<h4>Chapter 24: An impromptu ck magic defence ss.</h4>


    Harry was still reeling from the shock of the troll attack when he heard Professor Drac''s question.


    However, the scene had been too intense for him, and his mind was nk. He racked his brains but couldn''t remember what had been taught in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    Harry cast a pleading nce at Ron, who was huddled in a corner trying to make himself less conspicuous, but Ron only shrank further into the wall and gave him a helpless look.


    At that moment, a trembling hand went up.


    "Miss Granger, why don''t you answer this question for him?" Drac said to Hermione.


    Harry let out a quiet sigh of relief, but then a strange feeling arose within him—this ce had just been a battlefield against a troll, and now it had suddenly turned into a Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom?


    "We younger wizards must learn to rely on other forces for defense—such as alchemical armor, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method, asking for help," Hermione said softly.


    Seeing that Drac didn''t refute her, Hermione''s tone became smoother and more confident, as if she were back in the ssroom.


    "When going out with adults, you can carry two Sneakoscopes to give an rm in dangerous situations; the Spark Charm can also serve as an rm and a means ofmunication, but it''s generally not rmended to use it in the face of danger..."


    Hermione nearly recited all the key points from the ss, leaving Harry and Ron, two academic underachievers, with their mouths agape.


    "You have a very good memory, Miss Granger," Drac nodded with a smile.


    Before Hermione could show a proud smile, his smile faded, and he countered, "But reflect on this: did you follow what I taught?"


    Hermione lowered her head, looking very aggrieved, almost on the verge of tears again.


    Drac ignored her emotional state and continued sternly, "In ss, didn''t you use the Spark Charm quite well? If you had just thought to use red sparks to raise an rm, the professors would havee immediately, and you three wouldn''t have faced such danger!"


    "Also, while I did say that casting the Spark Charm to signal an rm is dangerous, as it can expose your position and potentially anger the enemy, do you remember the other thing I said—''specific issues require specific analysis!''"


    "You should know that trolls are extremely stupid andck any capacity for reasoning. They have no ability to interpret human actions! Against such an enemy, you could have easily used the Spark Charm to signal an rm and then used other spells to dy it until the professors arrived."


    Hermione wiped her tears and said, sniffling, "I... I saw the troll and my mind went nk, I couldn''t think of anything..."


    "That''s why keeping calm in the face of the enemy is equally important," Drac said. "You''ve just not encountered enough situations like this. It seems I''ll have to strengthen your training in this area..."


    As he said this, a malicious smile appeared on his face, suggesting he had thought of some idea.


    Seeing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stop his lecture, Harry and Ron quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    The twopared notes and found that facing Professor Drac was even more nerve-wracking than facing a troll!


    Drac''s lecture was clearly not over.


    His gaze swept over Harry, who was sitting on the ground, and Ron, who was still huddled in the corner. "Don''t think this has nothing to do with you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."


    "Your actions ining to rescue your ssmate aremendable, but have you considered this? Two first-year wizards wandering around in a ce where they might encounter a troll is essentially offering themselves as a meal to it!"


    "You had a prefect in the Gryffindor group, and you even passed Professor Snape in the corridor. Didn''t you think to seek their help?"


    "And your method of dealing with the troll—it''s embarrassing to even talk about it!" Drac said with a look of disdain. "What did you learn those spells for? What are your wands for, just to stick up a troll''s nose?"


    Harry nced at his wand still lodged in the troll''s nostril and said nothing.


    "Remember, you are wizards, not a bunch of monkeys hopping around!"


    Drac''s gaze on the two boys was icy.


    "We just wanted to warn Hermione about the troll, we didn''t expect to be so unlucky as to actually encounter it," Ron said defiantly, unable to hold back his retort. "Besides, Snape was in a hurry to get to the fourth floor, he wouldn''t have bothered with us. Even if he had, he would''ve deducted points from Gryffindor first..."


    "Setting aside any issues of character, Snape still has basic professional ethics. He wouldn''t ignore students in danger. And do you think house points are more important than your lives? That doesn''t seem like your style at all."


    Ron, remembering his and Harry''s night-time escapades earlier in the term, found himself at a loss for words and stood stiffly in the corner.


    "And as for being unlucky enough to encounter a troll, that''s not surprising. If you put yourself in a risky situation, bad luck will eventually catch up with you, sooner orter."


    After hearing such a long lecture, Harry and Ron finally nodded in agreement, and Hermione even took out a notebook to start jotting down notes.


    "Alright, to make up for your mistakes, pay attention now!" Drac snapped his fingers, waking the troll from its frozen state. "A good teaching tool like this is hard toe by. You three, see what methods you can use to bring it down!"


    "And a little tip, the troll''s weak spot is its head!"


    As Drac finished speaking, the troll stood up straight with a roar, looking around the room in confusion, seemingly unable to understand the situation.


    But the troll''s walnut-sized brain wasn''t capable of understanding much, so it quickly grew bored of thinking, picked up its club, and swung it down at Harry.


    Harry''s wand was still in the troll''s nose, and he had no means of defense. He hugged his head in fear, while Hermione and Ron had yet to react, watching in horror as the club descended toward Harry.


    Just as the club was about to make contact with Harry''s scar, the troll froze once again.


    "Your reactions are too slow. At this rate, a hundred lives wouldn''t be enough for you," Drac said disdainfully, leaning against the doorframe.


    "Potter, pull out your wand and get ready for the next round of training!"