"Bastard! I'll teach you to throw things at me!"
Without William calling for a stop, the two wizards locked in their scuffle finally determined a victor. The one who had thrown the dungbomb was pinned to the ground, enduring a flurry of punches, with a noticeable bruise forming at the corner of his eye.
The victor wasn't much better off. A large portion of his robe had been torn off, a chunk of his hair was missing, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Aside from the triumphant expression that distinguished him as the winner, there wasn't much physical difference between the two.
Just as he was about to flaunt his victory to the onlookers, he noticed Professor William standing nearby, his head encased in the Bubble-Head Charm. Only then did he remember this was still a class.
"Professor, you saw it! He started it!"
Well, at least he knows to report first. This kid has potential.
William nodded, showing acknowledgment. "That's correct. I saw everything. He attempted to use a dungbomb against you. While that isn't against the rules, it was certainly malicious. Likewise, neither of you used Dark Arts during your brawl, so technically, no rules were broken either."
"Thank you, Professor!"
The victor eagerly stepped forward, as though wanting to share his joy with someone. But whether it was his classmates or William himself, everyone took a deliberate step back.
What was this kid's name again? Ah, Roy.
"Roy, calm down. I haven't finished giving my verdict. If you take another step forward, I'll have no choice but to send you to Mr. Filch for attempting to assault a professor." William tried to keep his tone neutral, though his words were clearly laced with disdain.
"As for you, Stephen," William continued, addressing the defeated student, "how are you feeling? Can you stand on your own? If not, I'll use a Levitation Charm to send you to the Hospital Wing."
Stephen instantly sprang to his feet, looking as lively as ever. The thought of being floated through half the school like that was horrifying enough to motivate him. He'd rather be strung up on the Astronomy Tower than endure such humiliation.
"Alright, both of you, stand over there and don't move. Wait for your punishment. In the meantime, feel free to use a cleaning spell on yourselves if you like." William addressed them before turning to the remaining students.
Since most seventh years had reached this advanced level through their own self-study, their practical skills were excellent. As William scanned the room, he found himself facing a sea of Bubble-Head Charms. The sight gave him an uncanny sense of having left the magical world and entered a science fiction setting. After all, the charm looked remarkably like a spacesuit helmet.
"There's only one pair of students left. Do you still want to go up and duel?"
The muffled voice from within his Bubble-Head Charm was oddly hollow, yet still clear.
The last two students glanced at the chaotic mess that was the dueling area and shook their heads in unison. Witnessing such an intense fight today was already satisfying. There was no need to step up and risk embarrassing themselves. If one of them slipped and fell during the fight, lunch might just be impossible to enjoy.
"Very well, that concludes today's dueling class," William said seriously before turning his head. "You two over there, are you done cleaning up?"
"Almost, Professor!"
As he spoke, the student named Roy used a Whirlwind Charm to remove the debris clinging to his clothes.
After waiting about two more minutes, even the torn robes had been magically mended. Aside from the visible bruises on their faces, the two students' robes showed no signs of having been in a fight. This made William marvel at the wonders of magic.
Although he was confident he could easily knock these two students flat in a duel, he had to admit they far surpassed him in the breadth of magical knowledge. His repertoire of utility spells for daily life could barely be counted on one hand.
"Nicely done with the magic. Gryffindor and Slytherin, one point each," he announced.
"Thank you, Professor," said Roy, who had won the fight, grinning with joy. Beside him, Stephen remained silent but looked less sour now that points had been awarded.
"Now, let's work on building some physical strength. After class, the two of you will go to Mr. Filch, get some cleaning supplies, and scrub this classroom clean by hand—no magic allowed," William said with a smile.
"No, Professor! You said it wasn't against the rules!" protested Roy.
"I'm not talking about breaking rules," William replied, shaking his head as his tone turned biting. "What are you two? Magical red-haired orangutans from Uganda? You've studied magic for six years, and in front of a crowd of classmates, you resort to fists?"
"He threw something at you, so you counter with a hex! Charging at him head-on, what were you thinking? At that range, a single spell would've flattened you! He could've hit you with three spells in the time it took you to close the gap!"
"And you," he turned to Stephen. "You just ran when he charged at you? Leg-Locking Curse, Petrification Charm, Stunning Spell; these are all things you should've learned by your fifth year! You're about to graduate from Hogwarts, and instead of using a single spell, you let yourself get chased down and punched? Has your wand not cried itself to sleep yet?"
"Yet when it's time to clean up, you suddenly know how to use your wands? What are we learning here, home economics? Shall I borrow some cookbooks from Professor Sprout in Hufflepuff and give you a cooking lesson next class? By the end of the term, I'll proudly announce that Hogwarts' seventh-year students are ready for marriage. What is this, Japan? Are you here for bridal training?"
"And most importantly, I gave you two chances, and neither of you thought to clean up the mess you made in the dueling area. Were the next students supposed to duel in that chaos?"
Both students hung their heads low; there was no justifying their decision to forgo using magic.
"Alright, class dismissed. Write an essay on magical injury treatment. Write as much or as little as you want. If your essay is satisfactory, you can participate in next class's practical lesson. If it isn't, you'll spend the next lesson in self-study and completing a written exam. Of course, if you're willing to volunteer as practice dummies, you're welcome to join the practical session too."
William waved his hand dismissively and walked toward the door, leading the rest of the class out. While the Bubble-Head Charm could block offensive smells, it did nothing to shield his eyes from the unpleasant sight.
"Goodbye, Professor!"
"Goodbye."
"..."
"…"
As the students exchanged a flurry of farewells, they gradually dispersed. It seemed that most of them were satisfied with the lesson; except for the two unlucky souls who had been punished to clean the classroom.
***
Diary,
[Thursday of the second week at Hogwarts
The painstakingly cleaned classroom was dirtied by two troublemaking brats. Punishing them was completely justified. Though, their practical combat skills were atrociously bad. This area definitely needs improvement, especially since they're about to graduate.'
Professor Lockhart's club remains wildly popular. In contrast, I handed out punishments to two more students today. However, the seventh-years don't seem to hold any grudges about it. It appears the fifth-years will need more intensive training.
Also, the sky is still overcast. Will it rain again tomorrow?]
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