Because the professor changed every year, the classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts did not stay the same; it would change locations each year.
Last year, Lockhart chose a spacious classroom with plenty of sunlight, to display those large self-portraits hanging on the walls.
Professor Lupin didn't have self-portraits, not even many photos, so he simply chose an ordinary empty classroom.
When they got there, only a few people were chatting with each other.
They sat down and waited a bit longer before Professor Lupin finally walked into the classroom, with a faint smile on his face, placing a tattered old suitcase on the podium.
Whether it was because he had a few good meals, his complexion looked much healthier than on the train, and with a new clean robe, he seemed like a different person.
"Good morning." He said happily, "Please put your textbooks away, today is a practical lesson, you'll only need your wands."
The students put their books away and exchanged a few curious glances, vaguely remembering someone said the same thing before... Oren from their first year.
He also had them put away their books and focused on practical lessons.
Some people started to get excited.
Although Oren was a Dark Wizard, there is no denying that the first year of Defense Against the Dark Arts was the most interesting, and he really did put effort into preparing every lesson.
Unlike two certain professors who... just went through the motions.
Though none of them were particularly good people, the degree of professionalism was worlds apart... Perhaps that's why Oren was the only one who managed to get away in the end.
"Alright," Professor Lupin said, seeing that everyone was ready, pulling out a large cage covered with a curtain, "I've prepared a small surprise for you."
Seeing this, everyone's expressions became even more peculiar.
Previously, during the first lesson, Oren had done the same, bringing out a cage with a Billywig, saying he had a surprise for them.
If you ignored the contents, their actions, including the opening lines, were almost identical.
Could these two possibly be related…
Father and son? The ages don't match.
Brothers? But looking at them, they don't resemble each other at all!
However, Professor Lupin didn't know what they were thinking as he swiftly lifted the curtain off the cage, revealing a bird with vibrant feathers inside.
Its head feathers were fluffy, with small claws, looking like an upside-down water droplet.
"A professor told me that in the past two years, there's been barely any progress in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so you…"
His gaze lingered on Kael for a moment, "… most of you have a rather weak foundation."
"But we defeated a werewolf." A Ravenclaw mumbled, "In Lockhart's drama, also a troll, a vampire…"
Those around understood instantly, and a roar of laughter erupted.
"Alright, but that wasn't your real ability."
Professor Lupin didn't laugh, he just slightly curled his lips, changing the topic, "So I asked Professor Hagrid to bring it from the Forbidden Forest, to conduct a small test to see how much you've really learned."
"First question, does anyone know what this creature is?"
Kael raised his hand and said, "Fwooper."
"Correct, it's a Fwooper, five points to Hufflepuff." Professor Lupin said, "Now, what special ability does it have?"
This time Cho raised her hand even faster,
"The Fwooper's song can cause insanity, making people act strangely."
"Exactly right, five points to Ravenclaw."
Professor Lupin said, "When you see a Fwooper, it's best to cover your ears immediately… but don't worry, the Fwooper you see here just drank a big cup of brandy, so it's still drunk. I think its song will only make heads a little dizzy, nothing more.
"The spell to deal with a Fwooper is very simple, you only need to stop it from making sounds.
"Let's practice the spell without using wands first, follow me and say… Langlock!"
"Langlock!" the whole class said in unison.
"Great," Professor Lupin raised his hand, signaling everyone to stand up, then moved the tables and chairs to the side. "But just knowing the spell isn't enough, now line up properly, Kael, how about you go first?"
Kael nodded and stepped forward.
Professor Lupin opened the cage.
However, the Fwooper seemed to have drunk too much, standing with its eyes closed, Kael could even hear its long breathing…
"Are you ready?"
Professor Lupin took out an old-fashioned record player, and after getting Kael's affirmative answer, he moved the needle.
The classroom was filled with the sound of cheerful drums.
It was the Weird Sisters' "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love", the most popular fast-paced song from over a decade ago.
As the music played, visible to the naked eye, the Fwooper's feathers quivered. It opened its eyes and began singing happily to the rhythm.
Some students immediately covered their ears, but some chose to trust Professor Lupin's words.
They found, to their surprise, that the Fwooper's song wasn't the kind of harsh noise they expected. Instead, it was melodious, its voice crisp and melodious, like raindrops falling on leaves, or flowers blooming… Wait, why would flowers have sounds?
It wasn't until a round of applause broke out around them that they snapped back to reality.
The Fwooper at the front had its beak open, but no sound came out anymore.
"How do you feel?" Professor Lupin asked with a smile.
"Amazing," said an excited Ravenclaw girl, "I heard all sorts of sounds, and it seemed like I saw the Forbidden Forest in full bloom."
"Looks like this Fwooper can hold its liquor, should've given it more to drink."
"But this works too."
Professor Lupin told everyone, "As you see, this is the effect of a Fwooper's song; it makes people hear or see things that don't actually exist… just like them."
He pointed around the classroom, those who didn't cover their ears were not far off, just a step or two away.
"Under normal circumstances, they would have ventured into the Forbidden Forest, then you'd see a series of strange and funny actions."
Most people showed disappointment, they rather hoped for that.
Professor Lupin continued, "This is also the second point I want to tell you, Fwoopers may sound unfriendly by their name, but their song is quite beautiful, and without noticing, you'll fall into your own hallucinations.
So always stay alert,
"Later, I will lift the spell on the Fwooper at random times, and you must wait until you hear its song to cast the spell, understood?"
"Understood, professor!" everyone said.
"Good, next."
Kael stepped aside, and Ryan immediately stepped forward, intently watching the Fwooper.
Some people covered their ears again, but there were still a few who chose not to, evidently wanting to see the Forbidden Forest in full bloom for themselves.
In contrast, the spell to deal with a Fwooper seemed less important.
Professor Lupin didn't stop them, watching with interest.
Almost at the end of the class, possibly sobering up, the Fwooper's song suddenly got much louder.
Several people who were playing around instantly became dazed, some stretching their arms and legs, seemingly climbing something.
Others imagined themselves as fish in the Black Lake, lying on the ground flapping their legs.
The class was about to burst with laughter.
Ryan clutched his stomach, running next to Mikel to mimic his actions.
Mikel hadn't covered his ears either, he was currently trying to stretch his neck, attempting to bite his heel.
Professor Lupin couldn't help but laugh, while reaching out to catch a student standing on a window sill about to perform a high dive.
"I think they now know how dangerous the Fwooper's song can be." He said.
The students laughed even harder.
But this situation didn't last long. By the end of the class, everyone had essentially recovered.
As the bell rang, they rushed out eagerly, seemingly not wanting to stay a moment longer, leaving the classroom in chaos.