Wizard's Duel! (Please invest, please keep reading)

Wizard's Duel?

At Gemma Farley's words, the students watching immediately erupted into an uproar.

A fifth-year student had openly challenged a first-year student to a duel in front of everyone.

Was this a distortion of human nature, or a collapse of morality?

Harry raised his head and met Gemma's sea-blue eyes.

"Miss Farley, you want to have a Wizard's Duel with me?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter." Gemma looked serious, yet she did not draw her wand. "You may choose the time and place. No assistants—we'll duel one-on-one."

As Slytherin's Prefect, even though she knew this was unreasonable, she still had to step forward.

Otherwise, if the people's hearts scattered, how was she supposed to lead them?

"Why?" Harry asked.

It was not that he had suddenly developed any tender feelings for women. Among the Dark Wizards of a century ago, there had been no shortage of beautiful women, yet Harry had never shown the slightest mercy when hurling Explosive Barrels at their pretty faces.

He simply wanted to ask.

"You defeated seven sixth-year students, proving that your strength is far beyond that of an ordinary first-year student," Gemma said. "If you win, I guarantee that no Slytherin student will trouble you again. If you lose, then apologize to Slytherin House."

"No, I don't care about trouble." Harry sounded utterly unconcerned. "If I win, I want Parkinson and Flint to apologize to Hermione. As for causing me trouble, I don't think the Slytherins can be much trouble at all."

Harry truly hated people named Flint.

At Hogwarts a century ago, there had naturally been no shortage of people who discriminated against Muggles.

He had first heard the word Mudblood from someone named Derrick Flint.

That person had deliberately knocked over Harry's meal tray while he was eating. Gareth had stood up for him because of it, and Derrick had been thoroughly beaten in return.

However, that Flint named Derrick had never troubled him again after that. Gareth said it seemed to be because Drake Marcus's father had received a severe warning from the Board of Governors, which was why Derrick had become so well-behaved.

Although Gareth repeatedly insisted that his Aunt, Professor Weasley, was not a member of the Board of Governors, and that even the Headmaster could not interfere with any decision made by the Board, Harry still felt it was the result of the Deputy Headmistress negotiating with them.

Why didn't the Board of Governors do something about Cassandra Malfoy? the first-year Harry had wondered at the time. Whenever Malfoy had nothing better to do, she would mock him for being lazy, arrogant, and unwilling to study. She had even wanted to take him on as a lackey. She really was rather annoying.

Gemma's brows furrowed slightly. She did not actually want to clash with Harry. She had challenged him to a Wizard's Duel only because he had spoken disrespectfully of Slytherin.

If she had merely been an ordinary Slytherin student, that would have been one thing.

But she was a Prefect.

Status brought not only honor, but duty as well.

"Draw your wand, Prefect Farley," Harry said.

He drew his wand and gestured for his friends to move back, lest they be caught in the spells shortly.

"Harry..." Ron was somewhat worried. He had heard Percy mention Prefect Farley's name more than once, saying that she was Slytherin's finest student.

What Percy praised was not only Prefect Farley's outstanding grades, but also her "not very Slytherin" personality.

"Don't worry, Ron." Harry smiled at Ron. "Look after Neville. Smacking the back of his head must have hurt quite a bit. I've got this."

Ron wanted to say something more, but Hermione grabbed his sleeve and pulled him aside.

"I'll be the Judge!" Draco emerged from who knew where, looking at Harry with ill intentions.

The watching students also moved to either side. Gemma stood in the middle and asked uncertainly, "Mr. Potter, don't you need to rest for a while?"

"Thank you, but no." Harry gave Gemma an elegant bow. "Miss Farley, I don't need to teach you the basic etiquette of a duel, do I?"

Gemma held her wand horizontally before her chest and bowed to Harry as well, performing an impeccable duelist's salute.

"Three!" Draco raised his hand high.

"Two!"

"One!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Almost at the same time, the two cast Disarming Charms at each other.

With a crisp bang, a burst of orange-red flames exploded between them, where their spells collided.

Gemma flicked her wrist lightly, and the statue behind her seemed to come alive, striding menacingly toward Harry.

Seeing Gemma use Transfiguration, Harry also waved his wand, bringing the two suits of armor by the entrance to life. They raised their spears and charged at the statue.

At some point, a vine had silently crept to Harry's feet.

Harry casually burned away the vine with Blazing Flames, then used Protego to block the jinx Gemma sent at him before immediately returning a Stunning Spell.

It was the first time the students had seen such a splendid Wizard's Duel. The first-year students in particular held their breath, their eyes wide as they stared fixedly at the two duelists in the center of the grounds, even forgetting to breathe.

Seeing the spell flying toward her, Gemma dodged to the side, only to find a red spell hurtling straight at her.

Harry had predicted the direction of her dodge and fired a Disarming Charm in advance.

"Protego!" Gemma swung her wand, blocking the Disarming Charm.

But another spell had followed close behind it.

The energy in the Shield Charm that had blocked the Disarming Charm was already insufficient. It was too late to cast another Shield Charm, and Gemma could only watch helplessly as the spell rushed toward her.

"Incarcerous!"

The spell struck Gemma's body. A rope abruptly appeared, binding her tightly before she fell into the snow with a thud.

Hogwarts uniforms were loose and comfortable. Bound so tightly by the rope, the lovely figure originally concealed beneath Gemma's robes was fully revealed.

Without her magic to sustain it, Gemma's statue also crashed to the ground.

The two suits of armor held their spears, crossing them on either side of Gemma's neck. It seemed that if she dared resist, they could make blood spray three feet into the air from her neck.

"You lost, Miss Farley," Harry said elegantly.

He thought himself very gentlemanly, because he treated women as opponents worthy of giving his all to beat up.

"I concede." Gemma admitted defeat just as readily.

Harry waved his hand. The two suits of armor returned to their original positions, and the ropes around Gemma vanished as well.

Someone among the spectators sighed, seemingly regretful that the ropes had disappeared.

"Then it's time to fulfill your promise, Miss Farley." Harry held out his hand.