The students broke into smiles at once. They weren't exactly fans of being strung up and beaten (in both senses), and now that each side had a Professor Fawley, there was no way they'd lose too badly.
Only a few sharp-eyed students noticed the faint smile curling at Tver's lips, and a chill ran down their spines.
Under Tver's direction, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw divided evenly, forming two perfectly balanced teams. The two "Tver" on either side had no wands and could only use basic spells; they were provisionally named Professor A and Professor B.
This was an advanced technique Tver had learned from Dumbledore—how to imbue a transformed object with a trace of will. Combined with his own mastery of Human Transfiguration, he'd managed to craft two such dummies.
Both were infused with Tver's combat memories, but they lacked true intelligence—merely following preset reaction patterns. Of course, he could control them directly if he wanted to, but he still had exam papers to grade.
He began by softening the ground, then coated the area in a thin layer of gold. Finally, a flash of golden light burst between the two groups.
"Pop!"
The long-awaited battle began!
Both professors opened with a Disarming Charm, only for each to block the other's spell with a Shield Charm in the next instant. Their movements mirrored one another perfectly, spells flashing back and forth in a dazzling stalemate.
The students, however, were not so lucky.
They'd hoped to perform well enough to convince the real Professor Fawley to join in, but even the stray spells escaping from the two dummies were enough to keep them scrambling.
Still, since the main fight remained between the two professors, the students weren't completely overwhelmed—they even managed to cause a bit of trouble for the opposing team.
That, however, revealed the professors' true purpose.
Taking a step back, Professors A and B suddenly retreated behind their students, leaving the bewildered crowd staring. Their casting didn't stop, though. With human shields in front of them, they no longer bothered defending and instead unleashed a storm of offensive spells.
Who could possibly withstand that?!
Binding Curses and Disarming Charms shot across the field, catching students off guard. One by one, they were struck—tied up, knocked flying, then suspended in midair.
This was Tver's special protective magic, designed to keep fallen students from being trampled.
"Professor, I just tripped by myself!" one student shouted indignantly, legs flailing as he hung upside down.
But his voice was lost in the noise of battle, heard only by the few who shared his fate.
"Forget it," another called back. "Someone tried to claim they were just dodging a spell and rolled on the ground—they didn't get let down either."
Tver didn't notice their predicament, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. Wasn't it normal for students to get suspended during training?
His focus was entirely on the stack of papers in front of him—and to be blunt, they were a disaster.
Combat required casting skill, but written exams depended on memorization, something that didn't rely much on the professor. Even with Tver teaching, there was little he could do.
Whether the students' poor performance was because the previous professor had left, taking their knowledge with them, or simply because they hadn't studied properly, it was hard to tell.
Either way, the results were dismal. Aside from a few top students with perfect scores, barely anyone managed over eighty percent. Only about ten even passed—less than a third of the class.
Don't assume that because Tver excelled in combat, he ignored theory. In fact, his theoretical knowledge had been among the best at Durmstrang.
Especially in Defence Against the Dark Arts—since Hogwarts didn't teach dark magic, the students could only learn about it from textbooks. If you didn't even understand your opponent's magic, how could you hope to counter it?
And beyond dark magic, there were countless peculiar magical creatures and plants that students needed to recognize and remember how to handle.
As the students' shouts grew louder, Tver sighed softly and looked up.
There were only a handful of students left on the field, and judging by the names floating above them, the three top scorers were still holding on. At least that was good news—their combat ability was impressive.
After watching for a moment, Tver saw Professor A, with their numerical advantage, successfully disarm Professor B, bringing the duel to an end.
Team A's students immediately stopped complaining and erupted in cheers, celebrating their victory, while Team B hung their heads in disappointment.
The three remaining students were spared from being bound. Their faces were flushed from the fight, hair plastered to their foreheads with sweat still dripping down.
As their classmates fell one after another, the pressure on them had only increased. If the professor hadn't realized the value of his assistants and shielded them from much of the barrage, they would've ended up hanging too.
Even so, wide grins stretched across their faces—smiles that not even exhaustion could erase.
"Very good—surprisingly good, just like your performance on the exam."
Tver's sarcastic tone was instantly picked up by the students. "Ravenclaw gains four points, Gryffindor gains two."
He showed no intention of lowering the student dangling from the ceiling, instead busying himself with clearing away the surrounding enchantments and the two mannequins.
"Professor, may I know my exam score?" asked Cho Chang, one of the top students, in a low voice.
"Oh, of course. All three of you achieved full marks." Tver always held a soft spot for top students. "The only three with perfect scores. So, tell me—what were your impressions of this battle?"
"Four aspects: positioning, casting speed, personal defense, and teamwork!" said a student named Eddie Carmichael, speaking up first.
"You're absolutely right," Tver said with amusement, studying his confident face. "But zero points. Copying homework won't truly improve your skills."
"I asked for your personal experiences in this battle. Who can tell me—including the student still hanging from the ceiling?"
Katie Bell, the sole Gryffindor among the three top students, hesitantly suggested, "To attack bravely even against a stronger opponent?"
...Is this Gryffindor?
Tver choked slightly, then gave an ambiguous nod.
"Correct, but not entirely."
"When facing a strong opponent, choose a smart way to attack—especially when your own side has an equally powerful ally."
"Unite around him, create favorable conditions for him as much as possible, and provide a comfortable environment for him to perform. That is the best way to secure victory."
"So, the homework assignment for this lesson is an essay: How to fight effectively alongside a strong ally. No word limit."
In short: the "Hitch a Ride" Strategy.
Tver finally set all the students down. As they cheerfully discussed the recent battle, he raised his voice and added,
"Also, given your weak foundational knowledge, except for the three students who scored perfect marks, there will be a quiz before every class from now on!"
Smile Vanishing Technique!
Tver's words stripped the joy from the students' faces like the chill of midwinter, leaving their expressions frozen stiff as ice...