Duelling Club

Details of the Duelling Club spread quickly among the students.

When they learned the club was co-founded by Professors Lin Du and Snape, everyone was taken aback.

Including Chao Feng—

Chao Feng flicked his tail, casting a sidelong glance at Lin Du as he brewed tea: "You know Snape would love to poison you right now, and you still chose to work with him?"

Lin Du lightly blew on the tea's steam: "McGonagall and Flitwick have been looking at me with wariness lately."

"So?"

"Bringing Snape in at least makes our professor team look 'united.'" He took a sip. "A professor researching Dark Magic ought to be mindful of suspicion."

Chao Feng snorted: "United? I think you're just offering yourself up for a beating."

Lin Du blinked: "I have to give him an outlet. An open strike is better than a hidden arrow—in front of the whole school, he'll have to hold back."

"Then you'd better be careful," Chao Feng's tail slapped the floor. "He's been holding it in for this chance."

"No matter," Lin Du chuckled lightly. "I've got thick skin."

On the night of the Duelling Club's first event, the Great Hall was cleared, leaving a large dueling area in the center.

Students from all four houses gathered early, the buzz of voices filling the air with excitement and anticipation.

When Lin Du and Snape walked into the hall side by side, the noise instantly died down, all eyes fixed on this unexpected pair.

Snape wore his signature black robes, his face even darker than usual, as if he'd come not to teach dueling but to attend someone's funeral.

As for who that someone might be, the answer was obvious.

Lin Du, in contrast, wore a relatively simple dark Eastern-style robe, his usual relaxed smile on his face.

Without any unnecessary words, Snape stepped forward, his cold voice echoing through the silent hall:

"Just by looking at you, I can tell that most of you have come here knowing nothing." His thin lips twisted into a sneer.

"Perhaps you even expect to watch some flashy spells, some... dramatic falls, like a Quidditch match."

"If that's what you think, you may leave now."

No one spoke. No one moved.

Snape nodded, his black robes stirring without wind: "Dueling is an activity defined by efficiency. When two wands face each other, only two things matter: who completes their spell first, and whose spell... is more effective."

His gaze shifted to Lin Du, sharp and icy: "As for you, Professor Lin... I hope you've prepared enough payment for your 'harassment' these past few days."

The corner of Lin Du's mouth lifted, his wand spinning between his fingers: "I never doubted you'd prepare your lessons thoroughly, Professor Snape. Please."

Snape's lips curled into a cold arc.

Without another word, his wand suddenly pointed to the side—

A red light grazed Lin Du's robe, deflected at the last moment as he raised his wand.

The spells collided, scattering tiny sparks.

"Dueling is indeed about efficiency," Lin Du said, unmoving save for the slight flutter of his robe. "But before demonstrating how to ambush, shouldn't basic etiquette come first?"

"I'm demonstrating what happens in a real duel," Snape said flatly. "Do you think an enemy will give you time to bow?"

"Whoa—!"

The crowd finally erupted in long-suppressed shouts. Some Gryffindor yelled first:

"Show him what you've got, Professor Lin!"

That shout was like a lit fuse, and the hall exploded into chaos.

"Head of Slytherin, teach this arrogant fool a lesson!" several Slytherins shrieked.

"Avenge our House Cup!" someone from Hufflepuff chimed in.

The Ravenclaws, though more restrained, couldn't help whispering among themselves, faces full of anticipation.

Cheers rose and fell, the names of the two professors clashing in the hall—

"Professor Lin!"

"Head of Slytherin!"

"Professor Lin!"

The Slytherin students were outnumbered, and Snape's name was soon drowned out.

Snape's upper lip curled, his dark gaze locked on Lin Du, but his feet began moving backward, creating distance.

"It seems," he said in a low voice, "that actions will teach these trolls what dueling is faster than words."

"Just what I was thinking."

The two finally took their formal positions, exchanging a symbolic bow.

The next moment, the duel began in earnest!

Snape attacked fiercely, rapid and dangerous spells like black vipers striking at Lin Du from every angle.

Disarming Charms, Petrificus Totalus, Obstruction Charms... among them, even some unsettling curses tinged with Dark Magic.

His style was ruthless, precise, and aimed for a swift resolution.

Lin Du's response, however, was unhurried and even somewhat pleasing to the eye.

He didn't engage in a head-on magical duel with Snape. Instead, with a keenness bordering on precognition and movements as fluid as a dance, he evaded or casually neutralized attacks in the nick of time.

With a flick of his wand, he would summon the faint glow of a Shield Charm, use Terraforming Magic to raise stone pillars as barriers, or extinguish the flames Snape had ignited with a gentle Water Jet Charm.

His magic seemed mild, yet it absorbed all of Snape's storm-like assaults, dissolving them into nothingness.

"Incredible... Professor Lin doesn't even seem to be trying!"

"Professor Snape's attacks can't land at all!"

"Look, Professor Lin is still smiling!"

The students were dazzled, their gasps and exclamations rising one after another.

Snape, unable to break through for a long time, grew increasingly grim.

Seizing an opportunity, he thrust his wand forward sharply. A highly concentrated curse, radiating an ominous red light, tore through the air straight at Lin Du's face, its speed far surpassing any spell before.

Lin Du's eyes narrowed slightly. This time, he didn't dodge.

His wrist moved with rapid precision, tracing a complete circle in front of him. A silver barrier, solid as a crystal wall, took shape in an instant.

"Boom!"

The red light and silver barrier collided violently, producing a dull, heavy roar. The dispersing energy blew back the hair of nearby students.

The silver barrier rippled intensely but ultimately held firm, blocking the powerful attack.

In the blinding flash that obscured everyone's vision, Lin Du and Snape made their choices simultaneously—

The golden light at the tip of Lin Du's wand stopped steadily just an inch from Snape's chest, while Snape, having silently laid down a dark, web-like defensive magic, had it hovering by Lin Du's neck.

They locked eyes in the dazzling light and, with perfect mutual understanding, withdrew their spells at the same moment.

The light faded, and the students saw the two professors standing opposite each other, wands lowered, as if the thrilling clash had never happened.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence, then erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

Snape's face shifted from pale to livid. He stared fixedly at Lin Du, his chest rising and falling slightly.

After a long moment, he forced out a sentence through gritted teeth, his voice even lower than usual:

"Your growth... is unexpected."

This was the highest praise the Potions Master could offer.

Lin Du put away his wand, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

He stepped closer and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"To earn Professor Snape's recognition, should I feel honored? Or..." a glint of mischief flashed in his eyes, "do you actually enjoy this kind of evenly matched duel?"

Snape's breath hitched noticeably. His face, which had softened slightly, darkened again.

He stared at Lin Du's smiling face, and all his complex emotions condensed into a single, murderous word:

"Get lost!"