Defense Against the Dark Arts

Cedric wasn't just any ordinary person.

He was a legitimate Hogwarts champion. During the Triwizard Tournament, his selection by the Goblet of Fire from among many senior Hogwarts students meant he was the most talented and powerful young wizard in the sixth and seventh years at that time.

Based on Linley's estimation, Cedric's mainstream magical talent should be around level 5, with Transfiguration being his strongest, almost on par with his dark magic talent, which was around level 6.

In the morning, Cedric performed a demonstration of his current Transfiguration skills for Linley.

He transformed a small stone by the Black Lake into a crab that scuttled sideways.

Transforming inanimate objects into living creatures, this level of Transfiguration far surpassed the normal standards for a second-year young wizard and absolutely deserved the title of genius.

Moreover, he wasn't just talented; he was also diligent. If he hadn't encountered Harry Potter, that cheat, later on, his future achievements would have been considerable.

Wednesday, morning.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which Linley anticipated the most, arrived as scheduled.

He arrived at the classroom early, as usual. As soon as he entered, he saw Professor Foxx tidying his lesson plans on the podium.

Seeing Linley, he smiled and greeted him, "Good morning, Linley."

"Good morning, Professor. You're quite early; there are still twenty minutes until class." Linley felt much more at ease with Professor Foxx than with other professors.

Professor Foxx didn't treat Linley like a normal child. He yawned and waved his hand.

"It's my first class, after all. I didn't sleep well last night." He then looked at Linley with interest, "As for you, I've heard from other professors that you've been quite the talk of the school recently. In just two days since the start of term, you've earned twenty points for Slytherin. Several professors have been praising you highly in their conversations."

Linley raised an eyebrow. He didn't feign modesty in front of Professor Foxx.

"Regardless, as an investor, shouldn't I show value corresponding to the investment?"

Hearing Linley's words, Professor Foxx laughed heartily, "That's right, Linley. I haven't regretted my investment one bit so far."

"Do you have time this afternoon, Professor?" Linley asked, his gaze calm and direct, without smiling.

Professor Foxx's smile faded, and he seemed to understand Linley's intent.

"I suspect you've heard something. You can come to my office anytime; I'm always there. Coincidentally, I also have something similar to discuss with you."

More young wizards began to arrive in the classroom. After arranging a time with Professor Foxx, Linley quietly took his seat and waited for the class to begin.

"I believe that after two days of study, especially in Professor Flitwick's and Professor McGonagall's classes, you've all gained a general understanding of magic."

Professor Foxx's opening remarks for the class didn't immediately address the topic of his lesson.

"No matter how bizarre, rare, or strange a wizard's magic may be, it ultimately falls into two major categories: Charms and Transfiguration. Therefore, these two subjects can be considered fundamental courses at Hogwarts. All other courses are essentially about teaching you how to understand, control, and create non-wizarding magical items and creatures, such as in Potions class, Herbology, Astronomy, and so on. So, what about our Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"

Professor Foxx's expression during class was not as stern as Professor McGonagall's. He smiled and answered his own question.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, in essence, doesn't have its own distinct category. What it teaches can be dispersed and integrated into various subjects. Defense against dark magic, as the name suggests, encompasses anything that can defend against dark magic, including Charms and Transfiguration, but not limited to these two. Potions, Herbology, magical creatures, and so forth, all fall within the scope of our course.

Therefore, Defense Against the Dark Arts places high demands on the professor's abilities. Even if one isn't a master of all magic, they must have a profound understanding of Charms and Transfiguration."

The young wizards in the classroom erupted in laughter. Professor Foxx's statement had a hint of self-promotion.

Linley, whose background was in teaching, could tell that Professor Foxx was intentionally doing this because many students had reservations about him, and he needed to liven up the classroom atmosphere.

And clearly, he achieved the effect he desired.

"The same applies to you. To receive a better evaluation in the final exams, you'll need to put in a lot of effort for this course."

He clapped his hands and straightened his posture.

"Alright, we're going to begin the formal lesson. The first thing you need to do is... close your textbooks."

Professor Foxx was clearly taking an unconventional approach. He walked down from the podium, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Before we begin the actual teaching, I want to pose a question to you. If one day you find yourself alone outdoors and suddenly encounter a dark wizard, or a dangerous magical creature, what is the first thing you should do?"

In this class, Linley and his fellow students were attending with Gryffindor. Given the relationship between the two houses, it was the worst among the four houses. Many of the young lions were secretly vying to steal Linley's thunder in this class.

Therefore, as soon as Professor Foxx finished speaking, several Gryffindors raised their hands.

Professor Foxx called upon a Gryffindor. The Gryffindor stood up, looking quite pleased with himself, and cast a glance towards Linley.

Linley felt a bit speechless. It wasn't enough that he wasn't favored by his roommates in his own house; even a bunch of Gryffindor freshmen had an issue with him.

"Duel him head-on!" the Gryffindor boy declared loudly, as if showcasing his bravery, "Defeat him with a spell!"

Professor Foxx smiled but didn't immediately comment on his answer. He continued to ask, "Then, what kind of spell do you intend to use to defeat him?"

The boy's face turned red. They had only been learning magic for two days and hadn't even mastered the simplest Levitation Charm, let alone any offensive spells.

Seeing that he couldn't answer for a long time, Professor Foxx waved his hand, signaling him to sit down.

No one else in the classroom raised their hand, and even Linley was listening quietly.

"You may learn many powerful spells in the future and have bright prospects, but for now, you are just young wizards who have only learned magic for a few days. If you encounter danger, the first thing you should not do is try to duel the enemy head-on. Instead, you should sound an alarm, call for help from nearby adult wizards, and try to stall for time while waiting for rescue."

"Therefore, our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson will be learning how to use a warning spell, and the prerequisite for learning this spell is that you must first be able to use the wand's Lumos spell."

Professor Foxx returned to the podium and raised his wand.

"I will demonstrate it for you first. The incantation is: Lumos."

"The Lumos spell is simple, but it requires concentration. Be careful not to accidentally ignite your wand, as this could cause permanent damage..."