Chapter 213: "The Penultimate Challenge"

The semifinals of the European Dueling Championship arrived with a palpable sense of anticipation. The Palais de Duel was packed to capacity, with even standing room becoming a precious commodity. Harry's meteoric rise through the ranks had captured the imagination of the wizarding world, and everyone wanted to see if the young prodigy could continue his incredible run.

As Harry entered the arena, the commentator's voice boomed, "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for what promises to be a duel of epic proportions! In this corner, we have the young prodigy, the lightning wielder, Hadrian Potter!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Harry took his position on the platform. The commentator continued, "And his opponent, the Croatian conjurer, the master of transfiguration, Aleksander Kovač!"

Harry's opponent in the semifinal was indeed Aleksander Kovač, a Croatian duelist known for his mastery of transfiguration in combat. People often compared his dueling style to that of Dumbledore's, a rare and formidable approach that few could master.

As they took their positions on the platform, Harry could feel the weight of thousands of eyes upon him, the air thick with anticipation.

Kovač gave Harry a respectful nod. "I hope you're ready, young Potter. I have watched your duels. You are good, but are you good enough? This won't be like any duel you've faced before."

Harry returned the nod, his face set with determination. "I look forward to the challenge, Mr. Kovač."

The referee raised his wand. "Duelists at the ready! Begin!"

The duel began, and immediately Harry understood why Kovač was considered one of the best. The platform around them came alive, tiles transforming into snarling beasts, the very air solidifying into razor-sharp shards.

"Incredible!" the commentator shouted. "Kovač has turned the entire arena into a weapon! Potter finds himself not just fighting Kovač, but the entire environment!"

Harry found himself dodging animated objects and shielding against a constant barrage of transfigured projectiles. "Protego Maxima!" he shouted, creating a dome-like shield around himself as a transformed bench, now a vicious tiger, leaped at him.

"Potter's on the defensive, folks! Can he find a way to counter Kovač's onslaught?"

For the first few minutes, Harry was purely on the defensive. But as the duel wore on, he began to see patterns in Kovač's strategy, his mind working furiously to formulate a counter-attack.

Drawing on his own considerable skills in transfiguration, Harry began to counter Kovač's creations with his own. "Feraverto!" he cried, transforming Kovač's transfigured lion into a water goblet mid-leap.

"Astonishing!" the commentator exclaimed. "Potter is fighting fire with fire, countering Kovač's transfigurations with his own!"

Kovač's eyes widened in surprise. "Impressive, Potter. But let's see how you handle this! Duro Maxima!" The floor beneath Harry's feet began to turn to stone, threatening to encase him.

Harry quickly leaped aside, pointing his wand at the encroaching stone. "Finite Incantatem!" The stone reverted to the original platform material.

Harry had enough of defending. It was his turn to attack. He also decided to use transfiguration and put his skill against the best. With a complex wand movement, Harry cast a spell that transformed the tiles on the platform into small rats who quickly scurried to attack Kovač.

Kovač was quick to react and destroyed some of the rats, while others fell victim to a transfigured cat he created.

The duel became a breathtaking display of magical creativity, with both duelists constantly adapting and countering each other's moves. The crowd watched in awe as the platform became a swirling chaos of constantly shifting forms and matter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've never seen anything like this!" the commentator shouted, his voice hoarse with excitement. "It's like watching two master artists duel with magic as their medium!"

As the duel approached the twenty-minute mark, Harry decided it was time to change tactics and end the duel. In a move that caught everyone by surprise, he pointed his wand at the ground and shouted, "Sabulosus Terra!" The entire platform transformed into a giant pit of quicksand.

"What's this? Potter has turned the entire platform into a quicksand pit!" the commentator cried in disbelief.

Suddenly, all of Kovač's creations were stuck in the sand, unable to get out and move to attack Harry. Kovač's eyes widened in shock. "Clever, Potter, very clever!" His foot was also stuck in the quicksand and was unable to move.

Seeing Kovač distracted with getting free from the quicksand, Harry struck. "Fulmen Maxima!" A bolt of lightning, more powerful than any he had yet produced in the tournament, arced across the platform.

"Merlin's beard! Potter has unleashed a lightning bolt that would make Zeus jealous!" the commentator shouted.

Kovač, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tactics, barely had time to raise a shield. "Protego Horribilis!" he cried, but it was too late.

The Croatian's hastily erected defense shattered under the onslaught, and he was thrown backwards, free from the quicksand but his wand flying from his hand. As Kovač hit the ground, the entire stadium held its breath. For a moment, silence reigned.

Then, as the referee raised his hand to declare Harry the victor, the crowd erupted in a deafening roar. "It's over! Hadrian Potter has done the impossible! He's defeated Aleksander Kovač and secured his place in the finals!"

Harry helped Kovač to his feet, both duelists battered and exhausted but filled with mutual respect. "That was... incredible," Kovač panted, shaking Harry's hand. "I've never seen anyone counter my transfigurations like that, let alone combine it with such powerful elemental magic. You're truly in a league of your own, Potter."

Harry smiled, still catching his breath. "Thank you, Mr. Kovač. Your mastery of transfiguration is unparalleled. I learned a lot from this duel."

As Harry left the platform, he was immediately engulfed by a jubilant Sirius and an ecstatic Flitwick. "You've done it, Harry!" Sirius shouted over the crowd's continued cheers. "You're in the final!"

Flitwick, practically bouncing with excitement, began immediately analyzing the duel. "Brilliant use of transfiguration, Harry! And that final move with the quicksand – inspired! The way you combined different branches of magic was truly remarkable!"

But even as he basked in the glow of his victory, Harry knew the hardest challenge was yet to come. The final would pit him against Viktor Volkov, the reigning European champion and a duelist of fearsome reputation.

As he prepared to leave the arena, Harry caught sight of Volkov watching him from across the room. The Russian's face was impassive, but his eyes burned with intensity. A silent message passed between them: both would give their all in the duel.

That night, as Harry lay in bed reviewing the day's events, he felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He had come further than anyone had expected, defying all odds to reach the final. He had been confident in his ability and strength, but some of the duelists had nearly overwhelmed him. The unique styles had forced him to think in the moment and come up with counters.

As sleep finally claimed him, Harry's last thoughts were of the challenge that lay ahead. Tomorrow would be the day. The day he would overcome his final opponent and claim the crown of European Dueling Champion.

Harry would show his would-be enemies to fear him and think before crossing him. Other than learning and growing from the dueling experience, a major reason for him competing in tournaments was to gain a fierce reputation that dissuades people from making enemies of himself or targeting his close ones. If they did cross him, he would come after them with all the skill and power he had demonstrated in the arena.