The Most Dangerous Enemies Are the Unseen Ones
Lupin introduced the storage room to the students:
"If anything at the school breaks down and can't be completely repaired, it will be piled up here."
He picked up a short stick from the side, "Just like this Oakshaft 79, it was the first flying broomstick ever made."
The one Cedric took with him was relatively intact, but the small section he has is more abstract.
You can recognize them at a glance; either they have extensive knowledge of brooms, or they used to come here to explore frequently during their school days.
Lupin gave a brief account of the history of the area, and then let the students take a look around.
The pile of clutter was not only dirty, but also mostly useless junk.
"Alright, everyone come back!"
The students surrounded him.
"Places like these mazes always hide unseen dangers."
"So, can anyone tell me what kind of danger I'll encounter?"
Hermione quickly raised her little hand. "Professor, this environment is perfect for setting traps, and it's also a favorite place for some Magical Creatures to live."
"What are some of the more common Magical Creatures?"
She pondered for a moment.
"There are Boggart, Ghoul, Homorphus, Red Cap..."
Lupin nodded in satisfaction and added 2 points to Gryffindor.
He turned to look behind him, where the light was rather dim. "That's right, just as everyone guessed, one of the things Hermione mentioned is hidden here."
So, does anyone want to guess what it is?
Vincent was the first to raise his hand, "Red Cap."
Needless to say, Boggart could easily handle Ghoul and Homorphus with his bare hands, so he wasn't dangerous at all.
The remaining types aren't too difficult either, so the closest answer is the Red Cap of the XXXX level.
"Congratulations, Vincent, you guessed right."
Red Cap is a mischievous little creature that looks like Goblin and mainly lives in Northern Europe.
It has a large head and a small body, and its size is similar to that of a dwarf.
They usually lurk in bloodstained places such as castle dungeons and battlefield trenches, patiently waiting for lost people to come.
After nightfall, they will try to beat people to death with big clubs.
Although there are records of wizards being killed, they can be driven away with simple spells.
Lupin's wand glowed blue.
"The Red Cap themselves aren't particularly aggressive, but they are excellent at hiding, making them difficult to find even for adult wizards."
His wand pointed to a dim corner that the ceiling light couldn't reach.
"The range of the Revealing Charm is too small, and by the time they are discovered, it is too late."
There's a lot of junk and debris here, making it perfect for hiding and lying in wait.
However, Lupin's willingness to bring students here for classes suggests he is confident in his abilities.
"There are many spells that can find the Red Cap, but today I'm going to teach you a more practical one."
Lupin smiled at the students, then looked back at the dark corner the wand was pointing at.
"Apparition Trail— "
The blue light at the tip of the staff flew past like a drawn arrow.
It seemed to have no physical form, passing straight through a dilapidated old wardrobe and disappearing from sight.
The gaps in the wardrobe doors were glowing, indicating that something inside had been lit up.
"Sizzle—" It sounded like a faint tearing sound of clothes.
Lupin put away his wand and faced the students.
"I've already marked one of the Red Cap, and whatever it tries to do, the tracking spell will reveal its location."
The spell itself isn't particularly difficult; the main challenge lies in automatically locating and marking objects, which requires considerable skill.
The old wardrobe rattled and clattered, and a conspicuous blue ball of light emerged from it and began to wander aimlessly, as if searching for a better hiding place.
An unseen enemy is far more dangerous than a visible one.
Once the Red Cap is exposed, it's not even as troublesome as Ghoul or Homorphus.
Anyone want to give it a try?
"Me!" Vincent stepped to the front.
Lupin nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come over.
"The Tracking Charm can make a specific object glow continuously. If you're unsure whether there's danger ahead, you can use it to scan for it..."
After theory comes practice.
Vincent raised his wand and chanted the spell: "Apparition Trail— "
After the blue light shot out, four strange locations were vaguely sensed.
One of them, running around everywhere, was probably the one in the Red Cap marked by Lupin.
The ability to shape various alchemical tools allows one to easily make spells bend in mid-air.
It passed through a rusty iron gate and finally disappeared into the darkness.
"Very good, Vincent!" Lupin pointed to the light behind the iron gate.
"The second Red Cap is hidden there, which reduces their danger level considerably."
There are 4 in total, so of course we have to find them all.
"Harry, would you like to give it a try?"
Lupin's call on Harry left him somewhat bewildered.
Encouraged by Hermione and Ron, he stepped forward, raised his wand, and recited the spell.
The tracking spell circled around for a long time before passing through a large, broken mirror, revealing the location of the third Red Cap.
"You did it!" Ron was even more excited than Harry. "I knew you could do it!"
The last one belongs to Hermione.
Her tracking spell flew to the ceiling, then passed through a Scabbers iron frame in a very small arc.
"You're all great!" Lupin said with a big smile, adding 6 points to Gryffindor.
"Alright, now I'll teach you how to break the spell."
The markings on their bodies disappeared, and the four Red Cap quickly hid again.
"Hannah, it's your turn... Justin, come here... Relax, Ernie, you're next..."
Just like yesterday when dealing with the Boggart, the pace of the class is accelerating, giving every student a chance to cast a tracking spell.
Of course, there will be successes and failures.
Even Neville, who failed seven times, did not lose heart. On his eighth attempt, he successfully marked a Red Cap that was trying to move.
With 5 minutes left before the end of get out of class, all students have successfully marked their names.
Lupin, with a bright smile on his face, added 2 points to each of them.
"No homework today. Everyone go home and think carefully about what methods we should use to defeat the Red Cap."
The next Defense Against the Dark Arts will probably be a practical one, where we'll confront these Red Cap lurking and waiting for an opportunity to attack.
It wasn't boring at all; the students were really looking forward to next week's class.
"Of course we'll use the Stunning Spell!" Seamus suddenly drew his wand as he stepped out of the storage room.
"Just wait, I'll take them all down!"
He was so skilled that Dean, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but mimic his movements.
After joking around for a while, the two agreed to practice in the Club Room.
Vincent had just returned from his Arithmancy using the Time-Turner, was immediately surrounded by the Little Lions.
The party was no longer important; none of them wanted to embarrass themselves in the practical class.
"No problem, I'm free this weekend anyway."
Soon, the Little Badger and Little Eagle joined in.