Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 709 Mindset Transformation

The drizzle is about to stop, but the summer solstice has not yet arrived.

Loren and Hermione sat in the second row of the classroom by the window, with Harry and Ron behind them. It was the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the afternoon.

The good news brought by the owl postmen spread throughout the school in just a few minutes. Almost all the students knew that Voldemort was seriously injured and lying dormant. Their excitement and joy were palpable. With this feeling, the first day after the holiday ended was surprisingly effective in teaching.

Every word the professor uttered was met with a response, and every question was met with enthusiastic hand-raising from students. Even in the most tedious history of magic course, no one dozed off.

In mid-April, as the school year drew to a close, Defense Against the Dark Arts class entered its final chapter—general-purpose spells for dealing with dark magical creatures.

The title of this chapter seems to be about studying spells, but Professor Bashat does not focus on superficial spell learning and skill practice. Instead, he guides students to think and develop a comprehensive, systematic way of thinking. He first classifies dark magic creatures by analyzing their characteristics, and then matches them with the spells involved in this chapter, guiding students to think about specific solutions.

If textbooks contain many techniques, then Professor Bashat's lectures are about a way of thinking.

For example, the most typical ghost-type dark magic creature is the Dementor. These creatures do not have a tangible physical form, but exert influence on humans through magic and suck emotions and souls through their unique mouthparts. Therefore, conventional physical means and most magic are difficult to resist Dementors, let alone drive them away.

For a long time, both textbooks and traditional beliefs passed down orally among wizards have held that only the Patronus Charm can affect Dementors, and that the effect is significant.

This raises another question: how should wizards deal with Dementors-type dark magic creatures before the Patronus Charm was invented?

This raises further questions: If a wizard doesn't specifically learn the Patronus Charm, what can they do besides giving up to increase their chances of survival when attacked by Dementors in the wild?

This way of thinking about the feature matching curse is precisely to answer the above questions.

"Based on the characteristics of Dementors, since they are not tangible entities, we can first rule out spells that attack or defend on a physical level; the temperature drops when Dementors approach, so fire spells could be considered, which, even if they cannot drive away Dementors, can at least mitigate the effects of the cold on the body; a gathering of Dementors will create fog, so bright light spells could be considered..."

Grindelwald stood on the podium, his calm voice exuding confidence that deeply impressed the students.

The textbook lay quietly on the table. The students were used to Professor Bashat's teaching style. Most of the time, the textbook was just for show in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The professor's lectures were more profound and broader than what was in the book.

Occasionally, Professor Bashat's lectures would conflict with the textbook materials. At these times, Professor Bashat would stop, look through the textbook, and explain to the students, line by line, why there was a disagreement. In the end, the conclusion might not be right or wrong, but rather that the viewpoints in the textbook had limitations.

The rustling sound of the quill pen gliding across the parchment was exceptionally clear. Grindelwald waited quietly for them to finish taking notes before continuing, "We just analyzed the Dementors. Can anyone try analyzing the Infernals?"

Several more hands were raised high in the classroom.

The students are in high spirits today.

The sudden silence snapped Harry out of his daze. He glanced at the backs of the two people at the table in front of him, sensing their excited mood, sighed, and his eyes became unfocused and dim again.

The excitement belongs to them; he has nothing.

Grindelwald's gaze swept over Miss Know-It-All and her deskmate, though he tried his best to ignore them, but the boy was still clutching an excessively long wand and looked impatient.

"..."

Grindelwald's eye twitched slightly, and out of respect for the Elder Wand, he said, "Loren Morgan."

"Yes, Professor!" Loren's voice was light and his face serious. He only glanced at the professor out of the corner of his eye. "The Infernals are corpse puppets summoned by dark wizards using dark magic. They have no life and no consciousness. Conventional spells like Stunning and Repulsion Spells won't work. We should find a way to completely incapacitate them. Considering that Infernals often appear in groups, it's best to use spells with a wide coverage that can attack multiple targets at the same time. In addition, Infernals like dark and damp environments. We can conclude that if there is any way to deal with Infernals, powerful fire spells are the best solution."

The students in the class were already getting ready to take notes.

Grindelwald knew that the answer was fairly comprehensive, and could be described as clear and logical. However, the man was also using gestures while explaining, and the gestures were one thing, but the main problem was that he kept holding that ancient magic wand in his hand.

It looks like it was done on purpose.

Grindelwald glanced at him dismissively: "If you were still a fourth or fifth grader, this answer would be barely acceptable, but now that sixth grade is almost over, your analysis is still superficial, and your solutions are too general. I really don't know how you're going to take the ultimate wizarding exam next year."

"..."

Loren silently expressed his dissatisfaction in his heart.

The students' pens hovered over the paper, some avoiding eye contact with the professor. If their answers were barely passable, they would probably be considered freaks.

"You know perfectly well that the Infernals are corpses summoned by dark wizards, so why limit your focus to manipulated puppets?"

Grindelwald scanned the classroom: "I want you to remember that when you encounter such dangers in the wild, the first thing to do is to deal with the source, that is, the dark wizards. If that doesn't work, then consider confronting the Shadow Corpse head-on."

"Furthermore, you need to have a clear understanding of your own strength. Wizards with powerful magic and superb skills are only a very small minority. Most people cannot control powerful fire spells with a wide range, let alone use fire to deal with hordes of undead."

Loren paused for a moment, his feverish mind slowly calming down, and the excitement that had lasted all day began to subside.

When did this feeling of smugness and self-satisfaction begin?

Is it after defeating Voldemort, or after obtaining the Elder Wand?

He couldn't remember anymore; that very night he had thought the Elder Wand was inferior to his applewood wand...

Loren felt a sense of relief; thankfully, such a legendary wizard who once wielded the Elder Wand was his professor.

Grindelwald saw him put away the Elder Wand and replace it with the old applewood one. "Anyone want to try analyzing the Howling Banshee?"

"..."

This time, far fewer people raised their hands. Grindelwald called out to an old acquaintance, "Miss Granger."

"The Howling Banshee, also known as the Wraith, is a dark magic creature from Ireland and Scotland. It typically appears as a cloaked woman with a skeletal face, who cherishes her long hair. Her skin is greyish-white and glows green at night. The banshee's cry is similar to that of an adult mandrake; it can cause anything from unconsciousness to death. If you encounter a Howling Banshee at night, you can protect yourself by blocking your hearing..."

"A bit rigid, but detailed enough, five points for Gryffindor. I'd like to add a few points here..."

The students in the classroom picked up their pens and began to take notes. Several bright students were puzzled: the professor had added more information to Hermione's notes, so why did she get extra points?

After waiting for the students to stop writing, Grindelwald glanced at the clock on the wall; there was still half an hour left before get out of class ended.

"That concludes the theoretical section. Now, let's move on to group practice of the silent incantation."

"Okay, Professor."

The professor no longer needed to wave his wand. The students packed up their books, moved their desks to the wall and stacked them up to make room for practice, and the classroom began to glow with the light of spells.

The dozens of students in the advanced class progressed at different paces in mastering the silent spell. The faster students could already cast spells silently and quickly, while the slower students could only manage to release a few weak beams of light after half a minute of preparation. Grindelwald would usually pay special attention to a few slower students and provide them with targeted observation and guidance.

However, this class was an exception, and they very unusually went to the group that ranked first in the class.

Loren and Hermione caught sight of the professor approaching out of the corner of their eyes. Their spellcasting continued without pause, silently releasing the same spell at the same frequency, without prior consultation—a tacit understanding between the two.

Beams of light collided and burst open like fireworks. Grindelwald, silently watching the group cast over a dozen spells, stood beside Loren and said, "Having grown accustomed to the power of the Elder Wand, picking up an ordinary wand often brings a subtle sense of disorientation. Your ability to quickly adjust and consistently cast these spells proves you have complete control over your magic and your basic skills are very solid."

Loren glanced at his expression discreetly: "Has the professor had a similar experience?"

"You're more mature than me."

Grindelwald glanced at him sideways. "I was just as young as you back then. When I got the Elder Wand, I felt like the whole world was mine."

"..."

Loren and Hermione, recalling the old wizard's past and the glorious achievements of the Marauders, wisely remained silent.

"Here are some practice methods, which are my experience summaries, to help you master this wand more quickly, instead of being driven by the wand or overwhelmed by its powerful force."

Loren listened quietly to the instruction.

As the group was whispering among themselves, a sudden exclamation erupted from nearby.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright? How are you? I didn't mean to! I never imagined you'd get hit on the head by a knockback spell!"

Ron's voice, now that he was going through puberty, was exceptionally loud. He was seen half-squatting beside the unconscious Harry, shaking his head repeatedly.

Grindelwald knew what was going on from the cries, so he quickly went over, pushed aside Ron who was in the way, and examined Harry's head for a few moments: "It's just a fractured skull, nothing serious. A few of you take him to the infirmary."

Ron followed the professor out, wailing, "I didn't mean to, Professor! I really didn't expect him to get hit!"

"I know, he was daydreaming. I noticed it during class; he wasn't focused at all the whole time, and with your fighting skills, you definitely couldn't beat him..."

Ron paused for a moment, then his subsequent wailing became even more intense.

"..."

Behind the crowd, Loren and Hermione exchanged glances, blinked, and followed while talking to each other.

"What's wrong with Harry? He's been acting strange since this morning?"

"He probably misses his mother."

"That's good."

"Um?"

"Ginny suspects he's cheating on her with Romida Vannie and asked me to help keep an eye on things."

"When did this happen?"

Lunchtime.

……

"Ms. Pomfrey, how is he?"

"Don't worry, it's just a fractured skull."

Is it serious?

"It's not serious. I fixed it right away. I just need to lie here overnight to make sure it doesn't affect my brain."

"When will Harry wake up?"

"Hmm...look, he's awake!"

Harry opened his eyes and saw a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The light was diffused and the halo was blurry. He tried to see it more clearly, but his head was still throbbing and he felt dizzy, so he couldn't see anything clearly no matter what he did.

Before he could squint and see clearly, a cold hand pried his eyes open, and Madam Pomfrey's slightly blurry face came closer, waving her other hand in front of his eyes while observing his pupil reaction: "Harry, can you hear me? What number is this?"

"..."

As the tidal wave of noise subsided and his pupils gradually focused, Harry slowly made out the people surrounding the hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey was preparing the medicine, Ron was behind her, Loren was rummaging through a snack box at the foot of the bed, and Hermione was standing next to her.

More importantly, there was a pretty red-haired girl on the left side of the bed, her slightly furrowed brows full of worry.

"What happened?"

Harry didn't dare look Ginny in the eye. He slowly sat up, feeling an unusual heaviness in his head. He reached up and touched a large, hard bandage.

Ron scratched his head, grinned, and didn't answer.

Loren tore open the chocolate frog packaging and whispered a reminder, "There was a little accident during class practice, do you remember?"

Harry's head throbbed, and a series of images flashed through his mind. The last memory was a faint green light. He immediately opened his eyes wide and looked at the murderer. Just as he was about to say something, Madam Pomfrey shoved him back onto the pillow and forced him to drink a strange-tasting potion.

"Behave yourselves, kids. Don't overexert yourselves for a while." Pomfrey finished packing up the tray and stood up, reminding the group before leaving, "Be mindful of visiting hours; the patient needs quiet and rest."

Loren and Hermione exchanged a few silent glances, quickly reaching an agreement, and turned to leave without saying goodbye. Loren even grabbed Ron by the back of his collar and dragged him away with him.

The noisy ward immediately fell silent. Harry avoided the girl's gaze and waited quietly for her questioning, already mentally prepared.

He waited for a long time without hearing anything. When he turned his head to look, the girl was taking a pillow from the bed next to his. She held his shoulder and placed the pillow behind him to make him feel more comfortable. Her movements were smooth and natural.

Then she picked up the kettle, poured a glass of water, and handed it to him, her beautiful, bright eyes looking directly at him.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Harry's nose tingled, and he nodded emphatically, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)