Chapter 55

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Ten black cards appeared in Wayne's thoughts, each glowing with its own light. There were six white cards, three blue, and one purple. 

White cards offered basic rewards like one galleon or various potion materials. Wayne skipped those since they were easily available on the market. The three blue cards were much better; they contained magic spells: armor protection, thunderbolt explosions, and flying sand and rocks. Wayne had already mastered these spells, but after fusing them in his mind, he gained a deeper understanding of each. When he checked his panel, they had all advanced to the higher level. Above this level, there is only the master level. 

Achieving the master level doesn't mean a spell has reached its limit. Harry Potter, for instance, fought Voldemort using just one spell, Expelliarmus. The power he wielded was far stronger than anyone else's. This shows that the path to mastering magic is endless.

Finally, Wayne looked at the purple card. The light revealed its content, which made Wayne feel a bit strange. It read: [Talent Witchcraft: Mana Flow Thin Belt]. This seemed like a skill from League of Legends, but apparently, it could be obtained here too. The skill introduction read: [Mana Flow Thin Belt: Every time a type of magic reaches an advanced level, the total amount of magic power and the recovery speed of magic increases slightly and permanently].

Wayne was thrilled. In the magic world, there was no known way to increase one's magic power significantly; it only grew naturally with age and time. This new talent depended on skill advancement rather than talent alone. Wayne's magic talent was at SS level and was comparable to most seventh graders about to graduate. But who wouldn't want unlimited firepower? After merging his new talent, Wayne could feel an instant increase in his magic power. As more magic spells reached advanced levels, the benefits from the thin mana flow belt would continue to grow.

Wayne was delighted. "Keep drawing cards!" he ordered. Another ten cards appeared. This time, the purple reward was the Imperius Curse, one of the three unforgivable curses, but he found it useless. The third set of ten cards revealed an extremely powerful defensive spell: the Shield of Equis, also known as the Shield of Aegis. This ancient Greek mythological artifact, made by Hephaestus, was a powerful defense tool. 

The Shield of Equis could even guard against the death curse, making Wayne nearly invincible if he had enough magic power. With this spell, his safety was assured. The fourth set of cards revealed a weather control spell, which could command wind, rain, and thunder. The fifth contained an advanced magic potion formula, the thinking potion. This potion increased thought speed and brain activity without the side effects of mental fatigue.

Wayne was a bit upset. "I've only gotten basic rewards so far." He realized he was only 60 draws short of the guaranteed major reward. He had drawn one round during summer vacation and two more after school started. "System, do another ten draws," he ordered. A golden light filled the screen. This time, he received two purple and three blue cards, alongside a golden card.

Wayne eagerly opened the golden card. [Congratulations to the host, you have received the advanced reward of dynamic perception. You can detect the aura of surrounding creatures, greatly improving your observation skills. With enough practice, you can predict the future for a short time.]

Dynamic perception wasn't a powerful spell or a talent-enhancing template, but it was a valuable auxiliary ability. Wayne felt it could rival even the best spells. Wizard duels rely on experience and reflexes for dodging and countering spells. With dynamic perception, Wayne could anticipate enemy moves and detect small changes. This ability made avoiding spells from even Voldemort possible.

As he received information about dynamic perception, Wayne could sense the wind blowing outside and hear the noise from over a hundred students in the common room. His senses, including vision and hearing, were sharpened. This magic made his observation skills seem like a form of future prediction. 

He was ecstatic. "Big money," Wayne murmured with joy, realizing he hadn't opened the other two purple cards. One contained a bottle of Felix Felicis, and the other a black magic fire spell.

Overall, Wayne's skills had improved tremendously. A dozen spells reached advanced levels, his magic power increased thanks to the Mana Flow Thin Belt, and he gained the powerful Shield of Equis and dynamic perception. Wayne was eager to test out his new abilities and thought of the perfect place: the Gryffindor dormitory.

It was half-past eleven at night. Hearing Seamus and Dean snoring, Harry whispered, "Ronald, are you awake?"

"Of course not. I've been thinking about how to deal with Malfoy," came Ronald's reply, along with the sound of changing clothes. "How about punching him before his spell takes effect?"

"Why not kick him hard down there?" Harry suggested.

"That's mean. Malfoy's dad will kill you," Ronald retorted.

Harry and Ronald tried to change clothes quietly, so they wouldn't wake their roommates. Then, they went to the lounge. The usually lively lounge was completely quiet. Only the crackling of the fire in the fireplace could be heard, giving off faint heat and light.

No one was in the lounge, which made them sigh with relief as they walked out the door.

"Neville, why are you here?"

Around the corner, a figure huddled together, startling Harry and Ronald. They almost retreated but stopped when they saw who it was.

"Thank God, did you notice I wasn't in the dormitory and come looking for me?"

"I forgot the password to the lounge, and I got locked out."

The little fat boy got up with tears in his eyes, and what he said made both Harry and Ronald freeze.

"Sorry, we didn't even notice you were gone," Harry admitted.

"The password is 'pig's nose,' but you can't use it now, Neville," Harry said, pointing to the empty picture frame. "The Fat Lady has probably gone out for a walk. Even if you know the password, you can't get in."

"What should we do?" Neville asked anxiously.

"Come with us," Ronald said. Malfoy had two followers. If martial ethics weren't enough, Neville could at least be a helper. Though Ronald doubted Neville's magic skills, he thought Neville could at least serve as a human shield.

"Where are you going?" Neville asked blankly.

"There's no time to explain. We'll be late if you don't come," Harry said and grabbed Neville, pulling him downstairs. 

On the way, when Neville heard they were going to duel, his mouth opened so wide a rifle could fit in it.

"This is against school rules! I can't let you go; you'll be expelled!"

Harry hadn't expected this reaction from usually mild Neville. They stopped walking.

Remembering something Wayne had told Hermione, Harry cleared his throat. "Neville, you don't want your grandma to know you forgot the password, do you?"

Now, Neville had no choice but to follow them angrily. Breaking school rules was scary, but Neville feared his grandma more.

When they reached the prize showroom, Malfoy was waiting with Crabbe. Malfoy's expression changed slightly when he saw three people instead of two.

"Potter, you agreed to bring only one assistant!"

Harry, out of breath from walking so fast, said, "Neville was just someone we met on the way. Ronald is my assistant."

Hearing this, Malfoy relaxed a bit.

Then, the atmosphere grew tense. Both boys drew their wands. 

"The duel starts when I count to three, understand?" Ronald said, familiar with duel rules from his books.

"Three!"

As soon as one number left his mouth, Ronald couldn't hold back. Harry and Malfoy, as if coordinated, raised their wands and pointed at each other.

"Engorgio!"

"Furnunculus!"

Both spells hit their targets perfectly. Malfoy's front teeth grew until they poked out from under his lips. Harry laughed so hard he couldn't stand straight, let alone cast another spell. But their magic was weak, so the effects only lasted a minute.

Harry recovered first. Before Malfoy could respond, he rushed forward and kicked Malfoy.

"Oh!" Malfoy cried out and knocked his head on Harry's chin, making Harry bite his tongue. The scene became chaotic, changing from a magical duel to a fistfight.

Ronald worried Harry might get hurt, so he kicked Malfoy twice. Crabbe saw this and joined the fight. Crabbe, twice as strong as Ronald, had the upper hand.

Neville cried and tried to help but ended up piling on top of Crabbe. The five boys tangled together, making it impossible to tell who was sweating and who was crying.

Then, Filch's voice rang out. "Who's there?!"

The five boys froze. Harry quickly pulled his hand from Malfoy's mouth and stumbled to his feet.

"Ronald! Neville, run! Filch is here!"

Malfoy, not caring about causing trouble for Harry now, pushed open the door and ran. Both groups ran in different directions. Filch's voice echoed, "Stop running! I've seen your faces. Stop now for leniency!"

No one paid attention. Filch hesitated; if he chased the Slytherins or Hufflepuffs, he risked them running back to their common room. If he chased the Gryffindors to the tower, the path would be longer.

Harry, Ronald, and Neville knew Filch was coming their way. They found a random classroom and hid. But their luck was poor; inside, they ran into Peeves.

Peeves threw his chalk away excitedly. "Look, three little first-years out of bed! Filch will love this!"

"Please," Harry begged. "Filch is looking for us. Keep your voice down."

"This'll be fun! What punishment will Filch give you?"

"Get away!" Ronald pushed him, which only made things worse.

"Students out of bed!" Peeves yelled louder, hoping to attract Filch. The three boys dashed from the classroom, only to hit a locked door.

"It's over!" Ronald said desperately. "Do you know any spells? Open it quickly!"

"I know 'Alohomora,' but I'm not good at it."

The footsteps grew louder. Peeves' noise made them even more desperate. Neville already imagined being expelled and going home to plant flowers.

Ronald frantically twisted the handle, and miraculously, the door clicked open.

"Get in quick!" Harry yelled as all three rushed inside. They heard a voice.

"I said, if you're going out at night, don't wake the professor with all this noise."

"No, we just..." Harry began before he realized, "Wayne? Why are you here?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to eat," Wayne said, stepping out of the darkness. Harry and the others stared. Not because of Wayne, but because...

"Wayne! Watch out behind you!"

Behind Wayne, a huge three-headed dog eyed them.

Neville almost peed himself.

Wayne snapped his fingers, and lights came on. He looked at the three confused boys and sighed.

"I can't believe you didn't even know the unlocking spell. Without Hermione, you really are useless," he said.