Chapter 30: More Than Magic
After hearing Douglas's explanation, the sixth-year students felt relieved.
At the very least, they had taken their homework seriously and reviewed everything related to Inferi.
Before Douglas could call anyone, a Slytherin student stepped forward.
It was Rhoda Dolohov.
"Professor," he said confidently, "may I go first?"
Douglas nodded and stepped aside.
The students parted, allowing him through.
To everyone's surprise, the first obstacle wasn't a creature at all.
It was the door.
A heavy iron lock hung from it.
Dolohov smirked.
He raised his wand and pointed it at the lock.
"Alohomora!"
Nothing happened.
Students behind him exchanged amused looks.
If the fourth-year practical exam had already been filled with traps, how could the sixth-year challenge be this simple?
Dolohov's expression grew awkward.
He tried again, casting the unlocking spell repeatedly.
Still nothing.
At that moment, a Ravenclaw student stepped forward.
"Professor, if Dolohov can't open it, may I try?"
Before Douglas could respond, Dolohov snapped back rudely.
"Andre, do you think you're better than me? I don't believe you'll do any better."
Andre snorted and raised his wand.
He shouted at the door:
"Gatebreaker!"
The spell blasted forward.
This was an older unlocking spell—far rougher than Alohomora. It could shatter a lock entirely, sometimes even leaving a smoking hole in the door.
Unfortunately, the door remained unmoved.
Andre stared at it in disbelief.
Douglas simply shrugged and gave him an encouraging smile.
Another Ravenclaw student spoke up.
"Why not try the older unlocking charm?"
Andre stepped back, took a breath, and focused.
"Open Sesame!"
The corridor went silent.
The door did not move.
Dolohov burst out laughing.
"So impressive. Did you invent those spells yourself?"
Another Ravenclaw snapped back.
"What do you know? Open Sesame is even older than the Gatebreaker charm. You're just ignorant."
Dolohov noticed Douglas watching with interest and wisely fell silent.
Everyone was puzzled.
If even ancient unlocking spells couldn't open the door, what else could they do?
Then a Gryffindor student suddenly raised his hand.
It was Oliver Wood.
"Professor Holmes… could I borrow a book?"
"I promise I won't open it. I just need it."
Douglas smiled faintly.
Finally, someone had discovered the trap.
He handed Wood a textbook.
The others watched curiously.
Wood placed the book on the ground and pointed his wand at it.
"Transformation—Axe!"
The book instantly transformed into a massive woodcutting axe.
Wood picked it up enthusiastically and approached the door.
Across the corridor, Slytherin and Ravenclaw students looked on with clear disdain.
Magic couldn't open the door.
Did he seriously expect to break it with a simple axe?
Typical Gryffindor recklessness.
Then Wood swung.
CRACK!
The lock shattered and fell to the floor.
Douglas clapped immediately.
"Excellent work, Mr. Wood. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Many students stared in disbelief.
Douglas spoke calmly.
"You're all talented Hogwarts students, which means you're used to solving every problem with magic."
"Likewise, when wizards design defenses, they naturally expect counter-spells."
He gestured to the broken lock.
"But you forgot something."
"In this world, not every attack is magical."
"Sometimes the simplest physical solution works just as well."
He paused.
"In the magical world, people rely on magic so completely that they forget it's only a tool."
"Ultimately, this is a matter of thinking."
"If you intend to live an ordinary life after graduation, that approach is fine."
"But students who choose Defense Against the Dark Arts often pursue dangerous professions."
"Sometimes, one additional way of thinking can save your life."
Since Wood had opened the door, he naturally entered the classroom first.
A few students looked unhappy about it, but none protested.
The moment Wood stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Douglas disappeared.
Wood quickly raised his wand.
"Lumos!"
Light filled the space.
He found himself standing beside a lake.
Everywhere except the small patch of ground beneath his feet was covered with water.
Wood aimed his wand into the lake.
His legs nearly collapsed beneath him.
At the bottom of the water floated more than a dozen corpses.
"Inferi…"
"So the professor really brought Inferi into the classroom!"
Despite the fear, Wood felt a surge of excitement.
The textbooks clearly described their weaknesses.
Inferi had no life, no thoughts, and no soul.
They feared fire and light.
Now the question was how to lure them closer.
Wood scanned the area with his wandlight.
Under the water he noticed a rope stretching across the lake.
He grabbed it and pulled.
Slowly, a small boat emerged from the mist on the opposite shore and began moving toward him.
At the same time, he noticed something alarming.
As the boat moved—
The corpses beneath the water began swimming toward him.
Wood tightened his grip on the rope.
One hand held the rope.
The other held his wand.
He prepared himself for the attack.
Soon the closest Inferius surged out of the water.
Wood reacted instantly.
He released the rope and shouted:
"Incendio!"
Flames burst from his wand and rushed toward the lake, attempting to form a ring of fire.
Unfortunately, Wood had forgotten a simple truth.
Unless it was powerful magical fire, ordinary flames still obeyed the laws of nature.
He had directed the flames toward the water.
Naturally, the fire sputtered and died almost instantly.
Only the rope smoldered briefly before the flames vanished.
In the shadows, a seventh-year student observing the exam quietly added another note to his record book.
Douglas sighed softly.
Wood tried again, launching another burst of flames while charging toward the corpse.
But the moment the Inferi sensed the fire, they sank back beneath the water.
Douglas shook his head.
"Luckily he's only a sixth-year," he murmured.
"If he were a seventh-year, I'd make him repeat the year."
"When powerful magic isn't available, you must choose the most suitable spell for the situation."
The Slytherin seventh-year who was recording the exam looked at Wood with disdain.
"My father taught me a family fire spell that works perfectly in situations like this," he said proudly.
"Ordinary wizard families don't have the resources for private instruction like pure-blood families do."
Douglas turned and fixed him with a cold stare.
"The Fiendfyre Curse is not a 'family spell.'"
"The last family that tried to treat it like one burned themselves to death."
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