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HRHL# Chapter 128: Grindelwald: Do You Think My Sister Will Mourn You? {1}
🕑 Added 2025-03-21 18:55:38 +0000 UTCAll the students at Hogwarts were eagerly anticipating their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Whether it was due to a special request from Lockhart or not, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for each year were scheduled in a single session.
This meant that all four houses of the second year would be attending the class together.
It wasn’t just the female students who were looking forward to it; even the male students were eager for the lesson.
However, their expectations were different. The female students were excited to experience Lockhart’s teaching, while the male students were eagerly waiting for him to make a fool of himself and reveal that he was nothing more than an incompetent fraud.
The curriculum for second years was different from that of first years, with an increased workload. As a result, students found themselves with less free time than they had in their first year.
After Monday morning’s Herbology class, the students moved on to Professor Flitwick’s Charms lesson.
Professor Flitwick looked no different from the previous year. He still stood atop a tall stack of books, waving his wand as he explained the key points of the lesson.
“Today, we will be learning the ‘Marking Manifestation’ Charm,” Professor Flitwick said, swishing his wand in the air. “This spell allows you to create burning lines of fire in the air, essentially ‘drawing’ specific shapes with your wand, much like writing. Watch.”
As he spoke, Flitwick flicked his wand, tracing an ‘X’ in midair.
“See? This is one of the applications of the spell,” he said in his high-pitched voice. “There are various other uses as well. For example, you can write words—look… If I were to write ‘Filius Flitwick,’ it would appear like this...”
He waved his wand once more, and the flaming words “Filius Flitwick” appeared in the air, crackling as if they were burning.
“Professor,” Seamus suddenly raised his hand. “What is the practical use of this mark? For example, how would this spell help us in a duel?”
Professor Flitwick chuckled and replied, “That’s a great question, Mr. Finnigan. But you must understand that not all spells are meant for combat. Just as in our daily lives, we need spells that make life more convenient, don’t we?”
“I see, Professor,” Seamus nodded.
“However, as your professor, I must also remind you of one thing,” Flitwick continued with a knowing smile. “Some of you might think this is a trivial spell—but let me tell you, there are no trivial spells, only trivial wizards.”
“Observe.”
Professor Flitwick waved his wand, leaving a glowing mark in the air.
“For example, when exploring unknown areas, this mark can help you track your path, allowing you to quickly find your way out.”
He then flicked his wand, dispersing the mark.
“This is just one application of the spell. As for other uses, I won’t spoil the fun for you. It’s always more rewarding when you discover them on your own, isn’t it?”
Professor Flitwick bounced twice on his stack of books before addressing the class, “I’ll be assigning you a homework task—”
Groans of disappointment spread through the classroom.
“Oh, don’t worry, children,” Flitwick laughed. “This is not a mandatory assignment. Your task is to discover alternative applications of the spells I’ve taught you. After Halloween, in our first Charms class, I will review your findings. If anyone discovers new applications, I will award points to their house.”
“Awesome!” The students erupted in cheers.
An optional assignment with the chance to earn points? What could be better?
“Now then,” Flitwick scanned the classroom before calling on a student. “I believe some of you, particularly our more talented students, might have already thought of various ways to apply charms... For example, Mr. Potter?”
Harry had been lost in thought about the basilisk when Flitwick suddenly called his name, catching him off guard.
“Harry, Professor Flitwick is asking if you can think of an alternative application for a spell,” Ron whispered as a reminder.
An alternative application of a spell?
Harry thought for a moment. Oh, just that?
“Professor, I’d like to demonstrate with Ron,” Harry said.
Ron’s face immediately fell.
Bloody hell, mate, is this how you repay me?
He couldn’t help but recall the two spell applications Harry had suggested during Herbology class earlier.
Maybe… I should have stayed in bed today?
“Harry…” Ron whimpered.
“Relax, Ron, I know what I’m doing,” Harry reassured him with a grin.
“Well then, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley,” Flitwick nodded excitedly, motioning for them to step forward. “Please demonstrate for the class.”
“Professor, I’d like to demonstrate the Summoning Charm,” Harry said. “As we all know, the Summoning Charm is used to summon objects, but it doesn’t work on humans.”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Potter,” Flitwick’s eyes twinkled. “Though I believe the Summoning Charm is typically introduced in the fourth year?”
“I’ve been studying ahead, Professor,” Harry replied with a smile.
Studying ahead for five years, actually, he thought to himself.
Flitwick didn’t say anything further, simply nodding in approval.
Harry moved about twenty feet away from Ron before raising his wand.
“Accio!”
The spell struck Ron, and with a flick of Harry’s wand, Ron was yanked through the air, soaring toward him before being gently set down.
“Professor, I believe that by slightly altering our perspective, we can use the Summoning Charm to summon a person—by targeting their clothing, just like I just did with Ron,” Harry explained.
Professor Flitwick was absolutely delighted. He bounced up and down on his stack of books. “Excellent! A brilliant application of the spell! Twenty points to Gryffindor!”
Unfortunately, in his excitement, Flitwick bounced too hard and lost his balance, toppling backward.
Reacting swiftly, Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at the tiny professor.
“Accio!”
Professor Flitwick was pulled forward by the spell, flying straight into Harry’s arms.
“Well done, Mr. Potter! I’m awarding Gryffindor another ten points!” Professor Flitwick cheered happily.
In just one Charms class, Gryffindor had already racked up thirty points.
By the time class ended, the other Gryffindor students from different years were staring at the hourglass filled with rubies in complete bewilderment.
Good heavens, Gryffindor actually gained points!
That was their collective thought.
Finally, it was Gryffindor—and not Grief-indor.
With Neville’s twenty points, Harry’s thirty, and the additional points earned by other students, Gryffindor now had over a hundred and ten points.
Meanwhile, the ever-rivalrous Slytherins were groaning in dismay. Crabbe and Goyle stomped their feet and muttered curses under their breath.
“Don’t worry,” Draco said nonchalantly. “Professor Snape will take care of it—”
And sure enough, Malfoy wasn’t wrong. That very afternoon, during the third-year Gryffindor Potions class, they were generously awarded a deduction of over thirty points.
The Slytherins were positively beaming, marveling at Snape’s unmistakably firm grip on the situation.
Truly magnificent, Snape.
The next morning, the second-years enthusiastically gathered for their very first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year.
No one quite understood Lockhart’s reasoning, but he had insisted that Mondays were unsuitable for teaching, so all his classes were scheduled from Tuesday onward.
As a result, the entire school’s timetable had to undergo a rather significant rearrangement.
When the updated schedules were distributed, students quickly noticed that the house abbreviations were listed: G for Gryffindor, H for Hufflepuff, R for Ravenclaw, and S for Slytherin.
Well, that’s just how it is with celebrities.
Snape, however, seemed even more displeased with Lockhart. On more than one occasion, students caught him shooting sinister glares at the Defense professor during meals.
But no one found this particularly surprising—after all, everyone at Hogwarts knew exactly what Snape wanted most.
His greatest desire was to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Of course, perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that the previous day, Professor Lockhart had sat in on Snape’s first-year Potions lesson.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione speculated about it over breakfast.
“I bet Professor Snape is actually interested in the curse on that position,” Harry said, chewing on his toast. He sat at the Gryffindor table, musing, “That’s why he keeps going after the job—so he’ll inevitably have to quit because of the curse. Then he’d finally be free of us, the bumbling little trolls who just wave their wands around like idiots.”
“Oh my God, Harry,” Hermione gasped. “I cannot believe how perfectly you just mimicked Professor Snape’s tone.”
“Yeah,” Ron agreed—at the same time as Snape himself.
Snape?!
The three of them turned around in unison—and sure enough, standing right behind them, gazing down with a look of amused menace, was none other than Professor Snape.
“Well, well, Potter,” Snape drawled, curling his lips into something resembling a smile. “Since your impersonation of a professor is so impressive, one point from Gryffindor.”
And with that, he swept away from the scene in a billow of robes.
“You never know where he’s going to appear from, do you?” Ron sighed, throwing up his hands in exasperation.
Still…
Just one point—hardly a loss. Getting to mock Professor Snape behind his back? Now that was satisfying.
Totally worth it. Everyone agreed.
Ron whispered to Hermione, saying that if it had been anyone else besides Harry, the deduction wouldn’t have been just one point.
After lingering outside the Great Hall for a bit after breakfast, they finally headed to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.
Truth be told, Harry was actually looking forward to it—to seeing just what kind of new nonsense their Defense professor would come up with this time.
Hopefully…
He wouldn’t turn out to be another Dark Lord in disguise, right?
But judging by Lockhart’s beaming, sunshine-bright smile—and the distinct lack of garlic smell—Harry figured that probably wasn’t the case.
The students filed into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, which had been magically expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm. A low hum of conversation filled the air, buzzing like a swarm of flies.
The classroom walls were adorned with numerous portraits of Professor Lockhart. Some were headshots, others full-body portraits; some featured him posing proudly with his awards, while others…
Well, one was particularly strange—like a Russian nesting doll, it showed Lockhart painting a self-portrait inside the painting.
Every single Lockhart in those portraits had their hands clamped over their ears, clearly trying not to listen to the students’ incessant chatter.
Truly, the magic of the wizarding world was something else.
