Chapter 15: I Won’t Kill You

With Penelope's scream, the secrecy of their conversation became impossible. The entire Great Hall buzzed with students whispering and pointing at Tver. Though prefects tried to maintain order, they couldn't stop the students from discussing him.

"I never expected the new professor to be from Durmstrang! He's only eighteen, just three years older than us!"

"Isn't it normal for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to know a bit of Dark Arts? How can he teach us defense if he doesn't know Dark Arts?"

"It's a pity Professor Fawley only teaches first to third years. I wonder if I can fail and retake his class."

Even Tver's thick skin couldn't withstand such gossip from the students. He decided to leave and head to Classroom 18 where he was due to teach.

This morning's class was for third years, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students together.

The classroom had minimal decoration, with just a desk and chairs arranged at the front. A large empty space remained behind, awaiting Tver's arrangement.

...

When George Weasley and Fred Weasley arrived at the classroom, it was already filled with their classmates.

"Look at you, giving the Ton-Tongue Toffees to Wood, and we ended up being chased by him for half an hour!" Fred nudged George with his shoulder, clearly annoyed.

(I know they invented this in 6th grade. But I don't know what they invented in third grade, so bring this forward.)

"Don't worry, we haven't started class yet," George teased, raising an eyebrow.

"If you two don't come in now, I'll mark you absent," Tver said, waving the parchment in his hand, which contained the student roster for the class.

Most names on the list shimmered with a golden glow, except for theirs.

George and Fred suddenly realized and hurried into the classroom. But as they entered, several golden letters appeared above each of their heads.

Their names.

A layer of golden light separated from these letters, resembling little birds flying out of their heads and then returning to Tver's parchment as if finding their nests.

The names on the parchment lit up with golden light.

Their names above their heads didn't disappear, making it easier for Tver to remember their names.

"Awesome!" Fred's eyes sparkled.

"Professor, I want to learn this!" George looked at Tver with anticipation, while Fred nodded beside him.

It was a simple name magic, with a hint of soul application, of course.

Tver tucked away the parchment with a standard wicked grin.

"Believe me, even if you've already done plenty of forbidden things, Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't be pleased to see you learning this."

The students present felt a chill down their spine.

Thinking back to the information circulating in the Great Hall today, the seemingly kind Professor Fawley didn't appear as innocent as he looked.

On the contrary, considering the two previous Defence Against the Dark Arts professors who left their posts abruptly, they suspected that Professor Fawley might end up in Azkaban by the end of the year, accused as a Dark Wizard.

So as soon as George's bottom hit the chair, he couldn't wait to ask, "Professor Fawley, I heard you're this year's graduate from Durmstrang, is that right?"

Tver deactivated the magic he had set up at the door without even looking back, and replied, "Mr. Weasley, remember to raise your hand for questions next time."

Turning around to face the students with the same question in their eyes, he continued, "Yes, indeed, I do come from that school."

The classroom erupted into a buzz of excitement.

"Professor, do you really study Dark Arts there?"

"Will you teach us Dark Arts?"

"Is that symbol of the man always in Durmstrang?"

Students clamored to ask Tver one question after another, some even stood up directly, questioning loudly.

"Quiet!" Tver's voice wasn't loud, but to the students' ears, it resonated through their souls.

As his words faded, the students found themselves stunned by the silence.

After a moment of confusion, they were astonished to realize that they, along with their classmates, couldn't hear anything they were saying!

Are we deaf?!

Just as they panicked, Tver's voice rang out.

"You're not deaf; this is a small punishment for you. Remember to raise your hand to speak from now on," he said with a cold smirk. As the students breathed a collective sigh of relief, he added, "And Gryffindor and Ravenclaw each lose ten points."

Fred eagerly raised his hand, and when Tver nodded, he realized he could speak again.

"Professor, we don't even have any points right now, so how are you going to deduct?" The students chuckled, covering their mouths.

"That is indeed a problem. Let's save it then. One point deducted each day until your house points are enough to be deducted."

Tver's words acted like a charm to dispel any doubts, instantly earning him the students' respect.

"As for Durmstrang, I don't want to delve too deeply into it in class. All you need to know is that just because we study Dark Arts doesn't mean we're Dark Wizards."

Tver felt the need to clarify; he still wanted to be a teacher who was dearly loved by his students.

"Now, about Grindelwald." He paused, waiting for the students to be intrigued by the name. "His symbol does indeed still exist in the school, but his ideology, much like the pure-blood supremacy in Hogwarts, has followers everywhere. This doesn't mean all students support his ideas, especially considering there are many students who have lost loved ones because of Grindelwald. They harshly reprimand any student who thinks spreading that symbol is cool. So, in my opinion, Durmstrang simply exchanged Defence Against the Dark Arts for Dark Arts Studies. Apart from that, the differences between the two schools aren't significant."

A student named Roger Davis raised his hand.

"Professor Fawley, I heard Durmstrang doesn't accept Muggle-born students. Is that true?"

"You're correct, Mr. Davis. Because we believe Muggle-born students find it challenging to resist the temptation of Dark Arts. Only when parents provide magical guidance can students understand the true nature of Dark Arts."

Seeing another student raising their hand, Tver didn't want this class to turn into a Durmstrang seminar.

"Alright, you can ask me about Durmstrang later. We're officially starting our first class, which is also my first class here. I thought you'd be more excited about it. Now, who can tell me what we need to learn in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

This question was too easy; even George could answer it effortlessly. "We need to learn how to use magic to protect ourselves from dark creatures and Dark Arts, as well as some offensive and defensive spells."

"That's correct. So, at the beginning of this class, I need to gauge your grasp of magic."

Tver clapped his hands, redirecting all the students' attention to him.

"The quickest way to do this is through combat, me against you." His lips curled up, and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

The students widened their eyes in shock, their pupils trembling like earthquakes, mouths gaping wide open.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."