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As the last participant confirmed their opponent, the drawing box was carried away by a House-elf.
Dumbledore walked back to the front of the stage, a gentle smile on his face as his eyes swept over the eager young faces below.
"Then, I announce that the Hogwarts International Exchange Student Joint Duelling Tournament now—begins!"
The moment his voice fell, two figures strode onto the duelling platform, surrounded by protective charms. They were Marcus Flint and Ryan Sanderson.
The air between the two seemed to crackle under their glares; clearly, both were holding back immense pressure.
Professor Flitwick, serving as the referee for this match, chuckled twice while standing at the referee's stand, his voice carrying a teasing tone:
"It seems our first pair of contestants is impatient to light the first spark for our tournament! Courageous! Now—please take your positions!"
Marcus and Ryan both snorted coldly and quickly created distance, walking back-to-back to opposite ends of the duelling platform. Then they turned crisply to face their opponents and raised their wands.
Their gazes locked onto each other, waiting only for the command.
Professor Flitwick raised his hand, his voice suddenly becoming serious and clear:
"Three... Two... One... Begin!"
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The two spells tore through the air like arrows loosed from a bow, carrying a sharp whooshing sound as they shot toward their opponents' faces!
Marcus was clearly prepared. The moment he cast the Stunning Spell, his wand traced a short arc: "Protego!"
A semi-transparent silver shield instantly materialized in front of him.
Clang! A crisp collision rang out. Ryan's Petrificus Totalus struck the Shield Charm squarely, sending ripples across its surface. The shield shook but did not break.
Ryan, however, displayed a completely different style.
The instant he cast Petrificus Totalus, instead of staying put to observe the result or prepare a defense, he moved forward quickly without hesitation.
Buzz—
Marcus's Stunning Spell missed, striking the protective magic at the edge of the duelling platform and sending wave-like ripples through it.
While moving, Ryan glimpsed Marcus successfully erecting the Shield Charm from the corner of his eye. His gaze sharpened. Instead of using a stronger spell to meet it head-on, he quickly pointed his wand downward:
"Slick Slide!"
A beam of light shot toward the floor beneath Marcus's feet. That area instantly became as slippery as if it had been coated in butter.
Marcus had just withstood the Petrificus Totalus and was about to dismiss his Shield Charm to counterattack when his feet suddenly slipped. "What?!"
He cried out, but his excellent coordination as a Quidditch player saved him.
He staggered, arms flailing like a windmill, barely avoiding a clumsy fall. Though he managed to stay upright, his posture was ruined and his rhythm broken.
But Marcus could dodge the first attack—not the second.
Just as his center of gravity wavered and he tried to raise his wand again, Ryan had already stabilized himself and pointed his wand forward:
"Expelliarmus!"
A dazzling red light shot out. Marcus only managed to lift his wand halfway—Crack!
The wand flew from his hand, spinning through the air. At the same time, the force of the Disarming Charm struck his chest.
"Ugh!"
His footing already compromised, Marcus completely lost his balance this time. His tall frame tilted backward, sliding past the boundary of the duelling platform and landing onto the soft cushioning below.
A moment of silence—then applause and cheers erupted.
Professor Flitwick announced loudly, "The victor—Ryan Sanderson! Advancing to the second round!"
Ryan walked to the edge of the platform and gave a slight bow to Marcus, who was just getting up with a dark expression, fully observing duelling etiquette before turning and leaving the stage.
The Ilvermorny section burst into cheers, while the Slytherin side answered with frustrated boos.
"The match continues!" Professor Flitwick's voice cut through the noise. "Next pair, Amina Okoro versus Cedric Diggory!"
Evidently, Amina was among the unlucky ones, having drawn an older student.
The two stepped onto the stage. Amina still did not use her wand, while Cedric displayed the steady composure befitting an excellent Hufflepuff.
This duel was back and forth.
Amina's Transfiguration shone brightly. Her hands moved swiftly, 'summoning' small, fast-running sand rats from her sleeves to disrupt vision; causing vines to sprout from the ground; and even conjuring large animals for direct offense.
The agile and unpredictable creatures caused Cedric considerable trouble.
But it was only trouble.
Cedric was solid.
His Shield Charm held firm, his footwork remained agile, and he always managed to avoid the most troublesome interference. He did not rush into offense, instead patiently observing and adapting to Amina's unconventional casting rhythm.
When Amina attempted to conjure a swarm of butterflies to obscure his vision, Cedric seized the opening.
"Expelliarmus!"
The spell was crisp and perfectly timed.
Amina had no time to defend or dodge. Although she twisted her body slightly, the spell grazed her arm, disrupting her control over the transformation—and putting her at a decisive disadvantage.
Cedric did not press the attack. He simply stood ready, wand raised. "You can concede now."
Amina rubbed her arm and smiled helplessly.
"Roar!"
A tiger's roar erupted as her body transformed at visible speed into a tiger lunging toward Cedric.
Caught completely off guard, Cedric nearly stumbled.
"Repello Muggletum!"
Bang! The "tigress" Amina was knocked off the duelling platform.
"Victor, Cedric Diggory!"
Amina returned to human form, shrugged, and walked back nonchalantly.
Rounds of duels proceeded quickly. Spells flashed across the stage as cheers, gasps, and sighs rose and fell in waves.
Before long, Professor Flitwick's voice rang out again:
"Next pair, Edgar Bones versus William Smith!"
"Wow! An internal match!" voices exclaimed from the audience.
Lynn also looked up from Dumbledore's notebook, utterly speechless.
Damn it. One of them is getting eliminated in the first round.
The two stepped onto the stage, both wearing strange expressions.
"Both sides, take your positions..." Professor Flitwick said. "Three, two, one, begin!"
"Expelliarmus!" x2!
Perfectly mirrored movements. Two red beams shot out simultaneously, crossing mid-air.
Both sidestepped at the same time, narrowly dodging each other's spells. Their synchronization was uncanny.
"Stupefy!" x2!
Again, simultaneous.
Clang! Clang! Two Shield Charms flared almost identically, blocking the spells.
Laughter and applause rippled through the audience.
Lynn held her forehead. They couldn't break through the spells he had taught them.
The match fell into a stalemate.
Both moved cautiously, probing for openings, but every attack was countered by an equally solid defense.
William, however, adapted first. Realizing this would become a war of attrition, he shifted tactics.
After blocking another Stunning Spell, he pointed his wand upward: "Avis!"
A flock of chirping birds burst forth, swarming toward Edgar.
Though not very dangerous, they disrupted vision and focus.
Edgar hesitated for a moment, then instinctively cast: "Protego!"
The shield rose again, blocking the birds—but also obscuring his vision behind its shimmering surface.
The moment the birds dissipated and Edgar tried to see through—
"Lumos!"
A blinding burst of light exploded from William's wand.
"Ah!" Edgar squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming as his vision went white.
William did not hesitate.
"Expelliarmus!"
Crack! Edgar's wand flew from his hand.
When the light faded, Edgar opened his eyes to see his wand already in William's grip.
"Victor, William Smith!" Professor Flitwick declared.
Edgar slapped his forehead, then laughed helplessly. He walked over and patted William's shoulder. "Not bad—you've learned some bad habits from Lynn."
William adjusted his glasses. "If you're weak, then just—"
"Shut up!"
As Edgar stepped off the platform, Lynn immediately added:
"Congratulations, you're also a first-round exit."
Edgar: "...You shut up too!"