Professor Green's Practical Lesson

Linley nodded and said, "Of course! What kind of good stuff is it? A new toy from Zonko's Joke Shop?"

Fred chuckled. "What new toy? It's even more exciting than a toy!"

George said, "See you tonight!"

After bidding the Weasley twins farewell, Linley headed to the underground Potions classroom.

It was a large classroom located underground, spacious enough to hold at least twenty young wizards. The shelves along the walls were packed with glass jars containing animal specimens soaked in solution. There was also a cabinet for magical ingredients, stocked with all sorts of raw materials students from every year might need when brewing potions.

The Potions classroom was far colder and gloomier than the other classrooms in the castle. Linley did not know whether it was because of the dim lighting or the creepy animal specimens on the shelves.

Bang!

The door to the Potions classroom suddenly flew open, and Professor Snape, dressed in black robes, strode in as though he came with his own gust of wind.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," Professor Snape began. His voice was barely louder than a whisper, yet everyone heard every word clearly. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic."

"I do not expect you will really understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron, white smoke rising from it and waves of fragrance drifting out. Nor will you truly understand the mysterious power of liquids that flow into people's veins, stirring the heart and clouding the mind..."

"However, for the select few who possess intelligence, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to brew fame, bottle glory, and even stopper death—but only if you are not the kind of bumbling fools I so often encounter."

As Professor Snape spoke, he folded his arms across his chest, looking for all the world like a great bat.

The entire classroom was silent at that moment. Nearly everyone was stunned by Snape's words.

Linley, seated in the back, was extremely excited. After all, this was another iconic scene!

Unfortunately, Linley would already be a second-year student next year. Otherwise, he would have liked to witness Professor Snape's iconic three-question interrogation of Harry.

The Potions class proceeded smoothly. Professor Snape divided the young wizards into pairs and instructed them to mix and brew a simple potion for treating boils.

Paired with Linley was Irvin Fleury, who had spoken to him at the previous night's feast.

"I'll handle the ingredients, and you brew the potion. How about it?"

Irvin asked.

Linley nodded in agreement. Irvin quickly weighed out dried nettles, crushed snake fangs, and handed each prepared ingredient to Linley.

Linley added the ingredients to the cauldron one by one and brewed them. He had studied the Potions textbook in advance. Though he had never practiced it himself, his experience from chemistry class in his previous life meant he was not as prone to mistakes as the other young wizards.

Before long, the potion was finished. They were the first group in the classroom to complete their brew.

Snape walked over. He picked up a drop of potion with his fingertip and held it before his nose for a sniff.

"An ordinary potion. Nothing remarkable. However, because you were the fastest to complete it and made no mistakes, Slytherin receives five points!"

Professor Snape said blandly.

After Potions came lunchtime. In the afternoon, Linley and the others had only one class: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Valison Green, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, arrived in the classroom on time.

Just like Valison Green on the Chocolate Frog card, Professor Green was a very stern-looking man. Deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a trace of barely perceptible gloom, perhaps caused by his past experiences.

"Please put down your textbooks. You will not need them in my class. Today, we will learn general methods for dealing with certain Dark creatures."

Professor Green swept his gaze across the classroom and spoke slowly.

"Remember, you are wizards, and a wand is your best tool for solving most problems. Perhaps your textbooks believe that, as first-years, you do not need to learn defensive magic, but this is my classroom. I do not accept your textbooks' recommendations." As Professor Green spoke, he picked up a cage covered with red cloth from behind him.

Professor Green removed the cloth. Inside the cage was a juvenile Acromantula that appeared to have been petrified. Clearly, Professor Green had just caught it from the Forbidden Forest.

"The Full Body Bind is a spell that can effectively eliminate an opponent's threat. Whether it is a Dark creature or a Dark wizard, both can be controlled by the Full Body Bind. It is one of the spells I consider most suitable for you to learn."

"The incantation for the Full Body Bind is: Petrificus Totalus. Its effect is to force the target's arms and legs tightly together, making their entire body rigid."

"Finite Incantatem!"

As Professor Green spoke, he lifted the spell on the juvenile Acromantula in the cage.

"Watch my demonstration carefully! Petrificus Totalus!"

Professor Green reminded the young wizards, then elegantly flicked the black wand in his hand.

A pale gray beam burst from the tip of his wand and struck the juvenile Acromantula in the cage with lightning speed. The Acromantula had only just been released from the spell and had not even recovered before it was hit again.

Its eight legs immediately snapped tightly together, and its entire body became stiff as a board before it toppled over inside the cage.

After finishing his demonstration, Professor Green took out more than twenty cages from behind him. Each cage held a lively juvenile Acromantula.

"Your task today is to successfully cast the Full Body Bind once. As long as you petrify the Acromantula before you, it counts as a success! The first person to successfully cast the spell will receive 10 House points!"

Professor Green distributed the cages as he spoke to the young wizards.

Upon hearing Professor Green's words, all the young wizards grew excited.

The little lions of Gryffindor in particular were all eager to get started, ready to give it everything they had.

That was a full 10 House points!

Even the House points Linley had earned in Transfiguration class and Potions class combined only came to 9 points. Yet in this Defense Against the Dark Arts class, all they had to do was cast a spell once to earn 10 House points.

How could that not excite these young wizards?!

Not only were the little lions next door fired up, but the little snakes of Slytherin were also bright-eyed. Those who loved honor naturally would not let such an opportunity to earn points slip away.

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