It was Tonks' firm look that answered Moriarty, so Moriarty and Tonks stood on the stage.
Just like the dozens of duels they had fought before, they were ten meters apart and raised their wands.
When bowing, Tonks smiled and raised her eyebrows. "You can't attack me suddenly under the guise of 'Aurors must be prepared for surprise attacks.' This time, I'm going first."
"Expecto Patronum!"
Perhaps it was because Moriarty had always seized the opportunity in previous duels, but this time, Tonks was particularly proactive. A silver-white rabbit, Michelle, leaped from the air towards Moriarty.
Professor Flitwick shook his head when he saw it. "Ah, Miss Tonks, I didn't expect you to be able to use the Patronus Charm so well, but I certainly didn't expect you to try and hit someone with it. That's not quite how it works."
"It doesn't matter, Professor. She must have her reasons for doing this." Moriarty's voice was smooth and composed.
Professor Flitwick soon saw what Tonks was attempting—Parseltongue—a hissing sound filled the air.
While Moriarty spoke the snake tongue, the Slytherin staff in his right hand tapped lightly on the stage, and a small magical circle appeared, shining with a silver-green glow.
"Ice Serpent's Dance!"
A fierce storm erupted over the magic circle, making the entire Great Hall frigid. The swirling winds carried shards of ice and snow, which rained down onto the stage.
The students gasped and retreated, dodging the falling ice and snow, only to see the stage transforming before their eyes.
The places where the ice and snow landed froze solid, making it impossible to recognize that it had once been a smooth dueling platform.
Tonks immediately cast a Shield Charm upon herself, while Michelle darted back and forth, deflecting falling ice and snow away from her.
"The Twelve Ice Serpents aren't here yet, are they?" Tonks quickly shook off her shock from the icy storm and raised her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Moriarty's gaze darkened, paying no heed to the spell flying toward him.
A series of hissing whispers escaped his lips, and twelve beams of magical light shot up from the edge of the magic circle, transforming into twelve ice serpents in the blink of an eye.
The Body-Bind Curse struck one of the ice serpents, but instead of freezing, the serpent merely flicked its tongue and glared menacingly.
The serpents coiled and writhed, their crystalline green eyes scanning the hall with a cold, calculating malice before settling on Tonks.
With a sharp hiss, two ice serpents lunged at her.
A deep chill spread through the hall as the ice serpents advanced. The students shivered, stepping back further, desperate to avoid being frozen.
Those who had dueled before quickly vacated the stage. None of them wanted to be turned into an ice sculpture.
Only William and Leon held their ground, casting enhanced Fire-Making Spells simultaneously.
Professor Flitwick also increased the brightness of the hundreds of floating candles, filling the hall with warmth.
But warmth seemed to be the natural enemy of the ice serpents. The twelve serpents let out piercing hisses, and the storm above intensified, bringing hail, snow, and freezing rain.
Tonks' Shield Charm faltered, and she trembled from the cold. Michelle fought fiercely against the ice serpents, her soft white glow repelling their freezing aura, providing Tonks a brief respite.
"Alright, ordinary spells won't work on you," Tonks muttered before raising her wand high. "Then let's try this—Weather Charm: Scorching Sun!"
A fiery orb appeared above Tonks, its brilliant rays melting some of the ice and snow.
Tonks quickly performed a Transfiguration on the floating candles, morphing them into flaming hands that lunged toward Moriarty.
Moriarty stood calmly at the center of his magic circle. The ten ice serpents surrounding him easily blocked the fiery hands.
"Nymphadora, when you resort to brute force, you must accept defeat."
Moriarty uttered an incantation, and an icy mist erupted beneath Tonks' feet, freezing her lower body.
Tonks struggled, waving her wand to dispel the frost. She sighed in frustration. "You never said your ice serpents could freeze people solid."
Moriarty tapped his foot, dispersing the magic circle. The storm, ice, and serpents vanished, allowing Tonks to move freely again. He stepped forward and extended a hand, helping her up.
"I'm a wizard, Nymphadora. I can't expect my ice serpents to fight purely in melee combat."
"Then I haven't truly lost!" Tonks huffed. "You saw Michelle's performance—two ice serpents couldn't take her down. I still want to test your serpents again. Maybe Michelle will surprise me next time."
Moriarty chuckled. "If you don't want to catch a cold, go warm up."
Tonks touched her damp hair and left, and Moriarty had a feeling she wouldn't challenge the ice serpents so recklessly next time.
"Charlie Weasley, it's your turn." Moriarty turned to where Charlie was standing, signaling for him to step forward.
Charlie exhaled heavily, as if trying to rid himself of the lingering tension from the last duel.
"Come on, Mr. Moriarty!" Charlie squared his shoulders, standing like a knight preparing for battle, though his face was pale against his fiery red hair.
Professor Flitwick did not intervene—no one did. The hall fell silent as both duelists bowed.
Charlie quickly cast a reinforced Shield Charm upon himself.
"Most fully trained wizards struggle with that," Moriarty observed. "Charlie, you're stronger than Nymphadora."
Charlie smirked. "I didn't know you two were close. Though, I do let her win sometimes. You know, charming ladies have their privileges."
Despite his teasing, Charlie didn't waste time.
"Bat-Bogey Hex!"
A grotesque spell that turned the target's bogeys into flapping, attacking bats!
Moriarty's expression shifted—leave it to a Weasley to be skilled in that spell.
"Protego!" Moriarty deflected it swiftly.
Charlie was prepared. "Ventus! Reducto! Impedimenta!"
As three consecutive spells flew toward Moriarty, he activated his enchanted boots. His enhanced agility allowed him to sidestep each spell with a graceful, dance-like rhythm.
Charlie blinked, momentarily surprised at how effortlessly Moriarty dodged his attacks. But he quickly turned the stage beneath Moriarty into a deep, sucking swamp!
Moriarty sank fast. Before he could act, Charlie transformed the floating candles into hovering fireballs, their flames flickering hungrily, as if waiting for something before striking.
Charlie grinned triumphantly. "Mr. Moriarty, I'll give you a chance to use your Ice Serpent's Dance again. Let's settle this with Transfiguration!"
"Charlie rarely takes things this seriously!" The Gryffindors cheered, already celebrating.
Moriarty remained calm, knee-deep in the swamp. He spoke coolly, "I believe you are mistaken. You think fire can counter my serpents—but who said there's only one kind of snake?"
"Yes! The Black Serpent!" Tonks exclaimed, her face glowing with excitement.
But Moriarty didn't summon the Black Serpent either. He was still refining that spell. Instead, he uttered, "Oolong Out of the Hole!"
A deafening explosion erupted, and a colossal black serpent burst from the swamp. Students screamed in terror, their cries nearly shaking the ceiling.
The black serpent was enormous—its head was the size of three Quidditch goals combined. With one mighty gulp, it swallowed the fireballs Charlie had conjured.
The swamp collapsed. Moriarty stepped out of the crater unscathed.
"Bind," he commanded.
The serpent transformed into thick, black vines, wrapping Charlie tightly.
"Reducto!" Moriarty dispelled Charlie's Shield Charm.
Charlie could do nothing as Moriarty flicked his wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
Charlie's wand flew from his grasp.