Dumbledore rose and announced the results of the exhibition match amid thunderous applause.
As the Professors' exhibition matches officially concluded, no one noticed when Baffelus Bafflerose quietly slipped away—the entire Great Hall was immersed in jubilant excitement.
Reporters swarmed like Nifflers drawn to treasure, missing nothing, their magical camera flashes going off non-stop.
Sure enough, that afternoon, the front page of the Daily Prophet special edition was dominated by "The Frost Queen," while the splendid performances of the four Hogwarts Professors were relegated to a small corner section.
As for the subject of the instant defeat—Professor Bafflerose of Durmstrang—though his name was mentioned repeatedly in the article, there was not a single word of praise.
—"Frost Judgment: Professor Nixia Instantly Defeats Durmstrang's Duelling Master, Three Schools Shaken!"—
Ice Spell Ignites Heated Debate in the Wizarding World, Durmstrang Headmaster Leaves on the Spot
By Fishtag Murl
When Durmstrang's "Iron-Blooded Professor" Bafflerose stepped into the duelling arena with his trademark frivolous smile, he perhaps believed he was facing only an ordinary Potions teacher.
Yet thirty seconds later, Hogwarts' ancient castle bore witness to a moment destined to be etched into duelling history—Beauxbatons' "Frost Queen," Willis Nixia, lightly raised her wand and, with a single spell, transformed the arrogant duelling master into a shocked "Durmstrang Ice Sculpture."
It is worth noting that before this duel, Professor Bafflerose made a remark to Professor Nixia which, according to insiders, directly led to Durmstrang Headmaster Karkaroff storming out after the match.
This, they say, relates to Durmstrang's long-standing culture of gender discrimination.
"He deserved it!" a Hogwarts female student, who wished to remain anonymous, told a reporter from this newspaper. "Professor Nixia gave him a resounding slap in the most elegant way."
Indeed, the moment Professor Bafflerose was frozen can only be described as one of the most stunning duelling scenes in the History of Magic.
His furious expression, raised wand, and even the lingering shock in his eyes were perfectly sealed within the crystal-clear ice. His perpetually upturned lips were now frozen into a comical question mark, reflecting a cruelly ironic light beneath the sun.
And at the very moment of Professor Bafflerose's professional humiliation, the President of the International Duelling League sent a brief statement via owl: "This is absolutely the most exquisite practical application of ice magic in the past decade!"
...
"I've said it before—Professor Nixia's strength goes far beyond Potions," Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons proudly declared in an exclusive interview with this newspaper. "She was once the youngest candidate invited to become an Auror training officer by the French Ministry of Magic, and only declined the honor because it conflicted with her teaching."
"This is why I insisted on inviting Professor Nixia to participate in this exchange," Madame Maxime added. "She has proven to everyone that Beauxbatons represents not only elegance, but also power."
...
(Continued on page three: Tracing Ice Magic: An Analysis of the Spell Types Used by Professor Nixia from Rune Magic)
The newspaper's illustrations featured four images:
Figure 1: The shocking scene of Professor Baffelus Bafflerose completely frozen at the center of the duelling arena.
Figure 2: A close-up of Professor Vellis Nixia elegantly raising her wand.
Figure 3: Headmaster Karkaroff's awkward moment storming out in anger
Figure 4: The unprecedented scene of students from all three schools cheering wildly
Fueled by widespread media coverage, Nightingale's name swept across Europe within a single day.
...
The wave of excitement from the exhibition matches had yet to fade, but inside Hogwarts, preparations were already well underway.
After careful recommendations from the professors and enthusiastic self-nominations from the students, eight elite representatives were finally selected. They would carry the honor of representing Hogwarts in the Tri-School United Duelling Tournament.
The selected students were:
Ravenclaw – Penelope Clearwater, Orris Alcott
Hufflepuff – Cedric Diggory, Gabriel Truman
Slytherin – Terence Higgs, Charlene Avery
Gryffindor – Percy Weasley, Eloise DuFresne
The list immediately became the latest hot topic within the castle.
Except for Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff—widely recognized for his composure and strength beyond his year (despite only being a fourth-year)—the other seven were all top students from fifth year and above.
Among them, the male and female prefects made up half the list. Although their duelling badges had only recently been approved, their individual rankings within their houses—and even across the entire school—were quite high. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
As the current top-tier duelists among Hogwarts students, they were about to step onto the stage of the Tri-School United Duelling Tournament to face off against the elite contenders from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
After the announcement, the atmosphere in the castle's corridors changed noticeably.
The chosen students became the center of attention, drawing admiring glances and hushed conversations wherever they went.
The bulletin board in the center of the Great Hall was constantly surrounded by curious students, repeatedly checking the list of exciting names. The air buzzed with anticipation, pride, and a touch of competitive tension.
"Percy, congratulations!" In the Gryffindor common room, Fred and George flanked their older brother, each hooking an arm around his shoulders, grinning mischievously. "You're really a somebody now!"
Percy straightened his back, adjusted his glasses, and did his best to maintain a prefect's dignity—but the upward twitch of his lips betrayed his excitement. "This is a responsibility, Fred, George. I represent Hogwarts, and I must give it my all."
"Listen to that—what an inspiring speech!" Fred teased.
"Yeah, worthy of a Gryffindor prefect," George added with a wink. "Honestly though, want us to sponsor you some off-field props?"
"The effect would definitely be impressive, but the safety might be... questionable?" Fred added with a wicked grin.
"You two, that's enough!" Percy's face darkened, and he said sternly, "I'm representing Hogwarts—how could I do something like that!"
"Oh, don't be angry." George's smile remained unchanged. "We're just offering a suggestion. Whether you use it is entirely up to you."
"Exactly!" Fred chimed in. "And we put a lot of effort into developing these. They're currently limited edition, you know."
...
Not far away, Ron and Hermione were trying to comfort a somewhat downcast Harry.
"Don't feel bad—we're only in our second year," Hermione said. "By the time we're in fifth year, you'll definitely be able to represent Hogwarts."
"Your Expelliarmus is really powerful, Harry..." Ron added confidently. "I'd say even a lot of the older students aren't as good as you."
"Don't try to cheer me up," Harry sighed. "I know we still have a long way to go compared to the older students. If I went up there now, I'd only end up embarrassing Hogwarts."
"It's good that you can see that clearly." Hermione closed her book with a snap. "But Professor McGonagall said Hogwarts will host similar duelling tournaments every year from now on. If you master this book thoroughly this year, I guarantee you'll be one of the participants next year!"
"But Hermione, this book is way too difficult. Catching up to the older students in just one year... isn't that kind of impossible?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"Why impossible?" Hermione looked at them seriously. "Don't forget, Cedric from Hufflepuff is only a fourth year."
"You don't like that Diggory bloke too, do you?" Ron frowned. "Loads of people fancy him."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Hermione snapped, glaring at him. "My point is that in just one more year, we'll have the chance to catch up with him in every aspect."
"In one more year, we'll only be third-years…"
"But we have magic!" Hermione said firmly. "Have you forgotten what Professor Greengrass taught us? Awakening Requiem and Sleep Evaporation—as long as we make good use of every minute, we'll definitely stand out next year and represent Gryffindor!"
"Um…" Ron hesitated.
"It might… not be impossible?" Harry's eyes began to brighten.
"But won't it be a lot of work?"
"Whether you study or not is up to you," Hermione said, crossing her arms. "But let me remind you—if I'm up on stage next year, you'll only be able to cheer for me from the stands!"
The two young wizards immediately perked up.
"You're right, Hermione! Of course we'll study!" Ron declared at once, his tone slightly over-the-top. "If for nothing else, then at least for Hogwarts!"
Harry nodded in firm agreement.
__________
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