As classes settled into their routine, Tewell found himself more relaxed. Third-year students were still practicing their positioning, with Tewell guiding them through releasing spells while dodging the occasional hex he threw their way.
Second-year students were primarily making up for missed fundamentals from the previous year, including spellcasting techniques, magical power output, and some spell applications. This was the grade level Tewell worried most about.
Their abilities varied widely; some students couldn't even maintain a steady magical output, yet they possessed exquisite spellcasting techniques. There were too many students like this, some lacking in all areas, so Tewell had to attend to the struggling students, revisiting first-year content with them. Progress was slow, and it almost felt like there was no difference between them and the first-years.
Thus, the first-year newcomers focused on laying the groundwork, starting with spellcasting guidance. Of course, regardless of the grade level, they all had to undergo quizzes before class.
Quizzes no longer covered the entire year's content but rather summarized previous lessons, making them considerably more challenging. As for how difficult they were, one only needed to listen to the students' evaluations:
"For the last two and a half hours of class, Professor Fawley is the best teacher in the whole school. But for the first half-hour of class, he's the most detestable."
Of course, Tewell hadn't forgotten the reward he promised to the third-year students.
In the afternoon, after finishing his classes, Tewell returned to his office to enjoy some peaceful reading time.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The orderly knocking sounded, and without lifting his head from his book, Tewell called out, "Come in."
Instantly, the door swung open at the sound of his voice. George's hand was still raised in the air, frozen in surprise as he stared dumbfoundedly at Tewell inside.
Tewell raised his head, setting his book aside. "What's the matter, do I have a man-eating monster in my office?"
The four outside the door finally reacted, hurrying in. Once they were inside, the door shut with a click, but they paid no mind, instead discreetly surveying the professor's office.
Each year, the office of the Dark Arts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is different, so each visit brings a new experience. However, seeing the shelves piled high with books, they couldn't help but inwardly whistle. Even if they graduated, they might not be able to read half of the books here!
Tewell could tell what they were thinking just by looking at their expressions, so he tapped the four papers on the desk to bring their attention back. "Curiosity can wait, let's discuss your rewards."
The four of them instantly lit up with smiles, George and Fred even exchanging excited high-fives.
"However, before we proceed, I need to address something," Tewell's serious expression cooled the atmosphere. "Although the essays of the two Mr. Weasleys have different writing styles, their core content is the same."
"What do you have to say about this?" The twins exchanged glances.
"It must be Fred; I started writing first!"
"What's the point of starting first? I finished writing first, then you secretly took it to read!"
As the twins argued, a tall, handsome young man behind them stepped forward.
"Professor, may I speak on their behalf?"
"Of course, Mr. Diggory."
This was Cedric Diggory, the student receiving the reward from Hufflepuff. He glanced at the still-glaring Weasley twins.
"The two Weasleys are twins, and they often act together. Their thoughts and experiences are basically the same. Professor, you may not know this since you just arrived, but they often have similar essays in assignments from other professors."
The Weasley twins immediately switched to a mode of brotherly camaraderie, leaning on each other's shoulders, nodding vigorously to express their agreement with Cedric.
Tewell nodded in agreement. He had indeed considered this possibility, and he didn't see any signs of lying in their eyes.
"In that case, this reward belongs to all four of you."
"Yeah, woo-hoo!" Davies cheered immediately. Cedric, usually composed, got excited and joined the twins in a hug, cheering along. Only Tewell looked at them with a playful gleam in his eyes. "The reward is just behind the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom; you'll see it when you get there. Hurry up!" All four nodded eagerly, cheering as they ran out.
But as they ran, Cedric suddenly realized something wasn't right. "What kind of reward would be placed behind the classroom?"
Davies didn't care about the details; he pulled Cedric along. "Stop worrying so much. If it's a reward, it won't be a set of exam papers, right?"
At the thought, the twins shivered. "No way, even if it were exam papers, they would be given to us in the office; there's no need to go to the classroom."
"The professor's office is small, while the classroom has more space. Maybe it's a substantial reward, so it's arranged in the classroom!"
Everyone relaxed, except for Cedric, who still harbored some doubts.
They jogged to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the ground floor. There were many young witches and wizards bustling around, but this classroom wasn't for their magical practice; its door was tightly shut.
Davies knocked on the door, perplexed. "Did the professor forget to give us—"
"Creak." The door opened automatically, revealing the darkened classroom inside.
"We must learn this spell, and it would be great if we could lock the door. Then Mom couldn't just barge into our room whenever she wanted!" George grumbled.
Mrs. Weasley often entered and confiscated their "contraband," causing them significant losses.
"Trust me, moms always find a way to get into our rooms," Davies quipped, feeling their pain.
As they entered the classroom, the candles lit up automatically with their footsteps, illuminating the space. Fred wanted to marvel at the professor's arrangement, but when he saw the figures shrouded in black cloth, he was speechless. Three others had their mouths agape, but no words came out.
They had heard about the fake professors for second-years, rumored to be incredibly lifelike. However, they only appeared in the second-year's first class, so the third-years had never seen them. But seeing this, they all felt an ominous premonition.
"Th-there's a piece of parchment with writing on it over there. Let's take a look first; it might not be what we think it is," Cedric pointed to the parchment attached to the chest area of the black cloth.
With trembling hearts, they cautiously approached, afraid that the figure might suddenly pull out a wand and cast a spell on them.
"This is your reward, a personalized training partner for one month. Just say 'start' to him, and you can try to battle him," Cedric read aloud after they finished reading the note.
After reading the note, a sudden feeling arose in their hearts.
Uh oh, it seems like they've fallen into a trap!