Tver had anticipated that his identity as a Durmstrang student might be an obstacle—but he hadn't expected it to be Dumbledore's main concern.
He couldn't exactly admit he was after the Philosopher's Stone...
"Studying."
His mind was a storm of thoughts, yet Tver still wore a calm, gentle smile.
"I don't mean to disparage my alma mater, but Durmstrang is a bit behind when it comes to certain branches of magic. That's why I want to come to Hogwarts—to serve as a teaching assistant while also learning the knowledge I'm currently lacking."
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, his half-lidded eyes sharp with scrutiny.
"But as far as I know, seven years ago you turned down Hogwarts and chose the farthest wizarding school in Europe from your home."
"And now, seven years later, you've decided to come back to Hogwarts. That makes it rather hard for me to believe you're doing it for the sake of learning."
"Not to mention, Durmstrang's curriculum isn't substandard. At the very least, it's enough to let you live comfortably in the wizarding world."
The message was clear: You chose Durmstrang back then. Now you're scheming to return—especially right after graduating. Dumbledore wasn't convinced of Tver's motives.
Tver's smile vanished in an instant.
It was as if the kindly Dumbledore had been a façade all along. Now, the crushing pressure of a landslide and a tsunami swept over him. This—this was the true Dumbledore.
He'd expected the interview to be difficult. He just hadn't expected it to escalate so quickly.
Fortunately, he still had a card to play—the book.
Tver calmly reached into his pocket for his wallet, summoned the book with a charm, and handed it to Dumbledore.
"I really did come here to study magic—specifically, the deeper magic recorded in this book."
Standing off to the side, Quirrell noticed Dumbledore's narrowed eyes and surprised expression. His curiosity got the better of him, and he craned his neck to peek.
But Dumbledore tilted the book just enough that Quirrell couldn't see a thing.
The office fell silent except for the sound of turning pages.
Tver watched Dumbledore's face closely, ignoring Quirrell's uncertain and confused expression.
Just as he expected, Dumbledore was first amazed by what he saw on the opening page. He instinctively flipped to the next one—only to reveal a trace of disappointment.
But unlike Tver, Dumbledore's mind wasn't affected. On the contrary, he noticed the peculiarity right away.
"This book contains a very... unusual magic," Dumbledore said after a pause, his smile shifting to one he reserved for students. "Its phrasing is quite fascinating too, but I doubt a wizard like you would be fooled by something so childishly written."
Now that's the proper reaction.
Tver let out a quiet laugh and pointed to the words that had reappeared on the first page—along with that name.
Rowena Ravenclaw.
Dumbledore's smile froze. His breath hitched for a second.
As his expression slowly darkened, Tver relaxed.
After a long pause, Dumbledore let out a deep breath.
"I'll need to borrow this book for a while. Is that alright?"
"Of course," Tver replied. He had already memorized the entire thing. "Though I wonder... is that reason enough?"
"Hogwarts welcomes all who are sincere, Fawley. But I still need to know whether you're capable of becoming a professor here—even if it's just as an assistant."
Dumbledore set the book down, covering the text with his hand so Quirrell could only make out a few letters.
Tver reached into his wallet again.
"If you'd like my transcript from Durmstrang—"
"No. I've already spoken with Headmaster Karkaroff. He had nothing but praise for your expertise."
Dumbledore raised a hand to stop him, his expression now serious—reminding Tver all too much of an examiner at a formal assessment.
And the next sentence... would be the exam question.
"I need to know what you intend to teach here at the school—and that you won't bring Durmstrang's leniency toward dark magic with you to Hogwarts."
Now it felt like a real interview. Tver relaxed. He had prepared for this moment.
"I applied for an assistant position. Will I be responsible for teaching classes too?"
Tver looked expectantly at Quirrell.
He was still genuinely interested in teaching—especially if it meant teaching the famous Harry Potter.
Quirrell had just begun stammering out a response when Dumbledore cut him off.
"I've discussed it with Professor Quirrell, and he's happy to hand over the students below third year to you."
Quirrell didn't seem bothered at all by the interruption. Instead, he managed another stiff smile.
"Yes, I... I'd be happy to... share the work."
"Then, Professor Dumbledore, may I ask—how do you believe one should defend against the Dark Arts?"
Tver smiled as he looked at Dumbledore, who smiled in return.
It was such a simple question that Dumbledore couldn't possibly refuse, so Tver didn't wait for an answer.
"By attacking," Tver said, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Dumbledore. "Defeat the enemy, and naturally, no dark magic can harm you."
"Simple offense alone can't defeat an enemy."
Dumbledore was clearly intrigued. He had his reasons for wanting to improve the students' combat abilities—and that was exactly what Tver had come for.
"Of course. Learning to defend comes first, before any offense."
"Can you believe it? Half the employees at the Ministry of Magic can't even cast a proper Shield Charm—let alone master actual combat skills."
"That's why, in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I plan to teach students how to avoid danger and defeat their enemies whenever possible."
"Not just when facing dark magic, but when facing any enemy with malicious intent."
Tver turned to Quirrell, who was silently watching from the side.
"Isn't that right, Professor Quirrell?"
"O-of course," Quirrell stammered, caught off guard by the sudden question. "But... we can't teach... dark magic."
Tver sighed. Durmstrang's reputation—its perceived tolerance of dark magic and the legacy of the former Dark Lord—had long bred misunderstanding and hostility.
"That's always been a misconception. My alma mater didn't just teach dark magic—it taught us how to defend against it. After all, how can you defend against something you don't understand?"
"This is why I agreed to let you become the assistant professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore said, nodding with approval. "I hope you'll use your understanding of dark magic to teach the students in the right way."
Tver's expression lit up with surprise.
"Does that mean I passed the interview?"
"To be precise—very successfully."
Dumbledore extended his hand once more to shake Tver's, but this time, his eyes turned to Quirrell.
"Quirinus, would you please return for now? Tver and I still have a few things to discuss."