However, Potions, which was among these, was difficult to practice normally. Brewing potions required ingredients, and the casting process was always tied to the physical act of creation. Fortunately, the Professor teaching this class was their Head of House, Snape. It was well-known that he favored his own people, and during class, he was always more patient with Slytherin students.
The Professors for the other two practical subjects, Transfiguration and Charms, were very responsible, explaining content in great detail and providing precise guidance during practice. What the students mainly needed there was repetition.
Only Defense Against the Dark Arts, due to the frequent turnover of Professors, suffered from extremely unstable teaching quality. Although it was a practical subject, some Professors would teach a whole year of theory to the young wizards, providing them with no opportunity for practical application. This led to students with little self-study motivation not learning many defensive spells at all.
Then, when the Professor for the next school year was someone who preferred practical work, their skills would fall far behind, making them completely unable to keep up with the new pace. Therefore, most young wizards in the House had very poor Defense Against the Dark Arts grades. Of course, this was not unique to Slytherin; it was the same throughout Hogwarts.
To solve this problem, Alan not only personally served as the subject representative but also created a specialized auxiliary training aid. He had been researching this device for some time, but since it was a secondary tool, he hadn't been in a rush. He mainly used fragmented time to draw blueprints and had finally completed it some time ago.
Alan let Hog excitedly watch the surveillance and walked straight to the corner of the dormitory, where a humanoid object, roughly his height and covered with a cloth, was placed. He lifted the covering to reveal the object underneath. At first glance, it was a humanoid target with only an upper body, its lower half fixed to the ground by a sturdy stand. The head had no face, and the overall texture was indeterminate, somewhere between wood and metal.
This prop was a target specifically prepared for spell practice, but the one Alan made had different functions from a common target. First, it was endowed with a numerical dial that could measure the power of a spell. When struck by a spell with physical impact, a numerical value would display on the target's chest.
The value was based on a Concussive Spell with the lowest magic output as the standard unit. This spell would increase its impact force with increased magic input; the minimum Concussive Spell was roughly equivalent to the force needed to knock over a wine glass. After an offensive spell hit the target, it would display a value indicating how many Concussive Spells it was equivalent to.
Of course, this was measured according to the destructiveness and power of the spell, not just the impact force. In addition to the runes used to sense power, Alan added runes for sensing temperature, structural integrity, and self-healing. It would comprehensively score the target's defensive magic loss, the degree of physical damage, and the temperature change. This was a standard Alan determined after long calculation.
For example, a standard Disarming Charm could hit at least 15 points, and a Knockback Jinx like the one Mona inquired about would need to reach at least 30 points to be considered a standard casting. Using this function, Alan could precisely understand the young wizards' mastery during practical exercises. Many spells needed measurement to determine if they were truly cast completely.
At the same time, the head was a detachable sphere. This part was enchanted with an Anti-Transfiguration Charm with adjustable strength, used to practice Transfiguration and conversion spells. The sphere was made of easily deformable material, making it quick to get started. After mastering ordinary Transfiguration, the Anti-Transfiguration Charm could be activated to gradually increase the difficulty. When the charm was set to its maximum, even Alan had to concentrate fully to transform it.
This humanoid target could also cast Shield Charms and Disillusionment Charms around its body for armor-breaking and detection tests. Moreover, Alan's target had a "fire" function. When activated, a worn-out wand acquired from the black market would pop out of the chest, firing Knockback Jinxes and Disarming Charms forward. This was mainly for older wizards to practice the Shield Charm.
Basically, this humanoid target had a durable body, excellent self-healing abilities, could absorb magic for energy storage when hit, and display the opponent's attack power. It was a comprehensive auxiliary tool for practicing magic.
Alan had only made one for now. He planned to test its effectiveness during practice sessions in a few nights; if it worked well, he would make more. These young wizards could be used to test the quality control of the tool. It could be improved and eventually sold as a product to the Aurors at the Ministry of Magic.
*Perhaps I can also use some cheap materials to make other tactical equipment as prizes for these young wizards,* Alan thought. *I can do some user experience analysis in advance to facilitate product innovation.*
Alan nodded, pleased with the idea. These young wizards were excellent experimental subjects; it would be a waste not to use them.
While Alan was lost in thought, the young snakes of Slytherin had begun to habituate to his rules. After the initial shock, they were now extremely cautious. They ate quietly, walked with precision, and immediately changed formation if they found more than two people beside them. Similar changes occurred in their appearance and etiquette. They polished their shoes until they shone and smoothed their clothes until not a single wrinkle remained, fearing they would be caught by the Chief.
At the same time, they greeted everyone they saw, including Filch, whom they used to dislike. This strange change even made the caretaker, who usually looked at people with a fierce scowl, a little embarrassed.
The most bewildered person was Snape himself. He was busy with matters outside the school and could only return for his classes. As soon as he stepped back into the castle, he felt as if he had entered the wrong building. In the corridor, he saw a neat, orderly line of students who solemnly greeted him in turn. Although he was the Head of Slytherin, his students were usually terrified of him—not respectful in this specific, disciplined manner.