Chapter 2

"Bloody hell. I have never had a class so grueling with information that somehow left me wanting to go back for more," Ron said as he went over his homework. Harry knew exactly what he was referring to. He was thinking the exact same thing.

Professor Granger was proving to be an extraordinary teacher. She was extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter and the way she taught was simple and easy to fall along with. Even the complex terms she used in her discussions were always broken down on the blackboard. She encouraged questions and allowed frequent interruptions in order to ensure the students had a full understanding of the course lectures. No student was left confused or without a satisfactory answer. Dare he even say it, even better than Lupin was. And that is a high bar to surpass. Even Fred and George who don't like to attend their classes haven't missed one of hers. That was a compliment in itself.

Surprisingly it was quite easy to get used to Hermione Granger as his professor. It helped that this version of her was older than his best friend who sat right next to him in every class. Professor Granger shared the same intellect as his best friend and from what Harry could tell they shared the majority of the same personality traits. It was reassuring to see numerous bookshelves within the classroom filled to the brim with books on defensive and offensive. Professor Granger would be seen sometimes when the class was doing reviews reading a book or two of the bookshelves. She also encouraged the students to use the books in her company for their homework and essays. Hermione Granger despite being from an alternate dimension still had a love of books and reading. Professor Granger walked and lectured with a confidence his best friend lacked. Or was hidden beneath the weight of her book bag. She also had a sense of patience that his friend sometimes lacked. Professor Granger never got annoyed with the students despite some comments the Slytherins made when she was in earshot. She encouraged all of the students to perform exceptionally and not just expected it.

Her first lesson after the introductory week was more impressive and eye-opening than any defence class Harry has had up to date. The lesson focused more on a lecture than on practical application and yet it was memorable. He knew she had an impression on their class. Since she definitely made an impression on him.

"Alright, class I have written three things on the board. Faster, Smarter and Strong Will. These are the three main things you need to have to win a fight," Professor Granger lectured from in front of her desk.

"Yes, Mrs. Parkinson?" The professor asked. Harry turned around and saw that Pansy's hand was raised.

"What about power?"

"Power?" The professor asked for clarification.

"Yes, like magical strength."

The professor stood up and began to walk through the isles of desks. "You give a good point. Magical power and physical strength in general is a powerful ally in a duel. But that means nothing if your opponent is faster and smarter than you. If your opponent is faster they can outmaneuver you. If they are smarter than they can outsource you." Harry noticed that Hermione was writing down everything she began to say. But Harry felt no reason to. He wouldn't need notes to remember what she said. "Then there is strong will. If your opponent is determined to succeed more than you then they will succeed." The professor was able to explain the three words on the board so simply. Other professors would drown on and on in order to explain the lesson on the board. The students would be floundering to comprehend which points are the most important to remember.

"Unfortunately I can't exactly teach you all three of these things." This left Harry feeling quite confused. Professor Granger had this ability to be explanatory and yet contradictory all at once. She was strict when it was required and yet was so kind. She reminisced with the Headmaster in some ways but her teaching style had hints of influences from Professor McGonnagol and Snape while at the same time being completely different and unique.

"If you want to get faster, I suggest practicing your endurance. Take up jogging over quidditch." Now that was his best friend coming through. Harry knew all too well that Hermione was not the biggest fan when it came to quidditch. "Build up not only your endurance but also your reflexes. If you want to become a better fighter that aspect depends on your own personal growth. The same thing can be said about being strong-willed. Sometimes stubbornness can be handy when it comes to a fight. Even if it is the satisfaction of beating your opponent. Spite can sometimes go hand in hand with stubbornness. Whatever helps you to come out victorious mainly relies on your mindset."

Now, this was an interesting statement. Harry has never heard of anyone saying that whining a duel came from the mind instead of the physical part of a duel. The only person who has ever come close to this statement is Snape, which Harry blatantly chooses to ignore. He would hate to admit that Snape provided important information. "Winning a duel relies on 60% on your mental capacity. The other 40% is the physical assertion. Now to be smarter than your opponent does not strictly rely on being book smart. Having an arsenal of spells in your repertoire doesn't mean a damn if you don't know when to use it."

"I can't teach you to be smart. I can teach you the material and it is up to you to learn it. But I can teach you to think for yourselves. That is my goal as your teacher anyways." Meeting the eyes of every student Professor Granger held the attention of every student. "Is everyone following me so far?

"Good.

"Those three points written on the board are how you win a duel. But I also want to teach you to understand a duel." Harry was confused by this statement. Everyone knew what a duel was, it was taught in their first year.

And yet she still asked, "What is a duel?"

"It's a fight between two or more people," Lavender answered.

"That is correct. Now what is the purpose of a duel?" She asked this rhetorically. "The purpose is to seriously maim or kill your opponent. If you are ever in a real duel and not a simple spell here or there from your classmates but a real fight, the outcome will most likely end in one or both individuals seriously injured and/or dead." Her tone took on a seriousness. She often spoke in a light tone as she addressed the class but they all knew when she spoke in a grave tone the lecture was to be taken seriously. And this was no exception. Death and murder were not to be taken lightly even when spoken about in hypothetical. "So if you are in duel be prepared for that intent to be aimed towards you. Or for you to be prepared for that outcome on your own end."

"But not everyone gets in a duel to kill their opponent."

"No, but sometimes accidents can occur in the heat of battle when curses are being thrown your way. And if you kill someone even accidentally then their death is still on your hands. Some people can't stomach that. And that is perfectly okay. Others have an easier time dealing with the situation since it was either kill or be killed. But you should never enjoy taking another life." It all made perfect sense and yet it was not something most people thought about. It wasn't until Harry fought against Voldemort and he tried to kill him again.

"What if that person was really bad?" Parvati asked.

"Who is to decide who is bad enough to die? That topic will be discussed at a later time though." The professor moved around and sat at her desk. She sighed wearily at the grimness of the conversation. But Harry liked that about her. She was blunt and honest in her conversation and didn't hold anything back. She never censored the conversation, she wanted all of her students to be made aware of the realities of life. The good and the bad. "It's okay to want a bad person to suffer and to no longer be able to do any further harm. But it is not good to be satisfied in giving a painful prolonged death. To enjoy giving others pain and to enjoy killing means that you are a sadist, a psychopath, a monster. Whatever term you would like to use. This is one of the two most dangerous people you will ever face. I suggest running and not engaging these people. They will not hesitate to kill you and their reasoning is purely for the satisfaction of killing." It was clear she was talking from personal experience.

"What's the second?" Ron asked.

"The second most dangerous person you will ever face is a man or woman who is truly desperate. When a person is desperate they are motivated to go to the extreme. To do things no sane person would ever do. To do those things that are crazy. To them, there is no line they won't cross. No rules and no limitations. The crazy, the insane, the desperate will do things that are unexpected and unpredictable. The man or woman that will suddenly punch you in the face in the middle of a magical duel." Everyone snickered at the statement despite the weighty conversation.

Professor Granger always left the students wanting to learn more. And having defence only twice a week was not enough in Harry's opinion.

Harry looked forward to her classes more than anything. After his dismal summer, learning wasn't an interest of his, not when Voldemort consumed his thoughts. Though it wasn't exactly his favourite thing to do before Voldemort either. He at least recognized the importance of his education and did put in the effort. But with Professor Granger he was starting to appreciate the education he was receiving at Hogwarts. Even though Dumbledore was still ignoring him and Snape was an arse to him like always. He was drowning in quidditch practices and homework but he finally was able to relax. He caught himself enjoying being around his friends again and found his Defence homework a breeze. He knew that he was acting differently after his encounter with Voldemort and though Hermione and Ron never said anything he did catch their shared looks over some of his darker commentaries. But that was to be expected after going through a trauma, that's what Hermione said anyway. But now he can laugh with his friends again. He was feeling more like himself than in the past few months. He and Ron were bonding over their shared love of Quidditch now more than ever with Ron trying out for the team. Now with a proper defence teacher, Harry was able to understand the material without Hermione's assistance. This allowed the pair to talk more freely rather than talking strictly about their schoolwork. It was nice for the three of them to just hang around the common room and just relax.

He still had been having nightmares. The same ones over and over again about a door in the ministry but it was occurring less and less. He wasn't consumed with the dream as he once was. Finding more pleasant distractions in his daily life. Even his dreams of Cedric and Voldemort have been easing. His scar still pains him, but his headaches have all but disappeared. He still missed Sirius and even Remus but he at least felt at ease knowing that he would be seeing them again during the Christmas Holidays. It would be their first attempt at being a proper family and Harry couldn't be more than happier.

Today's lesson was a new lecture. For the last three weeks, they had been reviewing previous spells. But it wasn't always just reviewing terms in the textbook. Professor Granger had them all practice the spells and ensured each student was able to properly cast each spell at least to some sort of success. Everyone was making progress even if it was in small unknown ways. Harry noticed the most change in Neville. In the first month alone Nevile was able to master the expelliarmus spell. A spell he used to not be able to do. It added confidence to him as he grew more into his powers.

"Magic is a tool. And a tool is simply something that can aid you with a problem. But it is not something that should be relied upon." Professor Granger held up a hand to stop any interruptions. Today she wore an elbow-length green blouse and black jeans. She rarely wore wizarding clothes unless it was a robe and even then it was left open revealing her muggle clothes. Her clothing always changed colour, unlike the other staff members. Her hair was often tied back in a braid. Her overall style and teaching methods were young and fresh. Reflecting the professor herself. "Yes, magic is a part of you. A part of your very being. It is in your entire body it runs through your blood and deeper. It is your very genetic makeup." Magic is just one aspect that defines you. Another is your mind. That is your greatest tool; your ability to think and react. Magic is just a byproduct of your mind. Without your mind, you cannot produce magic. Without your mind, you are all just carrying around a worthless stick." Harry couldn't help but run his thumb over his wand. He never really gave it much thought. He often associated his magic with his wand. He never consciously used magic without it nor did he associate himself as a wizard until he held it in his hand for the first time. And felt the spark and power course through his entire body. "Everything is connected and relies on one another for all of the wheels to turn and for it to be successful."

"Using your magic is good. It makes you stronger, more comfortable with who you are as a person and like I said it is a tool at your disposal. But by relying on it. It becomes a crutch. You forget that there are other tools at your disposal."

"Can we have some examples?" Greengrass asked.

"Alright let's start with something simple." It took her just a brief second before she found an example. "Who here uses the cleaning charm to brush their teeth instead of a toothbrush?" Harry raised his own hand and looked around the classroom. The majority raised their hands. About one-fourth of the students didn't have their hands raised. Including Hermione."Now I am guessing that all of you at one point used to brush your teeth the manual way until they learned that they could do it with magic." Harry took a moment to consider this. He was raised by muggles just like Hermione was. Though her parents were dentists. But as soon as he learned the charm and he was back at Hogwarts he used the charm instead of the brush. Despite using the toothbrush his entire life. It only took two minutes to brush his teeth manually and only a few seconds to use the charm. Looking back he only started using the charm because all of the other boys in his dorm did. "Now why would you all stop brushing your teeth manually even though you have been doing it for about a decade just to use the charm? Sure it is faster but did you know it is less effective than manually brushing. A study was conducted in America and it was discovered that people who used the cleaning charm on their teeth experienced higher rates of tooth decay than those who brush their teeth manually. 1/4 people who regularly used the cleaning charm experienced gum disease compared to 1/36 who manually brushed their teeth."

"Now I am not expecting you to stop using your magic for simple tasks or to do things the muggle way.

I just want you to think about something. What happens if you are in the middle of a duel and your wand is expelled from your hand or you lost it in the fray. You're unarmed but your opponent is. What are you going to do?"

"Run," Zabini said from the back of the class.

"And what if you can't run? You would be pretty screwed if you just relied on your magic wouldn't you?" The class laughed at this statement. But the professor wasn't smiling. "Well, you would at least have a fighting chance if you had a knife on you. But why would any witch or wizard have a knife on them when they could just use a simple slicing charm." The class quieted down at this. They never thought about it in terms like this before. "What if you were shackled to a wall or trapped inside a locked room and your captors took your wand. You would be pretty screwed. So what are you going to do just lay and wait? Be helpless, all because you can't use magic? No, you would find another way to escape." It was easy to forget that they were being taught and prepared for real-life scenarios while they were in the classroom. But when the professor used real hypothetical situations the whole class gave her their utmost attention. Everything became much more surreal.

"Sure you could always use wandless magic but how many people actually know how to use wandless magic. It is not something that is taught in the school's curriculum since it takes mastery level skill when it comes to not only one's magical abilities but also concentration. The only people in this school that can do wandless magic properly are the Headmaster, Professor Snape, myself and even Professor McGonagall for a limited amount of spells. Even if you could somehow in the heat of the moment use wandless magic it would completely drain your energy and again you would be pretty screwed. But there is always another way. A second option lies all around us. You just need to look to see it." Sometimes the professor's lectures turned more on the philosophical side but they always made Harry question his own understanding.

"Magic may be the easiest option but that doesn't mean it is the only or even the most effective. And remember magic might not always be at your disposal so what then?"