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A gust of cold wind swept through the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. It dispelled the strong perfume Quirrell had used to mask Voldemort's presence and also cleared the drowsy minds of the young wizards.
Dracula looked at the students' energetic state and nodded with satisfaction.
'So, this is your first proper Defence Against the Dark Arts class, is it not?' He placed his hands on the lectern, leaned forward, and carefully examined each of the young wizards present.
'Yes, Professor,' the young wizards said in unison.
'Then it was indeed somewhat irresponsible of me to have Quirrell substitute teach.' Dracula, having just resolved his inner conflict with Nicolas Flamel, was in a very approachable mood.
He chuckled and even gave everyone a slight bow.
'This class has really been difficult for you all—I apologise.'
Seeing the professor—who exuded such a noble and profound aura—bow to them, the young wizards below immediately felt flattered. Any slight resentment in their hearts had long since vanished.
Enthusiastic applause rang out from below. All the young wizards looked at Dracula expectantly, anticipating the real Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson he was about to give.
Feeling the students' anticipation, Dracula took out a pure black wand in front of others for the first time.
The wand was 13 and a half inches long, jet black throughout. The handle at the back of the wand was carved with many magnificent patterns, with a deep aura faintly visible from the hollowed-out areas.
A transparent crystal was embedded in the tail of the wand, emitting a clear light—like a dark moon.
Ollivander had already crafted this wand a few days ago and sent it to Hogwarts along with the remaining materials.
Dracula held the wand. Perhaps because the wood and core had such a great connection with him, a feeling of perfect control arose spontaneously.
He waved his wand, and a bold line of writing appeared on the blackboard behind the podium—
What is Defence Against the Dark Arts?
Dracula turned to the side, allowing the young wizards to clearly see the writing, and then asked:
'Who can tell me, what is Defence Against the Dark Arts?'
Reflexively, Hermione in the first row raised her hand high.
Dracula nodded to her.
'Defence Against the Dark Arts, in short, is a course that teaches students how to protect themselves from the harm of the Dark Arts—including methods for dealing with dark creatures, dark magic, and duels!' Hermione said confidently.
'A very good recitation of the definition!' Dracula nodded in approval.
In fact, he himself did not know what the textbook definition was. But looking at the other young wizards' expressions of awe, he felt that this answer should be correct.
'What is your name?' he asked.
'Hermione Granger, Professor,' the young witch said proudly.
'Very good, Miss Granger. Gryffindor gains 5 points.' Dracula nodded to her, signalling her to sit down.
Then he continued, 'Of course, in my opinion, Defence Against the Dark Arts should not be so narrowly defined. What we need to defend against is far more than just dark magic and dark creatures.'
'The knowledge of defensive arts should be applied to every aspect of life. Whether it is when you are bullied by classmates or when you encounter ruffians and troublemakers outside, defensive arts can be used.'
'In the magical world, studying cultural subjects is to allow you to speak peacefully with scoundrels. Studying defensive arts is to make them speak peacefully with you!'
Listening to Dracula's words, the young wizards were a little dazed and also a little excited. They felt like they had opened the door to a new world.
'Of course, you are still young and do not have much magical foundation. At this time, you must learn to borrow other forces to defend yourself—such as alchemical armour, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method: call for help!'
A knowing laugh rang out in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
'Do not laugh, I am serious,' Dracula knocked on the lectern. 'For you young wizards, seeking the help of adults is not shameful. Rather, it is the wisest choice.'
'For example, when you go on adventures with adults, the most convenient way is to buy 2 Guardian Pendants. When you encounter danger alone, press the contact button on the pendant, and the other pendant paired with it will sound an alarm, leading your elders to your location.'
'In addition, the Red Sparks and Green Sparks spells can also play a good role in alarming and contacting. After you go back, preview them yourself. Next class, we will officially start learning these 2 spells.'
'However, I do not recommend that you use the Sparks spells to send signals when facing danger,' Dracula said. 'Because this signal will not only be seen by your friends and elders but will also expose your location to the enemy's sight.'
'So here it is necessary to mention some spells to conceal your figure, such as the Disillusionment Charm…'
Dracula stood on the podium and spoke eloquently. He fully utilised his thousands of years of life experience to make the most basic defensive arts knowledge lively and interesting. The young wizards below listened attentively. Even the students who were the least fond of studying felt that it was full of useful information and began to take notes with their quills.
Suddenly, the melodious sound of the Hogwarts bell rang to signal the end of class.
This Defence Against the Dark Arts class had already been delayed by more than half the scheduled time. Now that Dracula and the students had all entered a state of focus, time passed quickly. Before they knew it, it was time for the end of class.
Hearing the bell signalling the end of class, Dracula paused slightly.
It had been a very, very long time since he had experienced this feeling of time passing so quickly.
'Alright, that is all for today. When you go back, remember to preview the Green Sparks and Red Sparks in your textbook properly. I will check your preview progress next class.' He smiled lightly, put away his wand, and took out a grim wooden cross pendant from his pocket.
'In addition, since I have taught you so much knowledge about using external objects to defend yourselves, I also have some small gifts to give you.'
The centre of the cross pendant was engraved with an ancient runic symbol representing the moon. Unlike a church cross, its shorter horizontal bar is tilted slightly upwards, like a pair of unfolded wings.
'This is an amulet I made when I was bored. It can resist many dark magic spells and is quite practical.' Dracula held up the pendant to show the young wizards below. 'For years 1 to 3, the student with the best final exam score in Defence Against the Dark Arts in each year will receive this amulet.'
'So, study your Defence Against the Dark Arts well!'
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