"Harry Potter- Ravenclaw"Chapter 8: The Demonstration Duel
Snape peered across the hall, spotting Harry's curious expression from afar. He already knew the answer.
Clearly, the misfired Disarming Charm Harry had cast had struck Lockhart as he fussed with his hair, triggering a "wand backfire" of sorts—and setting those golden locks ablaze.
Hair damaged by unknown magic was notoriously difficult to restore, even with the best potions. But now wasn't the time to feel smug; he still had to deal with the chaos Lockhart had left behind.
Not every student could manage a proper duel. Some, in their frustration after repeated failed spells, simply abandoned their wands and resorted to the most primitive solution—wrestling.
As these scuffles mounted, even Snape's patience wore thin. He swept his wand again and again, forcibly separating brawling students.
He strode to the center of the stage, eyes cold as he surveyed the latest batch of troublemakers. "For a moment, I thought I'd walked into a gladiator pit, not Hogwarts!" he snapped.
"Fists and teeth! Are you all wizards or wild animals? If you can't master the Disarming Charm in an hour—haven't you learned any other spells at all?"
"No wonder Lockhart was the first to fall... I used to wonder why, but now it's perfectly clear." His gaze landed on Justin, still stiff as a statue on the floor.
"Finite Incantatem!" With a flick, he released the Full Body-Bind Curse on Justin. "Five points from Gryffindor! Lockhart told you to use the Disarming Charm, and what did you do, Mr. Longbottom?"
"Full Body-Bind Curse! Breaking Lockhart's own rules! Still, that's better than... Mr. Midgen, Mr. Macmillan, Miss Fawcett, Miss Granger—five points from each of you as well!"
The familiar Slytherin-style point-deduction had begun. Harry and Ron leapt to protest, voices rising in practiced indignation. "It was that Slytherin who started it! Hermione only got knocked over!"
"Ah... another ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape declared, like a hunter who's cornered his prey. "Our Mr. Potter must be quite pleased—thinking he's followed every rule to the letter!"
"Thinking he's clever, playing by the rules and still finding ways to win... Mr. Potter! Mr. Longbottom! On stage! Now!"
Neville shuffled up, visibly nervous, while Harry stalked forward, his face stormy.
Snape's tone dripped with malice. "Perhaps it's time for a real duel. I'm sure you both feel qualified to demonstrate—after all, you both 'defeated' your opponents."
"I didn't! I swear I didn't!" Neville blurted, flustered. "It was an accident... I can't get the Disarming Charm right..."
"Just as our first fallen hero, Lockhart, said..." Snape drawled, "Have you forgotten your dueling etiquette? Bow... keep your distance..."
Harry and Neville exchanged a look, then took their stances, following Snape's instructions to the letter.
"Begin!" Snape barked. "Show everyone how you 'won' your duels. Three, two, one!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The spells shot out almost as one. To Snape's surprise, Neville's Full Body-Bind Curse was spot-on—even in his panic, he hit Harry squarely, dropping him stiff as a board.
Harry's Disarming Charm was just as effective, a burst of red light sending Neville's wand spinning into the air.
"Finite Incantatem!" Snape flicked his wand, eyes flashing. "Mr. Longbottom... who taught you to cast the Full Body-Bind Curse like that?"
Neville helped Harry up, his mouth working uselessly as he tried—and failed—to answer.
"Lack of honesty with a professor—five more points from Gryffindor. Down you go!" Snape waved them off, then swept his gaze across the hall. "Mr. Lovegood, to the stage!"
As Snape spoke, Wyzett felt every eye in the room swing toward him.
His name had become something of a legend—whether for his dazzling performance in the Quidditch House Cup or for the reading list now circulating through the school, Wyzett Lovegood was well known.
At least within Ravenclaw, his reputation was secure:
"That's him! The books I'm reading lately are from his list... they're brilliant..."
"I know! He's our new Quidditch star! Won last year's Cup for us—no doubt we'll win again this year..."
"He's got a memory like a steel trap, and he knows the library inside out! If you need a book, just ask him—he'll tell you exactly which shelf and row..."
…
Snape hadn't named an opponent, but the students were already whispering, guessing who would face Wyzett.
As Wyzett mounted the stage, Luna clenched her fists, calling out quietly, "You can do it!"
Her encouragement sparked a ripple of cheers and applause from the crowd.
"Mr. Center of Attention," Snape said, arms folded. "If you can teach Mr. Longbottom the Full Body-Bind Curse, I'm sure a proper demonstration of dueling won't be a problem for you."
Wyzett nodded. He'd already guessed what was coming the moment he set foot on stage. This duel would let him showcase everything he'd learned so far.
Snape eyed him, voice low. "Show us what you can really do."
"Show what I can do, huh?" Wyzett murmured, understanding perfectly. He nodded to Snape. "Please, Professor Snape—let's begin."
Snape simply replied, "Hmm."
They bowed.
Wyzett gave a textbook bow; Snape inclined his head in acknowledgment.
Both raised their wands like swords before their chests...
And in that instant, something shifted. The students felt it—a subtle change in the air. Wyzett seemed different, somehow sharper, as if a hidden blade had finally been drawn from its velvet sheath.
They moved at once. Wyzett lunged, a torrent of fire roaring from his wand tip. "Incendio!"
Snape swept his wand sideways, calm and precise—a blade of light sliced through the flames, splitting them in two and driving onward toward Wyzett.
The magical blade closed in fast. Just as the crowd thought the duel was over, Wyzett flicked his wand, deftly parrying and dispersing the light as if it had never existed.
A stunned silence fell. Then, whispers rippled through the hall: "What just happened?"
Having a "legendary Auror" relative, Anthony tried to explain to Michael and the others, "If my great-grandmother's right... Wyzett's mastered the Severing Charm so well, he can just erase another spell's power with a flick like that. But... it's not something most witches or wizards should try."
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