Chapter 180 "Snape's Arrival"

Ignoring Draco's sulking expression, Wentworth stood and moved to the opposite side of the Room of Requirement, casting a protective spell along the way, "Protego!"

Now positioned on the other side, Wentworth addressed Draco, "Alright, now it's your turn to attack. Remember the spell and the key points of the Disarming Charm that I explained to you?"

Eagerly after hearing Wentworth's teaching, Draco quickly rose to his feet, nodding emphatically. "Of course, I remember! How could I forget, Expelliarmus?"

Wentworth nodded approvingly and said, "Very well, then give it a try!"

Ready for the challenge, Draco took a deep breath, focused on Wentworth, and extended his wand, pointing it confidently, "Expelliarmus!"

In the silent room, nothing happened except for a deepening sense of stillness.

Draco, looking at his wand and then at Wentworth, blushed involuntarily.

Undeterred by the result of his cast, Draco continued to pour in more effort by putting more force into his incantations, "Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!"

Observing this, Wentworth covered his face with his hands, shook his head, and conceded, "It's my mistake; I oversimplified the task. It's entirely my fault. Most of the wizards I've worked with before were either already powerful or exceptionally talented. I blame myself for overestimating the learning capacity of ordinary individuals like you!"

Having reached his limit, Wentworth couldn't suppress his frustration any longer and shouted at Draco, "Pay attention to your wrist movement! If it's wrong, no amount of wrist-twisting will release the spell!"

Draco, who was already on the verge of tearing, felt a surge of embarrassment at Wentworth's admonition. In a fit of anger, Draco waved his wand vehemently, as if venting his frustration, and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Abruptly, a spell shot out from Draco's wand, hurtling directly toward Wentworth.

Fortunately, due to the year's training, Wentworth reacted swiftly, executing a Disarming spell that intercepted Draco's spell mid-air.

On the opposite end, Draco, still basking in the surprise of successfully casting the Disarming Spell for the first time, stood there in awe for a moment. "Did I--- Did I just successfully casted it?"

After a while, Draco leaped up, triumphantly pumping his fist in the air. "YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

Observing Draco's achievement, Wentworth, while relieved, cautioned, "Don't celebrate too soon. Take a moment to carefully reflect on the movements and sensations when you cast the spell just now."

Wentworth and Draco continued their spell practice fervently in the Room of Requirement, unaware that in another room at Hogwarts, another story was approaching its conclusion!

Professor Quirrell gradually raised the wand in his hand in the peculiarly scented confines of Professor Quirrell's office, where Harry winced from the unbearable pain in his scar, and Hermione and Ron were occupied with tending to him.

In the midst of this tense moment, a loud bang resonated as the door to Professor Quirrell's office swung open abruptly.

The sudden entrance prompted Professor Quirrell to lower his wand swiftly, replacing the tension on his face with evident anxiety.

As light spilled into the room, Ron and Hermione, curious, craned their necks to peer out, revealing a shadowy figure stationed at the threshold of Professor Quirrell's office.

Once the identity of the visitor became apparent, Professor Quirrell hastened to greet him, questioning with a hint of unease, "S... Professor Snape, why are you here all of a sudden?"

Ignoring Professor Quirrell's inquiry, Snape pushed him aside and advanced directly toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

With a furrowed brow, Snape demanded, "What brings the three of you here? Don't tell me you Gryffindors have gathered to consult Professor Quirrell?"

Blocking Professor Quirrell behind him, Snape scrutinized the trio. In the presence of Snape, Harry noticed a gradual easing of the pain in his forehead.

Meeting Snape's gaze, Harry explained, "Professor Snape, truthfully, we're here to seek guidance from Professor Quirrell."

Upon hearing Harry's explanation, Professor Snape adopted an inquisitive expression and asked with curiosity, "Oh, then I'm quite intrigued. What precisely are you consulting Professor Quirrell about?"

However, Snape then disregarded Harry, Ron, and Hermione and turned his attention to Professor Quirrell.

Noticing Snape's gaze, Professor Quirrell, who had been expressionless, immediately donned a pleasing smile and began explaining, "Yes, indeed. Harry Potter came to inquire about wizard duels…"

Before Quirrell could finish his sentence, Professor Snape interjected, exclaiming, "Wizard duel?!"

Snape, now fully engaged, turned to scrutinize Harry.

After observing Harry for a moment, Snape furrowed his brow and inquired, "I'm genuinely curious. As a first-year student at Hogwarts, whom does Mr. Potter intend to engage in a wizard duel with?"

Confronted with Snape's question, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged uncertain glances, contemplating how to respond. "Umm, that's not it Professor… We..."

Noticing their hesitation, Snape sneered and remarked, "What, planning to spring a surprise duel on a certain classmate after mastering dueling skills? When did Gryffindors become so cunning?"

Upon hearing Snape's remarks, Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt a sense of impending trouble.

Unable to contain himself, Ron stood up first and explained, "It's not like that. We received a duel invitation from the other party! However, we're unfamiliar with the wizard duel process and don't know which spell to use, so we sought guidance from Professor Quirrell!"

Ron's clarification earned a suspicious look from Snape, who then asked Professor Quirrell, "Is that so?"

Professor Quirrell offered an awkward smile and nodded in affirmation.

Hermione chimed in, adding, "Professor Snape, it's not just us. As far as we're aware, the other party is undergoing special training with Wentworth for this duel."

Snape, visibly surprised, inquired, "Wentworth? Special training?"

Simultaneously, memories from the previous year resurfaced in Snape's mind. The image of Wentworth leading Hufflepuff in celebration after their victorious duel against Slytherin seemed to vex Snape, a Slytherin himself.

Contemplating this, Snape found a chair, settled into it slowly, and remarked, "Continue. I'll listen."

While Draco is currently undergoing a special training from Wentworth who just upped the tempo of their practice right after he managed to cast a spell, Harry is about to get a tutoring from Professor Snape himself… The soon replacement for Professor Quirell in the Defense At the Dark Arts class.

Secretly inside his heart, Snape wanted to get a revenge on Wentworth for what happened last time. Although he must admit that it is not the right thing to do, the irritating feeling that's been lingering inside his heart for quite some time has proven to be troublesome.

As he listens to their explanation of what the duel is about, his attention is solely focused on Harry. He kept staring at Harry with utmost observation, trying to plan out what would be the right regiment for his dueling training.