Regular Defence Against on-the Rare Dark Arts

**Defence Against the Dark Arts** (abbreviated as **DADA**) was a subject taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this class, students studied and learnt how to defend themselves against all aspects of the Dark Arts, including dark creatures, curses, ***hexes*** and jinxes (dark charms), and duelling.Template:ClassThe class was a core subject at Hogwarts. The position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at the school was once rumoured to be ***jinxed***, as no teacher could hold the post for more than a year without suffering an unpleasant fate. Tom Riddle jinxed the position because Albus Dumbledore did not give him the job when he applied for it. The fact that no teacher has lasted longer than a year meant that the subject had numerous Professors over the years.
Ilvermorny began teaching the subject in the ***17th century***. Harry Potter would occasionally deliver Defence Against the Dark Arts lectures at Hogwarts in his adulthood.

## Class information

> The Dark Arts, are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible. Your defences must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo.
>
> Professor Snape discussing Defence Against the Dark Arts during a sixth year lesson in 1996, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Defence Against the Dark Arts was a required subject from first year to fifth year. The curriculum of the class varied greatly depending on what the professor at the time deemed appropriate. Due to the ***jinx on the teaching post*** that was present before Lord Voldemort died, many teachers had been appointed to this post.
Many years later, after becoming steeped in the Dark Arts and starting to use the title "Lord Voldemort", he visited the school and applied again, this time to Dumbledore. He was refused again. According to Albus Dumbledore, after the second refusal, no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher held the post for more than one school year. Dumbledore believed that this was due to Voldemort placing a ***jinx*** on the position, a belief that was popularly spread throughout the school.

 File:DADA Unforgivable Curses.png  The lessons generally had a practical approach, with the cases of competent teachers believing that when it came to the Dark Arts a practical approach was the best way, with theoretical assignments given as homework. Inadequate teachers, such as Quirinus Quirrell and ***Dolores Umbridge***, who were focused on theories alone, hampered the learning of defences as they would not be providing students any practical experiences.
In the fifth year, Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations were taken; as such, students spent their time learning new topics and possibly revisiting the past four years of lessons (depending on the teacher). As part of their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., students had to sit a written exam one of the questions asks to describe the five signs of a werewolf and after students must complete a practical exam of; counter-jinxes, defensive spells, the Boggart-Banishing Spell, and the Patronus Charm (for bonus points).
To advance to the N.E.W.T. class, a student had to first achieve a high O.W.L. score of either "Outstanding" or "Exceeds Expectations"; most teachers set the bar at "Exceeds Expectations".
Also, due to the course being directly related to the Dark Arts itself, Dark wizards who wished to teach would typically apply for this course, notably being Tom Riddle, Severus Snape
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were two known students who failed their O.W.L.s in Defence Against the Dark Arts, for which the following year's respective teacher, Snape, gave them both detentions.
The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was also responsible for dealing with any Dark Arts related activities that threaten the school and its residents, as Harry and Ron expected Lockhart to enter the Chamber of Secrets and protested against his excuse of leaving under an unavoidable urgent call in 1993,

## Location and time

### Classrooms

Defence Against the Dark Arts classes took place on the first-floor, Class 104 in the North Tower and Classroom 3C on the third-floor. In Classroom 3C, an iron chandelier hung from the ceiling, as well as a dragon's skeleton. On one end of the classroom stood a projector that was activated by magic. Several desks and tables could be found in the classroom as well as some sets of large windows.

### Lesson times

 Thursday
 Wednesday

During the 1989–1990 school year, Bill Weasley was given permission by Albus Dumbledore to teach extra-curricular evening classes in this subject to students after graduating the school, due to the ineffectiveness of the teaching that year. He continued teaching these lessons in the 1990–1991 school year as well. Olivia Green, a former Ravenclaw student, was later appointed as the DADA professor during that school year. She had Jacob's sibling investigate the existence of the rumoured jinx on the teacher's post during the school year. She also had them help her research Nogtails for a planned lesson.

 File:QuirinusQuirrell WB F1 QuirrellInClassroomHoldingLizard Still 080615 Land.jpg  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.

 File:Harry-potter2-lockhart professor.jpg  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. His lectures were simply storytelling and theatrical re-enactments from his books, since his first practical lesson ended in a disaster that he failed to contain (involving live "freshly caught" Cornish ***Pixie***s), 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.
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* **pixie***s loose*", and expressed his desire to drop out of the course mainly of Lockhart's incompetence. In late 1992, Lockhart also established a very shortly lived and unsuccessful Duelling Club with the help of Severus Snape, in an attempt to teach students how to defend themselves; the club only had one meeting which resulted in complete chaos.

 File:Crouch Jnr kills spider.gif

### Second year

> Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm. I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them.
>
> Lockhart introducing Cornish Pixies, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* ***Homorphus Charm***
* Verdimillious Duo Spell
* *Vermillious Duo*
* *Vermillious Tria*
* Tickling Charm
* Full Body-Bind Curse
* *Fumos Duo*
* Softening Charm

## Known professors

### Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

> There is a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and that position is now as safe as the other teaching posts at Hogwarts, since Voldemort's death broke the jinx that kept a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor from remaining for more than a year.
>
> ***J. K. Rowling*** stated the jinx on the DADA post has been lifted, Accio Quote!

Albus Dumbledore Template:CQuirinus Quirrell † Template:CProfile - Gilderoy Lockhart-COS Promo.jpgGilderoy Lockhart Template:CSeverus Snape † Template:C
During the time between the beginning of Voldemort's jinx and when it was eventually broken, there was at least one professor per year. Therefore, between c. 1965 and 1990 (the year before Harry began studying at Hogwarts) there could be around twenty-five different professors in the position.
Severus Snape served as a substitute teacher during the 1993–1994 school year, when Remus Lupin was feeling ill.
Harry Potter occasionally gave lectures on the subject.

## Grades

* ***Exceeds Expectations*** [E]
* Acceptable [A]
* Dreadful [D]
* Troll [T]

## Known O.W.L.s

Profile - Harry Potter-COS Promo.jpgHarry PotterProfile - Hermione Granger-COS Promo.jpgHermione GrangerProfile - Ronald Billius Weasley.pngRon WeasleyAlbus Dumbledore † Template:CQuirinus Quirrell † Template:CSeverus Snape † Template:CProfile - Gilderoy Lockhart-COS Promo.jpgGilderoy Lockhart Template:CProfile - Draco Malfoy COS.pngDraco MalfoyProfile - Fred Weasley 00I.pngFred Weasley I †Profile - Mister George Weasley.pngGeorge WeasleyProfile - Lee Jordan COSF.PNGLee JordanNeville LongbottomProfile - Percy Ignatius Weasley.pngPercy Weasley
* All ***Aurors*** since it is a compulsory N.E.W.T.-level qualification; therefore O.W.L. must have been achieved before that.

## Behind the scenes

* When ***J. K. Rowling*** was asked why Dumbledore would not give Severus Snape the Defence Against the Dark Arts job, Rowling responded that Dumbledore believed that teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts would bring out Snape's worst side, though Dumbledore finally relented in ***Harry's sixth year***. Snape admitted to ***Bellatrix Lestrange*** that reason during their conversation in ***Spinner's End***.
* Rowling has also revealed that after Amycus Carrow was the Dark Arts teacher, a permanent teacher took the post because Voldemort's ***jinx*** over the job was lifted.
* Whilst it is known that Dumbledore did not wish Professor Snape to teach DADA for fear of relapsing into his Death Eater ways, it is also possible that (since the subject had been jinxed) he was also thinking of Snape's physical well-being (not least of all because of how much of importance he could have been, and was, in the long run). Despite Dumbledore's fear, however, Snape did not truly return to his old ways when granted the position he sought for, though he did teach the lessons with a sense of passion for the Dark Arts.
* Each Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher attacked (or attempted to attack) Harry.
	+ Quirrell tried to strangle Harry and jinxed his broom during a Quidditch game.
	+ Lockhart attempted to erase his memories
	+ Snape attacked Harry in retaliation for Harry trying to curse him during the ***Battle of the Astronomy Tower***.
	+ Quirrell was serving Voldemort and was possessed by him.
	+ Lockhart was a cowardly fraud who covertly stole the achievements of others.
	+ Snape was the one who had reported the prophecy to Voldemort and was the Half-Blood Prince.
* During his tenure as **Potions Master**, Severus Snape only accepted students who achieved an '***Outstanding***' on their ***OWLs*** into his NEWT-level Potions classes. However, when Snape became the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in the 1996–1997 school year, students who achieved 'Exceeds Expectations' were still allowed to take the NEWT-level DADA classes.
* The only book to have twice been assigned for this subject is *The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection*.
* Most of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers in Harry's six years at Hogwarts followed a similar pattern: each (with the exception of Quirrell and Snape).
	+ They were an entirely new teacher; each was chosen out of necessity, due to the loss of the previous instructor and the absence of other applicants
	+ each meets Harry before he arrives at Hogwarts in the respective year (with the exception of Mad-Eye Moody, who was only mentioned in passing, although Harry had unknowingly encountered Barty Crouch Jnr at the Quidditch World Cup)
	+ and each physically (or magically) attacks Harry during school term, either intentionally or accidentally, as in the case of Remus Lupin.
* In Template:OOTP, when discussing who their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be, Harry said that the teachers didn't have much luck: *"One sacked, one dead, one lost his memory, and one was locked in a trunk for nine months,"* referring to Lupin, Quirrell, Lockhart, and Moody, respectively; this isn't true, however, because Lupin resigned rather than was fired. Also, Crouch Jnr, the *de facto* teacher for Harry's fourth year, suffered the Dementor's Kiss.
* Quirinus Quirrell is the only Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher known to have died during the year he gave the subject.
* According to Pottermore, from the best to worst Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher during the seven years of Harry's education:
	1. Severus Snape, for his effective, qualified yet strict methods.
	2. Gilderoy Lockhart, for his fraudulence, teaching about himself more than about defence.
	3. Quirinus Quirrell, for having Voldemort at the back of his head.
* In Template:HM, if players take Jacob's sibling to the O.W.L. through an optional side quest, they will definitely gain at least an A, even if they fail to answer every question and perform any defensive spells.
* In the early video games, creatures such as Fire Crabs, Fire Dwelling Salamanders (which are canonically small, non-aggressive lizards) and Streelers are covered in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. However, Template:FB confirms that these creatures are not dark creatures, nor very dangerous, and Fire Crabs (a highly protected species) and Streelers (domesticated as pets) are in fact taught and handled in Care of Magical Creatures instead, meaning their inclusion on the Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum is not canon. Several games also depict gnomes as being covered in the class, which seems rather odd considering they are simply harmless (albeit annoying) garden pests, and are not considered dark or dangerous.
* Also in the early video games, spells such as the Softening Charm or Seize and pull charm are taught in this class, despite these spells seemingly not having any defensive or offensive qualities. It is likely these spells were taught in this class purely for game-play reasons.
* In Template:LEGO, in Gilderoy Lockhart's first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, Lockhart teaches his students the Freezing Charm for combating Pixies. However, this lesson cannot be considered canon, since it fundamentally contrasts this lesson's depiction in the ***second book***.

## Appearances

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:COS
* Template:POA
* Template:GOF
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP Template:Mention
* Template:COG
* Template:COG
* Template:AM
* Template:JKRS Template:Mention
* Template:PM
* Template:WW
* Template:TCG
* Template:HPK
* Template:HPV Template:Mention
* Template:HPV
* *Harry Potter: The Wand Collection* Template:Mention
* Template:HM
* Template:WU Template:Mention
* Template:PAS Template:Mention
* Template:MA
* Template:HL
* Template:AMHL Template:Mention

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Template:POA
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:GOF
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Template:HBP
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Template:PS
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Finished ‘Potter’? Rowling tells what happens next at Today (26 Jul 2007)
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Template:OOTP
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Template:COS - Chapter 11 (*Gilderoy Lockhart*)
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Template:COS
9. ↑ Template:POA
10. ↑ Template:HM
11. ↑ Template:HM
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Template:WW
13. ↑ Template:WW
14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `COGS`
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 As professors of this subject at Hogwarts, it is likely they all had O.W.L.s in the subject, as they would have taught it to students at that level and above.
16. ↑ Template:COS - It is said that both Percy
17. ↑ Quick-Quote Quill - J. K. Rowling
18. ↑ Interview from Quick Quote Quill

Template:Regular Defence Against on-the Rare Dark Arts
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