https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-500-Ivan-No-One-Knows-the-Dark-Lord-Better-Than-Me-/13448686/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-502-Ivan-As-Long-as-I-Have-Enough-Aces-in-the-Hole-No-One-Can-Defeat-Me-/13448690/
Chapter 501: Ivan: I'm Sorry, I'm Not a Normal Person!
Chapter 501: Ivan: I’m Sorry, I’m Not a Normal Person! (4000 Words Combined)
So, both Sirius Black and Lupin found it hard to believe when they heard the news.
"Of course! But to be precise, I only defeated the Dark Lord's lingering soul and those troublesome Horcruxes!" Ivan explained.
He wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could defeat Voldemort outright. He could only take advantage of the plot to bully a Dark Lord who had lost most of his power.
"Don’t be modest, that’s already quite impressive. I can hardly imagine that you were just a first-year two years ago, and you could already do such things", Lupin said with a sigh.
Sirius Black, however, was hesitant. Despite knowing Ivan’s exceptional abilities, Ivan’s age was too deceiving. He couldn’t convince himself to let a kid join in such a dangerous mission.
"If you’re worried about my safety, there’s no need. I have more than enough ability to protect myself. Those Inferi pose no threat to me; it’s you who should be worried!"
Ivan spoke confidently. His concern wasn’t just for Sirius Black and Lupin’s safety. More importantly, he suspected that Dumbledore’s absence during the summer was due to investigating the Horcruxes, possibly even the Slytherin Locket in the cave!
Ivan didn’t want to hear about Dumbledore’s death when the new term started. He was still too weak, and the Wizarding World still needed the old professor’s protection.
So, it was necessary to go there and confirm the situation.
"As for my strength, Sirius Black, you should be well aware of it. Don’t forget who it was that caught you back then", Ivan said, seeing that Sirius Black was hesitating to respond.
"Is that true? Sirius Black, I had no idea you ever lost to a child!" Lupin turned to Sirius Black, teasing him.
"That’s because I had just escaped from Azkaban, starving for days, and without a wand. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost!" Sirius Black’s face darkened as he defended himself.
But as he recalled the events, Sirius Black felt a bit uneasy. He had disguised himself as a large black dog, even the patrolling Aurors couldn’t detect him, yet he was caught by a twelve-year-old kid. Where was the justice in that?
Moreover, Ivan’s ability to petrify someone with just a glance was something he would never forget. It was incredibly powerful and unreasonable. Once he made eye contact, he was at the mercy of others.
Despite his feelings, he wasn’t about to back down. He still believed that such dangerous tasks were best left to adults.
With that thought, Sirius Black sighed and looked at Ivan.
"Alright, since you’re so confident, let’s have another duel. If you can defeat me, I’ll agree to let you join the mission. Otherwise, you’ll have to stay here and wait for us to return!"
Sirius Black wasn’t entirely confident he could win, but he wanted to try his best to prevent Ivan from joining the mission.
If he could avoid eye contact during the fight, he thought his chances of winning were pretty good.
"Sure, when do we start?" Ivan agreed without hesitation, almost eagerly.
His strength had improved significantly this year, and he was looking for a suitable opponent to gauge his level.
Seeing Ivan’s easy acceptance, Sirius Black couldn’t help but feel a bit belittled. He immediately led everyone to the training room at Black Manor.
Pushing open a door, Ivan found the room spacious, about the size of a small stadium. Various human-shaped targets were placed around the room, and the tables were neatly stacked with Magic books for easy reference.
Sirius Black proudly told him that all the targets were enchanted to dodge and attack automatically. He had honed his Duel skills far beyond those of his peers during his student days here.
"How about it? It’s not too late to back out! Otherwise, you might end up regretting it", Sirius Black raised an eyebrow and asked Ivan.
Ivan was too lazy to respond, simply moving a distance away from Sirius Black and drawing his wand.
Sirius Black immediately understood Ivan’s meaning and also drew his wand.
Lupin, acting as the referee, moved Harry to a safe distance and then signaled the two to bow to each other as part of Duel etiquette.
"Forget it! In a real fight, your opponent won’t tell you when to start!"
Sirius Black waved his hand, disliking the formal Duel etiquette. Without waiting for Lupin to start counting, he smirked and suddenly waved his wand.
"For example, like this—Expelliarmus! (Expelliarmus)"
A crimson beam shot out from the tip of his wand.
Ivan was well-prepared. With a gentle flick of his hand, he unleashed another beam of light that collided with the first.
In the middle of the Training Ground, the collision of the two spells erupted into a dazzling flash. As they dissolved, they instantly fragmented into several smaller beams, radiating power in all directions.
Lupin and Harry, caught in the aftermath, had to take a few steps back and erect several invisible protective barriers with their magic to ensure their safety.
"Professor Lupin, do you think Sirius Black will lose?" Harry, watching the two combatants, couldn't help but ask.
"Probably not", Lupin hesitated before speaking. Sirius Black's strength ranked among the top in the Order of the Phoenix. He had killed over a dozen Death Eaters, and his combat experience was extensive.
However, the opponent was Ivan, a young witch or wizard whom Lupin could never fully fathom. Lupin was no longer as confident, especially since Sirius Black had been imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade, and it was unknown how much of his power he had retained.
It turned out that after more than ten years of confinement and torture, Sirius Black's senses had indeed become somewhat dulled.
Less than a minute into the battle, a momentary lapse in attention allowed Ivan to hit him with two consecutive spells. The Protego charm shielding Sirius shattered instantly, and he stumbled back several steps before regaining his footing.
"Stupefy!" Ivan pressed his advantage, launching another spell.
Sirius Black didn't have time to react; the spell's beam was already right in front of him.
At that moment, Sirius Black's body began to transform, shrinking significantly and narrowly avoiding the spell. When he landed, he had already transformed into his Animagus form.
Enhanced by magic, the large black dog moved with astonishing speed and agility, charging directly at Ivan.
Ivan hadn't expected Sirius Black to use this method to dodge his attack. After a quick Petrificus Totalus was easily evaded, he simply pointed his wand at the floor in front of him.
"Reducto! (Sectumsempra)"
The violent magic exploded a large hole in the floor, sending splintered wood flying in a semicircle under Ivan's wand's guidance.
Sirius Black didn't even flinch, allowing the sharp splinters to strike his body, scraping his fur and leaving bloody marks, some even embedding into his flesh.
"Sirius Black!" Harry, watching from the sidelines, was startled. Seeing Sirius Black injured, he became extremely worried and immediately wanted to have Lupin stop the fight.
But Lupin shook his head.
"Watch carefully, Harry! Bleeding and getting injured in battle are common occurrences! Sometimes, using minor injuries to gain an advantage is worth it!" Lupin explained.
However, this was in a real battle. Lupin hadn't expected Sirius Black to push himself so hard in a mere sparring match.
Was it because he didn't want to lose to a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, or because he didn't want Ivan to accompany them on their adventure?
Perhaps it was both, Lupin thought to himself.
Meanwhile, in the Training Ground.
As Lupin had anticipated, Sirius Black was employing a strategy to use minor injuries to secure victory.
During their previous exchanges, Sirius Black had realized he had no advantage in reaction speed or control over magic.
To ensure victory, he needed to catch Ivan off guard!
And he did just that. Now, the distance between them was extremely close, less than two meters. With his speed, he could immobilize Ivan before the next spell was cast.
However, Sirius Black's face showed no hint of joy. He leaped forward, transforming back into human form mid-air and mentally counting down.
Three, two, one!
A powerful, irresistible force suddenly radiated from Ivan, spreading out in all directions and slamming into Sirius Black, sending him flying.
"Stupefy!" "Petrificus Totalus!"
Ivan didn't miss this perfect opportunity to pursue. In a second, he cast two spells in quick succession, one aimed at Sirius Black and the other blocking his escape route.
Sirius Black remained calm. Last summer, when dealing with those Death Eaters, he had seen Ivan use a Magic Ring. He had anticipated this situation.
Or rather, he had done all of this to force Ivan to use the magical item, giving him a slim chance of victory!
The thought flashed through his mind as the two beams of light approached. Sirius Black waved his wand, his body twisting, and he vanished from the spot.
"Expelliarmus!"
A voice sounded behind Ivan.
At the same time, Ivan activated the protective ring on his right hand, and a red beam of light shot back but hit an empty spot.
Because Sirius Black was no longer there!
"Did you just use Apparition? But I remember you told me it's best not to use it during a fight!" Ivan turned his head and asked curiously.
"Yes, remember to always keep that in mind. I almost got splinched just now. Believe me, it was really that close!" Sirius Black said with a teasing tone.
There were a few bloodstains on his arm and chest, but not because of Apparition. They were from the Block of Wood that hit him earlier.
Of course, Sirius Black hadn't deceived Ivan. He only had a fifty-fifty chance of successfully casting Apparition just now!
Fortunately, he won the bet. Otherwise, he would have been splinched, with only half his body transported, the other half left behind.
While being splinched doesn't immediately kill a person, Lupin and Ivan could have helped him rejoin, but he would have had to concede the fight.
This is why Sirius Black warned Ivan not to use Apparition in a fight. In most battles, there's no option to surrender, and opponents aren't fools—they will finish you off!
"Incendio! (Incendio)"
While explaining, Sirius Black didn't hesitate for a moment. He waved his wand, summoning a large wave of flame that swept towards Ivan.
"Fly, wooden desk!" Ivan flicked his wand, and the table on the side flew over to block in front of him, blocking the flames.
However, Sirius Black's Cruciatus Curse shattered the wooden desk in front of Ivan, and the countless fragments, wrapped in scorching flame, gained even greater destructive power under the control of Magic!
"Tsk, you really think highly of me!" Ivan pointed directly at the nearby sink, and with a flick and a pull, the water in the sink surged and grew, forming a long snake under the effect of a Transfiguration Spell, sweeping away the flames.
"Stop it, both of you!" Lupin shouted loudly. He never expected a small duel to escalate to this extent, and he even suspected that the situation was already out of control!
The two focused fighters had no time to pay attention to him. Ivan was very excited, combining the spells he had learned to summon the water from the sink, almost replicating the Magic Professor Mcgonagall used to extinguish the Forbidden Forest fire!
The two powerful streams of Magic soon collided, mutually consuming each other, with sizzling sounds echoing continuously in the enclosed training room.
Thick steam rose and quickly spread, and occasionally, fragments of the wooden desk would fly out of the mist, smashing into the walls.
Lupin had to strengthen his protection again, casting several Shield Charms before he felt more at ease. He kept his eyes on the direction where Ivan and Sirius Black were, but the area was covered in mist, making it impossible to see anything.
Harry, watching from the side, was also very anxious. He kept calling out to Ivan and Sirius Black but received no response.
In the thick mist, Ivan looked around, unsure if Sirius Black had also cast Magic to enhance the fog. The mist was very dense, reducing visibility.
"Is this to limit my Serpent's Eye?" Ivan murmured to himself, admiring the other's experience as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, accurately predicting his actions twice.
Once, he forced Ivan to use the Magic Ring, and this time, it was likely aimed at the Serpent's Eye.
After all, it's very uncomfortable to deliberately avoid your opponent's eyes during a fight. With this mist, Sirius Black could avoid Ivan's line of sight and attack from any angle.
Despite being accurately predicted twice by Sirius Black, Ivan was not discouraged. He knew he was less experienced in combat than Sirius Black.
His previous battles had been successful because he deliberately avoided his weaknesses, maximizing his strengths, and using the special nature of blood magic to surprise his opponents!
Sirius Black had seen him use the Magic Ring and Serpent's Eye before, and with his combat acumen, he naturally had ways to counter them.
Like now, with both their vision significantly impaired, Sirius Black's keen sense of smell could help him pinpoint Ivan's location, giving him a significant advantage.
Ivan's lips curled into a smile. This time, Sirius Black might have miscalculated. In the dense fog, a normal person would need to rely on their eyes to determine direction, but Ivan was not a normal person!
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(End of Chapter)
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