In no time, the Battle Workshops became the new Hogwarts thing.
That's all the students were talking about, day and night. That's all that seemed to matter, even more so than actual classes. At least, that was the case for students in their second to fourth years.
There were Workshops on Charms oriented specifically toward attacks.
There were Workshops curated toward Defense Spells, Basic Survival Spells, Avoidance of Detection Spells, the Use of Magical Devices, and Potions, etc.
There were even simulated scenarios where a group of dark wizards attacked the students. In it, they needed to hide and complete a set of miscellaneous tasks. These were some of the most enjoyable, as the entire School, including the forest's periphery, became the students' playground.
If there was one Workshop that stood the greatest chance of assuming the label of most fun, then it was the Battle Workshop on Broom Riding. It involved escape maneuvers, dodging attacks, blocking and countering Curses, attacking without losing balance, and overall endurance training. All this while riding brooms.
With the Quidditch Season dancing at Hogwarts' doors in November, these Workshops were bound to gain even more popularity.
There were even more one-time Workshops that weren't repeated on alternate Sundays, like Magical Creatures used by Dark Wizards and how to survive them, and Drinking Polyjuice Potions to pass as someone else, etc.
And these were only for the second to fourth years.
The fifth and sixth years had even more… practical ones that couldn't even be conducted at Hogwarts for security reasons.
That left only one Workshop that was as famous as it was infamous.
The Battle Workshop on Defense Against the Dark Arts, conducted by none other than the most brilliant witch of her time — Darcie Malfoy!
Darcie's popularity had fallen after the incident related to her magical suitcase, which had claimed innocent lives in Diagon Alley.
The Daily Prophet's articles questioning her disappearance just before the attack, published every other day, had also contributed to that.
The matter of Darcie's torturing students in her Workshops should have already riled up entire wizarding communities, if it wasn't for one simple fact.
The students, even though they dreaded her presence… liked it.
For over half a decade, Darcie Malfoy had remained an entity to look at from afar. A celebrity to be worshiped, idolized, and fawned over, without ever stepping on her mere shadow. Students had spent days waiting to hear her say something or get an autograph, treasuring those moments like the happiest memories.
So, when Darcie stepped among them, interacted with them, and showed that there had been a good reason behind her popularity, it just played out in her favor, despite all the hateful articles.
Also, her torturous method of teaching… worked.
In the two months after the Battle Workshops started at Hogwarts, the sight of students accidentally and reflexively casting Shield Charms, Disarming Charms, and various Protective Charms became just too common.
Yes, they couldn't even get up on Mondays if there had been her Workshop the previous Sunday.
Yes, some of them needed to be hospitalized because of misplaced Spells.
Yet, almost all of them were making the most progress in her Workshop.
And that didn't go unnoticed.
…
Halloween morning,
Late October.
Harry woke up with a queasy feeling in his legs.
Because of the third year's planned Hogsmeade Visit, their Sunday Workshops were conducted a day before.
Yesterday, during the Dark Arts Battle Workshop, he had failed to use either Shield or Disarming Charm on time after being hit with a Jelly Leg Curse by one of Darcie's Death Eaters — a popular term among the students for the wooden statues in the Room of Requirements.
That had ended with Darcie taking him aside and personally turning his legs into jelly.
No matter how strong a Shield Charm he used, or how fast he cast the Expelliarmus Spell, she had always ended up cursing him first.
Presently, letting out a groan, as if his legs had slept because of a lack of blood flow, Harry lifted them by the knees and slid them off the bed.
It was then he saw Black entering the room with dark circles under his eyes before he threw himself on the bed, planting his face into a cushion.
"… You are returning now?!" Harry asked, shocked.
"Ugh…" A moan replied Harry, Black showing a finger to him without looking.
Draco and Ron woke up, too, followed by Neville, and also got fingers in return when they asked Black the same question.
Leaving Black in the dormitory, Harry and the others went to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Seriously…" Ron hissed, leaving the Great Hall when they were finished. "Dumbledore's gone mental! Why is he forcing Black to teach him this Arctic Script?!"
Draco's lips twisted, too. "Old Dumbly is the one who's keeping Black awake the entire night," he said, "and we are the ones who are paying the price!"
Harry nodded, walking funnily between Draco and Ron so as not to be seen by anyone.
"Black was looking so much forward to visiting Hogsmeade," he said. "Now, he will sleep till afternoon. I will have to take his breakfast to him…"
Draco and Ron looked at Harry.
"… what?" Harry asked.
"Can you not smile while faking concern, at least, Potter?" Draco hissed.
Harry found it extremely hard to press his lips together, but he failed. It felt… great, if he was being honest with himself. He was going to be alone when everyone else visited Hogsmeade. Just thinking of that had worsened his mood for many days. Now, he would have Black. So, it wouldn't be that bad.
Draco and Ron shook their heads.
Harry accompanied them to the Entrance Hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was checking off duly signed forms.
"No form, no going outside!" Filch snapped, looking at Potter.
"I am not even going," Harry said, while Draco and Ron stared daggers at Filch as they handed over their forms.
"He-he…" Filch laughed raspingly, looking at Draco and Ron. "I am also going with you all. If anyone so much as stepped funnily, then he-he…"
At the same time, when the students left for Hogsmeade, two wizards also appeared in the village who were known to have died — a long time ago.
It was Barty Crouch Jr. and… Peter Pettigrew!
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