Only Marius Cloud knew the truth—his effortless defense just now had little to do with luck and everything to do with Ollivander's wand. The wand crafted for him was extraordinary. Without it, there was no way he could have deflected that Bone-Shattering Curse so casually.
The deflected curse, though dimmed, still packed a punch—and it slammed straight into the one person who'd definitely not planned to be part of this duel:
Professor Severus Snape.
"Oof. Talk about getting hit while lying down," Marius muttered with a mischievous grin. "Professor Snape, I solemnly swear I didn't mean to hit you... but I think you'll want to hear that from Barry yourself."
Everyone turned as Snape was blasted backward across the hall, barely shielding himself in time. While most believed he wasn't seriously hurt, the sight left everyone breathless.
If anyone else had said it wasn't intentional, people might've believed them.
But coming from Marius, who had just shown total mastery over curse deflection—including controlling their direction?
No one bought it.
They all knew—he'd aimed that one at Snape on purpose.
-------
No one had imagined the Shadow Duel Ceremony would end like this. Of the three once-proud Shadow Prefects, only Barry remained.
Even the previously dismissive Samuel and Steve—senior leaders of the upper years—had now dropped their sneers and begun to watch Marius with somber interest.
Who knew what kind of monster this kid would become?
Barry's body trembled. Was it rage, or was he realizing just how deep a hole he was in?
"Aguamenti!"
Marius conjured a spiraling stream of water that wrapped playfully around Barry. "Calm down, Barry. You're trembling. I figured a little water might help you chill out."
"GET LOST!"
Barry bellowed, blasting away the water with a pulse of raw magic. "REDUCTO!"
This time, the same spell burst from his wand—but its power was restrained. He'd clearly learned from earlier.
"Stupefy!"
Marius responded with a textbook Stunning Spell. The two spells clashed with explosive force midair, drawing immediate gasps.
Even though Marius had bested Brunel before, most still expected him to lose this round. Barry was a fourth-year Shadow Prefect—the pinnacle of Slytherin's dueling elite. Compared to him, Brunel's strength was a notch or two lower.
Even if Marius lost, it wouldn't matter. Every Slytherin present had already acknowledged him.
He'd defeated not one, but two Shadow Prefects from upper years. That alone etched his name into the house's history.
Even Snape, despite the wand burn still sizzling on his robes, couldn't help but reevaluate this insufferable little monster.
...Though that didn't mean he had to like him any more.
Still, just as Snape was trying to sort through his tangled thoughts—
Gasps erupted across the hall like a wave crashing down.
The clashing spells in the center had shifted—and to everyone's shock, Marius's spell was overwhelming Barry's.
"No... way..."
Barry gritted his teeth. The pressure on his wand surged. He couldn't control the spell's force anymore—his instincts took over and he poured all his magic into it. He had to. Otherwise, he'd lose.
"How the bloody hell does he have so much magical power?!"
Samuel, the fifth-year Shadow Prefect, shot to his feet in disbelief.
He realized—Marius's raw magical strength… might even rival his own.
"Maybe Barry's just worn out?" someone offered weakly.
But Steve shook his head. "Compared to Marius, who's been fighting all three of them from the start—who do you think's used more magic?"
That shut everyone up.
The inevitable came.
Barry—Slytherin's fourth-year duel king—was launched across the ring, crashing through a table that shattered into splinters.
That had to hurt.
Marius, standing tall in the center of the dueling arena, looked around him. The crowd stared back, stunned, eyes wide and mouths open.
For two seconds, silence ruled the room.
Then…
"Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!"
A roar of deafening cheers burst from the Slytherin students.
Slytherin House had always been a place of survival of the fittest, of winners and losers, of strength above all. And in that moment, Marius Cloud was their king.
Snape stalked back into the circle, his expression a masterpiece of suppressed fury and disbelief. With a voice like ice, he announced:
"Marius Cloud… wins."
It was the final piece of the puzzle. The cheers rose again, loud enough to shake the walls of the common room. It sounded as if they would tear the ceiling off.
But no one cared. They had witnessed a legend being born.
A mere first-year… had defeated the top duelists of second, third, and fourth year. Not barely—dominated. This was the kind of thing that didn't just happen—it echoed in house memory for decades.
The Mark of a King
Brunel stirred on the floor, groaning. Joseph groggily sat up. Barry staggered upright, clutching his ribs. But all three looked not with resentment… but with respect.
They had been the ones on the receiving end. They knew—Marius didn't win through tricks or flukes. He'd beaten them fair and square. With magic, strength, strategy—and that damn annoying smirk.
And in Slytherin, power earns respect.
Age didn't matter. Lineage didn't matter. Only one thing did: strength.
And Marius Cloud had it in spades.
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