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Chapter 511: Guidance
Chapter 511: Guidance
Black Family Manor.
Penelope was introducing the defensive arrangements of the 'Future World' company to Harry and the others in the living room.
"Since we need to do business, Sword Castle can't be hidden with spells like this place. Its defenses are more similar to Hogwarts. Things will get better once the anti-theft waterfall and anti-curse series are developed. Additionally, every employee in the company needs to master basic self-defense skills. Professor Hup chose the Stunning Spell and Shield Charm."
"No Disarming Charm?" Harry said with a hint of disappointment.
"Perhaps he thinks Stunning is more reliable", Penelope said, not entirely sure. "There are some useful spells—like the Blazing Light Spell, Apparition, Disillusionment Charm, and Runic Shield Charm. However, not everyone can master these advanced spells, and it will take time to roll them out comprehensively."
Next, Penelope suggested they play a dueling game.
They went to the training room on the second basement level, which was larger than the fifth floor and less likely to disturb others.
"Who wants to go first?" Penelope stood confidently in the center of the room.
"Sounds like you're planning a round-robin match", Fred said, rubbing his nose with a slightly mischievous tone.
"It's guidance", Penelope corrected seriously. "I've learned all those spells without missing a single one."
"I see Percy's influence on her", Harry heard Ron whisper to Neville. "I should have known. Why else could she tolerate Percy, the workaholic? They're the same type of person."
Harry grinned, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ginny staring at him from across the room. When he looked over, she quickly turned her head away. Harry immediately thought of the kiss from last night, or what he assumed was a kiss, though he wasn't entirely sure.
"Harry—Harry!"
He snapped back to reality. Everyone had moved to the edge of the black stone walls, and Penelope was eagerly watching him. He instinctively gripped his wand.
"Harry is zoning out; that's not a good sign—I'll be the referee!" Fred muttered under his breath, then said excitedly, "Three—two—one, start!"
"Armor Guard—"
"Bang!"
A red light hit Penelope in the chest, instantly sending her flying. She crashed into the mat, her wand flying in a graceful arc and landing in Harry's hand.
Penelope struggled to get up from the mat, her face filled with disbelief.
Harry was also surprised. His casting speed seemed faster, but he suspected it might be an illusion.
"Better hold back, mate", Ron whispered, "or Percy will come after you for revenge."
"I didn't use my full strength—" Harry explained quietly.
"Let's go again; I was too careless this time", Penelope said, clearly unwilling to admit defeat.
"First round, Harry wins; second round, ready—" Fred fulfilled his duty as the referee.
This time, Penelope lasted longer. Harry didn't dare use the Disarming Charm again and instead cast a Leg-Locker Curse when he had the chance. Penelope fell hard, unable to get up.
Everyone rushed over. Hermione cast the counter-curse and then took out a swelling potion—Penelope's face was bruised and swollen, and the others were trying hard not to laugh.
"Have you mastered non-verbal spellcasting?" Penelope asked, sounding dejected.
"I've improved a lot recently", Harry said sheepishly, finally confirming that it wasn't just an illusion. He had always been able to cast a few of his favorite dueling spells silently, but today he felt exceptionally good.
Could it be the influence of Voldemort again? A shadow of doubt crossed his mind.
"Will there be any marks?" Fred asked, concerned. "I mean, if Mom finds out—"
Harry took a sharp breath, his thoughts vanishing.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything", Penelope shrugged. "Better luck next time."
Harry's respect for Penelope grew.
Next, Harry and Hermione faced off. Spells shot from their wands, filling the training room. For about half a minute, the only sound was spells hitting the walls, and neither of them spoke.
"They know each other too well; sometimes they can tell what spell the other is going to use just by feeling it", Ron explained. "But Harry is really in top form today. After all, he’s not as good at non-verbal spellcasting as Hermione."
"Can you do that too?" Fred and George Weasley scrutinized Ron closely.
"Of course, but I’m still a bit short of their level", Ron panted, seeing their eager expressions.
"Look, Hermione is about to use a combined spell, the one Professor Flitwick advocates. Oh, what’s that?" He widened his eyes in surprise as the situation on the field suddenly changed.
At some point, a series of palm-sized chestnut wood pieces had flown out of Hermione's beaded purse. These chestnut wood pieces glowed with red, scorching runic circuits and, under Hermione's precise control, surrounded Harry.
Harry sensed the danger and instantly released a high-level Shield Charm. The flowing Runic Script merged into the magical barrier, creating an invisible, spherical shield that rippled with a light green wave, enveloping him. He looked up to see Hermione craning her neck to observe him. Once she saw he was ready, she swung her wand sharply downward.
The chestnut wood pieces exploded simultaneously around him, turning into brilliant fireballs.
Harry felt dizzy and disoriented. The explosions didn’t hurt him, but the loud noise was almost too much to bear.
"What kind of magic is this?" he asked when the flames subsided. "It looks a bit like a runic circuit."
"You’re right", Hermione said cheerfully. "It’s an unstable runic circuit, which should normally be avoided, but if you control it properly—" She made an exploding gesture with her hands.
"Turning a failed runic circuit into an offensive move?" Harry pondered. This wasn’t easy and required a high level of magical control.
"How did you think of this?" Ron couldn’t help but ask.
"Well—haven’t I been reading a lot of Runic Script material lately? While reviewing my Ancient Runes studies, I suddenly remembered the direction Professor gave me in the first class", Hermione said with a smile, her eyes forming crescent moons. The success of her new technique had lifted her spirits.
"I think he was just demonstrating a simple example of an error", Ron pointed out.
Next were Neville and Ginny. Neville seemed to have ingrained the concept of counter-attack deeply, and there was hardly any flaw in his defense. Ginny tried multiple spells but found no openings, especially since she wasn’t particularly skilled in dueling and just stood there, firing spells haphazardly. She angrily cast her best Bat-Bogey Hex, but Neville easily seized the opportunity to knock her down.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked.
Ginny shook her head and got up on her own.
"You’ve all improved so much", Fred said sincerely. "I’m getting itchy to try myself."
"When was the last time we had a serious duel?" George asked, feigning seriousness.
"If we don’t count the time you used the Hair Growth Charm on me yesterday while testing your protective hat, I’d say it was during last year’s dueling competition. We both got eliminated, remember?" Fred said with a straight face.
"The time we pelted each other with Dungbombs?" George recalled.
"But dueling with each other is too boring, like looking in a mirror", Fred said reluctantly. They hadn’t spent much time on dueling, but their daily bickering and pranks made them stronger than most.
"You’re right, best to change it up—" George replied, and then both of them looked at Ron.
...
Ron was thoroughly beaten.
"You held out for a long time", Harry said, helping him up from the ground. "But Fred and George Weasley are just too well-coordinated, like they have a splitting charm."
"I thought it was supposed to be two-on-two", Ron said, rubbing his shoulder. "But they were even more underhanded than I imagined. Ow, this is definitely going to be swollen."
(End of Chapter)
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