"Interesting," Irina mused, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she observed the duel from the edge of the crowd. "The Levitation Charm can be used in such a… dynamic fashion."
Samuel, standing beside her, nodded in agreement, his own gaze fixed on the dueling area. "He hasn't been at Hogwarts for long," he commented. "Most of the magic he's employing has been learned very recently. Yet, occasionally, he incorporates other spells that seem almost… self-taught. In terms of sheer understanding and application of magic, Jensen is simply not his equal."
"Then what are your thoughts?" Irina asked, her voice low.
Irina knew precisely what Samuel was implying with his question, but she didn't offer an immediate answer. After a slight, contemplative pause, she said, "Let's wait and observe a little longer. If we are to invest in someone, then we must commit to that investment fully. Halting our support midway through would only serve to needlessly create enemies for ourselves. Therefore, any investment we make must be approached with caution and careful consideration. Let's continue to watch."
"Agreed," Samuel replied without hesitation.
Samuel held Irina's judgement in high regard. He was keenly aware that his own family background had played a significant role in his appointment as a prefect. Irina, on the other hand, had achieved her position primarily through her own exceptional abilities and intellect. Consequently, Samuel placed great trust in Irina's insights and often deferred to her judgement on important matters.
Bang!
A jet of red light slammed into the ground, blasting a small, smoking crater into the thick carpet and the stone floor beneath.
Sean stumbled back a step, his composure slightly ruffled, but he quickly recovered, swinging his wand again. A half-shattered oaken table, previously part of the common room furnishings, was wrenched into the air by the Levitation Charm, positioning itself directly in front of him. It served as a makeshift shield, absorbing another spell from Jensen before exploding into a shower of splintered wood.
"How many more tables and chairs do you have at your disposal, Bulstrode?" Jensen taunted, advancing slowly, deliberately, like a predator gradually closing in on its prey. Seeing that Sean remained silent, his focus entirely on the duel, Jensen continued, his voice laced with arrogance, "Alright, I'm tired of this little game. Let's decide the winner now, shall we?"
As the last word left his lips, Jensen raised his wand once more. Just as the tip began to glow with the tell-tale wisps of crimson light, indicating an incoming offensive spell, Sean suddenly swung his own wand downwards, touching its tip to the ground. With that brief contact, the heavy carpet beneath their feet suddenly rippled and surged violently, rolling like an ocean wave. Jensen, caught completely off guard in the center of the carpet, was swept off his feet, his body thrown heavily to the ground. The spell he had been about to unleash was abruptly interrupted, fizzling out harmlessly.
Sean looked at the fallen Jensen, then surged to his feet. He continuously swung his wand, his movements sharp and decisive, controlling the enchanted carpet. It rolled and twisted with a life of its own, layer upon layer of thick material rushing towards Jensen, wrapping around him, encasing him within its heavy folds.
Gazing at Jensen, now completely enveloped by layers of carpet, Sean knew that the Levitation Charm, even when applied with such ingenuity, could only achieve so much. If his Transfiguration skills were a little more proficient, he could, at this very moment, use Transfiguration to reshape the carpet, transforming it into an inescapable prison, completely immobilising Jensen. Unfortunately, Sean's current level of Transfiguration was still too slow, too rudimentary. Even transforming a simple matchstick into a needle required a significant amount of time and concentration, making it utterly impractical for use in the heat of combat.
Fortunately, Sean's dear "Jii-chan," Gavin, had gifted him two invaluable opportunities to extract skills, providing Sean with his final, decisive trump card against Jensen.
Boom!
Boom!
Two jets of red light erupted from within the tightly wrapped carpet, blasting apart a significant portion of the material that encased Jensen. He struggled to free himself, crawling out from the tangled mess of fabric, his clothes covered in dust and debris. He looked utterly disheveled and extremely angry. Waving his wand furiously, Jensen prepared to unleash a torrent of spells, to teach Sean a painful lesson. But when he finally located Sean amidst the chaos, he found that his opponent had already raised his own wand, its tip pointed directly at him. A faint, sickly green light bloomed from the tip of Sean's ebony wand.
"Incarcerous!" Sean intoned, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.
The green light flashed, arriving in front of Jensen in an instant, and then exploded outwards. It transformed into a writhing mass of thorny vines, each covered in fine, sharp barbs. The vines wrapped themselves around Jensen's body with terrifying speed, tightening their grip, the barbs piercing his skin and flesh. Droplets of blood welled up, flowing down the length of the vines, which seemed to absorb the crimson liquid with an unnatural thirst.
This sudden, unexpected attack caused Jensen to cry out in agony. The thorny vines constricting his arm also forced his wand to clatter to the ground, leaving him completely disarmed and utterly incapable of further resistance.
After defeating Millicent twice on the train, Sean had successfully extracted the Thorn Curse – a curse belonging to the darker spectrum of magic – on both occasions. This had effectively raised his proficiency with the Thorn Curse to LV1, surpassing Millicent's own mastery of the spell. With the invaluable assistance of his internal panel, Sean was also acutely aware of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the Thorn Curse. Its most significant drawback was its slightly slower casting speed, which made it relatively easy to dodge if the target was prepared.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the duel, Sean had strategically set his sights on utilising the heavy carpet as a key element of his plan. He had successfully lured Jensen to the center of the rug, then used the Levitation Charm to control the carpet, temporarily restricting Jensen's movements and creating an opening. He had seized that fleeting opportunity to unleash the Thorn Curse, achieving a decisive, one-blow victory.
"Sean, release your spell," Samuel's voice cut through the aftermath of the duel. He had moved to Sean's side, his expression serious. "You have won this Pure-Blood Duel."
Sean looked at Samuel, the Slytherin prefect, and nodded slightly. In this situation, Samuel's words carried weight and authority; they could be trusted. Therefore, Sean waved his wand and, with a silent incantation, lifted the Thorn Curse.
As the spell was lifted, the thorny vines immediately withered and shrank, their vibrant green fading to a dull brown. They finally collapsed into a lifeless pile of ordinary weeds that fell harmlessly to the ground. Jensen, meanwhile, sank to his knees, his face a mask of disbelief. Moments ago, he had been in the dominant position, on the verge of certain victory. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had been utterly defeated, losing the Pure-Blood Duel that he had been absolutely convinced he would win.
Putting aside the fact that he had failed to "teach Sean a lesson," and the awkward explanation he would now have to offer Millicent, the consequences of losing the Pure-Blood Duel alone were dire. Jensen could no longer openly appear before Sean within Hogwarts without performing the humiliating ritual of retreat. Although the option of formally submitting to Sean, of becoming his follower, still existed, as a member of his own proud family, how could he possibly choose to follow the son of a Squib, a mere first-year, at school? The thought was unbearable.
Mulling over these grim realities, Jensen slowly lowered his head, the expression in his eyes shifting, darkening. Under the overwhelming influence of multiple factors – humiliation, anger, and a desperate desire to salvage some shred of his shattered pride – he very irrationally, impulsively, raised his fallen wand again, intending to cast a spell at Sean's unsuspecting back.
But at that very moment, Sean's wand, as if anticipating the treacherous move, was raised a fraction of a second before Jensen's. The white light of the Petrification Curse, swift and silent, struck Jensen first. His body instantly stiffened, freezing in place like a stone statue, forever captured in the ignominious posture of raising his wand to ambush Sean from behind.
Even in Slytherin, a house where it was generally accepted, even encouraged, that one could employ certain… unconventional means to achieve success, for the loser of a formal duel to then cast a spell and ambush the victor from behind was considered an absolute, unforgivable disgrace. At this point, even Jensen's former friends and allies immediately, visibly, decided to distance themselves from him, wanting no part of the inevitable fallout from Jensen's irrational and dishonourable behaviour.
Samuel looked at the petrified Jensen, his expression one of cold disapproval. He directly instructed Jensen's former companions to take him to the school hospital wing. He also sternly admonished them to explain that the injuries on Jensen's body were solely the result of him experimenting with magic on his own, a reckless accident.
After ensuring that Jensen was removed from the common room, Samuel turned his attention back to Sean. "Sean," he said, his tone now significantly more cordial, "are you interested in having a chat with us?"
Hearing Samuel's words, Sean, who hadn't yet had a chance to check his panel and see what new ability he might have drawn from his victory, immediately nodded. "Of course," he replied. "And I must also thank both of you for presiding over my victory in this duel, ensuring fairness. If you don't mind, why don't we go to my room to talk? It would be more private."
"That would be perfect!" Samuel agreed, a hint of a smile finally touching his lips.
***********
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