https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-243-The-List-of-Students-Staying-at-School/13459234/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-245-Christmas-Holiday-Approaching/13459236/
Chapter 244: The Test and the Warning
Chapter 244: The Test and the Warning
The center of the common room had been cleared to create an open space, surrounded by chairs and sofas that the young wizards had moved into an irregular circle.
In the center of this circular space, two Magical Automatons were engaged in an intense duel.
One of the Magical Automatons had electric arcs and sparks crackling from its fist as it landed a punch on its opponent's face, causing the other to freeze instantly.
"Four down to two! The first finalist is Angelina Johnson! Let's give her a round of applause!" Fred, acting as the referee, announced. "Additionally, she will receive a discount coupon for the Lover's Mirror and participate in the lottery draw..."
"It's a lottery ticket", George reminded him, and Fred corrected himself: "Right, a lottery ticket."
"Next match—Professor Hup?" Fred noticed Felix and waved frantically at George, who promptly put away the parchment in front of him.
"Are you gambling?" Felix asked, looking at them.
"No, no", Fred explained. "We're promoting the Lover's Mirror and just having a bit of fun."
Felix gave him a skeptical look, and Fred swore on it: "Absolutely not, you can ask them." The other young wizards nodded in agreement.
"Alright, where's Percy?" Felix didn't press further.
"He's not here, Professor. I bet he's with Penelope", Fred said without hesitation. "I can provide a few of their date locations."
"Cough, that won't be necessary", Felix said, feeling a headache coming on for Percy's sake. He raised his voice to address the young wizards around him: "I'm here on behalf of Professor Mcgonagall to collect the list of students staying for Christmas. Please come over and fill out the form, marking the appropriate option..."
"Um, I'll leave the form here for now and come back this afternoon to collect it—assuming Professor Mcgonagall hasn't resolved her little issue yet."
The young wizards began to gather around.
Felix stood to the side, taking in the Gryffindor common room. It was his first time here, and the layout was different from Slytherin or Ravenclaw, with gold and red as the dominant colors. The shape resembled a large, circular living room.
The common room was furnished with soft armchairs and sofas, as well as sturdy wooden chairs and tables. The notice board was covered with various announcements, posters, and student-written information.
The most eye-catching items were the Weasley Twins' promotional ads for the Lover's Mirror and the news of Ravenclaw's victory over Hufflepuff in the Quidditch match at the end of November.
Beneath this news, a handwritten, glowing line read: "We still have a chance!"
The common room's layout included large open areas and smaller, partitioned spaces in the corners.
Apart from a massive fireplace that took up an entire wall, the other three walls were adorned with crimson tapestries featuring portraits of famous wizards and witches, as well as various animals.
Felix thought he recognized the majestic firelion depicted on one of the tapestries, which resembled the one Professor Mcgonagall had shown in Duelling Class.
'Could it be some kind of magical creature?' he wondered.
"Professor", Hermione said, having just finished filling out the form, as she approached with Harry and Ron.
Felix smiled at them. "I hear your dueling study group is going well?"
Harry scratched his head, a bit sheepishly. "Mostly, it's the three of us practicing. Dean and Seamus sometimes join in."
Felix said, "Harry, I read your Duel System Essay. It's very suitable for you. Once you can seamlessly incorporate it into every battle, you'll have truly mastered the content of the essay."
Ron said, "I think Harry is already—"
Harry quickly pulled him back.
Felix looked at Ron and asked with a smile, "You mean Harry has already implemented the dueling system he built in his essay?" Seeing that the professor wasn't angry, Ron mustered the courage to nod.
This was Ron's firsthand experience. If you didn't count the Disarming Charm, he could still exchange a few spells with Harry, as he had managed to grasp the Shield Charm and Stunning Spell, among others.
But when facing Harry's most powerful Disarming Charm, all his resistance was futile—his Shield Charm shattered like a silly cookie, his wand flew out of his hand, and he was knocked back, with no other outcome possible.
Or, Harry would make the Disarming Charm's trajectory follow a magical arc, combining it with the footwork he learned in Dueling Class, always managing to easily breach Ron's defenses.
This made Ron secretly anxious, even affecting his appetite in the Great Hall—he didn't want to fall too far behind.
Felix thought for a moment and decided to test them. "Look at me, Harry." His eyes turned silver-white. Harry met his gaze and froze for a few seconds, then stumbled, nearly falling over.
"Professor?" Ron caught Harry, looking at Felix in shock. For a moment, he thought the professor was Black in disguise.
He had this thought because they had done something similar the previous year, using Polyjuice Potion to infiltrate the Slytherin common room and try to gather information about the Heir of Slytherin from Malfoy.
They had discussed it before: if Black wanted to sneak into Hogwarts, Polyjuice Potion was a viable option. However, they concluded that it was unlikely because Black would have a hard time bypassing the Scrying Mirror at the castle's entrance.
"I'm fine", Harry said, panting. "Professor Hup, what—what was that?"
"A unique spell of mine. It's not entirely accurate, but it's useful for testing your progress", Felix explained.
Harry was impressed. "I can say with certainty that this spell is anything but ordinary. I could actually engage in a battle of minds with you..."
Ron looked at him in shock. What did Harry mean by a battle of minds? Was it what he was thinking?
"Is it the Mind Chamber, Professor?" Hermione guessed. She had always practiced Ancient Runes in the Mind Chamber but had never engaged in combat there.
"Hmm, it's somewhat similar. To be honest, I've been making rapid progress in Memory Magic recently and have discovered some interesting techniques. I haven't named them yet", Felix said.
He moved on from the topic and looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "From the test just now, it's clear that Harry hasn't fully mastered the dueling system he outlined, especially in the finer details. The same issues apply to all of you.
Moving from theory to practice involves more than one hurdle, and turning it into an instinctive reaction without conscious thought takes even longer."
He spoke with a serious expression. "For some, this process might take a lifetime."
"Of course, all three of you are talented wizards. The only enemy you need to defeat is complacency, as it will halt your progress."
(End of Chapter)
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