Chapter 74: Duel Genius George

"Petrificus Totalus!"

As the duel began, Matthew immediately cast his best spell, the Full Body-Bind Curse.

His mastery of the spell surpassed that of many third-year students. However, before he could finish casting, he felt his body stiffen, becoming completely immobilized.

It turned out that George had already cast the Full Body-Bind Curse a step ahead of him.

"Finite Incantatem!"

Walking up to Matthew and lifting the curse, George encouraged him warmly: "You're already very skilled. I was just lucky to be slightly faster."

Although George had won, he couldn't afford to break his carefully crafted image. Winning people's hearts was never a wasted effort.

As expected, Matthew, who had looked disappointed moments ago, immediately brightened up upon hearing George's words.

"I'll practice hard and beat you next time," Matthew declared confidently.

He genuinely believed he was only slightly behind George.

Of course, this naive belief would soon be shattered by reality. He would come to realize that even by graduation, defeating George would be impossible because George hadn't even gone all out.

"Stop! Everyone stop! We're supposed to fight with wands, not fists!"

George and Matthew were soon distracted by Lockhart's frantic shouting. Looking around, they saw that the entire dueling platform had descended into chaos.

Most of the younger students hadn't mastered many combat-worthy spells. Even those who had might freeze up in the heat of the moment.

Matthew was an exceptional case among them.

As a result, many young wizards resorted to physical combat when their spells failed to secure victory, especially those with pre-existing grudges.

Even Hermione, who had already mastered dozens of spells, was grappling physically with her opponent, Millicent Bulstrode, a Slytherin second-year.

Their wands lay abandoned on the ground. Millicent had Hermione in a headlock, but Hermione retaliated fiercely, punching Millicent in the thigh.

At this age, girls could fight just as viciously as boys.

Some of the older students avoided brawling but weren't exactly behaving. Instead of sticking to basic Disarming Spells, they took the opportunity to test out various miscellaneous spells.

Fred and George Weasley were especially chaotic.

The disorder led to multiple injuries among the younger students.

"Stand up, Macmillan… Careful, Miss Fawcett… Hold it tight, the bleeding will stop soon, Boot…"

Lockhart darted through the crowd in a panic, clearly overwhelmed. This was not the outcome he had envisioned.

Meanwhile, Snape remained unconcerned. He seemed to think a few minor injuries were inconsequential. His attention was entirely on Harry and Malfoy.

Snape simply wanted to see Harry suffer at Malfoy's hands. However, Harry showed remarkable talent in magical dueling, ending up evenly matched with Malfoy. One was dancing under a Tarantallegra spell, while the other was laughing uncontrollably under a Tickling Charm.

"Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"

George, shaking his head, cast two Stunning Spells, knocking out Hermione and Millicent, who were grappling on the floor.

He then moved through the crowd, casting spell after spell. In no time, he had subdued all the younger students who were caught up in the melee.

Next, he turned his wand on the older students. Even the third- and fourth-years couldn't last a single round against him—until he faced two of the most skilled seventh-years.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Fighting high-level students was a different experience. The seventh-years took their dueling seriously, showcasing their formidable skills.

Although George's Stunning Spell was quick, the opponents' Shield Charms were equally fast. Not only did they block his spell, but they also retaliated with a Disarming Spell.

Fortunately, while George hadn't mastered Shield Charms, his reflexes far surpassed those of ordinary people. He swiftly dodged the attack.

"Ah, George! Looking for a challenge? Be careful!"

The seventh-years, though surprised to see a first-year Slytherin star joining their fight, didn't hold back.

Thus, their duel evolved into a three-way battle.

The seventh-years unleashed high-level spells one after another, with magical light beams crisscrossing like laser beams. The intense fight quickly captured everyone's attention.

In fact, George had already drawn a crowd when he stunned the younger students earlier.

As the famous Slytherin prodigy—recently invited to join England's national Quidditch team as its youngest player—George stepping onto the stage for a magical duel had already made him a focal point. His popularity now rivaled even that of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Now, George was holding his own against two seventh-years, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

"Not only is he a top student and a Quidditch star, but he's also a genius in magical dueling!"

"I bet he has cat blood in him! Look how he dodges every spell without even using shields."

"So cool—and kind of cute. Merlin, I can't believe I'm crushing on a first-year boy!"

"He's only three years younger than me. Age doesn't matter. I'm interested."

As the chatter grew louder, Snape and Lockhart turned their attention to the fight.

Seeing George holding his own in a battle against two seventh-years, Snape's expression softened with pride.

Only George could impress him like this.

Snape now regretted pairing Malfoy against Harry earlier. If not for George's friendly rapport with Harry, Snape wouldn't have wasted time on the inept Malfoy.

'Perhaps I should teach him a few advanced combat spells.'

Snape was thoroughly impressed with George's talent for magical combat. However, he noted that George relied on just a few spells when facing higher-level opponents, which put him at a disadvantage. This solidified Snape's decision to teach George some of his own invented spells.

Considering the recent opening of the Chamber of Secrets, arming George with advanced magic might also help him protect himself in dangerous situations.

Previously, Snape had thought George was too young to handle powerful, complex spells. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Geniuses should not be confined by ordinary teaching methods.

"Everyone, pay attention! George is doing an excellent job. He's been learning magical combat techniques from me and has picked up some of my best methods," Lockhart proclaimed shamelessly.

Snape nearly kicked Lockhart off the stage in fury.

He knew George had sought out Lockhart, but only to learn Memory Charms—not combat spells.

Snape was now even more determined to teach George his original spells. The next time George used them, he'd make sure to publicly discredit Lockhart.