The Shopkeeper Of All Worlds In The British Wizarding World Chapter 75: First Combat Practice - Novel Cool

Chapter 75: First Combat Practice

Chapter 75: First Combat Practice (Please Recommend!)

At a quarter past six the next morning, Liam got up early, washed up, and headed to the Common Room. Hermione was already there, waiting for him with her backpack. Hermione had previously agreed to learn some combat skills from Liam. This idea had come to Miss Granger during the summer when she realized that the Wizarding World was not friendly to Muggles, and she wanted to protect her parents.

The two of them made their way to an empty classroom on the second floor. After closing the door, Liam began, "Since you want to learn how to fight, I can share all my insights with you."

Hermione watched as Liam pulled out two books: the standard Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and an additional book, Self-Defense Spells.

"Since we're learning, I think we should start with the basics, the simplest and most orthodox spells. Although these spells might be easy to cast, have limited uses, and generally modest effects, they at least ensure safety during practice."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Liam opened the book and pointed to a page. "I think we should start with this: the Disarming Charm. It’s one of the most basic but very effective spells. Of course, it won’t be useful against African wizards, who cast spells without wands. But here in Britain, it’s very useful."

After finishing his explanation, Liam handed the book to Hermione. Hermione took it and read through it carefully a few times. Then, she held her wand and began to move it in the air, her lips moving silently. After a while, she stopped and said to Liam, "I think I’ve got the theory down. We should practice a bit. After all, you can’t learn a spell just by reading about it."

"Of course, I agree", Liam said, drawing out his wand. He had to admire Hermione’s intelligence; it had taken him 20% longer to learn this spell.

Standing about ten paces apart, Liam raised his wand and said, "I’ll count to three, and then we’ll start. One, two, three."

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione cast the spell as soon as Liam finished counting. The spell was accurate, and a red beam shot from her wand, hitting Liam. However, since it was her first time, Hermione had a bit of trouble with the spell’s execution, and it only made Liam’s hair stand on end.

Liam’s counterattack, however, was much more effective, causing Hermione’s wand to spin out of her hand.

"Why didn’t my spell work?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"That’s the problem with learning from textbooks alone. They only provide the spell and the theory, meant to be used in conjunction with a teacher’s demonstration. Fortunately, this book Self-Defense Spells has the key points."

Liam showed Hermione the relevant page from Self-Defense Spells. Hermione quickly identified her mistake. "So, the letter 'p' needs to be emphasized."

After reading, Hermione closed the book and continued practicing. With the correct method, her magic improved rapidly, and soon she was able to knock Liam’s wand out of his hand.

"I think I’ve got it. Can we move on to the next spell?" Hermione asked, looking a bit proud.

"Have you really mastered it? Let’s put it to a real test. In actual combat, you won’t be standing still and trading spells. At your current level, I could beat you without even using a spell."

"I don't believe it. After all, you haven't been studying these spells for very long. Even if you are better than me, you can't be that much better."

The two of them then stood ten steps apart and began a new round of practice. Hermione cast spells at Liam, but he either dodged them or used the desks in the classroom to block them. Eventually, Liam leaped over several desks, evading the spells and closing in on Hermione. He then pointed his wand at her.

"When did you learn all this? It looks a bit like parkour. But seriously, this skill should be useful in combat."

"How do you know about parkour? I remember it's only popular in France, and there are hardly any people who know it in Britain. I just learned it by chance from a traveling sailor."

"I have a French relative. The last time he visited, he told me about it. My cousin broke his leg participating in this sport."

"Extreme sports are indeed risky. You should be cautious when participating", Liam continued. "So, I'm saying you haven't mastered this spell yet. Or more accurately, you haven't learned how to use it in combat. As a combat spell, that's the key."

"Indeed", Hermione admitted. "But you must have been practicing this for years. I doubt I can be as agile as you."

"You don't need to be as agile as me, but improving your physical fitness and agility is always a good idea. Think about it, many spells in the wizarding world are hard to block, but you should have noticed that they need to be aimed before they are cast. So you can dodge them. Even the most terrifying Killing Curse can't kill you if it misses."

After that, Liam taught Hermione some techniques from the Assassin Legacy for improving physical fitness. He concluded, "Although the wizarding world can easily treat common illnesses, it's still better to avoid them if possible. Madam Pomfrey's elixirs are terrible to taste. So, improving your physical fitness and health is never a bad thing."

Hermione nodded in agreement. Last winter, she had to drink one of Madam Pomfrey's potions for a cold, and the taste was absolutely awful, not to mention the steam that kept coming out of her ears.

For the rest of the time, Liam took out a few small balls from his pocket and used a Levitation Charm to make them rise and fall. He had Hermione practice her Disarming Charm using these moving targets.

Soon, it was a quarter past seven. They tidied up the classroom and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.

On the way, Hermione asked Liam, "When is our next practice? I think we need to practice weekly to see results, or we might forget quickly."

"Let's make it Saturday or Sunday. We'll notify each other when we're free", Liam replied after some thought. After all, only during holidays would they have long stretches of time for practice. Practicing before breakfast, like today, was too rushed.

As they walked, they discussed various tips for using the Disarming Charm and how to deal with opponents casting spells or attacking moving targets.

By the time they reached the entrance to the Great Hall, they stopped their discussion and headed to the Gryffindor long tables for breakfast.

(End of Chapter)

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