It turned out that challenging dangerous magical creatures without mastering the appropriate spells was a terrible idea.
Especially with these magic dolls created by Wade—they are endowed with the powerful physique and strength of magical creatures but without their weaknesses—
For example, the stupidity of trolls, the loss of control in werewolves, and the vampires' aversion and fear of sunlight.
Michael bravely attempted to challenge the werewolf, but before he could cast a single spell, its sharp claws were already at his throat.
He blinked in confusion and was unable to react, and only after a few seconds did he finally make a sound:
"…That fast?"
The werewolf withdrew its claws and leaped into the jungle, as if it had just been casually stretching its body.
As the crisis of imminent danger faded, Michael felt his frozen brain start to function again.
A few more seconds passed before he finally moved his hands and feet, forcing a relaxed smile.
"Whew… That thing jumping down from the tree really gave me a scare." He turned to Wade and said, "I thought you'd at least call out 'Start' or something?"
Wade, leaning against a tree root nearby, smirked mischievously. "Sorry, but these simulations are meant to be as realistic as possible. A real werewolf wouldn't give you a heads-up before attacking, would it?"
Michael thought for a moment. "Hmm… makes sense."
He originally intended to start another round, but as he instinctively touched his throat, he blurted out, "I've seen what the werewolf can do. Now, I want to challenge a troll."
His impression of trolls was still stuck on the clumsy creature that a few first-year wizards had once defeated together.
Wade gave him a strange look. "Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Michael said confidently.
"The Bird-Conjuring Charm, the Sliding Spell, and the Levitation Charm—I've mastered all the spells that worked wonders back then! What used to take a group of us to defeat, I can now handle on my own!"
Most importantly, trolls are large and heavy, so there is no way they could match a werewolf's speed.
"Alright, but you'd better put this on."
Wade raised his hand, and a shimmering silver-and-gold cloak floated over to Michael. As it landed on him, it transformed into a camouflage pattern that blended with the surrounding forest.
"Wow, this is kinda like an invisibility cloak."
Michael excitedly lifted the edge of the cloak to examine it. "But I actually liked how it looked before."
The cloak swayed lightly in his hands, and for some reason, Michael had the strange feeling that it was agreeing with him.
He chuckled, pulled up his hood, and said seriously, "Come on, troll!"
The sight of the young man draped in his cloak, wand in hand, and eyes sharp with determination gave off an unexpectedly powerful aura.
The four troll dolls on the other side glanced at each other. Then, the tallest and burliest one stood up, gripping its wooden club. It hunched down and let out an intimidating roar.
With a forceful stomp, it propelled itself forward and dragged the massive club as it charged straight at Michael!
Michael raised his wand and shouted, "Avis!" (Bird-Conjuring Charm)
A dozen small birds burst from the tip of his wand and launched an assault on the troll.
Michael was certain that the troll doll would be thrown into confusion, and he had already begun preparing his next spell.
But things didn't go as he expected.
Instead of being distracted, the troll doll simply shielded its eyes with its arm and continued charging forward like a runaway truck, completely unfazed.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
Panic set in for Michael. He quickly cast several Sliding Spell on the ground and then frantically shouted, "Impedimenta! Impedimenta!"
However, while the smooth stone floors of a castle were perfect for the Sliding Spell—even staircases could turn into slick slides—the forest floor, covered in dead leaves and fallen branches, was an entirely different story.
Michael saw no noticeable effect from the Sliding Spell, though the Impediment Jinx did slow the troll doll down slightly. Taking the chance, he backed up two steps, turned, and yelled, "Stupefy!" (Stunning Spell)
A red beam of light shot toward the troll doll but only grazed its ear and then struck a tree trunk behind it instead.
A faintly mocking expression appeared on its ugly face.
Michael's face twisted in despair—How is it dodging?!
The troll doll had already reached him. It raised its club high, ready to strike.
But Michael refused to give up. With lightning speed, he cast a Disarming Charm.
"Expelliarmus!"
The spell hit the troll doll's wrist, sending the wooden club flying.
Michael barely had time to smile in triumph before the troll doll's other massive hand came swinging toward him!
"This is ridiculous! Trolls are dumb! There's no way one could react that fast!"
Michael, now airborne, didn't even scream—he just shouted in frustration.
Just as he was about to crash into a tree, the cloak wrapped around him and pulled him back.
The troll doll had already retrieved its club and returned to its companions.
Michael saw it spread its hands at the other trolls, then shake its head while letting out a deep, rumbling chuckle.
The other three troll dolls joined in, laughing in low, growling tones that made Michael's face turn bright red.
With no way to communicate with them, Michael turned his glare toward Wade and grumbled bitterly, "This isn't a troll… There's no way a real troll is like that…"
Wade patted his shoulder and said, "This is an enhanced version of a troll… No matter the species, there will always be exceptional individuals, right?"
"…I see. You made a Dumbledore-level troll," Michael said with a blank expression.
Wade: "…"
The cloak patted Michael comfortingly, offering silent sympathy.
Over the past few days, Wade had taken some time to add more magic to the hastily made cloak. Thanks to its protection just now, Michael was completely unharmed—except for his confidence.
Wade's gaze drifted slightly before he asked, "Do you want to challenge the vampire next?"
Michael glared at him. "Don't tell me you powered up the vampire too?"
"Uh… how should I put it…"
Wade stroked his chin and said:
"Look, these magic dolls are meant for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They might have to face twenty students at a time, so if they're not strong enough, they could get wrecked in a single lesson… And then I'd have to fix them…"
His voice trailed off as Michael stared at him with an expression that saw through everything.
"Be honest, Wade. You brought me here today just to test the combat abilities of your magic dolls, didn't you?"
Michael sneered.
"Hahaha… Of course not," Wade let out a dry laugh, then suddenly remembered something. He coughed into his fist before saying, "Did you forget? You were the one who said you wanted to come to the maze first."
"…Even if I hadn't said it, you definitely would have suggested it anyway. You'd probably even pick a different time and drag a few others along," Michael huffed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Wade raised an eyebrow. "So… are you giving up the challenge? Should we head back to class? It's getting late."
Michael hesitated for a moment but still gripped his wand tightly. "Since we're already here… let's see how powerful your vampire really is!"
Wade clapped his hands, and from behind a tree, a vampire girl stepped out, flashing a dazzling smile.
Michael: "..."
…
In the History of Magic classroom, Professor Binns had yet to float in through the wall. Most students were already preparing to take a nap, while a few were furiously scribbling down last-minute homework.
This lesson was shared by Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Millicent was chatting with Pansy and Daphne when she noticed Michael walk in with a huge grin on his face.
Despite past tensions between the two houses, Michael got along fairly well with most of the girls. So, Millicent directly asked, "Michael, why do you look like you just drank a whole bottle of Felix Felicis?"
Several girls turned to look at the door.
"No, no," Michael said, beaming. "I just had a little duel with someone, that's all."
As Wade walked into the classroom after Michael, Pansy couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Wait, did you defeat Grey?"
If that were the case, she would completely understand why Michael was so happy right now.
At this, nearly the entire class turned to look at them, even waking up a few students who had been dozing off.
Wade: "..."
Without saying a word, he suddenly became the center of attention. Several students began measuring themselves against Michael, their eyes lighting up with interest as they glanced toward Wade, eager to challenge him next.
Wade swept his gaze over the group, ignored their assumptions, and casually found an empty seat to sit down.
"Of course… not!" Michael said cheerfully, waving his hand. "I was dueling… uh, someone else."
Daphne frowned. "Who exactly did you defeat?"
"No, no," Michael said, still in a great mood. "I lost… haha… I didn't even stand a chance."
Everyone was confused. "Then why are you so happy?"
"Do I have to be upset just because I lost? It's just another step on my journey in life," Michael said. "Failure is just as valuable as success. I've simply accepted it with a peaceful heart."
"I think it's less about peacefully accepting it and more like you're celebrating it," Terry muttered, voicing what everyone was thinking. Then, he turned to Wade and asked, "Wade, did you accidentally kick him in the head twice and turn him into an idiot?"
Wade: "..."
—He already told you I wasn't the one who beat him. Why drag me into this?
Meanwhile, Padma gave Michael a long look, seemed to realize something, and scoffed before turning her back to them.
"Padma…" Lisa said worriedly. She glanced between her and Michael, who was happily flipping open his History of Magic textbook, nearly humming to himself.
"Something's definitely wrong with Michael… Did he drink an Euphoria Potion?"
"No," Padma said flatly. "He probably met a stunning beauty."
Lisa: "...Huh?"
She froze for a moment before carefully sneaking a glance at Padma's expression.
Padma pressed her lips together and said nonchalantly, "Why are you looking at me? We already broke up. We're just ordinary friends now."
"Oh…"
Lisa murmured softly, then fell silent and quietly opened her book.
The class bell rang, and the pearly-white ghost of Professor Binns drifted through the wall, starting his lecture as usual.
A few minutes later, the brief commotion caused by Michael's odd behavior gradually died down, replaced by the steady rhythm of students' breathing as they dozed off.
…
Percy Weasley was now a seventh-year student and was preparing to face his N.E.W.T. exams.
Although most jobs only required Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) certificates, Percy's ambitions extended far beyond just finding a job to make a living. He wanted to climb higher, and for that, he needed an impressive set of N.E.W.T. results.
So, while most of his peers took only a few classes and spent the majority of their time dating, partying, and goofing around, Percy remained fully dedicated to his studies while preparing meticulously for the exams six months away.
He set aside an hour at midday to fulfill his duties as Head Boy, then spent the entire afternoon in the library, only emerging when the sun was setting and dinner was about to begin.
Not long after stepping out, Percy noticed a younger student lingering outside, looking rather troubled. Normally, the boy was full of energy, but today, his face was clouded with gloom.
Percy recognized him—this particular student was quite active in the common room and well-liked by his peers.
As he passed by, Percy asked, "Caryll, what are you doing here? It's time for dinner."
Caryll looked up and his eyes flickered as he stared deeply at Percy.
"Mr. Head Boy…"
Percy was quite pleased by the respectful address, though he tried to suppress his smile and maintained his authoritative demeanor. "Hmm? Do you have something troubling you?"
"What you said during the last meeting…" Caryll hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Those underage wizards who were taken… their parents were hit with Memory Charms and completely forgot about their children, right?"
"Of course." Percy frowned. "It's an absolutely evil and despicable act!"
"Then…" Caryll stammered and hesitated for a moment. Seeing Percy's growing impatience, he finally asked, "That… organization, those people… do they arrange new parents for the young wizards they take?"
"Absolutely not!" Percy said firmly.
"Do you think they'd be that kind? Those people even force the children to witness their own parents forgetting them—so they understand that even if they escape, they have no home to return to. It makes them easier to control!"
"I see… I knew it wouldn't be possible… Thank you, Mr. Head Boy, thank you so much…"
Caryll let out a sigh of relief, and to Percy's surprise, a small smile appeared on his face.
Percy gave him a strange look as the boy mumbled something under his breath, then suddenly thanked him loudly and dashed away at full speed.
"That kid…" Percy frowned in confusion. "What's so good about that news?"
He didn't dwell on it for long. Checking the time, he hurried toward the Great Hall for dinner.
On the way, he came across a group of younger students recklessly casting spells at each other in the corridor. Without hesitation, he marched over and sternly reprimanded them.
"Stop that immediately! I'm the Head Boy! You're violating school rules—no casting spells in the corridors!"
After scolding the students thoroughly, Percy completely forgot about Caryll's strange reaction from earlier.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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