As if responding to Tver's words, the freed Matagot let out a snarl, baring its mouth full of sharp teeth.
But to the students, the Matagot didn't even need to open its mouth to terrify them—each of its four paws had long, gleaming claws, shining with a faint, eerie light. They were displayed openly, as if ready to rip their throats out at any second.
The Matagot prowled along the perimeter, its predatory gaze sweeping over the students. A single cat had somehow managed to make them all feel surrounded.
"Now then, let's have three volunteers come up first to demonstrate how to deal with a Matagot," Tver said.
The words had barely left his mouth before the entire class stumbled backward in unison, nearly crushing Davies and the Weasley twins against the back wall.
"Hey, could you—"
Before Davies could finish, he realized that the space in front of them had completely cleared. They were standing right in the open, fully exposed to the Matagot's cold, white eyes.
"Fred, why do I feel like we're moving forward?"
"You're not imagining it…"
Pushed to the front by their so-called "friends," the three of them could only watch as the Matagot crept toward them, each step measured and deliberate.
"Well then, you three will handle the Matagot. Be careful—those claws up top are razor-sharp," Tver said with a wicked grin.
The three quickly fastened their protective badges to their belts and drew their wands, standing at the ready. Having endured private lessons with Tver, they knew his style well—he wouldn't cause serious harm, but a little pain was inevitable.
The Matagot moved like an ordinary cat, slow and graceful when walking. But once it entered hunting mode, its movements became lightning-fast.
A dark blur streaked across their vision as the Matagot pounced, landing right in front of George.
"Stupefy!"
Fred reacted instantly, aiming his wand. A red beam shot out, striking the Matagot precisely as it hit the ground. All those extra lessons had paid off—hitting a moving Matagot was something even many upper-year students couldn't do.
Unfortunately, the spell had no effect. Instead, the Matagot split into three.
Triple the fun.
Tver stood by, wand in hand, ready to intervene if necessary, but his tone remained casual as he continued lecturing.
"Don't be fooled by their lack of fur. Matagot have strong magical resistance. Worse still, when attacked, they multiply into three."
"So unless you can kill them outright, don't make the same mistake Fred just did and use a Stunning Spell."
The watching students burst into laughter, perfectly content to stay out of the fight. Compared to the panicking trio, they were thoroughly enjoying the show.
"Then tell us what we're supposed to do!" Davies shouted, darting across the floor with no dignity left.
One Matagot had been enough to terrify them. Now there were three. If not for the Shield Charms on their badges blocking two attacks, they'd already be covered in scratches.
And after seeing what happened to Fred's spell, none of them dared to fight back. Their wands might as well have been sticks.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Tver shook his head in mock disappointment.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Matagot have strong magical resistance, but that doesn't mean their physical resistance is strong. In fact, in the magical world, creatures that move quickly usually have weaker physical defenses. Take the cage I carried earlier—it wasn't enchanted at all, yet it still held the Matagot."
"So use your heads. Think about how to use physical means to deal with opponents who resist magic."
"Here's a hint: the Halloween Troll lesson."
The students still processing the reference looked confused, but George and his group, who had lived through that particular chaos, immediately understood.
George sent a flash of red light into the Matagot's eyes, and Fred seized the opening, casting a Pressure Charm that slammed the creature to the ground.
Davies scratched his head with his wand. "So what am I supposed to do? Conjure a stick and knock it out?"
"...After being tied up so many times, you should've learned something by now!" Tver groaned, resisting the urge to smack him.
"Oh, right."
Amid the laughter of their classmates, Davies finally caught on, conjuring a rope from his wand and binding the Matagot tightly.
Of course, in the short time he'd wasted, the creatures had already lunged at them several more times. But by now, they'd learned the rhythm—one flashed its eyes, another cast the Pressure Charm to pin it down, and the last tied it up.
In this regard, Davies seemed more skilled than any other student, though no one knew what he practiced in his spare time...
Finally, before the badge's magic depleted, they successfully subdued three Matagot.
Of course, they essentially counted as one, but that was fine—dividing them into three made practice easier for the students.
Tver summoned the three Matagot to his side.
"Very good. Gryffindor gets four points, Ravenclaw gets two."
"Their actions actually showed the beginnings of teamwork—each fulfilling their role and trusting their teammates—"
"We don't actually trust each other," George muttered under his breath.
"...so in today's lesson, you'll not only learn how to handle Matagot, but also strategize against creatures with strong magical resistance. Practice complementing each other's strengths and working together."
"These are skills you'll need when facing powerful magical creatures."
"Now form your own teams—groups of three or four are fine. Remember, more people mean more strength, but coordination becomes harder. You'll need to balance that yourselves."
After they hurriedly organized their teams, Tver released three Matagot, assigning one to each squad.
This time, however, the students lacked the protection of their Shield Charm badges, making them vulnerable to injury. Tver had to keep a watchful eye on them.
After all, even he couldn't save someone with a wound like a pierced heart...
"Clever thinking. Traps are also an effective way to deal with Matagot, but be careful—they're extremely agile. Don't end up stepping into your own traps while they escape unscathed."
Tver rescued a female student from one of their traps.
"Professor, what if we face a flying Dragon? Should we use an Incarcerous Spell or traps?" a student asked.
"No," Tver glanced at her, "what you'll use are your legs."
"Kick it?" the girl exclaimed in surprise.
"I mean run away!"
After handling the chaotic live-action training, Tver sighed.
This was their second live-action session; the first had been back in their very first class, when the students were utterly helpless.
So compared to before, they had made significant progress.
Still, when faced with real combat, they tended to panic easily.
"Honestly, I'm pleased you've learned so many combat techniques and spells over the past half-year."
"But you still lack considerable experience in actual combat. Therefore, for the remainder of this semester, we'll focus on practical exercises."
"Now, take your test papers and go back to thoroughly reflect on the three key points covered in this lesson!"
Amidst their stunned expressions, Tver produced a large stack of test papers.
"Don't neglect your theoretical review either!"