Suddenly Realizing

Coke excitedly hugged Wentworth, Cedric high-fived him, and the other Hufflepuff students applauded him as well.

"Wentworth, as long as you're not hurt, that's all that matters."

"Brilliant work, Wentworth! You surrendered so decisively!"

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Wentworth was the winner of the duel.

But unlike the enthusiastic cheers Wentworth received when he returned to Hufflepuff, Vane, the actual victor, now found himself in an awkward position.

Professor Ilona, Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and one of the judges for the duel, was glaring at Vane furiously, wand in hand.

"Even when facing an unfamiliar wizard in a duel, if your opponent declares that they surrender, you should stop your spell!"

"And you, facing your own classmate, kept casting even after he declared his surrender and turned his back on you! Are you ignoring me?"

Seeing this, Vane quickly lowered his wand and explained, "Professor Ilona, you've misunderstood. I didn't do it on purpose. I simply couldn't stop the spell in time!"

Professor Ilona gave a cold, disdainful laugh at his explanation. "Slytherin, ten points deducted! You're treating us professors like fools!"

Hearing Professor Ilona take ten points from Slytherin without a second thought, Vane stiffened. At the same time, a mocking laugh rang out. He looked in its direction and saw Wentworth surrounded by Cedric, Green, and the others.

Wentworth looked at Vane with the pitying expression one might give an idiot, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

In fact, Wentworth had dared to turn his back on Vane and declare his surrender without even trying to dodge because he trusted the Hogwarts professors.

Just look at tonight's panel of judges: Hogwarts' deputy headmistress, Professor McGonagall; the Charms professor, Professor Flitwick, a dueling champion; and Professor Ilona, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, whose abilities were hard to gauge. With judges like these, if something could still happen to him right under their noses, Hogwarts would hardly deserve its current reputation.

And Vane had actually dared to pull a stunt in front of them. Wentworth could only think to himself, Stupid kids sure know how to entertain themselves.

Meanwhile, Vane, bearing the full force of Professor Ilona's anger, felt like a tiny boat caught in a storm at sea. Even the magic within him began to surge against his will.

Fortunately, Professor Snape stood up just then and said, "Professor Ilona, Vane was indeed in the wrong. I'll punish him after the duels are over."

Hearing his Head of House speak up, Vane finally breathed a sigh of relief. Normally, when Professor Snape said something like that, the other professors would show him some courtesy.

But this time, Professor Ilona didn't let Vane off. Instead, she said, "Since Professor Snape has put it that way, we'll proceed as he suggests. However, there's no need to trouble Professor Snape with the punishment. I'll handle it myself. For the next month, Mr. Vane will come to my office every evening and help me prepare the teaching materials for the following day's lessons. That will be his punishment."

Then, before Professor Snape could speak again, Professor Ilona continued, "I'd also like to make one thing clear! If anyone tries to be clever in the Dueling Club and keeps attacking after their opponent has already given up, then I'll use the same spell you used to stop you!"

"If your spell can counter mine, then so be it. But if it can't and the spell rebounds, the damage you suffer will be your punishment! Is that clear?!"

Hearing Professor Ilona's words, Professor Snape silently swallowed whatever he had been about to say. And when Dumbledore made no objection to her announcement, students from all four Houses voiced their understanding.

Seeing that no one had any further objections, Professor Ilona nodded slowly and announced, "In that case, I declare Slytherin the winner of the first duel between Hufflepuff and Slytherin!"

When Professor Ilona declared Slytherin the winner, the Slytherin students, who had been worried she might use this opportunity to invalidate Vane's victory, finally relaxed and erupted into loud cheers.

The Hufflepuff students, on the other hand, acted as though nothing had happened. They didn't seem bothered in the slightest; some even offered a few perfunctory claps.

Once the cheers had died down a little, Professor Ilona continued, "Next, we'll hold the second duel between Hufflepuff and Slytherin!"

"Slytherin's representative for the second duel is Mike, a fourth-year student!"

"Hufflepuff's representative is their Prefect, Green, a fifth-year student!"

When Professor Ilona announced the names for the second duel, the room erupted into even louder commotion. Everyone began talking at once!

Amid the hubbub, a few crisp rounds of applause rang out. Looking toward the sound, they saw several Ravenclaw students clapping in astonishment.

In another part of the room, the Hogwarts professors seemed to have already figured out Hufflepuff's plan. Professor Snape, Slytherin's Head of House, shot to his feet, glaring furiously toward Hufflepuff.

Unfortunately, nobody in Hufflepuff was looking at him. Everyone was cheering Green on.

Snape then turned his gaze to Dumbledore, only to find him admiringly watching Wentworth, not Snape.

After scanning the room and realizing no one was paying him any attention, Snape looked once more toward Wentworth, then slowly sat back down, his face dark.

Meanwhile, as the Ravenclaw students who had started the applause explained things, the other students gradually understood Hufflepuff's plan. The news quickly reached Slytherin.

Only then did Vane and the others realize that Hufflepuff hadn't made a mistake. They had arranged things this way on purpose!

They had pitted Hufflepuff first-year Wentworth against Slytherin fifth-year Vane. Wentworth had surrendered immediately, conceding the first duel.

But in each of the four duels that followed, Hufflepuff could send an older student to face a younger one!

Although Hufflepuff was weaker than Slytherin overall, that was only when comparing students in the same year. The students at Hogwarts were all at a crucial stage in developing their magical abilities, and even a single year's difference meant a considerable gap in magical power.

Realizing this, Vane and the others nearly lost their minds!

Thanks again to the generous Meow Meow Wu for the reward!

What a generous boss! May the boss make a fortune!

May everything go well for the boss in the new year, and may all their wishes come true!