Chapter 105: Four Professors
Chapter 105: Four Professors
In the center of the Great Hall, hundreds of candles burned, and the ceiling, like black velvet, showed not a single star.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood among the Gryffindor crowd, whispering to each other.
"Harry, have you finished your form?" Hermione asked him.
"Almost", Harry said vaguely. To be honest, he had only filled out a third of it.
Half a month ago, after the last Duelling Class, Hermione told him that a spark at the tip of the wand was a sign that the Disarming Charm was about to succeed. Back in the common room, he couldn't resist dragging Ron to practice for half an hour.
At first, he kept failing, and the exhausted Ron suggested he imagine him as Malfoy or even Snape.
As a result, he successfully used the Disarming Charm.
The next day, when Hermione heard the news, she was very envious. "Harry, you're a genius! I bet no one our age can do that."
Harry, a bit embarrassed, said, "I just have a special feeling about this spell."
The young witch took a piece of paper from her bag. "Let's go over Professor Hup's evaluation criteria."
Harry stood there, dumbfounded. "H-Hermione, I haven't had a chance to look at it yet..."
...
In the Great Hall.
Ron couldn't help but interject, "Harry's Disarming Charm is already quite proficient; he succeeds eight or nine times out of ten, unlike me..." He suddenly looked miserable. "I only succeed once or twice out of ten."
Hermione took out a parchment from her robes, filled with data. She said anxiously, "I can use it, but I just barely meet these, these, and these standards. What if I wake up one day and can't do it anymore?"
Neville, who had been listening for a while, humbly asked Hermione, "Hermione, what should I do if I fill out the form but still haven't mastered the spell?"
Hermione, taken aback, hesitated before saying, "Have you tried breaking it down into smaller parts?"
"Of course, but I'm failing two-thirds of the criteria..." Neville's round face crumpled, and he said pitifully, "I'm so stupid. Maybe Professor Snape is right."
"Don't lose heart, Neville. I can help you work through the parts you're not good at", Hermione said.
"Th-Thank you, Hermione."
Harry also comforted him. "Neville, we can practice together."
"Exactly, don't pay attention to what Snape says. Your Herbology is great", Ron added. "Neville, believe in yourself. You're like a gem that hasn't been polished yet, but one day you'll shine brightly."
To be honest, after the ordeal with Lockhart, he was now quite adept at saying nice things.
Neville's face quickly turned red, and he even seemed a bit flustered.
He said, a bit embarrassed and stammering, "I just like playing with plants. My grandmother has many flowers, and I take care of them during the holidays."
"See, that's your strength", Harry encouraged him.
On the other side, Felix stood at the entrance of the Great Hall, waiting for the professors to arrive.
Professor Flitwick was the first to arrive. He had changed out of his usual wizard robes and was wearing a fitted men's suit, with his hair neatly styled.
"Flitwick, you look great today", Felix complimented.
Flitwick was in a good mood. "Thank you, Felix. This is the outfit I wore when I won the dueling championship."
They began to chat casually.
"Felix, have you made any progress with that spell?"
"It's barely usable, but to be honest, it's too incomplete. I might even say it's a simplified spell mixed with Ancient Magic concepts..."
"Cough, cough! Felix, there's no way around it. Very little Ancient Magic has survived intact."
They discussed the feasibility of replicating Ancient Magic, but even the most skilled cooks can't make a meal without ingredients. They had too little information, and the magical world lacked a standardized research approach.
Felix thought that if he had enough Runic Scripts, he would eventually be able to easily reconstruct the spell. However, he wasn't sure how many years it would take.
He had already quietly lowered the priority of this task, deciding to let it unfold naturally.
Soon, Professor Mcgonagall and Snape arrived together. Perhaps Felix's expression was too obvious, as Snape couldn't resist taunting him. "What's on your mind, Felix?"
"Nothing, I just thought you'd be counting down the minutes until you got here", he said, somewhat awkwardly.
Once the four professors were gathered, Felix addressed the matter at hand. "My idea is for this Duelling Class to be primarily a demonstration. Each of us will share the most essential aspects of our dueling philosophies."
"In the following classes, I will invite different professors in stages to provide a comprehensive overview of their ideas."
Flitwick was the first to agree. "Of course, no problem."
The others had no objections either.
Thus, when the four professors appeared in the Great Hall and ascended the gilded platform, the young wizards were visibly shocked.
Ron groaned, "What's going on today?"
The hall erupted in excitement, with hundreds of students buzzing with chatter. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students erupted into loud applause, welcoming their Heads of Houses.
"Where's Professor Sprout?" a second-year Hufflepuff wizard asked.
"Ernie, Professor Sprout doesn't care about this sort of thing", a senior student replied.
The other three professors tacitly remained silent, all looking at Felix.
Felix stepped forward, casting Sonorus on himself. "We are honored to have Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Flitwick join us today. They are generous enough to show you the many possibilities of dueling. Applaud, young wizards!"
The hall erupted in thunderous applause, as if it were a holiday. Harry's hands were red from clapping.
"Do you think Snape doesn't want to participate?"
"Even if I think you're overthinking it, that's a great idea!"
After some hesitation, Professor Mcgonagall remained on the platform, while the others moved to the audience.
Flitwick pulled out a handkerchief and transfigured it into a platform, stepping onto it.
Professor Mcgonagall clasped her hands tightly, her expression serious as she surveyed the crowd, which gradually quieted down.
Everyone was curious about what she would say, considering Transfiguration and dueling seemed unrelated.
Professor Mcgonagall cleared her throat and looked calmly at the students. "Transfiguration is a profound magical discipline capable of achieving many seemingly impossible feats. In this regard, your Headmaster, Dumbledore, is the most skilled."
"Interesting", Ron muttered from the audience. "Don't tell me he defeated the Dark Lord using Transfiguration."
"Of course, that requires advanced magic, which is beyond your current abilities", Mcgonagall said. "The significance of Transfiguration for you lies not in its power but in expanding your means."
"The essence of Transfiguration is transformation—transforming at will."
Professor Mcgonagall drew her wand, raising her arm straight. A chair in the corner flew over.
The chair transformed into a large black cat mid-air, landing gracefully on the ground. Following Professor Mcgonagall's wand, the cat circled her quickly.
In the next moment, the cat leaped up, its body rapidly expanding into a majestic lion with a golden mane that shimmered in the light.
(End of Chapter)
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