No one spoke, including a few upper-grade students.
The Weasley Twins were always known for their mischievous antics, frequently heckling or protesting loudly even when Dumbledore spoke.
But when Vid looked over, the two just smiled and gave a thumbs up.
Vid also smiled slightly and said, "Great, I'm glad you all agree with my idea. This gives our upcoming study a good start."
"Today, the first spell we are going to learn is the Iron Armor Spell."
Vid turned and waved his wand, and the chalk in the box jumped up, quickly writing the spell and key learning points of the Iron Armor Spell on the blackboard, even adding a diagram effortlessly.
A chorus of astonished whispers echoed throughout the classroom.
It was as if a simple wave made the chalk obey his command to write. This seemingly casual magic was something no one else present could achieve.
Especially since it was a Nonverbal Spell, which was a challenging part of spellcasting even in the sixth and seventh year.
"Why the Iron Armor Spell?"
Vid withdrew his wand and looked at everyone. "Because before defeating your opponent, you must first protect yourself. In a true battle, only those who survive are qualified to talk about victory."
"The Iron Armor Spell is a compulsory spell for Aurors and can block most evil curses and hexes, including the Stunning Spell, the Disarming Spell, and most Dark Magic — of course, the spell's specific power still depends on the wizard who casts it."
"By the way, most adult wizards nowadays, even those working at the Ministry of Magic, can't cast a decent Iron Armor Spell. This is one of the reasons why the Defensive Vest from Aslan Magic Workshop sells so well."
Fred and George grinned widely at the remark.
The Defensive Vest also had their share, making the two brothers possibly the richest in the Weasley Family now.
Of course, no amount of Galleons could stop them from casually tricking a few Knuts as pocket money from their classmates.
"So, mastering this spell may very well mean you've surpassed your parents in some ways. Of course, this also illustrates the difficulty of mastering the Iron Armor Spell."
Vid continued, "Now, I need a volunteer to cast a spell at me so that I can demonstrate the practical application of the Iron Armor Spell."
Several arms shot up instantly, and Vid was somewhat surprised to find that no one was rushing up to volunteer; they were all waiting to be called.
"Angelina Johnson," Vid said.
A tall Gryffindor girl with black hair beamed with delight, then drew her wand and stepped onto the platform.
"Any spell?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Of course." Vid paused, then looked at everyone. "Just in case, I need to clarify — don't use the Iron Armor Spell against the Killing Curse."
"Alright, then I'm relieved."
Angelina quickly flicked her wand, "Stupefy!"
"Iron Armor Protection!"
Vid uttered the spell almost simultaneously, a silver barrier instantly unfolded, and the Stunning Spell struck it, causing ripples and then rebounding. Several students dodged hurriedly, and an unfortunate Gryffindor in the back who didn't see it got hit by the spell and passed out immediately.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Johnson, you may return." Vid said.
The black-haired girl smiled, jumped off the platform, and returned to her companions.
Vid turned to the others, cast an anti-spell to wake the lower-year student, then said, "That was the Iron Armor Spell. Among all magic, it is one of the most life-saving spells."
He then used his wand as a pointer, directing it to the content written on the blackboard, explaining in detail how to pronounce the spell, how to wave the wand, what issues to pay attention to, and how to enhance the spell's power if it is too weak.
Vid always thought the professors at Hogwarts 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 engaging in repetitive and mechanical practice.
Students underwent countless failures amid repetitive practice before occasionally succeeding. Then they needed to capture that fleeting state and continue practicing repeatedly until they became adept.
But if an appropriate method were used, dissecting the difficult spell layer by layer like Aslan would break down the knowledge points for students to understand and master before recombining them, many detours could be avoided in learning.
Of course, this teaching method also had drawbacks. It's like tearing apart a ready-made bun and stuffing it into the student's mouth one bite at a time, naturally lacking the clarity and in-depth understanding from making the bun from scratch.
However, many people, including Harry, didn't need to understand how the bun was made; they just needed to be able to eat it and digest it.
After explaining the crucial points of the spell, Vid instructed everyone to pair up, with one side attacking and the other defending, to practice the Iron Armor Spell.
To avoid serious injuries, the attacking side could only use minor hexes like "Rictusempra" or "Tarantallegra." Of course, if anyone had already mastered the Disarming Spell, they could naturally use it.
Soon, the classroom filled with laughter, and some even danced frantically. Harry and the others, who had already learned the Iron Armor Spell, were entrusted by Vid to perform the counter-curse on those who failed to block the attacks, allowing them to stop.
Vid, on the other hand, wandered like a professor among the students, guiding them on how to improve their movements or spells.
"No, you're slicing the cake. We need smooth curves..."
"Relax your wrist; let the magic flow naturally like breathing... Not sure how to make it natural? Then swing your arms a few times to relieve that stiffness first."
"The stress is on the second syllable, pro-te-go, pronounce it like this."
"Your determination isn't strong enough... Uh... what do you like most?... Cats? Well, imagine your cat shivering in the corner, with a tiger pouncing at it. What would you do?"
"Uh..." Hufflepuff's Leanne said shakily, "...run away?"
Vid: "...Aren't you supposed to protect it?"
"Actually..." Leanne blushed and shyly said, "it's more often it protects me..."
Vid: "..."
Leanne seemed to realize something was off, she raised her eyes shyly to glance at Vid, then whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm really clumsy... and quite weak... the Iron Armor Spell is too difficult for me..."
Vid patiently said, "Several hundred years ago, a naturally violent earl forced a Muggle boy to duel him. When the boy was about to be killed, the witch Hanna cast an Iron Armor Spell between them."
"The baron was knocked back by the spell's impact, suffered severe brain damage, and for the rest of his life believed he was a donkey named Mousy Cyril."
"We don't know when the Iron Armor Spell was born, but it must have originated from the belief in wanting to protect someone or something. Regardless of your magical prowess, when your belief is strong enough, you can cast a spell beyond your level."
Looking at the furry head before him, Vid sighed and said, "Keep practicing. You're focusing on the right parts, and with more practice, you'll succeed."
Leanne didn't dare to speak, merely nodding.
When Vid turned to the next student, she suddenly raised her head and said, "Vi... Vid..."
"What's wrong?" Vid turned back and asked, "Is there something you still don't understand?"
— Or is she considering quitting?
Vid thought.
Though he wasn't too concerned, if someone quit right at the start, he'd feel a bit embarrassed...
"Nothing," Leanne said in a small voice. "I wanted to say... thank you, really."
After pondering for a moment, she raised her wand and added, "I will work hard on practicing!"