Chapter 74: George, the Dueling Prodigy
"Petrificus Totalus!"
As the duel began, Matthew immediately cast the Full Body-Bind Curse, a spell he was particularly skilled at.
He could cast it better than most third-year wizards.
However, before he could finish his incantation, he felt his entire body stiffen, unable to move.
It turned out that George had already cast the Full Body-Bind Curse on him.
"Finite Incantatem!"
Walking up to Matthew, George lifted the curse and said in an encouraging tone:
"You're really good. I just got lucky and was a bit faster."
Even though he had won, George knew he had to maintain his image. It was important to win people over when the opportunity arose.
Sure enough, hearing George's words, Matthew, who had initially looked dejected, brightened up.
"I'll practice harder when I get back. Next time, I'll definitely beat you."
He thought that perhaps he was only slightly behind George.
Of course, this naive belief would soon be shattered by reality. He would eventually realize that he might never defeat George, even by the time he graduated, because George hadn't even used his full strength.
"Stop! Everyone, stop! We're supposed to be using wands, not fists!"
Soon, the two were distracted by Lockhart's frantic shouting. Looking around, they realized that the dueling platform had descended into chaos.
Most younger wizards hadn't mastered many combat spells, and even if they had, they might panic and forget how to use them in the heat of the moment.
Matthew was indeed one of the better ones among them.
This led to many young wizards resorting to physical fights when they realized their spells weren't working, especially those who already disliked each other.
Even Hermione, who had mastered dozens of spells, was now in a physical brawl with her opponent, Millicent Bulstrode, a second-year Slytherin.
Both of their wands had fallen to the ground. Hermione had her neck locked in Millicent's arm but was fiercely punching her opponent's thigh in retaliation.
Girls at this age could fight just as fiercely as boys.
Some older wizards didn't resort to physical combat, but they weren't exactly following the rules either. Instead of sticking to the Disarming Charm, they took the opportunity to experiment with various other spells.
The Weasley twins were particularly rowdy.
This led to several young wizards getting injured.
"Stand up, Macmillan... Watch out, Fawcett... Squeeze hard, the bleeding will stop soon, Boot..."
Lockhart jumped around the crowd, clearly panicking. This wasn't the outcome he had envisioned.
Meanwhile, Snape didn't seem to care. He probably thought the injuries were minor. His attention was focused on Harry and Malfoy.
He just wanted to see Harry struggle against Malfoy, but Harry, surprisingly, showed great talent in magical combat. The two were evenly matched, with one under the Dancing Jinx and the other laughing uncontrollably from the Tickling Charm.
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
George shook his head and cast two Stunning Spells, knocking out Hermione and Millicent, who were still grappling.
Then he moved through the crowd, casting spells left and right. Soon, all the first and second-year wizards who had been fighting were knocked out.
Next, he turned his wand toward the older students. Even some third and fourth-year wizards were no match for him, until he faced the two most skilled seventh-year wizards.
"Stupefy!"
"Protego!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Older wizards were on a different level compared to the younger ones. As soon as George joined the fight, he felt the strength of the seventh-year wizards.
His Stunning Spell was fast, but their Shield Charm was just as quick, blocking his spell and countering with a Disarming Charm.
Fortunately, while George didn't know the Shield Charm, his reflexes were far superior to an average person's. He quickly dodged the Disarming Charm.
"It's George! Want to challenge us? Be careful!"
Seeing the "Star of Slytherin" join the fight, the two seventh-year wizards were surprised but didn't back down.
Thus, the duel between two became a three-way battle.
The two seventh-year wizards unleashed a barrage of advanced spells, their magic beams crisscrossing like lasers. The intense fight quickly drew the attention of everyone in the hall.
In fact, George had already caught the attention of many younger wizards when he started stunning the first and second-year students.
As the famous "Star of Slytherin," who had recently been invited to join the English national Quidditch team as the youngest player in the world, George had drawn a lot of attention the moment he stepped onto the dueling platform.
His fame rivaled even that of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
Now, seeing George boldly join a duel against two seventh-year wizards and hold his own, the crowd couldn't take their eyes off him.
"I didn't expect him to be so talented in magical combat, on top of being a great student and Quidditch player!"
"I think he must have some cat blood in him. Look at how he dodges all the spells without even using a Shield Charm."
"He's so cool, and a little cute too. Merlin, I think I'm crushing on a first-year boy."
"I'm only three years older than him. Age isn't a problem. I'd date him."
As the chatter grew louder, Snape and Lockhart also noticed what was happening.
Seeing George hold his own against two seventh-year wizards, Snape couldn't help but smile with pride.
That's George for you. If it weren't for George's friendship with Harry, Snape wouldn't have bothered pairing the useless Malfoy against him.
"It seems I should teach him a few more combat spells when I have the time."
Snape was pleased with George's magical combat talent, but he noticed that George was at a disadvantage by relying on the same few spells. This made him consider teaching George some of his own original spells.
Moreover, with the Chamber of Secrets opened, it would be good for George to learn more spells to protect himself.
Previously, Snape had thought George, being only a first-year, didn't need to learn powerful spells too early. But now, it seemed that wasn't necessarily the case.
A genius shouldn't be taught in the usual way.
"Everyone, pay attention! George is doing an excellent job. He's been coming to me for advice on magical combat techniques and has learned a thing or two from me."
At this moment, Lockhart shamelessly stepped forward again.
Snape nearly kicked him off the stage in frustration.
He knew George had been consulting Lockhart, but it was about spells like the Memory Charm and False Memory Charm, not combat techniques.
This only strengthened Snape's resolve to teach George some of his own spells. That way, the next time George used them, if Lockhart tried to take credit, Snape could expose him on the spot.
(End of Chapter)