After dinner, having assigned the task of feeding Norbert to Dobby, William returned to the Great Hall.
The entire hall had been tidied up by Professor Flitwick, removing those pink decorations and flowers from Valentine's Day orchestrated by Lockhart, making the whole space appear much brighter. The ceiling reflected the colors of the starry sky, with the narrow dueling platform standing in the center of the hall, surrounded by little wizards eagerly waiting for the event to start.
Dark blue ribbons dangled from the ends of the mid-air candles, and with a gentle sound, the Head of Ravenclaw, dressed in formal wear, appeared in the center of the dueling platform.
Seeing this scene, the mystery among the students was also solved—after all, according to Snape's usual style, forget about these decorations, the old bat being in a good mood might even remove the tables, though most still suspected he did it on purpose, or why else would he always climb onto the Gryffindor long table to teach – could this be a mere coincidence?
"Ahem... Sonorus." (Make the voice loud)
Flitwick pointed his wand at his throat, and only when his voice drowned out the students' chatter did everyone refocus their attention on him.
"I suppose you've seen the notice on the bulletin board. Yes, because Professor Snape had something come up unexpectedly, I'll be hosting the Duel Club tonight—"
The sharp voice, although noisy, was not annoying. Upon hearing Professor Flitwick personally confirm the news, the little wizards beneath the stage even cheered collectively.
The Head of Ravenclaw was much more popular than Snape, a fellow head of house, and even disregarding the factor of the little wizards' own house, Flitwick was very likely the most popular professor in Hogwarts.
This was certainly related to his humorous and witty personality, and the light and pleasant classroom atmosphere, but the most important reason was still...
The final exam for Charm Class was arguably the easiest of all subjects, not because the content was simple, but because Flitwick, like a university professor of an easy class, would try every means possible to make sure you pass.
Except for a few students who pretend to be trolls, it's still quite easy for everyone to get a pass in Charm Class.
"Great, but I'd still like everyone to quiet down—"
Flitwick raised his wand, and a pure white light exploded over the Great Hall; after a moment, the chatter slowly subsided.
"Now, since I haven't participated in Professor Snape's teaching, I'm unaware of your progress..."
"We just started practicing the Iron Armor Spell last week!"
"The Stunning Spell and Disarming Spell lessons have ended—"
"...but actually, many still don't know them well because the Bat Spirit didn't want to teach us for that long!"
Upon hearing Flitwick's inquiry, the little wizards beneath the stage eagerly raised their hands, quickly introducing one after another.
"Iron Armor Spell, excellent, Gryffindor earns one point." Professor Flitwick nodded joyfully, twirling his wand in his hand as he glanced around, "Well then, before the class begins, I need to find my assistant… Mr. Richard, are you here?"
"...Richard?"
"William."
"The transfer student—"
Upon hearing this name, nearly everyone recalled a figure in their mind, the figure that had not fallen short at all in the duel with Snape.
Indeed, most people thought the duel, which Professor Meow interrupted, was inconclusive.
"I'm here, Professor."
At the end of the crowd, William raised his hand to indicate, and in the next moment, the crowd in front of him automatically opened up a gap wide enough for two people to pass through. Seeing the continuously extended hands on either side of the path, William felt like he was going to a WWE match instead of assisting in teaching.
But he still cooperatively high-fived everyone, finally reaching the dueling platform before his hand turned red from the clapping.
"I thought you didn't come." Flitwick greeted William cheerfully, comforting him while talking, "Don't worry, no need to be nervous, it's just a performance, very simple… But afterward, I'll still need your assistance in the teaching." He clearly mistook William's staying on the outskirts as stage fright.
"Alright, Professor."
Just after stepping onto the dueling platform, William nodded and pulled a Niffler from his sleeve… then retrieved his wand from Kabuda's pocket.
"Oh, is this your pet?"
Flitwick, staring at the snappy Kabuda with interest, stretched out his hand to pinch its snout lightly, "Maybe you should place it below the platform; although it's a performance match, there is still the potential for accidental injuries…"
"Ah, rest assured, Professor, last time during the 'performance' with Professor Snape, it also stayed with me—"
William nodded but didn't follow Flitwick's suggestion, instead placing Kabuda on his shoulder.
"Oh, really? Well then, I'll keep an eye on it."
Regarding those rumors of William being superior to Snape, although Flitwick had heard of them, he still didn't quite believe them, merely agreeing with Professor McGonagall's words, "His talent is really high." And as a former dueling champion, he naturally didn't harbor any malicious thoughts about bullying the little wizards.
After explaining, Flitwick turned back to the little wizards, "Then, next, Mr. Richard and I will be presenting you with a real duel—and by the way, I used to be a champion in dueling competitions." He swung his wand with just the right amount of pride on his face, unlike Lockhart, who was annoyingly boastful.
There came a burst of astonishment from below the stage, many looking at William with visible worry.