Long live Professor Holmes

Just as Douglas was reminiscing about his wonderful youth...

The Seventh Year students interrupted his thoughts with a group visit.

Douglas saw that there were not enough chairs in his office.

He casually took a few books from the shelves and turned them into chairs.

Then he invited everyone to sit.

As he made tea, he asked:

"After this week of observation, what have you learned?"

The Seventh Year students, who had been about to say something, quickly closed their mouths.

One of the Ravenclaw girls said:

"Professor, I feel that the teaching in Defense Against Dark Magic has been terrible.

"Of course, I don't mean you. After all, as you said, this week was a week of placement tests.

"Because of the instability of the professors teaching this subject in previous years, many students, including us, lack any systematic foundation in Defense Against Dark Magic..."

Douglas listened carefully to everyone's reports.

Then he took the parchment from their hands.

He read through it carefully and commented on some of the contents on the spot.

Douglas was very pleased with this year's Seventh Year students.

To be precise, ever since professors had started being replaced every year, the students in every year who managed to enter the Defense Against Dark Magic class with good OWLs results...

Were all promising students.

Douglas set the parchment he had finished reading aside.

Then he looked around.

Tapping lightly on the desk, he said:

"I know that the quality of teaching in Defense Against Dark Magic has always been inconsistent.

"Your decision to take this subject is more a reflection of your confidence in your family education or your ability to teach yourselves...

"Oh, don't rush to deny it. We were all your age once.

"But from what I've learned this week, it seems you haven't even mastered some sixth-year spells, have you?

"That falls far short of where we were back then.

"Don't rush to deny it. How many of you can cast a Shield Charm?

"What about a Nonverbal Spell?

"Resisting the Imperius Curse? The Patronus Charm?

"What about illegal Dark Magic? How much have you seen?

"Don't quote the textbook at me. I know it better than you do...

"Good heavens, I really have no idea what you were doing last term!"

Hearing Douglas mention last term, Slytherin's Mario Nott could not help curling his lip.

"Professor Holmes, you weren't at Hogwarts last year. You have no idea what Professor Quirrell was like.

"He was a nervous wreck all day, and all he did in class was read from the textbook.

"Of course, when someone asked a question, he did answer it, but with how slowly he stammered his way through everything...

"We even suspected he couldn't cast a single complete spell...

"Heh, who would have thought three first-years would finish him off in the end?"

At that, the other Seventh Year students all wore looks of contempt.

Douglas gave a cold laugh.

"Is that what all of you think?

"So you barely listened to Quirinus's lessons last year at all?

"Heh, and you still hope to become Aurors like this?

"Humility brings progress, while arrogance leaves you behind, students!

"If he really was that bad, why would Headmaster Dumbledore have hired him?

"Surely you don't think you're more capable than Headmaster Dumbledore?"

One of the students muttered:

"Wasn't that just because hardly anyone is willing to teach this subject now?"

Looking at their unconvinced expressions, Douglas sighed.

"You're people who dream of becoming Aurors.

"Didn't you find anything suspicious about Quirinus's behavior?"

Seeing their puzzled faces, Douglas shrugged.

"Well, unfortunately, you missed out on lessons from a grandmaster of Dark Magic."

Douglas did not explain much about Quirrell.

After all, the version circulating at school had always been the story of the Trio battling Quirrell.

Almost no one knew about Voldemort's involvement behind the scenes.

But his tone and expression still left the Seventh Year students sitting there wondering whether they really had lost five million Galleons.

"Back to the matter at hand.

"Over the coming year, my goal isn't to let you feel satisfied with merely getting an Exceeds Expectations in Defense Against Dark Magic on your N.E.W.T. exams.

"Instead, every single one of you must get an Outstanding!

"That means you'll have to work extremely hard over the next year and make up for the coursework you missed in sixth year.

"So this term, I'll be using a new approach to give you targeted practice."

With a gentle wave of Douglas's hand, a stack of parchment scrolls a full six feet long landed in front of them.

"This is my compilation of all the written material and every spell covered in the Defense Against Dark Magic N.E.W.T. exams over the past five years.

"You have one month to memorize all the written material and learn every spell used in the exams.

"If there's written material you don't understand, you can look it up in the library. You can come to me anytime to have permission slips for the Restricted Section signed.

"As for spells, you're welcome to ask me about them at any time.

"In one month, we'll begin weekly exams.

"In other words, starting a month from now, every weekly Seventh Year Defense Against Dark Magic lesson will be a mock N.E.W.T. exam.

"I'll choose spells and papers at random for your exams.

"If, by the end of term, any of you haven't achieved Outstanding ten times in a row in the mock exams...

"Don't bother sitting your N.E.W.T. exams. Spare me the embarrassment!

"Do you have any other questions?"

They took the six-foot-long exam papers, their brows furrowed.

At Douglas's question, Nott drew a deep breath and said:

"Professor, there's one more problem. I'm afraid we won't have time to look after and maintain the Practical Lesson Classroom going forward."

"Of course, it's not because we need to prepare for the weekly exams. We also know that maintaining the spells and creatures in the Practical Lesson Classroom helps with our Defense Against Dark Magic coursework in itself."

"It's mainly... mainly..."

At this point, Nott glanced at the other students.

Seeing Nott look their way, the others quickly lowered their heads toward the exam papers in their hands, looking as though they were saying they had exams to prepare for and should not be disturbed.

Nott snorted inwardly. They had agreed to bring this up together.

How did it end up becoming my problem alone?

Ah, our Head of House isn't someone we can afford to offend.

Douglas said impatiently:

"If you have something to say, say it. What's with all this hemming and hawing?"

Nott gave a light cough.

"Professor Holmes, before we came here, Head of House Snape spoke to us.

"He wants us to take turns serving as teaching assistants in his classes.

"As you know, we already take turns looking after the practical classroom. If we have to take turns there as well...

"There'll easily be scheduling conflicts, and a lot of the time, we won't be able to look after the Practical Lesson Classroom."

"Of course, I already raised this with Head of House Snape at the time.

"But he said that if you had any objections, you could go and see him..."

Of course, Nott did not dare repeat Snape's exact words to Douglas.

"How could a fellow who only knows how to use a cauldron for hot pot understand the wonder and magic of potions?

"Following him will only teach you to wave your wands around like idiots!"

After finishing, Nott instinctively shrank back a little.

Hearing this, Douglas wondered whether he had shot himself in the foot.

The main thing was that when he had made that suggestion...

He really had forgotten that applying to become an Auror at the Ministry of Magic required grades of Outstanding or Exceeds Expectations in at least five N.E.W.T. exams.

The most important subjects among them were Defense Against Dark Magic, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions.

So practically all the Seventh Year students taking his class had also chosen Potions.

Still, he had never intended to keep the Seventh Year students watching over the Practical Lesson Classroom indefinitely.

"That's all right. Just assign one person each day to check on the Practical Lesson Classroom."

"Starting next week, the Practical Lesson Classroom will no longer be open to students on weekdays. It will only open for two hours on weekends."

"I'll tell them in class that each person can only enter once a week.

"Mr. Nott, you'll be responsible for coordinating the assignments!"

Seeing Douglas give way, the other students with their heads lowered over their exam papers could not help breathing sighs of relief.

They had truly feared that if neither professor would yield, they would be the ones left to suffer and toil.

Long live Professor Holmes!

But they would never know...

Just what kind of Pandora's box this man had opened at Hogwarts.