Chapter 35: Flitwick's Dueling Club (Part 2)

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"Enough chatter for now. Let's welcome our new members: Mr. Harry Potter from Hufflepuff and Miss Cassandra Malfoy from Slytherin."

A round of polite applause followed. The senior members who had joined before them were kind-hearted. After all, the duels were divided by age groups, meaning there was only healthy competition between them and the newcomers, with no risk of internal strife. Even students of the same age competed with those from other schools.

"All students from second year and above, please proceed to the training room for your new year assessment. I hope you haven't slacked off during the holidays. Based on your results, I'll assign your training schedules. Off you go, children—hard work is as important as talent."

The senior members stood up and left. They were well-versed in the routine and knew exactly what to do.

"Mr. Potter and Miss Malfoy, please follow me. I need to conduct some basic tests for you."

"As you should know, dueling is a highly developed system. Besides the standard twenty-pace duel arena, there are several other types of venues, each requiring specialization in different skills. The main types can be divided into three categories: unobstructed arena duels, random terrain obstacle duels, and the most challenging—open-field timed duels."

"The unobstructed arena duel includes the standard twenty-pace duel arena, with only variations in size and shape. Here, duelists focus more on the speed of spell casting and precise magical confrontation. Since there are no obstacles and the distance between the duelists is relatively close, quick reflexes are essential. If your spell is fast enough, you might even end the match with a single spell."

"The random terrain obstacle duel, on the other hand, is quite different. Neither duelist knows the other's position, and the randomly generated terrain is often complex and varied. This tests a wizard's adaptability and keen magical awareness. However, note that Transfiguration is allowed in these duels, though it's a separate discipline from spellcasting. It still falls under the category of magic, but potions and alchemical tools are strictly prohibited."

"The last category, the open-field timed duel, involves more than thirty participants in a large-scale competitive match. There are both team-based and solo duels. The massive field is surrounded by a magical barrier, which shrinks at regular intervals. Those who fail to move within the boundary are eliminated. As the barrier shrinks, the intensity of the confrontation increases until the final victor is decided."

"These are the three main duel categories. There are also smaller events like marksman duels or lightning shooter duels, which focus on spell precision and fast casting. These events have restrictions on the types of wands you can use. For example, the lightning shooter event is only open to revolver-style wands."

"You should now have a general understanding of the types of dueling competitions, right?"

Seeing both of them nod, Professor Flitwick led them into a spacious room.

"The basic tests for duelists focus on spell accuracy, casting speed, and magical sensitivity. While these abilities can be improved through practice, talent plays a significant role for duelists. I will identify your individual strengths and help you further develop your potential in your strongest areas."

"Wizards who excel in straightforward arena matches may not perform well in obstacle courses with complex terrain. Versatile competitors are rare. You only need to focus on being the best in what you're best at."

"Now, let's begin the tests."

The basic tests weren't difficult or complicated. For spell accuracy, they practiced on targets—both stationary and moving. Then there were speed-shooting tests, where they had to rely on intuition and reflexes to hit dynamic targets, sometimes even having to shoot blindly from behind cover, exposing only their wands.

According to Professor Flitwick, some people naturally have more 'faith' in their shots than others. Even if they don't know where their opponent is and it seems like they're firing blindly, those with 'faith' often manage to hit their targets with lucky shots or wild ricochets.

In the Muggle world, such superstitions don't hold, but in a magical world with divination and prophecy, this kind of belief is very real.

Wizards from Africa's Uagadou School of Magic are particularly famous for their 'faith' in magic. There was even a legendary duel in the past where a devout wizard cast a Stupefy spell that bounced more than fifteen times, eventually defeating his opponent, who had been dominating the entire match.

This seemingly irrational but magical style of dueling has gained recognition among duelists after several unbelievable occurrences. After all, even strange methods can be useful if they provide another path to victory.

Unfortunately for both Harry and Cassandra, they didn't seem to have that extra bit of faith in their shots. However, both performed well in other areas.

When aiming properly, Harry achieved nearly perfect scores on stationary targets at ten, twenty-five, and fifty meters. He also hit 28 out of 30 on moving targets. Cassandra, despite being less remarkable, performed decently. In fact, she outperformed Harry in the stationary target category, thanks to her MR73 revolver-style wand with a built-in four-times scope—a truly formidable tool. Though it wasn't considered cheating, its advantages were undeniable.

Seeing Cassandra's slightly smug expression, Harry sighed in resignation.

"I guess it's time for me to start bullying people."

Harry drew his ebony and ivory wands, casually raising them as another set of targets appeared. His natural marksmanship allowed him to hit with an impressive level of accuracy, even without aiming.

In under twenty seconds, all thirty targets were obliterated. He mockingly blew on the non-existent smoke and stylishly holstered his dual wands before walking away without looking back. The task was practically tailor-made for him, leaving no room for comparison. Cassandra Malfoy, realizing just how vast the gap between them was, silently gritted her teeth. That show-off was insufferable, downright awful.

Unbothered by having shown up the younger girl, Harry made his way to Professor Flitwick. Now that he had finished the basic tests, there were a few things on his mind he wanted to discuss.

"Professor Flitwick, about the spell set you demonstrated earlier—could I start learning it ahead of time?" Harry asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes. The rapid-fire magic techniques he had seen were not just a staple of the wizarding world, but a way to quickly strengthen his own abilities.

"I've already self-studied all the spellwork from the textbooks up to fourth year. While I know I'm not perfect, I've at least grasped the basics."

"Is that so?"

Flitwick's smile grew wider. The spells from the first three years were rudimentary, introductory magic. Fourth-year spells, however, presented a greater challenge, requiring precise pronunciation and coordination of gestures, details the textbooks often skimmed over. Many untrained wizards struggled with those aspects.

"In that case, it's not entirely out of the question," Flitwick said, his smile fading as he adopted a more serious tone. "But don't mistake 'grasping the basics' for mastery. There are plenty of nuances not covered in the books. I suspect you've already encountered some difficulties with spell execution."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "For example, with rapid spellcasting, the ivory wand's speed of three shots per second feels far from its limit. I believe it can reach over ten shots per second, but I can't achieve that yet. My understanding and control of spells are still too shallow."

"Recognizing that is a good start," Flitwick replied approvingly.

"I'll arrange for you to access the extra spell cartridges early, but only once you've fully mastered the basic spell sets. There's no need to rush. Remember, spells are a wizard's tools in battle and everyday life, so they should be treated with care. I wouldn't want one of my students to suffer from reckless behavior."

"I understand, Professor. Thank you."

"Just remember to take it to heart," Flitwick said, waving him off before calling Cassandra over, who was still frowning at her test results. "Miss Malfoy, come here. I'll design a training regimen tailored to each of your strengths."

With Flitwick now fully in teacher mode, the first week of Harry's life at Hogwarts came to a close.

(End of Chapter)