Harry Potter: Westeros's Plant Life

Honestly, Adrian felt that Malfoy had no chance of winning against Harry—the gap in their abilities had only widened over the summer months. But at this moment, with the demonstration requiring willing participants and most students too nervous to volunteer, there really wasn't a more suitable choice. Draco had stepped forward, and Adrian couldn't deny the matchup.

Harry also agreed to this arrangement with ease, even wearing a slight relaxed smile. The corner of his mouth quirked u as he rolled his shoulders, loosening the tension from his muscles.

'Should have said I'd fight Malfoy earlier,' he thought to himself, flexing his fingers around his wand.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The crowd parted as Harry made his way to the platform, his eyes never leaving Malfoy's pale face.

Across from him, Malfoy stood with his chin raised in boldness. His silver-gray eyes held a mixture of uneasiness and pride, his lips curled upward in a confident smirk. But his grip on his wand appeared slightly stiff and there was a tremor in his hands that showed his inner turmoil.

Adrian naturally assumed the role of referee. The murmur of the crowd died to a whisper as he raised his voice. "Everyone knows the dueling rules, No jumping off the platform, no close combat, only basic non-lethal spells allowed. The duel continues until one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight back."

He walked the perimeter of the platform, his eyes checking each protective barrier after confirming that the surrounding barriers were secure again, he then nodded slightly and stepped back.

"Are you ready?"

Harry nodded in acknowledgment, assuming a practiced dueling stance.

Malfoy nodded as well.

Below the stage, Snape had maintained his expressionless face. But upon seeing Harry's stance, a flicker of recognition crossed his face. His dark brows drew together in a subtle frown of confusion.

'Why did this boy's posture look so similar to Adrian's?'

"Begin!"

The word had barely left Adrian's lips when Malfoy, perhaps hoping to gain advantage through speed, shouted his incantation with desperate enthusiasm: "Tarantallegra!"

The spell was a relatively harmless jinx designed to cause uncontrollable leg dancing. It was the kind of magic typically reserved for pranks and minor harassment, though in the context of a duel, it could certainly be effective by incapacitating an opponent's mobility.

Harry's response was rapid. His eyes sharpened to focus as he raised his wand and shouted clearly, "Protego!"

The Shield Charm erupted from his wand like a burst of silver starlight, creating a barrier between himself and the incoming spell.

Light exploded in the space in front of Harry as Malfoy's jinx collided with the magical shield and fragmented into several wisps of harmless shadow in the air before quickly dissipating.

Sound of gasps rose from the students below.

"The Shield Charm? Isn't that something we only learn in fourth year?" Hermione muttered quietly to herself after seeing this.

Snape watched this scene and frowned.

This posture for using the Shield Charm... was exactly that of Adrian's!

Adrian, aware of Snape's scrutiny, caught his eye and smiled winking at him.

How about that? his expression seemed to say. Harry's performance is pretty good, isn't it?

Snape's lips thinned into a disapproving line, but he silently withdrew his gaze and returned his attention to the platform.

Now it seemed that Malfoy's defeat was inevitable.

Harry, meanwhile, had no intention of allowing his opponent time to recover or plan. The moment his Shield Charm dissipated; he was already transitioning from defense to offense. There was no hesitation, no pause for thought, just the seamless execution of combat technique drilled into muscle memory.

"Stupefy!"

The Stunning Spell erupted from Harry's wand like a bolt of red lightning, swift and precise in its trajectory.

The magic cut was aimed directly at Malfoy's center of chest.

Malfoy, still recovering from the shock of his failed attack and the impressive scene of Harry using Shield Charm, had no time to use any defense. His gray eyes widened in panic as he saw the red light rushing toward him, but his body couldn't react quickly enough to avoid the inevitable impact.

The spell struck him in the chest and Malfoy's entire body seemed to crumple under the assault. He staggered two steps, then his legs gave way and he collapsed onto the platform.

"Draco!" A Slytherin girl in the audience cried out, about to rush onto the stage, but was stopped by Adrian.

Adrian quickly stepped forward, checked Malfoy's condition, then turned to announce to the entire hall: "The winner—Harry Potter."

No one had expected the battle to end so quickly. Even Harry himself looked somewhat surprised by the swift conclusion. He had thought his opponent could at least manage a few rounds with him. It seemed he had overestimated Malfoy's dueling abilities.

This outcome also proved the effectiveness of his summer training.

After a moment of silence, the scene erupted in deafening cheers.

Especially from the Gryffindor section.

Ron raised both hands high above his head, his face split by an enormous grin as he shouted his approval. "Well done, Harry!" he roared, his voice cracking slightly with excitement. Then, unable to resist the opportunity for some traditional house rivalry, he added with delicious satisfaction, "Malfoy, is that all you've got?"

Hermione tried to maintain her usual composure, but her efforts were only partially successful. Despite her attempts to appear calm and reserved, her lips curved up in an unmistakable smile of pride and relief.

The Slytherin section were in stark contrast to the Gryffindor celebration. Many students looked down in uncomfortable silence, their faces showing mixture of disappointment, and embarrassment. Several resentful gazes were focused on Harry.

"Don't worry, everyone," Adrian said, raising his voice to calm the noise and restore some order. "Mr. Malfoy has just been knocked unconscious."

He waved his wand, and a gentle Rennervate charm flowed from the tip to settle over Malfoy. The counter-spell took effect almost immediately, causing the unconscious boy to groan softly as consciousness returned to his stunned system.

Malfoy slowly opened his eyes, looking unfocused and confused as he tried to take his surroundings. For a long moment, he stared up at the ceiling of the Great Hall, his eyes blank with disorientation.

Gradually, awareness returned, and he realized he was still lying on the dueling platform in full view of the entire school. The memory of what had just happened came rushing back, and his face immediately flushed a deep red.

Not only had he been defeated, but he had been defeated so quickly and thoroughly that it barely qualified as a duel.

He struggled to sit up. When his gaze finally settled on Harry's face, he found his opponent standing quietly to one side, giving no words of mockery or victory.

Harry's behavior was clearly polite—he simply nodded with what appeared to be respect, neither gloating over his victory nor giving him false comfort.

This display somehow made Malfoy feel even more irritating than any taunting could have been.

Anger and shame appeared in Malfoy's chest as he bit down hard on his lip. He wanted desperately to say something cutting but no words came. What could he possibly say that wouldn't make his situation worse?

Adrian, recognizing the boy's struggle, quietly took Malfoy's wand from where it had gone across the platform and silently handed it back.

"Don't worry," Adrian said softly, his voice low for Malfoy's ears alone. "You're not hurt, and this was just a small demonstration."

The words were kind, but they did little to ease the sting of public defeat.

In the end, Malfoy had no choice but to climb down from the platform.

Harry, meanwhile, gave a slight bow to the students. The moment his feet touched the floor, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd of Gryffindor students.

"Brilliant!" Seamus exclaimed from somewhere in the press of bodies. "Absolutely brilliant! Did you see how fast he moved? Malfoy didn't stand a chance!"

Hermione began pushing through the crowd. When she finally reached Harry, she launched into a rapid-fire series of questions that reflected both her excitement and curiosity.

"Harry, you used the Shield Charm just now, didn't you? And the speed and accuracy of your spellcasting—it was remarkable! When did you learn all this? We haven't even covered advanced defensive magic in our coursework?"

Harry held up a hand to stop the flow of questions. "I'll tell you about it later, Hermione,"

Before the conversation could continue, Lockhart appeared beside them.

"Excellent! Absolutely excellent!" Ge announced, clapping his hands with acted enthusiasm. His voice went across the hall, drawing attention back to himself as he tried to associate his name with Harry's success.

"Outstanding performance, Mr. Potter. I knew you had it in you—the natural talent was obvious from our very first class. As your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, I'm deeply gratified to see such progress. Of course, this remarkable improvement is also thanks to my usual instruction and the advanced techniques I've been sharing with the class..."

Harry's expression shifted subtly as he listened to Lockhart's self-congratulatory speech. His lips curved down in disdain, and his eyes flashed with irritation.

Harry's victory was the result of summer training, personal dedication, and natural ability none of which owed anything to this preening fraud who called himself a Defense instructor.

With the main demonstration concluded, Adrian moved to continue the evening's program. The success of Harry and Malfoy's duel had energized the crowd, and he could see eager faces throughout the students, many of whom were now anxious for their own chance to test their skills.

"Mr. Weasley," Adrian called out. "Let me think, you should pair with—"

"Me!"

The voice came from the Slytherin section, sharp with eager anticipation.

"Let me!" Another voice joined the first, equally insistent.

"I'll take him!" A third voice added to the sound.

Adrian raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked toward the group of Slytherin students who had called out. What he saw was unexpected—several boys pushing forward with expressions of eagerness, their eyes were fixed on Ron.

But Harry, looking closely at those who had called out, immediately understood what was happening.

These were the same Slytherin students who had been on the receiving end of Ron's Slug-Vomiting Charm earlier in the term.

Ron's face turned pale as he recognized several familiar faces in the eager crowd of volunteers and his eyes darted desperately between Harry and Hermione, silently pleading for intervention or rescue.

Just as Harry and Hermione opened their mouths to speak, Adrian's voice came through the tense scene.

"Mr. Weasley, you'll pair with Miss Granger,"

"Why?" The protest came from one of the Slytherin boys. He one of those who had suffered the indignity of vomiting slugs for the considerable part of an afternoon. "That's not fair! We volunteered first!"

Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly, "No reason why."

The Slytherin student who had protested opened his mouth as if to argue further. But as he met Adrian's calm, steady gaze, the words disappeared in his throat. After a moment of silence, the boy retreated a few steps.

Adrian was not about to allow today's Dueling Club meeting to deteriorate into an all-out brawl between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"Alright," Adrian said, his voice returning to its earlier warmth as he clapped his hands together with enthusiasm.

"Everyone find your partner and begin practicing. Remember—this is just that, practice, not real combat. We're here to learn proper technique and build confidence, not to settle scores or prove superiority. And please,"

He added with a slight smile that held just a hint of warning, "use your wands for magic, not as clubs. I'd rather not have to explain to Madam Pomfrey why half the school suddenly needs treatment for blunt force trauma."

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