The next day, the flags of the three schools fluttered above the dueling arena, and the Headmasters sat in the judges' seats, each wearing a different expression.
Madame Maxime sat with elegance, her gaze calmly surveying the entire venue.
Karkaroff, on the other hand, looked anxious, his fingers tapping nervously on the armrest as his eyes occasionally darted toward the silent, towering figure among the Durmstrang students—Viktor Krum.
Once everyone had entered, Dumbledore stood up.
His warm voice echoed across the dueling arena. "The rules are simple: eight participants from each school will duel one-on-one. The winner advances until a final champion is decided."
He smiled and added, "Remember, the purpose of the competition is to demonstrate your skill and character. The use of any Unforgivable Curses is strictly forbidden. Always remember—you represent your school."
As soon as he finished speaking, two names appeared on the stone tablet, and the Gryffindor students erupted into cheers.
Percy Weasley took a deep breath, subconsciously straightening his Prefect badge, and walked onto the dueling platform with slightly stiff steps.
His opponent was a tall, cold-faced sixth-year girl from Beauxbatons.
"Random scenario?" Percy asked for confirmation.
"Yes," the girl replied with a nod.
The stone tablet flashed the words "Fountain Plaza" before slowly sinking into the ground with a rumble.
The venue transformed in an instant. Several giant fountains rose from the ground, jets of water shooting high into the air, mist swirling all around.
The Beauxbatons girl's lips curled into a slight smile as her wand traced an arc. A loose stone slab at her feet suddenly shot forward like a projectile.
Percy reacted quickly, immediately assuming a textbook defensive stance. "Protego!"
An invisible barrier shimmered to life.
The stone slab slammed into the Shield Charm with force. The barrier trembled violently, and Percy staggered from the impact.
"Expelliarmus!" Percy counterattacked at once, a streak of red light slicing through the mist.
The girl stepped gracefully to the side and murmured, "Binding Cantatio."
Several ropes appeared out of thin air and instantly coiled around Percy's arms.
"Laxus!" Percy shouted hurriedly.
The tightening ropes slackened immediately and dissolved into the air.
He quickly regained his footing and launched another spell. "Stupefy!"
But the Beauxbatons girl was quicker. Without uttering a word, she flicked her wand almost simultaneously.
The ground beneath Percy's feet turned to sludge in an instant. He yelped as his legs sank deep into the muddy trap.
At the critical moment, he rolled violently to the side, barely escaping the mud pit, his robes soaked and caked in sludge.
"Oh, Percy!" Fred and George wailed theatrically from the stands.
"Nonverbal spell! That was a very skilled nonverbal spell—how impressive!" Hermione whispered anxiously.
"Impedimenta!" The girl pressed her advantage, casting an Obstacle Curse at the spot Percy had just rolled to, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Though Percy had dodged twice in a row by rolling, he had clearly fallen into a pattern of constant defense, and for a while, appeared thoroughly overwhelmed.
The Beauxbatons stands erupted in cheers, applauding the girl's sharp, precise offensive. Even many Hogwarts students were amazed by her effortless command of nonverbal spells.
The rising cheers from the crowd gradually influenced the flow of the match. As raindrops began to fall, Percy's figure—mud-streaked and drenched—looked even more battered in the downpour.
Faced with a relentless stream of attacks, all he could do was dodge again and again. His wizard robes were soaked in grime, and his Prefect badge had long since vanished into the mud.
Had it not been for the "Snowman Special Training" Kestrel had put them through beforehand, he likely would've already been eliminated.
After narrowly avoiding another flying stone slab, Percy suddenly remembered Sagres's words in dueling class: constant evasion only leads to a passive and embarrassing defeat!
So, without even turning to aim, he raised his wand and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"
The spell shot past the girl's hair, close enough to make her pupils contract in alarm.
Percy immediately seized the fleeting opportunity, flinging his wand toward the fountain and casting, "Impedimenta!"
The massive jet of water was redirected by the spell, spraying toward the girl like a high-pressure hose. Percy followed up with several more spells aimed through the water curtain, not even glancing to see their effect before rolling away from his original position.
At that moment, the fountain abruptly ceased its spray, and the stone tablet in the center of the arena rose with a low rumble.
As if to answer everyone's curiosity, the stone tablet projected a massive magical image: the screen replayed, in clear detail, Percy using the Obstacle Curse to divert the fountain's stream, then using the water curtain to obscure his opponent's vision.
It showed the two spells he cast in succession—one of which, a Petrificus Totalus, pierced through the falling water and struck the girl precisely. The image froze at the moment Percy rolled away to safety.
"Percy Weasley wins!"
The Hogwarts crowd exploded into thunderous cheers, and even the Beauxbatons students responded with polite applause.
Percy's eyes were bright with excitement, though he struggled to keep a straight face, making his expression appear slightly stiff.
The Beauxbatons girl gave a respectful bow, then turned and exited the arena.
Percy spotted his Prefect badge lying in the mud, picked it up, gave a quick wave to the stands, and followed after her.
Fred and George dramatically clapped him on the back, loudly "congratulating" him with exaggerated praise. Even the usually stern Professor McGonagall allowed herself a faint smile.
The following duels were just as thrilling.
A seventh-year Ravenclaw student demonstrated masterful Transfiguration, turning his opponent's wand into a slippery eel.
Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory showed remarkable composure and skill, flawlessly combining the Obstacle Curse and Expelliarmus to cleanly defeat a sixth-year Durmstrang student, earning the loudest cheers of the day from the entire audience.
Even Madame Maxime gave a slight nod after watching the match. She turned to Professor McGonagall and whispered, "A very promising young man—quick-witted and graceful."
Durmstrang students generally displayed a rugged, aggressive style, with powerful spells and a distinct emphasis on real-world combat.
The atmosphere reached its peak when Viktor Krum stepped into the arena.
His opponent was Slytherin's former Seeker, Terence Higgs.
It was a duel between Seekers.
Higgs attempted to wear down his opponent through evasion, but Krum's movements were swift and precise. A simple Shield Charm easily deflected Higgs's spell, and a silent Petrificus Totalus followed—causing Higgs to fall stiffly to the ground like a felled log.
The entire match lasted only a few seconds. Krum hadn't even moved his feet.
The Durmstrang stands immediately erupted with deafening cheers and synchronized stomping.
The first round of the competition concluded quickly, with twelve students advancing. Hogwarts secured only three spots, Beauxbatons claimed four, while Durmstrang dominated with five qualifiers.
This result came as no surprise.
In recent years, Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts position had seen constant turnover, leading to inconsistent teaching and limited practical training.
That three Hogwarts students advanced at all was largely due to Sagres's deliberate training efforts over the past two years.
By contrast, Durmstrang's performance was significantly stronger.
Although their Professors might not be superior to those at Hogwarts, Durmstrang's long-standing tradition of emphasizing practical combat was deeply ingrained—even their average students could display remarkable strength in the dueling arena.
One could only say that this magic school, renowned for its dueling prowess, still had plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
As the sun set, the first day of the competition officially came to an end.
__________
💫Support & read up to 12+ chapters ahead on P@treon/DarkDevil1👉 Join to get early access and exclusive content!✨