"HP: Too Late, System!"Chapter 353: Tactical Communication Earrings
"Valentine Webb of Hufflepuff is making his move! Bay leaves—did you see that? He actually extinguished the Fire Serpent Curse with his mouth! Yes, I've seen something like this before—it must be one of Professor Holmes' little tricks..."
With practiced ease, Valentine slipped a bay leaf into his mouth, chewed twice, and, just as the fiery serpent lunged toward him, spat directly at it. The flame hissed and vanished, dissolving into a wisp of smoke.
At the same moment, his right hand flicked his wand, sending off a silent, beginner-level spell. It was only a simple Levitation Charm, but it caught Garrick completely off guard, making him stumble.
The stands erupted in a storm of applause. Students buzzed with excitement, marveling at the cleverness of the move.
On the platform, the professors—save for those from the Ministry—remained unfazed. After all, when this little trick was first developed, Douglas Holmes had consulted with Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, and even taken some of Professor Snape's advice on the magical properties of saliva in potions...
"Meg Erin of Ravenclaw—a Chaser by position—has adapted to the Void-Walking Insoles with impressive speed. She's already dancing through the air, dodging the fire serpent and claiming her familiar aerial advantage. Of course, the insoles aren't broomsticks—no need to kick off and lunge forward..."
She quickly found her balance—what else would you expect from a Ravenclaw? She fired off a spell of her own... but unfortunately, Mr. Garrick's earth wall was up to the challenge. Not only did he conjure a curved barrier to block Meg's attack, but it also intercepted Alicia Spinnet's enchanted tracking handcuffs from Gryffindor. A missed opportunity!
Crouched behind his arched earth wall, Garrick wiped sweat from his brow. That was close.
Truthfully, it was just luck—his earth wall was meant to counter Meg in the air, but it accidentally blocked Alicia's handcuffs as well. He remembered Scrimgeour's warning: if those cuffs locked onto their target, it was game over. Thankfully, they didn't have his magical signature, so they only worked by direct contact.
He took a steadying breath, angled his wand, and prepared to retaliate. Every second counted—he couldn't afford to lose to a group of students barely out of childhood. That would be a humiliation he'd never live down.
Suddenly, he sensed something strange about the arena's space. He tried Apparition—and instantly appeared on the opposite side of the ring.
Just as he regained his balance—
Sirius Black's voice rang out, brimming with excitement: "Brilliant! Mr. Garrick has discovered the octagonal arena's hidden feature! That's right—the arena exists within its own magical space, free from some of Hogwarts' usual magical restrictions. Apparition and Disapparition are both possible here!"
But Meg Erin, still in control of the skies, immediately spotted Garrick's new position and fired a spell at him. Sirius continued, "Ah, I know what you're all wondering—how did Alicia and Valentine react so quickly, too?"
"Pay attention to their ears—they're all wearing Tactical Communication Earrings."
"With these, as long as the wearer focuses on what they want to share, they can communicate telepathically within a fifty-meter radius."
As Garrick ducked awkwardly to avoid Meg's spell, he raised his wand and cast a Shield Charm to block simultaneous attacks from Alicia and Valentine. Then, he went on the offensive.
In his experience, you always target the eyes first—and Meg Erin, gliding above, was clearly the trio's lookout.
A Stunning Spell shot straight for Meg. He'd predicted her movements with uncanny accuracy.
Meg's eyes widened as the scarlet spell hurtled toward her. She tried to lift her wand for a Shield Charm, but there was no time.
Just as she braced for impact, an invisible shield snapped into place around her, deflecting the spell. But panic had thrown off her balance, and she plummeted from the air.
Alicia and Valentine reacted instantly—one cast a Levitation Charm to steady Meg, while the other pressed the attack, keeping Garrick under pressure.
Garrick cursed under his breath. Another set of handcuffs was flying his way—he conjured another arched earth wall to block them.
He'd gotten a feel for his opponents now: their dueling skills exceeded most students, but their teamwork still left something to be desired.
He was deep in tactical thought when Sirius's voice cut through the air again.
Sirius swooped around above the arena, narrating, "Beautiful Levitation Charm! Miss Erin's still a bit rattled, but no worries—they're all equipped with Badge Shields, which automatically trigger a Shield Charm at critical moments."
"And before you get any ideas—these shields aren't for sale to students... Oh, Mr. Garrick, if you want one for yourself—ah, he's back in his fortress already."
After catching Meg, Alicia quickly adjusted their tactics. Through their Tactical Communication Earrings, the trio coordinated seamlessly.
Valentine produced three small pastries from his pocket, transformed them into sunglasses with a flick of his wand, and handed them to Alicia and Meg.
Then, all three pressed their wands together and cast a massive Solar Sphere spell...
Seeing what was coming, Douglas Holmes conjured a giant glass shield in front of the platform using a handy piece of fruit.
As for the students in the stands—those who'd experienced this before scrambled for makeshift sunglasses, cursing as they did. The rest, unfamiliar with the infamous Holmes-brand Solar Sphere, shut their eyes and muttered curses at the "three sly foxes" in the ring.
Overhead, Sirius swore under his breath at Douglas, then hurriedly donned his own sunglasses.
In the stands, Scrimgeour scowled. These tactics, these new spells—no doubt, all Holmes's handiwork. He could already see how this first match would end.
"Beautiful teamwork! And with that, let's officially announce the result of the first match—Hogwarts wins!"
When the Solar Sphere faded, the crowd saw Garrick trapped in a massive net. He struggled, but the magical mesh was too strong—he couldn't move an inch. Alicia, Valentine, and Meg exchanged a triumphant look and holstered their wands in perfect sync.
Applause was slow in coming—most students were still rubbing their eyes and grumbling.
Sirius, ever the showman, pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and launched into his commentary:
"Since most of you missed that dazzling display, let me break it down. Mr. Garrick thought that after knocking Meg down, he could use Apparition to ambush the students, knowing the Badge Shields only activate three times. But the trio coordinated to cast the Douglas Solar Sphere—let's call it that—which instantly flooded the field with blinding light, throwing Garrick off completely."
"But, clever as ever, the students had put on sunglasses ahead of time, so they weren't affected. When Garrick reappeared, he was blinded by the glare—he never saw the net coming."
"And now, allow me to introduce tonight's final product—the Transfiguration Net, crafted from dragonhide fibers and reinforced with Fireproofing Charms. It can restrain even the toughest foes... and, as you can see, it's easy to store."
With a flourish, Sirius pointed his wand at Garrick. The net shrank into a tight ball and landed in his palm.
"Haha, I won't reveal the counter-spell for this one... but if you're curious, come see me after the match!"
At last, the students caught on and erupted into thunderous applause.
The three champions stepped forward and, one by one, gave the still-bewildered, teary-eyed Garrick a hug, each murmuring a heartfelt thank you.
Garrick could only look up at Scrimgeour on the platform, dazed and speechless...
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