First Lesson

September 2nd, Monday.

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

(Due to space limitations, Lin Du had ultimately been unable to carry out his plan for a combined class.)

Compared to the noisiness of Gryffindor, the students from these two Houses were quieter and more curious, their gazes fixed on the new professor behind the podium.

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

His Eastern features stood out among Hogwarts's professors, and his gentle temperament seemed to carry a magnetic presence that made people hold their breath.

Once the classroom had fallen quiet, he raised his eyes, his gaze as calm as still water.

"I am Lin Du," he said clearly, with an almost imperceptible coolness in his voice. "Your Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts for the new school year. You may address me as Professor Lin."

After the simple introduction, he paused, as though waiting.

Sure enough, a girl with glasses and neatly combed short brown hair at the Ravenclaw table raised her hand first, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Professor Lin, may I ask how old you are? You look very young."

Her question represented the thoughts of most of the students.

Lin Du answered calmly, "Twenty-seven."

The answer caused a small stir.

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

Another, bolder Ravenclaw boy immediately asked, "Professor, which magical family or school do you come from? Eastern magical systems seem rather 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 teacher," he paused briefly, "that involves certain Eastern traditions that are not convenient to disclose. However, I am not entirely unconnected to Hogwarts."

Looking at the puzzled faces below him, he said slowly, "About ten years ago, I studied at Hogwarts as an Exchange Student for one year. I was sorted into Gryffindor at the time. It was only a short stay, though, so not many people knew me."

Gryffindor?

This information made the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs below even more surprised.

They scrutinized this professor, whose demeanor was calm and even somewhat cold, and found it difficult to connect him with the passionate, impulsive Lion House.

"...It was only a short stay, so not many people knew me." As soon as Lin Du finished speaking, without giving the students much time to digest the information, he abruptly changed the subject and dropped an even more explosive bombshell.

"Also, if any of you have read the Daily Prophet carefully recently, you may have seen another piece of news related to me." He paused, his calm gaze sweeping across the curious faces.

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

The air in the classroom instantly froze.

As though he had not noticed the atmosphere suddenly turning rigid, Lin Du continued, "That name was also Lin Du."

Shock rippled through the classroom.

Every student, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff alike, stared wide-eyed at the professor on the podium, who remained as composed as ever.

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

"There is no need to doubt it. That was indeed me."

Lin Du saw the fear and wariness rising in the students' eyes. Rather than rushing to explain himself, he seemed to find their reaction somehow interesting—

For a wizard like Lin Du, who had long delved deeply into the origins of magic and witnessed the vastness and complexity of both Eastern and Western magical systems, magical energy itself could no longer be simply defined as "black" or "white."

Even Professor McGonagall, known for her strictness and integrity, must have conducted in-depth research into Dark Magic early in her long life as a witch, in order to understand how to defend against and combat it.

Whether magic was good or evil ultimately depended on the user's intentions and actions, not on whether the spell flashed 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 stunned thoughts.

"Just as understanding the components and properties of poison is for making antidotes, not for poisoning people. The Ministry of Magic tends to view any uncontrolled pursuit of forbidden knowledge as a threat. I understand that very well."

Seeing that several students still looked pale, he added, unusually, "Rest assured, I am not the utterly wicked kind of dark wizard you imagine, one who delights in killing."

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

Dumbledore's name was like a potent sedative, visibly easing the tense atmosphere in the classroom.

That was right. If Professor Lin really were a vicious criminal, how could the headmaster possibly allow him to teach?

"The headmaster's trust is the foundation of my standing here. What I will teach you is how to identify, understand, and effectively defend against dark forces, not how to use them."

Lin Du drew everyone's attention back to the lesson itself. "Now, there has been enough background. Let us return to the subject—I need to understand your actual level."

With a tap of his wand, a stack of blank parchment and quills flew precisely to each student.

"On the paper are situational multiple-choice questions concerning specific magical creatures. You have three minutes to complete them." Lin Du's voice was steady, without any discernible emotion. "I do not intend to repeat lengthy oral questioning across seven years, so let us use a more direct method."

The students looked down and found that the questions on the parchment were highly specific:

What is the most notable behavioral trait of Cornish Pixies?

a. A high degree of organization and discipline.

b. A strong urge to collect shiny objects.

c. Chaotic pranks and a tendency to bully the weak while fearing the strong.

d. The ability to understand and carry out complex commands.

When encountering multiple Cornish Pixies and unable to immediately obtain a professor's help, what is the most effective initial response?

a. Shout at them loudly and attempt to intimidate them through force of presence.

b. Use an area-of-effect destructive spell, such as the Explosion Charm, to swiftly eliminate the threat.

c. Prioritize keeping one's wand safe, use obstacles to maneuver, and seek opportunities to control them one at a time.

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. (True/False)

The classroom immediately filled with the scratch of quills. The Ravenclaws carefully analyzed the tactical advantages and disadvantages of each option, while the Hufflepuffs tended to choose the answers that looked safest.

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

Lin Du turned his gaze toward him and spoke directly, without consulting any roster. "Michael Corner, what is your question?"

He had evidently memorized every student's information before class.

Michael Corner lowered his hand, his tone doubtful. "Professor, forgive my bluntness, but the material in these questions—the characteristics of Cornish Pixies and the basic ways of handling them—seems to be something we learned in our second year. Are we still going to repeat these... um, theoretical multiple-choice questions in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?"

A boy beside him muttered softly, "Yeah, it feels like Quirrell's routine all over again. Same old thing with a different face."

Lin Du looked at him. His expression remained unchanged, but a look of just as I expected flickered in his eyes.

"You learned it?" he repeated softly, his gaze passing over the other students who wore similar expressions of doubt.

"Very good," he finally said, with neither praise nor criticism in his voice. "Remember your confidence right now."

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

"Practice will give you the answer."

As soon as the three minutes were up, every quill stopped automatically.

"Time is up," Lin Du said. "Everyone, remember the choices you just made."

He paused, making sure everyone's attention was focused on him, then clapped his hands lightly.

"Now, the practical lesson begins."

The next second, something terrifying happened—

The parchment in front of every student suddenly twisted and stretched. The ink seeped into the paper, and its color instantly turned steel-blue!

Pointed ears, claws, and savage faces rapidly took shape along the edges of the paper—

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