NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: “Combat Teaching”
Seeing the students' pale faces, Tver didn't explain but grinned mischievously, waving his wand.
"Alright, leave your books on the desks. Each of you grab your wand and stand at the back."
The students suddenly found their voices, but they dared not question loudly like before, only whispering in small groups.
"Can we run away now and seek help from Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"There are so many of us here; Professor Fawley wouldn't dare to do anything, right?"
"He said he wouldn't kill us, but that doesn't mean he can't make us lose an arm or something!"
The students moved to the open space at the back, standing face-to-face with Tver, separated by about fifteen feet.
"Don't worry; this is just a simple duel, me against all of you."
With a wave of his wand, the ground softened, feeling like stepping on a mattress, and a thin membrane formed around them, enclosing them within.
Some students tentatively touched it and found the membrane resilient yet gentle, softly catching their fingers. This discovery eased their hearts.
The professor didn't actually intend to knock them down.
"As you can see, the ground is soft, so even if you fall, it won't hurt. The membrane around you is for protection."
Tver held his wand, initiating the duel etiquette.
"If you manage to defeat me, not only will your deducted points be waived, but I'll also award each of your houses an extra twenty—"
"Stupefy!"
A red light suddenly shot out from the group of students, swiftly heading towards Tver, accompanied by Roger Davis's confident words.
"Professor, the duel has begun, hasn't it?"
But Tver chuckled lightly and deflected the Stunning Spell with a flick of his wand.
"A clever move. When facing a formidable opponent, surprise attacks or catching them off guard are your only secrets to victory. However, be prepared for your opponent's counterattack."
Before Davis could react, he was instantly bound by a rope, hanging upside down from the ceiling.
"Instead of standing foolishly in one spot."
As the students listened to Davis's cries, they tightened their grip on their wands, palms sweating nervously.
However, once someone started, more joined in.
Besides, Professor Fawley was only eighteen, not much older than them. How strong could he be?
For a moment, the students chanted spells at Tver, various colored lights flickering in the classroom.
But every spell hit the membrane and dissipated.
"I'm glad you've got the courage, but let me remind you, don't stand foolishly in one spot when casting spells. Even a pig wouldn't be that stupid. There's plenty of room around for you to move!"
Tver casually levitated another student who was standing still, but don't worry, this time he did it right-side-up.
The students were furious, but they also realized the importance of moving around. However, this meant that the accuracy of their spells greatly decreased.
Tver didn't even need to defend; all he had to do was take a few steps to dodge, effectively demonstrating the proper footwork for them.
"Don't hesitate when casting spells. Decisiveness leads to faster incantations. Even if your spell is dodged, you'll be ready to attack again swiftly. Are you treating this like a child's playdate?"
With a flick of his wand, Tver deflected incoming spells and cast a binding curse, immobilizing two students.
"That's a good idea. Two people casting spells to force movement, while one focuses on offense. But remember to protect yourselves, or you'll end up like naked pigs!"
"Professor, pigs don't wear clothes anyway."
"So you don't even know how to cast protective spells?!"
A barrier spell flew out, knocking the Weasley twins and a student named Lee Jordan off their feet. They were caught by the membrane but couldn't escape being suspended upside down.
Hearing Tver's sarcastic remark, the remaining students became frustrated, but they also became more organized and proactive.
Some released offensive spells, some attempted to block the flying ropes, while others looked for opportunities to disrupt Tver's movements, causing him trouble.
"Very good, it seems you've grasped the secret of outnumbering your opponent. But you've forgotten the most important point—"
The students paused as they heard Tver chant the first spell.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
This was a Levitation Charm they learned in their first year. But they didn't feel the sensation of floating, nor did they see anything levitating.
After a moment of confusion, tremendous pressure instantly filled every cell of their bodies!
Young wizards who had learned Muggle knowledge knew exactly what this sensation was.
Gravity became stronger!
Except for the students suspended from the ceiling, everyone else collapsed on the soft ground, unable to move even their fingers.
Tver intentionally controlled the output of magic, merely forcing them to lie on the ground, then systematically suspended all the young wizards from the ceiling.
If someone were to come and witness this scene, they might think he had some unspeakable fetish.
So, Tver—
Closed the door.
He found a table to sit at, watching the spectacular scene before him.
"To be honest, I'm very disappointed in all of you," he shook his head. "You've mastered very few spells, and the most commonly used ones are just Disarming and Impediment Jinxes. Only the standard casting can be considered a highlight. But your spellcasting skills are almost non-existent; all you do is stand there and cast spells. You need to remember, combat isn't a turn-based game of back-and-forth; it's instantaneous life or death. And finally, you acted like a bunch of scattered sand, only realizing the need for cooperation when prompted by your opponent. Sooner or later, we'll encounter opponents stronger than us. At that moment, cooperation should be your first thought. Diverging will only result in being picked off one by one. It's simply a failure within a failure. I'd have an easier time dealing with a bunch of pigs."
Tver listed a slew of their shortcomings, which only infuriated them more as he spoke.
The young wizards were only bound, not gagged, so naturally, they could speak up and retort.
"It's clearly because you're too cunning, Professor!" George kicked his legs weakly.
"If we were given enough practice time and coordinated well, it would be you hanging upside down in the end!" Fred also swung back and forth in annoyance.
Their classmates echoed their sentiments loudly.
Sure, losing was expected; after all, Tver was the professor, and they were just a group of third-year students. It wasn't embarrassing to admit. But this Professor Fawley's mouth was simply too infuriating. Calling them pigs, did he not know that pigs were the least magical creatures?!
The students, in a fervor, kept complaining about Tver but having learned their lesson, they dared not speak too rudely, just murmuring their grievances under their breath.
At that moment, a faint voice spoke up.
"I feel like my brain is about to explode. Can you please let me down first?"