Half an hour later, every student was drenched in sweat, their faces flushed from intense exertion. Panting heavily, they lay sprawled across the soft ground like puddles of mud.
Their wands lay discarded at their sides—they didn't even have the strength to pick them up.
If they could do it all over again, they'd have thrown themselves onto the floor the moment it began rather than actually try to duel the professor.
Because this time, the professor had used curses without holding back!
Stunning Spell, Petrification Spell, Dancing Feet Spell, Tickling Charm—all the spells they'd learned over the past three years were transformed into terrifyingly effective attacks in the professor's hands.
The positioning, spell-casting techniques, and teamwork they'd practiced for a whole year seemed completely useless. No matter what they tried, the professor's magic hit its mark every single time.
The result? Every student had danced at least once, and laughed uncontrollably from the Tickling Charm for over five minutes!
And the professor, of course, claimed it was all to test their ability to lift curses.
Now they understood why the exam only ended when they couldn't lift their wands anymore.
An exam like this could actually kill someone from exhaustion!
Tver, however, was perfectly satisfied as he lifted the surrounding enchantments. Then, with a wave of his wand—"Mobilicorpus"—he sent the limp students drifting gently back to their seats.
The Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, who had been chatting eagerly about the test just moments before, froze when they saw the sight.
"What happened to you all? How are you this tired?" Cedric quickly asked Davies beside him.
Davies managed a weak but excited smile. "It was incredible—absolutely amazing. I think this was the most fun exam I've ever taken."
Cedric stared blankly at the sweat dripping from Davies's forehead and his pale, drained lips. This… didn't look like the result of a "fun" exam at all.
But as if taking a cue from Davies, the other students used the last of their energy to boast to their classmates about how thrilling it had been.
"Unbelievable! The professor showed off some incredible magic!"
"Have you ever seen spells that curve midair? The professor actually did it!"
"With just one wave of his wand, he fired three beams of light—it was insanely cool!"
Watching their excited faces, the remaining students hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances before stepping toward the smiling professor—to experience their own special version of the exam.
...
Practical exams like this were only held for third-years and above—only they had the minimum skill required to stand against a professor.
As for the first- and second-years, they were better off sticking to their light ball games~
Tver worked with remarkable efficiency, managing to finish all the student exams within two and a half days. His subject became the first among all to wrap up.
He then spent another day and a half grading every written paper, reviewing the practical exam results, and assigning comprehensive scores to each student.
When he looked over the report cards, more than half of them were marked with the top grades—O and E. Among the rest, most were A for Acceptable, with only a few glaring fails scattered here and there.
While past exam results had never been fully reliable, comparing them with the students' performances from a year ago—or half a year ago for the upper grades—their progress was impressive enough to satisfy Tver.
With results like these, he'd have a bit more confidence when talking to Headmaster Dumbledore about a pay raise.
He set the report cards aside. It wasn't yet time to announce them to the students—they would be released once all subjects had been graded and distributed alongside the new term's book lists.
It was still early, and with his classes finished ahead of schedule, Tver suddenly had plenty of free time.
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to dive deep into Horcrux research, so he decided to take a walk through the library instead.
The Restricted Section contained plenty of valuable materials—nothing about the Four Elements, but quite a lot on the soul! He even came across several books on active exploration of the mind.
But this time, he stumbled upon an unexpected sight.
Or rather, a small group.
"I was just practicing my spells," Malfoy said proudly, chin tilted high. "Professor Fawley praised me after the exam. Said my magic technique was excellent."
Behind him stood his usual shadows—Goyle and Crabbe.
Facing them were Harry's trio and Neville.
Neville's legs seemed glued to the floor; he could barely stand upright.
"Give it a rest," Hermione stepped forward sharply. "Harry's score was higher than yours!"
Malfoy's smug smile froze. "Only by two points. My theory grade might be better."
"Your theory grade better than Hermione's?" Ron snorted loudly, not caring that he wasn't talking about his own score.
Malfoy's pale face darkened, and he cast an awkward glance at the two boys behind him.
Hmm. The two of them together probably didn't even match Hermione's marks.
Just then, Snape appeared, saving him from further embarrassment.
"What are you doing blocking the library entrance?" Snape's cold gaze swept over Harry and the others. "Don't you need to prepare for your Potions exam? Or are you all planning to go home with a T?"
His eyes lingered on Harry, a thin smile curving his lips. "Of course, even when some people prepare diligently, their talent will only ever get them that kind of result."
"I wonder who you mean, Professor Snape? Harry, perhaps?"
Tver's voice came lightly from behind Harry. He stepped forward, wrapping a friendly arm around the boy. "If my mother remembered correctly, she once told me that Harry's mum was quite gifted in Potions."
"If he inherited even a fraction of her talent, I'm sure he'll pass with ease. Don't you think so, Professor Snape?"
Snape's smile disappeared at once. His face darkened as he stared straight into Tver's eyes for a long moment before replying slowly,
"I don't know what your mother told you, but please refrain from spreading unverified rumors around the school."
He stepped closer, leaning in to murmur by Tver's ear, "Otherwise, not even Dumbledore will be able to protect you."
Without another word—or a glance at the stunned students—Snape turned and swept away, his robes billowing behind him.
Tver understood exactly what he meant. Snape didn't want his complicated connection to Harry to become public knowledge.
And since Dumbledore was involved, Tver had no intention of exposing anything.
He only teased Snape occasionally—but now that he thought about it, that might've been a bit cruel.
Perhaps he should ease up in the future. Otherwise, Snape really might come after him...