Scotland,
Hogwarts castle;
Chirp!
The sound of birds chirping reached my ears clearing the fog of haze present in my mind, Rousing me from my slumber. I Slipped out of the bed and walked to the window. Through it I saw the black Lake, on its shimmering black Surface was group of mer-children watching the rising sun. The rays of early light stretched across the landscape painting a kind of picture only mother nature possibly could.
Further towards the castle was a small hut just at the edge of the forbidden forest, adobe of the friendly half-giant Reubus Hagrid. I remember him from when I used to come to the Hogwarts castle for my first few year's of studying under professor croaker for my runes mastery. He was a likeable fellow if a bit clumsy.
I softly incanted. "Tempus", with a swirl of sparks, the current lime appeared, "04:48". it showed. There was a few hours before any one else would wake up in the castle. After a few more minutes of gazing at the sun I turned around and went to the bathroom attached to this room for freshening up and taking a bath.
After bathing for almost an hour I got out of the shower. Selecting a brand new crisp set of robes I got dressed for the day ahead of me. Moving on to the office attached to the room I got in seat behind the desk to check the class schedule for me. I slipped out the slip from the slot in which I had left it in and saw,
"1st years Monday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . Tuesday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
2nd years Tuesday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . Wednesday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
3rd years. Wednesday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . Thursday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
4th years. Thursday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . Friday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
5th years. Friday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . Saturday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
6th years. Saturday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. . (No Practical this week).
7th years. (No Theory this week). . Monday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM.
Note- every week there will be the rotation of practical and theoretical classes between sixth and seventh years. "
Let's see today is Friday so I will have a theoretical class with fourth years at 9:30 AM and a practical class with fifth year students 8 AM. I nodded to myself seeing my schedule for today. Since it was just around 6 in the morning I set an alarm at 7 AM and hour from now and got back to reading a particularly interesting text I got in possession of a few months ago.
Ring Ring!
I heard the Ringing of the Alarm, I had set an hour ago to alarm me when the Clock would show 7 AM. Getting up, I set the book I have been reading back to the shelf and moved out of the office to the classroom attached to it and then out in the corridor from it. Moving towards the Great Hall I greeted the many portraits Ghost and surprisingly some of the early rising students.
Reaching the Great Hall I saw the upper year students diligently going through their breakfast at a measured pace. On the Head table there were only 5 people, namely, professor McGonagall, professor Flitwick, professor Slughorn, professor sprout and professor Hooch the flying instructor.
I moved with purpose towards the head table nodding to the students who greeted me. "Good morning professors." I greeted all the professors seated at the head table. "Good Morning professor Starborn." They greeted back.
I nodded and sat down at are of the chairs and ate my breakfast in silence with occasional chatter from the students below. when I finally set my utensils downs it was 07:46. By this time students from tow years have also started arriving and the Great Hall was also starting to fill up.
The head table on the other hand was almost empty with only me and madam hooch being left there. The other teachers were head of the houses so they have gone to hand out the class schedule for the students of their respective houses.
Seeing that there was only ten minutes before my class with fifth years, I also got up to go back to my classroom. Which took me just about 7-8 minutes. Some of the students were already waiting outside the door of the classroom for me.
"Good morning, students please enter the classroom." I said urging them to enter the classroom after me. At the end of the classroom opposite to the entrance from the corridor side was a podium for me to lecture from, I moved to stand behind it.
"Please wait for a few minutes for the rest of the students to come." I said, addressing the students below and went on to think about the curriculum and what topic to cover in my class.
Ring!
The school bell rang bringing me out of my thoughts. I saw the students below and saw that the class was most likely full. "Seeing the number of students I would say that everyone is present but as I hold the position of your professor let us do a formal roll call." The students chuckled at that.
"Gerald McCoy….. Present"
The roll call went for five minutes and once it was established that everyone was present I set aside the sheet with the names of students and gathered my thoughts for a bit and spoke.
"Welcome, Fifth Years, to Defence Against the Dark Arts. This is arguably the most important year of your magical education, as it culminates in your Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) examinations.
This course is a cornerstone of your future, teaching you how to magically defend yourselves against Dark creatures, the Dark Arts, and other dark charms.
The curriculum will be focused, intense, and tailored entirely to ensuring your success on the O.W.L.
Your examination will consist of two parts:
* A Written Exam: This will test your theoretical knowledge. For instance, you will be required to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of Dark creatures, such as describing the five signs of a werewolf.
* A Practical Exam: This is where you prove your skill. You will be tested on your ability to perform a variety of defensive magic, including:
* Effective Counter-Jinxes
* Core Defensive Spells
* The banishing Charm (for amortal creatures like Boggarts)
* And, for those aiming for the highest marks, silent casting (for bonus points).
Everything we do this year is to prepare you to face both your examiners and, ultimately, the world outside these castle walls."
"I sincerely hope that you students will pay attention in your classes as this will be a one hour period we will only discuss the theoretical aspects of this course, particularly ghouls.
The ghouls are classified by the Ministry of Magic as XX (Harmless/Domesticable) creatures, best described as ugly, slimy, buck-toothed humanoids resembling dim-witted ogres. They are typically found inhabiting the attics or barns of wizards, where they feed on spiders and moths and are primarily known for the nuisance they cause by moaning, groaning, and banging things around. Though generally harmless, a rare variant known as the Chameleon Ghoul exists, distinguished by its ability to disguise itself as an inanimate object to evade detection."
"Now according to the information I have provided you what do you think could be used to counter them if you ever encounter one which is hungry and will cause you harm." I asked the students with an expectant expression on my face.
The students fell into some thought as they heard my question and after almost a minute few of them hesitantly raised their hands.
"Yes child you answer first and do tell your name before giving your answer" I said pointing to the boy in one of the front row seats.
"I am Andrew Stevenson, and as for how I would counter on particularly hungry ghoul, I would say a fire making charm would suffice." Andrew said.
"Well done, Andrew but what would be you reasoning for doing so?" I praised him and asked for further explanation.
"Well sir, I have read upon a text briefly describing ghouls as undead creatures. And I also know most of the undead creatures are deathly afraid of fire, also you said they prefer living in places like attics which are cold and damp so they would be naturally be repelled by a fire spell which produces hot flames."
Clap clap!
"Well done Andrew, well done. A brilliant answer. 20 points to ravenclaw." I beamed at his answer awarded his house with points. "Now I can see why the house ravenclaw won the house cup last year, with students like Andrew bringing points it was inevitable. Please sit down boy." He blushed and sat down.
By now from the number of hands above in air only two more remained, probably because the others had similar answers as Andrew. I pointed to a girl of huffelpuff house and said, "You child state your name and answer."
She got up and said, "My name is Marylyn Spore, and as for how I would deal with a hungry ghoul, I will offer it it's preferred food. Because as sir informed us of its diet being spiders and moths, which nowhere includes humans."
Clap!
"Well done Marylyn, an simple and elegant answer. 10 points to huffelpuff." I praised her too and she beamed with happiness as she sat down.
Pointing to the last boy in Slytherin robes and said, "Your turn child, your name and answer?"
He nodded and got up to say, "My name is Albert Rosier. I would just light my wand up with a Lumos maxima. My reason being, as sir said that ghouls live in dark places like barns and attics, a bright light would cause them to back off." His answer was followed by a stupefied silence from the students broken by my clapping. Soon everyone else was clapping as well.
"Well done Albert nothing less would be expected from a Rosier, well done. Slytherin 30 points. Sit down now boy." Albert nodded proudly and sat down.
"This is something you all should understand, facing an adversary even the most basic spells would be useful, not always would a common wizard be able to keep his wits facing a challenge as simple as a hungry ghoul. Well done all of you who answered. Seeing as there is only few minutes left before the end of the class I instruct you students to read the chapter explaining ghouls in your text books, in the next class I will collect your essays about what ghouls are and how to counter them."
"Also the next class will be a practical one so be prepared to face a ghoul directly." I said to them and leaned against the podium to watch out for the mischievous ones as the students read their books.
Soon the bell rang spelling the end of my first class. The students all packed up there books and got up to go out of the class all the while excitedly whispering about the next class in which they will get to face a real ghoul as well as few anxious students worrying about the essay assigned to them.
Before the next class there were 30 minutes. And as this will be a practical lesson I got to arranging the things I will need for it in the practical room next to the class room.
Soon it was time for my class with fourth years and they had already all gathered before my class room. I ushered them inside and got back to the podium.
"Welcome, Fourth Years. This is an essential year where we solidify your foundation and prepare you for the rigours of your O.W.L. examinations next year.
You've mastered the fundamentals of creature defence and basic jinxes. Now, your focus shifts decisively to the true core of defensive spell-work: Counter-Magic.
The Dark Arts are constantly evolving, and a witch or wizard is only as strong as their ability to nullify hostile magic. Over the coming terms, we will delve into the complex art of defence:
* Counter-Curses and Counter-Jinxes: We will spend significant time learning how to effectively block, repel, and reverse the vast array of malicious spells that exist in the world. This goes beyond a simple Shield Charm; it is about precision and timing.
* Hex-Deflection: You will be drilled in the most efficient ways to ensure a dark charm never even finds its target.
* Advanced Practical Application: We will be increasing the intensity of our duelling practices. Speed, inventive spell-casting, and nerve are what will make the difference between a simple scare and a catastrophe.
This is the year you move from learning what the Dark Arts are to mastering how to ensure they never affect you. Prepare to work hard, for the O.W.L. year waits just around the corner." After saying this I did the roll call and once that was out of the way I started talking about the thing I will teach them today.
"Today we will discuss the charm Aqua Eructo.
The Aqua Eructo Charm is a Charms-class spell that merits a great deal of respect and precision. The incantation, Aqua Eructo—from the Latin aqua for 'water' and eructo, meaning 'to erupt' or 'to eject'—is quite literal in its effect, generating a high-pressure, substantial jet of water from the caster's wand. While some of you may be familiar with the Aguamenti Charm, which is taught to produce a simple, clean, and gentle stream of drinkable water, Aqua Eructo operates on an entirely different scale of power.
Where Aguamenti provides a gentle flow, Aqua Eructo delivers a forceful, powerful eruption, capable of projecting a tremendous column of water with variable destructive potential, entirely dependent on the caster's intent and skill. This makes it an invaluable asset in situations requiring serious environmental control, particularly fire suppression. It is the spell one would use to douse a rapidly spreading blaze, as its sheer volume and force are necessary to overwhelm magical fires.
Beyond basic utility, it has recognized uses in practical defence and creature control. The forceful jet is sufficient to knock an opponent off balance or to repel hostile entities. Furthermore, it is a primary countermeasure for creatures with an affinity for magical flames, such as certain subspecies of Salamanders or other fire-dwelling beasts. Advanced Charms masters may even learn how to combine its forceful stream with other water-based jinxes—such as the Ebublio Jinx—to create complex, synergistic defensive manoeuvres. Therefore, while it may seem simple, mastering the Aqua Eructo Charm demands absolute control to harness its great power without causing undue damage to the surrounding environment." I let my words rest against the scratching of quills from the students diligently writing notes about the spell.
After a while when all of them had written there notes I said, "Now today's class is supposed to be practical so please follow me to the adjacent room where you will practice this spell for the rest of the class today."
The students packed there things and stood up with excitement coursing through them as they followed behind me to the room next door. I had set it up with various areas that generated different kinds of flames for the students to extinguish.
Gathering them at one spot I said, " As this is your first class of the year I cannot allow you to face magical creatures so for today you will only be allowed to extinguish various kinds of magical flames from the flames of a common fire salamander, all the way to the destructive dragon flames as well as some of the flames produced by wizards." Even hearing that they would not face a magical creatures did not dim their excitement for today's class.
"Now this here is a piece of gurbathian flames which are said to be eternal and only few wizards are able to extinguish them through a spell like aqua eructo. Fortunately for you guys I am one of them as I will demonstrate the spell for you now so please pay attention. For next will be your turn with albeit easier flames starting from a common flame made by using muggle techniques." I said to them and got to demonstrating the spell for them.
"As this is a relatively simple spell by its making you just have to point your wand at the designated target, and incant Aqua Eructo, pronounced A-kwa ee-RUCK-toh, be sure to stress out the Ruck part. The result will be your wand tip lighting up with icy blue light and a spray of water erupting from that light as you can now see." I said to them as I extinguished the fire with relative ease.
"Now your turn children, line up against this fire try the spell one time and if you succeed try the spell against the fire next to it and keep doing this till the difficulty increases to the maximum being dragon fire." At my words students clamoured to form a line before the fire and started doing the spell one by one following my instructions whether they succeeded or not.
While I guided them through it after they atleast tried the spell a three times against the same flame. By the time class ended most of the students had reached the level of a flame produced through magical charm, just 4 below from the highest level. Which was already good enough a normal seventeen year old wizard, which is adult by wizarding standard will only be 3 level below the dragon fire as the increase in difficulty after each flame is highly exponential.
"Well done students, your performance was worthy of the students of Hogwarts, for this I award 10 points to each house." I clapped enthusiastically with them. "Now onto the home work, please write a 7 inch essay on the uses of the charm I taught you today." They all groaned a bit for being given homework first day of the term but were none the less happy about their performance today.
Once the bell rang at the end of the class they all got out of the class to move towards the Great Hall for lunch. I too trailed behind them as this much activity and minding the children gnawed at my energy leading to hunger.
Reaching the Great Hall I made my way towards the head table which was filled with the head of the houses few of the other professors who taught optional subjects and the headmaster himself which caused me some confusion as I heard he usually did not bother coming to Great Hall unless it was the day of some celebratory feast but I ignored it and sat down myself to enjoy the lunch prepared by house elves.
Soon owls flew in with today's mail and the reason for the fullness at head table came apparent. It was the article about my professorship at Hogwarts in daily prophet. It said,
"THE BEST PROFESSOR UPTO DATE AT HOGWARTS!?
Yes you read that write wizards and witches Hogwarts has most probably seen its best professor entering it. I am talking about lord Starborn, or as he is now called professor Starborn. He is a known war hero who stood against Grindelwald many times when the dark lord was waging war upon us, for which he also got the order of merlin, first class. As a lord of wizengamot he has many times stood alone against many laws and decrees restricting any field of magic or oppressing any magical creature he has also brought about the abolishment of several such laws in Britain.
Except this and his lordly exploits he is also a very accomplished wizard with mastery in many subjects such as, Transfiguration, charms, potions, Ancient runes and dark arts, aside from these fields he also has mastery in obscure branches of magic like rituals and alchemy and of course he is a master of defence against the Dark Arts, the subjects for which he is teaching as a professor of Hogwarts."
The article went on about me for many more paragraphs. As I looked up from the paper I saw almost everyone looking at me, causing me some embarrassment.
Cough! Cough!
I coughed a few times in my hand causing every head to snap away from me. And the head table to erupt in suppressed chuckles.
I sighed and got back to focus on my food after which I quickly went back to my office to spend rest of the day from awkward chatters about me.