Harry, Come Here
It's normal for upperclassmen to master the Iron Armor Charm, but Malfoy is only a sophomore like him, so this is definitely a case of being outmatched.
"Why do you think everyone is like you, giving up and complacent, without any ambition?"
Malfoy sneered, pressing forward relentlessly and steadily compressing the battle space.
"Tarantallegra!"
Ron was prepared and immediately began to dodge frantically, narrowly avoiding the spell each time.
He memorized the book knowledge well, knowing that standing still meant being a sitting duck.
Unfortunately, he only knew how to dodge and not how to fight. His jumping around looked like a panicked monkey, making the scene extremely comical.
Malfoy remained unperturbed, continuing his advance despite the solid Iron Armor Charm.
He had already mastered the essence of combat: the speed of incantations from seven steps away, and the precision of suppression within seven steps.
Ron became increasingly panicked as he retreated, his back almost touching the edge of the ring, and one more step back would send him tumbling off.
In his panic, his dodging rhythm completely broke down.
"Tarantallegra!"
This time, the spell hit its target precisely.
Ron's feet suddenly went out of control, and he started doing a stiff, comical, and awkward dance on the spot. Ron tried his best to stop, but he just couldn't.
Malfoy stepped forward, snatched the wand from his hand, and burst into laughter, releasing all the pent-up frustration he had been holding in for a week.
"Weasley, your dancing is pretty good. You could probably earn more than your dad's fixed salary by performing at Muggle pub!"
This was a precise act of retaliation.
During summer vacation at Flourish and Blotts, his father and Arthur Weasley publicly argued and grappled, only to be unexpectedly interrupted by the Half-blood- Giant, who ended up suffering a hidden loss.
Today he personally crushed Weasley, which was a way of venting his father's anger. He must write a letter to report the good news and try to scam another round of pocket money.
"Malfoy! Untie me right now!" Ron roared, both ashamed and furious.
Malfoy ignored him, turned to Ross on the stage, and said calmly, "Professor, do I win?"
"A complete victory." Ross nodded with a smile, his eyes full of approval.
"Your Iron Armor Charm is consistently effective, and your offensive and defensive strategies are clear. Malfoy, your combat talent is quite impressive. Keep it up."
Flitwick raised his hand to release the spell, and Ron's face turned bright red, his ears burning. He was too ashamed to stay on the stage any longer.
He rushed off the stage, covered in dust and dirt, not daring to linger in the Great Hall.
With a crushing victory, Malfoy was brimming with confidence. He turned and locked his gaze on Harry on the sidelines, beckoning him with his finger in an arrogant and provocative gesture.
"Potter, your brother was easily defeated and I had him firmly under my control. Now, it's your turn to avenge him."
Harry, his face grim, steadily stepped onto the ring.
The professors had initially gestured for the remaining students to quickly form teams and practice, but everyone's attention was drawn to the central arena.
No one was interested in practicing on their own; they were all secretly watching and gossiping.
Ross confirmed that the two were in position and announced the start of the duel again.
Malfoy continued with his steady and methodical approach, immediately encasing himself in a thick layer of armor at the start.
This week of relentless beatings and extreme training by Zabini was definitely worth it.
By Wednesday, he had already mastered the Iron Armor Charm, and in the following days he honed his casting speed and defensive strength, far surpassing the level of his peers.
The Malfoy family has been adept at political maneuvering for generations, and has almost never produced a top-tier battle wizard; their magical talent ceiling is not considered top-notch.
Their minds are too utilitarian and restless, destined to make it difficult for them to reach the pinnacle of magic.
But at this stage, his mastery of the Iron Armor Charm, which is beyond his level, is enough to give him a clear advantage over Harry.
Harry knew that the odds of winning in a head-on confrontation were slim, but he was never one to sit idly by and wait for his doom.
During the demonstration, he felt that the Disarming Charm was highly adaptable, so he decided to take the opportunity to try it out in actual combat.
He didn't have high expectations; it was purely a last resort.
In the blink of an eye, the incantation was formed, and a red light swiftly pierced the air, slamming hard into the iron armor barrier.
The immense impact forced Malfoy to stagger backward, and several fine cracks appeared on his sturdy shield.
"It worked!" Harry was both surprised and delighted, and immediately prepared to finish the job.
Unfortunately, the second attempt to cast the spell failed miserably; a wisp of smoke rose from the wand, and the incantation dissipated halfway through.
Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease.
It was indeed a lucky strike aided by sheer luck. Even if Potter could unleash the Disarming Charm again, it wouldn't be able to break through his defense instantly.
The advantage remains firmly in our hands.
Composing himself, Malfoy's eyes gleamed with a mocking grin as he began to playfully toy with Harry using a variety of light spells.
Tom, watching from the audience, found it uninteresting and gently shook his head.
As long as Malfoy doesn't make any basic mistakes, Harry has absolutely no chance of turning the tide in this formal duel at this stage, and continuing to watch is simply a waste of time.
Professor McGonagall stopped paying attention; rather than watching Gryffindor get crushed and humiliated, she decided to guide the other students in practicing their spells.
Just when everyone thought the outcome was decided, a sudden change occurred on the stage.
Malfoy's staff flashed with light, and a large, jet-black snake shot out, slamming heavily onto the arena floor between the two.
The serpentine eyes locked onto the front, exuding maximum intimidation. The students below screamed and retreated instantly, scrambling to make way.
"Potter, watch out or my giant snake will swallow you whole!" Malfoy taunted loudly, enjoying the thrill of having his opponent under his thumb, and had no hurry to end the fight.
This "Serpensortia" spell was the strongest one he unlocked during his summer vacation, and it finally came in very handy today.
The serpent strictly followed the spellcasting instructions, with only Harry as its target.
Those around them were terrified at the sight, but Harry alone showed no fear.
When he was a child, he loved watching pythons at the zoo and had an inexplicable affinity for snakes.
However, after enrolling, he deliberately suppressed this feeling of closeness in his heart due to his aversion to Malfoy and Slytherin.
Faced with the approaching black snake, Harry panicked and instinctively opened his mouth, letting out a sharp hiss.
No one understood his words, but the ferocious black snake froze on the spot, caught between a rock and a hard place, and obediently stopped its attack.
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
Professor Flitwick reacted extremely quickly, immediately raising his hand and pointing, black smoke surged, and the giant snake instantly vanished without a trace.
"Alright, Mr. Malfoy." Flitwick's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"You've had enough time to showcase your skills; now it's time to leave the stage to the other students."
Malfoy glared at Harry, feeling utterly frustrated and resentful, and could only leave dejectedly.
He was completely stunned; he never expected such an absurd accident to happen.
If he had known Harry could control snakes, he would never have cast that spell.
What the heck? Potter Parseltongue? What a waste of his highlight moment!
On the other side, as soon as Harry stepped off the ring, the surrounding students instantly made way for him, deliberately keeping their distance, their eyes filled with strange and wary looks.
Harry was completely bewildered, his face blank, utterly clueless as to why the atmosphere had suddenly become so strange.