Defense

against the
dark arts

By Professor Dillon moss

Defense Against the Dark Arts
Defense Against the Dark Arts (sometimes written as DADA) is a subject taught
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Ilvermorny School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry[1]. In this class students learn how to magically defend
themselves against Dark Creatures, the Dark Arts, and other dark charms.
Offensive magic is also taught in this class, such as how to duel, which requires
the use of both offensive and defensive magic.
The subject is core class at Hogwarts. The position of Defense Against the Dark
Arts professor here was once rumored to be jinxed, as no teacher could hold the
post for more than a year.
Class information
Defense Against the Dark Arts is a required subject from first year to fifth year.
The curriculum of the class varies greatly depending on what the professor at the
time deems appropriate.
The lessons generally have a practical approach, with many of the teachers
believing that when it comes to the Dark Arts a practical approach is the best way,
with theoretical assignments given as homework.
In the fifth year Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations are taken; as such,
students are spent 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 must 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, Riddikulus, and the Patronus Charm(for
bonus points).[4]
To advance to the N.E.W.T. class a student must first achieve a high O.W.L. score
of either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations'; most teachers set the bar at
'Exceeds Expectations'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curriculum
First year
Dark creatures
 Curing werewolf bites
 Gnomes
 Doxies
 Snails
 Imps
 Bowtruckles
 Ghosts
 Gargoyles
 Hags
 Fire crabs
 Gytrashes
Spells
 Curse of the Bogies (Mentioned)
 Knockback Jinx
 Vermillious
 Verdimillious
 Wand-Lighting Charm
 Smokescreen Spell
 Green Sparks
 Red sparks
 Periculum
Second year
Dark creatures
  Cornish Pixies (Experienced first-hand)
 Banshees
 Ghouls
 Hags
 Trolls
 Vampires
 Werewolves
 Yeti
 Fire crabs (Revision)
 Imps (Revision)
 Gargoyles (Revision)
Spells
 Disarming Charm
 Tongue-Tying Curse
 Homorphus Charm
 Verdimillious Duo
 Vermillious Duo
 Tickling Charm
 Banishing Charm
 Petrificus Totalus
 Cushioning Charm
 Melofors Jinx
Third year
"Professor Lupin had complied the most unusual exam any of them had ever
taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun."
—Third year exam in 1994[src]
Dark creatures
 Boggarts
 Grindylows
 Werewolves
 Hinkypunks
 Kappas
 Red Caps
 Vampires
 Salamander
Spells
 Riddikulus (Expelling boggarts)
 Seize and Pull Charm
 Freezing Spell
 Lumos Duo Charm
 Patronus Charm (Taught only to Harry Potter)
 Orbis Jinx
Fourth year
"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. "
—Barty Crouch Jr (disguised as Alastor Moody) on his approach of the
subject [src]
Dark creatures
 Erklings
 Red Caps (Revision)
 Dugbog
  Blast-Ended Skrewt
Spells
 Cruciatus Curse (Witnessed on spider)(1994-1995 school year only, usually
covered in sixth year)
 Hex-deflection
 Counter-curses
 Imperius Curse (Witnessed on spider, resisting) (1994-1995 school year
only, usually covered in sixth year)
 Killing Curse (Witnessed on spider)(1994-1995 school year only, usually
covered in sixth year)
 Freezing Spell (Revision)
 Aqua Eructo
Fifth year
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been, disturbingly, uneven. But you
will be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured,
Ministry-approved course of defensive magic."
—Dolores Umbridge's excuse of depriving students of practical defence[src]
Official curriculum
 Conflict avoidance
 Counter-jinxes and Defensive Charms (Discouraged)
 Fleeing
 Iguanas
 Vampire bats
 Theory
Dumbledore's Army
 Stunning Spell
  Patronus Charm
 Reductor Curse
 Diminuendo
 Tickling Charm
 Petrificus Totalus
 Disarming Charm
 Shield Charm
 Other jinxes and hexes
Sixth year
Dark creatures
 Dementors
 Inferi
Spells
 Nonverbal spells
 Resisting the Imperius Curse
 Levicorpus (Revision)
 Disarming Charm (Revision)
 Stunning Spell (Revision)