Very quickly, they learned  professor Potter was not to be taken as a joke. But Merlin, could he teach. Never before had anyone ever challenged Ellie to such an extent. In her other classes, she had a particular talent for practical skills; charms, transfiguration, and potions came as naturally as walking or talking. When it came to reading, writing, and actually understanding some other subjects like herbology, Ellie simply coasted by. Defense Against the Dark Arts though, that was an entirely different beast. 