After Neville sat down, he sighed in relief and leaned softly against the back of his chair.
"I thought I was going to get points deducted..." he muttered to Seamus beside him. "Should I be carrying my Memory Ball all the time?"
"No, that ball is useless, Neville," Seamus said with a helpless shrug.
Back at the podium, Professor Vison waved his wand. Instantly, the desks and chairs in the classroom slid to both sides, clearing a large open space in the center.
Vison carried a wooden box to the middle of the room and beckoned to the students. "Alright, come over here. Class is starting."
The students gathered curiously, forming a circle around the box. Harry and Ron pushed to the front.
"What do you think is inside?" Ron whispered to Harry.
"Anything but a textbook," Harry replied, his eyes fixed on the box. "Maybe some kind of magical creature."
Everyone stared intently at the mysterious box.
Vison cleared his throat, his wand drawing a graceful arc in the air. "Today, we are going to learn the Leg-Locker Curse."
The class immediately broke into murmurs of curiosity.
Ron frowned in disappointment. "That's it? I thought we were going to learn something powerful…"
Hermione, standing beside him, raised her head proudly. "Actually, I already know this Charm."
Ron rolled his eyes at her comment, unable to hide his irritation.
Harry didn't say anything—he knew the Charm too.
"Quiet," said Vison, motioning for silence. "The Leg-Locker Curse is a basic but very practical jinx, especially useful in duels. However, if your opponent has short legs or none at all, you may want to reconsider using it. Understand? Mr. Longbottom?"
Neville jolted upright at the mention of his name. "Yes, Professor!"
"Good." Vison nodded. "To help you practice this spell properly, I've prepared the perfect sparring targets."
The students began to guess what might be in the box.
Vison tapped the lid of the box three times. With a series of crisp knocks, the box rattled slightly as something inside began to move.
Ron nudged Harry excitedly. "Seems like a little guy."
But the smile vanished from Ron's face the moment the creature emerged.
From the box appeared a basketball-sized, furry black spider that blinked around in confusion.
"Acromantula!" Vison announced, "It's just a newborn, but perfect for your practice."
This little Acromantula had hatched only a few days ago and was borrowed from the Forbidden Forest. For safety, Vison had enclosed it in a transparent magical barrier.
Upon seeing the spider, the students recoiled instinctively.
Ron screamed in terror, stumbling backward and nearly knocking over Seamus. His eyes rolled back—and he fainted.
The class erupted into chaos.
Harry and Hermione hurried to Ron's side, supporting him from either side. They turned helpless eyes toward Vison.
Vison blinked, momentarily forgetting that Ron's greatest fear was spiders.
"Enervate!"
A gentle golden light radiated from Vison's wand and fell across Ron's face. His eyelids twitched, and he slowly regained consciousness.
Vison winked at Harry.
"Harry!"
Harry understood immediately. He pulled out a small bottle from his bag and quickly poured some tranquilizer down Ron's throat.
Meanwhile, Vison addressed the panicked students. "It's just a small spider, children. Nothing to be afraid of."
His calm demeanor helped ease the tension in the room. Gradually, the students settled down.
When Ron opened his eyes again, he glanced around—and when his gaze landed on the Acromantula, his legs shook uncontrollably.
But this time, the tranquilizer kept him from fainting again.
"It's okay, Ron," Harry said, holding him by the shoulders. "It's inside a barrier. It can't hurt you."
Hermione joined them. "And look, it's actually kind of cute... like a plush toy."
"A plush toy?!" Ron's voice cracked, his fingers tightening around Harry's robes. "That thing has eight legs! And it moves!"
Harry straightened Ron's posture, gently pulling his robes free. "Come on, Ron. Fluffy was way scarier."
"That's different..." Ron muttered, trembling.
"Alright, eyes up here," Vison called. He pointed his wand at the dazed little Acromantula. "The incantation is Leg-Locker Curse, got it? I'll demonstrate—"
"Leg-Locker Curse!"
A small Charm flew from Vison's wand and struck the Acromantula. Its eight legs immediately stiffened and locked together. The spider teetered awkwardly in place, unable to move.
"See?" Vison said, then waved his wand again to release the effect. "That's what the Leg-Locker Curse does. Now—who wants to try first?"
Harry and Hermione both raised their hands enthusiastically, wands already at the ready.
Vison glanced between them, then smiled and turned to Ron.
"Mr. Weasley," he said kindly. "Why don't you give it a try?"
"Me…?" Ron gasped. He pointed to himself in disbelief. "Me?"
Harry gave him a gentle push on the back. "Go on, Ron. Just pretend it's Professor Snape's head."
Ron's face turned from pale to a strange purplish-blue.
"O-okay..." he stammered. His legs felt like they were made of lead as he slowly walked to the front.
Standing in front of the Acromantula, Ron looked utterly lost.
"Relax," Vison said encouragingly. "Remember how to hold your wand. Wrist like this…"
He demonstrated the proper form.
Ron, his eyes tightly shut, pointed his wand in the general direction of the spider. "L-Leg... Leg-Locker Curse!"
A crooked red beam shot from his wand, missed its mark, and ricocheted off the ceiling. After two rebounds, it finally hit the spider.
The Acromantula's two hind legs instantly stuck together.
There was a moment of stunned silence—then the class burst into scattered applause.
"Not bad!" Vison said, clearly surprised. "That's a decent result for a first attempt!"
Ron opened one eye, blinking at the spider's wobbly movements. Realizing he had succeeded, his knees nearly buckled from the mix of relief and lingering fear.
Harry and Hermione clapped quietly as Ron returned shakily to their side.
"I did it?" Ron whispered, still dazed.
"You did," Harry said with a proud nod.
Hermione smiled. "And you didn't faint this time."
"I almost did…" Ron muttered, but a small smile formed on his lips.
Vison clapped his hands to regain the students' attention. "Alright! Who's next?"
One by one, the students practiced the Charm, taking turns casting at the Acromantula within the protective barrier. Some spells missed completely; others partially locked the spider's legs. A few, like Hermione's and Harry's, succeeded flawlessly.
As the lesson continued, the students gradually grew more comfortable. Even those who were initially frightened found themselves more confident with their wands.
Neville's attempt hit the barrier instead of the spider, but Vison gave him a thumbs-up anyway for the effort.
Seamus's Charm ricocheted twice and struck the spider's left side legs. Dean's worked well enough to make the Acromantula spin in place like a top.
By the end of the class, the once-terrified room had transformed into a scene of laughter, encouragement, and small victories.
Vison finally raised his hand for silence. "Good work today, everyone. We'll continue with more defensive Charms next week."
The desks and chairs returned to their places with a wave of Vison's wand. The box closed itself, securing the baby Acromantula, and floated back behind the podium.
Ron sat down heavily in his seat, still trembling slightly. "I think I've used up all my courage for the year…"
Harry chuckled. "Nah. We still have Snape's class tomorrow."
Ron groaned. "Why did you have to remind me…"
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