Chapter 131: Group work and teaching assistants (Edited)

"I am now going to pass out the list of projects for this school year. You may sign your own names after the topics that interest you. Each project cannot exceed three people. If you wish to complete it alone, that is of course also possible."

After his lecture, Tom pulled out a piece of parchment with a form drawn on it and handed it to a student in the front row.

"These are some of the topics I have found, or if you have an original topic that interests you, you can write it down at the end" Tom gestured to the students to choose their own topics and then sat back down behind the lectern to read.

He had been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for over a week now, and he knew better and better how to make the most of the time. Today she let the students choose their topics, group together and discuss them on their own, and the whole lesson was over. The students also learn something and make new friends.

Tom's grouping system is very clever, as the students get to choose their own topics and don't have to be on a team with someone they know. What's even better is that this type of grouping can be a great solution to the problem of students with social fear and helps them integrate into a group.

Often, the most frustrating time for group work in a course is the free grouping at the beginning of the school year. You have to go through the list of students on the school website, friend them one by one on Facebook and then ask them if they want to be in a group; this process is very tormenting and painful. Sometimes teammates are not reliable, it is better to go it alone.

This thing where the teacher gives a list and fills in their own name is perfect, so you can get a team of two and hang out as a tool.

The young witches seemed curious about this new way of working together, and craned their necks to look ahead, hoping to see what was written on the parchment...in vain, of course.

After a while, the parchment was passed to Harry, who glanced at the titles: Werewolf Habits and Prevention, Study on the Status of Grindylows in the British Magical World, Dark Creatures in the Forbidden Forest, Dementors....

Some of the topics had already been filled, such as Dark Creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

"Professor, can I choose a topic repeatedly?" Harry raised his hand and asked, he really wanted to choose the Forbidden Forest topic, who knew more about the creatures of the Forbidden Forest than Hagrid? It would be much easier for him to choose this topic.

Tom thought a moment and nodded, "It's not recommended, but it's not forbidden either."

Harry thought a moment and then joined Ron and Neville in choosing the Forbidden Forest theme.

After about twenty minutes, they had each chosen their preferred theme and returned the parchment. Tom glanced at it and saw that Hermione had actually chosen an original topic herself - The Inheritance of the Boggart's ability after his transformation, an original topic, and the fact that Hermione would take a while to fill it in meant that she was the only one who had chosen it.

"Okay, I'll put the list here, we'll discuss it among the groups and figure out how to write this topic. In a quarter of an hour, I'll come and listen to your conclusions" Tom put the list on the podium and watched as the young wizards gathered to find out who their teammates were.

Then it was time for the young wizards to discuss in groups of two.

"What were you thinking choosing a topic like that?" said Tom as he approached Hermione's table.

"Because there was prepared material" Hermione looked at Tom and gave him a smile, and Tom shrugged. He was a little curious though, could Boggart inherit a wizard's ability after becoming a wizard?

Next, Tom listened to each group's ideas one by one, and soon it was time to end the class. Some of the young wizards had good ideas, but others were so far-fetched that Tom could only suggest they check the information.

"I need an assistant for this class, to do some odd jobs, to help me in class and so on, if you want to come see me, or send me a letter with an owl, that's fine, class dismissed!"

At noon, while Tom was working after lunch, there was a knock on his office door and Hermione came in.

Tom motioned for Hermione to close the door behind her and then transformed back into his own form. He still wasn't used to talking to Hermione as Lockhart.

"What can I do for you? Suddenly, here. "

"Do you think with my ability, I can be your assistant?"

"I'll see what you can do, tsk tsk tsk tsk, come back!", Tom tossed a letter from a reader on his desk and replied with a smile.

Hermione: "???"

"I'll give you a chance, think about it" Hermione said.

"No need to think about it..." Tom faintly felt a glimpse of a wand under Hermione's wizarding robes, and didn't dare to continue teasing, "--my teaching assistant, that must be you! Need I ask?"

Hermione tucked her wand away in the inside pocket of her robes and smiled kindly, "Good view!"

Tom pulled a small plate of sweets out of the drawer, "Would you like some sweets?"

"Okay" Hermione said as she sat down across from Tom.

Tom tapped a small bottle shaped bonbon with his wand and it floated to Hermione's hand.

"From Professor Flitwick, the Honeydukes Drunken Chocolate, he said whoever ate it-"

A flame came out of Hermione's mouth, but even though it was a flame, it wasn't hot at all.

"-spit fire. "

Hermione evidently found the candy interesting, so she took a few more and ate them for fun.

"We'll be allowed to go to Hogsmeade in third year, but I think we need a guardian to sign for it" Tom remembered the Hogwarts policy, and realized that he didn't seem to have a guardian.

"My father should be able to sign for you" Hermione said as she swallowed the chocolate in her mouth, the scent of liquor and chocolate lingering between her lips.

Tom thought for a moment and figured Hogwarts shouldn't leave a loophole like "my guardian is myself" so he nodded: if that doesn't work, just ask Mr. Granger to sign.

"Do you want to play cards? Or a game of chess?" Tom said, moving the erasers on the table to make room.

"What are you working on?" Hermione asked curiously, she remembered Tom looking like he was working when he first walked in.

"There's too much nonsense and rhetoric in Lockhart's book; for example, I'm not sold on that thing about catching a Ghoul with a tea filter in 'A Turn with the Ghouls'. I have some things to cut out, so you can save yourself some time too" Tom lifted the 'A Turn with the Ghouls' book he had on his desk, the cover of the book had been removed by Tom and he looked uncomfortable.

Hermione seemed interested in the work and asked eagerly, "What stage of the revision process are you at? I can help you with that. "

"That would be great!" Tom pulled out some of Lockhart's books, "There are three left, 'Recreation with the banshee', 'Holidays with the witches' and this one, 'A ride with the ghouls'."

Hermione offered to take over the review of 'Recreation with the banshee' and 'Vacation with the witches': she had read them all and was very efficient at reviewing.