The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was the first of the year.
The young witches and wizards were buzzing with chatter, some whispering about the "bet" between Dudley and Snape, while others speculated about what kind of person Professor Lupin would be.
This year's students were all in the same year as Dudley. They'd already endured the garlic-reeking professor with a turban (Quirrell) and the self-obsessed, utterly useless peacock of a professor (Lockhart).
What would this year's professor be like?
They just hoped he wouldn't be too terrible—at least better than Lockhart.
As class time approached, Lupin strolled in, a touch late. He flashed a warm smile at the students before placing his tattered suitcase on the teacher's desk. Compared to Lockhart's flamboyant wardrobe, Lupin's clothes were plain—though "plain" might be too kind. His robes were threadbare, patched in multiple places.
This was probably his best outfit.
It was clear this professor wasn't living a life of luxury.
"Everyone, please put your books away and take out your wands," Lupin announced. "Our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson will be a practical one."
A practical lesson?
The students' eyes lit up. They'd never had a proper practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before—unless you counted that disastrous "Cornish Pixie incident" with the last professor.
"Follow me, please. I think we'll need a different space for this."
While the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was fixed, there were several spacious activity rooms nearby, typically used for practical lessons. But ever since someone had cursed the position, professors rarely used those rooms.
The last time one was used was six or seven years ago.
Lupin pushed open the door, and a musty, moldy smell wafted out. With a casual flick of his wand, a small whirlwind mixed with water appeared, sweeping away the dust, debris, and some unidentified critters in one go.
The activity room was instantly spotless.
If wizards ever went into the cleaning business, they'd put every housecleaning service in England out of work—fast and flawless.
The spell? Scourgify, a household charm used for cleaning. Don't underestimate it just because it's a domestic spell. Most wizards, especially housewives, could cast it, but few could use it to thoroughly clean anything. It was usually good for surface-level tidying.
For Lupin to clean an entire room this size in one go? That was master-level skill.
"My mum's used it before," one student whispered. "She can't even get the kitchen dishes completely clean."
"My dad tried using it to sweep the floor once," another chimed in. "He made such a mess, it took me and Mum three hours to fix it. Total disaster."
The students chattered excitedly. Lupin's little display of skill—a simple spell executed with precision—had already earned their respect.
It also quietly established his authority as a professor.
When someone pulls off something impressive, suddenly everything they do seems reasonable. Poor and scruffy? Nah, that's just thrifty. Haven't you heard? New for three years, old for three years, patch it up and use it for three more. Lupin was clearly a man who knew how to make do.
"He's got some skill," Ron whispered to Harry. "Definitely more reliable than Lockhart."
In their discipline group, probably only Dudley and Hermione could pull off something like that. Well, maybe that Cedric bloke too.
Cedric was part of the discipline group, but with his O.W.L.s exams this year, he rarely showed up. Still, the few times he did, it was clear to everyone he was a talented wizard—really talented.
Harry nodded in agreement. "I'd bet anything no Defense Against the Dark Arts professor could be worse than Lockhart."
Oh, Harry. He was still so young.
And that statement? Way too soon.
"Now, everyone, gather around me," Lupin said, pointing to an empty spot ahead.
With another wave of his wand, an old, weathered wardrobe appeared.
As Lupin approached it, the wardrobe suddenly started shaking, banging loudly.
The unexpected noise startled the students standing closest.
"No need to worry, children, no need to worry," Lupin said calmly, clapping his hands to get their attention. He tapped the wardrobe door. "There's a Boggart inside."
A Boggart—a magical creature (technically a Dark creature) that could shapeshift, said to be a distant cousin of demons. Usually invisible, it might appear as a human, animal, skeleton, or devilish figure. Boggarts loved mischief and fed on human fear.
Interestingly, Boggarts also appeared in Muggle folklore, described as ugly, black, humanoid creatures with oversized hands and feet, dressed in ragged clothing.
"They used to be quite common," Lupin continued. "But for some reason, they're getting rarer. This one was caught not long ago. They were going to drive it into the Forbidden Forest, but I kept it for our practical lesson."
Bang, bang, bang.
The wardrobe shook even more violently.
Lupin glanced at it and went on. "So, first question of the lesson: what is a Boggart?"
As expected, Hermione, the little know-it-all, answered first.
"It can transform into whatever someone fears most," she said.
Lupin was clearly pleased with her answer and didn't hesitate to award points to the discipline group.
Before class, Dumbledore had specifically told him that Hogwarts now had a discipline group in addition to the four Houses, and it needed to be scored separately.
"Now, how do we deal with a Boggart?" Lupin continued. "The first step is to face your fear. Smile at it. Don't let it overwhelm you. Think about what you're most afraid of. What form might the Boggart take for you?"
He gave the students a few minutes to think.
"Remember, laughter is the best way to defeat a Boggart. Willpower is the key to overcoming it."
"If anyone's ready to be the first to face the Boggart, step forward."
Lupin looked around, but no one volunteered. So, he turned his gaze to one student in particular.
"Robin Hood, why don't you go first?"
Heh, who'd have such an old-fashioned name like Robin Hood? Ron thought, chuckling and looking around to see who this "Robin Hood" was.
Then he noticed Lupin staring straight at him.
What?! No way he means me!