Hugo's voice followed closely. "Sunlight! Silverware! Garlic! It's afraid of strong light and silverware!" His voice was much louder than usual as he quickly rattled off one Vampire's weaknesses after another. He shouted loudly, but his hands didn't know where to cast a spell or what magic to use. His wand trembled slightly in his hand.
Harry didn't shout any slogans; she just took action. A dark red beam of light shot from the tip of her staff, striking precisely the Vampire Monster's forepaw that was pawing at the ground.
The moment the beam touched the skin, a puff of blue smoke appeared, and the Vampire Monster let out a violent howl, abruptly retracting its claws.
Harry then cast another spell, this time a black light, which struck the Vampire Monster's shoulder. A crack spread from the flesh, and dark red blood gushed out from the crack.
Quirrell frowned slightly as he watched Harry cast her spell. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately remained silent.
Herman also noticed that the spells Harry used were clearly not what had been taught in class, and they didn't look very proper, but the effect was immediate. The Vampire Monster was forced to retreat repeatedly, and its movements were noticeably slower than before.
Herman drew his wand almost at the same time Neville cast his first spell, then turned and grabbed Draco's arm, pulling her up from where she stood.
Draco's scream was still stuck in her throat and hadn't even fully escaped when Herman pulled her up and ran to the side.
She struggled, her head hitting his shoulder, and she mumbled, "What are you doing!"
Herman didn't stop to answer; instead, he grabbed Harry's sleeve, who was still casting a spell, with his other hand and pulled her sharply.
Harry's spell was interrupted, and she was pulled so hard that she stumbled and almost fell.
"You—" Harry turned and glared at her, her eyes filled with obvious anger. Herman didn't let go; in fact, he quickened his pace, raising his wand towards the sky as he ran.
A beam of golden-red light shot into the sky from the tip of the staff, exploding high in the air with a sharp whistle.
With a loud bang, a huge firework burst forth, its golden and red light covering half of the playground, like a sudden burst of flame blooming in mid-air.
The sound and light were enough to alert half the castle to what was happening.
Quirrell nodded slightly when he heard the firework explode, the corner of his mouth relaxing almost imperceptibly.
He didn't say much, withdrew his gaze, and with a flick of his wand, the rope tightened abruptly. The Vampire Monster was lifted into the air and slammed heavily onto the grass, struggling to get up.
Quirrell stepped forward, raised his wand, pointed the tip at the distorted, ashen face, his lips moved slightly, and he uttered a clear, short incantation. " Fulgor."
A blinding white light burst forth from the tip of the staff, exploding like a miniature sun in front of the Vampire Monster's face.
The light was so intense that it made people involuntarily squint; even Herman, standing several meters away, felt a blinding light spreading from the corners of his eyes.
The Vampire Monster's reaction was more violent than anyone had imagined. Its body arched violently, letting out a piercing howl that almost tore through the air, its entire torso convulsing violently, and its limbs thrashing wildly at the ground.
Under the white light, its grayish-white skin began to turn red and blister, with wisps of blue smoke even rising from the edges. Then, a few flames shot up from near its shoulder blades, as if ignited by invisible matches.
The flames spread quickly, creeping along the edges of its withered skin with a hissing sound.
The Vampire Monster's struggles weakened rapidly, and its howls grew softer and softer, turning into intermittent whimpers.
Its body curled up, its limbs tucked in, like a scalded wildcat, curled up in a ball and lying on the grass.
The flames didn't last long, burning for about three or four seconds before extinguishing themselves, leaving behind charred marks and a pungent, burnt smell. The Vampire stopped moving, its body rising and falling slightly, barely breathing, as if it only had the last bit of life force left to sustain it.
The playground fell silent instantly. The only sounds were the heavy breathing of the students. Everyone stared at the huddled monster, and no one spoke.
Quirrell put away his wand, stood up, brushed the grass clippings off the hem of his robe, and said calmly, as if nothing had happened. "The pop quiz is over. The Vampire Monster won't die, but it will be very weak for the next few days. I'll put it back in its cage after class and give it to Hagrid to take care of. It needs to recover as soon as possible, since other grades still have classes."
Herman stood a few steps away, watching Quirrell's composed finishing move, and silently memorized the spell.
Fulgor's effect is like an enhanced version of the Bright Light Charm; it's unclear whether the burning is due to its effect or the Vampire Monster's doing.
At this moment, Quirrell waved his wand, sending the Vampire Monster flying back into its cage, which was then covered with the black cloth again. He then scanned the entire area and began to comment:
Neville Longbottom reacted quickly and was able to cast a spell to stop it immediately, plus five points.
Hugo Granger has a solid theoretical foundation. Although she was a step slower in the practical application, the information she provided was accurate, so she gets an extra five points.
He paused, his gaze falling on Harry, hesitating for a moment as if choosing his words, " Harry Potter, decisive spellcasting, obvious attack effect, add five points."
Herman noticed that he paused slightly when he mentioned Harry, probably because those spells didn't really seem like things that should be taught in Dark Magic Defence Class.
Finally, Quirrell's gaze fell on Herman, his tone filled with undisguised approval. " Herman Horace, best job. Slytherin, ten out of ten."
Herman paused for a moment. Draco, whom he had put down, was straightening the crooked collar of her school uniform next to him, her face still flushed.
Harry stood on the other side, arms crossed over her chest, her expression probably saying: You're running away, why are you still pulling me along?
Quirrell continued, "What's the core message of this lesson? When faced with an insurmountable danger, run, then call for help. Herman immediately set off fireworks, her movements precise and her timing accurate, both notifying the professor and avoiding a direct confrontation with the danger. That's the purpose of Dark Magic Defence Class: protect yourself and avoid unnecessary harm, not blindly rush in."
He glanced around the room, softening his tone, "At your current age and with your current strength, dealing with ordinary dark creatures is already very risky, let alone those Pure-blood who may have lived for hundreds of years."
The ultimate goal of this course isn't to teach you to be heroes, but to teach you how to survive, and when necessary, how to use the Firework Spell to call for help and buy time—that's the most practical thing.
Herman stood there, listening to Quirrell's words, and a thought popped into his head: So running fast can actually earn you points.
He glanced at Draco; the color of her earlobes had returned to normal, but she was still adjusting her collar with her head down, not looking up at him.
He glanced at Harry again; she had put her wand back in her school uniform pocket, her expression relaxed, and most of her displeasure at being interrupted while casting her spell had subsided.
Herman looked away, surprised that his best performance in all those classes was actually because he ran fast.
However, it's always good to make a good first impression on Professor Quirrell.
He glanced at the Vampire Monster being put back into its cage, and a thought suddenly popped into his head: he needed to find some time to ask the professor more questions about Vampire or learn that spell.
After all, he's probably still associated with the Vampire. Others may not see Vampire often, but they're likely to be the kind of monsters he'll encounter frequently or have to fight in the future.