King of the Duelling Club!

discord.gg/q5KWmtQARF

Join my Discord!

**************

The group made their way into the Duelling Club, where the usual bustle of students practicing spells filled the air. Sparks flickered as incantations echoed throughout the room, the occasional thud of a spell hitting a practice dummy adding to the chaos. Spell books hovered nearby recording each student's progress. It was a useful tool, showing everyone exactly where they messed up and what needed improvement.

Harry stood off to the side, arms folded, watching the group with mild interest. He kept an eye on Draco and Blaise, who were locked in a light-hearted duel, their banter as sharp as their spells. He couldn't help but smirk when Draco's wand sent Blaise's flying with a well-aimed Expelliarmus. Blaise groaned from the floor, but the grin on his face suggested he wasn't too bothered by the loss.

"Not bad, Draco," Harry called over, his tone casual.

"Better than 'not bad,' thank you very much," Draco retorted. Blaise muttered something unintelligible from the floor, earning a laugh from Daphne and Pansy, who were watching the spectacle.

Suddenly, a small figure darted through the group, heading straight for Harry. Astoria came skidding to a stop in front of him, her eyes bright with excitement as she thrust her spell book at him. "Harry, look!" she said, practically bouncing on her feet. "I leveled up to two in Wingardium Leviosa!"

Harry glanced at the page, noting the neat record of her progress. He let out a low whistle. "That's quick," he said, genuinely impressed. "Well done, Astoria." He reached out and gave her a quick pat on the head.

Astoria beamed, her cheeks flushed with pride as she tucked her spell book back under her arm. "Thanks! I've been practicing loads," she added, clearly pleased with the acknowledgment.

"Keep it up," Harry said with a nod.

Harry turned to Draco, a sly grin on his face. "Don't get too comfortable, Malfoy. You know what happens when you do. Might have to humble you."

Draco, knowing full well what "Harry's humbling" meant, gave a nonchalant shrug but wisely kept his head down, pretending not to hear. Harry chuckled, letting him off the hook for now.

Shifting his attention, Harry called out to Daphne, "How about you try dueling that thing over there?" He pointed toward a peculiar device at the far side of the room, a sleek black sphere with intricate runes etched across its surface.

Astoria, who had been quietly listening, tilted her head in curiosity. "What is that?" she asked, her eyes wide with interest.

Harry smiled, pleased with her enthusiasm. "It's something I'm working on. A training device. It remembers the spells you use on it, and then fires them back at you after a delay based on your spell's level. So, if you cast Wingardium Leviosa, which I know you've just leveled up to two, it'll attack you after 1.9 seconds. If it were a level three spell, it would hit back in 1.8 seconds."

Astoria's eyes lit up with understanding. "So, you've got to be quick and know how strong your own spells are?"

"Exactly," Harry confirmed. "It forces you to anticipate and respond to your own magic. It'll keep you on your toes."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, glancing skeptically at the device. "And what happens if it fires back something like... I don't know, a Stupefy?"

Harry smirked. "Then you better duck."

"Great," Daphne muttered, though there was a spark of interest in her voice. "Alright, I'll give it a go."

She stepped forward, wand at the ready, and cast a simple Expelliarmus at the device. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, in exactly 1.5 seconds, the device hummed and fired the spell right back at her. Daphne barely dodged it, letting out a small laugh.

"Okay, that's pretty clever," she admitted, her competitive side piqued. "Let's see if it can keep up with something faster."

As Daphne got more into her dueling with the device, Astoria watched eagerly. "Can I try it?" she asked, looking up at Harry with excitement.

Harry gave a slight nod. "Of course. But start with something simple. Remember, it fires back based on your level, so don't go overboard."

Astoria eagerly raised her wand and cast Wingardium Leviosa on the device. It hummed softly, and after 1.9 seconds, it shot the spell back at her. She giggled, easily sidestepping it, proud of herself for anticipating the timing.

"Not bad," Harry said, giving her an approving nod. "Now, try something a little stronger."

Astoria bit her lip in concentration and cast a more complex charm. This time, the device fired back faster, catching her off guard. She dodged at the last second, laughing at the near miss.

"You'll get the hang of it," Harry assured her. "Just keep practicing."

As the group continued testing out spells against the device, the atmosphere in the room lightened. Eventually, the energy in the room settled as the students began winding down their duels. Draco, who had just finished getting quicker response than Blaise for the third time, walked over to Harry, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Alright, Potter, your turn. Let's see if you can handle your own invention."

Harry raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You think I haven't tested this thing already?"

Draco crossed his arms, clearly enjoying himself. "Not in front of us, you haven't."

"Fine," Harry said, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward. "Let's see if I can teach you something, Malfoy."

He aimed his wand at the device and cast a rapid series of spells—Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Impedimenta—one after another. The device hummed, processing the spells, and after less than a friction of a second, it fired them all back in rapid succession. Harry countered each one with ease, blocking and dodging as if it were second nature.

The group stared at Harry as if he'd just turned into a dragon. Pansy, her eyes wide with disbelief, was the first to speak. "How strong are your spells, exactly?"

Harry gave a casual shrug, clearly not interested in bragging. "Strong enough," he replied, brushing off the question like it was nothing.

But Tracey wasn't letting it go that easily. She stepped closer, her finger jabbing at his side. "Come on, Potter. Show us the book. What're you hiding?"

Harry grinned, sidestepping her poke effortlessly. "Not a chance, Davis. You'll just have to keep guessing."

Tracey scowled, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "You're no fun," she pouted.

Draco, leaning against one of the dueling dummies, shook his head, smirking. "You're really not going to tell us, are you?"

Harry shot him a glance, the grin still playing at the corner of his lips. "Wouldn't be any fun if I did."

Astoria, who had been watching the exchange quietly, piped up. "What about a duel? You against all of us? Bet you can't beat all of us."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, clearly amused by the idea. "All of you? At once?" He let out a soft chuckle. "Not sure that's entirely fair."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Potter, like you'd actually need help against us."

Harry shook his head. "No, really, it wouldn't be fair... for you lot." His tone was light but confident, a slight tease in his voice.

The group groaned collectively, rolling their eyes as they muttered under their breaths. "You and your big head, Potter," Pansy shot back, tossing a glare his way as she turned to leave. "It's going to be your downfall."

Pansy turned sharply on her heel, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she started walking away. The rest of the group, grumbling their agreement, followed her lead, though some cast amused glances back at Harry.

Harry just chuckled. "C'mon, I'm just giving you a reality check," he called after them, his tone light, though there was an edge of challenge. "Don't want you lot thinking you're unbeatable."

Tracey paused mid-step, shooting Harry a mock glare. "Unbeatable? You just wait. We'll come up with something that'll knock you off that pedestal," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye before jogging to catch up with Pansy and the others.

Harry raised his voice, "Hear ye, hear ye! The King of Duelling Club doth accept thy challenge!" He waved his arms dramatically, "I await thee, brave challengers!"

The group didn't even bother to glance back, rolling their eyes at his antics as they walked away. Harry chuckled to himself, his smile wide as he watched them disappear into the distance. Shaking his head, Harry followed behind at a slower pace, hands casually in his pockets.

--

It is the start of the new week. Please support me with Power Stones! Much appreciated!

-----

To Read up to 50 advance Chapters (25 for each novel) and support me...

patreon.com/thefanficgod1

Please drop a comment and like the chapter!