First Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

September 2nd, Monday.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom welcomed fourth-year students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

(Due to venue limitations, Lin Du ultimately couldn't realize his plan for a combined class.)

Compared to the boisterous Gryffindors, the students from these two houses appeared quieter and more curious, their gazes fixed on the new professor standing behind the lectern.

Lin Du wore a simple, dark robe that accentuated his tall, upright figure.

His Eastern features made him stand out remarkably among the Hogwarts professors, and his gentle demeanor seemed to exude a captivating aura.

Once the classroom quieted down, he raised his eyes, his gaze as calm as still water.

"I am Lin Du," his voice was clear, with a subtle, cool undertone. "Your new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts for the academic year. You may simply call me Professor Lin."

After a brief introduction, he paused, as if waiting.

As expected, from the Ravenclaw table, a girl wearing glasses with neatly styled short brown hair was the first to raise her hand, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Professor Lin, could you tell us your age? You look very young."

Her question echoed the thoughts of most students.

Lin Du replied calmly, "Twenty-seven."

This answer caused a slight stir.

A twenty-seven-year-old professor was indeed quite young for Hogwarts.

Another bolder Ravenclaw boy immediately asked, "Professor, what magical family or school do you come from? The Eastern magical system seems very mysterious."

The corners of Lin Du's lips curved slightly.

"I do not come from any Western magical family you are familiar with. As for my tutelage," he paused briefly, "it involves some Eastern traditions that are not convenient to disclose. However, speaking of which, I am not entirely unrelated to Hogwarts."

He looked at the confused gazes below and slowly said, "About ten years ago, I studied at Hogwarts as an exchange student for a year. I was sorted into Gryffindor. However, my time here was brief, so not many people would remember me."

Gryffindor?

This piece of information further surprised the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students below.

They scrutinized the professor, whose demeanor was calm, even somewhat stern, finding it difficult to associate him with the passionate and impulsive Lion House.

"...my time here was brief, so not many people would remember me." As soon as Lin Du finished speaking, without giving the students much time to process this information, he changed the subject, dropping an even bigger bombshell.

"Additionally, if any of you have been reading the Daily Prophet closely recently, you might have seen another piece of news related to me." He paused, his gaze calmly sweeping across the curious faces.

"About a week ago, the Ministry of Magic issued a wanted notice for a wizard who was 'illegally researching Dark Magic and had repeatedly attacked Aurors'."

The air in the classroom instantly froze.

Lin Du, as if not noticing the sudden tension, continued, "That name, was also Lin Du."

Shock rippled through the classroom.

All the students, whether Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, widened their eyes, staring at the still-composed professor on the lectern in disbelief.

A wanted criminal? Their new professor was a fugitive wanted by the Ministry of Magic?!

"No need to doubt it, that is indeed me."

Lin Du saw the fear and wariness rising in the students' eyes. He didn't rush to explain, but instead seemed to find their reaction amusing—

For a wizard like Lin Du, who had already delved deeply into the origins of magic and witnessed the vastness and complexity of both Eastern and Western magical systems, magic itself could no longer be simply defined by "dark" or "light."

Even Professor McGonagall, known for her strictness and integrity, must have conducted in-depth research into Dark Magic in the early stages of her long wizarding career to understand how to defend against and counter it.

The morality of magic ultimately depended on the user's intentions and actions, not on whether a spell glowed red or green.

"Researching Dark Magic does not mean using it to harm the innocent," Lin Du's voice pulled the students back from their shocked thoughts.

"It's like understanding the composition and properties of poison to create an antidote, not to administer it. The Ministry of Magic tends to view any behavior that explores forbidden knowledge beyond their control as a threat, a fact I understand deeply."

He looked at the still pale faces of a few students and added, uncharacteristically, "Rest assured, I am not the heinous dark wizard you might imagine, one who delights in slaughter."

He slightly raised his chin. "Otherwise, Albus Dumbledore would not have allowed me to set foot in Hogwarts, let alone take on the position of teaching you."

The name Dumbledore acted like a potent tranquilizer, significantly easing the tense atmosphere in the classroom.

That's right, if Professor Lin were truly a villain, how could the Headmaster possibly let him teach?

"The Headmaster's trust is the foundation upon which I stand here. And what I will teach you is how to identify, understand, and effectively defend against dark forces, not how to wield them."

Lin Du redirected everyone's attention back to the lesson itself. "Now, that's enough background. Let's get back to the main topic—I need to understand your actual skill level."

With a flick of his wand, a stack of blank parchment and quills flew precisely to each student's desk.

"On the parchment are multiple-choice questions about specific magical creatures. You have three minutes to complete them." Lin Du's voice was steady, betraying no emotion. "I don't intend to repeat lengthy oral questioning for all seven years, so let's use a more direct method."

The students looked down. The questions on the parchment were very specific:

What is the most prominent behavioral characteristic of Cornish Pixies?

a. A high degree of organization and discipline. b. A strong desire to collect shiny objects. c. A tendency towards chaotic, disorderly pranks and bullying the weak.

d. Ability to understand and execute complex commands.

When encountering multiple Cornish Pixies and unable to immediately get help from a Professor, what is the most effective initial response strategy?

a. Shout loudly, attempting to intimidate them with presence.

b. Use area-of-effect destructive spells, such as blasting curses, to quickly eliminate the threat.

c. Prioritize securing your own wand and using obstacles to maneuver, seeking opportunities to control them one by one.

d. Attempt to negotiate with them, promising food or toys.

(True/False) Cornish Pixies have extremely high magical resistance, and most binding spells mastered by third-year students have little effect on them.

The sound of writing immediately filled the classroom. Ravenclaws carefully analyzed the tactical advantages and disadvantages of each option, while Hufflepuffs tended to choose the answers that seemed most secure.

As most students were diligently answering the questions, a Ravenclaw boy sitting in the middle raised his hand, a look of obvious confusion and slight impatience on his face.

Lin Du's gaze turned to him, and without needing any roster, he spoke directly, "Michael Corner, what is your question?"

He had clearly memorized all the students' information before class.

Michael Corner lowered his hand and asked with suspicion, "Professor, please forgive my bluntness, but the content of these questions, regarding the characteristics and basic responses to Cornish Pixies, we seem to have learned this in our second year. Are we going to repeat these... uh, theoretical multiple-choice questions for Defense Against the Dark Arts again this year?"

A boy next to him also muttered softly, "Yeah, it feels like Quirrell's old routine, just repackaged."

Lin Du looked at him, his face still expressionless, but a flicker of "As expected" crossed his eyes.

"Learned it?" he repeated softly, his gaze sweeping over other students showing similar confusion.

"Very good," he finally said, his tone unreadable. "Remember your current confidence."

He offered no further explanation, merely clapped his hands lightly.

"Practice will give you your answers."

When three minutes were up, all the quills stopped automatically.

"Time's up," Lin Du's voice rang out. "Everyone, remember the choice you just made."

He paused, ensuring all attention was focused on him, then clapped his hands lightly.

"Now, practice begins."

The next second, a terrifying scene unfolded--

The parchment in front of all the students suddenly twisted and stretched, the ink merging into the paper, its color instantly turning a dark, iron-blue!

The edges of the paper rapidly outlined pointed ears, sharp claws, and ferocious faces--

In the blink of an eye, live Cornish Pixies appeared on every desk!