Protection Against the Dark Magical Arts

One of the very first core classes that was created at Gerhardt, Protection Against the Dark Magical Arts, or PADMA as the students often abbreviate it, is arguably the most important class that any young wizard or witch can take. Of all the classes, PADMA is one of six that are mandatory for all seven years, and is optional for an eighth year if the student chooses to undergo the graduate program. It is historically the oldest taught class in all the magical schools in the world due to its sheer influence on safety and every day life. For Gerhardt, it is one of the five original core classes that the founders agreed upon - and all five are still mandatory for students to this day.

Professor Isabella Black describes the class as follows:

"Dark arts. It is the most dangerous subject to study, because these curses and spells are used to gain power and control along with inflicting fear by these devoted dark witches and wizards. Most are openly frowned upon, and some are outright outlawed. This class has the singular purpose of teaching you how to defend yourselves against these curses, against dark witches and wizards, and against dark creatures you might be so unfortunate to run across in your lives."

It can be very challenging for students in this class to keep up with the lessons due to high standards that all teachers of the subject have with their material. Most teachers of PADMA have had extensive history with the Dark Arts, either combating it, or had practiced it themselves. It is because of that first hand experience that the lessons are extremely useful and lifelike for the students. The more lifelike the lessons, the better trained and prepared the students are when they encounter it.

Professor Axel Drawn, the predecessor of Bella and Sirius at Gerhardt, described his class as follows:

"PADMA is the class that laziness will not be tolerated in. I can teach you all the worst curses that has ever been created, I can teach you the way to gain immense power, and I can teach you how to keep yourself safe against nearly any opponent and win. You choose to follow down the path of only the Dark Arts however and you will pay a very high price for your decision. Anything dark comes at a cost; if not physically, then spiritually. Pay attention to what I say and you all stand a good chance at surviving an encounter with the Dark Arts."

PADMA is in the top three classes that is graded the hardest at Gerhardt leading to many students spending most of their studying on PADMA instead of other classes. It is the only class that a failure will result in your repeating of that year's material over the summer, and you must pass in order to move onto the next year's curriculum. Not to mention it will result in your immediate death later in life if you are unfortunate enough to encounter the dark arts and still not pass those lessons.

PADMA has always been the most serious class for students to pay attention in, and for good reason. If you cannot survive against the Dark Arts, then nothing else that you learn in school will matter for you in death. It is that philosophy that has led to the teachers of PADMA to be ranked within the top three slots at Gerhardt since it's founding, coming in behind the principal and the assistant principal.