On Thursday morning, the second class of the afternoon was a mixed class of Grade 5, 6 and 7 who were learning Black Magic Defense. The venue remained the Grand Hall.
For these senior students who have received some defense magic education and are about to graduate, Ammosta had something special to tell them.
" -- The premise of defense magic is that it can only work when both parties are at the same level of strength or are close in strength. Let me give you an example. Even if I spew out all the knowledge I have on combat and defense, you probably won't be able to hold your own for more than three seconds in front of Headmaster Dumbledore!"
The senior students burst into a thunderous laughter, and Percy Weasley's girlfriend, Ravenclaw's Penelope Clearwater, raised her hand in curiosity and asked.
"And what about you, Professor Bran, can you defeat Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Don't ask such embarrassing questions, Miss Clearwater!" Ammosta rolled her eyes, smiling as she turned away and walked to the other side.
"There is a way to divide the wizarding world based on the level of traditional magic education they have received, which I think you can learn from and refer to."
The hall fell silent as over two hundred pairs of curious eyes fell on Professor Bran, who spoke eloquently.
" -- As you all know, some traditional wizarding houses still train their successors in a one-on-one or one-on-several format. According to ancient tradition, they refer to the young wizards who are still receiving basic magical knowledge education as 'Apprentice Wizards.' By a horizontal comparison, the peak of an Apprentice Wizard would be the young wizards who have obtained four or more certificates in the O.W.L.S exams of modern magical education."
The young wizards immediately cheered up. Almost all the students here can reach this level, but Professor Bran's next sentence poured a bucket of cold water on them,
"Under the premise that they have achieved this certificate with excellent grades --"
Percy blushed with pride, lifting his head high. He was the only one at Hogwarts School who had received an O.W.L.S. certificate with top grades in all twelve subjects, without a doubt transcending the class of Apprentice Wizard.
"So what next, Professor, after Apprentice Wizard?"
Ammosta's novel statement aroused the interest of everyone, and Marcus, the underachiever, was eager to understand a subject for the first time in class.
"Of course, the next step is becoming a fully-fledged wizard, Flint."
Ammosta didn't beat around the bush, stating directly,
"But this level of wizardry has a very wide range. In comparison with modern magical education, it's as low as qualified students who have passed the O.W.L.S. exams, and as high as..." Ugh, "..."
After a moment of contemplation, Ammosta said with an uncertain tone, "As for the upper limit, it's probably around the level of the magical elite aurors... I apologize, as the description may not be very accurate because it's not a systematic division..."
No one cared about Professor Bran's apology. They just wanted to know more, especially the young wizards whose families had members working at the Ministry of Magic, who were eager to know what the elite aurors were like. They all wished they could rush on stage and pry open Professor Bran's mouth.
"Just go on, Professor!"
Percy, who had already proven himself to be a full-fledged wizard, forgot to maintain his prefect's demeanor and stared eagerly at Ammosta.
"At the peak of a full-fledged wizard, most people who have studied magic will have reached their lifetime's limit. Beyond that, it's basically not an area that ordinary people can get involved in. In ancient kingdoms, only those with exceptional talent and favorable luck could walk their own unique path of magic, and they would be appointed as 'Court Wizards' by the royal family."
Court wizards!
The young wizards excitedly whispered to each other, and the discussions reached their peak. Many swore that, according to Professor Bran's words, one of their elders was a 'Court Wizard'!
" -- Professor Snape's skill in Potions, Professor McGonagall's proficiency in Transfiguration, Professor Flitwick's flexible application of modern incantations, and Professor Sprout's extensive knowledge of herbology were all levels that would have earned them the respect of wizards as 'Court Wizards' in ancient times!"
Professor Bran, smiling, threw another sentence into the heated discussion in the hall, and the momentum continued for almost ten minutes without abating!
But gradually, the discussion drifted to a direction that Ammosta did not want to see. Each student wizard began to think that their own Head of House was undoubtedly a Court Wizard, but they were rather unimpressed with the other three houses.
Among them, Severus Snape was the most criticized person.
Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff all had people whispering that Severus Snape, who only stayed in the basement boiling water, did not deserve the honorable title of 'Court Wizard'!
This enraged the Slytherin students, and tall and burly Flint stood like a wall in front of all the Slytherins, fully showcasing his excellent playing style on the Quidditch field. He stepped up onto his table and glared fiercely at those who questioned the Slytherins, as if he was ready to pounce and tear them apart at any moment!
"Flin, get off the table before I lose my temper!"
Ammosta's calm and steady tone made Marcus, who had just been wild and aggressive, instantly behave. He obediently got off the table and sincerely apologized to Ammosta.
"...Telling you all this is just to give you a basic understanding. It's not to let you start a fight, but to remind you not to make blind and foolish charges against powerful wizards who are far beyond your own strength when faced with danger."
Now, the young wizards suddenly realized that in Hogwarts, there was another wizard who had the ability to make people feel intimidated without even showing anger!
With eyes as heavy as the sea, Ammosta silenced everyone and nodded contentedly, "Now that I've gotten everyone's attention, I think we should get back to the topic we were discussing before. Let's talk in detail about how to kill a werewolf that goes mad when it sees a full moon. It's actually very simple; all you need to do is..."
"Professor Bran--"
At this moment, Penelope Clearwater, who had asked Ammosta if she could defeat Dumbledore earlier, raised her hand again.
"What else do you have to ask, Miss Clearwater."
Ammosta walked leisurely towards the Ravenclaw students and looked at her gently, already guessing what this Ravenclaw with a strong thirst for knowledge wanted to ask.
"Professor Bran, you haven't finished yet."
In the midst of the chaos that had just occurred, Peneallo had been stepped on several times and was now rubbing her ankle under the table while muttering to herself. Her expressions were adorable, at least Percy from Gryffindor looked like he was melting inside.
"Apprentice Wizard, fully-fledged wizard, Court Wizard... What's next, Professor? Is there anything beyond that?"
"Oh!"
Ammosta feigned that he had just remembered about this, and he smiled mysteriously at the students below, his gaze sweeping back and forth as if he was deliberately teasing the young wizards.
"I'm sorry, I forgot... there is actually still one..."
So come on and tell us then!
Ammosta read that very thought in the eyes of many people.
The bell for the end of class had already rung, and the echo of hundreds of people stomping on the floorboards could be heard in the hall. Some quick young wizards were already standing by the railing on the second floor, looking down with excitement.
Hurry up and tell us, Professor! The class is over already!
The young wizards in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class were no longer content to express their impatience with just their eyes; they stood up and whispered their prompts.
At this moment, the crowd in the second floor dispersed automatically, and a cheerful Albus Dumbledore appeared on the marble staircase.
"Holy--"
Ammosta looked up and nodded to Dumbledore, returning the smile.
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