"Swish—"
The blade's edge flashed briefly with a golden-red light, but the damage it inflicted on the Acromantula was permanent.
A deep gash split open at the upper part of the Acromantula's neck. Its venomous blood hesitated for a mere moment before spraying out in a dark, semi-circular arc.
Its head, now severed from its neck, thudded heavily to the ground, splattering blood everywhere.
"Clang!"
The thunderous crash of metal hitting the ground echoed—the sound of Neville's massive sword as it slammed into the earth.
Having exerted all his strength for the slash, Neville found himself unable to control the momentum with his current physique. He had no choice but to let the sword's weight carry it downward, embedding it deep into the ground.
An unbearable tremor traveled up the blade and into Neville's hands, causing his determined little face to twitch involuntarily.
"Darn it… I got too excited and forgot to control my strength."
Neville thought bitterly, his face scrunched up as he struggled to pull the embedded sword out of the ground. With considerable effort, he hoisted it onto his shoulder.
Neville's height was average for his age, and carrying a sword taller than himself made him look rather comical. Yet none of the young witches and wizards present thought so.
Was this a young wizard?
No, that was a hero!
Neville had just charged out from the crowd and delivered a powerful, dazzling slash that repelled the Acromantula's attack and saved the position from being overrun.
No one could have imagined that the usually shy and unassuming Neville could unleash such formidable power.
Though the recent dueling club sessions had revealed Neville's growing capabilities, the opponents he faced there barely allowed him to demonstrate even a fraction of his true strength. Moreover, Neville was a modest boy who disliked drawing attention to himself. As a result, he was generally seen as a diligent, somewhat capable, and harmless little fellow.
But this?
What harmless little boy could wield a sword taller than himself, let alone one that looked heavy enough to crush someone?
What harmless little boy could kill an Acromantula—a creature many adult wizards struggled to defeat—with a single blow?
The young witches and wizards couldn't help but gaze at Neville with a newfound light in their eyes—a light called admiration, born from the primal pursuit of strength.
"Everyone, stay focused! More Acromantulas are coming!"
As the crowd stood in stunned silence, Neville shouted over his shoulder without turning back and charged forward once more.
"You're the worst, Neville! You're stealing all the glory—I'm completely overshadowed!"
A faster figure darted through the crowd, occasionally leaping and waving a wand. Suspended mid-air, Draco Malfoy grumbled indignantly, yet his actions continued to provide critical support to Neville at the forefront.
"Sorry!"
Neville shouted back, and his voice carried genuine apology. However, his words quickly faded as he engaged in fierce combat with the Acromantulas ahead.
"Our juniors are so impressive—it's time for us seniors to show our strength too! Everyone, let's go!"
Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff took the lead, casting a Leg-Locker Curse that immobilized an Acromantula attempting to flank Neville. Inspired by his rallying cry, many of the stunned young witches and wizards reignited their fighting spirit, sending a cascade of colorful spells toward the advancing Acromantulas.
Though their efforts lacked coordination, the spells skillfully avoided Neville's vicinity and landed on the Acromantulas threatening the other side of the position.
But this was far from enough. As time passed, the number of Acromantulas entering the students' line of sight visibly increased.
"This won't do. Although Neville and Malfoy's area is the most intense, they're clearly holding their ground. On the other hand, the students defending the other passages are starting to struggle."
Percival Weasley cast spells continuously while analyzing the situation.
As he anxiously pondered solutions, the lively banter nearby interrupted his thoughts.
"I really wish these big spiders shared our taste."
"Who knew dung bombs would be completely useless against them?"
"We almost killed poor Neville when we threw dung bombs his way."
"Oh, Neville is so unfortunate. We were trying to save him, after all."
"Turns out the Acromantulas weren't scared off, but Neville nearly passed out from the stench…"
"Maybe we should research some 'special dangerous items' in case we encounter situations like this again?"
"Of course, brother, but only if we survive this battle…"
Fred and George Weasley bickered back and forth, casting spells while exchanging quips.
Initially, they had been tossing their homemade gadgets toward the Acromantulas—items they had kept in their pockets during dueling club sessions. Although Professor Flitwick had sternly forbidden them from using such "secret tools" in duels, now was the perfect opportunity to showcase their inventions.
Unfortunately, they had nearly sent Neville to his doom in the process.
Percy's temple throbbed with frustration. Already overwhelmed by the urgent situation, he now had to deal with his two mischievous younger brothers causing chaos. He felt as if his head might split in two.
"You two, shut up and stop messing with your—"
Those gadgets?
"Acromantulas have weak eyesight. Most of their sensitive senses are concentrated in their legs…"
Percy suddenly stopped mid-complaint, muttering to himself.
Then he looked up at his brothers, who were staring at him curiously.
"Do you have anything in your arsenal that can create smoke or loud noises?"
Upon hearing this, Fred raised his hand proudly, pointing his thumb at himself.
"Of course! Our Fake Fire Smoke and Never-Late Alarm can meet your needs."
"Seems like you care about your brothers' inventions after all—how touching~"
George chimed in, though his expression grew slightly more serious.
"I don't want your theatrics right now. If you two have those gadgets on you, they could significantly alleviate the pressure on the others."
"So, do you have them?"
Fred and George paused for a moment, then turned to each other simultaneously, like mirror reflections.
They burst into laughter together.
"Are you kidding? What wizard goes into battle without their wand?"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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