Chapter 53: The First Lesson
Ryan had successfully captured several dozen lucky Red Caps from the trenches of an old battlefield and had secured them with a binding spell in an abandoned underground tunnel beneath the castle. The Red Caps had been plentiful; they thrived in places where blood had been shed. The particular place he had gone "shopping" the night before was a place called Verdun, a name synonymous with one of the bloodiest meat grinders in recent Muggle history.
He had cast a series of weakening, enfeebling, and confounding charms on the Red Caps, ensuring that they would lose a one-on-one fight with an eleven-year-old, and had magically restricted their movements to a specific area. "One must give the young people a chance to test themselves," he thought, satisfied that he had taken every precaution. He then headed to the DADA classroom, where his dear students were waiting.
The first-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were all seated, waiting for their new professor. The Hufflepuffs were particularly excited; Ryan's reputation among them was excellent. The Gryffindors, on the other hand, were whispering and plotting. They were determined to "initiate" their new professor, a tradition they upheld for all their teachers.
A knock sounded on the door, and their acting professor stood on the threshold. "Bring your wands," Ryan announced. "No books. Follow me to the castle dungeons. This lesson will be a practical one." This was his new, no-prep teaching method. No one, after all, could prepare for the unpredictable chaos of a live-fire exercise.
A cheer went up from the students. Any lesson that didn't involve sitting in a classroom was a welcome one. On their way, they passed a few tardy older students, who looked on with envy. They also passed Peeves the Poltergeist, who took one look at Ryan and fled, a reaction that gave some of the more mischievous students an idea.
When they reached the dungeons, Ryan turned to face them. "First, an introduction. My name is Ryan Welles, and I will be your acting Defense Against the Dark Arts professor while Professor Quirrell is recovering. In class, you can call me Professor or Ryan. Outside of class, you can call me Ryan or senior. There is no need for 'Professor Welles.'"
"Alright, senior Ryan," Neville said earnestly.
"We are in class now, Mr. Longbottom. You can call me Ryan or Professor."
"Oh, sorry, Professor Welles."
"Just Professor."
"Yes, Professor Welles."
A wave of giggles went through the group. Ryan, with a weary sigh, gestured for them to quiet down.
"That's enough of an introduction," he said. "If you wish to know more about me, I suggest you study hard and improve yourselves. Don't waste your energy focusing on others. Now, let's begin." He cast a silent, subtle Silencing Charm, and the chattering students fell quiet. "I see you're all very supportive of my teaching methods," he said, nodding in satisfaction as he ignored the students who were now moving their mouths without a sound and making strange, flailing gestures.
"Now then," he continued, "Professor Quirrell should have already taken you through your textbook, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. Can anyone tell me what a Red Cap is?"
As expected, only Hermione's hand shot up.
"Very good, Miss Granger. Please, tell us." He cancelled the Silencing Charm.
"A Red Cap is a small, goblin-like creature that is particularly troublesome. They thrive in places of darkness and bloodshed, like dungeons and old battlefields, and they lie in wait to ambush anyone who gets lost."
"An excellent answer. One point to Gryffindor," Ryan said with a nod. "Now, can anyone tell me how to deal with a Red Cap?" This time, not even Hermione raised her hand. The book didn't say.
"You can use any spell you like," Ryan said, shaking his head. Did they really think that only specific counter-curses could harm a magical creature? "It seems your understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts is too narrow. The purpose of this class is to teach you how to protect yourselves in the face of danger. That is all. It is a skill that is not limited to any one subject. Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, even basic self-defense—if it can keep you safe, then it is a form of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Hermione pushed her way to the front of the group. "So, Professor, are you saying that DADA is about training our ability to respond to a crisis?"
"That's one way of putting it, Miss Granger," Ryan said, giving the first-years another taste of the future. He didn't tell them that "most" of his classes being practical could mean once a week, or even once a month. The first-years, however, were ecstatic.
"Professor, are we going to practice fighting Red Caps in this class?"
"Where are they? I've never seen a real one before!"
Ryan stepped aside and opened the door to the tunnel. A wave of cold, damp air washed over them. "Listen up," he said. "I have placed fifty specially-treated Red Caps inside this tunnel. You can earn one house point for every Red Cap you can successfully stun and bring back out. You are allowed to work in teams."
He then repeated, "You are allowed to work in teams. Especially inter-house teams. A successful capture will earn points for both houses involved. You have one and a half hours. I will be providing feedback after the exercise is complete."
With a snap of his fingers, fifty iron cages appeared, lining the corridor from the tunnel entrance.
Just as the students were about to rush in, Hermione Granger stepped forward and blocked the entrance.
~~~
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