Room of Requirement.
"Petrificus Totalus."
Hermione cast a Binding Charm, quickly moved away from where she stood, ran forward a few steps, and raised her wand to cast another Binding Charm.
"Protego."
With a flick of his wand, Loren sent the first Binding Charm's white light back along its original path, where it struck the open ground. He then shifted a few steps to the side, dodging the second Binding Charm.
The two of them moved back and forth like this, circling each other in the Dueling Classroom created by the Room of Requirement. Hermione was mainly on the offensive, while Loren kept defending and dodging.
Loren retreated in advance, avoiding the spell Hermione was charging. The instant she cast it, he seized the gap in her attack and used a Binding Charm to take away her ability to fight.
If any professor had seen that duel, they would have offered heartfelt praise. What the two of them had just displayed was already more impressive than many upper-year students.
Loren paused to catch his breath. Hermione's offensive rhythm was too fast; even if he only defended, fending her off took some effort.
With Flamel's guidance, Loren had improved rapidly in dueling. Hermione had not shown much natural talent in combat, but she could always apply what she knew. She rarely made the same mistake twice, and she was improving just as quickly.
Loren walked over to Hermione and lifted the spell from her. "You were too reckless just now. You only cared about attacking and ignored defense. Once I got hold of your attacking rhythm, there was no longer any suspense about the outcome." He reached out and helped Hermione up.
Hermione got to her feet and shook out her hair. "You never counterattacked, so I gradually let down my