Chapter 104: Professor Pender’s First Lesson (First Update—Please Subscribe)

“Godfather, you would never guess what we went through at the train station. There was a troublesome house-elf who refused to let us board the Hogwarts Express. If it weren’t for Phil escorting me, Harry, Ron, and I would’ve missed the train entirely.”

Hermione chattered animatedly to Cain about the afternoon’s ordeal at the station, her little head bobbing as she took in her godfather’s office.

“Better than last year, huh? When I first arrived, that garlic smell nearly knocked me out. It took a good while of cleaning to get rid of it,” Cain chuckled, handing Hermione a glass of milk which he had gently warmed using a desperate virus charm.

“What happened to that elf that blocked your way?” he asked.

“It ran off after Phil scared it away. Phil was worried about my safety, so he didn’t chase after it,” Hermione replied, her brows knitting together. She disliked warm milk but accepted it out of respect; she sipped it slowly, planning not to drink too much before leaving.

“Then don’t worry about it. If that elf ever shows up at Hogwarts, come and tell me or another professor… This milk’s special. Give it a try.”

Hermione hesitated but took a sip. The subtly sweet, silky milk slid down her throat without any unpleasant aftertaste, making her eyes brighten as she slowly drank it all.

Before long, she finished the milk, took a tissue from Cain to wipe her mouth, then hopped down from the stool. “Godfather, I should go now.”

“Let’s go. I’ll see you off—I was just heading to the library anyway.”

Cain rose and followed Hermione out. He planned to visit the restricted section today; his offensive spells were too few. With his magical power and lineage, he felt using magic would be more effective than relying on hand seals, which he found cumbersome.

Of course, Cain envied certain ninjutsu that required no hand seals, like Dust Release.

On the way back, Hermione suddenly looked up and asked, “Godfather, can I come visit you often?”

“Of course, no problem…” Cain said, pulling out a key and placing it in her hand. “My room has anti-curse and protective charms. If you ever get caught roaming at night, just tell Filch you’re here to see me.”

“I never sneak out at night!” Hermione blushed and looked down, though her tone wasn’t very convincing. She likely had before, even if unspoken. Still, she tightly gripped the key, planning to hang it on a chain when she returned.

That evening during dinner in the Great Hall, after Dumbledore announced Cain as Hogwarts’ new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Hermione was the loudest to applaud, followed by other girls.

Compared to other professors, the young and handsome Cain did inspire some girls’ admiration, especially since his phoenix bloodline seemed to radiate a noble aura.

Cain preferred to explain this as a “magic hierarchy,” believing a wizard’s power derived from magical creatures. Merlin, for instance, was rumored to have some nightmare demon blood, though that was just hearsay without proof.

During dinner, Hermione was surrounded by older Gryffindor girls eager to learn about her godfather—Ron’s big mouth had let the secret slip. Hermione, however, was determined not to reveal anything. In her eyes, no one at the school was fit to be her godmother.

***

After escorting Hermione back, Cain headed to the restricted section. Unbeknownst to him, once he left, Hermione was cornered by a group of senior Gryffindor girls demanding details about Cain. She refused until, finally, to get away, she shared a few tidbits—like “Professor Pent likes garlic” and “he enjoys Dragon’s Blood Brandy”—just enough to satisfy them.

Worried about making too much noise, Cain cast a soundproofing charm before quietly searching for books, using shadow clones to aid his quest.

After a while, he found three banned volumes: The Book of Spells, Deadly Magic, and Secrets of Advanced Dark Magic.

The first was filled with spells not covered in earlier years—Cain planned to memorize them to expand his repertoire. The latter two detailed dark magic, including the Fiery Curse and Bone-Eroding Drill.

These dark spells were difficult, often requiring emotional manipulation, and carried great risk.

Mastering them all in one night was impossible, so Cain committed several useful ones to memory, intending to consult Dumbledore by day. If the Forbidden Forest needed clearing of troublesome magical creatures, Cain could call on dark magic.

“Fiend, fire, Fiendfire…” Cain softly recited the Fiery Curse. Suddenly, a blazing flame surged into his palm.

The Fiery Curse was wild and destructive, capable of engulfing an entire city if uncontrolled. Yet now, the fire obeyed him like a flame spirit.

“Is this the power of phoenix blood? It’s incredible…” Cain marveled, even placing his hand within the fire, which warmed him without harm.

The Fiery Curse posed no difficulty, but Cain refrained from testing the other dark spells here. Instead, he memorized the content to transcribe later by magic.

Unfortunately, Hogwarts forbade using Muggle technology—no electronics were allowed—which meant Cain wasn’t sure about batteries. Still, magic made copying texts effortless.

He had been doing just that, noting interesting books from the library and copying them for his collection.

After a busy night, Cain returned to his office just before dawn.

He skipped breakfast in the Great Hall, opting for a simple meal in his office. After tidying his clothes, he proceeded to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the fourth floor.

***

By the time Cain arrived, the students were seated neatly.

“Cain Pent, an ordinary wizard,” his name appeared in the air before fading.

“To be honest, I have no teaching experience, but since Professor Dumbledore invited me, I won’t waste this class. Does anyone know the purpose of Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

Hermione immediately raised her hand.

“Miss Granger.”

“To teach us how to resist dangerous magic and creatures, Professor Pent,” she answered, her face lifting slightly. Only when alone did she call him godfather.

“Standard answer. Gryffindor earns two points. But the textbook’s definition isn’t comprehensive. If I were to rank danger, human enemies come first. Other dangerous creatures have clear weaknesses and countermeasures, but dark wizards have no standard response.”

Cain then gestured to the students, waving his hands to both sides.

Instantly, desks and chairs from two houses were swept aside and stacked neatly against the walls. The students remained upright, supported by a levitation charm that was lifted only once everyone stood.

“Wow, Professor Pent is amazing…” a few girls whispered admiringly, much to Hermione’s disapproval.

Before anyone could say more, Cain cast a subtle expansion charm on the walls, enlarging the room’s space.

“He didn’t use a wand!” Ron whispered to Harry, astonished. Earlier, when moving furniture, Cain hadn’t used any wand or incantation.

Silent and wandless magic were concepts unfamiliar to Harry and Ron, but some Slytherin students recognized their significance—only a powerful wizard could perform both.

“Next, we’ll train you to strike at the right moment. When facing an enemy, the goal is to incapacitate them first to protect yourself. So, whenever you sense an attack coming, you must act first.”

Cain was teaching the young wizards the American police’s approach to threats—maintain vigilance to gain the upper hand, even against dark wizards. If the setting were different, he might have spoken more bluntly.

“For the first lesson, you can treat me as the enemy. If anyone spots a weakness in me during class and attacks successfully…”

“Everyone turns to stone!” Hermione interrupted before Cain finished, aiming a spell at him. Her swift attack caught even Cain off guard. Although his physical prowess easily dodged the curse, seeing his goddaughter use magic against him, he stayed put.

Bang.

Hermione’s petrification curse hit Cain’s chest, sparking faintly before dissipating.

Her classmates stared in disbelief; no one expected Hermione to dare attack the professor during class.

“Excellent! Gryffindor gains ten points!

I just said that when facing an enemy, you must strike decisively at their weakness. Miss Granger did exactly that, surprising even me.

From now on, if no one outperforms Miss Granger during my lessons, the prize will go to her.

But if anyone attacks too obviously, their house will lose a point. So, think carefully before you act.”

Cain’s words widened the students’ eyes, excitement and determination flashing within them.

The chance to freely cast spells on the professor was thrilling. Most students focused on the rewards and points, overlooking Cain’s warning about consequences.

Chapter 104: Professor Pent’s First Lesson