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Sagres brandished his wand, and a stream of shimmering ancient magical runes flowed from its tip like living creatures, accurately imprinting themselves onto various nodes of the arena.
They complemented the protective magic array constructed by Professor Flitwick, forming a far more intricate magical network.
The subsequent construction progressed in an orderly manner with the full cooperation of the professors.
Each day, large groups of students gathered at the edge of the Quidditch Pitch to watch—pointing, chatting, their eyes full of eager anticipation.
"Merlin's oily beard! It's almost as big as the Quidditch Pitch! How did such a huge stone float up?" a Hufflepuff student exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.
"Nonsense. It's magic, of course! What else did you expect?" a Ravenclaw beside him replied matter-of-factly.
"Compared to what I said, that's the real nonsense!" the Hufflepuff retorted, indignant.
"I feel… Hogwarts has changed a bit," a Gryffindor girl said thoughtfully, pointing at the vibrant emerald vines and the intricate suspension bridges now adorning the castle's outer wall. "Look at those! How fascinating—it feels like we're living in an ancient castle deep in the forest…"
Finally, on a bright and sunny afternoon, just as the last complex runic circuit quietly faded at the edge of the arena—
Buzz!
The entire magnificent dueling arena suddenly burst into a soft yet powerful magical glow.
The light rippled outward like water, brushing across every upturned face below before slowly fading and settling into stillness.
It was the signal of its final completion.
Sagres walked calmly to the edge of the arena, overlooking the students below, all of whom were holding their breath in anticipation.
His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly across the entire dueling ground:
"The dueling arena has been completed. From now on, all your future dueling classes will be held here."
A thunderous cheer erupted in response!
…
Sagres decided to host several grand exhibition matches to celebrate the completion of the arena before the next round of dueling classes began.
Of course, this would be nothing like Lockhart's flamboyant and comical displays.
His plan was to join forces with powerful professors and like-minded allies to spread the dueling movement throughout the entire magical world.
And so, with his efforts, news of the Contract Dueling Arena spread like a replication charm—appearing in the afternoon tea discussions of The Daily Prophet editorial office and in the casual conversations of Ministry of Magic officials.
Soon, major media outlets across Europe began extensive coverage.
"Pioneers of the Magical World: Educational Innovation at Europe's Renowned Hogwarts"
—
The Daily Prophet featured the story on its front page in gilded font:
"Hogwarts' Magical Revolution: A Thousand-Year-Old School Creates an 'Impossible Structure'."
The subheading read:
"The Most Complex Magical Structure of Our Time—Potentially Redefining the Art of Dueling."
Meanwhile, Wizard Weekly took a more controversial angle:
"Education or Performance? Hogwarts Arena Sparks Fierce Debate Among Pure-Blood Families."
The article detailed the vastly differing opinions among pure-blood families on the matter, gathered during a Ministry of Magic tea party.
Even more intriguing was the special report from the International Magic Observer:
"European Magical Education Landscape Shaken: Durmstrang Headmaster Holds Emergency Meeting Overnight."
The accompanying magical photograph showed Karkaroff standing on the deck of the ice ship, his expression grim.
The Wizard United Gazette ran the headline:
"Dumbledore's Secret Weapon? Unveiling the Azkaban Professor's 'Dangerous Network' at Hogwarts."
Beside the article was a silhouette illustration of Sagres, based on his time teaching at Ilvermorny.
Even the typically serious journal Spell Innovation published a special feature:
"The Perfect Fusion of Ancient Runes and Modern Magic: An Analysis of Contract Arena Construction Techniques."
Professor Flitwick was invited to write the technical review section.
Hogwarts' newly completed Contract Dueling Arena, with its astonishing scale and mysterious aura, instantly became the hottest topic in the British Isles—its prominence even subtly overshadowing the Quidditch World Cup warm-ups.
The news, like Galleons with wings, quickly flew across the Channel. And inside Hogwarts Castle, it triggered an even greater frenzy.
Dueling—this ancient and captivating discipline—swept through every corridor and classroom with unprecedented fervor.
In corridors, common rooms, and even at the dining tables, young wizards could be seen everywhere—waving their wands, practicing gestures, and fiercely discussing tactics.
It had quickly joined the ranks of dating, Quidditch, and pranks, becoming the fourth most popular new trend in campus life.
Though the list of exhibition matches had not yet been officially announced, speculation about the participants had already sparked endless discussion.
Would Headmaster Dumbledore himself take part?
Or perhaps the powerful Professor Greengrass?
Or perhaps even dueling masters invited from outside?
The young wizards debated animatedly, and even in Hogsmeade Village, wizards were caught up in the talk.
Madam Rosmerta, owner of the Three Broomsticks, noticed that recently, more customers were discussing dueling than the Quidditch World Cup.
In truth, Sagres had no plans to invite outside duelists; Hogwarts already had more than enough worthy candidates. Snape was highly skilled, Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration was formidable, Professor Flitwick was a former dueling champion, and Dumbledore himself was regarded as the greatest wizard of the century.
He had already coordinated with several professors to demonstrate various applications of magic in the upcoming exhibition matches.
However, on the eve of the matches, a sudden accident sent everyone's hearts racing.
On a dark and windy night, the Castle's alarm gargoyles let out a sharp, piercing shriek, cutting through the stillness of the night sky.
Professors rushed out of their common rooms or offices, their expressions grim.
Two abnormal magical surges had erupted from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
They were neither the chilling cold of Dementors nor the thunder of Centaur hooves, but two powerful and unfamiliar magical presences—like moving mountains—rapidly approaching the protective boundary of Hogwarts.
Professor Flitwick quickly examined the feedback from the protective enchantments, his voice tinged with disbelief, "...Unregistered visitors. They're approaching the school!"
Sagres stood atop the Astronomy Tower, gazing into the distance, a faint smile of unexpected amusement curving his lips.
"They arrived so quickly…" he murmured softly, his voice carried away by the night wind.
Just as everyone stood poised, wands at the ready, prepared to face these uninvited guests, Dumbledore finally arrived on the open ground before the Castle.
At that moment, the night sky above the Forbidden Forest split open with two distinct beams of light.
To the left, a magnificent carriage resembling a crystal palace appeared, drawn by twelve enormous, majestic silver-winged horses.
On the side of the carriage, the blue crest of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic glowed softly, gently piercing through Hogwarts' ancient protective barrier—like a reflection entering water—without the slightest disturbance.
To the right, a massive, grim, monstrous ship emerged, as if carved from ten-thousand-year-old ice.
Its prow was shaped like a ferocious sea monster, and its sails bore the double-headed eagle crest of Durmstrang Institute of Magic.
It burst through the clouds, trailing biting winds and shards of ice, emitting a low, ominous roar as it too passed unhindered through the school's defenses.
"Beauxbatons! Durmstrang!" The Professors' faces showed surprise and confusion, and some young wizards shouted out in shock.
All of Hogwarts fell into a brief silence, then erupted into thunderous gasps and frenzied discussions.
Why had these two renowned European schools of magic arrived uninvited—and in such a dramatic fashion, in the dead of night?
The crystal carriage and the colossal ice ship slowly descended onto the open ground before the Castle, directly opposite the floating Contract Arena.
Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, tall and elegant, stepped down from the carriage bathed in the glow of the winged horses, a composed yet curious smile on her face.
Igor Karkaroff, headmaster of Durmstrang, bundled in a thick fur coat, descended from the ice ship with a grim expression, each step radiating the chill of the polar north.
Dumbledore smiled warmly and stepped forward to welcome them, and for a brief moment, the atmosphere on the field turned tense and subtle.
_________
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