Nobody spoke, not even the older students.
The Weasley Twins were notorious for their mischief, often loudly protesting or heckling Dumbledore during his speeches.
But now, when Wade looked at them, they just smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
Wade chuckled softly and said, "Excellent. I'm glad you all agree with my approach. This gives us a great start for our next session."
"Today, the first spell we'll be learning is the Shield Charm."
Wade turned and waved his Wand. The chalk from the box jumped up and swiftly wrote the spell and key learning points for the Shield Charm on the blackboard, even drawing a diagram for good measure.
A chorus of hushed gasps filled the classroom.
With a seemingly effortless flick, he made the chalk obey his command to write. This seemingly casual magic was something no one else present could replicate.
And it was a Nonverbal Spell, which was a difficult skill in Charms even for sixth and seventh years.
"Why the Shield Charm?"
Wade retrieved his Wand and looked at everyone. "Because before you can defeat an enemy, you must first protect yourself. In a real battle, only those who survive have the right to talk about victory."
"The Shield Charm is a mandatory spell for Aurors. It can block most Dark Curses and hexes, including the Stunning Spell, the Disarming Charm, and most Dark Magic — though, of course, the actual power of this spell still depends on the individual Wizard casting it."
"By the way, most adult Wizards today, even those working at the Ministry of Magic, can't cast a decent Shield Charm. That's one of the reasons why Aslan's Magic Workshop's protective vests sell so well."
Fred and George grinned broadly at this.
They had shares in the protective vests, and these two brothers might now be the wealthiest members of the Weasley Family.
Of course, no amount of Galleons would stop them from fleecing a few Knut of pocket money from their classmates.
"So, by learning this spell, you've likely already surpassed your parents in some way. Of course, this also indicates the difficulty of mastering the Shield Charm."
Wade continued, "Now, I need a volunteer to cast a spell at me so I can demonstrate the practical application of the Shield Charm."
Several arms immediately shot up from the crowd. Wade was slightly surprised to find that no one rushed forward; they were all waiting to be called upon.
"Angelina Johnson," Wade said.
A tall, black-haired Gryffindor girl beamed with delight, then drew her Wand and walked to the front of the classroom.
"Any spell will do?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Of course." After a pause, Wade looked at the others. "Just in case, I need to clarify — do not use the Shield Charm to block the Killing Curse."
"Alright, that puts my mind at ease then."
Angelina gave a sharp flick of her Wand: "Stupefy!"
"Protego!"
Wade cast the spell almost simultaneously. A silver barrier instantly expanded. The Stunning Spell hit it, causing ripples, and then bounced back. Several students scrambled to dodge, and a Gryffindor standing at the back, who hadn't seen clearly, was unlucky enough to be hit by the spell and immediately fainted.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Johnson. You may return to your seat," Wade said.
The black-haired girl smiled, jumped off the platform, and rejoined her companions.
Wade turned to the others, cast a counter-spell to wake the junior student, and then said, "That's the Shield Charm. Of all spells, it's one of the most life-saving."
He then used his Wand as a pointer, indicating the content written on the blackboard, explaining in detail how to cast the spell, how to wave the Wand, what to pay attention to, and how to improve if the power was weak.
Wade had always felt that Hogwarts professors lacked some teacher training. Even the highly capable and experienced Professor Flitwick's teaching method involved demonstrating once or twice, having students repeat the spell a few times, and then endless, mechanical practice.
Students would practice repeatedly, experiencing countless failures, until they stumbled upon success. Then they would need to capture that fleeting state and continue practicing until it became second nature.
But if the right approach were used, breaking down a difficult spell like a butcher carving an ox, extracting knowledge points layer by layer to help students understand, master, and then reassemble them, it would eliminate many detours in learning.
Of course, this teaching method also had its drawbacks. It was like tearing apart a perfectly made bun and feeding it to students piece by piece, which naturally wasn't as clear and profound as letting someone make the bun themselves from kneading the dough.
But for many, including Harry, they didn't need to know how to make the bun; they just needed to be able to eat it, and eat it easily.
After explaining the key points of the spell, Wade had everyone divide into pairs, with one attacking and the other defending, to practice the Shield Charm.
To avoid serious injury, the attacking side was only allowed to use minor hexes like Tarantallegra or Tarantallegra. Of course, if someone had already mastered the Disarming Charm, they could certainly use that too.
Soon, the classroom was filled with laughter, and some people even started dancing wildly. Harry and the others had already learned the Shield Charm. Wade had entrusted them with the task of casting counter-spells on classmates who failed to block attacks, so they could stop.
Wade, meanwhile, moved among the students like a professor, guiding them on how to improve their movements or spells.
"No, you're slicing a cake. We need a fluid hook..."
"Relax your wrist; you need your Magical Power to flow as naturally as breathing... Don't understand how to make it natural? Then swing your arms a couple of times first to loosen up that stiffness."
"The stress is on the second syllable, pro-TE-go, pronounce it like that."
"Your resolve isn't strong enough. Hmm... What do you like most?... Cats? All right, imagine your cat trembling in a corner, with a tiger pouncing on it. What would you do?"
"Uh..." Hufflepuff's Ernie stammered, "…Run away?"
Wade: "...Shouldn't you protect it?"
"Actually..." Ernie blushed and said shyly, "It's usually the one protecting me more..."
Wade: "..."
Ernie seemed to feel something was off. She nervously lifted her eyes to glance at Wade, then quietly explained, "I'm sorry, I'm really clumsy... and weak too... The Shield Charm is too difficult for me..."
Wade patiently explained, "Hundreds of years ago, a cruel Earl forced a Muggle boy into a duel. Just as the boy was about to be killed, a witch named Hannah cast an Shield Charm between them."
"The Earl was thrown back by the force of the spell, suffering severe brain damage. For the rest of his life, he believed he was a donkey named Fluffy Cyril."
"We don't know when the Shield Charm was invented, but it must have originated from the belief in protecting someone or something. Regardless of how powerful your Magical Power is, when your belief is strong enough, you can cast spells beyond your own level."
Looking at the fluffy head in front of him, Wade sighed and said, "Keep practicing. You've grasped the core concept well; with more practice, you're sure to succeed."
Linnie didn't dare to speak, only nodding her head.
As Wade turned to the next student, she suddenly looked up again and said, "Wa... Wade..."
"What is it?" Wade turned back and asked, "Is there something else you don't understand?"
Or do you want to quit?
Wade thought to himself.
Though he didn't particularly care, he felt it would be a bit embarrassing if someone became a deserter right at the start...
"Nothing," Linnie whispered. "I just wanted to say... thank you, really."
After a moment's thought, she raised her Wand again and added, "I'll practice hard!"
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