After Tewell finished speaking, amidst the students' puzzled looks, he separated them, dividing them into two groups, each comprised of students from different houses.
It was a perfect opportunity to test out inter-house cooperation.
In the middle, there was a waist-high fence, creating a pathway and dividing them. Stepping forward onto the path, Tewell addressed them, "You will be split into two teams, left and right, to play a snowball game."
"Each of your snowballs will be controlled by the levitation charm you cast, but don't worry about running out; when one snowball breaks, a new one will appear."
"The activity area is confined within the golden membrane and the fence."
"Your objective is to attack every person on the opposite side while ensuring you're not hit yourself!"
"Once hit, your snowball will completely shatter, meaning that person is eliminated and must retreat to the sidelines."
By now, Tewell had crossed the pathway and arrived at the other side of the golden membrane, giving them a moment to digest the rules of the game.
"A reminder, though the attack spells in your snowballs have been weakened, the sensation isn't pleasant, so—"
"Be sure to give it your all!"
Observing the spirited demeanor of the students on both sides, Tewell nodded approvingly.
When he first arrived, he worried that Hogwarts students might be a bit pampered.
But now, it seemed that courage in battle wasn't lacking in any grade; it's just that few had tapped into this aspect of themselves.
Waving his wand towards the sky, a golden sphere flew towards the students' heads, stark against the gradually darkening sky.
"The battle ends when all opponents are eliminated or when dinner starts. The side with the most remaining members will be the victor and will receive, um, the Christmas gift I've prepared for you!"
"So, are you ready?"
The students eagerly shouted all sorts of sounds, creating quite a chaotic atmosphere. But they all conveyed the same message—
"We are ready!"
"Excellent. Now, listen to my command!"
The students gradually fell silent, their expressions more serious and solemn than ever before.
"Three!"
They took a deep breath, their wands held close to their chests.
"Two!"
Eager hands had already begun controlling the snowballs, eyes fixed on their targets. It was time for the professor's gift to be theirs!
"One!"
The golden ball in the sky burst open, emitting a dazzling light, illuminating the area without being too glaring. At least, the students could clearly see their opponents!
In that instant, dozens of snowballs flew like artillery shells towards the opposite side, hitting many students at once.
But as the numbers dwindled, the students simultaneously noticed a problem.
"Why is it so hard to control?!"
Percy watched his snowball miss again, while the imp on his head replenished him with another snowball.
The levitation charm was such a simple spell; he had mastered it back in his first year, even making it his first silent spell.
Yet once it flew across, the difficulty of control increased drastically, making him feel like a novice.
"Multifaceted magic isn't so easily learned," remarked Flint disdainfully, seeing Percy's struggle.
"This is practically an advanced magic now; it's not something you fifth-years can master," he sneered.
Before Percy could retort, even the imp on his head couldn't stand it anymore.
"Are you proud as a sixth-year who can't even cast a Levitation Charm properly?!" The imp viciously knocked Flint on the head. "And you have the nerve to criticize others when you've been eliminated!"
It was only then that Flint realized he had been hit by a snowball. He stood frozen in place, feeling the chill throughout his body, but the imp's knock broke the ice.
Across from him, Penelope, feeling sorry for the shivering Flint, waved and shouted, "Sorry, I was aiming for Percy!"
As time passed, more and more students gathered at the sidelines, loudly complaining to Tewell about the difficulty of the magic and—
"Professor, I was hit by a teammate's snowball, can I have another chance?!"
"This is already good enough! You have no idea how miserable I am; standing in the front row, I got ambushed right away, hit by at least five snowballs! Three from behind!"
Tewell had anticipated this situation. They had only been introduced to this magic this afternoon, and he was pleasantly surprised by their progress. With some more time to adapt, there would be fewer mishaps.
"Cough," he interrupted the students' complaints, "this is also to remind you that on a real battlefield, if magic isn't cast accurately, it's likely to harm teammates."
"That's why large-scale wizard battles are either held in open areas or avoid using mass destruction magic."
"Because most magic doesn't have friend-or-foe recognition."
To make magic have friend-or-foe recognition is simple; just mix in a bit of soul-based magic~
"Professor, will we have classes like this again?" a cautious young witch asked.
As soon as this question was asked, the scene instantly quieted down, with everyone eagerly awaiting Tewell's response.
Their initial anticipation for Professor Quirrell's classes stemmed solely from how terrible Professor Quirrell was; they just wanted a normal professor to teach them. But after experiencing such an extraordinary class, they all had the same thought—
Professor, please get rid of Professor Quirrell!
However, Tewell shook his head.
"This was decided before the start of the school year. Your classes will be taught by Professor Quirrell. Technically, today already violates school regulations."
Seeing the disappointed looks on the students' faces, and even a few young witches quietly sobbing, was their acting skills this good already?
He couldn't help but laugh and compromise, "Don't worry, we'll reserve this area, and you can have snowball fights here anytime before the end of the Christmas holiday."
Those few young witches instantly perked up, their smiles returning, no trace of their previous tears.
"Will there be those specially made snowballs?"
"Of course, the imps will distribute snowballs to you then, but be aware that they consume a lot of magical energy, so take care of yourselves."
The conversation immediately shifted to the imps, with the students having a love-hate relationship with these little creatures!
"Professor, will this imp stay on top of my head all the time?"
"Yeah, they're really cute!"
"Are these imps the Christmas gifts? I really want one!"
"If only they could speak a little less directly..."
...
With that said, the young wizards fell silent, their expressions awkward.
"The imps only appear when you enter this area, and their presence consumes a significant amount of your magic, so it's not suitable for them to be around constantly."
In reality, it wasn't just magical energy being consumed but also their mental and physical stamina.
Tewell had already seen several young wizards yawning.
This afternoon was like pulling an all-nighter for them, so he didn't dare to continue for too long.
Otherwise, the infirmary would be overwhelmed with exhausted students.
Just then, cheers erupted from the snowball battlefield—the battle had officially ended!
Tewell looked over; there were few students left inside, mostly sixth and seventh years, with Percy, a fifth year, standing out prominently.
But he raised his head proudly—he alone hit several students higher in years and dodged around ten snowballs!
He was undoubtedly the hero of their victory.
Waving his wand, the imps above the students' heads turned back into golden light, flying towards the parchment in his hand, forming two lists.
"Excellent, I've recorded your names; just wait for your Christmas gifts."
He looked towards the other side, "To those who didn't succeed, don't be discouraged. Ponder over what happened today; it will benefit all of you."
"Now, this class is dismissed, students!"