Chương 471: 0470 Duel Magic
"I'm going to teach you the magic I used to defeat the Dark Witch at the World Quidditch Cup Final!"
As Bryan said this with a faint smile, the already quiet classroom fell even more silent. The young wizards held their breath frozen in shock, their eyes widening as they stared at Bryan, seemingly unable to believe what they had just heard.
Bryan was now widely acclaimed as the strongest wizard of the modern era. While debates often raged about the distinction between "strongest" and "greatest" – with Dumbledore well past his hundredth birthday and the once-terrifying powers of Voldemort having been shattered by Harry Potter – there was little doubt that Bryan Watson stood as the most powerful magical figure in the contemporary wizarding world.
The prospect of Professor Watson personally teaching them dueling magic was a 'dream come true moment' for many students. Although numerous young witches and wizards had harbored secret hopes and expectations that this day might eventually arrive during their Physical Education classes—when the moment really arrived, the young wizards could barely contain their excitement.
As the initial wave of shock began to subside, allowing the students to regain some semblance of their senses, Cedric from Hufflepuff House found himself unable to contain his burning curiosity. With a voice that quavered slightly from the intensity of the moment, he blurted out, "Why not be more practical in your approach, Professor Watson?"
Cedric, like many others present, had witnessed the extraordinary events that had unfolded at this year's Quidditch World Cup Final.
The vivid recollections of that night came flooding back – the panic-stricken crowds fleeing the stadium, the acrid smell of smoke and fear permeating the air, and then, at the forest's edge, the breathtaking spectacle that would come to be known as the 'duel of the century' or what many later called 'The Skyfire Duel'.
The sheer magnitude of the magical prowess displayed that night had left an ineradicable mark on all who had been fortunate – or perhaps unfortunate – enough to witness it.
"Why not indeed, Mr. Diggory?" Bryan responded with a warm chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement at Cedric's eagerness. With a swift fluid motion, he withdrew his wand from the folds of his robes and waved it.
In response to his silent command, the very air seemed to shimmer and combine. Before the astonished eyes of the students, numerous desks and chairs materialized out of thin air, arranging themselves in neat rows across the expansive classroom floor.
"Please, take your seats, everyone," Bryan instructed, his voice carrying a note of gentle authority. "Before we delve into the practical aspects of our magical lessons, it's crucial that we establish some foundation in theory."
The young wizards and witches surged forward en masse, their earlier shock giving way to unrestrained enthusiasm. A good-natured but intense competition ensued as students jostled for position, each hoping to secure a coveted front-row seat. Amidst the cheerful chaos, Hermione was uncharacteristically outmaneuvered.
Unable to claim one of the front-row positions, she let out a frustrated huff and smacked her leg in a rare display of annoyance. Her vexation only intensified as she realized, with growing dismay, that in her haste and excitement, she had neglected to bring either a notebook or a pen.
Whoosh!
With a sudden whoosh that caused several students to jump in surprise, the heavy curtains along the walls smoothly glided shut of their own accord. The thick fabric effectively blocked out the encroaching darkness of the evening outside, creating a cocoon-like atmosphere within the room.
Simultaneously, a series of metallic clanks and creaks echoed through the space as the suits of armor that lined the walls sprang into action. Each suit reached out to grasp a torch from its bracket. The assembled students watched in fascination as these enchanted guardians marched in perfect unison, surrounding the desks illuminating the space as bright as day.
"First and foremost," Bryan began drawing all eyes to the front of the room, "I must make a slight correction to my earlier statement." He stood before a blackboard, which was being dutifully held in place by two of the suits of armor.
"There is, strictly speaking, no such thing as 'dueling magic' in and of itself. Magic, in its purest form is a wondrous and multi-layered force that can be applied in a myriad of situations. The term 'dueling magic' is, at best, an imprecise catch-all phrase that we use for convenience."
He paused for a moment, allowing this fundamental concept to sink in. The students remained silent, their minds working to absorb and process this new perspective on magic.
"In the context of duels and magical battles," Bryan elaborated, "we can broadly categorize magic into three primary types: offensive magic, defensive magic, and functional magic. Each of these categories plays a crucial role in magical combat, and mastery of all three is essential for any wizard or witch hoping to excel in dueling."
At Hogwarts, there had never been a course specifically dedicated to the art of magical dueling. This ancient practice had long relied more on self-discovery, intuition, and refinement through countless battles with others. The opportunity to receive organized instruction in this field, particularly from a wizard of Professor Watson's caliber, was unprecedented. As such, not a single young witch or wizard dared to let their attention wander.
"Let's begin with offensive magic," Bryan said, his tone shifting slightly to indicate the start of a more in-depth explanation. "This category is perhaps the easiest to understand conceptually. Offensive spells are those used in duels with the direct purpose of striking your opponent and rendering them unable to continue resisting. However, the simplicity of this concept contradicts the vast complexity and variety of spells that fall under this category. Allow me to demonstrate some examples."
With a subtle gesture from him, one of the suits of armor that had been standing guard clanked forward. It positioned itself precisely thirty feet away from where Bryan stood. The students held their collective breath, sensing that they were about to witness something extraordinary.
"Observe," Bryan said simply, raising his wand.
BOOM! The silence was shattered by an explosive force that seemed to materialize out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, the suit of armor that had stood there few moments ago was reduced to scattered metallic fragments.
"Explosion," Bryan explained with a smile, seemingly unfazed by the destructive display. His calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to the awestruck expressions of the young wizards and witches before him. With another subtle motion, he summoned another suit of armor to take the place of its fallen comrade.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! A series of silver flashes erupted from the tip of Bryan's wand in rapid succession. Each burst of light was accompanied by a sharp, slicing sound. Before the students could fully process what they were seeing, the newly summoned armor collapsed, its components neatly severed as if by an invisible blade.
"Cutting," Bryan stated concisely, his tone matter-of-fact despite the impressive display of magical prowess.
What followed was truly eye-opening for the assembled young wizards and witches. They watched, spellbound, as Bryan went to demonstrate a veritable arsenal of destructive methods. The hapless suits of armor served as willing targets for this masterclass in offensive magic—burning, piercing, corrosion, warping, petrification, disarming, binding. Bryan even used a spell to create immense gravity on one sturdy suit of armor, flattening it into an iron pancake.
As the relentless barrage of magical attacks finally ceased, Harry realized he had been holding his breath for an unknown amount of time. He exhaled slowly, his mind reeling from the sheer variety and power of the spells he had just witnessed. A quick glance around confirmed that his classmates were in a similar state of awe; for a moment, the classroom was filled with the sound of collective exhalation as everyone seemed to remember the need to breathe.
Bryan stood amidst the carnage of his demonstration– sea of scrap metal, molten puddles, and twisted remnants of what had once been suits of armor. Despite the intense magical exertion, his breathing remained perfectly steady, his composure unruffled. He surveyed the wreckage as if mentally cataloging the effectiveness of each spell.
"The varieties of offensive magic are truly endless," he said, turning back to face the class. "It would be impossible for me to provide a comprehensive list of every offensive spell in existence. However, the ultimate goal of any offensive magic is fundamentally simple: to render your opponent incapable of further resistance."
A moment of stunned silence followed as the students attempted to process the sheer scope of what they had just witnessed. It was Katie Bell, a fifth-year student and one of Harry's teammates on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who finally found her voice. Her cheeks were flushed, whether from excitement or the residual heat of the magical displays was unclear, and she seemed to be struggling to catch her breath as she spoke.
"Professor Watson, do you... do you expect us to learn all of these spells?" She paused, seeming to gather her courage before adding, "Forgive me for saying so, but that seems like an impossible task."
Her question seemed to break the spell of silence that had fallen over the class. Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, with several students nodding vigorously in support of Katie's assessment.
"It's absolutely, positively impossible!" Fred's emphatic statement also rang out which was met with a chorus of agreeing voices, as more students found the courage to express their doubts.
"That's not the point of this demonstration," Bryan said calmly, blowing on his slightly smoking wand. "What I want you to understand is this, In a duel, any spell that can effectively incapacitate your opponent is a good spell. The key is not to master every offensive spell in existence – that would indeed be an impossible task. Rather, you should strive to develop a repertoire of offensive spells that you excel at, that feel natural to you. The specific spells don't matter as much as your proficiency with them and your ability to deploy them effectively in the heat of battle."
As Professor Watson's words sank in, Harry found his mind drifting to the Disarming Charm. He recalled vividly the day he had first seen it in a duel, when Snape had used it during Lockhart's dueling club in his second year. For reasons Harry couldn't fully explain, he had felt an immediate affinity for this particular spell. He had mastered it with surprising ease after just a few attempts, and since then, it had rarely failed him when he needed it most. In that moment, Harry began to understand what Professor Watson meant about finding spells that felt natural and developing proficiency with them.
"Now," Bryan continued, his gaze calming the excited group of young wizards to quiet down once more, "let's move on to discuss defensive magic."
"By now, through the classes, you've all mastered certain evasion techniques, and under my guidance in the coming lessons, you'll each develop offensive spells that suit your individual strengths and magical affinities. However, it's crucial that you understand a fundamental truth about magical combat: evasion alone is not sufficient to dodge all attacks.
Your physical stamina has its limits, you simply cannot outpace your opponent's attacks indefinitely. Moreover, experienced wizards can often predict the direction of your evasion, rendering such tactics increasingly ineffective as the duel progresses."
"Perhaps you've heard the saying, 'The best defense is a good offense', There's certainly some truth to that proverb, even in magical dueling. However, in an evenly matched duel, you cannot maintain an offensive stance indefinitely."
He began to pace again, the students' eyes followed him, hanging on his every word and gesture.
"There are two primary reasons for this," Bryan explained, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "Firstly, your magical power is not infinite. Maintaining a constant barrage of offensive spells will rapidly deplete your magical reserves, leaving you vulnerable."
Several students nodded in understanding, recalling moments when they had felt the drain after casting spells repetitively.
"Secondly, and perhaps more importantly," Bryan continued, "everyone's attacks have a rhythm, a pattern that emerges over time. A skilled opponent will study your offensive rhythm, searching for that crucial moment – that split second between spells – where you are most vulnerable."
The classroom was utterly silent now.
"Once your opponent grasps that rhythm and finds an opening to counterattack, your offense will be forced to halt, in that moment, you'll have no choice but to switch to a defensive stance. And that is when you'll need defensive magic."
Bryan paused, allowing the gravity of his words to settle over the classroom.
"Unlike offensive magic, I won't be providing a demonstration of defensive spells today," he said, causing a few disappointed murmurs to ripple through the class. "Defensive magic is often subtle, its effects are not always immediately apparent. But, Rest assured; we will cover this crucial aspect of dueling in great detail in our future lessons."
No professor had ever managed to keep so many students simultaneously focused, but Professor Watson's lesson had achieved just that. Over thirty young wizards from various houses, ranging from third-year students to sixth-year Cedric Diggory, listened intently. Not a single one was distracted. They were now receiving systematic dueling experience from perhaps the most powerful wizard of the modern era—an opportunity no amount of Galleons could buy!
"Now, we come to the third and perhaps most challenging category of magic used in dueling," Bryan said, his tone shifting to indicate the importance of this new topic. "Functional magic, also sometimes referred to as auxiliary spells."
"This category of magic is the true test for a duelist." Bryan explained, his gaze sweeping across the eager faces before him. "It challenges not just your magical prowess, but your battle awareness and the breadth of your magical knowledge. Functional magic is difficult to categorize comprehensively, as its applications are limited only by your creativity and quick thinking."
"Perhaps an example would best illustrate the nature and importance of functional magic," Bryan thought aloud, his eyes scanning the classroom. "Miss Granger!"
Hermione, who had been hanging on every word, was startled by the sudden address. In her haste to respond, she attempted to stand up, only to have her knees collide painfully with the underside of her desk. She winced visibly, a soft hiss of pain escaping her lips.
Under normal circumstances, such a clumsy display might have elicited snickers or mocking comments, particularly from the Slytherin groups. However, the entire class, including Pansy Parkinson, remained focused intently on Professor Watson, too engrossed in the lesson to pay Hermione's mishap any mind.
"Y-yes, Professor?" Hermione managed; her voice slightly strained as she rubbed her bruised knees.
"Imagine, if you will, Miss Granger, that we find ourselves engaged in a duel, During this hypothetical confrontation, I use a spell to transform the ground beneath your feet into a swamp."
The vivid description caused several students to glance down at the solid stone floor beneath their feet, as if half-expecting it to turn into muddy marshland at any moment.
"Now, this spell isn't a direct attack, per se," Bryan continued. "I haven't aimed a stunning spell at you or attempted to disarm you directly. And yet, this seemingly indirect action has placed you in a precarious position, severely limiting your ability to dodge or maneuver."
Hermione nodded slowly, her brow furrowed in concentration as she visualized the scenario.
"A highly skilled and experienced wizard," Bryan elaborated, "might possess the ability to directly counter such a spell, perhaps restoring the ground to its original, solid state with a flick of their wand. However, you, Miss Granger, despite your considerable talents, have not reached that level yet."
There was no condescension in Bryan's tone, just a statement of fact. But Hermione made a mental note to research ground-restoration spells after this class.
"So, Miss Granger," Bryan said, focusing on her with an expectant gaze, "faced with this predicament, what magic would you use to help yourself out from this situation?"
The classroom fell silent as all eyes turned to Hermione. Many of the students were pondering the question as well, mentally rummaging through their magical knowledge for a solution.
Hermione's delicate brows furrowed deeply as she immersed herself in thought.
Hmm...
"I would..." Hermione pursed her lips, mentally cataloging all the spells she had learned over the past few years. "Um—perhaps I would use the Freezing Charm."
A few confused murmurs rippled through the class, but Hermione pressed on, her explanation flowing more smoothly now. "By using the Freezing Charm, I could potentially solidify the swampy ground, creating a stable surface to stand on. This would restore my movement and negate the advantage you had gained."
A moment of silence followed Hermione's response as Bryan considered her answer. Then, a broad smile spread across his face. "Excellent!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine approval. "A creative and effective solution, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor for your quick thinking."
A collective sigh of relief and a smattering of applause filled the room. Hermione beamed with pride as she sat back down, her earlier embarrassment forgotten in the glow of her successful answer.
As the applause died down, Neville cast an admiring glance at Hermione. His own mind had been blank when faced with the hypothetical scenario, the only solution he could think of was a dive into the mud in hopes of concealing himself from his opponent's sight.
"I trust you all understand my point now," Bryan addressed the class, many of whom were nodding in realization. "Auxiliary spells, while not directly offensive in nature, can be helpful in overcoming obstacles or escaping difficult situations during a duel. Their effects, when applied creatively, can be surprisingly powerful and often catch your opponent off guard."
"Consider this scenario: you find yourself face to face with a vicious dragon."
Several students shuddered just at this thought, while others leaned forward with interest.
"Obviously, you cannot hope to defeat such a formidable creature through direct magical attacks," Bryan explained. "However, with a clever application of functional magic, you could significantly improve your chances of survival."
He began to list potential strategies, counting them off on his fingers. "You could employ Accio charm to call nearby objects that might aid in escape or defense. Use Disillusionment charm to hide in the surroundings, A well-cast Fire-Extinguishing Charm could neutralize Dragon's flame-breath. Finally, a targeted Conjunctivitis Curse could temporarily blind the beast, drastically reducing its ability to locate and attack you."
The students listened in rapt attention, many of them mentally noting down these tactics for future reference – just in case.
"By utilizing this combination of functional spells," Bryan continued, "you would create a situation where, while still dangerous, the dragon would be far more manageable. You would have much more room to maneuver, to strategize, and ultimately, to escape or achieve your objective."
Bryan's gaze swept across the classroom, noting the looks of understanding and excitement on the faces of his students. "Of course," he added with a slight smile, "I sincerely hope none of you find yourselves in a situation where you need to apply these specific tactics. However, the principle remains the same across all magical confrontations – creative use of functional magic can turn the tide of battle in your favor."
"Now," he said, his tone becoming more serious, "I must stress that the category of functional magic is incredibly broad. It encompasses a vast array of spells, charms, and magical techniques. In this class, I will focus on teaching you approaches to using functional spells flexibly and creatively. However, the specific spells themselves, you must continue to learn and master in your regular Charms classes."
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