Douglas was the first to applaud, his claps crisp and solitary.
Only after a moment did scattered applause rise from below, like hesitant raindrops.
"Please sit down, Miss Granger."
There was a trace of approval in his voice.
"Five points to Gryffindor for its thirst for knowledge."
As his words fell, his gaze turned cold and fixed squarely on Ron and Harry.
"I heard about your great feat yesterday."
He spoke slowly, every word edged with ice.
"I thought flying through the sky would give you plenty of time to read ahead in your textbook."
"Clearly, I overestimated the educational capabilities of the Flying Ford Anglia."
Harry's cheeks instantly flushed red, like a tomato scalded with boiling water.
He opened his mouth, but the words of explanation stuck in his throat. He could not get a single word out.
"No explanation necessary."
Douglas cut him off cleanly.
"I know exactly what happened."
He swept his gaze over the class, clearly catching several barely suppressed snickers.
"I imagine everyone here knows exactly what happened too, correct?"
A burst of irrepressible whispering escaped the students.
"Of course we do. Ron spent all last night bragging about it!"
"If it hadn't been for that Howler, I might actually have believed his rubbish!"
Douglas raised a hand and pressed it down in the air. The classroom's buzzing stopped abruptly.
"Since you are all informed, that makes things simple."
He surveyed the class, an inscrutable curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
"Now, your first assignment for this lesson."
"The topic is: how should I get myself out of trouble when the entrance to the magical world has been maliciously sealed?"
"Drawing on everything you currently know, write an essay covering no less than ten inches of parchment."
A low chorus of groans spread through the classroom, like echoes from the depths of a dungeon.
Dozens of resentful gazes shot toward Ron and Harry in unison.
Those gazes were almost tangible, enough to bore several holes through them.
Only then did Douglas wave a hand, signaling for the two pale-faced culprits to sit down.
Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. Before relief at having survived the ordeal could surface, their classmates' stares had them squirming in their seats.
At least we didn't lose any points. That was all they could tell themselves for comfort.
"Class."
Douglas's voice suddenly grew light, even taking on a hint of amusement.
"Would you like to use your wands for a real Defense Against Dark Magic lesson?"
His words were like a pebble tossed into stagnant water, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.
Quirrell's lullaby-like readings last term had already given them a physical aversion to their textbooks.
"Yes!"
Their shout came in perfect unison, making even the torches on the walls tremble.
Douglas stepped down from the lectern and strolled among the students, cooling the boiling atmosphere again with a single gesture.
"So would I."
He spread his hands, his tone carrying just the right touch of regret.
"But Ministry of Magic regulations are like spells carved in stone."
"Below third year, your primary task is understanding, not practice."
The hope that had just flared was instantly extinguished, and disappointment covered the students' faces.
Two more years of this.
"But..." Douglas changed tack, successfully drawing everyone's attention back.
"Rules are rigid. People aren't."
"If you can finish the textbook's theoretical requirements ahead of time, I don't mind using the extra time to teach you something genuinely useful."
He paused, lowering his voice a little with a dangerous allure.
"For instance, how to fight using any spell you've learned."
"You should know that dark creatures aren't the only targets of defensive magic."
"When necessary, you must learn how to fight another wizard."
Before he had finished speaking, a hand shot eagerly up, held perfectly straight.
"Oh, Miss Granger, do you have a question?"
Hermione sprang to her feet, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Professor! I've already memorized all the textbooks. You can test me on any part at any time!"
"Could I... start learning something new ahead of everyone else?"
Douglas turned and walked back to the lectern. He leaned against its edge, deep regret showing in his eyes.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger."
"You are a group, not one genius and a crowd of... well, ordinary people."
"Once everyone has mastered how to deal with a Banshee, how to distinguish a Ghoul from an Inferi, and how to properly provoke a Hag..."
His words sent ripples through the students again.
Ron lowered his voice and leaned toward Harry's ear.
"Harry, do you remember the Ghoul in our attic?"
Harry shook his head blankly. "I've never been in your attic."
Beside them, Neville Longbottom, who had been silent for half the lesson, now had shining eyes.
"Ron, there's one in our barn too! Its favorite things to eat are the spiders and moths there!"
At the word "spiders," Ron's body visibly stiffened.
The Muggle-born young witches and wizards looked at these oddballs who kept Ghouls as household pets with complicated expressions mingling fear and envy.
Listening to the discussion below, Douglas could not help reflecting.
Children's perceptions were like blank paper, all too easily colored by their surroundings.
Even now, his own soul from a previous life in the Muggle world could not adjust to wizards' bizarre hobbies.
He had once considered getting an owl.
Until his roommate's owl had lovingly dropped a bloody dead mouse onto his pillow.
Ever since, he had kept a respectful distance from the wizarding world's "abnormal pets."
"Quiet!"
Douglas's voice was not loud, yet it instantly restored silence to the classroom.
He straightened and began announcing the principles of his rule.
"Now, a few decisions."
"First, I appoint Miss Hermione Granger as the class representative for second-year Gryffindor Defense Against Dark Magic."
He explained the class representative's responsibilities and authority concisely.
"You are to cooperate actively with Miss Granger."
"Whenever you believe you have memorized a topic, go and recite it to her."
"Of course, don't think you can bluff your way through."
He turned his gaze to Hermione.
"Miss Granger, before the end of each lesson, report to me who has passed their recitations and what they recited."
"I will tailor their next assignments to them."
"You may choose to slack off, if you want to spend the entire term staring at this textbook..."
He did not divide the material into specific topics, merely telling them to start with the Banshee on the first page.
No exceptions, no gaps.
Some students' faces had already turned as white as paper.
He called Hermione up to the lectern and gave her the authority to supervise the entire class.
He himself sat down at leisure, took out the test papers from the previous lesson, and began marking them.
This was not slacking off.
This was the most efficient way to teach first- and second-year classes.
The books already explained every topic clearly enough.
What he needed to do was add the truly lethal details beyond the books when marking their work.
He had no desire to follow his predecessors, telling stories from the lectern until he was hoarse and eventually wearing himself out.
A Hogwarts professor had to learn how to conserve energy gracefully.
The lesson flew by amid rustling pages and subdued recitations.
Clearly, no one could adjust to such a high-pressure pace in the very first lesson.
Before the bell rang, not a single student could recite all the information about the Banshee in full.
This left Hermione with the frustration and anxiety unique to a top student.
With five minutes left, Douglas called everyone to a halt.
The students breathed sighs of relief, as though granted a pardon.
Douglas, however, clearly had no intention of letting them off so easily.
"Very good. I have seen your enthusiasm."
"But you are progressing more slowly than I expected."
"Your next defense lesson is on Friday, correct?"
"Before then, I require everyone to memorize all the material about the Banshee and pass a recitation with Miss Granger."
"At the same time, complete a related essay of fifteen inches."
"One final warning: plagiarism in any form will give you an experience more unforgettable than a Howler."
His gaze finally settled on Hermione.
"Miss Granger, if you have no classes after seven in the evening, come to my office once a day."
"Bring me that day's recitation list."
Hermione stood perfectly straight and nodded firmly.
There was not a trace of fear in her eyes. Instead, they burned with excitement.
This was what studying should be like, wasn't it?
Before you continue