Chapter 243: I Hope You're As Powerful As Your Biography Claims!
Chapter 243: I Hope You're As Powerful As Your Biography Claims!
Professor Snape, dressed in a dark green robe, had somehow already made his way to the stage, his long black cloak trailing behind him as he walked quickly.
Ivan looked at the slightly gaunt figure before him, feeling an immense pressure.
Compared to the rash Lockhart in the original timeline who had challenged him, Ivan was acutely aware of Snape's true strength.
Snape was one of the strongest Wizards in the Wizarding World, aside from exceptional figures like Dumbledore and Voldemort.
Even if Voldemort, who had possessed Quirrell last year, were standing here, he wouldn't be a match for Snape!
However, this was precisely why Ivan had chosen to challenge Snape. He desperately needed to gauge his strength after his second Bloodline Fusion, and the best way to do that was through combat!
"Professor Snape, are you ready?" Ivan asked.
"I never need to prepare!" Snape replied with a blank expression, then added sarcastically, "I hope you're as powerful as your biography claims!"
"You'll find out soon enough", Ivan said nonchalantly.
With that, Ivan bowed according to the dueling protocol, and Snape, under the watchful eyes of the young Wizards, merely nodded slightly.
"Three... two... one!" Ivan loudly counted down, and as he said the last number, he flicked his Wand.
"Disarm!"
A red beam of magic shot towards Snape.
Snape seemed completely unfazed as he cast a Protego, a Magic Barrier rising to deflect the Disarming Charm.
However, before the Protego could retaliate, two more beams of magic hit, shattering the Magic Barrier. Snape staggered back several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
"Very well, you've certainly surprised me", Snape said, regaining his composure. His face turned extremely grim, and he put aside his initial condescension, glancing at Ivan's gloves, ring, and cloak.
With his keen eye, he could see that "Lockhart" was wearing several powerful magical items. Earlier, "Lockhart" had used the advantage of these items to cast three spells in quick succession, catching him off guard.
Although he recognized the use of external aids, Snape had no intention of pointing it out.
After all, magical items were part of a Wizard's strength, and using them to cast multiple spells in rapid succession usually required a high level of magical skill.
"You made a big mistake by not capitalizing on my mistake. That was your only chance to win!" Snape said with a dark expression, returning to his previous position, facing Ivan across the stage.
"Such a victory is not what I want!" Ivan shook his head.
He intended to use Snape as a whetstone to hone his own skills and had no plans to win through trickery!
In fact, Ivan even took the time to remind the young Wizards watching from the sides. "Did everyone see that? That's the first lesson I want you to remember: underestimating your opponent is a grave mistake in battle!"
Snape's face darkened even more.
Seeing Ivan use Snape as a negative example, many students couldn't help but laugh. George and Fred even led the applause, as they had never seen Snape in such a predicament before.
Ivan saw Snape's expression grow increasingly grim, and his heart began to race. Had he gone too far?
"You will regret this, Gilderoy Lockhart!" Snape intoned coldly, his Wand flicking as three massive black snakes shot out, their fangs glinting menacingly in the air.
At that moment, a red light exploded in the air, tearing the three black snakes into dozens of pieces. The broken snake bodies transformed into countless white birds before they hit the ground, flying back towards Snape.
Snape's expression remained unchanged as he raised his Wand and swung it down.
The hundreds of candles floating above the Great Hall responded, their weak flames expanding and splitting into streams of fire that burned the flock of birds to ashes. The fire then gathered into a long, fiery serpent, continuing its assault without pause.
"Scatter! Everyone, move away! Keep your distance!" The professors in the audience immediately changed their expressions. Professor Flitwick, realizing the seriousness of the situation, hastily shouted at the students surrounding the platform to clear a safe distance.
"Thunder Blast!" At the same moment, Ivan uttered the Spell, a tangerine fireball shooting from the tip of his Wand, expanding in the wind before colliding with the fiery serpent.
Although Ivan couldn't use the Enhancement Rune to boost his Spell this time, the power of Thunder Blast was still astonishing!
The two forces collided, and a loud explosion echoed through the Great Hall, fire flying in all directions!
Professor Flitwick, seeing this, prepared to cast a Spell to dispel the aftermath, to prevent it from affecting the young Wizards watching.
But before he could act, the scattered flames were once again gathered on the Duelling Arena. Ivan's Wand danced, and the flames transformed into a fiery horse that rose into the air, neighing continuously!
Snape pursed his lips, no longer holding back. An invisible blade of Magic Power sliced through the air, instantly shattering the fiery horse!
Without any pause, the invisible blade shot directly towards Ivan.
The Protego charm had already been cast on Ivan during the battle, but the powerful Sectumsempra Spell quickly broke through the Magic Power barrier.
Fortunately, the Protective Cloak provided a second Magic Power barrier, which held firm and defended against the attack.
Professor Flitwick continued to direct the young Wizards to retreat further, still feeling it wasn't safe enough.
Seeing the battle intensifying, Professor Flitwick wanted to stop Snape and "Lockhart", but he knew neither would listen to him. He sighed and decided to let it be.
At this point, Ivan had activated the experience card to boost his combat power shortly after engaging Snape. After all, there was no better place to practice than in a real battle. Each time he cast a Spell, he could hear the sound of his proficiency increasing.
Even so, he was still being suppressed by Snape.
The Duelling Arena was less than eight meters long and no more than three meters wide, confining the duelists to a small space with no room for retreat. This meant the duel would be a test of magical prowess!
If one couldn't immediately counter the opponent's magic and retaliate, the only outcome would be defeat or death!
Ivan's brow was furrowed. In his current guise as Lockhart, he couldn't use Blood Magic. His understanding of various Spells was far inferior to Snape's, who had been able to create his own Spells even as a student.
(End of Chapter)
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