#122 - Chapter 122 It's time to test the results of training

Outside the dueling hall, a large number of young wizards crowded together to view the announcement.

To address this situation, the originally unremarkable notice board had been magically enhanced, transforming it into a giant notice board over four meters tall, with enormous magical lettering clearly visible.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the noisy crowd, jostled back and forth.

They craned their necks and read the flashing words at the very top of the notice board:

【Who is the Strongest Dueling Champion?】

【Warriors, draw your wands and fight to the finish!】

"Clearly, I am that warrior!" Ron exclaimed, his blood boiling, eliciting eye-rolls and snickers.

Hermione and Harry quickly exchanged a glance, a hint of helplessness flashing in their eyes.

She abruptly slapped Ron on the back of the head: "Ron, don't be an idiot. Read the specific rules first."

Ron shrugged, looking dejected, a hint of dissatisfaction on his face.

Humph!

Such inspiring words, and Hermione remained unmoved.

He rolled his eyes silently and began reading the rules on the notice board.

"All Hogwarts students are eligible to register, regardless of year, from first to seventh year."

"Registration will be open from today until 8 PM this Friday."

"The competition will be held in the dueling hall this weekend, divided into seven year groups, with each year's competition held separately."

"Contestants in each year will be paired up to duel against each other, with the winner advancing and the loser eliminated."

"The list of matchups for each duel will be determined by random draw, and the winners will advance to the next round until the final champion for each year is selected."

......

After reading all the rules, the trio squeezed out of the crowded area, preparing to head to the registration desk.

"Hey, Potter! Are you going to participate in the dueling competition?"

Just as they left the crowd, Harry heard Malfoy's voice.

"Of course!" Before Harry could answer, Ron interjected, "Malfoy, you just wait, I'll definitely show you what's what this time."

"You?" Malfoy glanced at Ron disdainfully, a sneer on his lips. He didn't respond directly to Ron but fixed his gaze intently on Harry.

After seeing Harry nod, Malfoy said with satisfaction.

"Good. Looking at the entire first year, only you, Potter, are worthy of my attention."

"If you didn't participate, Potter, my victory wouldn't mean much. Since you're participating, I'll see you in the arena."

With that, Malfoy raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing on his lips, and turned to leave.

"That guy is so annoying! He actually ignored me!" Ron said indignantly, his fists clenched, clearly still angry at Malfoy's attitude.

"Don't think too much about it, Ron," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Let's register quickly, and then we'll just stay in the dueling hall to practice."

News of the dueling competition spread quickly, and a long queue formed at the dueling hall's registration desk.

Having participated in the dueling club for a semester, the young wizards wanted to see how their skills stacked up.

............

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

At eight o'clock on Saturday morning, when the students arrived at the dueling hall, they found that it had undergone a complete transformation.

"Oh my gosh, there are actually four arenas, which means that four matches can be held simultaneously."

"So conflicted, this way, I won't be able to watch all the matches."

"The professors are so considerate, there are even designated spectator stands inside! I thought we'd have to stand and watch the matches all day."

"Look, the magic livestream is ready, even if you're sitting at the back of the stands, you can still see everything clearly through that huge magic television above the arena."

"Hehe, the participants will all receive a magical recording of the competition, I'm going to take it home and let my parents see my heroic performance."

"Come on, aren't you worried about being eliminated as soon as you enter the arena......"

When Sebastian arrived at the dueling hall, it was bustling with noise and activity.

He went straight to the professors' lounge and found that the other three judges had already arrived. He waved and greeted them enthusiastically.

"Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Severus, good morning."

"It's not early, it's already half-past eight, and the competition starts in half an hour," Snape said slowly.

"A certain professor is too lazy, only showing up now."

"Sebastian," Professor Flitwick greeted warmly, "I'm really looking forward to today's competition."

"Since we have the dueling club, I've been watching the progress of the young wizards, take the first-year students as an example."

"In previous years, it was good if the first-year students could skillfully use the Minor Jinx at this time."

"But now, I've found that there are already more than a dozen students who can skillfully use the Disarming Charm, which was unthinkable in the past."

"The remaining students also have their own unique skills, using Minor Jinx after Minor Jinx, so skilled."

"That's right!" Professor McGonagall's expression was no longer stern, and she was beaming.

"After having the dueling arena, the students' motivation to practice spells has increased a lot."

"This is also an oversight on our part as professors. In the past, the children didn't have a professional place to practice spells, they could only find empty classrooms or practice spells by the Black Lake."

"Over time, they developed inertia. Apart from practicing spells with the professors in class, few students would actively practice after class."

Professor McGonagall changed the subject: "Now it's different, with professional venues and facilities, it's more convenient for students to practice spells."

"Moreover, seeing others coming to the dueling hall to practice, those lazy little fellows can't sit still and will actively join in the practice."

"I often see students coming here in groups of three or five to practice spells after class."

"At the dueling club every Friday, I also discovered a few good seeds in the upper years, they have already integrated Transfiguration into their own dueling system."

"I want to take a good look this time, and see what bright performances they can have."

The professors chatted and laughed, talking about the students' progress.

Time quickly came to nine o'clock, and Sebastian stood up and went to one of the competition arenas.

"The first Hogwarts Dueling Competition is about to begin, let us welcome Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Snape with warm applause."

"They will be working with me to jointly oversee today's judging work."

A tsunami of cheers erupted from the crowd, and Harry applauded vigorously. He only had one requirement for himself, and that was to win the first-year championship.

Hermione's face was a little pale, and she kept reciting the incantations of various spells.

Ron's face was flushed with excitement, and he couldn't wait to go up and show off.

Sebastian stood on the arena, smiling as he watched the performance of the young wizards, until the cheers of the young wizards gradually stopped, he smiled and shouted.

"I announce......"

"The Dueling Competition, officially begins!"

......

...

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