Time passed as the Great Hall gradually filled with people. But the first to arrive weren't students—they were the Hogwarts staff. They seemed to have already been informed of Tver's presence, so they weren't surprised to see him there. Their attitudes toward him, however, were quite different.
A long-haired woman, dressed more like a Muggle than anyone else in the hall, shot Tver a glance, gave a small snort, and walked past him.
"Don't mind her. As the Muggle Studies professor, Burbage just doesn't understand Durmstrang," said a professor barely a meter tall, smiling up at Tver. "I'm Filius Flitwick, professor of Charms."
"Tver Fawley." Tver crouched slightly to speak with him. "So, you're familiar with my alma mater?"
Professor Flitwick laughed heartily.
"I once visited Durmstrang for an academic exchange—mainly to study dueling techniques. But I also came to understand your outlook on Muggles. It's quite different from the rumors."
"You simply don't allow Muggle-born students to enroll. In truth, aside from that man, you don't discriminate against Muggles."
"Compared to certain people in Britain, your attitude is already much more open."
Tver wasn't here to correct misconceptions. Durmstrang didn't care about outsiders' opinions anyway. Let them misunderstand if they wanted. What interested him more was Flitwick's earlier words.
"It seems you're quite skilled in dueling. Durmstrang rarely opens itself to outsiders. For you to have gone there means the school held your ability in very high regard."
"That was in my younger days," Flitwick waved a hand dismissively.
"After winning the Hogwarts Dueling Club championship—and especially after I began teaching here—I've had little chance to practice."
"But I know you're Durmstrang's most outstanding graduate in recent years. So, what do you say? Shall we spar sometime?"
Flitwick's hand twitched eagerly, his face breaking into a broad, excited grin. Clearly, the years had left him itching for a proper duel.
"I'd be honored to learn from you."
Tver's muscles gave an eager tremor of their own. At Durmstrang, since his fifth year, he'd rarely met an opponent who could give him a truly satisfying fight. He also wanted to see just how much strength he could unleash when going all out without relying on certain spells.
The two, finding common ground, grew more animated in their conversation. Flitwick even gave Tver a brief introduction to the other faculty members—
"Hagrid is our gamekeeper, but he's busy guiding the first-years across the Black Lake, so he hasn't returned yet."
Tver nodded like a curious newcomer, though he could also see traces of the film characters from his past life in these professors.
Professor Snape was as gloomy as expected, his eyes cold and distant, as though hidden behind a mask no one could pierce. When his gaze shifted to Tver, his eyes flickered briefly before the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly—a smile, if it could be called that.
"I hope you'll see your students for what they truly are, rather than foolishly leading them around, waving wands."
"No student is born knowing magic. We all began by waving our wands clumsily, didn't we?" Tver replied politely.
For someone barely older than the students themselves to speak to Snape this way made the other professors take notice. Snape's smile widened by the slightest fraction.
"Then I wish you success in your teaching."
"Thank you. I'll do my best."
The professors' attitude toward Tver finally softened, their lingering prejudice against Durmstrang fading—though Burbage still wore a frosty expression.
Still, Tver enjoyed his conversation with Flitwick the most. Potions, Herbology, Divination—none of those subjects interested him. Only Charms, which could directly enhance his strength, truly engaged him.
Of course, as Durmstrang's most exceptional graduate, he still possessed the academic skill of a model student, enough to handle the professors' subtle tests without issue. After some discussion, they realized this young professor was not only courteous but also possessed knowledge on par with their own.
Compared to Quirrell, who stammered through his sentences, Tver carried himself much more like a true professor.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the Great Hall...
Led by the prefects, the students filed into the Great Hall. Young wizards from Years Two through Seven took their seats at the long tables designated for their respective houses.
"Durmstrang still doesn't do the Sorting, right?" Professor Flitwick asked with interest, sitting beside Tver.
"Yes, we are one whole. There are no houses; only the individual student and the school as a whole."
Tver observed the young wizards as they chatted about their wonderful summer holidays. At this moment, it was hard to see any difference between the four houses in their faces. What was the point of dividing them into four houses anyway? To make it easier for students to form cliques?
Dumbledore, who had been smiling as he watched the students, seemed intrigued.
"Tver, what are your thoughts on Hogwarts' house system?"
The professors, long accustomed to the four-house division, were eager to hear how a Durmstrang graduate would view it.
Tver paused in thought before answering calmly.
"It's rather extreme. First-years are only eleven years old; they cannot and should not be expected to display a single defining trait."
"Dividing them into four distinct houses isn't so much about matching personalities as it is about shaping them, through the subtle influence of the houses, into students steeped in stereotypes."
"House rivalry may encourage progress, but it also fosters prejudice. And that prejudice can erase qualities that don't fit the house mold."
"Hufflepuff students can be brave. Slytherins can be loyal. A Gryffindor's thirst for knowledge isn't unusual. And Ravenclaws can be ambitious too."
"Yet because of the Sorting system, these traits go unrecognized."
"In truth, they are all part of Hogwarts, all ordinary wizards. Branding them with fixed labels is profoundly unfair."
When Tver finished, the staff table fell silent, a stark contrast to the chatter of the students.
After a long pause, Dumbledore clapped approvingly, drawing the professors out of their thoughts. They, too, joined in with a light round of applause.
"I'm delighted to have a professor with such fresh perspectives at our school. Breaking down the barriers between houses is precisely what I hope to achieve—and it will require our collective effort."
"Tver, I look forward to seeing the unique changes you bring to Hogwarts."
The sudden applause from the staff table left the students bewildered. Their excited chatter faltered as they looked at the professors in confusion.
But no one explained. A moment later, their attention shifted.
The Sorting Ceremony was about to begin!