After a quick breakfast in the Great Hall in the early hours of the morning, Dante made his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The chill in the air, combined with the cold radiating from the stone walls, added to the gothic atmosphere of Hogwarts. As he walked through the long corridors, the gray light filtering through the windows created a dim glow.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of the classes shared by Slytherin and Gryffindor. This always created tension. The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin students had been a tradition for years. For Dante, however, this rivalry didn't mean much. He just wanted to succeed and make his own way.
When he arrived at the classroom where the lesson was being taught, the students were already filing in. The desks were arranged in neat rows, with the blackboard and teacher's desk in the center of the classroom. Old drawings of various magical creatures and pages from books on the history of defensive spells hung on the wall.
The buzz in the classroom grew louder as the students sat down. The Gryffindors whispered in one corner, glaring at the Slytherins, who waited stoically. Dante took a seat in the middle of the classroom and waited for the lesson to begin.
When the door suddenly opened, the classroom fell silent. Professor Grimshaw had joined Hogwarts this year, and little was known about him. He walked slowly to his desk, put down his wand and looked at the students one by one. The class fell silent for a moment, then he began to speak.
"Today we will learn a very important spell," he said, tapping his wand on the blackboard. As the silver letters appeared, the words appeared before everyone's eyes: "Expelliarmus."
Some of the students giggled as if they recognized the spell, others looked curiously at the board. Grimshaw continued, his voice firm. "This is one of the simplest, yet most effective spells in a duel. Expelliarmus makes your opponent drop his wand and, if timed well, can change the outcome of a duel."
"It's simple," one of the Gryffindor benches whispered in a low voice. Grimshaw turned his head, gave the speaker a silencing look, and continued.
"First, we will learn the correct pronunciation and wrist movement," he said. He raised his wand and moved it cleanly through the air. "Expelliarmus!"
Suddenly, they saw an old wand in the corner of the room shoot up into the air and fall to the floor. The students murmured quietly. Dante realized how useful the spell was, despite its simplicity. It could be used to get rid of any weapon, not just a wizard's.
"Now, pair up," Grimshaw said, "and we will take turns trying the spell."
As the students were paired off in slight confusion, Dante had to pair up with Charlie Weasley from Gryffindor instead of working with another student from Slytherin. Charlie raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at him intently. He didn't seem to be expecting this pairing.
Dante nonchalantly raised his wand. Charlie did the same. "Do you want to try first, or shall I?" asked Dante.
Charlie smiled slightly. "You try first, Rosier."
Dante concentrated for a moment to get the spell right. He visualized the wand movement in his mind, then waved his wand decisively and called out, "Expelliarmus!"
Charlie's wand flew out of his hand and landed on the ground a few feet away. Some of the Gryffindors watched in silence, while others began to grumble.
Charlie looked down at his hands in surprise, then smiled slightly and picked up his wand. "Not bad," he said.
This time Charlie tried it. Dante watched carefully as he cast the spell. Charlie's spell was successful, but Dante's wand only trembled slightly, it did not fall from his hand. Dante smiled slightly.
"You have to hit a little harder," Charlie said.
Charlie squinted at Dante, but this time he seemed more interested in understanding how he could be so relaxed than in competing with him.
In the rest of the class, many students were struggling with the spell. Some struggled with wands that only flickered slightly, while others had no effect at all due to mispronunciations. The Gryffindor students, in particular, did not take too kindly to Dante's success on the first try.
Professor Grimshaw turned to the class and continued. "The spell you have learned today may seem simple, but it is very effective when used correctly. Precise timing and control, as practiced by Rosier, are the keys to this spell."
Dante remained silent for the rest of the lesson, but he could feel the angry looks the Gryffindors were giving him. He didn't care if they didn't like him. He just wanted to show his talents and make a name for himself.
If before he wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life, now he wanted the opposite. Because he could not live a peaceful life as the son of a Death Eater. He had to create his own identity.
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At the end of the lesson, Professor Grimshaw touched the board one last time and the writing disappeared. "That concludes today's lesson," he said, looking at the students. "In future lessons, I will show you how to use this spell at a more advanced level. You may leave now."
One by one, the students began to file out of the classroom. Some of the Gryffindor students were still glaring at Dante, others lamenting their own failures. Ignoring their stares, Dante picked up his desk and headed for the door. Just then, he noticed someone coming up behind him.
"Hey, William!"
Dante paused for a moment. Almost no one had called him by his first name since he'd arrived at Hogwarts. Most people called him Rosier, sometimes just a cold 'you'. But now, as he turned around, he saw Charlie Weasley looking at him, smiling slightly.
Dante turned to him, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Not many people call me William," he said in a quiet voice.
Charlie shrugged. "I think it's a pretty good name. Rosier... you know, that Rosier comes to mind." His eyes flickered furtively for a brief moment as he finished his sentence.
Dante took a deep breath. His father's name, Evan Rosier, was notorious in the wizarding world. Being the son of a Death Eater inevitably created a certain perception in people's eyes. That's what Charlie meant, but there was no contempt in his tone. On the contrary, it sounded sincere.
After a short silence, Dante nodded slightly. "I suppose you're right," he said. "But I'm not that rosy."
Charlie nodded with a smile. "I noticed."
There was a moment of silence, then he added, "You did really well in class today. I didn't expect you to make Expelliarmus so effective on the first try."
Dante shrugged slightly. "It's just a matter of concentration. Knowing how and when to cast it is as important as the power of the spell."
Charlie nodded. "You're right. You know, most people in Gryffindor don't like you very much, but I don't think you're who they think you are."
Dante looked straight at him. There was no trace of sarcasm or deceit in Charlie's words. He really thought that. "Not many people think like you," Dante said with a slight smile.
Charlie looked at him, his brown eyes narrowing slightly. "Then how about we change that?"
Dante's eyebrows raised slightly. "What do you mean?"
Charlie laughed easily. "Let's say we go to the Great Hall for a bite to eat."
Dante thought for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe."
They left the classroom together. As the cold stones of the corridor echoed beneath their feet, Gryffindor and Slytherin students exchanged surprised looks at the sight of the two students walking side by side. But Dante didn't care. For the first time, he felt he was not alone at Hogwarts.
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