The forty-first cycle.
A desolate, abandoned classroom at Hogwarts.
Professor Flitwick and William stood opposite each other on either side of the room. William took a mask from his robes and put it over his face, strapped armor over his chest, drew his wand, and held it at his chest.
With a series of silent actions, his entire demeanor transformed in an instant.
Professor Flitwick had drawn his wand as well, though he wore no mask or armor.
He didn't need those things because William wasn't capable of harming him.
In fact, William hadn't wanted to wear them either, preferring a more realistic combat environment.
But Professor Flitwick didn't allow it.
In battle, he could control his power but, inevitably, accidents happened.
Those two pieces of equipment were goblin-made, offering protection beyond "shield armor," capable of reducing most spell damage and safeguarding vital areas.
Of course, it wasn't that William wasn't allowed to get hurt—it was just crucial to guard vital areas so he didn't die before even reaching the infirmary.
Such precautions were absolutely necessary.
In a past life, William had heard of a beginner fighter with only five or six classes under his belt who was asked by his coach to "fill a spot" in an event.
But his opponent turned out to be a Muay Thai world champion, famed for being unbeatable even by anyone nineteen years old or younger.
The strength gap was huge. Within forty seconds, the novice was KO'd by a single kick and died at the hospital.
Professor Flitwick was certainly no simpleton and wouldn't use deadly force against a student, but his prowess was even more formidable.
If he misjudged his strength, Professor Flitwick might truly find himself on his knees, begging William not to die before the match even hit the forty-second mark.
William would revive, but Professor Flitwick didn't know that. So, these defenses were essential.
With preparations done, neither spoke a word.
William had been training for over a month, but his goal remained the same: complete ten effective attacks while withstanding Professor Flitwick's assaults.
William's wand was firmly gripped in his hand, with not a single unnecessary movement. His fighting style now relied solely on his youth and agility, aiming for speed and precision, rather than any flashy techniques.
At a five-meter distance, William's wand swung forward as he took the offensive.
"Stupefy!"
A green light shot straight toward Professor Flitwick's head, but William didn't pause to check his success. He lunged forward with a clean and powerful movement, his figure cutting through the air.
Professor Flitwick, who hadn't planned on using his wand, suddenly flashed a sharp glint in his eyes.
Without visibly moving his wand, he quickly fired off two blue bolts. One deflected William's spell, and the other went straight for William's thigh.
William wasn't surprised; his strikes had been blocked nearly forty times by now.
In the first round, he'd stood there like a puppet. Professor Flitwick had easily rebounded William's Stupefy spell, leaving him sprawled out on the floor.
But after so many rounds, William had developed a few techniques of his own.
Trying to block spells head-on was clearly a mistake; he was no match for Professor Flitwick in that regard. What he needed was speed and superior reflexes.
Speed helped him dodge most spells, while reaction time allowed him to counter effectively.
If his opponent needed a second to cast a spell, while he only needed half, he would gain the upper hand.
So, beyond strengthening his arms, William began physical training too.
Reflexes and speed could indeed be trained, starting with a healthy body.
Why did older wizards weaken? Aside from their magical power waning, their slower reflexes meant they couldn't keep up with younger opponents.
After all, no fighter with weak stamina could become a powerful combatant.
William leapt, tracing an elegant arc as he twisted his body to dodge the blue bolt and immediately cast a second spell.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Professor Flitwick's eyes showed a hint of surprise—who would have thought that a mere first-year would have such astonishing moves?
Yes, astonishing was the only word for it.
William, a Muggle-born first-year, displayed the combat proficiency of many fifth-years—a truly remarkable talent.
Professor Flitwick couldn't have known that William's impressive display was the result of being fed moves by him every day for over a month.
Professor Flitwick quickly put away his earlier underestimation, stepping back with his left foot and flicking his right arm repeatedly.
A crescent-shaped light flashed in the air, violently sweeping away William's Petrificus Totalus as if it were nothing. The spell then grew to twice its size as it hurtled toward William two meters away.
William, who had experienced this spell's force before, knew he had to avoid a direct clash.
Using the "Flash Step" charm, he doubled his speed and narrowly avoided Professor Flitwick's first wave of attacks.
[tl/n: I couldn't find the literal translation for this 'flash step' charm, I think it's an og spell?]
But the second wave was coming quickly.
"levioso!" William cast again.
This time, he wasn't targeting Professor Flitwick but rather himself.
He spun, his speed increasing instead of slowing, seamlessly combining flash step with levioso.
Just as Flitwick's spell exploded again, he dodged it by the narrowest of margins, and found himself standing securely upside down on the ceiling.
He had tried this combination many times; Levioso was usually used to disarm, but using it on himself allowed him to evade numerous other spells.
It hadn't always worked—if he failed to grip his wand while upside-down, he'd make an easy target.
This time, however, William finally executed it seamlessly. With magic surging through him, he released a spell with power far exceeding his usual.
The six torches mounted on the walls flew from their brackets, merging into a single giant flaming spear that filled half the room as it shot toward Professor Flitwick.
Then, the flaming spear transformed into a massive eagle wreathed in fire, which turned mid-flight and hurtled back toward William.
"Reducto!"
William shattered it into black smoke, but within seconds, the smoke reformed into a dense array of bladeless daggers aimed right at him again.
"Descendo."
William dropped from the ceiling and cast a Cushioning Charm just as he was about to hit the ground, slowing his descent.
Barely landing, he rolled to the side to dodge a Stunner.
Professor Flitwick observed William with growing interest.
This duel had only gone on for a few minutes, and he hadn't used his full strength, but William's performance so far was impeccable.
For a first-year to reach such a level… If that wasn't a genius, then it had to be a monster.
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