Duel in a Cage

Roy's confident voice echoed through the hexagonal cage.

"This color is way too ugly. Green is much more pleasing to the eye."

Roy snapped his fingers, and the purple hexagonal magical walls forming the cage immediately turned green. His figure kept flickering back and forth behind the green walls as he planned to use the terrain to ambush Elias.

Elias chuckled, raised his wand, and fired a spell at the barrier behind which Roy was hiding. A slender silver beam shattered the wall directly. Seeing that he had been exposed, Roy immediately changed positions, unwilling to confront him head-on.

After several exchanges, Elias sensed that something was wrong. When he channeled magic, the flow of his magical power had become unusually sluggish. Looking at the floating green hexagonal magical barriers around him, he saw through the Duel Cage's special ability.

"It can actually suppress the circulation of my magic. This is rather troublesome."

Elias kept swinging his wand to shatter the obstructing barriers as he spoke to the constantly evading Roy.

"You really can bring me surprises. Unfortunately, before the gap in strength between us, no amount of clever schemes will be of use."

Elias continued destroying the magical barriers around the arena, spell after spell pouring forth. Soon, the last remaining barrier in the area was destroyed as well.

"If I were really defeated by a first-year student, I'd be too embarrassed to return to America and serve as Director of the Auror Office."

Elias looked quite relaxed. Throughout the entire battle, he had deliberately restrained the power of his offensive spells.

"It seems you were still holding back earlier, Professor."

With nowhere left to evade, Roy had originally wanted to find an opportunity to ambush Elias from the side. However, the legendary Auror's combat experience was simply too extensive. Elias had not revealed a single opening.

The spells Elias fired, even while being suppressed by the Duel Cage, were actually stronger than before. Facing Roy, who had exhausted every means at his disposal, Elias no longer even bothered to put on an act.

"I think it's about time to end this."

Roy did not give up. He raised his wand and continued attacking Elias, only for every spell he fired to be easily neutralized.

"Alright, young people shouldn't be so hot-blooded."

Elias blocked another spell, then pointed his wand downward.

"Finite Incantatem."

Dazzling golden light surged from the tip of his wand and slammed into the green cage wall. Cracks instantly spread through the sturdy barrier. Under the continuous wash of golden light, the entire cage finally shattered into fragments and vanished into the air.

Seeing his trump card completely dismantled by Elias, the sweat-soaked Roy sighed and put away his wand.

Elias raised his hand and waved his wand. The empty room was instantly filled with all kinds of furniture and objects again, and the space immediately returned to its original cramped state.

Roy dropped onto the chair opposite Elias and panted heavily.

Elias brought Roy a chilled bottle of Butterbeer and gently patted his shoulder in affirmation.

"Alright, you should be proud to possess such impressive strength. I don't think even Dumbledore was necessarily at your level when he was your age."

Roy twisted open the cap and gulped it down.

"I didn't expect you to break my ultimate move so easily."

Roy drained the entire bottle, wiped his mouth, and spoke to Elias.

"So, Professor, have you decided what exactly you're going to teach me?"

Elias sat across from Roy and poured himself a glass of red wine.

I have an idea, but is there anything you want to learn?

Roy scratched his head and asked Elias in a tentative tone.

"Actually, I'd really like to learn Apparition."

"That... isn't impossible. But—"

Elias did not refuse, though he scratched his head with a troubled expression.

"The entire Hogwarts grounds have been placed under a powerful Anti-Apparition Jinx. If you want to practice, you'll at least need a suitable location."

Seeing that Elias had not refused, Roy was not too troubled by the issue.

Although the castle and grounds of Hogwarts were under the Anti-Apparition Jinx, the vast Forbidden Forest was completely unaffected.

"That won't be a problem. Leave the matter of the training ground to me. In that case, could you teach me the Undetectable Extension Charm?"

Once his Special Operations Office was finished being built, wouldn't it make a ready-made training ground? Besides Apparition, Roy also had an urgent need for the Undetectable Extension Charm.

Elias readily agreed.

"Sure. As long as it isn't Dark magic, I can teach you anything you want to learn. Next lesson, I'll teach you the Patronus Charm."

It seemed Elias wanted to teach him the Patronus Charm. Roy had never been particularly skilled with this kind of complex emotional magic. It couldn't be helped—his emotions were simply too stable.

Once Roy had rested enough, Elias set down his wineglass, took out his wand, and began casting the Undetectable Extension Charm in the cramped space.

As he cast the spell, Elias explained the related knowledge of the Undetectable Extension Charm to Roy.

Elias raised his hand and gathered magic, demonstrating the casting movements while explaining the key points of the Undetectable Extension Charm to Roy.

"The Undetectable Extension Charm is highly practical. Its most common use is expanding storage capacity. The exterior dimensions do not change in the slightest, but the internal space can be expanded severalfold. It's useful for daily travel and storing belongings. The most famous example is Mr. Newt Scamander from your Hufflepuff House, that renowned magizoologist. He has a suitcase expanded countless times over with the Undetectable Extension Charm, filled with all kinds of magical creatures."

He pointed at a small leather pouch on the table, lightly tapped its opening with his wand, and softly recited the incantation. No visible deformation could be seen, yet when books and miscellaneous items were casually stuffed inside, the tiny pouch easily accommodated everything without looking bloated or swollen in the slightest.

"The key to casting this spell lies in controlling the amount of magic. It can't be too strong, nor can it be too weak. Too much magic can easily burst the object itself, while too little will fail to achieve the expansion effect. You also need to stabilize your mental focus and outline the shape of the internal space."

Elias withdrew his wand and gestured for Roy to step forward and try.

"First, feel the rhythm of the incantation's flow. Try casting it on the small bag you carry with you. Start by expanding it on a small scale and slowly get a feel for it."

Roy cast the spell on the waist pouch he carried, concentrating fully as he controlled the movement of magic across the canvas surface.

After casting for a while, a flash of blue light suddenly flickered from the tip of Roy's wand.

"Success."

This was not Roy's first attempt at the Undetectable Extension Charm. Before this, he had already ruined his backpack several times.

He reached into his waist pouch and found that the space inside was now deeper by about the width of a fist.

"Only this much expansion?"

Roy had planned to use the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand the area of his little wooden cabin. This tiny amount of extra space was not even enough to fit another table.

"You've already done very well. To have a suitcase as large as Mr. Scamander's requires casting the Undetectable Extension Charm repeatedly over many years."

Elias took Roy's waist pouch, reached inside, and felt the effects of Roy's spell.

"You need to remember one key point. Repeatedly casting the Undetectable Extension Charm on the same object will become increasingly difficult, and the risks will rise exponentially. Once an object's internal space has been stretched too far, its structure will become more unstable."

After saying that, Elias taught Roy several protective spells better suited for safeguarding containers expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm.

After learning this knowledge, many of the problems troubling Roy's base construction were instantly resolved.

Time passed quickly, and this first practical lesson had been immensely rewarding. Seeing that it was getting late and that he still had Astronomy class that evening, Roy got up to leave. Before departing, he sincerely bowed to Elias in thanks.

Elias waved his hand, his tone carrying both guidance and warning.

"Alright. Being able to teach such an intelligent student is also my honor. But I must remind you of one thing: you've been drawing far too much attention at school lately. Only those who truly grow up can be called geniuses. Do you understand the importance of developing steadily?"

Both Professor McGonagall and Elias had given him this reminder, and Roy naturally agreed deeply. After saying good night, Roy left the office.