Chapter 24 — The Impromptu Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson
Harry hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the troll when he heard Professor Dracula's question.
However, the earlier scene had been far too intense. His mind went completely blank, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall a single thing from the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.
He cast a pleading look at Ron, who was crouched in the corner trying to make himself as small as possible. Ron, in turn, shrank further into the shadows, giving him a helpless look.
At that moment, a hand trembled into the air.
"Then, Miss Granger, you shall answer this question for him," Dracula said, turning to Hermione.
Harry quietly exhaled in relief, though a strange feeling crept into his mind—
Just moments ago, this had been a battlefield against a troll. How had it instantly turned into a Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom?
"As young wizards, we must learn to use other forces for our own defense," Hermione said softly. "For example, alchemical armor, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method: asking for help."
Seeing that Dracula made no objection, Hermione's voice became smoother and more confident, as if she had returned to the classroom.
"When traveling with adults, you can carry two Sneakoscopes to signal danger; the fireworks spell can also serve as an alarm and communication method, though it's generally not recommended in the face of immediate danger…"
Hermione practically recited all the key points from the lesson. Harry and Ron, the two academically challenged students, gaped at her in amazement.
"You have a remarkable memory, Miss Granger," Dracula said with a small nod and smile.
Before Hermione could beam with pride, his smile vanished, replaced by a questioning gaze. "Now, reflect—did you actually apply what I taught?"
Hermione lowered her head, looking pitiful, on the verge of tears.
Dracula, ignoring her feelings, continued in a stern tone: "In class, you used the fireworks spell quite well. If you had simply remembered to send a red flare as a signal, the professors would have arrived immediately, and the three of you wouldn't have faced such danger!"
"Furthermore, I did say that casting the fireworks spell to signal danger is risky—it reveals your location and might provoke the enemy. But do you recall my other statement? 'Analyze each situation specifically!'"
"You must understand, trolls are extremely stupid, utterly incapable of reasoning. They cannot differentiate human behavior! Against such an enemy, you can first use the fireworks spell to warn, then use other spells to buy time. It's easy to hold out until the professors arrive to rescue you."
Hermione wiped her tears, sniffling, "I…I just froze when I saw the troll… I couldn't think of anything…"
"Exactly. Staying calm when facing an enemy is equally important," Dracula said. "You simply haven't had enough exposure. It seems I'll need to give you extra training in this area…"
At this, a faintly mischievous glint appeared on his face, as though he had thought of some idea.
Seeing the Dark Arts Defense professor pause in his lecture, Harry and Ron quietly exhaled.
They exchanged a glance, realizing that facing Professor Dracula was even more nerve-wracking than facing a troll!
Dracula's lecture, however, was far from over.
His gaze swept over Harry on the floor and Ron in the corner. He said coolly, "Don't think this is over, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."
"Your attempt to rescue your fellow student is commendable, but have you considered this? Two first-year students wandering where a troll might appear is nothing short of a foolish invitation for disaster!"
"There was even a prefect in your Gryffindor group. When you passed the corridor corner, you ran into Professor Snape—did you not think to ask them for help?"
"And your method of handling the troll—honestly, it's embarrassing to even mention!" Dracula looked at them with disdain. "What were the spells you learned for? What are wands for—just to shove into a troll's nose?"
Harry glanced at the wand still lodged in the troll's nostril, saying nothing.
"Remember, you are wizards, not a bunch of monkeys jumping around!"
Dracula's cold eyes pinned the two boys, his tone icy.
"We were just trying to warn Hermione about the troll. We didn't expect to actually run into it," Ron muttered, half-defensively. "Besides, Snape rushed toward the fourth floor. He'd probably ignore us anyway. Even if he didn't, he'd want to deduct points from Gryffindor first…"
"Putting morality aside, Professor Snape has basic professional responsibility. He won't ignore students in danger," Dracula said, glancing at Ron. "Moreover, would you really value house points over your lives? That hardly seems like your style."
Ron, recalling the nighttime escapades he and Harry had already undertaken, had no retort. He stiffly remained in the corner.
"As for the bad luck of encountering a troll, that's hardly surprising," Dracula continued. "If you put yourself in a probabilistic situation, bad luck will eventually find you—it's only a matter of time."
After this long lecture, Harry and Ron finally nodded in agreement. Hermione even took out a small notebook to take notes.
"All right, to make up for your mistakes, focus now!"
But just as the three of them began paying close attention, Dracula snapped his fingers, waking the troll from its frozen state.
"Such a fine teaching tool doesn't come around often. You three, try it—see how you can bring it down!"
"Here's a hint: the troll's weak point is its head!"
At Dracula's words, the troll stood up, looking around in confusion, seemingly unable to make sense of the situation.
Its brain, smaller than a walnut, wasn't sufficient for strategy. It immediately gave up thinking and swung its club at Harry.
Harry's wand was still lodged in the troll's nose, leaving him defenseless. He hugged his head in fear. Hermione and Ron froze, watching the club swing toward Harry.
When the club was just an inch from Harry's forehead scar, the troll froze again.
"You react too slowly. With such emergency skills, even a hundred lives wouldn't be enough," Dracula said, leaning against the doorway with evident disdain.
"Potter, pull out your wand and prepare for the next round of training!"