Watching the students eagerly draw their wands and tap the half-human-height puppets beside them with great interest, William swept his gaze around the classroom and finally settled on a boy with red hair.
"Mr. Weasley, come up here, please."
Charlie Weasley froze for a moment, then stood up and walked quickly to the podium, looking somewhat at a loss.
"Raise your wand and face my puppet." William stepped aside and gestured. "Don't hold back. Try to block its attack."
Charlie nodded, assumed a standard dueling stance, and stared intently at the cold, lifeless doll opposite him.
In that instant, William's fingers twitched slightly, and a thread of magic silently connected to the puppet's control core.
Click.
The puppet's joints made a soft sound. It moved with astonishing speed; before Charlie could even utter an incantation, the alchemical pistol in the puppet's hand was already raised.
Pew!
A dazzling blue light shot from the muzzle.
Charlie's reaction was extremely fast. Almost instinctively, he shouted, "Protego!"
The blue light struck the invisible barrier, causing a ripple.
Blocked it! Charlie felt a surge of joy, and the students below were just about to cheer.
However, the moment the blue light dissipated, a red light followed closely behind, silently yet fast as lightning, shooting from the muzzle.
Before Charlie could even catch his breath, the red light struck his wrist.
"Expelliarmus!"
Although the puppet didn't shout the spell, the effect was the same—in fact, non-verbal casting held an even greater advantage in a duel.
Charlie only felt his wrist go numb. His wand flew out of his hand, arced through the air, and finally fell to the ground with a clatter.
The classroom fell silent instantly.
Charlie stood there awkwardly, rubbing his numb wrist, his face flushed red.
William stepped forward and waved his hand. The wand on the ground flew back into Charlie's grasp. He smiled and patted the boy on the shoulder. "Good reaction, Mr. Weasley. But until the battle is over, never let down your guard, even if the opponent is just a puppet without self-awareness."
After sending Charlie back to his seat, William took the alchemical pistol from the puppet's hand and twirled it around his finger.
"I personally designed the internal magical circuits of this gun. It can be loaded with up to 12 spells at a time. Whether it's a Stunning Spell, a Disarming Charm, or a Shield Charm, as long as they are pre-stored, they can be cast instantly."
William showed the rune slot on the gun's chamber. "If the spells inside run out, you can easily refill them yourself—as simple as dipping a quill in ink."
"Of course, the prerequisite is that you must know the spell yourself. If not, finding someone else to fill it for you works too."
Seeing the longing gleam in the students' eyes, William cast his bait:
"After we return from the Christmas holidays, I will find time to hold a 'Puppet Dueling Competition' to test the results of your modifications from the first half of the term. And the ultimate winner..."
William held up the alchemical pistol in his hand. "I will give this gun to them as a prize."
"Whoa!" Even Tonks couldn't help but gasp aloud, momentarily forgetting her earlier embarrassment.
"Don't get excited yet; I'm not finished."
William turned around, his wand suddenly pointing at his own puppet, and a Stunning Spell shot out.
However, the moment the spell touched the puppet's surface, the runic circuit on its chest suddenly lit up with blue light, forming a layer of close-fitting protection that deflected the spell directly to the ceiling. The puppet remained completely unharmed.
Immediately after, guided by William's magic, the puppet's mouth—which had no movable jaw—suddenly opened, and a red light blazed deep within its throat.
Whoosh—!
A massive, scorching fireball surged out. A heatwave instantly swept through the entire classroom, forcing the students in the front row to lean back to avoid it.
William waved his wand casually, extinguishing the fireball in mid-air, leaving only a wisp of smoke.
"Did you see that?"
Watching the highly interested students, William poured a bucket of cold water at the right moment. "Do not attempt to make your puppets hold wands and cast spells like wizards. Wands are extremely precise instruments meant for living wizards. At least with your current abilities, I believe it is impossible for you to make a puppet wave a wand and cast magic."
"What you need to do is exactly what I just demonstrated: modify the puppet itself." William pointed to the puppet's chest and throat. "Solidify defensive magic onto its skin, and bury offensive magic within its limbs."
"Relevant magical circuit diagrams can be found in the textbook I asked you to purchase in advance, A Practical Guide to Ancient Runes. If anyone truly finds runic circuits too complex and obscure to understand..."
William shrugged and pointed to another thick book on the corner of the desk. "You can also refer to Alchemy Basics and use traditional potion soaking and enchanting methods for modification. But I must remind you, that method is inefficient and the effects are singular."
"Of course, as your professor, I strongly recommend you try magical circuits. Not only because the results are better, but because if you want to achieve a grade of 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher in your N.E.W.T. practical exam, the design and application of magical circuits is a mandatory assessment point."
Having said that, William glanced at the clock, smiled, and leaned back against the podium.
"Alright, the rest of the time is yours. Now, pick up your quills and wands, and start designing your 'Ultimate Warrior.'"
Soon, the bell for the end of class rang on time throughout the castle.
William, hands behind his back, circled the classroom like a king inspecting his territory. He nodded with relative satisfaction at the students' performance in the first class.
Everyone was very engaged. A Ravenclaw student was carefully applying a freshly brewed hardening potion to the puppet's surface, attempting to increase its physical defense.
Beside him, a Slytherin student wore a solemn expression, using a fine alchemical file to carve magical circuits into the puppet's chest.
"Control the magic you inject," William stopped beside the Slytherin to remind him. "As part of the ancient magic system, the effects of runes are often crude and direct."
"If you inject too much energy as if you were squandering magic with a wand, it can easily lead to circuit instability. When that happens, it won't be just the puppet that explodes."
The student's hand shook in fright, and he hurriedly slowed his magical output.
Of course, there were also the cautious types. William saw another Hufflepuff student who hadn't dared to touch the puppet yet; he was hunched over parchment, scribbling and sketching designs with a deep frown.
"Alright, that's all for today's lesson." William clapped his hands, signaling everyone to stop their work.
Just then, a burst of excited cheering suddenly erupted from the corner of the classroom.