CHAPTER 4: DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: BACK TO BASICS
The classroom was dimly lit and the mood of the people sitting in the room was of rapt attention and all eyes were directed towards a man speaking to them aloud in front of the chalk board.
"Constant Vigilance!" barked Harry making he class jump from their state of alertness, "That's what a great wizard taught me once. You can never let your guard down and you should stay alert at all times."
Harry continued to pace the room moving in between the rows of students yet addressing them in the same vigilant manner.
"The dark arts are a formidable foe." Continued Harry, "It is not easy to face a dark wizard armed with the knowledge of the dark arts because the fight is always easy for them as they duel to kill while a noble wizard does not resolve to killing until or unless he can avoid it."
The class was staring at Harry apparently amazed at the way he talked about the dark arts because he was the one who had faced some of the strangest forms of magic that none of them in their wildest dreams could ever think of encountering.
"If you hold fear close to your heart then there is little that can be done when you are faced with the choice of life or death." Said Harry, "You may even be the most powerful wizard of all time but still you can never achieve anything until or unless you conquer your fear."
Harry moved back to the front of the class and continued, "Death is nothing but a new beginning and those who think that there is nothing worse than death are the ones that find it lingering ever so close to them and escaping death for them is impossible."
A few of the student's eyes were now as round as galleons.
"Death is the inevitable fate of everyone but to fear it, is a weakness even far greater than death itself." Said Harry.
"Wowww!" came the sound from a brunette in the third row.
"Excuse me." said Harry politely.
The girl realizing that the whole class was looking at her suddenly sat up straight and seemed to come out of her state of thought and said in a shy voice, "Sorry Professor."
Her cheeks became red and Harry smiled at her which made her blush even more.
"Well let's get on with it shall we." Said Harry loudly bringing the class back to earth, "Now how many of you can perform the disarming spell properly?"
The whole class raised their hands and Harry smiled at them and said sarcastically, "We shall see. The front row will please kindly stand up and take out their wands."
The front row got up and drew their wands obediently, some of them looked puzzled.
"Now all of you." Said Harry pointing towards the students standing in the front row, "Kindly attempt to disarm me all at once without the slightest of hesitation."
They all looked questioningly at Harry and a tall boy from the left of the front row said, "You mean we all disarm you now?"
"Yes I would think that is what I said." Said Harry musingly, "But if you would like to wait till Christmas then I don't think I have that kind of time."
They all still looked a bit puzzled but had their wands at the ready all the same. Harry drew out his own wand and said, "On the count of three all of you will disarm me…..one……two…….THREE!"
There were up to a dozen cries of expelliarmus and jets of red light issued from the wands of the students. But Harry was already too quick for them. His shield charm had been strong enough but still his body vibrated as he staggered back because of the force of the spells that hit him but his wand remained firmly in his hand while a dozen wands soared through the air and fell at Harry's feet. Harry regained his composure to look at the stunned faces of the whole class.
"Well it seems that your attempt to disarm me was a worthy effort but still futile." Said Harry.
With a flick of his wand the dozen wands lying at his feet soared back to their rightful owners who caught them but the tall boy on the left was still staring at Harry and his wand hit him on the nose and he shook his head and bent down to pick up his wand.
"Can anyone tell me why you were unsuccessful in disarming me?" asked Harry.
The brunette sitting in the third row raised her hand and said, "Because you were too good!"
Harry laughed and said, "It is not question of me being good or you being bad. It is however a question of the true force behind your magic and your wand."
When they all still looked confused Harry said, "It is your mind that is the most important tool in such spells. When you wish to disarm me you cannot simply say the incantation and hope for the best, no, you should think of your opponent's wand and intend to take it from the owner into your own hands. Then and only then will there be a necessary amount of will present in your spell to make it work."
They all started clapping and Harry looked in surprise at them and was about to hold up his hand to stop them when suddenly the brunette stood up and said hopefully, "Why can't you teach us permanently sir?"
"I am sorry but being the head of the Auror's department isn't an easy job and I can't teach along with that job. My wife would kill me."
"But it would be nice to have you as a proper teacher rather than Professor Ainsley." Said the brunette incredulously.
"Professor Ainsley is an able wizard." Said Harry in a cool voice, "He just does not have the experience in the field. He was an Auror himself and a good one too but due to his condition he could not continue his life as an auror."
"What condition?" blurted out a blonde boy in the 5th row.
"Errr….you do not know of Professor Ainsley's condition?" asked Harry and the class shook their heads so Harry continued, "Professor Ainsley has pixie cancer."
The whole class looked shocked and some of them said blimey!
"I don't think it would be appropriate if you told Professor Ainsley that you came to know of this from me so I suggest you keep it to yourselves and not judge people so harshly." Said Harry to the class but in particular to the brunette who looked embarrassed.
"Anyway it was my last day here so I wish you all the best of luck." Said Harry to the whole class and added with a slight smile, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
It was Friday evening and Harry was sitting in Hagrid's cabin drinking tea while Hagrid told Harry stories about Grawp who still lived in the forest.
"And yeh know what he did last time Harry." Said Hagrid after a long tale about how Grawp fell in love with a female giant, "He said that I was the best ruddy brother he could ever haff wished fer. Bless him he's become such a good lad."
"Yeah great Hagrid" said Harry.
Just then the door of the cabin opened and in walked three boys. Harry recognized two of them as his own and the other one was James's partner in crime, Cambers.
"Hey Dad!" said Albus running towards his father, "I rode a broomstick today, it was amazing I flew it all up to the north tower where Madam Hooch had to come and get me and said I got a bit too far. It was so cool."
"Oh yes we are all thrilled for your display of bravado Albus." Said James mockingly and Cambers laughed.
"Oh and I heard about your display of stupidity in Herbology." Said Harry, "Neville made the courtesy of telling me in person."
"Dad Herbology is really boring and me and cambers just wanted to add a little excitement to the lesson." Said James musingly, "Right Camb?"
"Yup he's right Mr. Potter herbology is really dull." Replied Cambers.
"Well Mr. Cambers your life will be a little duller once you get home." Said Harry sarcastically, "As I have written to you mum explaining your feisty endeavor."
"No you didn't!" came the shocked reply of Cambers, "Please Mr. Potter I'll do anything if you tell my mum that nothing happened. Please!"
Harry laughed out loud at them and said, "I didn't write to your mum Cambers. But it was nice to see the look on your face when I said it."
Everybody laughed now and James said, "I should have brought my camera with me so I could preserve that look of yours forever mate."
"Anyway Dad what are you doing in school?" asked Albus, "Are you here to lecture the students again about dark arts?"
"Yeah McGonagall asked me to come and take classes for the seventh years so I did but I'm going back today." Replied Harry.
"Oh that's too bad." Said Albus, "It would have been nice if you stayed a bit longer."
"Yeah it would but I have to get back to work you know." Replied Harry.
He glanced at the watch and it was 7'o'clock. He got up and said goodbye to Hagrid and his kids.
"You two had best behave yourselves or next time I might just tell your mum for real Cambers." Harry told the two boys before leaving the cabin. As he closed the door behind him he heard Cambers say to James, "Your Dad is a real party pooper. I wonder if he did any jokes or pranks when he was in school."
Harry laughed and wondered, if only they knew what he Ron and Hermione had been through in their time at Hogwarts. That would be news for the two of them.