ALL NOVEL Chapter 100: The First Class of the Advanced Group
Early in the morning, as Tver entered the Great Hall, he was immediately surrounded by a cluster of young wizards curious about the new arena. Rumors had spread that someone had flown on a broom over it the previous day, getting a clear view of its layout.
"That will be our learning venue for this school year," Tver explained calmly. "You won't be locked up to fight; the setup is meant to facilitate your classes. Remember, this is a school, not ancient Rome."
"It's not just about dueling; you'll also learn how to handle magical creatures, so there's no need to worry about your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s," he reassured them.
Managing to finally divert their attention towards Lockhart, Tver escaped the curious crowd. Lockhart, initially downcast, perked up with the renewed attention, straightening his clothes and flashing a perfect smile.
However, his cheer was short-lived. A deafening sound shattered his smile into oblivion.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the school expelled you, wait until I deal with you—!"
Mrs. Weasley's voice erupted from a red howler, filling the entire Great Hall and causing the chandeliers to quiver. The howler, a type of letter used in the wizarding world to express extreme emotion, would convey its fiery message before burning itself to ashes.
With everyone's ears still ringing, Tver cast a Muffliato spell to spare Ron and Harry from further public embarrassment. Once the howler had finished its tirade and the laughter and murmurs from the students subsided, Tver finally focused on his breakfast.
Curiously, he hadn't yet visited the newly constructed arena. Wizarding construction was remarkably fast, and the building was already complete. Seizing the moment before class, Tver slipped away to check it out.
The arena was not really a coliseum but rather resembled a small sports stadium. It had a single tier of spectator seats surrounding a large open space, where several humanoid statues and large stones were strategically placed.
"Casting protective charms," Tver muttered as he applied various protective spells to the area to ensure it wouldn't be damaged during student activities. Although, he mused, the students themselves weren't likely to be capable of such destruction; it would be their formidable opponents instead.
Satisfied with his work, Tver headed back to his classroom where the first batch of students awaited him. "Good morning," he greeted them briskly, quickly taking attendance before diving into the course outline.
"I'm delighted to see such a large group in this year's advanced class for sixth years. As you can see, we have sixty students, more than any previous session."
"It seems my courses last year were quite successful," Tver said with a smirk, pride evident in his tone.
The students puffed up with pride, cheering joyfully. The classroom was momentarily transformed into a sea of happiness, setting a lively tone for the upcoming academic year.
"However, a problem arises with this. Yes, our small classroom cannot accommodate so many outstanding students."
"So, most of our time will be spent in that new arena." Tver observed the gradually excited students.
"That's right. Since you sixth graders have more free time, our classes will correspondingly be a bit more interesting."
"What about Professor Lockhart's courses?" A student named Charles Migg raised his timetable, where Dark Arts Defense was divided into odd and even weeks.
"As shown above, you'll only have my class every other week. Remember what I said last year? Theoretical knowledge is just as important; I don't want to see your N.E.W.T. grades drop in the future." The students couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Compared to the naive younger students, they gradually discerned the emptiness in Lohart's words. If it weren't for the fact that they hadn't officially started classes yet, they would have openly questioned it long ago. If Lohart were absent, Professor Fawley could teach them much more!
"Don't underestimate the class every two weeks," Tver wagged his finger. "It will be a teaching worth savoring and practicing for a long time."
"All right, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and grab your wands, follow me!" Tver commanded.
The students, previously lost in thought, suddenly cheered, tossing their textbooks—actually Lockhart's writings—onto the desktop.
The excited group of students, chatting all the way, stood out conspicuously in the serene campus. Some students who hadn't had class looked at them in astonishment, still thinking of catching up.
Unfortunately, Tver had no intention of opening the spectator stands. Returning to the arena, he stopped the curious young wizards at the door.
"Sorry, you'll have to wait until it's officially time for class to come in."
As for the students in class, they were curiously inspecting the place, pointing and whispering about the statues and stones, speculating about their purposes.
The setup here was quite simple, and since someone had leaked it beforehand, they quickly surveyed the area. The only things that piqued their curiosity were the peculiar statues and the rules inscribed on the large stones.
The statues were humanoid, taller than Professor Fawley by a head, dressed like ancient warriors in armor, some wielding swords and shields, others holding long spears, and still others brandishing maces.
Tver clapped his hands to draw their attention.
"These things are temporarily unnecessary for you; let's focus on the content of the class first. Firstly, as sixth graders, you've undergone long-term magical studies, and your talents have gradually manifested in various directions."
"Does anyone know what this means?"
"It means those with poor talents have already started failing." A silver-haired girl interjected suddenly.
The students' thoughtful smiles vanished instantly. By sixth grade, apart from Percy, the only outstanding student in all subjects, many of them must have failed in several subjects, with some even having only this Dark Arts Defense class left.
Poor talents, wasn't that referring to them?!
"... Well said, Christo, but let's not say it again next time." Tver had to reveal the answer. "This means that you already have tendencies in battle."
"We always emphasize the importance of utilizing your strengths in combat. But someone told me, 'Sir, my best skill is applauding on the sidelines.' What do you say about that?"
"What do you think? Percy, your thoughts?"
"Professor, I believe it's about cooperation, working with complementary teammates to fully utilize everyone's abilities." Percy answered loudly.
"Correct. I'm sure you've all had a taste of it when facing me one-on-one." Tver grinned mischievously.
Except for first and second years, students from other five grades had received his "special" guidance and had passively experienced a bit of teamwork.
However, they had only superficially learned some cooperation, so this year, Tver planned to focus on enhancing this aspect of their abilities.
As for the purpose, it was naturally to make plans for the future!