Following Lockhart's orders, the pixies flew away in all directions with a whoosh. The group had just heard the big devil mention that as long as they avoided the attacks of the little devils below, he would let them go. Therefore, they utilized all their strength, flapped their wings, and swiftly moved away from the group of little wizards.
"Stupefy!" "Stupefy!" Spells flew across the classroom as the pixies darted around, and the little wizards below hastily waved their wands, continuously releasing stunning spells. Despite the barrage of spells, not a single hit landed. Observing the chaos, Lockhart couldn't help but sigh. It was as he had anticipated. Previously, he had to capture the pixies individually and train them to achieve such results. Now, encountering a relatively chaotic scene, with the pixies flying at full speed, the accuracy and strength of the stunning spells significantly decreased. Some spells even collided with each other and nullified their effects.
As the pixies dodged in the sky, some even sticking out their tongues and mocking the young wizards, anger surged among them, causing them to wave their wands harder. The record remained stable—none of the pixies were hit.
Some of the more astute little wizards began to realize that continuing in the same manner might not yield results. They started considering other strategies. Gryffindor's Hermione, along with Harry, who cast spells precisely, and Ron, who had recently acquired a new wand, huddled together to discuss quietly.
"We can't continue like this. These pixies fly too fast, and we can't hit any of them. We need to collaborate to surround one and limit its flight speed so we can hit it. Just the three of us won't be enough; we need others to join us in slowing it down."
After hearing Hermione's suggestion, Harry and Ron nodded in agreement and sought out classmates they had good relationships with to join their efforts. Meanwhile, students from Slytherin House began making similar moves, rallying their housemates to devise strategies to hit the pixies.
Observing this, Lockhart nodded approvingly. These little wizards were clever, understanding that unity was key.
Soon enough, "Stupefy!" rang out again. Harry and Hermione's team successfully slowed down a pixie's flight speed through obstacles they created and struck it down, rendering it unconscious. Ron hurried forward to catch it. Subsequently, the Slytherins followed suit, led by Draco, and hit another pixie.
This initiated a chain reaction. Many little wizards became familiar with the pixies' flight paths, casting spells one after another to limit their flight and knocking them to the ground one by one. Lockhart chuckled as he watched the pixies flee with a somewhat desperate expression. It wasn't that he didn't keep his promise; rather, none of them managed to dodge. It wasn't his fault!
After a while, the last pixie was successfully hit by Harry Potter. Ron rushed forward and seized it, a bright smile on his face.
Clap! Clap! Clap! With no more pixies in flight, Lockhart lightly clapped his hands and spoke encouragingly, "Congratulations! You've successfully caught these 15 pixies. Now, who's got how many?"
As Lockhart finished speaking, Ron and Harry approached with five pixies in hand. They eagerly waved and exclaimed, "Professor, Professor, we caught 5 of them!"
Simultaneously, others rushed to Lockhart, each loudly proclaiming their tally.
"Professor, we caught two!" "Professor, we caught 4!" ...
Seeing the young wizards gathered in a circle, each holding two or three pixies, proudly boasting, Lockhart raised a hand, quieting them. "Don't worry, let me count first. Gryffindor House caught 8, and Slytherin House caught 7. Thus, Gryffindor House gets 8 points, and Slytherin House gets 7."
Lockhart then proceeded to distribute rewards, putting the pixies into cages and presenting prizes to the top performers. He commended the students for their unity and problem-solving skills, reminding them that those who didn't receive rewards shouldn't be disheartened as there would be more competitions in the future.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Lockhart watched the young wizards exit the classroom. Then, he turned his attention to Hermione, Harry, and Ron, who had remained behind.
"What's wrong? Is there anything about the stunning spell you don't understand?" he inquired gently.
The trio shook their heads in unison. Ron expressed his gratitude for the wand, acknowledging that without it, he couldn't cast spells. With some reluctance, he handed it back to Lockhart.
Lockhart smiled, allowing Ron to keep the wand and encouraging him to excel in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ron, surprised, pledged to study diligently.
Lockhart then turned to Hermione and Harry, asking, "Harry, Hermione, what's on your minds?"
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[More Chapter available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
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