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Chapter 118: A Controversial Practical Class
Practical class—though the school term had started less than a month ago, the fifth-year students felt like the last time they'd heard that phrase was a year ago.
Even as the group followed the professor into the corridor, a few students still suspected they were dreaming.
“Ah!”
A small cry came from the line. The boy who made the sound stifled the rest of his cry, then glared angrily at the person who had twisted his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Does it hurt?”
His angry tone was met with a concerned question, which made the victim feel much better.
“A little—did you do it by accident? Be more careful next time.”
“It hurts! Great, I’m not dreaming!”
The girl who twisted his arm let out a joyful sound. Even though she suppressed her voice, she still managed to share her excitement with those around her. Afterward, she quickly slipped to the back of the line to whisper with a few other girls.
…
William was a little exasperated—did the children at the back think he was deaf, or that he wouldn't pay attention to the end of the line?
‘They’re already fifth-years, and they still have time to flirt? Have I not been assigning enough homework?’
With this thought in mind, William quickly walked towards the prepared practice classroom—as he had said, giving these students a practical class was something he had planned long ago.
Even if fifth-years needed to be crammed with knowledge, essential spellcasting training had to be maintained. Otherwise, they would be overconfident yet inept in the examination hall, and their scores naturally wouldn’t be high.
‘If an appropriate practical class can boost their enthusiasm for learning, I could consider increasing the practical time. Anyway, their breaks seem quite lively, so I can assign more papers to make up for the reduction in theory lessons.’
After opening the classroom door, William watched the students file in while considering the upcoming coursework.
Because William was lost in thought for a bit too long, by the time he came to his senses, the students had already started haphazardly interacting with the day's practical subjects.
“Aren’t they adorable?”
“So white, their fur is so soft!”
“The gray ones are cute too~”
All the worries the students had on their way here were driven away by the creatures on the desks—the rabbits from the Forbidden Forest were semi-wild, domestic rabbits that someone had abandoned there years ago. Additionally, Hagrid would occasionally buy and release rabbits to maintain their population (using the leftovers as feed), which resulted in these rabbits being quite good-looking.
“Quiet!” William frowned, striding quickly to the podium. He rarely used such a stern tone—if he let these students continue playing with the rabbits and grow attached, class would never happen.
He wasn't one of those professors with a morbid sense of humor from medical schools who told students to bond with rabbits only to teach them dissection in the next lesson. Rabbits, white mice, and monkeys were the three main experimental animals; dedicating their bodies was enough. Making them 'perform' would be going too far.
“Don’t crowd around the cages. Those of you who've taken one out, put it back. Everyone, gather at the front. We will begin with a short theory lesson.”
The authority William had accumulated recently quickly ensured his command was carried out.
“In this class, we will briefly cover common spell injuries and other common injuries requiring emergency treatment. The theory portion will be fifteen minutes, and the remaining time will be dedicated to hands-on practical work. If there are no questions, each of you can take a handout from the lectern.”
William pointed to the thick stack that had been placed there earlier—they had been overlooked because the rabbits were so captivating.
—
“Alright, that’s all for the theory. Have you all noted the key points?”
“Yes, Professor—burn treatment, emergency evacuation during a fire, and how to avoid being caught in a crowd during chaos.”
Although much of it wasn’t related to magic, none of the students present had any questions. They even ignored the thick stack of papers at the back of the handout.
‘At worst, they’re just worksheets. We’ll do them.’
Although the professor’s authority kept them from getting distracted during the lesson, now that it was over, they couldn’t wait to start the practical part of the class.
“Very good, as long as you remember. Form groups of two, and each pair can collect a rabbit. After inflicting a wound with magic, proceed with the treatment.”
“Inflict a wound?”
The students froze for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening.
The students who had been quick enough to already grab a rabbit were even more stunned; they almost doubted their own hearing.
“That’s right, inflict a wound—two people per group, one to cast the spell, one to perform the treatment. I promise that every rabbit that is experimented on will be released, but the class must continue,” William said to everyone.
Although it sounded like animal cruelty, it had to be done.
Whether it was before or after this course’s name change, any class with words like ‘Self-Defense’ or ‘Defense’ in its title would inevitably include first aid. To be precise, all healers in the Wizarding World had to obtain an O.W.L. in this course to be employed.
Although using rabbits sounded a bit cruel, William couldn’t just conjure up a group of injured people out of thin air.
What was the alternative to injuring rabbits? Having them inflict wounds on each other for the experiment?
That was something one could only joke about with students. If it were truly made a regular part of the curriculum, even the famously open-minded Headmaster Dumbledore would not agree to such a foolish course.
Having students get injured was something that should not happen at Hogwarts.
“Yes, you heard correctly. Now, everyone, find your partner, choose your experimental equipment, and begin the experiment,” William repeated.
He felt no shame. It would be a dereliction of his duty if the Defense Against the Dark Arts course didn't teach healing. His concern was to ensure wizards had the ability to protect themselves and knew how to handle themselves when danger arose.
Regardless of the course name, a high level of medical skill was demanded of the professor.
Every wizard’s wand possessed the ability to promptly treat wounds, but without systematic training, these students would just foolishly dump a pile of dittany on an injury when they encountered one—that would be a true dereliction of his duty.
The students reluctantly began to move, stroking the rabbits—a reverence for life was a beautiful quality most people were born with.
“Ah!”
“Aah!~”
“Ow!!”
Such cries spread throughout the classroom—well, these weren’t lab rabbits; they were wild rabbits.
They really did bite.
Seeing the students flustered, William immediately felt relieved. He had no qualms about eating rabbits, but using them for medical experiments that bordered on abuse still made him feel a bit uneasy. He figured the students felt much the same.
But now things were different; the students would probably be very proactive.
Those theories weren't first applied to the rabbits, but to the students themselves.
“Hold it down, I’ll inflict the wound!”
The student who was bitten had a look of eager anticipation.
It was clear he had no more psychological hang-ups about it.
“Relax, just stun it first—anyone who kills a rabbit will get detention!”
He had to issue another command.
(end of chapter)
Practical class—though the school term had started less than a month ago, the fifth-year students felt like the last time they'd heard that phrase was a year ago.
Even as the group followed the professor into the corridor, a few students still suspected they were dreaming.
“Ah!”
A small cry came from the line. The boy who made the sound stifled the rest of his cry, then glared angrily at the person who had twisted his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Does it hurt?”
His angry tone was met with a concerned question, which made the victim feel much better.
“A little—did you do it by accident? Be more careful next time.”
“It hurts! Great, I’m not dreaming!”
The girl who twisted his arm let out a joyful sound. Even though she suppressed her voice, she still managed to share her excitement with those around her. Afterward, she quickly slipped to the back of the line to whisper with a few other girls.
…
William was a little exasperated—did the children at the back think he was deaf, or that he wouldn't pay attention to the end of the line?
‘They’re already fifth-years, and they still have time to flirt? Have I not been assigning enough homework?’
With this thought in mind, William quickly walked towards the prepared practice classroom—as he had said, giving these students a practical class was something he had planned long ago.
Even if fifth-years needed to be crammed with knowledge, essential spellcasting training had to be maintained. Otherwise, they would be overconfident yet inept in the examination hall, and their scores naturally wouldn’t be high.
‘If an appropriate practical class can boost their enthusiasm for learning, I could consider increasing the practical time. Anyway, their breaks seem quite lively, so I can assign more papers to make up for the reduction in theory lessons.’
After opening the classroom door, William watched the students file in while considering the upcoming coursework.
Because William was lost in thought for a bit too long, by the time he came to his senses, the students had already started haphazardly interacting with the day's practical subjects.
“Aren’t they adorable?”
“So white, their fur is so soft!”
“The gray ones are cute too~”
All the worries the students had on their way here were driven away by the creatures on the desks—the rabbits from the Forbidden Forest were semi-wild, domestic rabbits that someone had abandoned there years ago. Additionally, Hagrid would occasionally buy and release rabbits to maintain their population (using the leftovers as feed), which resulted in these rabbits being quite good-looking.
“Quiet!” William frowned, striding quickly to the podium. He rarely used such a stern tone—if he let these students continue playing with the rabbits and grow attached, class would never happen.
He wasn't one of those professors with a morbid sense of humor from medical schools who told students to bond with rabbits only to teach them dissection in the next lesson. Rabbits, white mice, and monkeys were the three main experimental animals; dedicating their bodies was enough. Making them 'perform' would be going too far.
“Don’t crowd around the cages. Those of you who've taken one out, put it back. Everyone, gather at the front. We will begin with a short theory lesson.”
The authority William had accumulated recently quickly ensured his command was carried out.
“In this class, we will briefly cover common spell injuries and other common injuries requiring emergency treatment. The theory portion will be fifteen minutes, and the remaining time will be dedicated to hands-on practical work. If there are no questions, each of you can take a handout from the lectern.”
William pointed to the thick stack that had been placed there earlier—they had been overlooked because the rabbits were so captivating.
—
“Alright, that’s all for the theory. Have you all noted the key points?”
“Yes, Professor—burn treatment, emergency evacuation during a fire, and how to avoid being caught in a crowd during chaos.”
Although much of it wasn’t related to magic, none of the students present had any questions. They even ignored the thick stack of papers at the back of the handout.
‘At worst, they’re just worksheets. We’ll do them.’
Although the professor’s authority kept them from getting distracted during the lesson, now that it was over, they couldn’t wait to start the practical part of the class.
“Very good, as long as you remember. Form groups of two, and each pair can collect a rabbit. After inflicting a wound with magic, proceed with the treatment.”
“Inflict a wound?”
The students froze for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening.
The students who had been quick enough to already grab a rabbit were even more stunned; they almost doubted their own hearing.
“That’s right, inflict a wound—two people per group, one to cast the spell, one to perform the treatment. I promise that every rabbit that is experimented on will be released, but the class must continue,” William said to everyone.
Although it sounded like animal cruelty, it had to be done.
Whether it was before or after this course’s name change, any class with words like ‘Self-Defense’ or ‘Defense’ in its title would inevitably include first aid. To be precise, all healers in the Wizarding World had to obtain an O.W.L. in this course to be employed.
Although using rabbits sounded a bit cruel, William couldn’t just conjure up a group of injured people out of thin air.
What was the alternative to injuring rabbits? Having them inflict wounds on each other for the experiment?
That was something one could only joke about with students. If it were truly made a regular part of the curriculum, even the famously open-minded Headmaster Dumbledore would not agree to such a foolish course.
Having students get injured was something that should not happen at Hogwarts.
“Yes, you heard correctly. Now, everyone, find your partner, choose your experimental equipment, and begin the experiment,” William repeated.
He felt no shame. It would be a dereliction of his duty if the Defense Against the Dark Arts course didn't teach healing. His concern was to ensure wizards had the ability to protect themselves and knew how to handle themselves when danger arose.
Regardless of the course name, a high level of medical skill was demanded of the professor.
Every wizard’s wand possessed the ability to promptly treat wounds, but without systematic training, these students would just foolishly dump a pile of dittany on an injury when they encountered one—that would be a true dereliction of his duty.
The students reluctantly began to move, stroking the rabbits—a reverence for life was a beautiful quality most people were born with.
“Ah!”
“Aah!~”
“Ow!!”
Such cries spread throughout the classroom—well, these weren’t lab rabbits; they were wild rabbits.
They really did bite.
Seeing the students flustered, William immediately felt relieved. He had no qualms about eating rabbits, but using them for medical experiments that bordered on abuse still made him feel a bit uneasy. He figured the students felt much the same.
But now things were different; the students would probably be very proactive.
Those theories weren't first applied to the rabbits, but to the students themselves.
“Hold it down, I’ll inflict the wound!”
The student who was bitten had a look of eager anticipation.
It was clear he had no more psychological hang-ups about it.
“Relax, just stun it first—anyone who kills a rabbit will get detention!”
He had to issue another command.
(end of chapter)
