24 Chapter 24: Defensive Magic

The morning sun was rising slowly, casting golden light against the ancient stone of Hogwarts Castle.

Professor Sherlock Forester was up precisely at six o'clock, preparing himself for the day ahead. He went over his teaching plans one more time prior to his first class, plans he had practiced to precision over the last two months.

Ever since his initial meeting with Professor McGonagall, his casual encounters with the Weasley household, and lastly his formal audience with Albus Dumbledore, everything had proceeded as forecast. Sherlock hadn't let slip any indications of discrepancies, which was just a preface to the real challenge that lay ahead.

His position as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts was the element that drew the most attention upon his arrival at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had made it clear in his opening speech during the start-of-term feast that despite personally bringing Sherlock to Hogwarts, he harbored reservations about Sherlock's capacity to teach. He implied Sherlock would inevitably face intense scrutiny during his probationary period.

Despite these circumstances, Sherlock was unconcerned about potentially messing up in his classes or even being thrown unceremoniously out of Hogwarts by Dumbledore. Ironically, he found this thought rather appealing.

However, just because he was willing to take the risk of performing poorly in his class didn't mean he was planning on openly displaying his lack of understanding of magic, specifically defensive magic, which the original owner had been studying for a long time.

As a seven-year student of Hogwarts, an accomplished Auror, and a diligent scholar of defensive magic, Sherlock wouldn't find himself failing in his field of expertise unless there was an explanation beyond belief. If Dumbledore were to see something as absurd as this, he would no doubt question Sherlock's mental faculties.

This was why Sherlock devoted his two months of vacation time to familiarize himself with spells, frequently revisiting the two books on defensive magic written by the previous owner and outlining his teaching plan, which was closely based on the research pathways illustrated in these books. And now the day had come to see the fruits of his labor.

After preparing the materials for his inaugural first-year class, Sherlock had a quiet breakfast in the Grand Hall, content in the knowledge of his readiness.

Then, he walked into the classroom, carrying a bag carefully bundled with cloth, containing his carefully chosen textbooks. He noticed Ginny Weasley, newly sorted into Gryffindor, already present among a few other diligent students.

Her overly scrupulous older brother Percy had warned her about the unpredictable nature of Hogwarts; reminding her to come early and avoid falling victim to the castle's unpredictable staircases.

Ginny appeared excited upon seeing Sherlock enter the room. Her young face flushed with anticipation as she greeted him respectfully at the podium.

"Professor Forester, I wanted to thank you for the textbook you gifted me, since I didn't get the chance to thank you last time. Mum also insisted that I should express my thanks in person.. So um thank you I appreciate your kindness and I'll take your words to heart!"

Hearing the little girls conscientious words, Sherlock raised an eyebrow. Having seeing how the Weasley twins behave themselves the night before, Sherlock had to appreciate the peculiar blend of chaos and structure that defined the Weasley family's values. It seemed half of their children were well-behaved, like Ginny and Percy, while the other, like Ron and the twins, were notorious troublemakers.

He acknowledged Ginny's gratitude with a simple statement, "Given my close relationship with your parents, you need not thank me."

Following the episode in Diagon Alley, Ginny was well aware of Sherlock's seemingly indifferent attitude. She confidently promised to focus on her studies before returning to her seat.

As more and more students filled the room, and the bell rang to signify the start of the lesson, Sherlock sharply tapped the edge of his lectern, effectively demanding silence from the abuzz first years.

Attendance was then taken, marking the first class of the year for the newest recruits of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Due to their curiosity for the enchanting wonders of Hogwarts and despite their best efforts, three students arrived late.

Calmly, Sherlock addressed them, "Having a good notion of punctuality might not as much as determine your success as a wizard, but it speaks volumes about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness. Know that I take a dim view of students who are habitually late. Considering this is your first ever class at Hogwarts, I'll overlook this transgression, but let it be the last."

Sherlock's mild reprimand was taken seriously by the three Gryffindor students who had overindulged in exploring the castle, granting them their tardiness.

Amid the silent audience of mixed houses, they quickly located empty seats, not daring to cause any further disturbance. With all students assembled, the class officially began.

Without instructing his students to refer to their textbooks, Sherlock surveyed the young wizards and witches attentively listening to him and began his introductory speech.

"The subject matter of Defensive Magic, or more specifically, Defense Against the Dark Arts, is an expansive concept encompassing various protective spells effective against dark magic and evil magical creatures. It does not pertain to a specific kind of spell or charm. Even a simple household cleaning charm such as 'Scourgify', given the right circumstances, can be deemed a defensive spell."

This liberal definition of Defensive Magic was not an invention of Sherlock, but a widely accepted view in the wizarding world proposed by a wizard who had lived over three centuries ago.

"In most situations, you may never need to put your Defense Against the Dark Arts training to use, but should the time come, it might just save your life."

"Therefore, despite its seeming irrelevance, it is one of the primary courses at Hogwarts, and it likely involves the most extensive knowledge of theory, practical training, and indeed, spells."

"Each instructor may impose their personal perspective; still, in my belief, Defense Against the Dark Arts will be the most challenging, yet intriguing subject you'll undertake here at Hogwarts. In this class, besides studying offensive and defensive spells additional to those you'll be taught in Charms, you'll be required to absorb extensive information regarding creatures of darkness and apply every spell you learn effectively."

"To honor your first official day of magical education at Hogwarts, we will not be attempting anything too practical for now. Instead, we will focus on theory related to understanding dark creatures."

At this moment, Sherlock undid the bag he had brought, retrieving a miniature object, placing it in full view on the lectern. "Today, we start with the Red Cap, the initial dark creature subject in our course."