D.A.D.A Guide
written by Alexa Jamie Potter
Having trouble with your D.A.D.A homework . . . eh? Well in this book, it will guide you to pass tests and improve your knowledge on the dark arts!
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
5
Reads
1,271
Extra Information
Chapter 4
In the 1991–1992 school year, Quirinus Quirrell taught mainly theoretical knowledge, which, four years later, the Ministry deemed he was the only teacher before Dolores Umbridge to be of acceptable standards. However, the Ministry at the time was corrupt and paranoid, thus their evaluation of Quirrell's effectiveness was inaccurate. In fact, while he was a studious intellectual, his practical aspect was severely hampered by his timid and stuttering nature, leading him unable to teach properly, which caused many students consider his classes to be a joke, and failed to take him seriously.[35][36]
In the 1992–1993 school year, Gilderoy Lockhart, fraudulent and incompetent, taught nothing to the classes of his respective tenure, aside from nonsensical and unrelated materials, considering that he was hired solely by Albus Dumbledore for the purpose of ousting him as a fraud to the world.[37] His lectures were simply storytelling and theatrical reenactments from his books, since his first practical lesson ended in a disaster that he failed to contain (involving live "freshly caught" Cornish Pixies),[16] and his idea of homework was for the class to compose a poem of one of his alleged achievements with the offer of a signed copy of his autobiography to the best composer.[38] Lockhart simply using the course to promote his uninformative publications, Ron Weasley claimed that the only thing he learned from it was "not to set pixies loose", and expressed his desire to drop out of the course mainly of Lockhart's incompetence.[39]
In the 1993–1994 school year, Professor Lupin was among the most effective teachers to have taught, as many students under his tutelage agreed upon. He taught practical aspects during the lectures, even bringing in several dark creatures in captivity as visual aids, and assigned theoretical aspects for homework.[18][19][20] Lupin also gave his favourite student Harry Potter additional lessons in how to perform the Patronus Charm, so he could learn to combat Dementors.[40] Hermione Granger claimed he was the only teacher among their five (at the time) who knew what he was doing.
In the 1994–1995 school year, Bartemius Crouch Junior, then disguised as Alastor Moody using Polyjuice Potion,[7] believed firmly in a practical approach. As such, he taught the fourth year class on the Unforgivable Curses that were normally reserved for the sixth year, believing they need to see it sooner.[17] He even performed the Imperius Curse on all the students as a means to teach them how to resist it.[41] Although the students found him to be one of the most effective instructors (despite his true identity later being revealed to be a criminal), the Ministry found the lessons to be very controversial, and expressed their strong disapproval.[13]
During the 1995-1996 school year, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had deluded himself with the bizarre conspiracy theory that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was using the students to create a private army of young witches and wizards to overthrow the Ministry.[42] As such, he implanted Dolores Umbridge to become the teacher of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, which he believed to be the main source of training (e.g. defensive spells) for Dumbledore's would-be soldiers.[13]
Umbridge supplied a syllabus based entirely on the theory of conflict rather facing them, all of which was simply reading out of the textbook, believing that this would be sufficient in passing the examinations. Furthermore, she herself did not teach the students, as she had them read the textbooks quietly in class and refused to answer their questions any more than to silence them.[13][43] This misguided belief deprived the students on any useful lessons as even the theories are inaccurate, thus leading to the formation on Dumbledore's Army, which taught more practical defence that students from all grades found more useful.[44] Umbridge would later claim that the spells Harry taught were deemed by the Ministry inappropriate for students at their ages.[45]
In the 1996–1997 school year, Professor Snape taught his classes to respect the Dark Arts as a dangerous and ever-evolving opponent, and that their defences must be as versatile as the foul arts they seek to undo. He imposed a darker atmosphere in the classroom by dimmer lighting and macabre portraits in order to allow the students to have a firmer understanding of the sufferings the Dark Arts can bring. Hermione concluded that Snape's ideals were very much the same as what Harry Potter expressed during the Dumbledore's Army recruitment meeting: not simply memorising a bunch of spells, but to understand and react appropriately to the situation at hand.[15] As with Lupin and Crouch, Snape taught practically during the lectures, and assigned theories for homework.
As with every other course that requires practical spells, sixth years are taught Nonverbal spell usage, and are expected to use them in class from then on.[15]
In the 1997-1998 school year, the class was changed to Dark Arts during Voldemort's takeover of the school. It was taught by the Death Eater Amycus Carrow, who taught students how to perform the Unforgivable Curses, with a particular emphasis with ordering students to practise the Cruciatus Curse on disobedient students,[29] along with the summoning of Fiendfyre.[46]
In the 1992–1993 school year, Gilderoy Lockhart, fraudulent and incompetent, taught nothing to the classes of his respective tenure, aside from nonsensical and unrelated materials, considering that he was hired solely by Albus Dumbledore for the purpose of ousting him as a fraud to the world.[37] His lectures were simply storytelling and theatrical reenactments from his books, since his first practical lesson ended in a disaster that he failed to contain (involving live "freshly caught" Cornish Pixies),[16] and his idea of homework was for the class to compose a poem of one of his alleged achievements with the offer of a signed copy of his autobiography to the best composer.[38] Lockhart simply using the course to promote his uninformative publications, Ron Weasley claimed that the only thing he learned from it was "not to set pixies loose", and expressed his desire to drop out of the course mainly of Lockhart's incompetence.[39]
In the 1993–1994 school year, Professor Lupin was among the most effective teachers to have taught, as many students under his tutelage agreed upon. He taught practical aspects during the lectures, even bringing in several dark creatures in captivity as visual aids, and assigned theoretical aspects for homework.[18][19][20] Lupin also gave his favourite student Harry Potter additional lessons in how to perform the Patronus Charm, so he could learn to combat Dementors.[40] Hermione Granger claimed he was the only teacher among their five (at the time) who knew what he was doing.
In the 1994–1995 school year, Bartemius Crouch Junior, then disguised as Alastor Moody using Polyjuice Potion,[7] believed firmly in a practical approach. As such, he taught the fourth year class on the Unforgivable Curses that were normally reserved for the sixth year, believing they need to see it sooner.[17] He even performed the Imperius Curse on all the students as a means to teach them how to resist it.[41] Although the students found him to be one of the most effective instructors (despite his true identity later being revealed to be a criminal), the Ministry found the lessons to be very controversial, and expressed their strong disapproval.[13]
During the 1995-1996 school year, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had deluded himself with the bizarre conspiracy theory that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was using the students to create a private army of young witches and wizards to overthrow the Ministry.[42] As such, he implanted Dolores Umbridge to become the teacher of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, which he believed to be the main source of training (e.g. defensive spells) for Dumbledore's would-be soldiers.[13]
Umbridge supplied a syllabus based entirely on the theory of conflict rather facing them, all of which was simply reading out of the textbook, believing that this would be sufficient in passing the examinations. Furthermore, she herself did not teach the students, as she had them read the textbooks quietly in class and refused to answer their questions any more than to silence them.[13][43] This misguided belief deprived the students on any useful lessons as even the theories are inaccurate, thus leading to the formation on Dumbledore's Army, which taught more practical defence that students from all grades found more useful.[44] Umbridge would later claim that the spells Harry taught were deemed by the Ministry inappropriate for students at their ages.[45]
In the 1996–1997 school year, Professor Snape taught his classes to respect the Dark Arts as a dangerous and ever-evolving opponent, and that their defences must be as versatile as the foul arts they seek to undo. He imposed a darker atmosphere in the classroom by dimmer lighting and macabre portraits in order to allow the students to have a firmer understanding of the sufferings the Dark Arts can bring. Hermione concluded that Snape's ideals were very much the same as what Harry Potter expressed during the Dumbledore's Army recruitment meeting: not simply memorising a bunch of spells, but to understand and react appropriately to the situation at hand.[15] As with Lupin and Crouch, Snape taught practically during the lectures, and assigned theories for homework.
As with every other course that requires practical spells, sixth years are taught Nonverbal spell usage, and are expected to use them in class from then on.[15]
In the 1997-1998 school year, the class was changed to Dark Arts during Voldemort's takeover of the school. It was taught by the Death Eater Amycus Carrow, who taught students how to perform the Unforgivable Curses, with a particular emphasis with ordering students to practise the Cruciatus Curse on disobedient students,[29] along with the summoning of Fiendfyre.[46]
