Defence Against the Dark Arts
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Umbridge: "Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?"
Defence Against the Dark Arts is a course at Hogwarts, intended to teach protective measures against the 'Dark Forces'.
Hogwarts seems having bad luck with its teachers for this course. In Harry's first year, it's Professor Quirrell. In the second year, it's Professor Lockhart. In the third year, it's Professor Lupin. In the fourth year, it's Mad-Eye Moody (except it isn't him). In the fifth year, it's Professor Umbridge. In the sixth year, it's Professor Snape.
Contents |
First Year - Professor Quirrell
Little is known about Quirrell's classes, as very little time was spent covering them in the first book, unlike in the later works of the series. Professor Umbridge, however, comments of Quirrell that he "restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects."
Second Year - Gilderoy Lockhart
Gilderoy Lockhart's class was largely a sham. He first attempted to teach the class to deal with Cornish Pixies, but proved inept at handling them himself. Afterwards, lessons largely reverted to recitations of passages from his various published works, often by Harry Potter.
Third Year - Remus Lupin
Professor Umbridge: "...But you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed --- not to mention extremely dangerous half-breeds."
Dean Thomas: If you mean Professor Lupin, he was the best we ever---"
In Lupin's class, the students generally studied Dark creatures such as the hinkypunk and the kappa. There was also a lesson devoted entirely to the boggart. Lupin taught the students how to perform the Riddikulus charm and all but Harry and Hermione got a turn. Lupin was the only teacher for which both Harry and Hermione took a proper exam in this subject.
Fourth Year - Fake Moody
Professor Umbridge: "It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you---"
Dean Thomas: "Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he? Mind you, we still learned loads---"
In the class they believe was being taught by ex-Auror "Mad-Eye" Moody, the students learned about the Unforgiveable Curses, among other topics.
Later, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonnagall and Harry uncovered that "Moody" had bewitched the Triwizard Cup as a portkey to a graveyard where the Riddles were buried. They had also found polyjuice potion on his person and found ou tthat he was really Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise.
Fifth Year - Dolores Umbridge
Professor Dolores Umbridge's classes, like Lockhart's, was largely devoid of content. Her "course aims" were as follows:
Defence Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basic Principles
Course aims:
1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic
2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.
Upon reading these course aims, Hermione Granger objected that there was nothing in them about using defensive magic, which is part of the practical O.W.L. exam. Umbridge retorted that she could think of no situation where anyone would need to use a defensive spell in her class and that the Ministry of Magic felt that a theoretical knowledge was enough to get students through their exams. The lack of any practical aspect to Umbridge's lessons lead Hermione to form the group Dumbledore's Army.
Students in this class were assigned to read from the book Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. They were told that there would be "no need to talk."
Sixth Year - Severus Snape
Snape: He wouldn't give me the Dark Arts job, you know. Seemed to think it might, ah, bring about a relapse...tempt me into my old ways."
Professor Snape repeatedly applied for this position since coming to Hogwarts, but was always turned down, up until Harry's sixth year. It was theorized that Dumbledore didn't trust him with the position, given his past history with the Dark Arts.
In the sixth year, Snape took over the class. Among the subjects covered were dementors, Inferius, and the Cruciatus Curse. Students also studied how to jinx and repel jinxes by using non-verbal spells.
Because it's been so long since a Defence teacher lasted more than a year it is rumoured that the position is jinxed. Harry takes a savage pleasure in the idea that Snape won't be still in the position at the end of the sixth year, stating "Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death."
In point of fact, even Albus Dumbledore seems to believe the job is cursed. He believes Voldemort cursed the position following his refusal to admit him to the post in the 1970s.
In Fandom this subject with the tedious long name is often abbreviated to DADA.
Severus Snape continued as the Dark Arts teacher in Harry's last year, but later became Hogwarts headmaster. Amycus Carrow took Snape's vacant teaching position.
In other languages
- Finnish - Puolustautuminen pimeyden voimilta
- Swedish - Försvar mot Svartkonst
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