0530 Next Stage

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, conflicts between young wizards were as common as floating candles in the Great Hall. In these halls, where teenage emotions ran as wild as pixies in Cornish gardens, it wasn't unusual to witness students drawing their wands in heated moments.

The impulsive nature of teenage years, combined with the potent mix of magical ability and house rivalries, often led to confrontations that sparked and crackled with tension. When multiple students were embroiled in disputes and there wasn't time for the formal drawing of wands, even throwing punches wasn't considered particularly shocking – though it was certainly frowned upon by the Slytherins and their more proper pure-blood families.

However, in their four eventful years at Hogwarts, neither Harry nor Hermione had ever witnessed anything quite as extraordinary as seeing Neville– the usually timid fella who could barely handle a wand without causing catastrophe – wielding a gleaming sword and pointing it directly at another student's forehead.

Even the mocking Slytherins were struck dumb by Neville's display of courage – or perhaps madness. They stood there staring blankly at the panting, red-eyed Longbottom, collectively frozen in astonishment. The silence that fell over the room was brief, and it lasted only moments before an explosion of laughter shattered it like broken glass.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing, Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson's shrill voice cut through the air as she doubled over. Her pug-like features contorted with cruel humor as she gasped between fits of laughter. "You actually think you can defeat Draco with some ancient piece of rusty metal? Oh, look at yourself – you look more ridiculous than a troll in dress robes!"

The Slytherin students, normally quick to rally around their unofficial prince, Draco Malfoy, were too consumed by their own hysteria to even consider coming to his defense. Tears of laughter streamed down their faces, some clutching their sides as though their ribs might crack from the force of their laughter.

The Gryffindors, usually quick to jump to the defense of one of their own, maintained an eerie silence. Only Hermione's voice tinged with sadness broke through the noise, her words carrying deep concern. "Please don't do this, Neville!" she called out, her voice trembling with emotion. "He's not worth it!"

Among all those present in the tension-filled classroom, it was perhaps Draco who best understood the true seriousness of the situation unfolding before him.

While Longbottom's stance might have appeared comical to his housemates there was something in those red-rimmed eyes that made Draco uncertain. The cold glint of the blade, combined with the abnormal fury radiating from the usually timid Longbottom, made Draco purse his pale lips, his normally confident expression wavering with growing uncertainty.

"What exactly is going on here?"

The scene came to an abrupt halt as Bryan's voice cut through the chaos.

The young wizards had been so fixated by Longbottom's dramatic display that no one had noticed Professor Watson standing at the doorway for a while.

The moment his voice reached their ears, the atmosphere in the room transformed instantly. The Slytherin students, looking suddenly nervous, hastily tapped their badges, their movements almost hilariously synchronized. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students, who had been watching from the sidelines with varying degrees of interest, sobered immediately, their expressions becoming carefully neutral. Neville, his moment of unprecedented bravery apparently punctured, lowered the sword with trembling hands, his face flushing an even deeper shade of red.

Harry's group, seizing the opportunity presented by the Professor's arrival, turned eagerly to Bryan. Their voices overlapped in accusations about Slytherin's latest 'misdeeds'.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Draco's voice rose above the noise, his tone dripping with carefully crafted innocence. He managed to sound simultaneously offended and just as he shouted, "We were just showing our support for Granger in our own unique way!"

"You're talking absolute nonsense, Malfoy!" Harry exploded, his green eyes flashing with anger behind his glasses. He pointed an accusatory finger at the badge on Malfoy's chest, suddenly realizing something that made his blood boil even hotter.

Not only was Malfoy not attempting to hide the badge but he was actually puffing out his chest proudly, as if inviting Professor Watson to take a closer look. This unusual behavior set off warning bells in Harry's mind, and narrowing his eyes, he noticed that the Slytherins' badges had undergone yet another transformation.

Now they looked like completely innocent badges – their badges were displaying a proper normal photo of Hermione, surrounded by glittering text that read: "Hermione Granger - Hogwarts' True Champion!"

"Professor Watson, it wasn't like this just moments ago!" Harry stood speechless for a heartbeat before finding his voice again, his words tumbling out in a rush of frustration.

The other Gryffindor students crowded around Professor Watson like moths to a flame. Their voices overlapped as they vividly described the badge's three malicious transformations, painting a picture of the Slytherins' cruel mockery with their words.

Bryan's eyes flicked toward Draco's carefully constructed mask of innocence, and he couldn't help but mentally recognize the boy's growing wit – Draco's skill at crafting intricate traps for others had clearly reached new heights. He had managed to create a situation where any accusation against him would seem like petty house rivalry to an outsider.

Of course, as a professor at Hogwarts, Bryan knew he had to maintain both his authority and the appearance of impartiality, even when faced with such obvious manipulation.

Under the eager and expectant observation of Harry and his fellow Gryffindors, Bryan expressionlessly moved through the classroom. As he passed by Longbottom, who was still gripping the sword with white-knuckled hands, he took a moment to examine the usually timid boy's stance. Something in what he saw caused a small smile to appear across his face.

"Not bad, quite convincing--" He commented, his voice carrying a tinge of genuine appreciation that most of the students missed entirely.

Draco, misinterpreting Bryan's words as mockery, burst out with a sharp laugh. However, his amusement died a swift death when Bryan's sharp gaze settled on him. Draco immediately straightened his posture, his spine stiffening as though hit with a Petrification Charm, as he sensed an unusual and unsettling pressure emanating from the professor.

The air in the classroom seemed to thicken as Bryan made a simple gesture with his finger.

Whoosh-- The bag in Draco's hand suddenly flew across the space between them, sailing through the air with absolute accuracy into Bryan's waiting grasp. Bryan took out a badge from the bag, placing it in his palm as though it were a particularly interesting specimen in Herbology class.

He examined it with careful attention, turning it this way and that in the flickering torchlight before speaking in a cold voice that could have frozen the Black Lake.

"Who is responsible for creating this?"

Draco lowered his head, his facial features showing the internal struggle as clearly as the words on a parchment. His eyes were now filled with uncertainty as he weighed the consequences of truth versus deception. However, before he could reach a decision, a small, pale hand rose from among the cluster of green robes.

"It was me, Professor Watson--" The voice belonged to Astoria Greengrass, the youngest member among the gathered Slytherin group. Despite her youth, she still tried to maintain her composure under Professor Watson's sharp gaze.

"The transfiguration work is quite impressive--" Bryan said with a slight nod that sent ripples of disbelief through the watching Gryffindors. They stared at their professor's back as though he had suddenly started speaking Mermish, unable to process that he seemed to be complimenting such malicious behavior.

However, before Draco could show even a flicker of triumph across his face, Professor Watson's next words deflated any budding celebration like a punctured balloon.

"I remember instructing all of you to support and believe in all school champions without reservation. Even if you can't manage that basic level of school unity, you should, at the very least, refrain from actively hindering them."

His words fell into the silence like stones into a still pond. "I want to be perfectly clear – if I see anyone wearing these items within the castle walls again, I will ensure that whatever challenges await our champions in the first task, you will face them as well."

The threat, delivered with such casual certainty, sent visible shivers through the gathered students. However, the tension was briefly broken by an unexpected voice.

"What exactly are the champions going to face in the first task, Professor?"

The Weasley twins were good at seizing opportunities, and George immediately raised his hand to ask.

"Oh?" Bryan turned around, his face expressionless but eyes twinkling, "If I were to tell you, would you be able to keep it a secret?"

George's excitement momentarily wavered as he considered the question, but it quickly resurged as he exclaimed with enthusiasm, "I swear on my honor as a Weasley, Professor, I'll keep it secret!"

Not just George, but every student in the classroom was excited temporarily forgetting the earlier conflicts and eagerly watched Professor Watson, hoping to learn some classified information in advance.

"I made the very same oath, Mr. Weasley--" Bryan's cheerful laughter echoed through the room, triggering a wave of disappointed sighs that seemed to deflate the entire class.

"Very well, the time for jokes has passed--" Bryan clapped his hands, gathering all the students before him. Looking at their faces flushed red in the firelight, he calmly said,

"Over these past two months, you have all practiced protective spells crucial in Wizard duels, and from my observations, the majority of you have met or exceeded the basic requirements--" His words were interrupted by a metallic protest from the corner of the room.

Clang, clang-- The suit of armor lined against the classroom wall seemed to voice its disapproval at the students.

"Ah, yes--" Bryan tapped his forehead in a gesture of sudden memory. "Mr. Longbottom, please return the sword to its place – it is not yours--"

Amid a fresh wave of snickers and barely suppressed giggles, Neville, his face now resembling a ripe tomato, hurried back to the suit of armor. His nervousness was obvious as he struggled multiple times to return the sword to its scabbard, each failed attempt adding to his embarrassment.

In his flustered state, he managed to catch his robe on the armor's gauntlet, creating a noticeable tear. The snickers grew louder, but when he finally managed to rejoin his fellow Gryffindors, Hermione quietly raised her wand and repaired his robe.

"As I was saying," Bryan continued, drawing attention back to himself, "we need to implement some adjustments to our curriculum moving forward. Starting next week, Friday morning's final period will be dedicated to practicing dodging exercises against dungbombs and reinforcing and reviewing the magical techniques you've already mastered. Wednesday's class, however, will take on a new focus – practical combat training."

"Practical combat?!" The words burst from Hannah's lips before she could stop them. When she noticed Professor Watson's attention turning to her, her cheeks turned red and she stumbled over her next words, "I mean... practical combat... but who would be my partner?"

Professor Watson's announcement sent a surge of excitement through the classroom.

The majority of students, rather than showing fear, showed varying degrees of eagerness. Those who had been participating in the physical education classes carried themselves with a barely contained sense of superiority. They all more or less wanted to prove they were much better than others, but since Professor Watson strictly prohibited them from using wands when fighting against others, they could only enjoy others' envious glances when demonstrating their newly mastered spells. They had been waiting for a chance to actually duel with others to know just how powerful they were!

"Before I address that particular question--" Bryan's serious tone cut through the excited murmuring. "There is an important matter we must address. You will need to form teams, but not based on houses. Instead, you will create small groups of three members each. These teams can include members from different houses."

His eyes swept across the room, taking in the mixture of surprised and thoughtful expressions. "I emphasize that these groups will not be temporary arrangements. They will remain constant throughout our upcoming lessons and potentially elsewhere, in situations where you might face real challenges together. Therefore, I strongly urge you to choose your teammates with careful consideration of both their abilities and your compatibility with them."

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