Marian, who was fiddling with her new hairpin with her head down, was startled by the sudden voice. She looked up and realized Moody's Magic Eye had focused on her at some point.
She stood up hesitantly, her face turning bright red, and whispered, "I've heard of it, it should be the, the Killing Curse..."
"Very good, sit down. But next time you're in class, you better put that thing away."
Moody turned away, but that Magic Eye continued to watch her, "That's right, the Killing Curse, the most terrifying Charm... but these are courses for sixth year and above, still too early for you.
"Now, who else knows some more common Dark Magic?"
Several hands raised up again.
"Miss Prince." Moody pointed to Conna.
"Uh, there's one I think." Conna said, "Corrosion Spell."
"Ah, yes, standard Dark Magic." Moody nodded, "It corrodes flesh and bones, extremely dangerous, and a favorite trick of most Dark Wizards... though you may not quite understand this."
He pulled out his Wand and gave it a slight shake over the desk.
A layer of purple, goo-like substance instantly covered the desk, and the solid wood melted away like ice under hot water.
The students at the front row leaned back, afraid to be touched.
Moody swung his Wand again, restoring the desk to its original state.
"Any more, who else knows other Charms?"
Everyone raised their hands again, and he casually pointed at someone.
"Horn-Growing Hex!"
"Barely counts." Moody said, "Though this Charm is more of a restrictive Jinx, it's not illegal as long as it doesn't cause harm."
"I know one, Professor." Someone else said, "Fiendfyre Curse."
"Standard answer."
...
"Skull Engorgement Charm!"
"Good."
...
The atmosphere in the classroom was completely stirred up; the students no longer feared Moody's scarred face and started eagerly raising their hands to answer questions.
However, among these people, some truly knew, some were hearsay, and some directly made up a Charm on the spot... but were immediately exposed by Moody.
Once he felt the mood was right, Professor Moody clapped his hands again, gesturing for everyone to lower their hands.
"Alright, back to the point." He said, "Every single Dark Magic can bring great trouble to people. Ordinarily, I should be teaching you various Curse Breakings now. Both the Ministry of Magic regulations and textbooks say so, but I don't think that way.
I believe the most effective Curse Breaking is preventing your opponent's Dark Magic from hitting you, so I decided to teach you a simple, yet very common defensive technique in the first class!"
He turned his head and wrote a few big words on the blackboard, but everyone knew that at this time, his Magic Eye must be observing them through the back of his head.
So no one dared to whisper now, all sitting upright.
Soon, Moody finished writing and turned around, pointing at the blackboard:
"Iron Armor Spell, the most effective defense method. A Wizard proficient in Iron Armor Spell can resist ninety percent of Dark Magic. Moreover, this Charm is also an entry requirement for Aurors.
If any of you want to become Aurors after graduation, remember, only those who can master Iron Armor Spell can proceed to the Auror assessment; otherwise, you'll be turned away even if you earn all certificates."
Some immediately pulled out their Quills and started taking keen notes.
"Professor..." At that moment, someone raised a hand and asked: "Can Iron Armor Spell withstand the Killing Curse?"
Moody's Magic Eye rotated, looking towards the person.
"Theoretically, it can." He said, "But the Killing Curse is special. It contains not only Magic Power but also malice in people's hearts, which is the key to the Killing Curse. This malice is much more terrifying than Magic Power, so it often requires multiple times the opponent's Magic Power to block the Killing Curse with Iron Armor Spell.
The difference is like trying to use the Killing Curse on me... honestly, it's not only pointless but also foolish because you don't know if your opponent is really as vulnerable as they seem.
Therefore, when facing the Killing Curse, the best approach is to dodge rather than block..."
The scratching sound of Quill writing resumed in the classroom.
Though this is something meant for higher grades to learn, Moody did not stop them from taking notes; he quietly waited.
Once everyone finished writing, he waved his Wand, and lines of small text jumped onto the blackboard, along with illustrations of Wand gestures.
The illustrations clearly showed the changes in gestures needed to perform Iron Armor Spell, as well as the direction and amplitude of Wand movement.
"This is your homework." Moody said, "Also the technique of Iron Armor Spell I summarized. I expect you to remember all of these; during the next class, we will perform practical exercises, and if anyone's theoretical understanding is a mess..."
He grinned, making the scars on his face bunch up together, which made him look even more intimidating.
"Trust me, then you'll definitely regret it.
Of course, I know some of you don't care at all, but don't worry, I'll inform the treatment room in the Hospital Wing in advance, even have them prepare some beds for you..."
The classroom fell silent, and for the rest of the class, everyone busied themselves copying notes from the blackboard, without a word, until the bell rang...
Moody limped out of the classroom, the sound of his wooden leg thudding on the ground growing fainter, until it disappeared.
In an instant, various discussions broke out furiously.
Except for a small number of students showing concern, most were excited, eager for Friday, because only then could they attend the second Defense Against Dark Arts class.
"He's really remarkable, isn't he?" After leaving the class, Mikel looked at the Parchment filled with writing in his hand and said:
"He's literally a master of various Dark Magic, even spotted the one I made up... Seems not everyone is just like that Lockhart, merely famous."
Kael glanced at him, hesitating whether to tell Mikel that the so-called "Scouring Charm" he made up actually had another name, called "Scouring Charm."
Making things disappear at the point of the Wand, isn't that Scourgify?
Just like Transfiguration Spell cannot conjure food, Scouring Charm is equally ineffective on anything containing life; not only Moody, any Wizard with a bit of common sense, knows it was made up.
Otherwise, the Killing Curse would have ranked second already; after all, in terms of convenience, it's far behind.