Provocation

When Lin Du stepped into the second-year classroom, an unexpected sight met his eyes—

Not only were the Gryffindors eager to try, but even the Slytherin table was filled with an air of preparation for battle.

Clearly, the news had already spread throughout the school.

"Just wait, Potter," Malfoy said, raising his chin. "Slytherin will catch the most pixies today."

"Dream on, Malfoy." Harry shot back without yielding. "Gryffindor won't lose to you lot."

Ron rubbed his hands together nearby. "That's right, we'll show Slytherin who's better!"

Hermione rolled her eyes beside them, thoroughly disdainful of the childish contest between the boys of the two houses.

She looked up, about to voice her displeasure, only to meet Lin Du's gaze as he swept his eyes across the classroom from the podium.

For a moment, Hermione could not help but freeze slightly.

Afternoon sunlight spilled in through the high windows, outlining the young professor's sharply defined profile.

Lin Du had changed into a dark green robe today, making his Eastern features appear even fairer. His black hair was casually gathered behind his head, with several loose strands falling over his forehead, adding a touch of effortless elegance.

"He really is..." Hermione unconsciously pressed her lips together, unable to find the right words for a moment.

This professor truly possessed a strikingly handsome appearance that was impossible to forget after one glance.

Lin Du took in the students' reactions, the corner of his lips lifting almost imperceptibly.

He walked slowly toward the podium, the hem of his robe swaying gently behind him.

"It seems you've all come prepared." His voice was cool, yet carried a hint of amusement. "Then let us begin today's... practical exercise."

With a light tap of his wand, the familiar parchments flew once more before every student.

This time, students from both houses eagerly seized their quills, and the air was thick with competition.

The instant the parchments began to twist and change shape, chants erupted throughout the classroom.

However, knowing what was coming did not bring the advantage they had expected—

Although most of the students had mentally prepared themselves, when the parchments truly twisted in an instant and transformed into bluish-green pixies that rushed at them with shrill laughter, the gap between reality and imagination still threw them into chaos.

Knowing something with their brains was one thing; facing it in person was another.

"Glacius!" Ron shouted nervously, but the spell veered into the classroom wall. The escaping chill made Harry beside him shiver.

Harry was wrestling with a pixie for his wand, his face red with effort.

Neville had already hidden beneath a desk, clutching his head and trembling.

Meanwhile, the Slytherins displayed an entirely different approach.

"Form a defensive formation!" Malfoy commanded loudly.

The little snakes quickly gathered together, attempting to build a defensive line with Obstruction Charms.

However, the strength of their spells varied wildly, and the nimble pixies soon broke through their formation.

One girl cast Petrificus Totalus but struck a desk instead, while another boy tried to use a Levitation Charm and had his wand snatched away instead.

Malfoy barely managed to freeze two pixies, but more soon swarmed him, forcing him to scramble beneath a desk.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author. It may simply have been renamed!

Lin Du's gaze roamed around the classroom before finally settling on the bespectacled boy.

Watching Harry's clumsy spellcasting, a trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.

Other than trying to outdo each other, can't they come up with a more practical response? he sighed inwardly.

Amid the chaos, Hermione took a deep breath and raised her wand. "Glacius!"

One precise Freezing Charm after another shot forth, swiftly subduing the most troublesome pixies.

Her calm stood in stark contrast to everyone else's panic.

Lin Du waved his wand, and all the pixies instantly reverted to motionless parchments.

"Miss Hermione Granger, best performance. Five points to Gryffindor. At the same time, I appoint you as the second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class representative."

He announced it calmly, then ignored the mixed gazes of jealousy and dissatisfaction cast from the Slytherin table and began the formal lesson—an explanation of the Obstruction Charm.

As a week of teaching drew to a close, Lin Du stood in the empty classroom and, rarely, rubbed the space between his brows.

The state of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts was even worse than he had expected.

Lower-year students generally had weak foundations and almost no sense of practical combat; fifth-years were crushed beneath the pressure of the O.W.L.s, able only to force knowledge into their gaps through endless practice questions; the only students in whom he saw some promise were the fourth-years—they had a certain foundation and no immediate pressure of further education, making them highly trainable.

As for the sixth-year advanced class...

Lin Du straightened his sleeve and headed toward the dedicated classroom at the other end of the castle.

This class gathered students from all four houses who had earned an "Outstanding" or "Exceeds Expectations" in their O.W.L.s. There were eight in total, nearly all pure-bloods. They were Hogwarts' top students in this subject, as well as a collection of pride and skepticism.

When he pushed open the door, eight pairs of eyes fell on him in unison, openly scrutinizing him.

The air in the classroom seemed several degrees heavier than outside.

"I'm Lin Du." His opening remained concise. "Your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year."

After a brief silence, a Slytherin boy spoke in a drawn-out tone. "We've heard of you, Professor. We just didn't expect you to be so... young."

The doubt in his voice was almost tangible.

Another Ravenclaw boy, Anthony Goldstein, pushed up his glasses and spoke more directly:

"Professor Lin, forgive our frankness. Professor Quirrell wasted an entire year of our time. We want to know exactly how you intend to ensure that this year won't repeat the same mistake."

"Or rather," a Hufflepuff boy added quietly, "are you truly capable of teaching us?"

Lin Du calmly endured those skeptical gazes, with no hint of pleasure or anger on his face.

"With your current foundation," he said slowly, his voice clear and steady, "if all you want is a decent result in the N.E.W.T.s, self-study may well be enough."

Several students lifted their chins slightly at those words, as though that were only natural.

"But," Lin Du shifted the direction of his words, his gaze passing over every face, "if your understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts still amounts to nothing more than preparing for exams, then I can leave right now, and you may continue teaching yourselves."

"Prove it." The Slytherin student answered almost immediately, challenge gleaming in his gray-blue eyes. "Prove that you're qualified to stand here, Professor."

"Prove it?" Lin Du raised an eyebrow slightly, as though he found the word interesting.

"That's right!" another Slytherin girl echoed. "We've all heard that you studied... dangerous things outside the school. But what we really want to know is just how capable you are at 'defense.'"

The atmosphere in the classroom instantly tightened, and every student stared fixedly at Lin Du, waiting for his response.