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As this was our first class with Professor Perseus Jackson, or Percy, as he told us he wanted to be called the moment we walked in the door, we were expecting it to be kind of an introduction session or something similar to that. Instead, we were greeted with this question when we settled down behind our desks.
"What do you know about hand to hand combat?"
Everybody sat stunned. Combat? How would that help us against the dark arts? Was this some kind of joke?
"Excuse me Professor, but how come you ask us this question? It is Defence against the dark arts you are teaching, or am I wrong?" Hermione asked.
"You are not wrong, miss. This is Defence against the Dark Arts. And to defend yourself, you should know basic self-defence, just in case your spells and hexes fail you. If you would follow me, I have prepared a training ground for this occasion."
We moved up the stairs to which previously contained the DADA professor's office. Now, as we saw when we entered it, it had been expanded and redecorated. Now it was filled with weapons, targets and armour, all made of bronze. There were five statues at the end of the room; one of a regal looking woman with a shield leaned against her legs, a spear in her hand, a helmet on her head and an owl on her shoulder. Beside her was a man looking like a seasoned soldier, armed to the teeth and a boar beside him. On the other side of the woman were two statues that looked very similar, both of them with a bow in their hand and a quiver on their back. The female had a deer peeking out from behind her legs. The man had a stringed instrument in his other hand. The last statue was of a man with very big arms and shoulders. He had on an apron, a hammer in his left hand and an anvil on the ground beside him.
"Nico, come forward, I know you are here, I can sense you." Our professor said out loud.
"I won`t." came a voice from a corner.
"Nico get your ass out of there, or I will have Mrs O`Leary come get you."
"She wouldn`t obey you against me."
"Oh yes, she would, so long as I don`t have any intensions on harming you, and I have not. So get out."
"Someday, Perce, I will make you pay for this."
"Of course you will."
With that, a scrawny boy all dressed in black came out of the shadows. He had a black sword at his waist.
"What exactly is it that you want me to do, Percy? You better have a good reason to drag me from the Underworld!"
"I want you to spar with me, to give the students a demonstration."
"Couldn`t you have gotten somebody else? One of the Ares kids?"
"They hate me, Nico, and you know it. Are you in?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No. Now students gather round. We will now give a demonstration on a little bit of what I intend on teaching you this year. I don`t expect you to gain the skill we possess, since Nico and myself have trained from the age of about twelve. Miss, put down your hand, I will teach you spells as well. But now, stay back, and do not interrupt." Perseus said, before putting a hand in his pocket, and seemingly summoning a sword out of thin air. He aimed for the boy, Nico`s, head, but he had also brought out his weapon and blocked the bronze one with his own black. Nico then aimed for Perseus`s legs, but he jumped over the blow and used the force of his jump to spin over the head of Nico. Perseus bent his neck and back, before rolling up on his feet. Nico took the opportunity to hit for his head, but Perseus ducked. This continued on for a well ten minutes, before Perseus had his sword to the neck of the other kid.
"Dead" he said. Both of them were panting.
"I like death, but I don't want to have a one-way ticket to the realm of my father just yet. Why were you playing with me to the extend you did? You are a better swordsman than me, you have proved it on many occasions."
"I wanted the fight to last a while, just to give a thorough demonstration." He said. "How do you suggest we go from here? I was thinking assigning them a weapon that would fit them, and giving them a place to store it. We can't after all let them wander the castle armed."
"That sounds like a good idea." Nico replied.
"And since you are already here, you don't mind helping me?" he asked Nico, but was clearly not awaiting an answer. "Alright students, line up in two even rows, one in front of me, and one in front of Nico. We will assign you a weapon."
As we did as he commanded, he waved forwards a tall and skinny Slytherin boy Harry recalled was named Theodore Nott.
"I see that we will have to do some exercising, all of you, at least, if you are going to be able to use the weapons properly. Therefore, I think I will only give them to you today. Now, you have the build of a good archer, with your broad shoulders and long arms. But as I personally am expected to shoot myself in the foot, I will give you a spear, until Thalia arrives." Perseus said, while dashing to the other end of the room, fetching a spear and giving it to Theodore.
"Is Thalia coming?" Nico asked, obviously taken aback.
"Yes, I think she is recruiting. And I intend to get her to help me with the archers. I think I will manage to teach almost every other weaponry, though I'm best with the sword. Now, you, come forward." He said, pointing at Neville.
"Ah, our good friend the Herbalist. Now, I suspect you'd like a double edged, one and a half handed sword, or did you bring your own?" The Professor asked Neville, who answered:
"I brought my own, Praetor. I'll bring it to the next section. You don't have to find me a new one."
"Good, good, do that. And stop calling me that!" Perseus said.
"Yes Praetor." Neville said, respect in his voice.
"You're worse than Blackjack. You, bushy head, come forward." He said, calling forward Hermione.
"Bushy head?" she said, sounding really offended. "I have a name!"
"Yes yes yes, I know that, but I can't learn them all before I've even met you. So tell me your name, then."
"Hermione Granger."
"Ah, wonderful name. The daughter of Helen of Troy. The mortals still have a sense of decency, I see." He said, sounding impressed. Then he saw the confused expression on Hermione's face. "Ask my wife about it, I don't have the whole story in my head, only remember bits and pieces."
"Percy" Nico called, from the end of the room. "Why are there silver bows? Did Artemis talk to her brother?" he sounded confused and curious at the same time.
"I don't know." The Professor answered. "But do not give any of them to the boys, just in case."
By the time all had gotten weapons and been assigned a cabinet to put it in, the period was over. And it was by far the most surprising, unexpected and weird Defence Against the Dark Arts class we've ever had.
