Cedric Sees Red

"Wh-why? We're all of the same clan. I'm not getting in your way here, so why won't you let me practice?"

Aside from stumbling at the start, Cedric quickly settled into his role.

"Why?"

The student playing the "villain" froze for a moment, unable to remember his lines. But he remembered the premise of the story. All he had to do was mock and suppress the Cedric before him, then drive him away.

With that in mind, he improvised half the line himself.

"You're a Squib who can't even cast a single spell. Standing here will only affect everyone else. I'm driving you out for everyone's sake."

Just then, Li Wei's whisper sounded in his ear. "Use the Binding Curse on him. Let this Squib who dared defy you have a taste of your power."

The student hesitated and looked at Li Wei, only to see him give an encouraging nod.

He gritted his teeth and decided to do it.

Cedric had just been about to say something when he saw the person before him raise his wand.

"Immobilus!"

The flash struck the defenseless Cedric, binding his hands behind his back and tying his feet tightly together.

Li Wei waved his wand again, and a great tree rose from the ground.

His exceptional spellcasting left the students so astonished that they forgot Cedric had been attacked—then Cedric realized his point of view was steadily rising. Before he knew it, he had been hoisted into the air, suspended from the tree with his arms bound behind him.

At the same time, Li Wei's voice rang out from above, serving as narration.

"Over nothing more than a minor argument, Rien Jostone treated his fellow clansman Masai this way. The others could no longer stand by and stepped forward."

Following Li Wei's cue, five students stepped out from the side. Their faces showed some nervousness as they spoke according to his instructions.

"Rien, you've gone too far! We're all of the same clan. Let him down now!"

At the same time, another five students emerged from the other side.

"What did Rien say wrong? Does a Squib even deserve to study magic with us?"

The voice-over sounded again.

"The tension in the room was razor-sharp. It seemed a great battle was inevitable."

"All of you, use the spells you are most proud and confident in. Find a way to defeat the opponents before you—your performance will determine where the story goes next!"

No one knew who launched the first attack.

The entire scene immediately descended into chaos.

What reassured Li Wei was that after a month of teaching and practical combat, coupled with the fourth-years' fairly decent aptitude, they had at least not resorted to the sort of fistfight theatrics common among the younger students.

But as for how well they performed... watching them do little but attack, with no idea how to evade, Li Wei could not help sighing.

There was simply too much to teach them.

These students had no concept of footwork, nor did they understand the rhythm of battle.

He had clearly taught them the Obstacle Curse and demonstrated its many applications. Why, then, when spells came flying at them, did they still only know how to stand there and take them with their bodies?

Was it because, when fighting magical creatures, they only faced low-risk creatures that could do nothing but engage in close combat?

By the time the battle ended, not a single student was still standing.

Some were grinning and laughing nonstop like lunatics. They had been hit by Rictusempra.

Strictly speaking, a spell like Rictusempra counted as a curse too, didn't it? It was a form of Dark Arts.

If no one came to help, and the afflicted person did not know how to lift the curse, this spell could literally make someone laugh themselves to death.

On one hand, such dangerous spells were freely passed around within the school. On the other, Professor McGonagall would not allow Li Wei to teach students offensive Dark Arts.

It felt rather strange.

Li Wei shook his head, dispersing his wandering thoughts. As he cast counter-curses to lift the Dark Arts, he handed potions to the injured students.

"There is no winner. All ten of you lost your ability to fight, but for the side of justice, this was undoubtedly a crushing defeat."

Li Wei's narration rang out once more.

"Masai Jostone, because of their defeat, no one can help you any longer. You must remain hanging from the tree until other elders discover you and pull you down.

"Furthermore, when faced with the conflict between you and your clansmen, the elders assume from the outset that you were the one causing trouble. As punishment, they send you to clean the Abandoned Library within the family estate."

Cedric nodded and rubbed at his wrists uncomfortably. Being strung up high in the air with his limbs restrained, left for everyone to watch, truly did not feel good.

The other students had already worked themselves up during the earlier battle, and the looks they gave one another now were far from friendly.

Cedric hung there while everyone surrounded him. If they had not known they were acting in a play, it would have been genuinely uncomfortable.

In front of all the students, Li Wei announced last month's scores for "Theory and Practice"—Cedric had taken first place by an overwhelming margin.

Faced with the prize—a pair of alchemical guns, one long and one short—he hesitated before choosing the white, short-handled one.

But hanging there as he was, he had no way to take it.

Li Wei thought for a moment, then directly tossed Cedric's gun to the student playing Rien Jostone.

???

Cedric, who had been hanging there calmly, instantly saw red.

For one brief moment, he had completely immersed himself in the role and wanted to kill Rien on the spot!

"There's no helping it. The wizarding world is this realistic. When you face evildoers without power, you cannot even protect the things you cherish."

"Of course, reality is not a play. With a teacher like me, you naturally will not be left in such a miserable state."

Li Wei changed tack. As Cedric's face flushed red, he lowered him from the tree and pulled out a brand-new alchemical weapon, holding it out to Cedric.

Realizing that Li Wei had only been joking, Cedric hooked a finger against his cheek and said somewhat awkwardly,

"Professor, can I change to another model?"

After someone else had touched that white gun just now, he suddenly no longer wanted one of the same style.

"Of course you can."

Li Wei was somewhat surprised and nodded. It seemed this student did not merely act as though nothing mattered on the surface. Deep down, he had principles of his own.

What Li Wei had done this time had been somewhat rash.

Still, he had intended to stir their emotions in the first place. Judging by the result, he had achieved his goal.

"All right, let's continue with the next scene."

"While cleaning the library, Masai Jostone, originally a Squib, discovered a dust-covered wand. To his surprise, he found that through this wand, even as a Squib, he could gain the ability to cast spells.

"One month later would be the family's magic tournament. All the younger members of the family had to duel at the tournament to determine their rankings.

"The top three students would all receive exceptionally precious potions.

"And the most outstanding student would receive—" Li Wei took a bottle of golden liquid from his robes. "Five drops of Felix Felicis."

At the sight of the exquisitely beautiful golden liquid in his hand, even Cedric, ordinarily the gentlest of them all, felt his heart give an uncontrollable, violent thump!