"..."
Usual you, my grandpa.
Harry, who had just stepped onto the dueling platform, looked at Cho Chang standing not far opposite him, and opened his mouth in confusion.
He instinctively turned to look at Cedric offstage, only to find the other party also looking at this scene with a face full of distress.
"How are you guys prepared?"
Professor Flitwick, the referee, stood in the middle of the raised dueling platform, looked at each of them with a smile, and asked casually.
"Ready."
Cho Chang nodded, her tone a bit nervous.
"Rea-read... ready..."
Harry was even more nervous than she was. He instinctively opened his mouth to answer, but the words couldn't even form a complete sentence. Fortunately, the commotion on the other side was loud enough to completely cover the boy's embarrassment, even making Professor Flitwick subconsciously look over—
At some point, the other side of the platform had already started.
After discussing a strategy for a full two and a half minutes, Percy, the elected team captain, stood in front of William, "So, are you really planning to duel all of us by yourself?" He asked, confirming it as he looked at his younger schoolmate, who was actually a year below him.
The boy's tone carried a hint of reluctance. It was apparent that he didn't really believe William could defeat them all, and had already thought about how to hold back just enough so that everyone could maintain some dignity.
"Of course, no restrictions on means, no restrictions on tactics. Last ten minutes against me, and we'll start whenever you're ready—"
"We're ready."
"Then, let's start—"
As the words fell, William raised his hand, and a charm landed directly on an unprepared Percy's face. The scorching flames almost burned the boy's eyebrows and bangs to a crisp. A purple-red flash burst out, and Percy's figure flew backward, crashing into the crowd behind him.
"You ambushed me—"
Although his face was charred black, looking extremely disheveled, the charm under William's control hadn't caused any real harm to the boy. Because of this, Percy, who had just landed on the ground, was able to speak out without hesitation—
"I told you, no restrictions on means. Now, lie still, you're out."
William shook his head. As his words fell, Percy, who had just intended to get up, felt a sense of binding overtake him, unable to move an inch. Then, with his magic wand in hand, William's gaze swept over the others around him, his tone calm, "So, next... why don't you just surrender?"
"... He's only one person!"
As the makeshift captain who had just been elected was kicked out by William using ambush tactics, the remaining twenty or so people were all filled with righteous indignation. Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted again, and the astonished crowd finally snapped back to reality. Numerous spells of various colors rained down on William like raindrops.
"Protego."
Seeing those spells, William casually swung his magic wand, and a purple barrier popped up in front of him, blocking all the spells a meter away from him.
"Don't worry, Percy, we'll get revenge for you!"
In the middle of the crowd, Fred was holding Percy's hand, his tone sincere, his expression serious as he spoke. Meanwhile, George, kneeling beside him, nodded seriously as well. The overly earnest expressions of the two made Percy even more moved. The boy began to reflect on whether he had been too harsh on these two younger brothers before—
But as time ticked by, the expression of emotion on Percy's face gradually turned rigid. Watching the two brothers still kneeling by his side after half a minute, he hesitantly opened his mouth, "Aren't you going to help me get revenge?"
"Of course, brother, we will definitely help you get revenge, don't worry!"
Fred looked sincere, his lips a bit pale, even tears welling up in his eyes—no, mustn't laugh... The boy pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself not to laugh out loud now. Unfortunately, Percy's charcoal-blackened abstract appearance was too much; his patience was nearly exhausted.
And George, beside him, couldn't hold back any longer. He turned his head away, his low laughter well masked by the surrounding cries.
Indeed, the tactics they planned for two and a half minutes... didn't have any effect. Whatever tactics about the first squad using spells for cover and the rest dispersing quickly, the reality was that before the first squad could raise their wands, William's figure suddenly appeared in the center of the crowd.
"Apparition!?"
A Ravenclaw girl in the seventh year exclaimed in surprise, but then frowned—she clearly remembered not being able to Apparate in the school, so did it mean they were no longer on school grounds?
Thinking this, the girl reflexively flicked her magic wand, but there was no reaction from her own body.
And during this attempt, everyone noticed William in the crowd. Most people raised their wands in unison, and with a look of terror in "William's" eyes, fired at him. But as the dust settled, the person lying on the ground made everyone's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Where it had been William just moments ago, now lay an unconscious sixth-year Slytherin student.
"Human Transfiguration?!"
The Ravenclaw girl named Penelope Clearwater's face was even more astonished. She unconsciously exclaimed, her eyes filled with disbelief. Being the closest, she could see clearly the sudden changes on the Slytherin boy when the dust settled...
But isn't Human Transfiguration supposed to be used on oneself? Can you actually turn someone else into yourself?
Do not deceive me just because I have read few books!
And as her words fell, where William had originally been, his figure abruptly reappeared. As he lightly tapped his magic wand, like picking out soldiers, many little wizards in the crowd lost their mobility and lay on the ground defenselessly—
"So, you all should help Penelope—"
Lying on the ground, Percy finally realized something was off. He stared at Fred and George, who obviously hadn't been hit by any curse but were already lying by his side, his voice filled with disbelief.
He really couldn't fathom that there would be such shameless people in the world, and ironically, these two were his brothers?
"Alright, stop shouting, Percy. We only need to hold on for ten minutes, why try so hard?"
Fred shook his head, extending his wand to tap Percy's mouth, sticking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, then planned to lie down in a make-believe fashion. But after a moment of brief contemplation, the two chose to turn Percy sideways to shield him in front, then peacefully closed their eyes—