Chapter 18: Defense Against the Dark Arts

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It was just after Harry's attack when Harry thought of something crazy. What if Percy meant to attack him?!?! Should he be worried? From now on, he was going to keep his guard up around Percy.

He confided his suspicion to Ron and Hermione. Hermione looked worried, but Ron looked unconvinced.

"Look, how can you prove that it happened? I mean, his type do attract monstrous creatures, right?", he snorted, "He and Hagrid should should get together sometime."

Hermione looked as if she was about to get attacked.

"What if, he was getting controlled by Voldemort?", she suggested nervously, ignoring Ron's flinching.

Harry considered this for a moment, then it struck him. Wasn't he getting weird dreams that weren't related at all from Voldemort? Didn't Voldemort have powers the average wizard didn't have? Perhaps the dreams he was having were Percy's main enemy? Or the remains of him, anyway?

"Maybe," he finally said, "I might have to ask him-"

"How do you know he won't say no? If he's possessed or under the imperious curse, it would mean you're on to him. He'd know you suspect him!" Hermione snapped.

Finally stumped, Harry said, "All right, it was just a suggestion."

"Cheer up Harry," Ron had finally said, "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts next. And Percy isn't in that class."

When they entered the D.AD.A room, there was a shelve on the left with names like 'Defense Against the Darkest Arts' and 'Defense against Dark Creatures'.

The room was aligned with torches, making it somewhat dark and shadowy; and there was their teacher. Harry's first thought was a walrus.

"Hello everyone," he said to his class, "my name is Professor Slughorn. I taught here, a long time ago. Of course back then, I taught potions. But before I taught that, I was Defense Against The Dark Arts.

"I was head of Slytherin for a while too, now don't go and use that against me!" He said, looking at the expressions of the Gryphindors and Ravneclaws,"Anyway, today, I will be teaching you a spell that detects dark creatures.

"The spell is called 'spelicia hortendo'. In order for it to work, you must think of something you don't like. This activates the detection. Once you think of the thing you dislike, a light should flash from your wand. Then, dark creatures will be shown in their hiding places. Go on, try it! I have a couple dark creatures in cages. The cages are hidden. It will be your job to locate all three of them."

Harry thought for a moment. There were a number of things he disliked. Voldemort, the Dursleys, Snape, Malfoy, Umbridge.....he decided on Malfoy. He pointed his wand in the air and said,

"spelicia hortendo!"

A column of light appeared, and the dark creatures were being lit up. It had worked.

"Well done Harry! Take twenty well earned points to Gryfindor!" Slughorn yelled. The rest of the class, very few more could do it. Hermione mastered it in seconds, but Ron, Neville, and Seamus were messing up. Ron had managed to give himself a spectacular handle-bar mustache. Neville had made it snow, and Seamus had managed to blow himself up.

Finally at the end of class, Slughorn announced, "All right! We definitely need improvement. Class dismissed!"

As they left the classroom into the great hall for lunch, something was coming out of the shadow in the corner. Percy, from the looks of it, was summoning it.

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