Chapter 49: Exhibition Match
Chapter 49: Exhibition Match
"Next up..." Lockhart stammered, "I think it's best to teach you how to stop unfriendly magic. Yes, unfriendly, just like in my books—my personal experiences, you see."
"Would anyone like to volunteer? Longbottom and Finchley, how about you two? Professor Hup, Professor Snape, we should probably leave the stage to them..."
Felix casually twirled his wand. "An excellent suggestion, Professor Lockhart. However, I believe it's necessary to show the young wizards what a real duel is like, even if it's just an exhibition."
Lockhart's expression froze. "Um, I..." He glanced around and saw the young wizards were highly interested. He found himself at a loss for words.
"Professor Snape, what do you think?" Felix asked, turning to the silent Snape.
The Potions professor regarded him with a deep, unexpected gaze and forced a smile. "You want to duel me, Felix?"
"Just an exhibition match."
Neither of them seemed to consider Lockhart.
Snape gave him a long, penetrating look, then said nothing more, drawing his wand with a swift, decisive motion.
Lockhart, who had been awkwardly standing aside, suddenly realized he had been miraculously removed from the center of attention. His face lit up with renewed enthusiasm. "It seems our lesson will include a duel. Let's welcome the two professors!"
The applause from the audience grew enthusiastic. Ron, excited, whispered to Harry, "Honestly, I've been waiting for this day! Do you think Snape will end up in the hospital?"
As a devoted fan of Professor Hup, Ron naturally supported Felix.
"That's just an exhibition match", Hermione emphasized, though she too was bouncing on her toes in excitement.
Lockhart retreated to the edge of the stage and cast a "Sonorus" on himself—thanks to his experience with book signings, he was quite proficient with this spell.
"Allow me to provide some commentary. Although this is just an exhibition, a real duel requires a much sharper awareness of danger—more details can be found in my published works", Lockhart lectured. "But—this will still be very beneficial. Now, let's bow..."
However, neither of the two on stage paid him any attention, instead engaging in a brief conversation.
"Felix, what do you plan to do?"
"Professor, I just dropped by to observe and contribute a bit."
"Don't lie to me!" They were so close that only they could hear the conversation.
"Is it because you're skilled in Legilimency, Professor?" Felix teased.
Snape snorted. In his eyes, his former student always had a strong sense of purpose, and this behavior was naturally categorized as "Felix's first step to seize power."
They bowed to each other, each taking seven steps backward, then turned to face each other, wands held in front of their chests.
"As you can see, the two professors are holding their wands in a standard dueling stance", Lockhart continued his commentary. "This is one of the three common dueling stances. I will now count to three, and they will cast their first spells."
The students held their breath, the atmosphere completely different from Lockhart's earlier "demonstration."
"One... two..."
"Snape won't be taken out in one shot, will he?" Ron shouted excitedly.
"I don't think so, oh my—" Hermione began, intending to mention that Professor Hup held Snape in high regard, but she was quickly captivated by the dazzling display on stage.
"Three!"
Snape shouted, "Expelliarmus!" A brilliant red light flashed, and the spell sped toward Felix.
Felix spun his wand, smoothly casting a "Shield Charm." An invisible magical barrier appeared in front of him, deflecting Snape's spell. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, the shield emitted a blinding white light and shot forward.
Snape cast two spells in quick succession to break through Felix's Shield Charm, and the magical barrier quickly dissipated.
However, the white light from the Shield Charm obscured Snape's vision. Instinctively, he shifted his position—a habit honed over many years that saved him this time. Three dim black beams narrowly missed him, the closest one almost grazing his nose.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. From Snape's initial advantage to Felix's defensive counter and the rapid release of three spells under the cover of white light, it took less than three seconds.
Lockhart: “……”
The young wizards: “……”
The duel continued, and Snape did not dare to let his guard down. He hadn't engaged in combat for nearly a decade, though he had never stopped exploring magic. His main focus, however, had been on improving potions.
But he was quickly regaining his combat experience. After a few rather precarious moments of defusing danger, he finally began to counterattack.
Spells flew back and forth between the two, but both were careful not to harm the students.
Various defensive spells, attack spells, and Disarming Charms sliced through the air, whistling sharply. The distance between them fluctuated, sometimes closing rapidly and other times widening, as they constantly adjusted their positions with small movements.
Lockhart, after a spell grazed his hair, wisely jumped off the stage but continued to comment loudly, “The duel is getting intense… Notice their footwork? Move, move, don't just stand there!”
Lockhart had his moments, at least in terms of eloquence. Through his commentary, many young wizards had epiphanies, which somewhat salvaged his reputation.
However, Snape sneered at this. He nimbly deflected a spell and found an opening to counterattack. He felt that Felix's spells were growing stronger, increasing the pressure on him.
Damn, this kid is putting the pressure on me!
“Why does Professor Hup's spells seem to be getting thicker?” Even the young wizards noticed this, but with their limited knowledge, they could only judge the strength of spells by their appearance.
Snape's wand trembled violently as he cast an enhanced "Armor Shield" in front of him. Two searing red beams collided with it, making a "thud" sound, and a tear appeared in the magical barrier.
Impressive magical prowess...
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Snape's face.
The young wizards in the audience were entranced, realizing for the first time that dueling wasn't just about standing face-to-face and casting spells. There were so many aspects to it—casting speed, timing, defensive techniques, footwork, awareness...
But they didn't know that neither of the dueling wizards was using their full strength.
Felix casually dodged a red beam, using the brief respite to cast a spell with a quick wand movement. He quickly assessed the limits of this potions professor.
Professor Snape shouldn't be this weak...
In the next second, Felix's instincts kicked in. He cast three Shield Charms in quick succession, sending them flying to intercept the inevitable path of the incoming spell.
A powerful crimson spell sliced through the air, quickly piercing the first and second barriers before slamming into the third.
The young wizards watched with wide eyes. While they might not have been able to judge the strength of the spell, they clearly saw the burning trail it left in the air and how it effortlessly breached the Armor Shield barrier.
"Bang!"
A deafening explosion echoed through the Great Hall.
Felix's third Shield Charm held, deflecting Snape's surprisingly powerful spell.
He caught a whiff of dark magic...
Incorporating the characteristics of dark magic into a Disarming Charm, Professor, you truly surprise me.
Do you have stronger spells? Do you have any tricks left?
Snape was far from relaxed. He did have some spells in reserve, but they were dark magic and couldn't be used in public. From Felix's performance, he doubted they would be effective even if he did use them.
Felix has surpassed me...
Snape had never been more acutely aware of this.
(End of Chapter)
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