Lockhart entered the classroom with the test papers he had prepared, looking at the eager faces of the young wizards present. A smile played on the corner of his mouth as he read their expectant eyes, knowing exactly what these young wizards were thinking.
Wizards of different ages naturally receive different levels of treatment. First and second-year wizards have just started school, and some of them don't even have a clear understanding of magic, so it's very important to arouse their interest in magic. His special effects blockbuster was specially prepared for first-year wizards. He didn't even prepare it for second-year wizards, let alone these fourth-year wizards. For this group of young wizards who have been attending school for three years, their understanding and attitude towards magic have become solidified. Therefore, the most important thing is knowledge learning. He carefully prepared a test paper, covering all the knowledge points they had studied and mastered before.
Before class, he needed to make a rough estimate. Although he knew these young wizards had a poor foundation in Defense Against the Dark Arts, there were different levels, and he needed to measure how weak they really were. Based on their actual level, he would determine their learning intensity. While he didn't quite agree with the cramming learning method from his previous life, he had to admit that it was very effective. It was undoubtedly the best choice for the current environment. They would take the OWL exams next year. If they didn't prepare now, they would be setting themselves up for failure.
To be honest, the fifth years were in the worst position, with the fourth years slightly better off. The fifth years were about to face the O.W.L. exams, which directly determined whether they could participate in the subsequent N.E.W.T. courses, get certificates, and graduate successfully. To compare, the O.W.L. exam is equivalent to the high school entrance exam in his previous life. If they failed, they would have to retake it for a year.
Lockhart was fairly responsible when it came to student performance. As a university professor in his previous life, he had strict requirements on the academic performance of his college students, unlike other teachers who might have been more lenient. This rigor stemmed from his pursuit of excellence in research, which also influenced his thinking and requirements in all aspects.
But as he just stepped onto the stage, suddenly, two identical voices sounded one after another below.
"Professor Lockhart, I'm sorry, I feel sick in my stomach."
Lockhart stared at the source of the sound, his mouth twitching slightly. It was the Weasley twins he had sacrificed to Snape before. The twins looked pale, bent over, holding their stomachs, looking as if they were about to vomit. He shook his head helplessly. He had already anticipated possible scenarios when facing these pranksters in his class. He just didn't expect them to try to skip class on his first day.
Did this mean they didn't take him seriously? Lockhart looked indifferent and stared at the two of them without saying a word. After a while, until he saw that they seemed to be reaching their limit, he spoke calmly, with a hint of seriousness in his tone.
"George Weasley, Fred Weasley. As your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, I can solve this minor problem without you going to the infirmary." As he spoke, he waved his wand: "Wingardium Leviosa!"
A floating spell controlled the two to fly in front of him. Then, Lockhart slightly controlled the Sling Ring on his right hand to draw a circle. Instantly, a crimson ring appeared in the space, and a large number of crimson threads and runes materialized in the ring.
"Rune - Purification!" The crimson ring, under Lockhart's control, quickly enveloped the two of them, passing through their bodies as if scanning and cleaning them.
Soon, George and Fred looked at each other with awkward smiles on their faces. They found that the vomiting effect of the quick-acting skipping candy had completely disappeared. Silently looking at Professor Lockhart with a serious face, they had no choice but to show innocent smiles and thank him in unison: "Thank you, Professor Lockhart, our stomachs are no longer upset, and we can go back to class." With that, they turned around and started to head back to their seats.
But as they were walking, Lockhart's faint voice reached their ears. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. George, Fred. In three days, each of you will hand me a paper. The topic is 'On the Importance of Classes' or 'How to Avoid Skipping Classes.' You can choose whichever you want." As soon as Lockhart finished speaking, the two of them returned to their seats with their heads drooping.
The young wizards around them laughed out loud, knowing quite well the reason for their sudden illness. They were even the buyers of the candies. This made the twins' bad mood even worse. Hearing Lockhart's words, they realized all their tricks had been seen through. They thought to themselves, how impressive Professor Lockhart is.
Standing on the podium, Lockhart felt amused seeing the dejected George and Fred. He hadn't even planned to make an example of them, but a perfect opportunity had presented itself. If he didn't seize it, he would feel guilty for not making the most of their antics.
"Cough! Cough!" As Lockhart coughed lightly, the laughter in the classroom suddenly stopped. Lockhart nodded with satisfaction at the scene before him. The effect of the punishment had been quite good. Feeling the gazes of the young wizards, Lockhart began to speak seriously.
"I am Gilderoy Lockhart, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. In my class, you will understand the real dangers of dark magic, and at the same time, you will also understand the preciousness of life. Through the curriculum, you will develop the ability to recognize danger and, when danger comes, the ability to protect yourself and your family."
Having said this, Lockhart looked at the serious expressions on the young wizards' faces and chuckled. "The prerequisite for everything is that you listen carefully to the lectures and complete the assignments I give you with your heart. Okay, let's start with the roll call."
Then, Lockhart picked up the roll call and began calling the names with a faint smile on his face. Accompanied by the shouts of "here" one after another, he quickly scanned their faces, matching names to appearances.
{More Chapter available on patreon.com/goldengaruda }