The model Sherlock had placed on the lecture stand was a humanoid magical creature that looked somewhat like a goblin but wore a bright red cap on its head.
The young wizards below all craned their necks toward the Red Cap. Even those who were pure-bloods from wizarding families were seeing such a creature for the first time.
Or rather, dark creatures in the wizarding world were not commonly seen.
In normal society, after Muggles' footprints spread to every corner of the world, wizards' exploration of magical creatures gradually reached a bottleneck.
Magical creatures that could be domesticated and serve as helpers to wizards became pets, such as Kneazles, owls, and rats (the owls and rats in the wizarding world are not the same species as those in the normal world).
Those that were dangerous but could potentially be tamed by professional wizards were collectively kept in captivity for protection, the most representative example being dragons.
Dark creatures that were dangerous but could not be domesticated, or were not worth domesticating, were driven into uninhabited forests, rivers, or deserts so they would not pose a threat to Muggles or wizards with low magical proficiency.
Therefore, nowadays, unless a new generation of wizards becomes professional adventurers, they rarely have the chance to see a real dark creature.
The Red Cap model Sherlock brought out was one he had specifically purchased from an alchemy shop in Diagon Alley.
He had seen lifelike dragon models in the display cabinets and found them very interesting, so he sought out the shop owner, hoping to customize a batch of magical models of dark creatures.
Making such things was much easier than making dragon models, and the owner readily agreed.
He even offered a discount for bulk orders, and since the models themselves did not require much technical skill, he did not charge Sherlock much.
These models were perfect for teaching first-year students.
The freshmen, who had just entered the school and had not yet learned any magic, could see the actual forms of dark creatures with their own eyes without worrying about any danger.
As for the Red Cap model Sherlock placed on the podium, once it landed, it held a wooden club quite large relative to its own size and paced back and forth, gesturing wildly as if it might strike any young wizard it found displeasing right on the head.
"It's so ugly!"
Some students whispered among themselves.
"It looks like those goblins guarding Gringotts, but much fiercer."
"The red cap on its head is quite interesting."
"The cap is no good—it's a symbol of its evil..."
An ethereal voice caught Sherlock's attention. It belonged to a little Ravenclaw girl with dark golden-brown hair; he remembered her name from the roll call earlier.
Luna Lovegood.
A very familiar name, seemingly a character with a significant role in the original story.
Sherlock tapped the edge of the podium with the tip of his wand, drawing the students' attention back to him, and began introducing the origin of this dark creature.
"Red Caps are dark creatures mainly found in the ruins of Northern European battlefields and forests. They resemble goblins and are naturally violent. Their primary weapons are their sharp claws and the wooden clubs in their hands."
"According to statistics, from 1900 to the present—a span of nearly one hundred years—there have been eighty-six Red Cap attack cases across Europe. Among them, forty-three people died: forty-two Muggles and one unskilled wizard whose skull was crushed."
Hearing these bloody statistics, the breathing of all the young wizards involuntarily grew heavy. Even their gazes toward the Red Cap model no longer carried the same excitement as before.
"They are named because they often wear red caps on their heads."
"So, does anyone know why this kind of dark creature only wears red caps?"
Sherlock asked the question at just the right moment to liven up the classroom atmosphere.
Clearly, very few students knew the answer. It just so happened that the little girl Sherlock had noticed, Luna, raised her hand.
"Miss Lovegood."
Luna stood up. Her silver eyes always seemed to drift elsewhere, not focusing on what was in front of her, giving her a slightly dreamy impression.
"Blood. Red Caps use the blood of the prey they kill to dye their caps red. When their caps fade, they go looking for their next prey."
Hearing her answer, Sherlock nodded slightly. He did not offer praise, but instead gave a direct reward.
"Five points to Ravenclaw. Miss Lovegood has given a standard answer."
"Wearing caps dyed with fresh blood—that is the origin of this dark creature's name."
"However, although this creature is brutal, its threat to wizards is actually quite average. In the Ministry of Magic's classification system, the Red Cap is rated: XXX."
"As long as a wizard uses magic against them, regardless of effectiveness, they will flee. So, it is easy to imagine how much of a laughingstock that wizard killed by a Red Cap this century would become."
"I don't want such a laughingstock to appear among my students. For homework, each of you must write a ten-inch parchment essay on the habits, weaknesses, and correct response methods when encountering Red Caps. Hand it in next class."
"I will select the best assignment and give this Red Cap model to its author as a reward."
Hearing this, the girls remained largely uninterested—after all, the Red Cap truly was rather hideous—but the boys were visibly excited.
They were eleven-year-old children; who wouldn't want a magical model that behaved like a living creature?
Before class ended, Sherlock also lifted the cloth bag in his hand.
"Inside this bag are the dark creatures we will be studying this semester. Depending on your performance, I will give these out as rewards as well. The student who collects the most models by the end of the term will be exempt from the final exam and directly receive an 'O'—Outstanding."
This instantly ignited the girls' enthusiasm as well.
The appeal of receiving an 'O' without taking an exam was powerful. The freshmen from both houses began eagerly anticipating their next Defence Against the Dark Arts class.
Judging by the final response, Sherlock's first lesson for the first-year students was a complete success.
But his greatest test that day was not teaching these beginners who had yet to learn a single spell.
It was the second-year class in the afternoon.