Uninvited Guest in Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

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The morning sun had just climbed over Hogwarts' spires when Zhang Wen was already organizing today's lesson plan.

Today, he had a joint class for second-year Gryffindors and Slytherins, on the topic of "How to Identify Signs of Someone Being Under the Imperius Curse."

It was a topic Zhang Wen had decided to add at the last minute. Voldemort would return in the future, and although Artoria could cleave him in two with a single stroke—

Voldemort was no fool. If he could not win head-on, he would definitely lie low and scheme in secret.

So it would be quite useful to teach them about the Imperius Curse in advance.

It was also a fairly difficult topic. According to the Ministry of Magic's curriculum, this material was not officially covered until sixth year.

Artoria would also assist him with the demonstration today.

After organizing his notes, he was just about to leave when he heard movement from the other side of the dormitory.

"Father, I'm going with you today."

Mordred stood in the doorway, already dressed in ordinary wizard robes, her red hair braided into a simple plait.

"No."

Zhang Wen refused without even thinking.

"Why?"

"You've only been here for two days. Wait until you're familiar with the place, then I'll consider it."

Mordred pursed her lips and said nothing.

Zhang Wen should have been wary right then. This girl usually bristled whenever she was refused, but today she was so quiet. Something was clearly wrong.

Ten minutes before class began, Zhang Wen arranged the teaching props in front of the podium.

Artoria stood beside him. Today, she wore fitted dark-blue wizard robes, her long hair tied up, with a wooden training baton at her waist for the upcoming demonstration.

The students gradually filed into the classroom.

Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione sat near the front in the middle. Hermione had already laid out her quill and parchment, while Ron Weasley was yawning.

Though the Weasley twins were third-years, for some reason they had also appeared in the classroom today.

Zhang Wen frowned, deciding to ask later how they had sneaked in.

The Slytherin students sat on the other side, with Malfoy and his two lackeys occupying the last row.

Several Gryffindor girls huddled together and whispered, occasionally glancing at Zhang Wen and Artoria on the podium with mysterious smiles that only they seemed to understand.

"Class begins."

Zhang Wen tapped the podium.

The classroom fell silent.

"Today, we'll be discussing the Imperius Curse."

Zhang Wen got straight to the point.

"It is one of the three Unforgivable Curses. Anyone struck by it completely loses their own will and obeys the caster's every command."

Several gasps sounded through the classroom.

The Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses—they were actually going to learn something this advanced?

"But the Imperius Curse is not perfect."

Zhang Wen continued.

"It requires the caster to maintain a continuous output of magical power, and under certain circumstances, the victim can be identified. What we are learning today is how to recognize those signs."

"There are several signs."

Zhang Wen tapped the blackboard, and the chalk began writing on its own.

"Vacant eyes, slightly delayed reactions, unfamiliarity with familiar things, sudden changes in behavioral patterns, and most importantly, abnormal determination in carrying out a specific command."

Hermione rapidly took notes.

"Any one of these signs alone may simply mean that the person did not sleep well,"

Zhang Wen added.

"But if several signs appear at once, you need to be on guard."

"Professor,"

Hermione raised her hand.

"If we identify someone, what should we do?"

"Good question."

Zhang Wen nodded.

"Confronting the caster of an Imperius Curse head-on is unrealistic for people your age. The correct approach is, first, do not alert them; second, notify a trustworthy adult wizard as soon as possible; third, if you must protect yourself, try to break the line of sight between the caster and the controlled person."

"Next, Assistant Pendragon will work with me on a demonstration."

Zhang Wen turned toward Artoria.

"I'll play the role of a target controlled by the Imperius Curse, and she'll play the observer."

Artoria nodded and walked to the center of the classroom.

Zhang Wen stiffened his expression, let his gaze go blank, and slowly walked toward her.

Artoria circled halfway around him, observing him carefully.

"Watch his eyes."

She spoke to the students in a cool, steady voice.

"His pupils react to light half a beat slower than normal."

She stopped and waved a hand in front of Zhang Wen's face.

Zhang Wen's gaze followed her movement after a brief delay.

"And his fingers."

Artoria pointed out.

"A controlled person's fingers will unconsciously curl slightly. This is a sign that their subconscious is resisting."

The students craned their necks to watch.

Hermione's note-taking hand was practically smoking.

Several girls in the front row, however, were looking in another direction. They were watching the distance between Artoria and Zhang Wen.

"Did you notice?"

A girl named Lavender nudged Parvati beside her with her elbow.

"Assistant Pendragon is standing really close to him."

"Of course she is."

Parvati replied softly.

"It's a demonstration."

"But her hand—her hand touched Professor Zhang Wen's arm just now."

"Really?!"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Hermione, who was seated in front of them, turned back and glared at them helplessly.

"Keep it down. I can't take notes."

The demonstration continued.

Artoria demonstrated how to test someone with a simple spell.

"A controlled person will react abnormally to unfamiliar spells. For example, if I use a harmless disruption spell on Professor Zhang Wen now..."

She raised her wooden wand and cast a minor spell.

While in his "controlled" state, Zhang Wen reacted half a beat late before raising his hand to block it, his movement stiff.

"Did you see that? A normal person's muscular reactions are fluid. A controlled person's reactions are segmented," Artoria explained.

"Oh..."

The students murmured in realization.

Just then, an especially crisp voice suddenly rang out from the back of the classroom.

"That method is too soft."

Everyone turned their heads at once.

Zhang Wen's face immediately froze.

Mordred had somehow sneaked in and was sitting in an empty seat in the last row with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, looking as if she were enjoying a show.

"Why not just cut down the caster with one sword strike?"

Mordred said loudly.

"If the caster dies, the spell is automatically lifted. That saves you all from going in circles staring at pupils and fingers."

The classroom instantly erupted.

"Who was that?!"

A Slytherin boy turned around.

"Whose little sister is she?"

"Wait, I think I saw her in the corridor yesterday..."

"What did she just say? Cut down the caster?"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and examined the red-haired girl with interest.

The Gryffindors reacted even more intensely.

The Weasley twins practically sprang out of their chairs at the same time.

"Well said!"

Fred shouted.

"Exactly!"

George shouted along with him.

"Why have we never thought of that before?!"

"Because that's a madman's approach, George."

Ron Weasley complained helplessly from beside them.

"Ron, that's not a madman's approach. It's a simple and direct approach."

Fred argued seriously.

"I agree with Fred."

George added.

"This young lady is absolutely a genius."

The twins turned to look at Mordred together, their eyes full of the excitement of people who had found their tribe.

Mordred was instead taken aback by their reaction, then raised an eyebrow and asked,

"What, you think I'm right?"

"Absolutely!"

"Completely right!"

Mordred nodded in satisfaction.

"At least you have good judgment."

Zhang Wen rubbed his temples.

He now strongly suspected that the reason Mordred had agreed so readily this morning was because she had planned to sneak over here.

He took a deep breath and was about to tell Mordred to leave when Artoria spoke first.

"The method suggested by Student Mordred,"

Artoria said steadily.

"Is also an effective way of dealing with the Imperius Curse."

Another uproar broke out in the classroom.

Hermione, who had been furiously taking notes, looked up in surprise.

"Assistant?"

"Cutting off the source of the spell is the most fundamental solution."

Artoria continued.

"Whether through physical means or magical means, as long as the caster loses the ability to cast, the Imperius Curse will naturally be lifted. This method is extremely practical in actual combat."

Several students on the Slytherin side exchanged meaningful looks.

Malfoy nodded thoughtfully.

Mordred proudly puffed out her chest in the back row.

Zhang Wen glanced at Artoria, wondering why she had just complained about his daughter disrupting the class, only to speak up for her the next moment.

He quickly understood.

"However,"

Artoria abruptly shifted the subject, her gaze slowly sweeping across the right side of the classroom before settling precisely on the Weasley twins.

"To use this method, there is one prerequisite."

Fred and George were still immersed in the joy of finding kindred spirits, completely unaware that danger was approaching.

"You must possess a strong body and the power to break through the opponent's defenses head-on."

Artoria's tone remained calm.

"Otherwise, before you can swing your sword, you'll already have been taken down by a second spell."

The twins' smiles froze.

"So,"

Artoria looked at them.

"Since the two Weasley students have shown such a keen interest in this method, please stay behind after class."

Fred: "..."

George: "..."

"Come with me for a long run around Hogwarts, as the start of your physical training."

"Teaching assistant?"

Fred spoke with difficulty.

"We just thought the idea was interesting. We didn't really mean to..."

"Since it's interesting,"

Artoria smiled faintly.

"Then you should take it all the more seriously."

Zhang Wen knew that smile very well.

It was the smile Artoria wore on the battlefield when she decided, This enemy must be eliminated.

The twins shuddered in unison.

"Furthermore,"

Artoria's gaze shifted toward the back row.

"Mordred."

Mordred's smug expression froze. "Huh?"

"You too."

"Why am I included?!"

Mordred shot to her feet.

"I was just expressing an opinion!"

"Since you believe cutting down the caster directly is the optimal solution,"

Artoria said evenly,

"then you need to prove that you have the strength to do it. Physical fitness is the foundation."

Mordred opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but she couldn't find a reason to refute her.

She turned to Zhang Wen, silently begging him for help.

Just as Zhang Wen was about to speak, Artoria's gaze turned toward him as well.

"Professor Zhang Wen."

"I'm here."

Zhang Wen answered reflexively.

"As the person in charge of this course, you should set an example too."

"..."

"Together."

Zhang Wen froze for several seconds before nodding with difficulty.

"All right..."

The classroom was silent as death.

Every student stared wide-eyed at the scene before the podium.

The Weasley twins, who had been heckling from the back just moments ago, had gone pale.

Mordred, who had been looking smug just moments ago, had gone pale too.

Even Professor Zhang Wen himself was looking a little pale.

Hermione, sitting in the front row, lowered her head and added another line to her notes:

"Teaching Assistant Pendragon is terrifying."

Beside her, Ron Weasley secretly nudged Harry with his elbow.

"Harry, I think we're really lucky right now."

"What do you mean?"

Harry asked quietly.

"Luckily, we didn't join in the heckling earlier."

Ron Weasley said with lingering fear.

Harry nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing.

Malfoy sat in the last row and, for once, did not make a single sarcastic remark.

"Now."

Artoria turned back toward the podium.

"We'll continue today's lesson."

Her tone was no different from a few minutes ago: steady, cool, and professional.

"Just now, we covered the third sign for identifying someone under the Imperius Curse. Next, Professor Zhang Wen and I will continue demonstrating the fourth scenario."

Zhang Wen cleared his throat, trying his best to temporarily push the matter of having to run after class out of his mind.

"Right, let's continue."

The students in the classroom sat up straight with unprecedented focus, their quills scratching furiously.

No one whispered to one another anymore. No one discussed the relationship between Zhang Wen and Artoria anymore. Even the Slytherins were as quiet as if they were in Snape's class.

Mordred slumped back into her chair, muttering softly.

"I only said one thing..."

Fred and George, who had somehow edged over beside her, leaned their faces together. The three of them formed a little group of fellow sufferers.

"Miss,"

Fred lowered his voice.

"What's your name?"

"Mordred."

"I'm Fred."

"I'm George."

"Please take care of us from now on."

All three of them whispered at the same time.

At the podium, Zhang Wen watched the scene and pressed a hand to his forehead.

He had a very ominous premonition.

Hogwarts would not know peace in the days to come.