Chapter 212: Strife Graves

For Hermione, winning so far had not been difficult at all.

Perhaps her opponents were more experienced, knew more spells, and could use some complex and powerful magic, but so what?

Firstly, the Shield Charm and Imperturbable Charm were enough to block most spells, and even a simple Disarming Charm could solve an opponent. Overly powerful spells didn't have much of an impact.

Secondly, she wasn't lacking in magical power compared to anyone else. 

This meant that even if she didn't actively attack, merely responding to each move, she could easily wear down any opponent. 

For Hermione, it was hard to find a spell she hadn't seen before that could surprise her.

However, when she defeated her last opponent, the cheers around her made her realize — she was stronger and more outstanding than she had imagined.

And she had become famous.

No wonder, what she took for granted as achievable was actually quite difficult in the eyes of many people, and accomplishing it was a significant achievement.

All along, her only good friend at Hogwarts had been Alaric. 

Of course, later on, Cho Chang and Penelope could be considered casual friends. 

This meant that the person she interacted with the most at Hogwarts was Alaric.

For Alaric, learning anything was a piece of cake. 

When everyone else was struggling with first-year studies, he was already learning Ancient Runes meant for third-year students. 

By the second year, even the professors were amazed by his magical prowess.

Being around such a person, most people could only feel envy and admiration, looking up to him.

But not Hermione. She had always wanted to catch up with Alaric, at least enough to stand by his side. 

This determination made her feel that continuously winning in the International Wizarding Duel Tournament wasn't particularly impressive — after all, she hadn't won the championship yet.

However, when she heard everyone's cheers and saw their admiring eyes, she realized that, without noticing, she had already surpassed everyone in her pursuit of Alaric.

Even adult wizards couldn't match her.

Finally, after a moment of confusion, Hermione smiled deeply.

This smile was filled with excitement, relief, and gratitude.

She knew it was the boy she had been chasing, who had been helping her all along, that had brought her to this point.

And she would continue forward.

She took a deep look at the surrounding crowd.

Among these cheering spectators were men and women, old and young, wizards from all over the world. But a significant portion of them were young people and women.

Because Hermione herself was a young girl, she was their pride.

Looking at the excited and encouraging eyes of the crowd, hearing their cheers and supportive words in various languages — some of which Hermione couldn't understand.

Hermione was genuinely moved. She took a deep breath and then loudly declared.

"I will definitely win the championship!"

Her declaration made the surrounding cheers even more enthusiastic. At this moment, Hermione had become an idol figure. 

Many young people present would remember this girl for a lifetime — not only was she young and cute, but she was also powerful, surpassing most adults.

"I think, after the competition, she can make her debut," Alaric quipped with a smile as he looked at the radiant Hermione.

Although the professors didn't understand what Alaric meant by debut, they all noticed that Alaric was genuinely happy.

They felt that Alaric's current mood was the same as theirs: this was the joy of seeing one's student achieve something.

"No wonder he is called the genius who surpasses Dumbledore," Professor McGonagall whispered to Professor Flitwick. 

At such a young age, not only is his own magical level so strong, but even the students he teaches are terrifyingly strong. 

I think if I dueled with Miss Granger, I would end up defeated just like her opponent."

"Indeed, young people today are truly formidable," Professor Flitwick empathized.

The first match of the second day was against a man with black hair in his thirties, an American wizard. 

He wasn't wearing traditional wizard robes but a long black coat, with a shirt and tie underneath, looking elegant and handsome, his demeanor different from those around him.

"My name is Strife Graves," he introduced himself. "I am the head of Magical Security in the American Magical Congress."

To hold the position of head of Magical Security at his age — equivalent to the Head of the Auror Office in the British Ministry of Magic — he was indeed extraordinarily talented.

In a profession like an Auror, which tested one's magical prowess, becoming the top Auror in a country at a young age could only prove that he was an exceptionally powerful wizard, as only a sufficiently strong level of skill could allow him to surpass seasoned and experienced predecessors.

In the audience, Dumbledore suddenly said, "Why does he look familiar to me? Let me think, I saw this face when... dealing with Gellert."

"Gellert?" Professor McGonagall looked at him in surprise and suddenly exclaimed, "You mean Gellert Grindelwald!"

"Yes, I think Gellert once disguised himself as a wizard named Percival Graves in America, which is why I remembered his face. 

This Percival Graves was also a young head of Magical Security in the American Magical Congress and head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement... 

This person looks almost identical to Percival, he must be his direct descendant."

Strife continued, "Miss Granger, to reach this stage at your age in such a competition shows considerable talent. 

However, the opponents who have reached the semifinals wield magic beyond your imagination."

"Really?" Hermione pouted, unconvinced. "So what? Even with the simplest spells, I can defeat you and my subsequent opponents in a duel."

"Is that so," Strife's serious face suddenly broke into a smile. 

"You're a confident girl, indeed possessing all the qualities of a top Auror. How about transferring to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America? 

We welcome talents from around the world. If you wish, after graduation, you can directly become an Auror. 

I would treat you as my own student and teach you everything. In the future, you could even succeed me as head of Magical Security in the American Magical Congress."

Hearing such an offer, many spectators gasped.

This was indeed a tempting offer. The Graves family was indeed powerful in America. 

Their ancestor, Gondulphus Graves, was one of the original twelve American Aurors. 

Now, with Strife Graves' promise and Hermione's talent, she indeed had a good chance of holding the position of head of Magical Security in the future.

However, faced with such a temptation, Hermione merely sneered, "It's a nice offer, but I refuse. 

You want to be my teacher, but you must know you're far from qualified to be my teacher! My teacher can defeat you even without a wand."

"Your teacher?" Strife wasn't angered by Hermione's provocation. He thought for a moment and then suddenly realized.

"Do you mean Mr. Dumbledore? He is indeed a powerful wizard, far beyond my capabilities."

"No, not Dumbledore," Hermione shook her head. 

"My teacher is actually the same age as me, but winning a duel tournament isn't even in his eyes. However, as his student, I must win this tournament for him."

Although this was true, to those who didn't know, it sounded somewhat arrogant. 

Strife was clearly angered, thinking Hermione was making excuses to refuse him. 

He sternly said, "Miss Granger, don't be so arrogant. The world is vast, and there are many powerful wizards. Blind arrogance leads to no good end! Let me teach you a lesson."

The battle was about to begin.

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