Chapter 11
The students get up from their seats to move towards their dormitories. I spotted a group of students coming towards me.
I get up and meet them halfway. The group includes Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and Neville.
Harry rushes up to hug me but falters at the last second.
I smile at him, "Just because I'm your teacher now doesn't mean you can't hug your uncle" giving him a short hug.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier that you were going to be the dada professor" Fred asks me.
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise" I smiled at all of them.
We talk for a little while before I send them off to their dormitories.
Then I finally make my way towards my own accommodations. The dada classroom is located near the grand staircase and the hospital wing, on the third floor. My own office is attached to it, which in turn is attached to my living quarters.
The classroom is big, large enough to accommodate 60 or more students. Each year Hogwarts gets around 100-150 students, who are nearly equally divided in each house.
So, each of my classes will have around 50-60 students.
Hogwarts has around 800 students as a significant number only study upto their OWLs, years 6 and 7 have less students compared to earlier years.
An iron chandelier hangs from the ceiling, as well as a dragon's skeleton. On one end of the classroom stood a projector that was activated by magic. Several desks and tables could be found in the classroom as well as some sets of large windows.
Near the front of the classroom is a door which leads to my office. The office is fairly large, with a huge mahogany desk, a large sofa like chair for myself and a pair of comfortable looking ones on the other side, a window overlooking the dark forest while one whole wall is covered by book shelves.
Another door in here leads to my personal quarters. It consists of a living room with a small attached kitchen. A fairly large bedroom and a private washroom. Apart from the washroom, each room has a fire place. The stone work on the walls and the leather and wood furniture gives the place a nice look.
Hmm, all in all not a bad place to live. All my stuff is already in the living room. Hogwarts also has house elves and I finally get to use them. I think they report to Dumbledore so I was afraid to make use of them before.
"Hogwarts house elf" I say out loud. *Pop*
A house elf garbed in a pillow case with the Hogwarts emblem on the chest appears in front of me.
"What can popsy do for new professor sir"
"Would you please arrange all my stuff in the room" I smiled at her.
"Of course, sir, of course."
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Next morning I have an early breakfast and start setting things up in the classroom. My first-class today is with the 4th year. Specifically, Gryffindor and Slytherin, I don't know why they keep having the two houses take classes together when they know how much enmity is in between them.
Soon students start entering the room and taking their places.
Naturally their is a divide between the two houses, they sit separately on opposite sides. I can already see Draco giving snide looks to Harry. Seriously the guy needs to come out of the closet, he is obsessed with Harry.
I start of by taking attendance, making sure everyone is here.
"Good morning, everyone as you already know, I'm Professor Peter Pettigrew. Your 4th dada teacher in 4 years" I smile at the class. They get the humour and smile along.
"Last year Professor Lupin taught this class, he mainly focused on magical animals, so you guys are quite ahead in that. This year our focus will be more on the spell casting side of things."
"No doubt you guys already know what this subject is about but would someone like to elaborate Infront of the class."
Lots of students raise their hands. Naturally I point towards Hermione.
"It is mainly about students learning how to defend themselves against all aspects of the dark arts including curses, hexes, jinxes and studying dark magical creatures." she says.
"Correct, a point to Gryffindor. Now the dangers mostly faced by wizards come from other wizards themselves. You won't find a hippogriff or nundu in Diagon alley. So, you must know how to defend from another wizard."
I waive one of my hands, making a dummy appear on one side of the class with a stick in its hand. Most of the students have wonderous eyes thinking I performed wandless magic. Hah, I have my wand stuffed in my sleeve, it's a neat trick I have learned.
"Can anyone tell me what a wizard's greatest weakness is as well as its biggest strength"
No one is sure about the answer, keeping their hands down.
"Now the answer may vary depending on who you ask but I personally believe that a wand is the wizard's greatest strength, you can perform all types of spells with it but once you lose it there is hardly any difference between you and a squib. Although wandless magic can be performed but it is both very hard and not as powerful when compared with a wand. You take the wand out of a wizard's hand and you practically cripple them."
I raise my wand towards the dummy and loudly say
"Expelliarmus"
A scarlet beam hits the dummy and the stick in its hand flies towards me. I catch it with my free hand.
"That was the disarming spell, the incantation for which is (ex-PEL-lee-ar-muss)"
The words appear on the board behind me, then I show them the wand movement, I ask the students to stand up and clear their tables, then I levitate their tables and chairs, sticking them to the roof. Now with enough space I conjure a dummy for every student and ask them to practice the spell, while I go around helping everyone.
Some of them are able to learn the spell in the class, which includes Hermione, Harry, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis.
I award them 5 points each. Before the class is over, I say to them. "I want 12 inches on the origin and importance of the disarming spell by next week, keep practicing the spell and if you have any questions, I'm always available in my office"
The students leave my class with smiles on their faces, I'd say it was a successful first class.
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The first week of classes were a bit overwhelming for me but by the second week I have adjusted to the increased workload.
The children of the death eaters I defeated in the summer were a bit stand offish and wary of me at first, but when they realised that I won't single them out, they relaxed.
Apart from taking classes, most of my time is spent checking homework. Thank God for occlumency, it keeps my mind sharp all the time so I don't make mistakes.
I have also continued my magical progress; my next aim is to control the magic outside the body. Once magic leaves a wizard's wand it is very hard to control it, so my aim is now to improve my grasp on external magic.
I also had a rendezvous with my old partner, Amanda Walker. She is now in 7th year, I imperioed her to break a few rules, then tweaked her memories, now she has a month of detentions with me.
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"It's only the second week of classes but I can confidently say that professor Pettigrew is the best dada teacher we've ever had" Seamus Finnigan shared his opinions around the table.
The term has just started but students were already excited. The Triwizard tournament will take place this year and their new dada teacher not only was great at teaching but this morning there was a notice in every common room about a duelling club being started in Hogwarts.
"I never thought we'd get a better teacher than Remus but I would have to agree with you" Harry smiles.
"Yeah, it's only been a week and we already learned a new spell" Ron says.
Almost all the students share these opinions, from the first years to the seventh, everyone really enjoyed their dada classes.
"I will surely be joining the duelling club" Seamus says.
"Me too" Dean Thomas agrees.
"You know I've read that professor Flitwick used to be a duelling champion" Hermione informs.
"With him and professor Pettigrew this duelling club will surely be better than the sham Lockhart had in second year" Harry chimes in.
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"This is a very complicated bit of magic, not only do you need to have the utmost concentration on your own thoughts but you have to will your magic to take a corporeal shape, now you can practice casting it, I will go around helping if anyone needs it"
My 6th year class of Ravenclaws and Slytherin's have smiles on their faces, they are learning the patronus charm a spell normally taught in 7th year.
This is something I have tried to do throughout all the years, making them learn advanced spells above their years. Thankfully it has worked and the students don't hate me for it.
I walk around the class correcting the student's pronunciation or wand movements, giving them tips. That's how the class passes.
"Now remember, the patronus works on thoughts, happy thoughts specifically. Keep practicing the spell and I would like a 15-inch essay on how and why the patronus charm works. As always if you have any queries or problems, my office is always open."
The students start shuffling out of the classroom, while some come up to me with their queries which I patiently answer.
This is my last class today, with the weekend coming up I had planned to relax a bit and maybe check some homework but unfortunately, I was roped into the duelling club.
Flitwick was pumped due to my duel with the death eaters and had promptly established a duelling club, believing the students need duelling classes and making me the secondary advisor.
With all the stuff to do for the Triwizard tournament, I don't know how he got permission from Dumbledore for this.
Now most of my Saturday is going to be busy.
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The main ground in front of the castle is filled with students. It's early morning on a Saturday, normally students would be sleeping in but today almost the whole castle is out here for the first duelling club meeting.
There is a circular field in the middle around 30ft in diameter. Around it the teachers have made a small colloseum like structure with transfiguration where all the students have taken seats.
"Now generally the rules in duelling wary from region to region, we will be following the ones generally observed in Europe" Flitwick is speaking to the students with a sonorous charm.
"A circular field is used, where the diameter varies with respect to age brackets. It can be as small as 15-20 meters for young wizards while for adults it can go upto 50 meters. There are multiple rules we need to adhere to, all of which you can find on the pamphlets distributed to you and the board behind me" he points towards a large board set up behind him with 100's of rules scribbled on it.
"But I will reiterate some crucial ones, lethal spells are strictly not allowed, the aim is to incapacitate your opponent, no bodily harm should come to anyone. The duel goes on until one party gives up, first blood is drawn, a participant leaves the circle or the referee calls the match" he looks around the students with a serious gaze.
"As soon as the referee stops the duel, all participants have to drop their wands. Am I clear??"
There is a murmur from the students agreeing to his words.
"AM I CLEAR" he shouts this time.
"Yes, Sir" this time the students reply clearly.
He really seems to be taking this duelling club seriously, that's good.
"Nice now, we have made a list of spells which can be used, if any student uses a spell other than the ones mentioned in the list they will face serious consequences. It doesn't matter if the spells are harmful or not, use of unauthorized spells will disqualify you."
The students were a bit disappointed to hear the rules about the spells but still their eyes shine with excitement. Duelling is a big deal in this world.
Although other regions have different sports which people follow more like quidditch in Europe, but those sports are popular only in their specific regions. Duelling meanwhile is universal, in any competition wizards gather around from different parts of the world to compete, even wizards like Dumbledore, Grindelwald and Voldemort himself were famous for winning the world championships, although Voldemort competed under a different name. Maybe I should try my hand at one, hmm something to think about for the future.
"Now as a lot of students have signed up for this club we have decided to divide everyone into 4 groups. Group 1 will consist of 1st years only, the second group will comprise of 2nd and 3rd years, then 4th and 5th and finally the 6th and 7th years. Obviously if your skill level is judged to vary from your group, we will move you up or down."
There is a round of excited whispers for that, senior students thinking that the level at their groups will be high, while others aiming to progress from their groups to the senior level.
"Now we have decided to have an exhibition match for you, so students who are unfamiliar with duelling can see how a typical duel is fought" Flitwick excitedly says.
Hmm, that's new no one told me about this. Then Filius turns to look at me with a sly smile. Oh, he wants us to have a match.
Bastard probably wants to show off in front of the students. I nod at him and walk off to stand at my position. Praying that I'm not humiliated in front of the students. I took on 11 death eaters but that was where I surprise attacked them with a blitz and they were not particularly strong wizards, Flitwick here was a famous European duelling champion in his younger years. I try to clear my mind and focus on him as he squares off in front of me.
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