Victor Wick's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was scheduled for the afternoon.
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived early at the classroom, they found that many others had arrived much earlier than they had.
"This is crazy! Why are these people here so early?" Ron's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
"I told you to eat faster! You just had to have that extra chicken leg. Now look, all the good seats in the front are taken!" Hermione glared at him crossly.
"Is that my fault?" Ron argued defensively. "Didn't you see? Some of them brought their lunch straight into the classroom!"
"Stop bickering. If we wait any longer, we'll end up in the very last row," Harry interrupted, cutting their argument short.
"I think the back is fine too," Neville whispered. "Professor Wick definitely won't overlook the students in the back."
The others nodded in agreement; knowing Victor Wick's character, they were sure he would consider every student's experience.
Before long, the bell rang. Victor walked in right on time, carrying a textbook and a roll-call list.
"Good afternoon, class," he said as he reached the podium. Looking at the eager faces below, he raised the list with a smile. "I usually start with roll call, but I suppose it's unnecessary... No one would want to miss my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, right?"
A wave of knowing laughter rippled through the room.
"However, it is my duty to know every one of my students. So, please, stand up and introduce yourselves one by one."
This was a joint first-year session for Gryffindor and Slytherin. Victor listened quietly as the new students introduced themselves, mentally recording each face and name into his personal database.
"Alright, let's officially begin our lesson... I assume you've all looked through your textbooks. Can anyone tell me what exactly Defense Against the Dark Arts teaches?"
*Snap!* Hermione's hand shot up instantly.
"Miss Granger."
"This class is meant to teach us how to defend ourselves against the Dark Arts!"
"Be a bit more specific."
"To learn the techniques for countering dark spells and dark creatures."
"Excellent. One point to Gryffindor." As Victor spoke, Hermione sat back down with a beaming smile.
"As Miss Granger said, this course covers defense against dark spells and creatures. But in my opinion, the core of Defense Against the Dark Arts goes far beyond just fighting the darkness."
Victor turned and wrote a single line in neat handwriting on the blackboard: [DEFENSE ARTS].
"Remember, it's not just dark wizards and dark creatures that can threaten a wizard's life. What I intend to teach you are the essential skills to protect yourselves in any dangerous situation—for instance, dueling techniques... or more precisely, the art of real combat!"
The room erupted in excitement.
Whether Gryffindor or Slytherin, the eyes of the young wizards instantly lit up. They had been so eager for this class because they admired Victor's power, and now they felt they were finally getting what they came for!
"However, since you've only just started your first year and are still quite young, high-level defense arts are currently beyond your reach. Following Hogwarts tradition, we will start with a theoretical foundation."
"Oh... no..."
The expectant students deflated instantly, letting out a collective groan of disappointment and sighs.
"Without a solid foundation, even the tallest tower will crumble. If you don't master the theory, advanced techniques will remain nothing more than castles in the air," Victor reassured them gently. Then, his tone shifted as a smile touched his eyes. "But who said a theory class has to be boring?"
Hope flared up in the first-years' eyes once again.
Victor turned toward the door. "Mr. Shafiq, please bring in my teaching prop."
Outside, Andrey Shafiq, who had been waiting for some time, walked in with his wand in hand. Floating beside him was a massive, rectangular object covered by a red cloth.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This is Mr. Andrey Shafiq. Starting today, he will serve as my assistant, using his spare time to help me with my teaching duties until he graduates."
At these words, the students' gazes toward Shafiq were filled with envy.
Everyone understood the advantage of being close to the source... Being the Professor's assistant meant he would surely learn things they would never hear in class!
Feeling the intense stares of the freshmen, the gloom in Shafiq's heart vanished completely, replaced by a surge of adrenaline.
Since Professor Wick had helped him this much, Andrey Shafiq knew that if he didn't make something of himself, he would be failing the Professor's mentorship!
"Just put it on the side, thank you."
The giant prop stood firmly by the podium. Victor pulled away the red cloth, revealing a polished, massive magic mirror that reflected the entire classroom within its surface.
"A mirror?" Ron scratched his head in confusion. "What does that have to do with theory?"
"Just wait and see. Professor Wick won't let us down," Harry said, his trust in Victor absolute.
Looking at the mirror, Hermione suddenly thought of Neville's words from last night and the polished silverware in the Great Hall. A spark of realization flashed in her eyes.
"I created this teaching prop based on a certain item in Headmaster Dumbledore's collection," Victor smiled. "Now, let me ask you a question. What is the dark creature we are supposed to learn about in the first chapter of our textbook?"
Hermione raised her hand again, but because she had been deep in thought, she was just a split second too slow—someone else beat her to it!
"Mr. Potter!" Victor called out with a smile.
"It's the Inferi, Professor," Harry answered loudly.
"Correct! I'm delighted to see you've all been reading ahead! One point to Gryffindor!"
Harry sat back down happily. Thanks to Victor's warning, the Dursleys hadn't dared to restrict his freedom, allowing him to study his new textbooks to his heart's content.
Hermione shot a huffy look at Harry. *Drat, I was too slow this time!*
"Now... would you like to see with your own eyes what a real Inferius looks like?" Victor asked, his voice trailing off to pique their curiosity.
"Aren't there illustrations in the textbook?" Malfoy spoke up dismissively. He was feeling quite annoyed that Harry had snatched the points away first.
"Pictures are flat and lifeless after all; they aren't intuitive enough." Victor looked at the class. "I'm asking, do you want to see the true form of these dark creatures clearly?"
*Hiss...*
The Gryffindors' eyes flashed with excitement.
While the Slytherins showed some hesitation, their youthful curiosity ultimately triumphed over their caution.
"Of course we do!" Malfoy was the first to answer, his excitement making him momentarily forget his earlier annoyance.
"Very well. Put your textbooks away. We won't be needing them for this lesson."
Every first-year in the room was ecstatic. A theory class without textbooks was bound to be far from boring!
"Now, everyone, line up... and then, let us use Mirror Magic to enter the world within the glass together!" Victor said with a smile.
"Mirror Magic? Entering a world inside a mirror?"
The students' eyes lit up as they crowded forward, their breathing quickening. They had never seen such a novel and mysterious magic in any of their Hogwarts textbooks!
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she thrust her hand high into the air, her fingers straight and tense.
"Miss Granger, do you have another question?" Victor nodded to her.
"Professor, when you teleported through Hogwarts last night, you did it using this Mirror Magic, didn't you?"
A flash of approval crossed Victor's eyes, and his smile widened. "What keen insight! You're absolutely right, Miss Granger. This is a high-level Mirror Dimension magic that Headmaster Dumbledore taught me years ago. As you saw, it proves incredibly useful in critical moments! Back then, I used a highly polished cup to successfully cast the spell... Well done, Miss Granger. For your sharp observation, another point for Gryffindor!"
As he finished, a proud smile spread across Hermione's face.
The rest of the students were filled with wonder, looking at the mirror's surface with increasing awe.
Malfoy whispered to Crabbe beside him, "I think I heard my father mention this kind of advanced magic before!"
At that moment, Hermione couldn't wait to follow up. "Then... can you show us? Just like you did last night..."