The Magic of Galleon

Nearly a hundred related books, simple yet useful magical items, and instruments specifically used to test the power of spells—every corner exudes professionalism.

In Kyle's view, this is what Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom should look like.

Just then, there was another knock at the door, and Ginny, Neville, and several Gryffindor students arrived.

Then, until eight o'clock, people kept coming in from outside.

Everyone looked quite surprised when they saw Kyle in the room.

"Oh, you never mentioned this before..." Parvati of Gryffindor whispered to Hermione, "If we had known Kyle was here, Padma Patil would definitely have come too."

"I just found out myself." Hermione had lost count of how many times she'd explained this. "He'd turned down our invitation before, I thought he wasn't coming."

Hermione had to admit that, after the various events of the previous few years, especially after the Triwizard Tournament, Kyle's fame at Hogwarts had reached an unbelievable level.

This is why, when she decided to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts her own, the first thing she thought of was having Kyle teach everyone Defense Against the Dark Arts.

It's no exaggeration to say that Kyle's name is a golden brand; if he had been there at the previous gathering, there would definitely have been more people attending.

Unfortunately, Kyle declined at the time.

At eight o'clock, Hermione checked the list and found that everyone had arrived.

Cedric walked to the door, turned the key in the lock, and it made a crisp click.

If someone were outside at this moment, they would find that the door, which was originally there, has suddenly disappeared and turned back into a wall, as if it had never existed.

Inside the room, everyone sat on a soft cushion, chatting with each other. It was their first time in such a magical room, and everyone was in high spirits.

"Well, this will be our practice area from now on," Cedric said. "There are almost all the books on Defense Against the Dark Arts here, and you can pick out some that interest you to read."

"Of course, let's leave it for now. We have limited time, and our main focus should be on practice."

As expected of the Head Boy, Cedric quickly adapted to his new role, speaking fluently and confidently in front of more than fifty people without a trace of nervousness on his face.

"Alright, let's begin our first day of practice... the Leg-Locker Curse. I know this spell is quite basic; many people know it, and most use it as a prank spell."

"If that's the case, then you're underestimating this spell. When facing an enemy, the Leg-Locker Curse can restrict their movements in the shortest amount of time, thus buying you time to escape."

"I don't want to learn how to escape!" a voice rang out from the crowd. "That's so unambitious! Why can't we learn some powerful spells?"

"Because you are about to face not your Hogwarts classmates, nor a duel governed by etiquette, but an unknown adult wizard," Cedric said.

"Unless you are absolutely certain of victory, running away is the wisest choice, and no one will underestimate you because of it."

"So what if they're adult wizards?" the man retorted defiantly. "We might still have a chance. Don't forget, Kyle defeated Werewolf when he was a sophomore."

Another murmur arose from the room.

Indeed, Kyle first made a name for himself at Hogwarts by defeating the Werewolf and earning the Order of Merlin.

At that time, he was only a second-year student... while the youngest person here was in the third grade.

"That's because there were two other professors present at the time," Kyle said casually.

This was the first time he spoke after everyone had arrived.

"Honestly, if I had to choose again, I'd rather not have the Order of Merlin than face a Werewolf in his transformed state alone."

The man mumbled something indistinctly, and although it was unclear what he said, it was obvious that he didn't believe Kyle's story.

"Alright, since you think you can surpass Kyle, how about we do a little test?" Cedric said with a smile, "Let's see if you have the potential to defeat an adult wizard."

"What test?"

"It's very simple." Cedric stood up and stepped onto the cushion.

"I'll only use one spell. If you can get my feet off the mat, you win. How about it?"

"No problem!" The man stood up as well.

Kyle remembered that his name was Anthony Goldstein, a fifth-grade student from Ravenclaw.

"What if I win?" he asked.

"Then I will teach you a powerful offensive spell," Cedric said.

He waved his wand.

"Confringo!"

With a loud bang, a large wardrobe in the room was instantly blown to pieces in the flames, and the powerful blast wave, carrying dust and wood chips, hit everyone in the face.

A large crater appeared on the ground at some point, but it quickly disappeared.

This incredible scene didn't attract much attention; everyone's thoughts were still reeling from the shock of the Blasting Curse from a moment ago.

"How about this spell?" Cedric asked. "Is it considered a powerful offensive spell?"

"I'll give you another reward," Kyle said.

He took out a handful of gold coins and placed them on the table. "If you win, these fifty Galleon are yours."

The golden Galleon piled together created an impact slightly greater than the Blasting Curse from before.

"Sure!" Anthony's eyes were glued to the screen. He took out his wand and assumed a duel stance.

Seeing this, the others immediately moved aside, giving the two enough space.

"Wait..." Anthony seemed to remember something and quickly added, "You can't use this spell later."

"The Death Eaters don't negotiate with you," Cedric said. "However, this time I've agreed."

No one said it was time to begin; the battle was practically imminent.

Anthony had barely begun chanting the incantation when Cedric had already completed his spell.

He waved his wand, and the wooden blocks on the ground immediately twisted and turned into weasels, screaming as they charged towards Anthony.

Then, the battle ended.

Anthony only had time to deal with the two weasels before his hand holding the wand was bitten.

The wand fell to the ground, naturally signaling his defeat.

"Unfortunately, it seems you have no chance of defeating an adult wizard."

Cedric waved his wand again, and the flock of weasels instantly turned back into pieces of wood.

Now, everyone fell silent. They had expected Anthony to fail, but they hadn't expected him to lose so quickly.

At the same time, they also gained a new understanding of Cedric.

Originally, everyone only knew him as a Head Boy with excellent grades, and at most, as the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team.

But now they've discovered that this Head Boy seems to be more than just academically gifted.

That Transfiguration Spell was truly spectacular! More than a dozen wooden blocks Transfiguration simultaneously without the slightest pause, and each of the Transfiguration weasels was so lifelike, as if they were real.

Now, everyone's gaze towards Cedric changed, and they finally understood why he was the one to teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts.

But then another problem came to their mind.

Weren't Hufflepuff supposed to be mediocre? Is there some mistake here?

Kyle was one thing, but now there's Cedric... If these are considered mediocre, then what are they? Waste?

Even Hermione was surprised.

While she can also Transfiguration a dozen or so objects simultaneously, it's definitely not as easy as Cedric's method.

Moreover, judging from how effortlessly he handled things just now, this was definitely not his limit.

No wonder Kyle recommended Cedric...

On the other side, Anthony looked at the pile of Winky Galleon on the table. Although he was unwilling, he still sighed, picked up his wand, and sat back down.

But the next second, even more people stood up.

There was no way they could resist the temptation of that pile of Galleon; they couldn't help but want to try it.

What if, what if they could beat Cedric... Anyway, losing wouldn't cost them anything, but winning would be fifty Galleon.

It's just Transfiguration Spell; as long as you're prepared, it doesn't seem that difficult to deal with.

Ron, eager to issue a challenge, was among the crowd.

"Don't rush."

Kyle waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

He then smiled and said, "I won't take the Galleon back. As long as this place hasn't disbanded, the reward will remain valid."

"Each of you has one chance to challenge Cedric. If you win, you can take these Galleon, but remember, you only have one chance."

Before Kyle could finish speaking, the person who had just stood up immediately sat back down.

If you only have one chance, it's better to play it safe... Learn a few more spells, defeat him using what Cedric taught you, and then take Galleon.

Excited chatter arose around him, but Anthony let out a painful groan... his chance had been used up.

Things went much more smoothly after that.

Cedric divided everyone into pairs to practice the Leg-Locker Curse together. Enticed by Galleon, everyone studied with extra effort, some even more diligently than before the final exams.

Cedric was extremely busy; people were calling his name almost every second, and he had to weave through the crowds, correcting their incorrect gestures.

"Hermione, look at my hand gestures, are they correct?" Ron frowned as he looked at Neville, whose legs were straight. "I feel like his legs can still move."

"Because you're not moving your wand correctly," Hermione said. "Make the movement smaller, just move your wrist, don't move your arm."

"Okay, I'll try again." Ron was unusually obedient and didn't argue with her at all.

This made Hermione slap her forehead, thinking to herself that Galleon's magic was truly powerful.