"Since this guy is very likely the mastermind behind this incident, and now we have him under control, my plan to use him as a professor to calm the other students is ruined."
"I don't want to hide the fact that Lockhart isn't a good person from the other young wizards, but..."
"...if we spread this news, the morale of the students in the Great Hall might plummet. After all, finding out that the influential person in their own camp is actually a traitor—whether they like Lockhart or not—will be a heavy blow."
"In that case, the already panicked students will become even more distressed."
"What should we do, Glenn?"
Hermione looked up at Glenn.
The latter's face remained expressionless, staring straight ahead.
"Haven't you already made up your mind?"
"Hehe, well, I still need to confirm with the person involved, don't I~"
"Since we both think the same way, there's no need to worry about what happens next."
...
It turned out that the young wizards' concerns were justified. Some Acromantulas had somehow infiltrated Hogwarts—perhaps sensing that their kin outside the castle were being slaughtered en masse—and had abandoned their concealment to launch an attack on the students' stronghold.
However, Draco and Neville had misunderstood one thing: the stragglers didn't come through the castle gates but emerged from within Hogwarts itself!
How had these creatures managed to enter Hogwarts?!
Although the Acromantulas attacking the stronghold weren't as large as the ones Draco and Neville had fought in the Forbidden Forest, their grotesque appearance still delivered a strong shock to the tender, sheltered young wizards in the comfortable greenhouse.
They thought they were mentally prepared, but when faced with a real life-or-death crisis, they realized they were wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Their limbs refused to obey, their knees trembled uncontrollably, their teeth chattered, their blood circulation accelerated, their hearts pounded like drums, their temples throbbed, their faces turned pale, cold sweat poured down, and their palms were drenched.
"Ah... ah, ah..."
Those who managed to remain standing were considered mentally strong. Some even collapsed to the ground, their wands rolling far away, completely losing their will to fight.
The front line of the battle—on the verge of collapse...?
"Obstacle Charm!"
From the rear of the crowd, a figure cloaked in pale gold surged forward at an incomprehensible speed, aiming for the gaps in the scattering crowd and casting an Obstacle Charm without hesitation.
It was Draco, rushing in from the castle's main entrance to save the day.
The Obstacle Charm wasn't the most effective spell for killing Acromantulas—Leg-Locker Curse was—but Draco had already expended significant time and energy sprinting to the scene. Using the Leg-Locker Curse would immobilize the Acromantulas' eight legs, but their massive bodies would still crush into the crowd due to inertia, causing significant damage.
At this moment, the Obstacle Charm, which could slow their movement, was the optimal choice, despite its higher magical consumption.
"Severing Charm!"
Since he was about to use an offensive spell, casting it from within the crowd was highly inadvisable. Draco stepped onto a wooden table, then pushed off forcefully, leaping into the air. His wand emitted a faint green glow, and with a flick of his wrist, invisible waves of magic shot toward the joints of the Acromantula's legs.
With several sharp slicing sounds, the leading Acromantula's massive body collapsed to the ground, its legs scattered around, their cuts smooth as glass.
Slightly slower than Draco, Neville arrived on the scene just as the young Malfoy jumped into the air. Neville immediately understood what Draco intended to do and rushed forward, pushing through the crowd and heading straight for the Acromantula's underside.
As expected, Draco had used his spell to sever the Acromantula's legs, disabling its mobility.
Neville then pulled out...
...a steel greatsword taller than himself, gleaming with metallic light.
As mentioned before, if Draco was a battlefield rogue, Neville was a front-line warrior. Being Glenn's apprentice, Neville had naturally been taught close combat techniques.
And Glenn had prepared close combat weapons—or cold weapons—for him as well.
Draco unsurprisingly chose daggers, just like Glenn, while Neville opted for a hefty two-handed greatsword after much consideration.
He knew his magical talent was not outstanding among his peers, but his physical strength and endurance were slightly superior.
So he decided to continuously enhance his strengths. If his weaknesses still outweighed his strengths, he would keep strengthening his advantages until they overshadowed his flaws!
This didn't mean Neville completely abandoned long-range spellcasting; he simply found close combat to be his forte.
"Strength Amplification, Swift as the Wind, Focused Mind..."
Strength surged through him, his speed increased, and thanks to the Focus Charm, his thought processes accelerated. Everything around him seemed to slow down, as if trapped in a temporal mire.
"...Sharpness Infusion."
Placing his hand on his greatsword, Neville cast a wandless spell, chanting in the obscure language of dragons to release the enchantment he had practiced hundreds and thousands of times under Glenn's guidance—a reinforcement spell said to originate from the East.
Golden-red light enveloped his greatsword, its brilliance flowing like an unstoppable force.
"Huff... ha—"
Adjusting his breathing, his stance, his exertion, and confirming his target...
The muscles beneath Neville's wizard robes visibly tensed. Though his high body fat percentage had previously obscured his muscle definition, his rigorous training had now revealed their true form.
Step forward, twist the waist, the torso drives the arms, the upper arm leads the forearm, ten fingers tighten and twist.
Neville swung the strike he had practiced countless times.
The golden-red blade arc swept upward, carving a perfect semi-circle.
A rising slash.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds