23 Chapter 23: Leo's First Experience

The Great Hall that day was a scene of pandemonium. Some were lamenting why they had ever been so captivated, 

while others, unable to face reality, stared into the void with lifeless eyes. 

There were those who angrily denied the truth and others who put on a false show, claiming they had always doubted him. The one thing they all had in common was that they were all female.

The revelation that Gilderoy Lockhart was the greatest fraud of the century had been publicly announced, and the anger and resentment that had been brewing was now directed at Albus Dumbledore and Leonard Taylor for shattering their dreams. However, these feelings turned into curses, which the two easily deflected.

The entire student and all the teachers had been gathered in the chaotic Great Hall. Dumbledore stood up and began to speak.

"Ahem. As you all know, Gilderoy Lockhart's achievements were all lies. He used the Memory Charm to take credit for the accomplishments of others. Well, I suppose his good looks and writing ability were genuine, but many were deceived. Now, he has forgotten everything due to the Memory Charm he cast."

Upon hearing the truth once again, some of Lockhart's former admirers fell apart. It was an incomprehensible sight for those who cared little for Lockhart.

"Now, what's important is not the deceived past, but the future. We've lost our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher once again. That's why I recommend Leonard Taylor, a Ravenclaw student, for the position. He surpasses the abilities of an average wizard, and his father is the Deputy Head of the Auror Office. There's no one better suited for the job. Leonard has already agreed to this. He will be exempt from classes for this year and will live the life of a teacher. Now, Professor Taylor, please introduce yourself."

"I've taken up the position as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Leonard Taylor. Nice to meet you all. Well, I'm sure many of you are thinking, 'Can a teacher like him handle a bunch of second-year brats?'"

Slytherins and other upperclassmen, including Harry and Ron, were loudly voicing their complaints. In contrast, there was no such complaint from the Ravenclaw students.

"I understand your complaints. So, I've come up with a system for those of you who feel that way. It's called the 'Exemption Challenge.' If you meet certain conditions, you'll be exempt from class, have no homework, and be guaranteed a certain grade in exams. This opportunity is available to everyone, regardless of your house or year."

The Great Hall erupted into a commotion. For students who disliked studying, this was like a dream come true. They eagerly awaited the details of the challenge.

"The conditions are as follows: You need to use magic to inflict some form of damage on me, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Leonard Taylor."

For a moment, there was silence, but in the next instant, curses were hurled from Slytherin upperclassmen, the Gryffindor twins, and others. Flashes of curses came from all directions towards Leonard, but just before they hit, they vanished into thin air.

"Please listen to me until the end. Ravenclaw minus one point. As a teacher, I have the authority to deduct points, so please keep that in mind. Now, let me explain in detail. I'll call this... let's say, the 'Exemption Challenge.' Anyone can attempt it, regardless of their house or year. You can do it anywhere, anytime, as long as it's not during my class, and not in my office. The Great Hall during meals, the hallways while moving between classes, or inside a classroom during a lesson, it's all fair game. The objective is to inflict damage using magic, by any means necessary. There's no limit to the number of attempts you can make. While I'm primarily focused on defense, I will, of course, counterattack, so those who attempt should be prepared to at least faint. I'm a Ravenclaw, but I won't hold back, no matter which house you're from. As a bonus, when you clear the challenge, your house will receive 50 extra points. I'll post more detailed rules on the bulletin board for you all to review. That's all."

The Great Hall was in an uproar. Not only would students be exempt from classes, but they'd also earn 50 points for their house. Unlimited attempts, too. It seemed like there was no reason not to try. On the other hand, a handful of truly exceptional students had already figured out that Leonard Taylor was far from ordinary. The fact that a majority of curses had disappeared earlier, and the allowance for points in every house was enough for everyone, indicated that Professor Dumbledore recognized Leonard Taylor's exceptional skills. They decided to carefully gather information and challenge him only when they had a reasonable chance of success.

(Well, with these conditions in place, I'll likely be bombarded with spells. That's the true test for my 'Rings.')

The real purpose of this Exemption Challenge was to test the performance of Leo's ten Rings. The exemption from classes and points for the house were extras. Leo intended to assess the capabilities and weaknesses of the Rings.

(I'm looking forward to how many tests I can conduct this year. I have high hopes for the upperclassmen and Hermione.)

From the next day onwards, the hallways that Leonard Taylor walked through were overflowing with flashes of magic. However, Leo continued to move at his usual pace, without even looking at those who were casting spells at him. The curses aimed at Leo would suddenly change direction just a few centimeters before reaching him, rebounding towards the students who had cast them. The hallways, after Leo had passed through, were filled with students suffering from various curse effects, either collapsed or groaning in pain. So many students had to be taken to the infirmary that Madame Pomfrey was furious. From then on, only the disarming and stunning spells were allowed in the hallways.

With things settling down a bit, Hogwarts continued its operations. Today was the second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class, with both Gryffindor and Slytherin students present.

When Leo entered the classroom, many students were already standing there, wands at the ready. Leo, however, stopped using the "reflection" spell, which had stopped any incoming spells, and activated only the remaining defensive mechanisms. The curses still disappeared before reaching Leo.

"Alright, let's take attendance. You may continue attacking, but please respond when your name is called."

Ignoring any attacks, Leo called the roll. His actions made it clear that direct attacks would be futile, and the classroom fell silent.

"Now, everyone is here. In this Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I will teach you how to protect yourselves from dark magic, as well as methods of countering it. As you progress through the higher years, you will learn more powerful defensive and offensive spells, but for now, let's start with a common approach that applies to all years. Since you've been at Hogwarts for over a year, I assume you're all proficient in spell casting, so I won't cover the basics."

Many students felt relieved. Leo's class was already an improvement over Lockhart's. Learning how to defend themselves in a battle seemed like a valuable skill.

"Now, let's start with the basic concept of defense. What would you do if you encountered a hostile wizard? Assume they are stronger than you. Finnigan?"

"Well, I'd use the spells I know to fight back?"

"Wrong. Finnigan, you're dead. Assuming you'd fight back against someone significantly stronger is a sure way to get yourself killed. Next, Zabini?"

"I'd try to negotiate with them, maybe to save my life."

"Depending on the terms, negotiation might work, but you should assume the opponent wants you dead. Then, Longbottom?"

"...I....will"

"Please speak a bit louder, and remember, no matter what you're thinking, I won't laugh at you"

"I will run...."

The Slytherins laughed at this answer, and the Gryffindors told Neville to toughen up. Neville felt embarrassed and hung his head in shame.

However, only Leo and Hermione gave Neville the credit he deserved.

"Everyone's laughing, but Neville's answer is correct. If you can't win against your opponent, you shouldn't fight in the first place. This gives you the highest chance of survival. Experienced wizards have a significant advantage in spellcasting speed, among other things. Those at a disadvantage would only offer more choices by attempting to fight, whether defensively or offensively, and they'd surely be caught off guard. Focus on escaping. It might be challenging for brave Gryffindors, but running away requires courage too. Remember, if you can't escape and have to fight, then consider your options. Longbottom, you get one point."

The subsequent lesson covered techniques for avoiding curses and predicting wand movements. Gryffindors still seemed dissatisfied with the passive defensive methods.

"Well, shall we put it into practice? Since some of you still seem unhappy about the idea of running away, let's test that. Potter and Longbottom, come forward. Potter, you'll fight without fleeing. Longbottom, use the lessons from earlier to escape. Don't worry; I won't harm you. Your safety is guaranteed."

Harry was irritated by Leo's declaration of holding back, while Neville felt relieved. Harry was chosen to face Leo first.

"All right, when the coin drop, we'll begin. I'll start attacking as soon as the coin drop, so be ready with defense or counterattacks."

The coin danced and fell to the floor.

"Expelliarmus" 

Harry's wand was effortlessly lifted and ended up in Leo's hand.

"Now, Longbottom, just like before, I'll attack when the coin drops. Try to evade," Leo instructed.

Neville, scared but determined, kept his eyes on Leo's wand. Once again, the coin hit the floor.

"Expelliarmus" 

Neville leaped to the side. Leo immediately began another disarmament spell, but Neville rolled out of the way. He hid behind a desk, rose cautiously, and zigzagged to create distance.

"That's enough. How did it go? If I were a villain, Potter, without your wand, I could kill you, make you obey, torture you for information, take you hostage, whatever I pleased. On the other hand, Longbottom successfully evaded in just a few seconds. In that brief time, his comrades might come to his aid or, considering the inconvenience, the opponent might withdraw. Either way, the one with the higher survival rate is evident. Let's give Longbottom here two points for his successful evasion."

Only about ten minutes remained.

"Not much time left... In the next class, I'll teach you basic spells. You can choose to continue the exemption task, work on homework for other classes, or even sleep. It's free time."

With that, everyone began attacking Leo simultaneously.

Until the closing bell rang, Leo didn't take a single step and nobody managed to damage him.

Hermione stared at the scene, analyzing Leo's abilities.

"Leo has multiple forms of defense... Reflection and nullification... There might be more. I don't have enough information to challenge this yet. I need to assess it further.)

Leo noticed Hermione's scrutinizing gaze. He believed that if anyone could clear this exemption task, it would be Hermione. He looked forward to seeing if she could surpass the magical objects he had created.

-----------

Leo had no classes and focused solely on teaching.

Then came the performance evaluation experiment, using students as tools under the guise of class exemptions. There were quite a few unhappy protagonists.

Here's an overview of the curriculum for each year:

Common: Basic principles of defense.

First year: Theoretical explanations of magic, methods of spellcasting, etc. Similar to what Leo had taught Hermione

Second year: Simple spells like Disarming and Impediment Jinx.

Third year: More spells than in the second year, but not much change. Plus, some focus on physical combat, which is quite important.

Fourth year: Mock battles using the spells learned in the previous years.

Fifth year: Spell acquisition, considering OWLs. Learning the Protego Shield Charm is a must. Group battles are also conducted in the simulation.

Sixth year: Learning advanced spells for both offense and defense. Some Leo-original spells may be taught depending on the situation.

Seventh year: Preparing for NEWTs, with additional assignments for high achievers.

The curriculum is adjusted to suit each student. For example, Neville starts with a solid foundation from the first year, while Hermione is already at a seventh-year level.

So, stay tuned for the next chapter.

I know it's disappointing when stories you've been looking forward to have no updates at all. 

To all those reading this novel, I'll do my best to keep you from feeling that way. 

Thank you for your support.