Ron, Get Up Here

Ross looked around and earnestly gave instructions to all the students.

"A clash of magic is extremely risky. Once you realize that your magic is weaker, never engage in a head-on battle."

"We must cut our losses in time and rely on skill and positioning to find opportunities to break the deadlock."

"The last resort is to dodge and defend. The Iron Armor Charm is a universal defensive measure, but everyone must remember that it is not invincible."

"Most of the penetrating damage from Dark Magic is something that the Iron Armor Charm cannot withstand."

"The theoretical demonstration is now complete. Next, we'll move on to practical application."

Ross raised his hand and pointed to the four secondary rings.

"The four platforms correspond to the Four Houses, and students of the same grade can freely form teams to practice and hone their skills in real combat."

He then looked down at the main arena beneath his feet, a smile playing on his lips.

"And this central main stage is open to all colleges, grades, and seniority levels."

"Any student with a grudge or who wants to compete is welcome to come up on stage and publicly challenge others to a duel."

As soon as he finished speaking, he smiled knowingly and said, "For example, the grudge that caused such a stir a while ago can be put to rest tonight."

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes in the room instantly focused on Ron and Malfoy.

The crowd was forcefully pushed aside by his two henchmen. Malfoy, head held high and chest out, strode confidently onto the central arena with his signature arrogant gait.

Holding his wand, he looked down at Ron, exuding arrogance.

"Weasley, come up here and take your beating if you dare!"

Malfoy's high-profile provocation, instead of provoking resentment from the audience, ignited the atmosphere in the entire Great Hall.

The students watching cheered, applauded, blew whistles, and shouted; this is typical of Western-style campuses.

Those who are truly admired by the public are never the well-behaved students who are honest and academically excellent.

Rather, they are ruthless individuals who possess formidable strength, are daring and adventurous, and exude an arrogant aura.

Just like the star players of football and basketball in Muggle schools, they have an aura of superiority and take the lead in capturing everyone's attention.

The same principle applies to Hogwarts.

Just look at the Marauders back then and you'll understand. James was able to win over Lily, Sirius Black, the pride of heaven, received love letters left and right. They never relied on being well-behaved.

Slytherin has traditionally been perceived as a sinister, scheming, and treacherous faction that secretly plots against others.

But today's Malfoy is completely different.

Openly targeting Weasley, confronting him head-on without resorting to underhanded tactics—this blatant arrogance ironically resonated with many students.

The entire audience cheered and jumped for joy, but Ron's face turned ashen, and he almost suffered internal injuries from holding it in.

He desperately wanted to rush up and punch Malfoy in the face, but all the professors were watching from the stage.

Taking action in public would be both humiliating and a loss of face, so he could only swallow his anger.

In an attempt to save face, Ron deliberately imitated Malfoy's arrogant demeanor, stepping into the ring with his head held high.

The two stood face to face, almost nose to nose.

The tense scene, which should have been full of gunpowder, turned out to be inexplicably comical, making the students in the audience burst into laughter.

The people weren't laughing at Malfoy, but at Ron, who was trying too hard to look cool.

Born into a Pure-blood aristocratic family, Malfoy was pampered from a young age, and his every move exuded an air of nobility and arrogance, his swagger revealing an innate confidence.

In contrast, Ron appeared awkward and restrained, his attempt to imitate aloofness was truly incongruous.

The older brothers in the audience collectively facepalmed, their faces filled with unbearable disapproval.

Ginny quietly shrank back into the crowd, afraid that people would tease her for embarrassing her brother.

"Malfoy, a duel is about strength, not about how loud you shout and how you act tough!" Ron said through gritted teeth.

Malfoy gave a smug, irritating smirk and continued the conversation.

"You're right, I'll make you scream even louder later, the kind you can't hold back at all."

The moment the lines were spoken, the tone of the scene instantly veered off course.

Tom, who was watching from the audience, twitched at the corner of his mouth, sensing that something was amiss.

Out of the corner of my eye, I happened to meet Professor Ross' gaze, and we both saw the same subtle speechlessness in each other's eyes.

There was no way around it; in the entire Hogwarts, only those two adults had impure thoughts.

"Alright! You're full of energy!"

Ross quickly interrupted their bizarre exchange.

If we let them keep rambling on, the duel might turn into a massive social disaster.

"Empty talk and nonsense are meaningless. In the magic arena, strength prevails!"

"Both sides, take your positions and perform the initial greetings!"

Malfoy reacted extremely quickly, replicating the demonstration by Ross and Flitwick: bowing, raising his hand, and lowering his cane—a flawless and standard procedure.

Looking at Ron, he was extremely perfunctory, simply nodding with his head drooping as he hastily completed the greeting.

The professors immediately frowned, their faces turning grim.

"Weasley!" Professor McGonagall snapped.

"Did you not heed a word of the dueling etiquette I just emphasized? Or do you think you're special and disdain following the rules?"

More than losing to Slytherin, McGonagall could not tolerate this humiliating and ill-mannered attitude.

This isn't a matter of ability, it's a matter of character.

Ron shrank back, too ashamed to utter a word after being scolded, and could only reluctantly and slowly complete a standard salute.

A hint of undisguised mockery flashed in Malfoy's eyes.

He didn't want to bow to Weasley at all, but it was Tom's advice.

True champions save their arrogance for victory; being overly boastful at the start is just asking for trouble.

Tom even used him as an example. "Last year you recklessly provoked me, acting arrogantly and domineeringly, but in the end, didn't you still get thoroughly subdued?"

Never be too proud of yourself, and never provoke trouble. The one who strikes first is the complete clown if he loses.

Malfoy felt both ashamed and guilty upon hearing these words, but he truly remembered them.

Those days of being completely crushed were a dark chapter in his life, and even his Slytherin classmates secretly distanced themselves from him.

The old saying is indeed true: one can teach a person a hundred times but not them, but experience teaches a person once and they understand.

Now, aside from facing Harry, Malfoy's mentality and strength have already far surpassed those of ordinary students like Ron.

"Listen to my command. No spellcasting is permitted before the start is announced, understand?" Ross solemnly instructed.

"Understood!" the two replied in unison.

"Three, two, one, the duel begins!"

The moment the command was given, Ron almost instinctively raised his hand, his wand pointing directly at Malfoy.

"They reaped what they sowed!"

A flash of silver light streaked through the air, but Malfoy's movements were faster and more steady.

"Protego!"

A pale blue barrier instantly formed, precisely blocking the incoming curse.

The impact was perfectly neutralized, and the rebounding curse flew straight towards the audience. Professor Flitwick casually waved his hand, easily dissipating the remaining force.

Ron was astonished and blurted out, his voice trembling, "Iron Armor Charm? How could you possibly know that?"