"Expelliarmus!"
Anthony flicked his wand with practiced precision, releasing a sharp beam of red light that cut cleanly through the air.
Ryze reacted almost instantly. With a swift motion of his own wand, he invoked the Double Protection Charm. A translucent barrier shimmered into existence in front of him, intercepting the incoming spell.
Bang!
The red beam slammed into the shield, sending ripples across its surface like a stone dropped into still water. The barrier held—but only just. A moment later, a second layer of defense flickered into existence, forming slightly behind the first.
Ryze frowned.
Although he had successfully blocked the attack, the result was far from satisfactory. The true Double Protection Charm was supposed to summon two layers of defense simultaneously—one to absorb magical energy, and the other to deflect physical force. In his case, however, the shields were appearing sequentially, not in unison.
Instinctively, he still prioritized the magical barrier first. Only after that did the physical shield slowly materialize. Worse still, the two layers remained independent of each other, lacking any real synergy. It felt less like mastering a single advanced spell and more like cleverly chaining two simpler ones together.
For an average student, this level of control would already be impressive. But for someone aiming to excel in competitive dueling, it simply wasn't enough.
As expected, this spell was far more complex than it appeared.
Ryze exhaled slowly, steadying his thoughts. "Again," he said calmly.
Anthony, who had been brimming with excitement earlier, now showed clear signs of fatigue. Still, he raised his wand and prepared to attack once more.
Two hours ago, the situation had been very different. Back then, Ryze's casting speed had been slow and unrefined. He couldn't even summon a single stable barrier in time, which gave Anthony plenty of opportunities to overwhelm him.
But things had changed quickly.
After equipping his ring and subtly using his divination abilities to enhance his timing and prediction, Ryze's performance improved dramatically. Within half an hour, he was consistently able to deploy at least one defensive layer before Anthony's spells could land.
From that point onward, the dynamic between them shifted completely.
What had started as a one-sided sparring session turned into a grueling endurance test for Anthony.
Instead of attacking freely, he now had to focus on breaking through Ryze's defenses—again and again.
At first, it took four or five spells to shatter even Ryze's incomplete barrier. But as time went on, something unexpected happened. Ryze's defensive output remained steady, almost mechanical in its consistency. Meanwhile, Anthony's concentration began to waver.
Fatigue crept in.
His breathing grew heavier. His wand movements became less precise. The spells he cast lost some of their sharpness and power.
Soon, what once required four spells now demanded six… then seven.
The pressure was immense.
Even though Ryze wasn't attacking at all, his unwavering defense created a psychological strain that Anthony found difficult to bear.
By the time dusk settled in, the practice had devolved into a test of sheer willpower.
With one final effort, Anthony managed to break through Ryze's barrier yet again—but just as he prepared to continue, a voice called out from the side.
"That's enough for today."
Professor Flitwick stood atop his desk, his expression warm but firm.
Anthony immediately lowered his wand, bending over slightly as he struggled to catch his breath.
Ryze wasn't in much better shape. Though he appeared calmer on the surface, a trace of exhaustion lingered in his eyes.
He had spent the entire session trying to bridge the gap between the two layers of his spell, searching for that elusive moment where they would fuse into a single, seamless defense.
But that moment never came.
"I'm still not there yet," Ryze admitted quietly.
Professor Flitwick smiled, clearly pleased despite Ryze's dissatisfaction. "On the contrary, Mr. White, your progress has been remarkable. The Double Protection Charm is typically taught in the sixth year—or even reserved for Auror-level training. The fact that you've reached this level in just a few days is extraordinary."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"There's no need to rush. You still have several months ahead of you. For now, rest is just as important as practice."
Ryze nodded politely. "Thank you, Professor."
After gathering their things, Ryze and Anthony returned to their dormitory in silence. Once they had freshened up, they made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.
As expected, the atmosphere was lively—especially at the Gryffindor table.
Cheers and laughter filled the air as students celebrated their recent victory. At the center of it all was Harry, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. Not far from him, Ron was animatedly recounting the match, his gestures growing more exaggerated with every retelling.
"…and then he nearly swallowed the Snitch! I swear, it was right there—"
Ryze glanced over briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.
Harry noticed him and seemed eager to come over, but the crowd made it nearly impossible for him to break free.
Instead, Hermione approached.
Unlike the others, she wasn't celebrating. Her expression was serious—almost tense.
"Congratulations on your win," Ryze said with a faint smile. "I heard it was quite the match."
"You should tell Harry that yourself," Hermione replied quickly. "He's been wanting to thank you."
Her tone was distracted, as though her mind was elsewhere.
Then she leaned in slightly.
"We need to talk," she said in a low voice.
Ryze raised an eyebrow. "Sounds important."
"It is."
"Then let's not wait."
He gestured for Anthony to continue eating before following Hermione out of the Great Hall.
They walked a short distance away, stopping in a quiet corner where they wouldn't be overheard.
Hermione didn't waste any time.
"This afternoon, Harry's broom went completely out of control—for five full minutes," she said.
Ryze listened without interrupting.
"I saw what happened," she continued. "Someone was interfering with it. Casting a spell, continuously."
"And you think you know who?"
"It was Snape," she said firmly. "I saw him. He was staring straight at Harry, muttering under his breath. Hagrid said that only very powerful Dark Magic could affect a broom like that—and Snape was the only one there who could do it."
Ryze didn't respond immediately.
Hermione took his silence as doubt.
"I'm serious," she insisted. "I saw it myself."
He nodded slowly. "Go on."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, then added, "I… I did something."
Ryze's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I set his robes on fire," she admitted, her voice dropping. "Just enough to distract him. It worked. The spell stopped, and Harry regained control."
There was a brief pause.
Then Hermione straightened, regaining her composure.
"In any case, it had to be him," she concluded. "There's no other explanation."
Ryze considered her words carefully.
"From what you've described," he said at last, "he is certainly suspicious."
Hermione seemed relieved that he wasn't dismissing her outright.
"There's more," she said quickly. "After the match, we went to see Hagrid. While we were talking, he mentioned Dumbledore again—how much he trusts Snape, and how he believes Snape would never harm a student."
Ryze tilted his head slightly.
"And that led you to…?"
"Harry remembered something," Hermione said, her eyes lighting up. "A name he'd seen before."
She leaned in closer, lowering her voice even further.
"Nicolas Flamel."
Recognition flickered across Ryze's face.
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"It was on a Chocolate Frog card. The one about Dumbledore. It mentioned Flamel, and once we started looking into it, everything became clear."
Her excitement was barely contained now.
"The object hidden on the fourth floor—it's not just anything," she whispered.
"It's the Philosopher's Stone."
Ryze remained silent, letting her words settle.
Hermione continued, almost breathless.
"It can turn any metal into gold. And more importantly… it can grant immortality."
The implications hung heavily in the air.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ryze finally exhaled, his expression thoughtful.
"A stone that grants eternal life…" he murmured.
Whatever was hidden within Hogwarts, it was far more significant—and dangerous—than they had initially imagined.
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