#200 - Long overdue

Ugh!

Just like last time, after disarming Avery's wand, Anduin spun around with a whirling kick, sending Avery into a fit of retching.

He then grabbed Avery's hair and delivered a swift, brutal knee strike.

Bang!

Avery was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, his face covered in blood. His head lolled to the side, and he lost consciousness. The last thing on his mind was that night, but there was no other Snape to save him this time.

Snape, who was watching from the sidelines, shook his head helplessly. Avery, his former classmate and colleague, was no longer on the same path as him.

Whoa!

A clamor erupted from the surrounding reporters, Aurors, and wizards. They watched as Anduin openly and fairly defeated ten adult wizards. Anduin himself didn't even suffer a scratch, not even ruffling his hair, which amazed everyone.

Many had initially planned to treat the duel as a joke, never imagining that Anduin had any chance of winning. Now, they were thoroughly proven wrong.

Anduin demonstrated his power with his strength, proving that he was fully capable of defeating adult wizards. No one dared to question the legitimacy of the Ministry of Magic awarding him the title of Combat Hero.

What? Are you saying those adult wizards didn't use their full strength or were holding back? Didn't you see the state of the wall behind Anduin, and the ground where he was standing?

Almost as soon as Anduin defeated his opponents, all the reporters rushed forward, surrounding him. Even Vivian and the others couldn't squeeze through. The camera lenses were practically pressed against his face, and the flashes never stopped.

Seeing this, Anduin quickly cast an obstacle curse, creating a circular shield to keep them at bay. He then smiled professionally at the reporters.

"Mr. Wilson, what are your thoughts after winning this duel?"

"When faced with Avery's provocation, what was going through your mind? Did you ever consider giving up?"

"You possess such strength at your age. How did you achieve this?"

"What are your thoughts on the Ministry of Magic awarding you the Combat Hero medal?"

"What are your goals for the future?" "Do you have a girlfriend?" "Is it true that you're Muggle-born?" "Were you nervous during the duel just now...?"

The reporters all crowded around, bombarding him with questions, but Anduin simply smiled and offered no response. He didn't want to waste his breath.

"What's going on here? Why are there wizards lying on the ground?"

An authoritative voice instantly interrupted the reporters' questions. Everyone turned to see Minister Bagnold arriving.

Accompanying her were Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Moody, Barty Crouch Sr., and a young man beside the Senior. Anduin recognized him as Barty Crouch Jr.

Vanessa, who was tending to those on the ground, saw the Minister finally arrive and quickly stepped forward to report, summarizing everything that had happened in the banquet hall to Minister Bagnold.

"So, Avery, who is lying on the ground, doubted Anduin's strength, so they started dueling right there? This is outrageous! Why didn't you stop them?" Minister Bagnold frowned, asking Vanessa with some annoyance.

"It's all my fault," Anduin said, squeezing through the reporters and looking at Minister Bagnold. "I took the initiative to challenge them. They weren't just questioning my ability; they were openly and subtly mocking the Ministry of Magic and Minister Bagnold for being blind.

Anduin sighed, "I couldn't stand it. To protect the Ministry of Magic and your dignity, I rashly issued the challenge and prevented Vanessa from mediating. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

"Oh?" Minister Bagnold looked at Anduin in surprise, then glanced at Dumbledore beside her.

Dumbledore, however, nodded knowingly, clearly signaling, 'Do whatever you want.'

Arthur, who had been watching the entire time, also pushed forward to confirm Anduin's story. "Minister Bagnold, that's exactly what happened. Avery provoked him first. We all heard it. And Anduin issued an extremely unfair one-on-ten challenge, which they accepted without hesitation."

"They were clearly targeting Anduin, wanting to embarrass him on the spot and discredit the Ministry of Magic. They just miscalculated. Anduin defeated them with almost no effort. This is a fact witnessed by all the wizards present."

"Is that so?" Minister Bagnold turned to look at the Aurors and then glanced at the other wizards present.

"That's right!" The surrounding wizards nodded in agreement. Anduin had already proven himself with his strength.

"Indeed!" The Aurors already disliked Avery, so how could they help him now?

"That duel was indeed very exciting." That was Professor Flitwick, still immersed in the duel.

"In that case, does everyone agree that Anduin's strength is worthy of the Ministry of Magic's title of 'Combat Hero'?" Minister Bagnold asked with a smile.

"Mr. Wilson's strength is well-deserved!" A Wizengamot council member nodded.

"Indeed, with the strength Mr. Wilson has displayed, dealing with a few Death Eaters shouldn't be a problem," a reporter chimed in.

In reality, the duel hadn't been as dangerous as it seemed. At least half of the challengers initially lacked the will to fight, and no one used the Unforgivable Curses.

However, a ten-on-one battle was inherently impressive, and Anduin's composure during the fight undoubtedly solidified their judgment.

Minister Bagnold nodded in relief. "Very well, then I declare this duel legitimate, and Anduin will not be prosecuted for underage magic. Vanessa, quickly send the unconscious people to the hospital. Let the banquet continue!"

Minister Bagnold hadn't planned to hold Anduin responsible in the first place, and after understanding the events, she quickly calculated the beneficial impact of the duel on the Ministry of Magic.

However, Minister Bagnold still had to put on a show of impartiality to convince the public. Seeing the crowd looking genuinely convinced,

she was now quite curious about just how strong Anduin had become.