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Chapter 97: Theory Class Becomes Practical Combat Class
Wound Treatment has always been a major part of the traditional Defense Against the Dark Arts course. Even though the course name has changed, William had no intention of removing it from the curriculum.
However, he usually considered that seventh-year students had to participate in internships, so he had changed the first three classes into adaptation courses related to their internships—it was a way to let these students get a taste of knowledge different from what they learned on the school grounds.
But now, it seemed crucial for the students to master wound treatment and emergency evacuation. Although it was a bit absurd to forbid two professors from putting on a play based on a mere suspicion, no one would gossip if he took precautions by teaching the students how to protect themselves.
'It's just that the students' enthusiasm isn't very high this way—although I had a plan, I'm still underprepared for changing the topic so suddenly.'
William observed the reactions of the students below and found their level of engagement was clearly different from the last class. There was nothing to be done about it; William wasn't some veteran professor who could go through the course material effortlessly without even opening a textbook.
Halfway through the class, the students' attention was clearly wandering. William had no choice but to put down his prepared lesson plan and start joking with them.
“No one seems very enthusiastic—but there's nothing to be done about it. You can't expect me to injure a student just so you can practice healing, can you? How about this—you all have a fight, and we'll pick the student with the most interesting-looking wound to treat. The more severe the injury, the more house points you get?”
“Professor, shouldn't the opponent get the points?”
“Exactly! And the quality of the healing could be a basis for awarding points too.”
The drowsy students below instantly started speaking up eagerly. While replying, they stood up, began to pull out their wands, and started directing the desks and chairs to float to the edges of the classroom.
This practiced maneuver stunned William, who had just been joking. *I was just trying to liven things up with a joke, what are you all doing? Are you always this eager for action?*
However, he wasn't one to spoil the fun. The course schedule already included a section for students to practice against each other; this was merely moving it up. With the students so eager to get hands-on, it wasn't a big deal to change the theory lesson into a practical one.
So, he simply crossed his arms and smiled as he watched the students below quickly move the desks and chairs. Once they had finished, he addressed them all with a smile.
“The students who started moving first are quite diligent. A house point to each of you. Now, help put the classroom back in order. The rest of you, come with me. I just finished clearing out a classroom for dueling yesterday.”
* * *
Leaving the stunned students to tidy up the classroom, William led the rest to the room he had used for training yesterday. The Protective Charms here were more professional, and it was fully stocked with remedies, so he wasn't worried about this group of students causing any trouble.
Ever since he was cursed, William had specialized in restorative and healing spells for a long time. After arriving at Hogwarts, he dedicated a good portion of his energy to them. To put it bluntly, even if these students broke their legs, William could handle it properly—at the very least, he could ensure their injuries wouldn't worsen during transport or that they wouldn't miss the window for treatment before being sent to the Hospital Wing.
“Alright, let's wait for the remaining students and get the dueling equipment ready in the meantime—I don't think you'd enjoy falling on the hard floor.”
William waved his hands, directing the excited students to prepare the training equipment—though he didn't think anything major would happen in this class.
Frankly, to inflict wounds that would require emergency treatment, both sides would have to fight with lethal intent. But William had no intention of pairing up students from Houses with deep-seated conflicts; it was impossible for them to be fighting to crack each other's skulls.
'If they really manage to inflict that kind of injury, I'll just have to accept it. Anyway, looking at the records, every year there are students who end up in the Hospital Wing from fighting too viciously in private. At least with me here, I can keep an eye on things.'
Wands are far more dangerous than swords and blades. When training a group to fight with swords, one must be prepared for bloodshed. To expect no blood to be shed while training wizards in self-defense is a joke. The Hogwarts Hospital Wing can even provide hospitalization for students; such a professional level of care isn't achieved through textbook theory alone.
It didn't take long for the students left behind to tidy up to arrive at the dueling classroom. At William's request, they paired up on their own.
“Alright, in the order you signed up, each pair will come up to duel. Stop your attacks when I call for a halt. An opponent being knocked down or disarmed counts as an early victory. The use of Dark Magic is strictly forbidden. If it occurs, you'll get detention at a minimum.”
William immediately banned most offensive magic—he had no choice, as there were too many spells in Dark Magic that caused permanent disability.
Even so, the students were still having a great time. Other courses rarely allowed students to duel one another, and fighting on the school grounds would easily lead to points deduction and detention. A major reason this course was so popular was that they could openly attack each other with magic.
Before the final two pairs of students began their duel, the most serious issue William had to deal with was a student who had mastered a hex too well but hadn't learned the counter-curse. For that, William even deducted two house points from him.
“Next pair, get ready.”
William announced lazily. The course he had originally planned to teach was about wounds caused by various kinds of magic. The students had been quite enthusiastic when they kicked up a fuss, but now... they hadn't even seen a drop of blood. These kids were just stressed out about finding jobs after Seventh Year and were here to blow off steam.
'Oh well, let them have their fun. I'll just get some rabbits for the next class. They need to practice healing on something real, after all. I was too hasty with this lesson; I'll let them off the hook this time.'
But the suddenly tense atmosphere immediately told William that this wouldn't be a simple game. William glanced at the list again and realized something was wrong—of the two students this time, one was from Slytherin, and the other from Gryffindor.
“Ready! Remember the rules: no Dark Magic!”
William reiterated the rule, then focused his full attention on them.
'If a powerful spell appears, separate them immediately. Be ready to cast a Shield Charm for protection. Prepare the Disarming Charm to knock away their wands.'
William watched the two of them without blinking, and on the platform, amidst the bated breath of the crowd of spectators, they swiftly drew their wands.
The near-simultaneous appearance of armor made William give them a mental thumbs-up. Then, both sides began their next spellcasting—wait, that boy over there, is that...!
William almost instantly cast the Bubble-Head Charm on himself. A moment later, a Dungbomb was hurled rapidly toward the other student.
As a foul stench spread through the classroom, the student who was hit froze for a second, then, with the exploded Dungbomb splattered across his hand, he charged forward, completely forgetting to use his wand.
The dueling area, which wasn't very spacious to begin with, was crossed in an instant. Then, to William's astonishment, the two of them started grappling with each other.
'Where are the hexes? The Disarming Charm? Are you two even wizards?'
William looked up at the ceiling and decided not to call a stop to it just yet.
PS: There's still some light in the sky, so it should be daytime, right? Maybe?
(end of chapter)
Wound Treatment has always been a major part of the traditional Defense Against the Dark Arts course. Even though the course name has changed, William had no intention of removing it from the curriculum.
However, he usually considered that seventh-year students had to participate in internships, so he had changed the first three classes into adaptation courses related to their internships—it was a way to let these students get a taste of knowledge different from what they learned on the school grounds.
But now, it seemed crucial for the students to master wound treatment and emergency evacuation. Although it was a bit absurd to forbid two professors from putting on a play based on a mere suspicion, no one would gossip if he took precautions by teaching the students how to protect themselves.
'It's just that the students' enthusiasm isn't very high this way—although I had a plan, I'm still underprepared for changing the topic so suddenly.'
William observed the reactions of the students below and found their level of engagement was clearly different from the last class. There was nothing to be done about it; William wasn't some veteran professor who could go through the course material effortlessly without even opening a textbook.
Halfway through the class, the students' attention was clearly wandering. William had no choice but to put down his prepared lesson plan and start joking with them.
“No one seems very enthusiastic—but there's nothing to be done about it. You can't expect me to injure a student just so you can practice healing, can you? How about this—you all have a fight, and we'll pick the student with the most interesting-looking wound to treat. The more severe the injury, the more house points you get?”
“Professor, shouldn't the opponent get the points?”
“Exactly! And the quality of the healing could be a basis for awarding points too.”
The drowsy students below instantly started speaking up eagerly. While replying, they stood up, began to pull out their wands, and started directing the desks and chairs to float to the edges of the classroom.
This practiced maneuver stunned William, who had just been joking. *I was just trying to liven things up with a joke, what are you all doing? Are you always this eager for action?*
However, he wasn't one to spoil the fun. The course schedule already included a section for students to practice against each other; this was merely moving it up. With the students so eager to get hands-on, it wasn't a big deal to change the theory lesson into a practical one.
So, he simply crossed his arms and smiled as he watched the students below quickly move the desks and chairs. Once they had finished, he addressed them all with a smile.
“The students who started moving first are quite diligent. A house point to each of you. Now, help put the classroom back in order. The rest of you, come with me. I just finished clearing out a classroom for dueling yesterday.”
* * *
Leaving the stunned students to tidy up the classroom, William led the rest to the room he had used for training yesterday. The Protective Charms here were more professional, and it was fully stocked with remedies, so he wasn't worried about this group of students causing any trouble.
Ever since he was cursed, William had specialized in restorative and healing spells for a long time. After arriving at Hogwarts, he dedicated a good portion of his energy to them. To put it bluntly, even if these students broke their legs, William could handle it properly—at the very least, he could ensure their injuries wouldn't worsen during transport or that they wouldn't miss the window for treatment before being sent to the Hospital Wing.
“Alright, let's wait for the remaining students and get the dueling equipment ready in the meantime—I don't think you'd enjoy falling on the hard floor.”
William waved his hands, directing the excited students to prepare the training equipment—though he didn't think anything major would happen in this class.
Frankly, to inflict wounds that would require emergency treatment, both sides would have to fight with lethal intent. But William had no intention of pairing up students from Houses with deep-seated conflicts; it was impossible for them to be fighting to crack each other's skulls.
'If they really manage to inflict that kind of injury, I'll just have to accept it. Anyway, looking at the records, every year there are students who end up in the Hospital Wing from fighting too viciously in private. At least with me here, I can keep an eye on things.'
Wands are far more dangerous than swords and blades. When training a group to fight with swords, one must be prepared for bloodshed. To expect no blood to be shed while training wizards in self-defense is a joke. The Hogwarts Hospital Wing can even provide hospitalization for students; such a professional level of care isn't achieved through textbook theory alone.
It didn't take long for the students left behind to tidy up to arrive at the dueling classroom. At William's request, they paired up on their own.
“Alright, in the order you signed up, each pair will come up to duel. Stop your attacks when I call for a halt. An opponent being knocked down or disarmed counts as an early victory. The use of Dark Magic is strictly forbidden. If it occurs, you'll get detention at a minimum.”
William immediately banned most offensive magic—he had no choice, as there were too many spells in Dark Magic that caused permanent disability.
Even so, the students were still having a great time. Other courses rarely allowed students to duel one another, and fighting on the school grounds would easily lead to points deduction and detention. A major reason this course was so popular was that they could openly attack each other with magic.
Before the final two pairs of students began their duel, the most serious issue William had to deal with was a student who had mastered a hex too well but hadn't learned the counter-curse. For that, William even deducted two house points from him.
“Next pair, get ready.”
William announced lazily. The course he had originally planned to teach was about wounds caused by various kinds of magic. The students had been quite enthusiastic when they kicked up a fuss, but now... they hadn't even seen a drop of blood. These kids were just stressed out about finding jobs after Seventh Year and were here to blow off steam.
'Oh well, let them have their fun. I'll just get some rabbits for the next class. They need to practice healing on something real, after all. I was too hasty with this lesson; I'll let them off the hook this time.'
But the suddenly tense atmosphere immediately told William that this wouldn't be a simple game. William glanced at the list again and realized something was wrong—of the two students this time, one was from Slytherin, and the other from Gryffindor.
“Ready! Remember the rules: no Dark Magic!”
William reiterated the rule, then focused his full attention on them.
'If a powerful spell appears, separate them immediately. Be ready to cast a Shield Charm for protection. Prepare the Disarming Charm to knock away their wands.'
William watched the two of them without blinking, and on the platform, amidst the bated breath of the crowd of spectators, they swiftly drew their wands.
The near-simultaneous appearance of armor made William give them a mental thumbs-up. Then, both sides began their next spellcasting—wait, that boy over there, is that...!
William almost instantly cast the Bubble-Head Charm on himself. A moment later, a Dungbomb was hurled rapidly toward the other student.
As a foul stench spread through the classroom, the student who was hit froze for a second, then, with the exploded Dungbomb splattered across his hand, he charged forward, completely forgetting to use his wand.
The dueling area, which wasn't very spacious to begin with, was crossed in an instant. Then, to William's astonishment, the two of them started grappling with each other.
'Where are the hexes? The Disarming Charm? Are you two even wizards?'
William looked up at the ceiling and decided not to call a stop to it just yet.
PS: There's still some light in the sky, so it should be daytime, right? Maybe?
(end of chapter)
