[Note: Read up to Chapter - 176 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Master, the teleportation array has been completed!"
Two hours later, Moss's cheerful voice rang in Aris's ear.
The boy tucked away his wand, pushed himself up from the floor, and rubbed his nose wearily.
"How's it looking, Moss? Can you work out the success rate for this circle?"
He glanced down at the sprawling, intricate array beneath his feet. Truth be told, he hadn't the faintest clue where to begin without Moss's support. On his own, constructing something this complex would've been impossible—the design was leagues beyond his current level.
"Based on the data we've compiled, the probability of successful deployment is about seventy percent. But don't fret, Master—once we get feedback from the first run, we can adjust and improve the accuracy further!"
"I'll hold you to that," Aris muttered, nodding slightly. "Here's hoping it runs smoothly."
His next step was clear: he needed to head back to Flamel's safehouse in Paris and set up a second teleportation circle there.
If all went to plan, next time he returned he ought to be able to teleport straight back using the circle.
"Right then—let's head to the training ground first!"
"Moss, make sure you log all the training data. I'll need you to draft a detailed plan for each of Harry and the others. After this round of combat simulation, they'll be in for a proper slog over the next few days."
Aris could almost picture their faces already—those priceless expressions after being pushed to their limits.
Though he felt a slight pang of guilt, he knew they needed that extra push. And what better motivator than the sting of failure?
"Yes, Master!" Moss replied.
With that, Aris vanished from the castle's rooftop in a shimmer of light.
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Training Ground.
The young wizards were huddled together, chatting amongst themselves.
"I heard from Shirley that Aris is back!"
"And she said we've got practical training lined up later?"
"Are we finally going into the simulated combat grounds?"
"Brilliant! I've been dying to have a look inside!"
"Proper combat at last! We've been training for ages—time to see what Fireball can really do!"
The group buzzed with excitement, their eyes darting constantly towards the two combat arenas tucked in the corner. Up until now, they hadn't dared step inside—Aris had warned them off—but their curiosity had only grown stronger.
Just then, Aris appeared at the entrance to the training ground.
He gave a small cough, and at once every young wizard turned their head.
"Aris!"
"Big brother!"
They rushed over to him eagerly.
"No need for me to ramble on," Aris said briskly, leading them towards the simulation field.
The arena sprawled out before them, complete with varied terrain—rolling grasslands, craggy stone forests, dense woodland, and even a lake.
With a casual wave of his hand, Aris conjured and handed out several sets of specially tailored combat uniforms, one for each of them.
"These outfits are reinforced with decent defensive charms. Once you've got them on, you won't need to fret about being hurt by spells," Aris explained with a meaningful look.
"That's brilliant! I was just thinking, if one of those fireballs hit me, I'd be roasted alive. With this armour, I should be safe enough," Ronald said, giving the thick leather plating a squeeze, relief written all over his face.
"So… are we fighting in groups, then?" Hermione asked as she quickly strapped on her gear, glancing at Aris.
"That's right—we'll be doing group combat," Aris nodded. "All of you, together as one team."
"All of us?" Harry blinked, looking confused.
"Then who are we supposed to be fighting?" Ronald added belatedly.
"Why, me of course." Aris smiled faintly at them.
"Brother… you mean we're to fight you?" Even Luna seemed taken aback.
"Exactly," Aris said, ruffling the little girl's hair before continuing with a serious tone. "In this exercise, your task is simple—use whatever means necessary to defeat me. Anything goes. Even chucking stones if that's what it takes."
"Just remember—if you manage to defeat me, the victory's yours!
"The condition's simple: as long as any spell or attack lands on me, you win."
"So then—any questions?"
The young wizards exchanged uneasy glances, and their faces quickly hardened.
"Our opponent is Aris… how on earth are we supposed to win that?" Ronald muttered, the word outrageous flashing through his mind.
"We'll never manage it in a straight fight. But there's five of us… maybe…" Harry whispered, trailing off into silence.
Hermione and Cho both frowned, their eyes fixed on Aris. They hadn't expected training to be arranged like this.
They all knew just how monstrous Aris's power was.
It wasn't just what he'd shown in school—it was the results of the big exam at the start of term, the ones that had left every teacher and student in Hogwarts utterly gobsmacked.
Even back at Malfoy Manor, though the Daily Prophet's report had been vague and skirted the details, everyone could picture it clearly enough: faced with a siege of pure-blood wizards, Aris had cut through the lot of them without so much as a scratch.
It was beyond anything they could have imagined.
"Any sort of attack… is fair game?" Luna asked, tilting her head curiously at Aris.
"Exactly. Any attack will do," Aris confirmed with a nod. "So long as it actually lands on me."
"I see." Luna nodded too, then turned and skipped off towards the combat arena.
"In that case, let's get started. I want to see just how strong my brother really is!"
Her sudden burst of excitement made Harry and Ronald glance at one another before gritting their teeth and following after.
"Come on—let's take him down like he's the boss of a game. You've played games before, right?" Harry said, waving for Hermione and Cho to join them. "Let's head inside and talk tactics first!"
"I'll make sure I don't lose too badly!" Hermione called back towards Aris, shaking her tiny fist at him with mock determination.
"Well, if that's all it takes, maybe we do stand a chance!" Cho winked cheekily at Aris.
"I'll give you ten minutes once you're inside before I come in. Use that time to make your preparations…"
As he watched them file into the training ground, Aris's smile widened.
"Not bad at all—you've got some spirit. I was half afraid you'd throw in the towel before things even got going.
"With the leather armour protecting you lot, and me keeping my magic power to a bare minimum, you'll be fine…" He chuckled. "Now then—let the fun begin."
Aris didn't even bother drawing his wand. Ten minutes later, he strolled calmly into the combat arena, his figure melting swiftly into the cover of the woods.
Meanwhile, Harry and the others crouched in a small clearing deeper in the forest, eyes trained on the entrance as they whispered over their battle plan.
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 176 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]