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On one side, a pale blue wall of howling wind; on the other, a slightly tense Cedric. He could see clearly—he didn't need to know the exact name of the spell to guess its defensive power. To break through it, he'd just have to test a few attack spells he was familiar with. He believed that no matter how advanced a defensive spell was, there was always a limit to how much damage it could absorb.
So, after launching two Bone-Shattering Blasts and three Rending Hexes, Cedric finally managed to break through the Wind Wall.
Taking advantage of the moment—when, for some reason, Augustus still hadn't made a move and seemed a little dazed—Cedric acted quickly and fired off a classic finishing spell used in duels.
"Stupefy!"A streak of red light shot out of Cedric's wand, headed straight for Augustus.
"Augustus!" Lillian's anxious voice rang out from below. Something was clearly off with Augustus—he didn't seem to be focused on the duel at all. His expression was distant, lost in thought. As the red light hurtled toward him, many spectators held their breath, nervous on his behalf.
As if jolted awake by Lillian's voice, Augustus finally snapped out of his trance. He stared blankly at the incoming red spell, then flicked his wand. Flames burst from the ground at his feet, and in a flash of fire and a loud bang, Augustus vanished from where he stood and reappeared ten meters away. The Stupefy hit the empty floor.
The students watching erupted into noise. Everyone knew that Apparition wasn't allowed at Hogwarts—so what on earth had they just witnessed? Snape, who seemed to know a bit more than most, wasn't surprised. Augustus had used a similar spell in the last "Hidden Level" duel, though the origins of the magic still puzzled him.
Blazing Step—a Level 5 fire spell—used the explosive force of flames to open space and allow for instantaneous movement. Lillian had long been jealous of this spell. Since she wasn't old enough to Apparate, this was the perfect substitute.
Even better, it could be used freely inside Hogwarts. A spell for travel, escape, attack, defense—basically the perfect all-in-one tool.
Now that Augustus could teleport freely within the dueling ring, how was Cedric supposed to fight him? Regular spells couldn't hit him, and Cedric had to stay on high alert for a sudden sneak attack from any direction.
It was like they weren't even starting from the same line—Augustus was halfway through the race, maybe even three-quarters, while Cedric was still at the starting block trying to figure out how to catch up. It was ridiculous. Cedric looked at his opponent helplessly. All he could hope for now was that Augustus had drained his magic reserves with such high-level spells.
Augustus looked up. He didn't see any point in dragging this duel out any longer. He'd seen enough. Through the earlier exchanges, he'd realized that Cedric was quite a promising talent—with excellent combat instincts, strong timing, and good decision-making under pressure.
Even when facing unfamiliar and powerful magic, he hadn't frozen up but had instead tried different angles to break through. All in all, a bright spark. If they were in another world, Cedric might've become a powerful Mage-level wizard someday.
Augustus raised his silver wand, pointing it diagonally toward the sky. A storm cloud gathered above them. Thunder rumbled, its deep growl making the entire Great Hall feel small and claustrophobic. The students looked up in fear, wondering what Cedric was about to face.
Huge, jagged bolts of lightning burst from the cloud. Cedric's eyes flashed with fear, but he forced himself to stay calm. He cast Protego Totalum and layered it with other defensive spells.
Augustus continued casting—ice spikes rose from the upper left corner, while on the other side, dozens of huge flaming fireballs filled the air. The entire ceiling of the Great Hall was packed with lightning, fire, and ice. Red, white, and blue magic wove together above them like a chaotic but breathtaking symphony.
In the next moment, Cedric was about to be hit from three directions. Lightning and fire would rain down in tandem, while icicles flew in from the sides. At this point, Cedric had completely forgotten he was still in the Great Hall.
This looked nothing like a school duel anymore—it was like standing on an ancient battlefield, with terrifying magic swirling above him.
"How beautiful…" Loki murmured to himself, entranced. "I never knew magic could feel so effortless, so graceful. This stage is too small to hold such a waltz... and Cedric isn't even worthy of being part of it."
Most of the students were frozen in awe. Even those still clinging to reason were totally captivated. This wasn't just spellcasting anymore—it was a magical performance, an art show in the sky.
Even Snape's always-cold expression had twisted slightly. He was feeling complicated. Putting himself in Cedric's shoes, he wondered—if he were the one standing there, could he escape? He didn't want to answer that, because he might not like the truth.
"I surrender."Cedric didn't hesitate at all. He raised his voice toward Augustus. Winning or losing didn't matter anymore—if he waited another second, it might be a matter of life or death. This was just a school duel, and he had no intention of sacrificing himself in the name of magical glory.
Augustus nodded, waved his wand, and the entire dazzling scene in the sky vanished—like it had never happened. No trace of it remained. It was almost enough to make people wonder if it had all been an illusion.
Professor Lockhart was still stunned, as if he hadn't come back to earth yet. After a long pause, his eyes finally regained some clarity."Uh… s-s-s-surrender? Right! Then I declare Augustus the winner of this duel!"He gave Snape a gloomy glance, clearly bitter that this was the second time he'd lost to him.
Snape, expressionless as ever, didn't even blink at the look."Mr. Augustus has given us a true magical feast," he said. "Now, I'll come down among you and pair you off into dueling partners. Let's hope you can all bring your own unique flair to the duel."
But the students were still shell-shocked. Nobody moved, and nobody responded to Snape's words. He and Lockhart walked among the crowd, pairing students together.
Lockhart matched Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape went straight to Harry and Ron.
"I think it's time to break up the dream team," he sneered. "Weasley, you'll be with Finnigan. Potter—"
Harry instinctively took a step closer to Hermione.
"I don't think so," Snape said coldly. "Malfoy, over here. Let's see what kind of results you can get with our famous Potter. As for you, Miss Granger—you'll be paired with Miss Millicent."
Malfoy wore a dazed smile—he was still half-lost in the aftermath of Augustus's duel. But the second he heard Harry would be his opponent, his lips curled into something darker.Savior of the wizarding world, huh? he thought, a wicked grin forming.
Let's see how long you last against me.
"....."