The first thing that caught everyone's attention at the beginning of the new school year was someone else entirely.
Most of the students' attention was focused on the beautiful new "nurse."
They had not even fully readjusted to school life after the holidays.
However, the following day's Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Snape quickly forced them to take their studies seriously.
For sixth-year students, their new timetables were distributed by their respective Heads of House on the first day.
Compared with Professor McGonagall's meticulous distribution and individual advice tailored to each student, Snape simply arranged the timetables into stacks according to year and placed them on his desk for the students to collect themselves.
Defence Against the Dark Arts was a relatively special subject.
Especially under the current circumstances.
All sixth-year students were required to attend refresher lessons.
During peaceful times, students who did not intend to become Aurors did not necessarily have to take the course.
Inside the classroom, Snape had already been waiting for some time.
The room seemed to reflect his personality.
The curtains were drawn tightly, and the only illumination came from dim candlelight, making the classroom even darker than usual.
Several new paintings had been hung on the walls.
Many depicted people suffering gruesome injuries, bizarre wounds, and horribly distorted bodies.
Once the students had taken their seats, no one spoke.
They simply stared at the eerie and terrifying pictures covering the walls.
Pansy clutched her shoulder and shivered.
The images were genuinely unsettling.
Malfoy simply stared blankly at the dark stone wall, waiting for Snape to begin.
For him, taking classes had become little more than a waste of time.
"I haven't asked you to take out your books yet."
Snape suddenly spoke as he closed the classroom door behind him and walked behind the podium to face the class.
Hermione quickly shoved her copy of Encountering the Faceless Monster back into her bag and pushed it beneath her chair.
"I have something to say to you, and I hope you will pay close attention."
His dark eyes swept across the students' upturned faces, lingering on Harry Potter for slightly longer than the others.
"So far, you have probably had five different teachers for this subject."
"Needless to say, each of those teachers had their own teaching methods and areas of emphasis. Given this chaotic situation, I am surprised that so many of you managed to barely pass your O.W.L. examinations in this subject."
"At Professor McGonagall's urging, some students who did not meet the usual requirements have also been admitted to this class. I hope you will cherish this opportunity."
His sinister gaze swept over several students.
Snape stepped down from the podium and began walking around the classroom, speaking in a low voice.
The students craned their necks to follow him.
Malfoy casually leaned back in his chair and yawned.
He needed to focus his energy on more important matters.
"Dark Arts," Snape said, "are diverse, varied, ever-changing, and seemingly endless."
"Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster. Cut off one head, and another immediately grows in its place—more ferocious and more cunning than the last."
"You are facing something unpredictable and seemingly indestructible."
Unlike the disgust and fear most people would associate with the Dark Arts, Snape seemed almost to regard them with a strange kind of reverence.
"Therefore, your defences," Snape continued, raising his voice slightly, "must be just as flexible and innovative as the Dark Arts you are facing."
"These paintings…"
He pointed towards several of them as he walked.
"They vividly depict the conditions of their victims."
"For example, being struck by the Cruciatus Curse…"
He gestured towards a witch who appeared to be screaming in agony.
"Feeling the kiss of a Dementor…"
He pointed towards a wizard huddled in a corner, his eyes glazed over.
"Or being attacked by Inferi."
A pool of blood was depicted on the ground.
"All the Dementors have disappeared."
Ron spoke softly, but everyone nearby heard him.
At those words, Malfoy quickly revealed an enigmatic smile before it disappeared just as quickly.
"Mr. Weasley, it seems you have a problem with my teaching."
Although Ron had lowered his voice as much as possible, Snape had still managed to hear him.
"Gryffindor loses ten points. Now, Mr. Weasley, tell me how you intend to deal with a Dementor."
"The Patronus Charm can force them to retreat."
Ron answered weakly.
He knew that much.
"A rather uninspired answer."
Snape's comment was clearly intended as criticism, because it was, in fact, the only genuinely practical answer.
"…I think you are still quite unfamiliar with the use of non-verbal spells."
"What are the advantages of casting a spell without speaking its incantation?"
Hermione immediately raised her hand.
Snape calmly scanned the classroom. Seeing no other hands raised, he said stiffly,
"Very well. Miss Granger?"
"Your opponent doesn't know what magic you're going to use," Hermione answered. "That gives you a momentary advantage."
"This answer is copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6."
Snape dismissed it with a glance.
"But it is essentially correct."
"Yes. Not saying the incantation aloud when casting a spell can give you an element of surprise."
"Of course, not every wizard can do this. It requires considerable concentration and willpower, and some people simply cannot manage it."
"It is a spellcasting technique that requires a certain amount of talent."
"It will be very useful to you in the future."
"Now, split into pairs."
Snape continued,
"One of you will attempt to cast a curse on the other, but you must not say the incantation aloud. The other will attempt to repel the curse, also without making a sound."
"Begin."
The Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom was considerably larger than most other classrooms, leaving plenty of open space for practical exercises.
Pansy tried casting several minor curses at Malfoy, but none of them worked.
Either she unconsciously spoke the incantation aloud or lost control of the spell entirely.
She looked frustrated and somewhat depressed.
"Try to concentrate," Malfoy said.
"Ordinary magic uses gestures and incantations as its medium. But now, you only need to focus on the gestures."
"Whether you're attacking or defending, there are techniques you need to master."
"The offensive side can use non-verbal spells to gain an advantage. Even if the spell is less powerful, the fact that it is silent makes it much harder to detect."
"The defensive side doesn't necessarily need to deliberately use non-verbal magic. Instead, you need to observe your opponent's movements and anticipate what they're about to do…"
Malfoy emphasised the importance of the technique.
"Protego!"
A loud shout suddenly rang out across the classroom.
Many students turned their attention towards the commotion.
They saw Snape lose his balance and crash into a table.
A moment later, the man struggled back to his feet.
His face was filled with anger as he steadied himself.
"Do you remember me telling you that we are practising non-verbal spells, Potter?"
"I remember."
Harry answered curtly.
"I remember, sir."
"There is no need to call me 'sir,' Professor."
Before Harry could react, the words had already slipped out.
Several classmates gasped in surprise, including Hermione.
Behind Snape, however, Ron and his roommates wore approving smiles.
They were clearly encouraging Harry's resistance.
"Detention. Saturday night. In my office."
Snape's voice was cold.
"I will not tolerate anyone being disrespectful to me, Potter…"
He paused briefly.
"…not even the Saviour."
A few bursts of laughter came from the Slytherin students.
"Just now, when you encounter danger, you don't need to force yourself to use a non-verbal spell, especially when you aren't familiar with it."
Malfoy suddenly spoke in a low voice, at a volume only Pansy could hear.
"Mr. Potter felt threatened and decisively cast Expelliarmus at our Head of House. That was the correct thing to do."
"Yes…"
Pansy dragged out the final syllable and nodded weakly.
She really wasn't interested in the lesson.