Hogwarts: The Witch Education Handbook

"Now, please welcome Professor Snape to the stage." Sean made a gentlemanly gesture of invitation, gesturing to one side of the stage.

So handsome!

That's so annoying!

The former came from the young wizards in the audience, and the latter came from Snape in the audience.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, a man dressed in a solemn black robe and with a serious expression emerged from the bustling crowd below the stage and slowly walked to the front.

In the solemn silence, Professor Snape spoke slowly in his characteristically calm and deep voice: "Wizard duels, a tradition with a long history. Over time, we have discarded its bloodshed and barbarity, and tamed it into a stage to showcase the charm of wizards."

All the young wizards present noticed that, in this solemn atmosphere, Professor Snape's voice seemed to be imbued with some kind of magic, full of attraction.

Snape continued, "However, the nature of dueling has not changed. Many people go through life with the understanding that dueling is nothing more than monstrous wand-waving and a contest of magical power."

"But a true duel is a precise art. If you are willing to explore it in depth, you will find that the World Wizarding Tournament publishes relevant guidebooks every few years."

His words left the young wizards somewhat confused, but at the same time, they also understood Professor Snape's respect and awe for duels.

As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over the young wizards of Gryffindor, a slight smile playing on his lips: "While Hogwarts doesn't have the same tradition of dueling and combat magic as Durmstrang, the relevant knowledge has long been integrated into one of our courses."

He gently raised his wand, his eyes as deep as if gazing into an abyss, and squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth: "That is—Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Unfortunately," Snape changed the subject, his voice tinged with reproach, "this course has not played its due role in the teaching over the years, resulting in some students lacking even the most basic ability to judge danger."

As he finished speaking, the entire venue was enveloped in a solemn and oppressive atmosphere.

The young wizards felt as if they were back in Potions class, experiencing Professor Snape's powerful control over the atmosphere.

"I've said what I wanted to say, so may we begin now?" Professor Snape's upper lip curled slightly upwards, and in the lamplight, his eyes held a hint of gloom as he silently watched Sean.

"Of course." Sean flashed a bright smile, trying to win over Snape and make him less violent.

But Snape's expression seemed to darken further when he saw that smile. He said nothing and walked to a spot thirty feet away from Sean.

The two turned to face each other and bowed. This scene always gave Sean the feeling of an ancient wedding ceremony. Then, they each held their wands like swords in front of their chests, ready to begin their duel.

As an excellent professor, Snape never forgot to instruct the young wizards in the audience even before the duel. He explained the rules and techniques of dueling in detail to his students, emphasizing the importance of safety.

Sean addressed the now-quiet crowd, "As you can see, we'll grip our wands in the usual dueling stance. On the count of three, we'll cast our first spell. Of course, neither of us will take the other's life." He glanced at Snape and added, "nor will we use any more powerful spells."

However, just as the duel was about to begin, Harry looked at Snape with a worried expression and whispered, "I wouldn't dare bet on that."

"One—two—three—" Sean began to count, while he and Snape suddenly raised their wands over their shoulders.

Suddenly, Snape shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Immediately, a dazzling red light shot from the tip of his wand, flying towards Sean's wand. Sean reacted swiftly, waving his own wand, "Protect Your Armor!"

As he shouted, an invisible protective shield instantly formed in front of him, like a sturdy shield. Snape's red light collided with this shield, producing a deafening roar.

The red light rippled across the protective shield, but ultimately failed to penetrate it.

The young wizards in the audience were stunned for a moment by the sudden attack and defense, and then burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers.

"This is much more interesting than the duel between Professor Shaun and Professor Snape in The Witcher Killer."

"Go, Professor Sean!"

"Good luck, Professor Snape!"

At this moment, Sean was far from the calm and collected person he appeared to be.

That was close.

Snape's attack speed and power both exceeded his expectations.

Before Sean could even react, Snape cast two more spells in quick succession: "Petrify All!" and "Stand Still, Die!"

Snape's curse came too quickly and too fiercely, catching Sean off guard.

He escaped the first curse, but not the second.

His legs were also frozen in place, unable to move an inch.

Sean felt a sense of foreboding; he knew he was in grave danger.

Snape did not stop his attack because of Sean's predicament. He gave an enigmatic smile, raised his wand again, and prepared to cast the next spell.

At this critical moment, Sean struggled to break free of his restraints and shouted, "Stop the spell!" The immobilization spell on his legs was immediately lifted.

Sean wasted no time; he immediately rolled forward to dodge Snape's impending spell, and as he rolled, Sean aimed at Snape and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

A beam of red light shot out from the tip of his wand, heading straight for Snape's wand.

Snape reacted quickly, dodging to the side, but the red light still grazed his wand. Although the wand was not completely taken away, the blow made Snape's hand tremble slightly, and the wand almost slipped from his grasp.

Having just suffered a setback, Sean became even more cautious.

He understood that against an opponent like Snape, mere defense was far from enough.

So he changed his tactics—using offense instead of defense, and the curse poured out like a storm.

The two engaged in a fierce competition on stage.

Sean unleashed spell after spell, his movements swift and precise, as if each spell had eyes, heading straight for Snape. Snape, not to be outdone, brandished his wand, deflecting each of Sean's attacks.

The atmosphere on stage grew increasingly tense, as the two wizards' spells intertwined.

The smooth movement, the dazzling spells, and the tense atmosphere combined to push this wizard duel to its peak.

This duel will surely be etched deeply into the memories of the young wizards in the audience.

However, as time went on, Sean gradually discovered his weaknesses.

His attack frequency was noticeably slower than Snape's, and the preparation animations before each spellcasting, or what's called the spellcasting wind-up in the game, were too long. This made him seem somewhat powerless when facing Snape's fast and precise attacks.

This is understandable, given Snape's years of battles and extensive combat experience; his practical experience was naturally far richer than Sean's.

Snape's attacks were always concise and effective, with no unnecessary movements. Each spell he cast was perfectly timed, putting pressure on Sean while effectively controlling the battle.

Don't underestimate this slight difference; in duels between top wizards, it is often the key to victory or defeat.

This can't go on any longer.

Shall we use that spell?

But...

Snape realized that the scales of victory were tipping in his favor, and a mocking smile, like a cat toying with a mouse, appeared on his face.

That smile was like the last straw that broke the camel's back for Sean. He gritted his teeth and made a decision.

After constructing an armored charm to protect himself, Sean stood firm, gripped his wand tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, and a dazzling light began to gather from the head of the wand.

Snape's smile froze instantly.

What's wrong? It's not quite what he imagined.