Midnight Duel

After receiving another detention invitation from Professor McGonagall, Horatio returned to the Great Hall.

As soon as he entered, he saw Malfoy challenging Harry to a duel... no, a challenge.

"Wizard's duel, interesting, count me in, Harry, I'll be your second." Horatio appeared behind Harry like a ghost.

"Horatio?? You, you're not allowed to participate." Malfoy looked pale at the suddenly appearing Horatio.

"Huh? Malfoy, are you itching for a fight? How dare you refuse me?" Horatio drew Ringo. "Tell me, should I use the Cruciatus Curse on you, or the Cruciatus Curse, or the Cruciatus Curse?"

Malfoy was so scared he almost lost his soul and quickly looked at Harry with pleading eyes.

Although Harry disliked Malfoy, his kind heart didn't want to see Malfoy tortured by Horatio, so he said to Horatio, "Sorry Horatio, Ron has already agreed to be my second."

"Alright, where are you guys dueling tonight? I'll be the referee. The winner gets a small alchemy item from me, and the loser has to perform a handstand eating pig's trotters tomorrow." Horatio finally agreed.

"We plan to start at 11 PM in the trophy room on the fourth floor of Hogwarts," Harry replied.

Horatio made an OK gesture. "Then I'll wait for you there. Don't be late.

If you dare to chicken out, hehe, you know the consequences."

Looking at Horatio's gloomy expression, Harry and Malfoy shivered and quickly nodded, promising they would come.

During dinner, Hermione sidled up to Harry and Ron, who were discussing how to handle the duel tonight.

"I just heard you're going to duel Malfoy tonight," Hermione said. "You absolutely cannot sneak out, or you'll lose points for Gryffindor."

"What gave you the illusion that we still have points to lose?" Ron mumbled.

Hermione glared at Ron, but seeing the pitifully low score for Gryffindor on the scoreboard, she deflated.

"Then, then, then you'll be expelled if you're caught," Hermione said, a little anxious.

Ron shook his head. "I don't think sneaking out is a big deal. Considering what Horatio has done, being sent to Azkaban is the least he deserves, and look at him, he's still bouncing around."

Hermione became even more desperate. "Professor McGonagall will give you detention."

"Detention? I have the most say in detention." Horatio's "anti-behind-your-back-gossiping-Horatio" radar system went off, and he came to the indicated location to check. "And who was gossiping about me behind my back just now? Step forward honestly."

Ron's face turned pale, but he bravely stepped forward.

Horatio glanced at Ron. "Spirited. Given that you have a duel tonight, I won't punish you. If you lose tonight, you'll honestly have to eat a baguette dipped in holy river water from Parvati's hometown with blue cheese for tomorrow's meal."

After saying that, Horatio went to ask Parvati for some Ganges water.

Harry shrugged and said to Hermione, "See? It's not that we want to go, but we have to."

At 10:30 PM, Harry and Ron sneaked out of their dormitories and met Hermione, who was waiting for them in the common room.

Hermione: "I was going to tell Professor McGonagall, but..."

Harry and Ron ignored Hermione, who was chattering incessantly, and walked out of the Gryffindor dormitory. At the door, they met Neville, who had forgotten the password.

In the end, the four of them went to the trophy room on the fourth floor together.

In the trophy room, Malfoy, along with Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, had been waiting for a long time.

Malfoy had originally planned to bring two more people to catch Harry off guard, but he didn't expect Harry to bring two extra people as well.

At this moment, Horatio walked out of another room carrying Hathor. "Yo, so many people. Perfect for a 4v4."

"Oh, right, don't go that way after the fight," Horatio said, pointing in one direction of the corridor. "There's a three-headed dog in a room over there, guarding something."

Hermione rushed at Horatio, unleashing a torrent of words. Horatio picked at his ear, helpless. "Hermione, admit it, you're a Gryffindor at heart, you like adventure, otherwise you wouldn't have come."

"And you don't want to lose to Slytherin and be mocked by Malfoy, right?"

Hermione shut her mouth and eventually stood opposite Pansy.

"Come on, choose your opponents, let's have some pre-match trash talk," Horatio said, standing between the two groups.

"Wait, that's Peeves, he'll tell Filch," Hermione said, pointing at the suddenly appearing Peeves.

Horatio sighed and said to Peeves, "You, come here."

Peeves, seeing Horatio, the devil, was instantly terrified and tremblingly came to Horatio's side. "Lord Horatio, what are your orders?"

"Go get me a bag of sunflower seeds. I want to watch the duel here. If you let anyone else know, you know the consequences."

Peeves turned and fled as if escaping.

"Have you chosen your opponents? Have you decided who will go first?"

"Wait, that's Mrs. Norris, she'll tell Filch we're here," Ron said, pointing at a cat sitting at the end of the corridor.

"Sigh, Hathor, call her over."

"Meow~"

Mrs. Norris trotted over, wagging her tail like a dog, seemingly trying to please Hathor in Horatio's arms.

"Why are you so slow? If you don't hurry up, I, the referee, will have to fight you all myself."

Harry and Malfoy reluctantly took out their wands and stepped forward.

"Wait, that's Filch, run!" Harry shouted.

Everyone originally wanted to flee immediately, but found they couldn't move their feet no matter how hard they tried.

"Is that it? Are we fighting or not?" Horatio asked frantically.

"Filch, do you still want that levitation charm wand?"

Upon hearing this, Filch quickly rubbed his hands together and approached Horatio. "What are Young Master Horatio's orders?"

"Go cut me a watermelon."

"Right away, please wait a moment."

Under the shocked and admiring gazes of the young wizards, Horatio lifted the curses on them.

"The extraneous personnel have been cleared. You must decide the victor today, I swear on the reputation of my Night-Prowling Prince title."

Harry and Malfoy were still locked in battle. Initially, the two used their wands to shoot fireworks at each other, but as they continued, they found they couldn't cast any magic at all.

Eventually, the two directly threw away their wands and began to exchange punches, flesh against flesh.

Horatio covered his face, unable to watch.

"Is this what Hogwarts teaches? I suggest you go to Southeast Asia to learn free combat."

"Hogwarts wouldn't teach young wizards to fight here at night." A white-bearded old man arrived.

Dumbledore looked at the young wizards, who were as scared as chicks, and said, "Children, I need an explanation."

"Tch." Horatio snapped his fingers.

Everything except Dumbledore and Horatio seemed to be paused; everything froze.

Horatio looked at Dumbledore's shocked face and said, "Time-Space Suspension, the most basic space-time magic. Is this explanation enough?"

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then said, "I think you've convinced me, child."

Horatio released the Time-Space Suspension and said to Harry and Malfoy, "After friendly negotiation, Old Deng is willing to serve as an assistant referee for this duel tournament, so the competition will continue."

Horatio and Dumbledore, holding the watermelon sent by Filch and eating melon seeds sent by Peeves, sat on the steps and watched the young wizards below enthusiastically fight, occasionally commenting on the contestants' performances.

Hermione was still too overpowered among these young wizards who could barely cast any magic. She took on four opponents and defeated Malfoy and his group.

Horatio stood up and announced, "Gryffindor wins this duel! Hermione is the MVP, and everyone else just rode on their coattails."