

"Dark magic! The dragon emerges from its lair! My dad taught me this during summer vacation; it summons a highly venomous snake, and that giant wolf was instantly killed by it—"

"But, Malfoy—"

A crisp sound suddenly broke in.

The little snakes turned around and saw Hermione Granger standing behind them, holding a book: "—I saw the little snake you summoned hanging from the giant wolf's paw, doing absolutely nothing. Was I mistaken?"

"You—" Draco Malfoy's face turned red and purple.

Hermione continued, "So I think that tiny snake might not be the true form of the dark magic, right? It's probably the caster's fault! I suggest you don't try to use it against the giant wolves next time. You might not hurt them and just anger them instead. After all, getting bitten by a bug isn't a pleasant experience."

After saying that, she tossed her hair and turned to leave.

Harry and Ron, who were secretly laughing, quickly followed.

No one cares how Malfoy will end up after his lie is exposed.

Harry caught up with Hermione and gave her a thumbs up: "That was such a sharp wit, Hermione. You should have seen Malfoy's face; it looked like paint had been spilled on it—"

Hermione interrupted his praise: "I wasn't being sarcastic!"

"what?"

"That was my sincere advice, as was yours and Ron's." Hermione's expression was serious. "Your performance wasn't much better than Malfoy's, or rather, purely in terms of spells, you were worse than Malfoy."

He saw a familiar light in Hermione's eyes.

Harry and Ron stopped abruptly and turned to run away.

But Hermione called out, "For the rest of the time, until Defense Against the Dark Arts class starts next week, you must study with me. Now, come with me to the library!"

"Do—do what?"

"I'll borrow the books you'll be reading this week!"

Harry and Ron watched as Hermione lowered her head and quickly scribbled the book titles on the parchment: *Common Spells*, *The Complete Book of Defense Against the Dark Arts*, *The Theory of Defense Against the Dark Arts*, *Defense and Deterrence Spells*, and *A Collection of Self-Defense Spells*.

I keep writing more and more.

The two exchanged a glance, and suddenly felt a darkness ahead—

The phrase "practical class" became incredibly popular at Hogwarts Castle.

Although it had been a topic of great interest to young wizards before, after the first week of school, when the second-year Gryffindor and Slytherin students finally had their first formal classes, it suddenly became the most pressing concern for all the students.

In other words, Hogwarts doesn't have a trending topics list, otherwise it would be one of the top trending topics.

Although at the end of the practical course, Professor Isabella Rozier asked the second-year lions and snakes to keep it a secret from the students of the other two houses and the upperclassmen of other years—first-year students were not included in the practical course.

But expecting the young wizard to keep it a secret is wishful thinking.

Less than a day later, the giant wolf, the devil's web, and the Chinese man-eating cabbage (the third-year student asked Professor Sprout about this magical plant during the last herb class that afternoon) —

Real combat, adventure, and fantastical creatures you've never encountered before.

In the monotonous castle where one had to struggle with books every day, and where the air was filled with the smell of ink and parchment, it was so novel and interesting.

That evening, in the Great Hall and the common room, the second-year wizards from both houses were surrounded by other students and upperclassmen.

Everyone was asking about their experiences in the practical class.

Although some of them were very dangerous, such as Seamus always saying things like, "Neville was bitten through the heart by a giant wolf" and "blood gushed out".

But that still couldn't stop everyone's longing for practical lessons.

Compared to the dull days spent holed up in a dark castle, reading until the wee hours and feeling like a walking corpse, practical classes are much more exciting.

Not to mention, what the second graders experienced was just the first trial. It is said that a lot of content will be unlocked gradually according to different progress and different grades.

I'm incredibly excited!

Therefore, the practical classes of the other two houses on the second day were highly anticipated, with many upperclassmen finding all sorts of ways to skip class and ambush the young wizards of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, hoping to get firsthand information.

Those who had already attended the classes did not slack off.

Although everyone boasts about how they dealt with giant wolves and defeated monsters, they know the truth themselves.

Only Harry Potter's group actually made it through the first hurdle, thanks to Hermione Granger.

All other teams were stopped at the first checkpoint.

Some people, like Harry and his friends, encountered the Devil's Web in their first challenge, while others encountered creatures like the Chinese Man-Biting Cabbage, the Bird Snake, and the Invisible Beast.

Naturally, books describing these amazing creatures became the most borrowed books in the library the following week.

In particular, the most comprehensive and detailed account of magical creatures, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," was in such high demand that the library's 10 latest editions were in short supply. In the end, Mrs. Pince had to bring out the older editions that had been sitting in the warehouse to relieve everyone's thirst for them.

Nobody wants to be stuck at the first hurdle again when classes start next week.

After all, Professor Rozier said that adventures are rewarded!

Although the professor didn't say what the reward was, the young wizards weren't stupid. Vaughn Weasley was a teaching assistant and the main facilitator of the practical classes, so there must be something he provided in the reward.

Even the most ignorant people know how rich the Potions Master is. For example, if Vaughn just puts some of his brewed potions into the rewards, he can exchange them for a large sum of money!

For example, the twins had their eyes on this money.

To prepare, speed up their exploration, and increase their chances of getting rewards, Fred and George gritted their teeth and ordered a copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" through an owl.

However, after the books arrived, the two of them didn't even look at them, because they discovered a new business opportunity: lending the books to people who couldn't rent them for 5 nats per hour!

It's not just the library that's affected by practical courses.

There are also professors from other disciplines.

Pomona Sprout, the headmistress of Hufflepuff College and professor of herbal medicine, was the first to admit that she provided Chinese biting cabbage and devil's web for the practical classes.

Of course, Professor Sprout had some reservations about this.

Putting aside the Devil's Web, she believed that Chinese biting cabbage should not be exposed to students below the fourth grade, even though she knew that Vaughn had developed a magic potion that paralyzed biting cabbage and reduced its attack power.

The second is the class on protecting magical creatures.

Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who is missing an arm and a leg, has never been more popular than he is now; in the past, students had been afraid of him because of his prosthetics and scars.

But now, even when he's not in class, young wizards come to visit him in droves, including second-year students who don't take the elective course on protecting magical creatures.

"Oh—what a bunch of sweethearts!"

During dinner on Thursday, Professor Kettleburn, who was in a good mood and giving a lecture, was asked about his birthday by a student. It seemed that the student was planning to give him a birthday present on November 22nd. He was so moved that he burst into tears.

He even leaned close to Isabella and suggested, "Do you need me to offer something more exciting? I have to say, your and Vaughn Weasley's strategy is too conservative; those guys living in the Forbidden Forest aren't that fierce at all."

"They've been around Hagrid for so long that they've lost their wildness. Only those giant spiders are somewhat impressive. The truly formidable creatures come from Africa, the Arctic tundra, and the South American rainforest—I can get my hands on venomous leopards, venomous horned beasts, and long-horned water snakes!"

Then, he was pushed aside by Professor McGonagall, whose face was ashen. If it weren't for his old age and pitiful appearance, the vice-principal would have fined him!

In fact, Professor McGonagall was not immune to the "harassment" from the young wizards either.

On Wednesday, during a practical lesson for third-grade students, the Ravenclaws, who had gathered information and prepared cheat sheets beforehand, suffered a serious setback—

Their first challenge wasn't the magical creatures they had encountered before, but rather shape-shifting, stealthy monsters!

The careless Ravenclaws were completely unaware that their teammates had been secretly replaced by stealth monsters. These monsters transformed into people familiar to the others, then led them step by step into a deadly situation, before suddenly revealing their true forms at the last moment, savoring their despair, and dragging them into the swamp.

Afterwards, the third-year Ravenclaws were too afraid to approach each other, seeing everyone as a Hidden Monster in disguise. One can imagine the psychological shock they experienced in the Small World, witnessing familiar faces who had been laughing and helping each other just moments before suddenly transform into monsters.

Ravenclaws' firsthand experience made the cloaked monster an instant star "monster" of Hogwarts Castle.

After all, nobody wants to take a risk and then suddenly find their best friend or buddy tearing off their mask.

That will give you nightmares!

However, after reviewing the information, everyone discovered that the Hidden Monster had almost no weaknesses. It was extremely strong, and its sharp claws and teeth could easily tear apart the Iron Armor Charms of young wizards. Even adult wizards would not be able to withstand it if they acted rashly.

Their fur also inherited the magic resistance of the invisible monsters, while their muscles inherited the "immortality" of the ghouls. Most spells are ineffective against their sticky muscle tissue.

Aside from black magic.

Worst of all, according to information provided by Ravenclaw, the Lurkers can transform into various objects in addition to human form.

If you can't subdue them quickly, then you'll have to be careful of every tree, every blade of grass, every stone, and even every piece of land around you. No one can say for sure whether the soil is made from them.

These terrifying monsters also possess powerful sensory abilities, meaning you can't escape them even if you want to, and hoping to shake them off is simply a pipe dream.

Moreover, neither Fantastic Beasts nor Professor Kettleburn provided any weaknesses for the Hidden Monster.

Books and professors teach how to protect magical creatures, not how to harm them.

Fortunately, we are not entirely helpless.

A seventh-grade student who will be participating in NE this year offered an idea amidst his busy schedule: since the ability of the stealth monster is to transform, could the Transformation spell be used to fight them?

As soon as this hypothesis was put forward, Professor McGonagall was surrounded by young wizards.

Of course, no one dared to directly ask the vice-principal how to deal with the stealth monster, but the little wizard always managed to find a tricky angle.

For example, suppose they are facing an enemy who is skilled in shapeshifting, what shapeshifting techniques can they use to counter his magic?

Simply changing the person you're talking to, not giving a specific name, taking shortcuts, and being unproductive suddenly becomes "asking for advice" or "being eager to learn."

Good at thinking.

Professor McGonagall's personality meant she couldn't refuse her students' love of learning.

In addition to these already well-known professors, some other professors who are usually overlooked have also gained attention from students because of their practical courses.

For example, astronomy class.

This brings us to Friday, when the sixth graders have their practical class—the fifth graders, like the first and seventh grades, are not participating in the practical class because they are preparing for online classes.

They encountered a group of Moon-obsessed Beasts.

These seemingly harmless creatures, who only know how to dance foolishly to the full moon in their little world, have caused a lot of trouble for the sixth graders.

They were all captivated by the moon-worshiping dance.

No one knows what magical ritual Vaughn or Professor Rozier designed for the Moonfoxes, but in any case, the originally harmless Moon Dance suddenly became a deadly weapon!

Afterwards, no one was willing to mention what happened. The junior wizards guarding the entrance to the small world only saw the sixth-year students supporting each other, one limping and the other blushing as they walked out of the corridor.

Some say they are like Harry Potter from last semester, manipulated by a mysterious force, performing all sorts of difficult dance moves.

Some say that after being bewitched, they also regarded themselves as Moon-obsessed Beasts, completely replicating the behavior and habits of Moon-worshipping Dance and Moon-obsessed Beasts.

But in any case, judging from Harry last semester, being charmed must be a terrible and socially dangerous thing.

So starting on Friday, the whole castle was once again abuzz with the study of magical rituals.

As ancient magical techniques that have been phased out, magical rituals are not within the scope of Hogwarts' teachings. Normally, professors of the history of magic might teach some of these techniques when teaching the history of the development of magic, but—Professor Binns, who has become a ghost and can't even remember his students' names now, is obviously not someone to be relied upon.

Later, it was Professor Flitwick, with his witty personality and love of joining in the fun, who offered some guidance: "When you're considering magical rituals, why do you only focus on the full moon worshipped by the Moon-obsessed Beasts? In ancient magic, celestial phenomena are a rather grand concept. The moon is only one part of the ritual; it's important, but not absolute. The stars also play a crucial role in it—"

A word to wake up the dreamer!

In all of Hogwarts, who is more authoritative on the study of stars than Professor Aurora Sinestadt?

Of course, no one paid attention to her in the past. In the end, astronomy is a declining discipline. It was very important in ancient times, but it could not be integrated into the modern magic system. In modern times, it has become an appendage of divination.

A discipline that originally studied the movement of planets, stars, and star clusters is now teaching young wizards to interpret the astrological meanings of constellations in the field of divination.

Just like how Muggle astronomy classes teach how to interpret love and fortune according to constellations.

It has to be said that this is a tragedy.

Isabella told Vaughn that Professor Aurora Sinister found her on Friday night, crying her eyes out.

She knew that Vaughn and Isabella had deliberately transformed the Moonfox's moon-worshiping dance into a moon-worshiping ritual with magical effects.

She knew that the two had designed this challenge to deliberately encourage the young wizard to focus on an obscure subject like astronomy.

"I know, I understand your good intentions. Some disciplines have been neglected for too long, and it seems that their only meaning is tradition."