Suffering from Success

As Atlas enters the classroom, he sees a dark figure standing at the front of the room, looking down at his watch with a stern expression. Quirrell turns around as the door slams shut, and his piercing gaze falls on Atlas. He raises an eyebrow and speaks in a deep, commanding voice, "I see we have a straggler. Do you have a valid reason for being late, Mr. Graf?"

Atlas stammered out an excuse and blamed Snape wholly for being late, and Quirrell nodded curtly, not looking particularly impressed. "I expect my students to be punctual, Mr. Graf. Now that you're here, we can finally begin. You have stolen your classmates' four minutes of their valuable time to learn."

Quirrel strode to the front of the classroom, his voice carrying an air of authority. "As you all know, I am Professor Quirinus Quirrell, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," he began, his tone firm and unwavering. "The Ministry has requested that I teach you about magical creatures that would barely qualify as threats even to a Muggle, and antidotes to toads or the like. But I refuse to waste your time on such trivial matters."

A few students, including Atlas, looked startled at his defiance, but most listened with rapt attention, intrigued by his rebellious attitude. At that point, Atlas mentally flipped the table, crying out that nothing was going as it should. Quirrell should be a stuttering, cowardly psychopath who volunteered his body for Voldemort to use and not this authoritarian teacher who seems to not care about the ministry.

Quirrell scoffs at the idea of teaching such a mundane and useless curriculum. "The Ministry thinks they can dictate what is important in defence against the dark arts, but they are clueless. I will not waste your time with lessons on topics I deem useless. No, we will focus on what truly matters in defence: the practical use of spells, survival strategies, dueling tactics, and the study of the dark arts themselves. We will not shy away from the darker aspects of magic, for only by understanding them can we truly defend ourselves against them." He pauses, looking each student in the eye. "But make no mistake, while we will study dark magic, we won't use it." Even I wouldn't go so far against the ministries' and the headmasters' wishes. But be forewarned, for I must impress upon you that this course is not meant for the faint of heart, the timid, or worse yet, the indolent. The challenges ahead will demand nothing short of your utmost bravery, resilience, and diligence. You will be pushed to your limits and beyond, tested in ways that will require unwavering determination and unyielding fortitude. Only those with the will and the skill to keep up will survive in my class, as they would against a real dark wizard."

As he spoke, Quirrel's eyes glittered with a fierce determination, and Atlas couldn't help but be drawn in by the man's intensity. He had a charisma so unlike the way the movies portrayed him that it was frightening. A few questions raced through his head, like, if Quirrell is so different, is he still the host to Voldemort? He quickly thought back to Harry's painful expression in the Great Hall and scrapped the idea. Still, this new unknown variable frightened him more and more.

Quirrel looked around the classroom and fixed his gaze on the students. "Now, let me ask you, what do you believe is the most important aspect of a fight for survival?" he asked.

Several hands shot up eagerly, and Quirrel nodded at a student near the front. "Strength, sir," the student answered confidently.

Quirrel shook his head. "No, not quite," he said, "Strength may help, but it is not the most important aspect. After all, even the strongest wizard or witch can be taken down if caught unprepared. Even Dumbledore would die like a lamb in a slaughterhouse if someone he didn't expect would cast the death curse at his back."

Another student spoke up, "So surprising an opponent is the most important?"

Quirrel smiled at the student. "Good guess, but no. Surprising your opponent can give you an advantage, but it is not the most important aspect either. Imagine a duel between two highly skilled wizards. One of them surprises the other with a spell, but as long as he can´t use that advantage to instantly defeat his opponent, he won´t necessarily win. Surprising your opponent may give you a temporary advantage, but it won't necessarily win you the fight, and it's not always a viable option."

Hermione spoke up. "I think the most important aspect is having a strategy, sir," she said confidently. "If you plan ahead and have a well-thought-out plan, you can increase your chances of success."

Quirrel raised his eyebrows in interest. "An excellent suggestion, Miss Granger," he said with a smile. "But that's still not quite right. But correct enough to not call it wrong. The problem with strategies is that the information you have changes constantly, and most strategies fail the moment you contact the enemy. What if your opponent has anticipated your strategy and has planned a counterattack? You can't just ask for a break to think of a counter strategy."

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before Quirrel continued. "The most important aspect of a fight for survival is adaptability," he said firmly. "Adaptability. The ability to think on your feet, to be able to adapt to any situation, and to be able to outmaneuver your opponent. Being able to quickly assess the situation and adjust your tactics accordingly is key. If your opponent is stronger, use your wits, fight together, and take them by surprise. If your opponent is smarter but weaker, try to confront them. If your opponent is both stronger and smarter, take them by surprise or run away."

Quirrell paused for a moment, looking around the classroom. "Now, how do we gain that adaptability? How do we prepare for unexpected situations?" he asked, before continuing without waiting for a response, "It's simple, really. Practice. Practice in as many different scenarios as you can imagine. Practice being caught off guard and having to quickly come up with a plan. Practice with handicaps that force you to think outside the box. And most importantly, have a driving force that motivates you to adapt and improve. While your literal life won't be on the line, pain will be your most stern teacher. And those that excel in my classes, those with the right mindset, you'll be able to handle anything that comes your way."

He walks around the room, looking at the eager faces of the first-year students, and begins his lesson. "Now, imagine you're in a situation where you've lost your wand. Perhaps it was taken from you, or maybe it's been broken. What do you do then?"

He pauses, giving the students a moment to think, before continuing. "First and foremost, do not panic. Your mind is the most potent weapon at your disposal, and therefore, it must not be squandered. You must stay calm and focused."

He turns to a Slytherin girl in the front row. "You there, what would you do if you lost your wand?"

The student looks nervous but answers, "I don't know, sir."

"That's okay," Quirrel reassures her, "We're here to learn. Now, one thing you could do is use your surroundings to your advantage. Look for anything that could be used as a weapon. A rock, a stick, anything that you can use to defend yourself."

He paces back and forth as he continues, "Another thing you could do is use your body as a weapon. Your hands, feet, and elbows can all be used to strike your opponent. You could also use your body to dodge and weave, to avoid being hit."

Quirrel then demonstrates a few basic self-defense moves, such as how to block a punch and how to break free from a grab. He urges the students to practice with each other, emphasizing that physical training is just as important as mastering spells.

"So, who in this class has already learned a spell?" He looked around the classroom, his eyes scanning each student. Around a third, including Atlas, Hermione, and Malfoy, raised their hands. "Good. Now we will learn the most basic aspect of adaptability. Being able to defend oneself without magic. Those who don't know a spell try to take the wands of the people who do. Use any method you can think of. Those who know spells should defend themselves, knock them out, and don't hold back or you will lose because they are twice as many as you. As long as you don't kill or maim, everything goes. Start now!"

Hermione interjected, "But I only know utility spells; how am I"

"Adapt, Miss Granger, adapt," Quirell said without letting her finish.

"As we continue with this class," he says loudly while chaos began to ensure and the first students started to move, "We will learn more about how to adapt in different situations. But for now, remember that adaptability starts with being able to defend yourself without magic. Always be aware of your surroundings, and never underestimate the power of your own body and mind."

Quirrel's tone was matter-of-fact as he spoke, his words measured and precise. "Remember, in a fight for survival, it is not always the strongest or most powerful who win. It is the one who is smart enough to use what they have to their advantage."

As the chaos ensued in the classroom, Atlas felt a surge of adrenaline course through his body. He had trained for moments like these, but he had never been in an actual fight before. He watched as his fellow classmates hesitated, unsure of whether they should attack or defend. Some of them looked scared, while others had a determined look in their eyes. Others tried not to participate by avoiding everyone.

Atlas saw Crabbe and Goyle making their move towards Dean, whose hand was cramping around his wand as he held it too tight. Without thinking twice, Atlas used the Decutare charm and cut off Crabbe's hair to taunt him away from Dean. His plan was a success, causing Crabbe to touch his bare head and storm at him after realizing what had happened.

Atlas confidently called out to Dean, urging him to defend himself while casting a Statum Fieri charm at Crabbe trying to fold his clothes like a bedsheet with Crabbe still in the clothes. Atlas suffered from his partial success as Crabbe started to stumble but decided to make one last jump in Atlas direction, headbutting him in the process and catching him off guard. The next thing Atlas knew, he was on the ground, feeling the weight of Crabbe's body on top of him. Crabbe recovered fast and was able to punch Atlas in the face before trying to grab his wand.

Atlas struggled to break free from Crabbe's grip, but he couldn't get into a good position to use any of the spells he knew. He tried to punch Crabbe repeatedly in the ribs and body, trying to inflict as much damage as possible. But Crabbe was too strong, and he was able to lock Atlas's other arm with his leg, making it impossible for him to move.

Atlas's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. He knew he was in a dangerous situation and that Crabbe wasn't a person who held back. He needed to act quickly if he didn't want to be beaten up. He tried to wriggle himself out of Crabbe's hold, but it only earned him another punch. He could feel the panic rising in his chest as he realized that he would lose his wand no matter what he did.

He knew that he had to do something drastic. With a surge of energy, he managed to push Crabbe off of him and scramble to his feet. But before he could catch his breath, he felt another fist in his face, sending him reeling backwards again. He stumbled but managed to keep his footing, his eyes darting around the room as he looked for a way out.

He saw a small opening in the crowd and sprinted towards it, dodging out of the way of flailing arms and legs. He knew that he couldn't win this fight in close combat, but he also knew that he shouldn't give up. He kept running, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to put as much distance between him and his attackers as possible. In his haste, he overlooked Neville, who lay on the ground, and tried to sneak off. When he fell down again, Neville started to apologize. Just when he thought Neville was too soft for a lesson like this, Neville took the wand that Atlas lost as he fell and ran off, leaving a stunned Atlas behind.

Atlas frantically tried to get up and chase Neville without thinking why Neville betrayed him. As he looked around frantically amidst the chaos of the battle, his heart sank at the realization that Neville was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he found himself facing an enraged and bald Crabbe, who was intent on inflicting harm upon him, even though he himself had lost his wand. The gravity of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks, as he understood that he was utterly defenseless, with no means to protect himself from the impending attack.

But then, to his surprise, Hermione sprang into action. She grabbed a few half-full inkpots from her bag and hurled them at Crabbe, distracting him for a split second and giving Atlas a chance to escape. As he scrambled to his feet and tried to make a run for it, he couldn't help but marvel at Hermione's confidence as she glared at Crabbe. like everything was under control and Crabbe wouldn't be able to hurt her even if he tried. It looked like she had a plan. He was torn between helping Hermione and looking for Neville. Before he could decide, Quirrell's voice echoed through the room, and the chaos subsided as he commanded them to stop. He spoke in a calm yet firm tone, reminding them that chaos like this was a realistic representation of what a battle could be like. He emphasized that a true battle is never as simple as a one-on-one fight with ample preparation time and the option to back out at any moment.

The professor then assigned them a task: to reflect on the chaos that had just ensued and write an 8-inch essay on where they were in the midst of it all, what they did, and what they could have done better. He stressed the importance of learning from their mistakes and being prepared for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

Finally, Quirrell requested that they look up the protego spell in the library, indicating that it would be necessary for their next lesson. He concluded by encouraging them to use their time wisely and to remember the importance of staying focused in the face of chaos. He then proceeded to heal the bruises of every student, one by one, as they left his classroom. He even gave Crabbe a tonic to regrow his hair.

As Atlas felt the bruises in his face being cured by a spell that felt like a comfortable, cold touch, he knew that he had a lot to learn about adaptability, but more importantly, about arrogance. He thought he would be so far ahead in his class that he would be practically undefeatable unless the hero intervened. It looked like he massively miscalculated his own abilities. While he didn't want to reveal that he had knowledge of higher-class spells, to surprise the hero when it counted, he still wanted to be at the top with the spells a first-year wizard could use.

As Atlas reflected on the chaotic fight that had just occurred, he was surprised that the hero had made an appearance. He had expected someone with overwhelming abilities to stand out, even amidst the chaos of the brawl. It occurred to him that perhaps the hero was unable to use their cheat to quickly grow their magic, or maybe he was not in Slytherin or Gryffindor as he had originally thought.

Despite these thoughts, Atlas recognized that he needed to talk to his friends before coming to any conclusions. He realized that he may have missed something important during the fight, especially since he had been preoccupied with avoiding punches from Crabbe. He will also try to hear about Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's lessons when they have them.

However, for the moment, Atlas felt the need to track down Neville and have a serious conversation with him.