Hogwarts Wasteland: The Witch from the Borderlands

Hermione's days at Hogwarts were quite fulfilling, as Professor McGonagall hadn't yet found a suitable second-year textbook, so she spent her time in the library.

Apart from Lucius, the other professors did not assign much written homework, but rather a lot of practical requirements. For example, Professor Flitwick stipulated that young wizards must use a certain number of spells before the next class, and would check their spells before class.

It was a camera-like device with a directional flashback spell fixed to it, which could directly scan the number of times a young wizard's wand had used a certain spell within a certain period of time.

"Only a professor like Lucius, who has no real talent, would use the length of the paper as a way to get by!" Ron gritted his teeth as he rushed to finish his assignment.

Because of his addiction to night outings, he and Harry only begged Hermione for help when the deadline was fast approaching.

"Look on the bright side, the next time we see him will be during a practical lesson," Hermione comforted them, but declined their request to use the paper.

Lucius is waiting for Hermione to make a mistake; he can't take that risk.

The practical training session was something almost every first-year student eagerly awaited. Every boy fantasized about defeating his opponent beautifully in the duel and enjoying the glory of victory.

But when that day actually arrived, almost everyone hesitated.

That's a battle, after all, and it's completely different from children fighting. They haven't even learned many spells yet, and whether they can use them in practice depends on Merlin's mood.

Hermione, however, seemed completely unfazed. She hadn't been in a fight since entering Hogwarts, which was unimaginable in the Borderlands, where even walking the dog could lead to a chance encounter with a giant bear, and battles with dragons at the city gates were commonplace.

As everyone gathered on the lawn for the flight class, the first practical lesson of the new school year was finally about to begin.

The broomsticks were temporarily put away, and a dozen or so target dummies stood scattered around. Several circles about twenty meters in diameter were drawn on the grass, and the four heads of the house stood solemnly in the middle. Lucius and Professor Flitwick stood at the front. This class would be led by them. This was almost the most important teaching project at Hogwarts since the reform, and in a sense, it was like a training exercise.

Thanks to the current scarcity of students, there are only about two hundred children across all seven grades. In comparison, there are indeed fewer new students this year.

Besides the four deans, Professor Potter also stood at the edge of the lawn. She had come specifically to see her son's performance; no mother could be at ease knowing her children were about to get into a fight.

"Your mom's watching you from behind, are you nervous?" Ron nudged Harry.

"Don't bother me, I'm memorizing the key points of the Levitation Charm!" Harry took a deep breath, clearly a little lost.

"Don't worry, with all seven grades in class together, the only ones who can really be considered to have real-world experience are probably the 6th and 7th graders. We're just kids playing around at most." Hermione stood on tiptoe, sizing up the older students. After a summer break, they were eager to see how much they had improved.

Once everyone had arrived, Lucius, leaning on his bone cane, stepped forward.

"Very good, no one is late." His nonchalant tone was like that of someone picking out cheap laborers at a market.

"After a holiday, I believe your practical skills have improved considerably." He scanned everyone: "Whether you come from wizarding families or are interning with professors."

"I hope you remember that the seven years you spend at Hogwarts will be the safest and most precious seven years of your lives. The knowledge you gain here will become your means of survival in this apocalyptic world."

"Especially for some first-year students." His gaze lingered on Hermione, as if he wanted to pierce through her.

"I have taught and seen countless geniuses, but only those who survive to the end deserve to be called..."

Old Malfoy was about to continue, but Professor Flitwick was tired of his rambling: "Alright, children, enough of this chit-chat. Now it's time to show me the results of your practice over the holidays."

He activated his prosthetic silver arm, and with a whoosh, his wand sprang out, which he caught perfectly: "Same old rules as before, students in grades 5, 6, and 7 can choose their opponents freely, while students in grades 2, 3, and 4 will watch first."

"As for first grade, I think we need to do some basic instruction first."

But Lucius suddenly spoke up: "Let me do it, Professor Flitwick. There are some promising students in the seventh grade this year. I've heard a lot about them in Malfoyburg. I'm afraid you'll have to take a look at them yourself."

He turned to the first-year students: "I'm more than capable of explaining first-year material."

Flitwick glanced at him, but ultimately said nothing. He clapped his hands and began to gather the senior students to organize themselves. Several other professors also gathered around. Every practical class was a peak period for injuries, and the professors had to be prepared.

Now, only Lucius and Lily Potter, who is watching from afar, remain on the first-year side.

"Alright, now it's just us left." He strutted in front of the first-year students like a proud peacock, with a large circle behind him reserved for their use.

"The practical course evolved from the early dueling clubs." He glanced at Flitwick, who was observing the students casting spells not far away.

"Your Charms professor is a former dueling champion."

"But this outdated form of dueling is only popular in times of peace. Once the world is occupied by dark wizards, aberrant beasts, and goblins, no one will bow before casting a spell on you," he said.

Suddenly, with a wave of his cane, the two dueling dummies were struck by the unexpected red light, flying backward and crashing into the outer wall of the castle.

"Speed, precision, and an unwavering belief in victory!" he declared forcefully. "The fundamental qualities of combat!"

"Perhaps you've learned a few tricks using hand gestures before, or even defeated opponents who used those tricks, but I'm here to tell you that those are far from real combat!" He glanced at Draco, who seemed somewhat distracted.

Old Malfoy was exasperated. All he did was get a beating! How did he end up like this?

"True battles involve a comprehensive consideration of numerous external and internal factors, including the strength of each side's magic, the speed of casting spells, the variations in imagination, and even the ability to discern the enemy's weaknesses. If you think that learning a few powerful spells will make you invincible, you might as well die in the distorted, fluffy nasal powder!"

"Draco Malfoy!" Lucius suddenly called out, startling Draco.

"Come to the front and demonstrate for the students."

Under everyone's gaze, Draco pushed his way through the crowd and stood solemnly before Lucius.

"As the heir to Malfoy Castle, you are different from others; you received some training before entering the academy," old Malfoy said slowly.

"The practical requirements for first-year students are not too advanced techniques, but rather to dodge enemy attacks as much as possible. I hope you can set a good example for your classmates."

Having failed to establish his authority with Hermione, Lucius decided to completely ignore the annoying girl and pave the way for his son instead.