Marius Cloud's words echoed through the Slytherin common room.
Every first-year froze.
Was this guy serious?
Sure, Marius had made quite the name for himself since the start of term—but most of that was because of his bold behavior, not his magical ability. No one had actually seen him fight yet.
And Draco Malfoy, who now stood opposite him, had already defeated several challengers with ease. His prowess was undeniably top-tier among the new students.
Even Snape's expression darkened.
He already disliked Marius for challenging him on the first day—and now he was being openly arrogant?
Perfect.
Let Draco teach the boy a lesson in humility.
But what happened next took everyone by surprise.
Draco didn't talk back.
Not even a sneer.
Instead, sweat visibly poured down his pale forehead, his lips trembling with unspoken words.
What's going on…?
The watching students stared, dumbfounded.
Could it be… that Draco was actually afraid of Marius?
The other Shadow Prefects, the top duelists of their respective years, narrowed their eyes with interest.
Who exactly was this Marius Cloud?
"What's the matter, Draco?"
Marius still wore that easy smile.
"Haven't recovered from fainting on the train yet?"
Gasps rippled through the room.
Wait… what?
The Draco Malfoy—who had just trounced a whole queue of first-years—fainted on the train?
Every student turned their wide eyes on Draco, silently begging for confirmation.
Draco's eye twitched, cold sweat now soaking his robes.
He wanted to deny it. He should deny it.
But in front of Marius, he couldn't even open his mouth.
The silence was its own confession.
Snape's brow twitched.
Lucius asked me to look after this boy, and this is what I get?
Marius spoke again, voice calm but laced with playful menace.
"What now? Still daydreaming? Or do I really need to personally invite you down from the platform?"
That broke Draco's trance.
Shuddering once, he gave Marius one last pained look—and turned, walking off the dueling stage without a word.
The room exploded.
"He just talked him down!"
"That's insane!"
"Did we just watch a Shadow Prefect win without even fighting?!"
The Slytherin students couldn't believe it.
Steve and Samuel exchanged a look, both filled with confusion.
"…Anyone else want to compete?" Steve cleared his throat, trying to bring the situation back under control.
There was a brief pause—then a tall, broad-shouldered boy stepped forward.
"I'll try!"
The tension sparked back to life.
"My name is Slime Finston," the burly boy said, eyes locked on Marius. "And I challenge you!"
Marius didn't even flinch.
He just narrowed his eyes.
"With a name like that, you'd think you'd at least act like a side mob. What, desperate to get a hospital bed on your first night?"
Slime snorted and raised his wand.
"I don't believe your hype! Talk is cheap—let's settle this with magic!"
To be fair, Slime wasn't entirely foolish.
Draco's retreat could've been influenced by his family status. A pure-blood heir like Draco had more to lose—maybe he simply didn't want a public embarrassment.
But if Marius was all bark and no bite, this would be his chance to shine.
If he could beat the guy everyone was fawning over, he'd instantly become the name of the year.
He grinned.
"But let's get one thing clear—if you get hurt because you're too weak, that's on y—"
"Stupefy!"
A brilliant flash of red shot from Marius's wand.
Boom!
Slime flew clean off the platform before he could even finish his sentence.
No one even saw Marius draw his wand—let alone cast the spell.
Marius tapped the tip of his wand against the unconscious Slime's chest.
"You said we already started, didn't you?"
"Lesson one: Don't monologue during a duel."
The room was silent.
Even the three other Shadow Prefects stood frozen.
That… that was too fast.
An instant KO.
Sure, Draco had won a few fights—but those had been full duels, with back and forth, feints, and blocks. This?
This was a demonstration.
Pansy looked on with the same starry-eyed admiration as always.
To her, this wasn't even surprising—this was simply what Marius did.
But Steve and Samuel were on full alert.
They exchanged a tense glance.
That wand speed… the swiftness of his spellcasting… the sheer force of his Stunning Spell…
No normal first-year should be capable of this.
"Anyone else?"
Marius clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping across the first-years.
Every student he looked at instantly dropped their eyes to the floor.
Snape, though clearly annoyed, gave Steve a curt nod.
Steve stepped forward with a wide, practiced smile.
"Well then, it seems we have our first-year Shadow Prefect—undoubtedly—"
"Wait."
Marius raised a hand, cutting him off.
Steve blinked, confused.
Marius smiled faintly.
"To be honest, I wasn't all that interested in this title."
"But…" He turned to look at the three Shadow Prefects— Brunel, Joseph, and Barry—his gaze steady.
"…Now that I've stepped onto the field, I won't do anything halfway."
"I have a rule: Whatever I do—I do it best."
"So let's keep this little ritual going."
Marius raised his chin slightly, eyes gleaming.
"If I beat all of you…
Then every Shadow Prefect, no matter the year… will answer to me."
"Let's see who's truly king."
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