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Clap, clap, clap—!!!
After a brief silence, a fervent, almost boiling applause suddenly erupted from the audience, instantly engulfing the entire Dueling Club.
"Merlin's shorts! Lynn won! He really won!"
"Cedric actually lost? And so quickly?!"
"How did Lynn do it? I didn't even see clearly!"
"What Spell was that, where the flying bird froze and then disappeared?!"
"He barely even moved his feet!"
Exclamations, praises, and incredulous discussions mixed with the applause. The Hufflepuff students were particularly excited, even though it was an inter-house duel.
Professor Flitwick also visibly sighed in relief. He had been holding his breath, fearing an accident during the duel.
"Well done! Both gentlemen performed exceptionally! Now, let us bid farewell to our two champions as they step down. Next up—"
"Professor!"
A clear female voice interrupted Professor Flitwick.
Professor Flitwick turned his head and pushed up his small glasses. "Is there something, Miss Granger?"
"Professor, I have a question! Regarding Lynn and Cedric's duel just now—how did Lynn make Mr. Diggory's first Spell suddenly dissipate just as it was about to hit?"
She voiced the common question shared by most of the students present.
Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up, clearly pleased that a student had asked such a specific technical question.
He waved his arm, signaling for silence, then cleared his throat and enthusiastically explained:
"Excellent observation, Miss Granger! Mr. Lynn used a very practical Spell—" He deliberately paused, building suspense, before clearly stating, "—'Finite Incantatem'!"
"Finite Incantatem?" Hermione was clearly surprised by this answer. She quickly searched her memory. "This Spell... we learned it last year in Defense Against the Dark Arts class! It's used to terminate the effects of some ongoing Spells..."
"Exactly!" Professor Flitwick nodded affirmatively, pointing his wand in the air to conjure a few simple light-and-shadow diagrams.
"But Mr. Lynn's application was even more refined and daring. He didn't 'terminate' the Spell after it took effect, but rather anticipated the trajectory and impact point of Mr. Diggory's Stupefy, casting 'Finite Incantatem' at the very instant the Spell was about to hit his body, before it caused any effect."
He gestured with his hands, trying to make the concept more intuitive. "This requires extremely fast reaction speed. One-tenth of a second slower, and the Spell might hit; one-tenth of a second faster, and he might not accurately grasp the Spell's most 'vulnerable' moment.
"Moreover, he used non-verbal casting, which further increased the difficulty. This was undoubtedly a very beautiful practical application."
"Wow—!"
"So that's how it is!"
"Finite Incantatem can be used like that? That's so cool!"
"How many times must he have practiced to achieve that?"
Another round of exclamations and even more fervent discussions erupted. Many students looked at Lynn with newfound admiration.
Hermione also showed an expression of sudden understanding and admiration, quickly jotting notes into her notebook.
At that moment, a Ravenclaw boy also raised his hand and boldly asked: "Professor Flitwick! Then... can you also do what Lynn did? Directly neutralize a flying Spell with 'Finite Incantatem'?"
This question made everyone's attention refocus on Professor Flitwick.
Professor Flitwick chuckled pleasantly upon hearing this. He didn't answer directly but turned to look at Lynn, who was about to step off the Dueling Platform.
"Hmm... perhaps not that way."
He then turned to Cedric.
"Mr. Diggory," Professor Flitwick said with a smile, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again. Would you mind casting another Spell at me? Any simple Spell will do; Stupefy or Expelliarmus is fine."
Cedric: "..."
His expression instantly became a bit subtle, and he muttered internally: Why are they still 'flogging a corpse'?
"Of course, Professor." Cedric took a breath, raised his wand again, and faced Professor Flitwick. This time, he was more serious, holding his wand steadily.
"Stupefy!"
A beam of light, faster than during the previous duel, shot toward Professor Flitwick.
All the students held their breath, their eyes wide.
Professor Flitwick stood his ground, not even drawing his wand.
He merely smiled, and just an instant before the light was about to hit his chest, he opened his palm and gently waved it aside against the incoming Spell—
The Stupefy dissipated completely without a trace as it touched the air about an inch in front of Professor Flitwick's palm.
"Whoa—!!!"
After a brief moment of shock, applause—more fervent and prolonged than ever before—erupted once again.
The students' faces were flushed with excitement, many stomping their feet. This was their Charms Professor! A true Spell Master! He neutralized a solid Stupefy without a wand! So cool!
Professor Flitwick smiled, waiting for the applause to subside slightly before raising his hands to calm them down.
"Thank you, everyone. While this may seem interesting and 'impressive,' I must seriously remind you all—I do not recommend trying this method lightly in a real combat situation!"
His expression turned serious. "Whether it's Mr. Lynn precisely disrupting it with his wand, or my demonstration just now, both rely on a deep understanding of Spells and absolute confidence in one's own control.
"In the rapidly changing reality of battle, an enemy won't just cast one Spell that gives you ample time to anticipate, and the environment won't always be so ideal."
He scanned the young faces below, speaking earnestly:
"For your current stage, when facing incoming curses, the safer, more reliable strategy is always to prioritize dodging. Remember, in duels and even real combat, survival and effective defense are far more important than pursuing flashy techniques!"
Professor Flitwick's words dampened the enthusiasm of some students who, after witnessing the spectacular demonstration, wanted to blindly imitate it.
"Alright, the demonstration and explanation end here." Professor Flitwick clapped his hands. "Next group, prepare. Mr. Diggory and Mr. Lynn may go back to rest or watch the other students' matches."
…
Time flew by, and it was October.
For Hogwarts, the arrival of the other schools was a significant event. To welcome the upcoming guests, Hogwarts was transformed overnight.
Silk banners hung from the walls, giving the Castle the feel of an end-of-year banquet. However, the banners displayed the symbols of all four houses.
All the teachers and students once again gathered on the open grounds in front of the Castle. No one complained about waiting, because they didn't have to wait long.
The first to arrive were the three schools that had visited before: Uagadou, Ilvermorny, and Castelobruxo.
Unlike the pure curiosity of last year's welcome, this time many students wore familiar smiles, and some were even craning their necks through the arriving procession, searching for familiar faces.
Lynn easily spotted Amina and Ryan in the crowd. Both of them were considered "outstanding student representatives" in their respective schools, standing next to their school's Principal.