A cold breeze blew through the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, dispelling the strong scent of perfume that Quirrell had sprayed to cover up Voldemort's presence, and also swept away the drowsy mental state of the young wizards.
Dracula looked at the students' energetic state and nodded with satisfaction.
"So, this is the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class in your life, right?" He leaned forward with his hands on the desk, looking carefully at every young wizard present.
"Yes, professor." The little wizards said in unison.
"Then it was indeed irresponsible of me to let Quirrell substitute for the class." Dracula, who had just resolved his misunderstanding with Nicolas Flamel, was very easy to talk to.
He chuckled and even gave a slight bow to everyone.
"This class is really difficult for you. I apologize to everyone."
Seeing the professor, who exuded a noble and profound temperament, bowing to everyone, the little wizards in the audience suddenly felt flattered, and the slight resentment in their hearts had long since disappeared.
There was warm applause from the audience, and all the young wizards looked at Dracula expectantly, looking forward to what he called the real Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Feeling the students' anticipation, Dracula took out a pure black wand in front of others for the first time.
This wand is thirteen and one-half inches long and completely black. The back half of the wand where the hand holds it is carved out with many gorgeous patterns, and a faint deep aura emerges from the hollowed-out area.
A transparent crystal is inlaid at the end of the wand, emitting a transparent light, like a dark moon.
Ollivander had already made this wand a few days ago and sent it to Hogwarts for Dracula along with the remaining materials.
Dracula held the magic wand, and perhaps because the wood and the core of the wand had a great connection with him, he felt as if he could use it as if it were his own arm.
He waved his wand, and a line of bold handwriting appeared on the blackboard behind the podium -
What is Defense Against the Dark Arts
Dracula turned sideways so that the young wizards could see the words clearly, and then asked:
"Can anyone tell me what Defense Against the Dark Arts is?"
Like a conditioned reflex, Hermione in the first row raised her hand high.
Dracula nodded at her.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, or DADA for short, is a course that teaches students how to protect themselves from the harm of dark magic. It includes methods of dealing with dark creatures, dark magic, and dueling!" Hermione said confidently.
"You've memorized the definition very well!" Dracula nodded approvingly.
In fact, he himself did not understand what the definition in the textbook was, but looking at the confused expressions of other young wizards, he felt that this answer should be correct...
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Hermione Granger, Professor." The little witch said proudly.
"Very good, Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor." Dracula nodded to her and motioned for her to sit down.
Then he continued, "Of course, in my opinion, Defense Against the Dark Arts should not be so narrow. What we need to defend against is far more than just dark magic, there are also dark creatures."
"The knowledge of defense should be applied in every aspect of life. You can use defense when you are bullied by your classmates or when you encounter hooligans outside."
"In the wizarding world, learning cultural subjects is to enable you to talk to rogues calmly, while learning defense is to enable them to talk to you calmly!"
Listening to Dracula's speech, the young wizards were a little confused and excited, as if the door to a new world had been opened.
"Of course, you are still young and don't have much magic foundation. At this time, you must learn to borrow other powers to defend yourself - such as alchemical armor, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method, calling for help!"
A knowing laugh rang out in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"Don't laugh, I'm serious." Dracula knocked on the desk, "For you little wizards, it is not shameful to seek help from adults. On the contrary, it is the wisest choice."
"For example, when you go out on an adventure with adults, the most convenient way is to buy two magic looking glasses. When you are in danger alone, press the communication button on the looking glass, and the other looking glass paired with it will sound an alarm and lead your elders to your location."
"In addition, the two signal spells of red sparks and green sparks can also play a good role in alarm and communication. You can prepare for it on your own when you go back, and you will officially start learning these two spells in the next class."
"But I don't recommend you use the spark spell to send a signal when you are in danger." Dracula said, "Because this signal will not only be seen by your friends and elders, but it will also expose your position to the enemy's vision."
"So it is necessary to mention some spells that can conceal one's body, such as the Disillusionment Spell..."
Dracula stood on the podium and spoke eloquently, making full use of his thousands of years of life experience to explain the most basic knowledge of defense in a vivid and interesting way. The young wizards in the audience were fascinated by what he said, and even the students who didn't like studying felt that it was full of useful information and took up their quills to take notes.
Suddenly, the bell for the end of get out of class at Hogwarts rang melodiously.
More than half of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class had already been delayed. Now that Dracula and the students were all in the right state, time passed quickly and it was time to end the get out of class before they knew it.
When Dracula heard the bell for the end of get out of class, he was slightly startled.
He hadn't felt time passing so quickly for a long, long time.
"Okay, that's all for today. When you go back, remember to review the green sparks and red sparks in your textbooks carefully. We will check your preparation in the next class." He smiled easily, put away his wand, and took out a cross pendant made of eerie wood from his pocket.
"Also, since I've taught you so much about using external objects to defend yourself, I also have some small gifts for you."
The center of the cross pendant is engraved with an ancient runic symbol symbolizing the moon. Unlike the church's cross, its shorter horizontal bar is slightly tilted upwards, like a pair of outstretched wings.
"This is an amulet I made when I was bored. It can resist a lot of dark magic and is quite practical." Dracula held up the pendant and showed it to the young wizards in the audience. "From grades one to three, the student with the best final exam scores in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class in each grade will receive this amulet."
"So, study your Defense Against the Dark Arts well!"
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