章 14: 014 Life And Death Duel (RE-Written)
"Bryan Watson?"
Bill Weasley's handsome features lost their usual casual, carefree expression due to the shock. As he tumbled off his Nimbus 1700, his wizard's robes nearly tripped him over a broken stump.
"When Grace told me you killed Henry, I thought she was just playing an amusing little prank on me."
Bill's eyesight was limited; he could only see the crimson ground beneath the face down, bare-backed Henry, unable to discern if he was alive or dead.
"I simply cannot believe it, Watson. Are you secretly planning a massacre at Hogwarts?"
Bill's gaze roamed over the stunned Gryffindor players scattered about, his expression gradually twisting. When he spotted the motionless Charlie in a bush, Bill's shock gave way to frantic rage. He didn't hesitate to draw his wand, pointing it at Bryan.
"Tell me, you bastard, what did you do to Charlie!"
Though the Weasley children occasionally butted heads, they banded together fiercely when an outsider harmed their family.
"Don't shout, Bill Weasley," Bryan said unfazed. "Let's get them back to the castle first. I'll explain to the headmaster and heads of houses what happened in the Forbidden Forest, but I'm too lazy to explain twice. If you're curious, you can request to attend later."
"Stay right there! Don't move!" Bill's wand trembled as he growled sharply.
"Grace has gone to notify Professors McGonagall and Snape. Headmaster Dumbledore will be back from off-grounds soon. You're not going anywhere until they arrive!"
The cold wind brushed their faces as leaves rustled. Dawn was still some time away, but a lethal force lurked in the thick darkness, waiting to strike.
Bryan glanced towards the Forbidden Forest's depths, his brow furrowing slightly. He couldn't be certain of the source of the sudden sensation of being watched. Considering that Acromantulas are not solitary creatures, staying here wasn't a good choice.
"It's not safe here, Weasley. Let's head back to the castle," Bryan repeated calmly.
"The biggest danger comes from you, Watson. I'll say it again - stay put. And hand over your wand!" Bill remained highly alert, glaring at Bryan's wrists, his nerves tense, ready to act.
Bryan's brow creased as he glanced again towards the Forbidden Forest's blackness. The faint but distinct unease in the air made his breath catch - he could almost confirm something was fixated on him from the shadows.
"I'll repeat myself too, Weasley," Bryan stressed. "It's not very safe here. Let's return to the castle!"
Bill's eyes instantly sharpened, interpreting Bryan's words as a signal to flee. Without hesitation, he flicked his wand!
Swish, swish, swish!
As one of Hogwarts' most exceptional students, Bill Weasley excelled in combat. In a brief span of time, he launched three dazzling red spells at Bryan, blocking any space for him to evade.
However, this likely didn't pose much of a threat to Bryan.
Since Bill Weasley refused to leave, Bryan would just have to incapacitate him and bring him along. It made no difference if there were five or six people - he'd already exposed too much tonight, so revealing more didn't matter.
Bryan flicked his wand to deflect the Stunning Spell aimed at him. With a skillful wrist movement, he recited the incantation in his mind.
"Venturisectum!"
Bill raised an eyebrow, finally confirming that Bryan Watson, the unknown Slytherin student, possessed strength beyond that of an ordinary young wizard.
"Protego!"
However, Bill Weasley had his own confidence. Facing the incoming spell, he didn't panic, swiftly casting a shield charm.
Whoosh!
A forceful gust slammed into him, the powerful magic shattering the Shield Charm's barrier. The previously composed Bill's expression instantly froze. Before he could recover, he felt his feet leave the ground. On the brink of oblivion, a sickly green light made his pupils constrict as the shadowy observer finally revealed its horrific form.
"Watch out!" Bill still managed to warn Bryan in the final moment.
Whump!
The instant the Killing Curse struck the ground, a billow of emerald flames flared up, its ominous aura like the Grim Reaper dancing amidst the blaze.
Rolling aside from the lethal curse, Bryan slowly rose from the ground. Though forewarned, being ambushed by an Unforgivable for the first time still left him shaken.
That split second had been his closest brush with death since entering the wizarding world!
Around twenty years old, a woman.
From the wand-gripping hand exposed beneath the black cloak, Bryan deduced the assailant's gender and approximate age.
The oppressive silence ravaged Bryan's spirit. The all-pervasive peril made every cell in his body tremble. Under the dueling emotions of fear and excitement, the magic within him surged with unprecedented intensity, as if eagerly awaiting this life-or-death crisis!
"No matter who you are or what your purpose is," Bryan stared fixedly at the indistinct face beneath the assailant's hood, coldly stating,
"Breaking into Hogwarts, under Headmaster Dumbledore's very nose, using the most dangerous of the three Unforgivable Curses against an underage wizard - I must admire your audacity."
The woman said nothing, only releasing a disdainful, scornful snort, as if utterly unconcerned with a response.
"Dumbledore and the school's professors will arrive within five minutes at most. If you flee now, you might still make it."
The woman's wand remained steady, without a shred of wavering. This made Bryan's heart sink, realizing the assailant was dead set on taking his life.
But why?
Since he had entered Hogwarts, he hadn't offended anyone, and his interactions with wizards outside the school were limited to selling potions through owls. Could it be that the potions he brewed had caused someone's death, prompting their family members to seek revenge? But that seemed highly unlikely. Bryan had great confidence in his skill, and such a tragedy wouldn't have occurred.
Bryan couldn't fathom it, but the ambushing woman wouldn't give him ample time to ponder. She knew Bryan's previous statement about Dumbledore and the professors wasn't a bluff - they truly would arrive soon.
Tonight, the most perilous confrontation began!
The green light once again illuminated the Forbidden Forest, signaling the start of a life-or-death struggle.
Bryan's expression became unprecedentedly solemn. Raising his wand like a king grasping his sword, poised to strike, the glowing tip suddenly burst forth like a collapsing dam - an endless, surging torrent of magic power. In the pitch-black night, it transformed into a shining, silver stream, thundering down upon the earth with staggering force.
Rumble, rumble!
The ground violently shook as the large boulder between them instantly pulverized into dust. Tens of thousands of frost-coated leaves rustled in unison, a chilling chorus.
When the dust settled and the spellfire faded, the soft earth bore a gaping, harrowing fissure seventy to eighty feet long.
This spell was Bryan's response to the woman's Killing Curse!
Streak after streak of blinding and chilling curse lights flashed and vanished in the dim darkness. The tranquil dense forest echoed with the rumbling sounds of snapping branches crashing to the ground and exploding blasts.
The two combatants continuously and swiftly shifted position on the rugged terrain, utilizing broken branches, vines, bushes, and any obstacle to gain a slight advantage.
Only half a minute into the life-and-death duel, Bryan had already confirmed two things.
First, the black-robed witch he was engaged with had indeed come for him, with an intense killing intent. She did not hesitate to use dark magic forbidden by the Ministry of Magic, including the three Unforgivable Curses, as well as numerous restricted spells that caused grave injury or death, seeking only to kill him as quickly as possible.
This was simply outrageous! Bryan's face turned green with outrage blazing in his eyes. Who could possibly hold such a deep grudge against him to want him dead?
Second, the black witch's combat experience was indeed extensive, more so than Bryan's, he had to admit. During their brief exchange, her agile evasion of curses moved with the grace of a dance master, dizzying to watch. Beyond that, her various feinting attacks, ability to launch surprise strikes amid high-intensity dueling, and masterful combination of transfiguration, tactical spells, and dark magic left Bryan in awe.
In comparison, Bryan, who had only secretly practiced dueling skills and occasionally engaged in combat exercises with Professor Snape, could only be considered a novice.
Of course, he also had powerful advantages of his own.
If Bryan had to characterize this battle, it was an assassin against a master duellist.
This black witch of unknown origin was like a meticulously trained assassin - to her, all spells and attack techniques were merely tools for killing, seeking only proficiency rather than mastery.
Bryan, however, was different. He had always aspired to deeply understand the essence of magic. Moreover, in tracing the origins of modern spells, he had found a unique path. If he persisted, he would undoubtedly achieve results that astounded the world.
Most of the spells he used were improved versions born from deep contemplation and hundreds of experimental castings. Immensely powerful and difficult to directly defend against, their only drawback was overconsumption of magic.
Bryan slightly regretted the spell he had initially cast to intimidate, as it had drained a considerable portion of his magic without any effect.
The black witch had cast a disillusionment charm on herself during the duel. Although her magic could not be concealed, it certainly made pinpointing her precise location difficult. Combined with her constant repositioning and nonverbal spellcasting, she could practically launch surprise attacks face-to-face.
Fortunately, Bryan's learning ability was formidable. Following her lead, he quickly mastered this method as well, resulting in the two dueling in the Forbidden Forest appearing like translucent ghosts flinging spells at each other!
Whoosh!
A surging fiendfyre burst forth from behind a boulder shattered in half up the slope. Fanning out midair, it instantly became an all-consuming tidal wave of flames. Fire-formed ferocious beasts like dragons, sphinxes, and chimaeras roared silently atop the crashing inferno.
The black witch had no intention of controlling the fiendfyre, allowing the terrifying flames to spread unchecked and consume everything as she swiftly changed position, concealing herself.
Bryan's lips pressed tightly together, eyes burning with hatred.
With his current abilities, he could not directly extinguish the fiendfyre. However, he could not stand idly by as the scattered flames devoured the Forbidden Forest, in case that unfortunate group of Gryffindor lions perish in the blaze.
Bryan swiftly waved his wand, casting a sheet of golden flames into the air. This fire was derived from fiendfyre, but improved and constrained by Bryan. Though not as overbearing as fiendfyre, it was more controllable and would not adversely affect his rationality.
Fighting fire with fire is a brilliant way to combat flames.
Bryan controlled the flames to isolate the inferno, increasing his magic output to gradually consume the fiendfyre.
"I can't bear to imagine what will happen there, Snape. How many lives will be lost!"
Gazing at the golden and white intertwined flames illuminating half the sky from the Forbidden Forest, Professor McGonagall's lips were tightly pursed, her face deathly pale. She had abandoned all vice-principal dignity, running wildly with her usually impeccable bun completely disheveled, not bothering to tidy it.
Snape's complexion was a sickly yellow, not much better than McGonagall's. For the first time in so many years since Lily's death that night, he inwardly prayed for something!
At the castle gates, Professor Flitwick missed a step, tumbling down ungracefully. Professor Sprout, who had even lost her hat, merely steadied him as she rushed past toward the Forbidden Forest without a word.
Swish, swish!
After a prolonged stalemate unable to kill Bryan, the black witch resorted to even more despicable means. She transfigured scattered rocks into sharp daggers, then sent over a dozen hurtling toward the Gryffindors Bryan had moved to a clearing!
"No matter who you are, I will make you pay a heart-wrenching price!"
Fury was about to shoot from Bryan's eyes. His right hand restraining the fiendfyre did not waver as his left flung out a milky white orb.
The orb reached Bill and Charlie's location before the daggers, instantly expanding into a dome-shaped, transparent bowl-like magical barrier, blocking the incoming blades just in time.
Even the black witch did not anticipate this move, freezing for two crucial seconds.
Those two seconds became the turning point!
Bryan suddenly withdrew his right hand. With a rapid flick of his wand, the stones at his feet instantly transfigured into a long spear tinged green on the surface, shooting forth like lightning to appear before the black witch almost instantaneously.
CLANG!
In the split second, the black witch summoned a shimmering barrier wreathed in black mist. It collided with the spear in a deafening gong-like clang before both dissipated into fading sparks.
Though she had blocked it, the tremendous impact sent her magic into turmoil, her consciousness blacking out momentarily.
"Sectumsempra!"
Finally seizing the opportunity, Bryan let out his most furious roar yet in the battle. An inaudible chime rang out in the void as the Grim Reaper appeared overhead, mercilessly swinging its scythe down upon the black witch with cold fury!
On the other side, having just entered the Forbidden Forest, Snape heard the familiar enraged roar, his body involuntarily shuddering as his face drained from yellow to pitch black. The next second, he strained his legs into a frantic sprint once more.
Author's Note: Venturisectum is acombination of the words "Ventus" (Latin for "wind") and "Sectumsempra" (a spell created by Severus Snape).It is a powerful spell that creates a focused and forceful gust of wind capable of shattering protective barriers. When cast, the spell conjures a strong gust that surges towards the target. The wind carries a cutting force, similar to a sharp blade or a whirlwind, allowing it to slice through magical shields and barriers. Upon impact, the wind forcefully strikes the protective barrier, exerting pressure and causing it to fracture or collapse.
It is not in canon but is created by the MC in this story.
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