Two dozen students were gathered around the makeshift vacant ground, with two or three in a group as they sat on the grass in scattered clusters, totally they would barely reach thirty in No. counting the Professors.
They stared at the two silhouettes constantly moving across each other in the center, shooting spells at each other as they went back and forth.
"Cedric, come on!" Roger Davies shouted.
"Victor, come on!"
Cedric dodged a spell, "Protego!" He put up a magical barrier and took a breath as the spell flew over like a sword, thumping the barrier.
The boy with the name "Graves" had short, fine black hair and his spells were terribly powerful. He grinned, seemingly sure of his victory.
"Watch your step, Victor!"
Victor Graves flinched in alarm when he realized two thin streams of water slithering their way over the grass and mud in the direction of his feet.
He raised his wand and tried to do something about it. That's when Cedric lunged forward, and a red light flew from the tip of his wand. Graves turned back in a hurry to defend himself, but the spell never reached him.
The water on the ground suddenly exploded, and the grass fumed up a large boiling water mist, which swept Cedric and Graves into it, their figures became hidden.
"Supersensory Charm(*Unknown Incantation*)!"
It seemed like a long time before the sound of Cedric reciting the incantation reached the ears of those around him.
In the mist, Cedric murmured and enchanted himself with a supersensory charm, heightening his five senses and trying his best to catch the hazy silhouette.
The people around held their breath, even the Draco group who had just approached had stopped seven or eight feet away, staring at the mist with unblinking eyes.
Fast!
It was too fast!
Everything happened in seven or eight seconds, many people failed to react.
Flitwick praised in a sharp voice: "Amazing, Cedric laid a trap well."
Felix nodded: "He looked well-prepared."
"That's right, he asked me a few spells ... I already figured out what he would do next." Flitwick said with anticipation.
The water mist became thicker. Not just a water mist, large clouds of white smoke quickly filled the space, blocking off a 30 to a 40-foot radius, like a goblet turned upside down to conceal everything inside.
Then a spell arced like lightning, abruptly illuminating a cloud of fog, and the onlooking students backed away.
"It seems that Cedric intends to use the fog as a battlefield, he should be prepared it for some large-sized creatures, whether for fighting or withdrawing, it is very convenient ... did not expect it to work well for wizards."
Felix thought about it, "He actually needs to strengthen two additional features - cut off his opponents' vision as much as possible and turn them blind. As well as increasing his means of detection as much as possible, and it would be nice to be able to ignore the haze."
" He has a good knack for using different spells constantly." Moody said.
As he spoke, the clouds churned violently, and a layer of black colour spread out from one of the locations. It looked like unsightly mould growing on clean white fungus, which quickly spread out, accompanied by a pungent smell of petrol.
"Did Cedric do that?"
"No, that's dark magic."
Flitwick waved his wand in front of his eyes, and the fog automatically cleared in his vision.
Half a minute later, two figures rushed out in separate directions, coughing violently, tears flowing from the corners of their eyes, and their eyes were red from that smoke.
"Contra Fumos." (*made up spell*)
Felix pointed to Cedric, and his expression immediately soothed.
The student on the opposite side also quieted down, and the two went forward to shake hands, with red eyes.
Professor Wilkinson of Ilvermorny said in a loud voice, "Well done, boys, you've all done well ... Wait, where did these students come from?"
Felix and Flitwick had long since spotted Harry and the group, but neither of them said a word. Moody, who had been standing nearby, said in a quiet voice, "I already mentioned them to you, Professor Wilkinson, they're the ones who aren't old enough ..."
In the crowd, Byers glanced at Neville in surprise, there are quite a few people here who are the friends he made in Gryffindor, he asked about their grades, except for the twins, the rest are basically fourth-year students.
Wilkinson looked at Harry and the group with suspicion, and Harry did his best to straighten his body to make himself look taller. "What about that little girl?" He asked, pointing at Astoria, "She passed your selection as well?"
"Surprising, yes, but ...." Felix said with a shrug, "She's only a second year, too young to be part of the training, while the rest of them received the same treatment at Hogwarts as the sixth and seventh year Preparatory Champions."
"Okay, as long as they don't scream at the top of their lungs." Wilkinson reluctantly accepted and had no further objections. The group breathed a sigh of relief.
"The luckiest thing is Professor McGonagall isn't here, she left halfway through." Fred said, squeezing his eyes.
George gave a thumbs up.
For the next few minutes, a group of professors critiqued the battle that had just taken place, especially the dark magic part. When it is Felix's turn, he reminds the Hogwarts students, "Don't forget that some of you know illumination which can break through magical mists ..."
Collins stared at him, she did not choose the ancient runes class, so naturally, she is not a member of the Magic Rune Club. In this subject, she is not as good as Astoria, because, in order to appease the little girl, Dumbledore agreed to her request of entering the Magic Rune Club very generously.
Next, the students took turns, and each duel ended quickly.
Not the kind of fast as the one Harry encountered in the dueling class, he thought for a while before coming up with a reliable word.
Rhythm.
The rhythm from both sides of the offence was very fluid, a fluidity that he had not previously experienced in dueling classes, nor had he ever had a similar experience with Sirius, or in classroom seven.
As for the second year summer special training, and the several sparring sessions with Professor Hap, he was beaten throughout and did not have a pleasant experience at all.
After an hour, every upperclassman had their turn.
Felix looked at Harry and the group as they stared daggers at him, smiled slightly, and said to Wilkinson, "Professor Wilkinson, why don't you let these underclassmen try out on the stage?"
"No problem."
Wilkinson nodded in agreement, he did not find it a problem, while the professors at Hogwarts were not stingy in their accolades for these students, he thought it was an exaggeration. They were several years younger than the real champion candidates, and the age gap isn't that easy to break.
Besides, he specifically asked, the majority of the group here didn't pass the OWLs.
Ilvermorny also has similar exams, and he naturally knows what kind of metamorphosis happens to students who have gone through such exam years.
"You guys go forward and have some fun! Don't use dark magic." Professor Wilkinson said to the Ilvermorny students, and then he lazily sat down on the grass, pulled a flask of alcohol out of his cloak, and took a sip.
Jura and Bethany looked at each other helplessly, and Jura said, "Byers, you go ahead."
Byers nodded his head in agreement.
He stood in the center and beamed a stupid grin that made Harry and the group giggle.
"Neville, let's have a go." Byers initiated the invitation.
Neville froze, walked to the center of the field, and whispered, "I'm not that good."
"It's okay." Byers said with a smile, it is just a friendly match anyway, just the right way to change the mood.
However, the fact took him by surprise. Neville is skilled in various basic spells, especially in Stunning Spell and Shield Charm, he cast both quickly without uttering a word.
Nonverbal spell!
Neville's pace was somewhat sluggish, with just a relatively few moves back and forth. Byers adapted after a while and then found a pattern, but this dull pace seemed to be tried and tested a thousand times, and he felt like he was up against a reef.
Neville did not take much initiative to attack, usually, he will let Byers attack first, while Neville will cast a Shield Charm, and then a few steps aside, always staying face to face with Byers, in between Byers chanting spells, Neville took the time to shoot a few Stunning spells, sometimes Shield Charm, and Disarming Charm.
His face was strained and taut, looking very similar to his dueling style.
Flitwick murmured, "This kind of pace is not in the scope of what is taught in school dueling classes, it looks simple but requires a lot of practice, and every tiny movement has a unique intent."
Moody gripped his cane and said in a deep voice, "This style I seem to have seen it somewhere, I have an impression."
"I think it was taught by Frank Longbottom." Felix said.
"So that's how it is ..." Flitwick said admiringly, "His father was an outstanding Auror, and he should have tailored this pace for Neville, to match his own nature. "
"Well, a very resilient pace." Felix commented.
On the field, Byers became a little impatient. Although they might be friends, he also is a champion candidate, so he increased the output of magic power, and the spell lit up a bright arc of light.
Still, Neville kept resisting his attacks like a stubborn stone. His mouth continued to chant something silently, "Steady as a tenacious stone, light as a fluttering feather, still as a pool of water, moving like spring lightning ..." He suddenly jumped out boldly, shook out a red light, and then re-hid himself.
The magic barrier in front of him shattered half a dozen times, but each time he pulled himself back up.
Jura went into deep thought, and Wilkinson's liquor seemed to lose its appeal. Bethany anxiously watched her brother fall into a bitter battle while asking in disbelief, "What's going on? Why can't Byers break through the boy's defense?"
"Byers didn't use any lethal spell, that's one reason. There is also ..." Wilkinson said hesitantly, "That kid has a good pace, very impressive. And then there's the fact that shield charm was used really well, and all his tactics were based around that one spell. I could also see at least thirteen or fourteen tricks, each one focused on a specific issue." He took a sip of his liquor, as he laughed "haha" twice, and then watched with rapt attention.
"It's a test for Byers, too. He should learn to use his head."
After ten minutes of stalemate, Byers finally found the key to break the game, from the tip of his wand flew out a cluster of bright flames, condensed into a large fuzzy bird, which rushed towards Neville.
As the crowd stared in amazement, Neville urgently laid a second layer of shield charm over himself, blocking the flames firmly.
"Wow!" Ron looked at Neville in surprise, his impression of Neville seemed to have been reshaped.
The big flaming bird broke through the first barrier and then crashed solidly into the second shield charm, nearly breaking it apart. But Byers waved his wand repeatedly, and the big flaming bird regathered, this time bypassing the front and flying in a roundabout way from the side.
Neville dryly conceded defeat.
"You can still hold on for a while." Byers came over and shook hands with him solemnly.
Neville shook his head, "You've found a breakthrough," he said, rubbing his head nervously, "Actually, Dad has developed this Tactic for me, I just can't use it well right now."
"Well, it looks like you have a good father." Byers said breathlessly.
Next, the Ilvermorny students got serious. They suddenly realized that these students, who were on average two or three years younger than them, were not that easy to deal with. They took turns on the field and took the initiative to pick their opponents. All the while following Professor Wilkinson's orders and Byers' approach of not using dark magic or powerful spells. But with a cut above the magic power and spell casting skills, they soon made Susan Bones, Carmichael, and Zabini lose one after another, which made the students of Ilvermorny breathe a sigh of relief that it seemed these people were not all masters like Neville.
Draco also performed quite well, fighting back and forth with one of Ilvermorny's witches, and the powerful spell he had used in the third-year dueling tournament came close to success, but the serious Ilvermorny students lived up to their reputation as carefully selected preparatory champions, as any one of them can stand a chance against a novice Auror.
Even if they change positions and let these Hogwarts students attack actively, the Ilvermorny students can still wear their magic out until they run out of steam.
...
As the surrounding companions were picked off one by one, Harry got a little anxious. Why did no one pick him?
Just because he is shorter? Did he look weak?
He stared at Astoria, the little girl also puffed up - no one even looked at her, obviously she had worked very hard to stand in the front.
Harry suddenly felt some sadness.
Even Hermione went on the field. Her opponent is the male wizard surnamed "Graves", Graves said with a smile: "Heard your name quite a few times these days, Miss Know-it-all?"
Hermione furrowed her brow, his tone of voice was anything but kind.
"May we begin?"
"Of course." Graves grinned.
"Whoosh!"
A silent disarming charm flew out swiftly, Graves hurriedly jumped aside and looked at her in surprise, "Is that your best spell?"
Hermione said with a scowl, "You'll see." She waved her wand continuously, and several spells flew out, surprisingly suppressing the opposite side in a short time, forcing Graves to hold up a magic barrier in the shape of a circle, completely wrapping himself up.
Flitwick asked in surprise: "When did Granger master Nonverbal casting? Moreover, she can actually apply it over multiple spells, it's not as if she just mastered it."
Moody's that magic eye turned frantically, as he stared at her movements silently while calculating something in his heart.
Felix explained, "Her control of magic has always been outstanding, and when I asked her to write a paper on the dueling system, she put the Nonverbal spell at the top of her list."
"Why?"
"Her spell ..." Felix thought for a moment and said, choosing his words carefully, "is more moderate, often can surprise people in some details which reflect her control ability, but the power of her spell is not as good as it should be. "
Flitwick immediately understood what he meant, "This is actually nothing, Granger's spell casting is very stable, this is her greatest advantage. When she reaches adulthood, she will be able to fully exploit her advantages and can choose compound spells ... Oh, my!"
In the vacant field, Graves broke the previous stalemate.
Black flames expanded wide and spread into a dozen clusters, which hovered in the air, and as his wand slashed down like a sharp sword, those flames dropped violently from high above.
Hermione put up a magic barrier, then felt the blazing temperature, her hair smelled a little burnt, she rushed away, panicked to see the magic barrier being burned by the black flames as a large hole produced.
"What is this?"
"Fiendfyre, I told you guys - no dark magic," Wilkinson said in a deep voice: "Graves is a little out of control, he cares too much about the honour ... we need to be prepared to separate them at any time. "
Professors approached in unison, and Flitwick said pointedly, "We should stop this bout, it's beyond a sparring match."
Felix said calmly, "My feelings are the same as yours Filius, but I trust Miss Granger."
A dozen black flames slammed into the ground, scorching the grass away, looking like a devil's footprint falling from the sky. Hermione's eyes went wide, dodging in a wretched manner while wielding a shield charm to resist.
Harry and Ron, worried, could not wait to rush up, but with Professor present, they barely restrained themselves and watched as the black flames smashed into the ground and transformed into long, twisted snakes, curled their bodies, and then rushed towards her.
"What are the professors waiting for?" Harry asked in disbelief, drawing his wand, its tip glinting. What spell should I use at this point? Disarming charm, Stunning spell, Shield charm, or Patronus?
None of them seemed to work ... he simply pointed his wand at the "Graves" and wondered whether to hex him.
Hermione didn't panic anymore, she still has her last card. She glanced at Felix, and Felix nodded at her. So she stopped in her tracks and let the black flames envelop her, her fingertips flickering with golden light.
Wilkinson had raised his wand, and Bethany handed her own to Jura, "Quick!" Immediately after, they heard an unfamiliar incantation, coming from the girl's mouth.
Golden flames poured down from Hermione's palm. Compared to the small fire shown in the ancient runes' office more than a month ago, it has now grown into a behemoth. Golden flames like a flood of water gushed around, and the black flames that lunged towards her collided, with the black flames collapsing at the touch and being churned into pieces.
Graves' expression froze on his face.
The golden flames kept shrinking and finally turned into a huge burning bird, like a phoenix, much more exquisite than the magic Byers had outlined before. It let out a long, high-pitched cry, and in just a split second, the golden firebird appeared in front of the dumbfounded Graves, a foot away from him, his hair frizzled into ashes, his pupils mirrored a lengthy, golden beak.
"That's what I want to see." Amidst the silence, Felix nodded, with contentment.
...
Graves got pulled away, his expression somewhat dazed, a lingering fear remained in his eyes as he left.
Professor Wilkinson came over with a slight silence and apologized to the Hogwarts professors: "Graves he ... took this Tournament of Champions too seriously, he carried the hopes of many people and wanted to bring his family back to glory... ..."
"Graves?" Flitwick repeated, "That family name sounds familiar."
"A descendant of the Original Twelve Aurors, like me, which made me empathize with him and loosen my grip on him." Wilkinson said, "More than seventy years ago, there was a scandal in the American magical community. The Head of Law Enforcement of the Magical Congress - Percival Graves - was impersonated," he explained sullenly, "causing a huge mess and nearly exposing the entire American magical community."
"Impersonated?" Professors looked over.
"The matter is very secretive," Wilkinson whispered, "and relatively few people in the outside world know about it."
"Who impersonated him?" Felix asked with interest.
"Grindelwald." Wilkinson only said the family name, but everyone present knew who he was referring to.
"I can't believe it's related to Grindelwald!" Flitwick said in surprise, "Then that kid just now ..."
"Victor Percival Graves." Wilkinson said, "Percival Graves is his grandfather, and that's why he's mentally disturbed, and I can guarantee that if he gets into trouble again, I'll send him back."
The professors didn't say anything else. It was an accident made by one student, no one else could be blamed. Besides, the Hogwarts students didn't suffer, but on the contrary, that Graves probably has a lot of psychological shadows.
Not only him, but other Ilvermorny students were also shaken, staring at Hermione with great interest. In their hearts, this witch with messy hair has become one of the students who must not be messed with.
Even Professor Wilkinson, before leaving, deliberately asked: "That little girl ... you do not intend to allow her to become a champion, right?"
"No, she's not old enough." Felix said.
Wilkinson learned about Dumbledore's Age Line from Flitwick's mouth, which he praised, "I think it's necessary ... yes, it's necessary. Champions bore a great deal of psychological pressure, it is best not to allow students too young to participate ..."
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Note:
This is 2 in 1 chappy, so there will be only one chapter Tomorrow.
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