With a slight sway and a hiccup, Professor Flitwick looked at William with a mischievous grin.
"Ah, Dumbledore," Flitwick began, slurring a bit. "A true master… defeated Grindelwald, fended off You-Know-Who, and published enough books to fill a library—I've got nothing but respect for him, truly! But the man's old now, hasn't had a proper duel in years… who knows if he's even got sixty percent of his strength left?"
Flitwick shook his head in regret.
"Now, Professor McGonagall—kind, brilliant, lovely, and with a touch of elegance in her Transfiguration skills—I'm nowhere near her skill in terms of transfiguration. But in a duel?" He puffed out his chest a bit, "I'd take her down without even needing a wand."
"As for Professor Snape, though… well, he's another story," Flitwick said, his voice lowering. "He's a mystery, that one. But you know, he's applied to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for years, and Dumbledore never gave it to him. Makes you wonder… if he's truly as capable as he seems, why wouldn't Dumbledore let him take it?"
With a final flourish, Flitwick downed another cup. His cheeks were flushed, and he looked even merrier than before.
"Uh, Professor, maybe… you should slow down?" William suggested, unsure how much more "truth serum" his teacher could handle, he wasn't even eating peanuts in between swigs at this points.
"Bah, nonsense!" Flitwick huffed, swaying a little. "Ther's plenty left for us to discuss."
In the following moments, William got quite the education on Hogwarts' professors—their quirks, habits, and some secrets that could only emerge from the bottom of a bottle.
"William," Flitwick said finally, "I hereby extend an invitation to you—to join my Duelling Club."
"Duelling Club?" William blinked in surprise.
"Oh yes, I've run it for years now, only open to fifth-years and above. But you…" Flitwick leaned in, his eyes twinkling, "you're an exceptional case. A Ravenclaw genius, no less. We can make an exception, hm?"
William eagerly agreed. "Absolutely, Professor."
And if Flitwick was such a combat master, why not bypass the club entirely and train directly under him? It was like having a champion to spar with daily!
"Professor," William began, "do you have any tips on Transfiguration?"
"Transfiguration, you say?" The mention of another branch of magic seemed to sharpen Flitwick's focus, and he straightened up a bit.
"William, it's important to not overextend yourself," he said thoughtfully. "For Transfiguration, you should speak to Professor McGonagall—she's the true expert. You see, Transfiguration relies less on fixed spells and more on your grasp of magical theory. Without a solid foundation and natural talent, you'll need direct guidance."
William nodded in agreement. Many of the Transfiguration techniques McGonagall had demonstrated still needed a lot of practice on his part.
This advice was valuable—he'd make sure to master the basics before tackling anything more advanced.
With that, William took his leave. "Thank you, Professor. I'll definitely be back with more questions next time."
Flitwick was just about asleep, his head resting on his arms, murmuring to himself. William gently covered him with a blanket before heading out.
….
Once out of Flitwick's office, William decided he'd try to find a quieter place to study.
The Room of Requirement would have been ideal, but Tywin would be in there soon and might not take kindly to a surprise meeting. The library it was, then.
Upon entering, Madam Pince looked at William as though he'd broken an unspoken law by skipping the Quidditch match to study. She followed him around suspiciously as he selected a few books from the Charms section and settled into a corner.
But he'd barely opened his first book when she bustled over, flustered.
"Mr. Stark, something has happened. Dumbledore has requested all students return to their Houses at once. You must leave!"
William sighed. I'll need to study the Disillusionment Charm soon, he thought. Without a way to blend in, he'd always get roped back to the dorms on match day or worse, be under the castle's curfew.
That would be a real bother.
Since he couldn't stay in the library, he decided to return to the Room of Requirement after all.
….
With the entire school under lockdown, it meant Tywin was dead.
So William slipped into the Room of Requirement, where he found the Fluffy, licking at a wound in the corner.
Upon seeing William, Fluffy wagged his tails, hoping for a treat.
"Alright, big guy, let's see what you've got here." William carefully pried open Fluffy's mouth and found… the Ravenclaw door knocker again. Not another ring like the one he wore on his finger, but the very knocker from the common room door.
It seems there's only one true Ravenclaw ring, he realized. After entering the time loop, the knocker turns into a normal door knocker again.
His hopes of gathering a collection like the "Lord of the Rings" were dashed.
….
And so, each day, William made it a point to visit Flitwick for combat training. He quickly learned that getting Flitwick to agree to one-on-one sparring was no easy feat; a direct request usually failed. But after numerous loops, William had perfected his approach.
All it took was a bit of flattery. He'd praise other professors' abilities, only to highlight Flitwick's own combat prowess in comparison.
A few well-placed comments about how Flitwick would be unmatched in battle, and he'd have the professor beaming, agreeing to "pass on his legacy."
It worked every time.
But training wasn't easy. As Flitwick put it, "The first rule of dueling is to hold your wand as if it's an extension of yourself. If you can't do that, you'll be beaten before you've cast a single spell."
So, under his instruction, William would hold his wand straight out, arms shoulder-height. It sounded simple enough—until he tried it.
Within thirty minutes, his arms would tremble like he was holding a ten-ton weight. Day after day, he kept it up, each time managing to hold his wand a little longer, until he could finally keep it steady for a full two hours.
Thankfully, the time loop erased any muscle fatigue by morning and his progress on his body stayed, allowing his body to build on its progress. If he weren't in this loop, it would've taken months.
After a week of sparring with Flitwick, William's progress was evident. Combat basics were sinking in, and soon, he felt confident enough to put his training to the test.
One day, while the castle was empty, William snuck up on Robert, stunned him, and took his place at the Ravenclaw door, planning to intercept Tywin.
He didn't last two moves.
Unlike William, who was still getting the hang of dueling, Tywin fought to kill. Within seconds, William lay sprawled in a pool of his own blood, his eye gouged out and hanging gruesomely from the wall above him. It was as brutal an end as they came.
Thank Merlin for the loop, he thought, reviving to his dorm bed as if nothing had happened. Without it, he would never have dared try something so reckless.
Chastened, William went back to patiently learning the "real deal" from Flitwick, developing skills slowly and meticulously. By the end of forty loops, his progress had soared.
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