Chapter 3: Lesson 1: Awareness

Following the sorting brunch we strolled. Ok, I strolled while Molly Gawked at the school as we made our way to my class room. We took our time, we did have an hour after all, so Grasshopper got to see all the fun things of Hogwarts. Not because we became lost and had to ask a ghost for directions.

Wow that is weird. I was never a "school" kinda kid. Now here I am teaching a class of pretty much grade to high school children. It felt almost wrong. And I had already been working with younger Wardens, teaching them how to survive. But those lessons were never in an official school setting like this. I couldn't shake an odd feeling.

I stood there, looking at the door for a long moment, hesitating.

"It works better if you open it, boss." Molly said.

"I know." I sighed and opened the door.

Molly more or less skipped in the door, bouncing up to the front desk with her clip board in the crook of her arm. She shrugged out of her robe, depositing it on the desk next to where she landed her behind on the desktop, facing the empty desks. I lumbered in the door and placed the gray Wardens cloak next to her robes, and walked up to my office to change back into my slippers. I bent to give Mouse a headscratch before returning to the classroom and paused, a small cat the same color as my massive dog was sitting on his back, watching me, odd markings on its' face looking oddly like glasses.

I looked the pair up and down before smiling at them and left my office to stand just behind the classroom door where even in a ridiculous outfit Lurch would not be immediately noticeable. I made sure to leave the office door open just a crack for the cat of course.

Then the kids started filing in the door in small groups, obviously each made up of friends.

Molly's outfit had exactly the effect I had wanted. She had cast a slight glamour, making her look even more lovely than she really was. The golden light streaming from the windows hit her just right, her features almost airbrushed perfection. He hair was Covergirl perfect, and her clothes fit like they were drawn on.

The boys were transfixed, a few of the girls too, and she wasn't even trying to be seductive. She just couldn't even help it. But curves, smiles, and of course "the rack" as she called her breasts, had them all focused on the front desk as Molly smiled warmly at them.

"Hi, welcome ...hello... oh this will be fun!" And her ecstatic smile was infectious. The girls commented at how fun her outfit was, mumbled about uniforms, dress codes, and "American culture". A few commented about tattoos and piercing's. The boys just stared, some even slack jawed. One girl nudged at a boy she came in with, hissing something under her breath.

"Everyone sit down please and I'll call roll." Molly said all bubbly and bouncy. "Oh my God I'm actually calling roll at Hogwarts." She mumbled, I could see that she was almost vibrating in excitement. Of course that only made the young boys watch her more closely.

She started through the roll in a happy monotone as they continued to stare transfixed, nearly hypnotized by her soothing voice.

When the students were all still and only Molly's voice was sounding as a slow lullaby did I let out an effort of will and slammed the heavy wooden door with preternatural force shouting "FORZARE!" A heavy yet dull SLAM echoed through the room with physical palpable force. Everyone but Molly jumped and spun in their seats to stare at me with wide eyes. Grasshoppers smile turned from innocent glee to something a little more like proud shenanigans.

"Hi kids!" I said with a smile and a stern but friendly voice as I strode up the aisle, the pink bath robe flowing out behind me in an attempt to be dramatic. "I am Warden Commander Harry Dresden of the White Council, I am your guest professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts until such time as a proper replacement has stepped forward," As I reached the front I spun in my most dramatic fashion and yelled in my best R Lee Ermy Drill Sargent voice "AND ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD!"

A little effort of will and a mutter of "Ventas Servitas" and a breeze blew through the room purely for dramatic effect. The students stared at me with facial expressions ranging from confusion to terror and everything in between as loose papers and quills were blown off desks. Molly stood directly behind me, giggling nefariously. I turned slightly to look at her. "Thank you, Grasshopper, for your most excellent performance."

Her smile somehow was able to widen as she bowed slightly, her breasts somehow getting bigger, thank you gravity, before sauntering off towards the wall of windows, leaning against one as the students gathered their items and settled back down. Her hands, I noticed, a fingers breadth away from her own crystal tipped wands and deadly still.

"Had I been a threat," I continued in maximum Full metal Jacket cadence, "a Red Court Vampire, a troll, a skin walker, any random angry Fae, or just some lunatic with a bomb vest then I could have killed you ALL! Because you were blissfully unaware as you watched my buxom assistant sitting here doing a simple roll call."

A smile hit my face and my voice softened. "My father," my voice cracked with fond reminiscence. "My dad," I paused again with a slight smile. "he had no magical talent at all. He was a stage magician, and he taught me the stage magicians best trick: misdirection. And through that how to see through misdirection. Almost everything I did a normal vanilla human could have done just now."

They were watching me now, some taking notes with their quills scratching away at thick papers. "The things that hunt us, that hunt people, they don't play fair." I regarded the students as I slid out of the annoyingly bright robe and tossed the surprisingly light cloak over my shoulders. "They usually don't come straight at you yelling "here I am". They mind control people, they create veils, they use proxies, they use innocent people they hide what they are. You think your even sort of ready? I was wearing THIS outfit" I held up the bright pink robe, the cloak opening to show my spidey t shirt with huge rodeo belt buckle, and lifted a foot to waggle my fuzzy bunny slippers. "I'm almost the size of Professor Hagrid! And I was just standing by the door! All of you were too busy looking at the lovely miss Carpenter to just slightly turn your head. You think you can deal with a Red Court trap? I ambushed you, all with a half open door and a pretty girl!"

The kids looked around embarrassed, upset, somewhat angry. Good, that was a great place to start. One student raised his hand. I nodded at him to speak. "What's the Red Court?"

I smiled warmly and held up a finger to signal patience. "Kids, your about to head out in to the world when you graduate, maybe even beforehand. The world is a dark, dark place. We are the ones often called upon to cast a light into those shadows, Warden, Auror, or not. The dangers out there might look human, one such threat are the vampires. They're separated into multiple Courts, the Red, White, Black, and Jade. Right now the entirety of the wizarding world under the White Council is at war with the Red. Hence why I was sent here, to teach you how to defend yourselves against them. So if your mad, if your worried, and especially if your listening good, "you've just taken your first step in to a larger universe"." A little Alec Guinness slipping into my voice.

I continued, "You guys all have talent. You have power. Some of you are gonna be better at one thing or another. You all have strengths. But strengths, magic no matter how powerful, no weapon or spell, or wand or ward will serve or protect you as well as two things that everyone has the ability to cultivate. The ability to pay attention to your surroundings, and have good judgment." The kids looked back at me in varying levels of confusion, though some were starting to show the look of understanding.

"I work as a Warden but I'm also a private investigator. I work with some very good untalented people from timed to time. They have taken on supernatural threats ranging from a Loup Garou to Vampires to angry Sidhe, and they mostly survived." I paused, remembering for a moment Carmicheals' death, Susans' half transformation at the hands of Bianca, Morgan…poor Morgan. I hadn't even liked him, now i found myself missing him and feeling sorry for him. I took a calming breath and continued. "In the investigators world, it is called situational awareness. Keeping a reactionary gap and threat avoidance will keep you alive better than any ward. No matter how talented we are we still have reaction times. A normal untalented average human can cover the length of this room in about a second." Many of the kids were visibly shocked at that news, sharing glances at each other.

"My friend Lieutenant Murphy calls it the Tuller Drill. Now 20 feet in a second is just how fast a normal vanilla human, not even a fast human can run. Now, how fast can a Red Court Vampire move? A winter Court Fae? A Black Court Vampire? A lycanthrope? Can you cast faster than that? Can you focus your will and cast in a second? A third of a second? Reaction is almost always slower than action. The more heads up you give yourself the more time you have to react the more likely you are to be successful. Not magic, not power, just paying attention to your surroundings."

I looked around the room, each of them were focused on me. I was sure even Molly could pull something off against them. I wasn't sure if they were learning, or just simply listening. "Now the good news is most of the time you won't get attacked at 20 feet. Most folks, supernatural or human, like to attack at more like eight feet or closer." There was visible shock and worry in some faces now.

Each of the seventeen year olds were watching me with wide eyes. According to the Grasshopper the most combat they've seen was dueling, that was nothing like reality. "Paying attention to your surroundings, like when a nearly seven foot crazy Midwestern Investigator is behind a door, can increase that distance and that reaction time by knowing what is there as early as possible. Look for shadows that move wrong, people dressed wrong for the weather, people who just look out of place for the conditions. Like a guy in a long heavy leather coat...in July...in LA... at noon with a ski mask in his hand. He might be up to something."

The ones that weren't taking notes were nodding at each other as I continued. "For us it's similar, do we feel that hum of magic coming from somewhere it shouldn't? Does someone in a group look off? Too pretty? Doesn't cast a shadow? Not quite built right? Little too big? Maybe its' a Sidhe? Maybe White Court? The sooner you notice the sooner you can react. Listen to what is going on around you, pay attention not just to the feel of magic but to people around you. How a crowd or a group moves, what they avoid. Regular humans will instinctively avoid most super natural threats, they might unconsciously be giving you a heads up."

I could see understanding beginning to set in. "It is very likely that something not supernaturally obvious might clue you into a potential threat before you sense the magical one. Pay attention, that will keep you alive more than anything else. Now, sometimes just knowing a threat is there can be enough to make them change their mind."

As I droned on the gray cat slipped into the room from my office. Molly hopped over to pet the cat eagerly, to which the cat obliged. It was smaller than Mister by quite a bit, but watched me intently despite leaning into Molly's hand. Whispers and giggles filled the corner where she bent down to the kitty. An odd feeling hit me. The cat was probably a familiar or another magical creature I guessed, but I kept my eye on it nonetheless. Mouse seemed to trust her, didn't mean it wasn't up to something nefarious or spying on me for someone. Then I followed my own advice and noticed the facial marking that looked a bit like spectacles. "Aha, clever girl." I thought keeping the brunt of my attention on the students and keeping their focus.

"Avoidance. Most of you will likely not be Wardens, or the Aurors underneath us in command. Normally you won't be expected to willingly go into a dangerous situation. If you detect a possible threat, especially one of dark magic, avoid it. Just leave if you can. If you're wrong, you can feel bad later. If you're right then your safe and everyone's pieces stray in place and all their blood stays in them where it belongs."

"De-escalation. When presented with a potential threat, especially if your prepared to defend yourself, should always be considered. If you CAN talk instead of fighting. Talk. Now the Red Court isn't often much for talk, but many would rather not risk a fight one on one if it can be avoided. The Sidhe, well, they will go on and on and on and on. They never lie but NEVER believe them, just because they can't lie doesn't mean they can't mislead you, but I'll get into that later. Again, if you can avoid that fight, you avoid injury." The kids nodded along.

"So, how do you keep yourself ready to do these things? What happens on the times you can't avoid and can't de-escalate and that dark force gets inside that 20 foot reactionary gap? How do you deal with that? You prepare yourself in advance. Keep yourself in a good position, keep your back to a wall, don't crowd corners when you walk around so you can see what's coming sooner. Keep your eyes up and head on a swivel to know what is around you. Try to get away from normal humans so they cant be used against you or harmed. These are many, many everyday human tools to be used. Never become reliant on magic to the point you stop using your greatest power, your human mind that lets you think and reason and pay attention. Do not get so wrapped up in what we do as wizards that you ignore these or other tools that we have access too as people. Carry your wand or blasting rod. Keep items like force rings ready, have some quick defensive spells memorized. Be ready as you can."

"And just in case all else fails...get you one of these everyday human tools." I reached into my coat pocket, grabbed its' contents, and pulled it out half laughing as I channeled Bruce Campbell, the pink robe falling from my left hand to the floor as I drew my pistol. "All right you primitive screw heads this IS MY BOOM STICK!"

I held aloft my huge .44 magum revovler like it had been gifted to me by the Lady of the Lake! The kids stared wide eyed up at the shiny blue steel. "Blimey." said one, "My word." said another. Others just grinned and stared.

The gray cat leapt from the windowsill.

"Hello Ma'am, nice of you to join us." I said with a smile, as the cat transformed into an elderly woman in glasses. Headmistress McGonagall.

My head dropped with a chuckle as the former cat said, "Warden Dresden...if I may have a word about the firearm please." In a stern but professional tone. Her eyes were harsh, but not filled with anger I noted. In fact, I thought I saw a tinge of humor in them.

"Yes Ma'am." I answered following her to the back of the room and out into the hall. She closed the door behind us with a simple wave of her hand. The power she had drawn into herself to perform the act was subtle, soft, and silent.

She waited for me to explain myself with her arms crossed over the front of her green dress.

"I know they are frowned upon by some in our community." I started. "But kids, we throw lightning and death curses at? Yet somehow super sonic pieces of metal are a no no? Seems odd, right?" As I caught a disapproving glance from the Headmistress, her hand now resting delicately upon her forehead, I shut my mouth.

"Commander, this is more about the legal state of matters more than what occurs in the classroom."

I paused. "What do you mean?"

"Even on your side of the pond, Commander, I believe that seventeen year old children cannot purchase nor own one of your, as you so called it, boom sticks." Her eyes flicked back at the room a moment. "As useful as such an item is, it is, inappropriate to each them something that they cannot use nor will have on their person. Perhaps this is something to take up with the Ministry to work with the Aurors on?"

"Captain Luccio is working with them, Ma'am, when not assisting the rest of the Council on the warfront. You have a completely valid point. It's unloaded and has inert snap caps in the cylinder. I was being safety conscious It was just a dramatic visual aid. I wanted to impress upon them just how fragile they still are and just how dangerous the world currently is. The Red Court uses guns, as well as does the White Court. The Denarians have actual fanatical soldiers armed with automatic weapons. You can have the best wards in the world and if someone shoots you at long range with a high powered rifle and you don't expect it, then you won't even get to use a death curse. They need to know that because our enemies do, and they need to know that they may have to play at that same game to save their lives. "

I grinned as I added, "I also thought I would have gotten you to change and stop snooping about 10 seconds earlier in my initial rant. But I think they may see that defense against the dark arts isn't about learning a spell or two, it's about creating a prepared defensive mindset."

She sighed sadly. "Yes, the war." She paused. "Commander, I would like to speak to you in regards to what the Sorting Hat said in my office after class, if you will. Alone. Your apprentice can entertain your Guardian. Until then please keep the firearm put away where these children cannot reach it. Not all of them are purely from our world, and there are some that sadly cannot be trusted."

I nodded. "Of course, Headmistress."

"Good." She started to walk away, then paused. "You will find the entrance to my office through a large, golden, gargoyle. Speak the password, "Nepeta cataria," and it will step aside for you to enter."

With that she stepped off, her heels clicking against the stone floor. I waited a moment before returning to my classroom. Students chuckling at me.

Stars and stones, thank goodness I read the books, that Molly showed me and managed to see the movies. If not I would have never remembered that McGonagall turned into that particular cat though I did assume she'd watch my first class or two. I chuckled and turned to face the students.

"See what I mean by paying attention? The Headmistress thought I was so caught up in a lecture that I didn't notice her shifted form, which you all call an animagus, with specific markings. Many of you, and my apprentice, caught on, very good your learning already. She thought I hadn't, she also assumed that I was not as familiar with the staff as my apprentice is. I don't think she intended to change back and was just going to observe. That is until I went completely over the top with my "Army of Darkness" one man Ash Williams tribute!"

Giggles coursed through the room. I let them laugh, it's good for you. "Now, back to the question at hand. What is the Red Court?"

I walked around the desk and flipped around the first of four chalkboards. Molly's attempt at calligraphy spanned the top, my own handwriting looking harsh underneath. The top read simply "Vampire Courts" and went into further details underneath.

"There are three major courts, the Jade Court having been mostly taken out by a Knight of The Cross, yes THAT Cross, so I will not be covering them today as there is not much known about them. Vampires generally come in three flavors: Dracula, Lost Boys, and Twilight."

Again giggling came up, though this was mostly from the girls. I gestured for them to settle as I flipped the next chalkboard, this one reading Black Court.

"The Black Court are the most powerful." I looked the class up and down. "Who here has read Bram Stoker?"

A few students, mostly the ones wearing blue, Ravenclaws, raised their hands.

"Good, Bram Stoker was a member of the White Council who published Dracula as a way to fend off and kill Black Court Vampires. Everything in that book works. They hate garlic," I used my blasting rod as a pointer and tapped each hand written bullet point as I covered the list. "they're susceptible to wooden stakes, burn with Holy Water, the whole nine yards. They are, in essence, corpses that are magically reanimated and kept alive with their bloodthirst. A freshly fed Black Court Vampire can pass as human with a glamour easily. The ones that don't need glamours to pass are the most powerful of the Court. If you come across one of those, pray and run."

Next chalkboard, the Red Court. "Next up is the Red Court. They appear has beautiful humans, but they're really bat winged demons hiding in a human suit. They're somewhat affected by the same items as the Black Court, but not s bad. Your best bet at warding one off is keeping a symbol of your faith, something you really believe in, on you."

I reached beneath my shirt and pulled out a beat up amulet, a pentacle made of silver given to me by my mother. "This is my symbol of faith. Magic is what I believe in the most, and this pentacle, passed down to me from my own mother, is my symbol of magic, my faith, my belief."

I let it fall against my chest as I continued. "Besides that they can be killed with means other than stakes and fire. Fire is obviously the best choice for killing any vampire, but blow enough holes in them with a shotgun, or take their heads off, and they'll stay down."

Casually I flipped the last chalkboard. "The White Court are the most like Twilight. No, they don't sparkle unless you coat them in glitter." I thought a moment. "Ok, many do sparkle BECAUSE they are coated in glitter."

Giggles abounded once again. "The White Court are the most human of the Courts. They are actually born human, they just have a demon within they call The Hunger. They feed of, well, emotions. From there they are split into different houses. House Raith is the largest and the ruling house of the White Court. They feed off lust, and even their look is enough to make you come hither. House Malvora feeds off fear. Most will simply live off jump scares, though there are enough that enjoy placing you in real life, terrifying, conditions just to feed off you and kill you. Third is House Skavis who feeds on despair. They will often drag you mentally into a depression so bad that you take your own life."

Silence. I watched them, stone faced serious. "Thankfully, their weaknesses are simple. The emotion opposite that of which they feed. Raith are injured by anyone with true loves touch. Malvora get bad effects from real courage. Skavis choke on hope."

"As I said they are born human, and their demon manifests as they reach maturity. Normally, children of the White Court aren't told of their heritage until they feed for the first time, killing their victim and fully becoming a vampire. However, should they feed on someone filled with the opposite emotion then their Hunger fades away. In the case of House Raith if one of their children… uuhh… feeds on someone they love who loves them back then they're human the rest of their life."

I stepped around to the front of my desk. "As I said the Jade Court was mostly taken out by a Knight of The Cross. As is they almost never leave China and even then are rarely seen. I have heard that they feed on ones' lifebreath, being able to kill you from far away."

I checked the pocketwatch quickly and shoved it back into my pants pocket. "Now, any questions?"

A chorus of "No Professor" coupled with the shaking of heads made me smile just a bit. "Good. And now, homework."

Most of the kids groaned. I swear some of them actually perked up a little. Weirdos.

"Homework is in two parts. First I want an essay on how you would react should one of the Courts, you can take your pick as to which, were to take a friend hostage and you had to free them. I especially want to see what you think you would do with hasty preparation and the spells you know and intend to use. Second, I want you start practicing the spells you know and casting them as fast as you can. I heard there's a dueling room somewhere. Use that or any other training room you might find. Work on speed draws and casting speeds."

I waited for them all to write down the assignments and look back up at me.

"Next class we will meet outside on the Training Grounds and review what you have learned and have been practicing. Dismissed."

Slowly the students rose and left the room for their next class. I waited for them all to leave before I looked over at Molly.

"How'd I do?"

"I think you did great, Professor." She drew out the last word with a smile. "Though I was truly the star of the show."

I chuckled. "That you were. Now, you can stay here with Mouse and begin preparations for the next class. I need to go speak to the Headmistress."

"In trouble?" She asked.

"I don't think so, Padawan, at least, not yet."