<h4>Chapter 105: You know the little wizard.</h4>
Some sixth-year students at Hogwarts were regretting their choices, and regretting them deeply.
They hadn''t studied properly and had failed their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam for ordinary wizard levels. Theoretically, these failing students were not eligible to attend the advanced ss in their sixth year.
However, when Professor McGonagall asked Drac what level of students he was willing to ept for the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Drac set an unbelievably lenient requirement, allowing students with a "T" (Troll) grade to join.
Students who had done poorly across the board and had few advanced sses avable for sign-up were initially worried. If their certificates were too few, their future job prospects would be extremely bleak.
There were few job opportunities in the magical world as it was, and if they couldn''t even get exam certificates during school, they might have to go back home and farm... No, even their Herbology grades were mostly failing, so they might not even manage to farm properly at home!
After hearing that Professor Drac would ept students with a "P" (Poor) grade, those underperforming students were overjoyed. Being able to join the advanced ss meant they had a chance to continue studying Defense Against the Dark Arts, which greatly increased their chances of passing the resit exam the following year.
So, the underperforming students eagerly checked the box for "Defense Against the Dark Arts" on the advanced ss sign-up sheet and happily handed it to their respective Heads of House.
However, they immediately regretted it after just one session of the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss—
Professor Drac''s ss was no ordinary lesson; it was a trial by fire!
He made the students in the ssroom continuously cast spells, and anyone who dared ck off was punished with spells that, while not lethal, were incredibly painful, until everyone waspletely exhausted and unable to move a finger before he would finally stop...
This professor was nothing short of a demon!
"I won''t assign you any homework today. Go back and think carefully about how to improve your spellcasting skills!"
As the only one able to "stand" in the ssroom, Drac stood out among the mass of students lying on the floor.
After assigning today''s work, he waved his hand as if clearing away trash, pushing the copsed students to the sides of the ssroom, and neatly arranging the overturned desks and chairs in the center of the room.
Drac looked at the orderly ssroom and the chaotic group of students lying on the floor, nodded in satisfaction, and then returned to his office from the front of the ssroom.
Twenty minutester, the students arriving for the next Defense Against the Dark Arts ss saw this scene—
Students from all houses were packed against the walls on either side of the ssroom, drenched in sweat, their robes soaked through, their faces pale, and none of them had the strength to move their bodies to leave the ssroom...
"What... What happened here?"
Cedric, who hade for the ss, stood frozen at the entrance of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, hesitant to step inside.
Fred and George peeked out from either side of Cedric''s shoulders, saw the scene inside the ssroom, and gasped in shock.
"Yikes..." Their expressions were filled with astonishment, "Is this some sort ofrge-scale crime scene? Hmm... It really seems like something Professor Drac would do!"
At this moment, they inadvertently noticed a red-haired wizard, pushed into the corner of the ssroom and pinned down by several boys.
"Hey, Fred, look who that is!" George eximed, excitedly patting Fred on the back.
"Oh, Percy! It''s been a long time since I''ve seen Percy in such a sorry state!" Fred''s expression also became one of surprise, and he waved cheerfully at Percy.
Seeing his younger brothers'' excited expressions, Percy felt somewhat embarrassed. However, he didn''t have the strength to free himself from the pile of burly boys, so he just turned his head silently, facing the wall and retreating into himself.
"Shouldn''t it be time for ss?"
Suddenly, a voice from the front of the ssroom broke the anxious silence of the students at the door.
The fourth-year students looked up from outside the door and saw that Professor Drac had somehowe down from his office and was now standing at the podium, watching them with interest.
"It''s already ss time. Why aren''t youing in?" Drac asked, "Are you worried that these upper-year students will affect your lesson?"
As he spoke, he casually raised his hand and, as if dropping dumplings into a pot, threw the copsed sixth-year students out the window and onto the corridor outside on the second floor.
Given the size of the window, he could only throw out five or six sixth-year students at a time, and it took several throws to get them all outside.
Once Percy Weasley, who had been squeezed into the farthest corner, was thrown out, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom was once again spacious and bright.
"Alright, you cane in now?" Drac asked the students outside, smiling lightly.
The trembling fourth-year students filed into the ssroom, took their seats, and shivered as they watched Drac at the podium, unsure of what kind of hell awaited them next!
"You all seem quite interested in what happened in the previous ss?" Drac''s gaze slowly swept across the room, then he smiled, asking with a hint of amusement.
The students who were caught in Drac''s gaze shivered and lowered their heads, afraid to speak.
At this moment, they all hoped that a true hero would step forward and loudly tell Professor Drac that they had no interest in the previous ss''s content and that they certainly did not want to end up like those sixth-year students!
And indeed, a true hero stepped forward—
"Professor, we have no interest in the content of thest ss!"
In the ssroom, the little wizards who had their heads down like ostriches were overjoyed, secretly looking up with admiration to see who had the courage to face Professor Drac''s authority and oppression head-on!
And they saw two heads of ming red hair...
Instantly, the little wizards felt a chill of foreboding in their hearts.
And the Weasley twins did not disappoint them.
"That''s right, Professor. We''re not interested in the ss itself; we''re just interested in how you make Percy work like a dog," Fred said with a grin.
"Yeah, Professor, we''ll definitely enjoy making fun of Percy when we get back!" George added.
The little wizards in their seats kept signaling the two with angry nces, but the twins, immersed in their enjoyment of mocking Percy, didn''t notice what they were doing or see their ssmates'' "well-intentioned" reminders.
"Very well," Drac said, with a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, "Since that''s the case, I can let you experience firsthand how Percy Weasley feels ''worked to the bone.''"
The desks and chairs in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom were moved back to the sides...
...
The next day, Drac''s infamous reputation spread throughout Hogwarts Castle.
The reason it took until the next day to be widely known, rather than that night, wasn''t because the event wasn''t significant, but because the students who had endured the first day''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss were so exhausted that they went straight to bed, too tired to recount their tragic experiences to others.
By the next day, when these students had somewhat regained their energy, they remembered to share their experiences with those who hadn''t yet attended Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, wishing them well and hoping they''d be alright...
The Hogwarts students unanimously agreed that Professor Drac had toned things down a bit when he first arrivedst year—after all, he only had a whole ss of students use spells against him at the same time. But now, that seemed like nothingpared to what was happening!
In the eyes of the little wizards, the crazed Professor Drac, in his quest to make everyone experience what it''s like to be "worked to the bone," didn''t hesitate to stretch the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss to the lowest "T" level, openly refusing to leave any student out!
...
On the eighth floor of the main tower, in the Hogwarts headmaster''s office.
"Professor Drac, recently many professors havee to see me, all to give their opinions about you," Dumbledore said, looking helplessly at Drac, who wasfortably sprawled on the sofa across from him. "They all say that after attending your ss, the students are too exhausted to pay attention in their own sses."
"What does that have to do with me?" Drac said indifferently. "Last semester, the failure rate for the Ordinary Wizarding Levels in Defense Against the Dark Arts was the highest, which was quite embarrassing for me. I''m not happy about it."
"So from now on, in my ss, all practical exercises must be intensified, so those little wizards who are always thinking about fun will get a good lesson!"
By the end of his statement, Drac''s voice unconsciously grew colder, and the temperature in the headmaster''s office dropped several degrees in an instant.
Thete summer heat abruptly turned to winter chill!
The phoenix Fawkes, who had been leisurely preening its feathers, suddenly fluffed up in rm, ruining the painstakingly arranged feathers.
Dumbledore waved his wand helplessly to restore the temperature in the office to its original state, then extended a hand to smooth Fawkes'' ruffled golden-red feathers.
"Professor Drac, I didn''t mean to imply that your teaching methods are bad," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, in a tone of negotiation. "I understand your intention; practical exercises are indeed very effective for improving students'' grades."
"I know that increasing the intensity of practical exercises not only enhances students'' Defense Against the Dark Arts skills but also improves their adaptability,bat quality, and abilities in other subjects such as Transfiguration and Charms."
"Moreover, as we both know, Voldemort has returned and might regain full power at any time. Therefore, having Hogwarts students with better practical abilities would give them a better chance of survival."
Dumbledore, with a serious expression, gave a detailed affirmation of Drac''s teaching methods.
"Since you, Headmaster, approve of my teaching methods so much, why did you call me here?" Drac asked, puzzled.
"What I mean is, while practical exercises have many benefits, they also have their drawbacks," Dumbledore said. "This method of draining students'' energy will inevitably cause them to focus all their effort on Defense Against the Dark Arts, neglecting other subjects."
"If that happens, fundamental subjects like Transfiguration and Charms might be gradually neglected or even forgotten. But Defense Against the Dark Arts is not just an independent course for dealing with dark creatures and dark wizards; it''s more like a defensive subject based on various fundamental magical subjects."
"So I suggest, for the sake of the students'' overall development, it would be best not to disrupt their other courses."
Dumbledore looked deeply into Drac''s eyes, analyzing the situation carefully.
"Truly worthy of being a headmaster, Dumbledore," Drac said, sitting up from the sofa with a lightugh and shaking his head. "Your points are quite reasonable, leaving me at a loss for words."
"Not at all, just some superficial teaching experience," Dumbledore said with a smile, stroking his long white beard.
"Alright, then tell me, what teaching methods can bnce practical exercises with other subjects?" Drac asked.
"Professor Drac, we could actually approach the problem from a different angle," Dumbledore said, winking at him. "Since practicing practical skills in ss leads to student fatigue and affects their next ss, why not find a time when there are no other sses for practical exercises?"
"You mean... adding extra sses during the students'' free time?" Drac raised an eyebrow.
"Don''t put it that way, Professor Drac; ''extra sses'' doesn''t sound very pleasant!" Dumbledore said with a smile. "We could rephrase it—perhaps as starting a dueling club!"
"Dueling is a traditional aspect of the magical world for centuries, seen as the most honorable challenge among wizards. No young wizard can resist the temptation of a proper duel. Trust me, they will definitelye to join this dueling club."
"Professor Drac, what do you think of my idea?"
Looking at the smiling Dumbledore, Drac''s mouth twitched.
"...You really understand young wizards, Headmaster." He acknowledged Dumbledore''s suggestion. "But... there are still some students who haven''t yet experienced the feeling of being ''worked to the bone'' in ss. I need to make sure they experience it too. It wouldn''t be fair otherwise, right?"
"Then let''s wait until next Monday; the dueling club will officially start after dinner next week!"