They talked for a while about strategies concerning the pure-blood families, mainly about how to balance the competing interests of different houses.
If everything could be torn down and rebuilt from scratch, Tver wouldn't need to worry about any of this. The problem was that pure-blood families were also part of the wizarding world's structural stability.
With the potential threat posed by Muggles, a chaotic magical world was the last thing he wanted.
Of course, compromise was out of the question. Under his subtle guidance, methods like winning some over while suppressing others were tactics both Cynthia and Marvolio knew all too well.
They didn't stop because the discussion was finished, but because—
"Knock, knock, knock."
A soft yet firm knock interrupted their conversation.
"All right. Act according to your own judgment. At this stage, you don't need to be so restrained anymore."
"Knock, knock."
Outside the door, Draco hesitated in confusion.
Normally, the professor would open the door directly. Why did he need to knock twice this time?
Had he come too early?
Draco glanced guiltily at the bright, sunny weather outside.
Four in the afternoon could count as evening… right?
"Come in."
The sudden opening of the door and the professor's voice immediately put him at ease, and Draco hurried inside.
"Professor, I—"
"Sit. I think I've gotten used to you arriving earlier every day," Tver said with a laugh as he poured him a glass of pumpkin juice.
Ever since the dueling tournament ended, Draco hadn't sunk into frustration over his defeat. On the contrary, he had become even more proactive, repeatedly asking to grade additional exam papers.
Apparently, after returning to the dormitory each night, he would spend a long time practicing magic.
Tver had once suspected this was partly revenge against Goyle and Crabbe, just to keep them from getting a good night's sleep…
Still, it was a good thing for Draco.
Before this, Tver had worried whether Draco could endure the dull grind of theoretical study and patiently build a solid foundation step by step.
After all, Draco had always relied on his talent. He preferred powerful spells and had never had much patience for theory, even when Tver went out of his way to present it in clever ways.
But this defeat had instead ignited his fighting spirit.
In the long run, losing this match was more meaningful than winning the championship.
At the very least, the sense of looking down on everyone else had faded considerably.
Tver studied Draco as he carefully sipped his pumpkin juice.
More accurately, that arrogance had transformed into confidence in his own strength.
That kind of pride wasn't a flaw. On the contrary, Tver had always believed that those with real ability deserved to carry a quiet pride within themselves.
His own teacher, Voldemort, even Dumbledore, and Tver himself all held an unshakable confidence in their own power.
It was both the source of their strength and the driving force that pushed them to grow even stronger.
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. All the recent papers have already been graded by you two."
"What?" Draco snapped his head up, not even bothering to wipe the pumpkin juice from his lips.
"If there are no papers, I can just read!"
He pointed at the stack of textbooks on the desk.
Once brand new, the set was now covered in creases from how often he and Neville had flipped through them.
"Don't be in such a hurry," Tver said, rising to his feet.
"I imagine your family has taught you quite a few special spells, hasn't it?"
Draco froze for a moment. The Malfoy family did indeed possess many carefully preserved spells. That was one of the defining traits of pure-blood families.
Magical heritage was the foundation of their standing in the wizarding world.
But still…
"Are you going to teach me Dark Magic?"
"Now? No." Tver walked around the desk.
"Didn't you say Harry can cast the Patronus Charm? What do you think? Would you like to learn it as a reward for how seriously you've been studying lately?"
He moved to a deliberately cleared space in the office.
"This spell is very difficult. If you're worried you won't manage it, I can—"
Before Tver could finish, Draco sprang to his feet.
"No! If Potter can learn it, then I definitely can!"
Tver was quite satisfied with that fighting spirit.
As for teaching the Patronus Charm, it wasn't a sudden impulse or a simple attempt to have Draco compete with Harry.
For Tver, this spell represented a kind of foundation.
A foundation for learning Dark Magic.
Take Percy, for example. After exposing him to basic Dark Magic, Tver had immediately begun teaching him the Patronus Charm.
It was only after Percy mastered this spell that Tver continued with further Dark Magic instruction.
It wasn't that someone who practiced Dark Magic couldn't cast a Patronus. It was a matter of mindset.
A typical example was Umbridge. She could cast a Patronus because she treated Dark Magic as nothing more than a magical tool, no different in essence from any other spell.
Unlike Bellatrix Lestrange, who had become completely obsessed with the overwhelming power of Dark Magic.
So if Draco could cast the Patronus Charm, even while learning many Dark spells, it meant his inner self had not been eroded and his will remained firm.
Otherwise, Tver had no intention of teaching on and discovering one day that his student's resolve had gone astray.
Draco jogged over, his wand somehow already in his hand, his face lit with excitement and anticipation.
He didn't know how long it had taken Potter to learn the Patronus Charm, but it would definitely take him less time.
With a flick of his wand, the professor summoned a tall, upright trunk.
Unlike an ordinary trunk, its surface was wrapped in strands of white thread.
No—magical threads that shimmered with white light.
Draco noticed the difference at once.
"Professor, what's inside?"
"Someone I invited specially for you. A trainer, you could say."
Draco quickly pressed his lips together to keep his smile from showing.
He knew that in fifth-year classes and above, the professor had brought in a Dementor to teach the Patronus Charm.
Wait. Did that mean his strength had already reached the level of the upper years?
"Don't get happy too soon. This spell is far more difficult than you imagine."
"And unlike Harry, you'll be facing a real Dementor, without any extra help from me."
"I'm even prepared for this to take a full month."
Draco remained silent, lips still pressed together, his gaze fixed on the trunk.
He wanted to prove himself in front of the professor with real ability, not empty words.
"It seems you're ready."
"But I still need to remind you. The incantation for the Patronus Charm is 'Expecto Patronum.'"
Tver explained the details of the Patronus Charm one by one, and Draco listened with full attention.
It might have sounded a bit long-winded, but while the theory behind the spell seemed simple on the surface, the fact that so many adult wizards failed to master it spoke to its exceptional difficulty.
Draco understood that well.
In the past, he would probably have dismissed all this theory outright.
But after spending so much time grading papers, he had come to truly understand the importance of a solid theoretical foundation.
He was also eager to strengthen himself in that area.
Next time, I'll make everyone look at me differently.
He clenched his wand tightly, his gaze sharper than it had ever been.
...
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