He handed Marvolio a book on Human Transfiguration and headed alone toward Diagon Alley.
The book had been written specifically by his teacher for instructional purposes—the only copy in existence within the wizarding world. Truth be told, Human Transfiguration was the most dangerous branch of Transfiguration; a single mistake could result in permanent injury. Only someone as bold yet meticulous as his teacher would dare to study such a skill.
Marvolio, however, was unconcerned about such risks. For him, the greatest danger lay in not being powerful enough. With his already formidable talent for Transfiguration, a month would be enough to master the fundamentals of Human Transfiguration.
After dispelling the transfiguration spell on himself and changing back into his robes, Tver stepped into Diagon Alley. At once, he felt the sharp contrast between the two neighboring districts.
Sunlight poured down, the air hummed with energy, and cheerful laughter echoed all around. Even his own mood brightened slightly.
But that lighthearted feeling was quickly broken.
"Customers, please, have mercy—!"
A man dressed like a shop clerk shouted desperately, his voice carrying from inside the bookstore all the way onto the street. Naturally, it drew the attention of passersby. Whether muggle or wizard, the instinct to watch chaos unfold was universal.
After squeezing through the crowd, Tver finally managed to push his way inside the shop.
Lucius Malfoy, whom he had just seen at Borgin and Burkes, was wrestling on the floor with a man in green robes, ignoring everyone's attempts to separate them. Books tumbled from the shelves—thanks in part to the Weasley twins, who were gleefully watching from the sidelines.
"Dissendium."
With a single command, Tver forcibly separated Lucius and Arthur Weasley.
Just then, Hagrid entered the store. Seeing the two men still trying to grapple, he quickly grabbed both of their heads.
"Easy there, Hagrid, let go! You're choking them!"
Tver glanced at the pair—only the edges of their red, straining faces were visible beneath Hagrid's massive hands. Their arms hung limp, utterly powerless to resist.
Hagrid released them only after realizing what he'd done.
"Oh, sorry about that, Arthur."
His huge hand patted Mr. Weasley's back twice, as if to dust him off—but it landed squarely on the spot where he'd been hurt the worst.
"That's enough," Mr. Weasley said quickly, stopping him.
Seeing this, Mrs. Weasley finally exhaled in relief, then glared furiously at her husband before turning to Tver.
"Sir, thank you so much for separating them. I can't believe my husband would do something like that in front of the children."
"Professor Fawley!" George suddenly called out, drawing everyone's attention.
"Mum, this is Professor Fawley—the one I told you about all summer!" Fred said excitedly, running up to them.
"Oh?" Mrs. Weasley gasped, her eyes widening. "You're the children's Defence Against the Dark Arts professor? I'd heard you were young, but I didn't expect this young!"
"Professor Fawley is way stronger than he looks!" Draco walked over proudly, unwilling to be left out.
Lucius, noticing the commotion, forced a calm expression, though the swelling around his right eye made him look rather ridiculous.
"So you're the Fawley child," he said, extending a hand toward Tver with practiced ease. "Draco owes you for taking care of him at school."
"As a professor, that's my duty," Tver replied, exchanging a few polite words with him.
"I heard from Draco that you were planning to visit my estate this summer?" Lucius deliberately emphasized the word "estate."
"Indeed. It's far superior to certain parents' pigsty-like homes. Choosing our house is only natural."
Mr. Weasley, who had just caught his breath, flared with anger again. If Hagrid hadn't held him back, he would have leapt at Lucius once more.
"Just wanted to discuss a few things with you," said Tver with an innocent smile.
"Probably because young Malfoy's been causing trouble at school, so the professor came for a home visit," Ron blurted out.
Lucius shot the Weasley family a cold glance.
"Draco's affairs are none of your concern. What you should be worrying about is how to afford better textbooks."
With that, he snatched one of Ginny's secondhand books and shoved it roughly into her cauldron. Then, without giving the Weasleys a chance to respond, he grabbed a reluctant Draco by the arm and stormed out of the shop.
"You shouldn't have engaged with him," Hagrid said, trying to calm the fuming Mr. Weasley. "Some people are just rotten to the core."
The shop assistant looked as if he wanted to intervene, but after Tver gently smoothed the creased pages of a fallen book and set it back on the shelf, the man thought better of it. Of course, Hagrid's enormous presence might have helped as well.
Their group stood out as they made their way down the street. Hermione's parents, the Grangers, followed nearby, watching Tver with a mix of curiosity and mild unease.
"Professor, what are you doing here? Did you come for Mr. Lockhart's book signing?" Hermione asked brightly.
Tver's smile stiffened. "I already had that book a month ago."
"Wow!" Hermione cried, her voice loud enough to draw a few stares. "So you actually read his books too?"
"..."
Thankfully, Harry stepped in to break the silence.
"But what's the deal with that Lockhart guy anyway? He says he's going to be next year's Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and made us all buy his books."
"Wait—does that mean you're being replaced, Professor?!" he blurted out.
All eyes turned toward Tver.
"Don't worry. Next year's classes will be taught by both Professor Lockhart and me. He'll handle the theoretical side."
As for the new textbooks, Lockhart had claimed they'd make his lessons easier to follow—though Tver privately suspected he just wanted to boost his sales.
Harry and the others sighed in relief. Hermione too, though she admired Lockhart, still believed that Professor Fawley was the stronger of the two.
"So, Professor, what will you be teaching us next year? We don't seem to have any textbooks."
"All you'll need are your wands," Tver said with a knowing smile.
Harry and his friends cheered at once. Compared to tedious written exams, they much preferred the exhausting but exhilarating thrill of practical lessons.
Tver accompanied them back to the Leaky Cauldron, taking the time to answer the Grangers' many questions about Hogwarts and Hermione. It was evening by the time he watched them finally depart.
As for Ginny, she stopped suddenly, as if sensing something, and turned around.
Tver stood there, smiling and waving. Ginny blushed furiously, hurriedly turned back, and jogged to catch up with her family.
"What's wrong, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked gently.
"N-nothing. I was just... a little curious about that young professor."
"Professor Fawley's really nice," Harry said with a grin. "You can ask him anything."
Ginny's face turned crimson, and she immediately forgot all about her brief exchange of glances with Tver.