bacchusnovels Chapter 564 The New Semester Begins
Chapter 564 The New Semester Begins
Chapter 560 The New Semester Begins
The next few minutes.
Sean was still earnestly explaining the law to Mr. Slughorn, a kind-hearted citizen.
"Even during the reporting period, you still have obligations to fulfill."
"If your report fails, what awaits you is not this little villa, but Azkaban."
"I will personally lead the Aurors to imprison you."
Sean's wise sayings echoed in Slughorn's mind.
A moment later, he lowered his head in dejection.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Hogwarts needs unity."
Sean paused, then looked at Slughorn again.
"Report to the Great Hall of Hogwarts at 9:00 AM on September 1st. I'm sure you won't be late, will you?"
September 1st.
The Gryffindor lion cubs reunite on the Hogwarts Express.
An invitation was delivered to the carriage.
Harry:
I would be very happy if you could have lunch with me in Carriage C with Hermione.
"Who is Professor Slughorn?" Harry asked the young wizard who delivered the letter.
The young wizard shook his head. Ron, who was standing nearby, chimed in.
"I guess it's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
Whenever a new professor with an unfamiliar name arrives at the school, it's always safe to associate him with Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"What about Professor Tonks?" Hermione asked, sounding worried. "She can't have gotten into some kind of trouble this summer—the curse of Defense Against the Dark Arts course—"
"I don't know." Harry shook his head. "Looks like I have to go, don't I?"
When Harry and Hermione arrived in carriage C, the first thing they saw was a bald man.
The light reflected from that bald head could even fill the entire carriage.
The bald old man jumped up excitedly as soon as he saw Harry.
"Let's all see who's here—Harry Potter!!!"
Harry dodged his hug, but Slughorn didn't seem to mind and turned his gaze to Hermione beside him.
"I bet you're Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded, unsure of what to do.
Slughorn gestured for them to sit down, and the two of them took a seat in an empty spot near the door.
There were many people around, from various colleges.
This included the other three prefects, including Malfoy, and even Susan was in the innermost position.
"Alright, I don't think I need to introduce Mr. Potter to you—who in Hogwarts doesn't know the famous Savior, Harry Potter?"
Malfoy gave Slughorn a subtle glare.
"This is Cormac McClargan, perhaps you've met him before—? No?"
"This is Susan Bornes."
"This is Marcos Belby."
"This is Draco Malfoy, I'm sure you've met before."
Slughorn introduced most of the people.
"It is an honor to meet you all."
"It's a pleasant day. I've gotten to know you, the future elite of the wizarding world."
""
Many people quietly straightened their backs.
"Come on, everyone, have something to eat."
Slughorn took out a lot of food from the bag next to him and placed it on the table one by one, like a picnic.
"I brought my own food."
"I'm sure they'll suit your tastes perfectly; the food on the Hogwarts Express isn't really to my liking."
Indeed, as Slughorn said.
The food he brought was several levels above the quality of the food sold on the train, just in terms of appearance alone.
"I was the elder who taught many of you."
"Take this young Mr. Marcos, for example. I once taught his uncle Damocles—he was awarded the Order of Merlin, which is entirely worthy of his intelligence."
"Cormac, I taught your uncle."
"6
Hermione didn't know why she was sitting there.
Could it be that someone in my family was "fortunate" enough to have been taught by Slughorn?
That's a lame joke.
It was even colder than Diagon Alley yesterday.
As she observed, everyone present was considered a "distinguished descendant" of the wizarding world.
Even Harry.
Let's eat something; this dessert looks delicious.
Susan seemed to have noticed Hermione's mood as well.
Quietly pass Susan a piece of cake from under the table—Susan's Choice, trustworthy.
"In short, it's never a bad thing for everyone to get to know each other better."
"Especially at this particular moment."
"We should unite to overcome this challenge together."
Slughorn spent the entire afternoon talking about his teaching career.
Until the train disappeared into the crimson sunset.
The train also stopped at the terminal station.
"Everyone, disembark in order!"
As soon as Hermione stepped out of Slughorn's carriage, she began directing "traffic".
Next—
They arrived at the auditorium, waiting for the Sorting Ceremony.
This year's college selection ceremony was uneventful and unremarkable.
If there was a climax to the entire opening ceremony, it would definitely be when Sean introduced the professors' positions.
"This year, we are delighted to welcome a new professor, the fourth Slughorn Professor."
Slughorn stepped forward, sporting his large bald head.
"Professor Slughorn will be the Potions professor."
"Potions class?"
The group looked at each other, another question popping into their minds.
What about Snape?
The young wizards of Slytherin looked unwell.
Some of them believed that Snape had been fired by the long-time antagonist, Headmaster Phillips.
This is entirely possible.
Although Snape may seem gloomy, he is actually very protective of his own.
"Professor Snape and Professor Tonks are both professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
The Slytherin table erupted in cheers.
The expressions on the faces of the people at the Gryffindor table turned rather grim.
Snape sat at the teachers' table, and when he heard Sean mention his name, he slowly stood up, a rare hint of joy appearing on his perpetually gloomy face.
"Professor Phillips must be crazy to make Snape the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
Ron muttered a complaint under his breath, but Hermione stomped on his foot hard under the table.
Harry wanted to complain too, but noticing Ron's expression, he stopped himself and immediately separated his own complaints from Sean's.
"That Snape guy, I think he—"
[”
When Sean spoke, the auditorium fell silent.
"The situation is very tense because Voldemort has returned. Therefore, I need to emphasize a few points this semester."
"Everyone at Hogwarts needs to prioritize their own safety. The castle's magical defenses are under construction, but we cannot let our guard down and must remain vigilant."
"I need you to follow the suggestions of your instructors."
"Any suspicious situation, whether on or off campus, must be reported to faculty and staff."
'
This was the first time Sean had addressed the opening ceremony as the principal.
But it sounded a bit more complicated than Dumbledore's words in previous years.
The sixth-grade curriculum is much easier than the fifth-grade curriculum.
There are almost no classes.
On the second day of school, the kids gathered together in the common room to choose their class schedules for the semester.
In other words, these are advanced classes from various subjects.
Of course, if a student does not achieve a passing grade in the corresponding subject in 0.W.Ls, then the door to the advanced class for that subject will also be closed to that student.
Hermione's schedule was quickly finalized.
Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbalism, Potions, and Muggle Studies were all included in her curriculum without hesitation.
However, compared to Hermione, the other two are progressing much slower.
To help these young wizards, the deans of the various houses are also helping them with course selection guidance in their spare time.
"Mr. Potter, please hand me your O.W.L. report card."
McGonagall frowned slightly when she saw Harry's report card.
"Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbalism, and Transfiguration—your grades are all decent, and your Transfiguration is particularly good. If possible, you could continue studying Potions. Combining these subjects will open up many career options in the future."
Harry accepted McGonagall's suggestion.
Things have changed, and the reason is naturally that the professor teaching Potions has changed.
Harry made his choice, and Ron made his.
Ron and Harry's grades were almost identical; they could simply copy each other's homework.
However, as the newly appointed captain of the Quidditch team, Harry is also responsible for the team's selection process, training, and tactical arrangements for the new season.
To his surprise, he saw Ginny's name on the list of new team members.
"Is Ginny going to join the Quidditch team too?"
Ron seemed surprised by the news.
But it's nothing much.
At its peak, the Gryffindor Quidditch team consisted of three members from the Weasley family.
If two leave, isn't it normal for one to come in?
Are you sure Ginny will make the cut?
"Don't underestimate her, she's very strong."
Quidditch selections are made not only from newly registered participants but also from returning students.
It's very fair. So fair it's almost abnormal.
After spending the morning at the Quidditch pitch, their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the semester was in the afternoon.
Snape was in charge of the upperclassmen, and Tonks was in charge of the lowerclassmen.
This allocation is naturally related to the seniority of the two individuals.
When they entered the classroom, they were shocked to find that a classroom with a Defense Against the Dark Arts spell had been branded with Snape's unique mark:
Dim and gloomy.
The curtains were drawn for some reason, candles were lit around the room, and the walls were covered with portraits of people who had suffered and were dying.
It was even more creepy than the Potions classroom.
It's estimated that during Snape's more than ten years of teaching, he had considered countless times in his mind how to arrange the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"You've had many professors for this course so far."
"These professors each have their own teaching methods."
"But what's unbelievable is that, in such chaotic circumstances, many of you still managed to pass the O.W.Ls exam for this course."
Is this a compliment? I don't know.
Listen to it again.
"Black magic has always been diverse, varied, and endless. To fight against it is like fighting a multi-headed monster; you cut off one head, and another immediately grows back, more ferocious and cunning. What you are facing is an ineradicable and ever-changing force."
"Therefore, your defenses must be as flexible, versatile, and creative as black magic."
As Snape walked around, he pointed to several pictures at random.
"These vividly depict the victims' experiences. For example, the witch who was cursed with the Cruciatus Curse—" (he pointed to the woman screaming in pain), "or the male witch who was kissed by a Dementor—" (the man was curled up in a corner with empty eyes), "and the one who was possessed by the Infernal—" (the mangled corpse on the ground).
"But have people really seen undead?" Parvati Petil asked in a soft voice. "Would he really use them?"
“The Dark Lord has used Infernals before,” Snape replied, “which means we must assume he will use them again. Alright.”
He turned and walked towards the podium, his black robe swaying gently behind him, drawing the attention of the entire class once again.
"—I know you're not very familiar with the Silent Spell. So, what are the advantages of the Silent Spell?"
Hermione immediately raised her hand. Snape slowly scanned the classroom, and seeing no one respond, reluctantly said, "Alright—Miss Granger?"
"Your opponent won't know what kind of magic you're going to use," Hermione said, "so you can gain a temporary advantage."
"This is an answer copied verbatim from 'Standard Spells (Level Six,'" Snape said coldly (Malfoy in the corner let out a scornful laugh), "but it's basically correct. Indeed, casting a spell silently can have a surprising effect. However, not all wizards can do that. It requires a great deal of concentration and willpower, and some people—" his gaze fell on Harry's face, "lack those qualities."
"Now you'll be in pairs."
Snape finally began his teaching.
"One person silently casts a curse, while the other attempts a silent counter-curse. Let's begin."
And so, the little ones' nightmare began.
Never before has a Defense Against the Dark Arts class been so difficult to endure.
Looking back on their six years at Hogwarts.
Apart from Lupin in his third year, it seems that he didn't take any regular Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
In the first year, Quirrell made them smell rotten garlic.
Lockhart, in his second year, told them stories.
In the fourth year, Barty Crouch, disguised as Moody, gave them three unforgivable curses.
In the fifth year, Umbridge had them read from the textbook.
After overcoming numerous obstacles, I finally made it to the advanced class of Defense Against the Dark Arts through 0.W.Ls.
Who would have thought—
I ran into Snape again.
The course content wasn't about learning how to resist dark magic; it seemed more like Snape wanted to take his anger out on them.
One by one, they were knocked down in front of Snape.
Snape must have felt really good.
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