The Room of Requirement felt empty with so many students gone for the holidays, the reduced number making the training space seem larger than it actually was. The usual noise of overlapping conversations was missing, replaced instead by a quieter, more focused atmosphere as the remaining members of the United Group gathered in front of the practice targets.
Amelia didn't waste time setting the tone. She looked over the group once, her gaze lingering briefly on the lower-year students—third, fourth, and fifth years who were already shifting uneasily—before gesturing toward the targets without any explanation.
"Cast on the dummy," she said.
A few of them hesitated, clearly expecting instructions first, but Amelia didn't repeat herself. One of the younger students stepped forward and raised his wand, focusing for a moment before attempting the spell.
Nothing happened.
The magic failed to take shape, flickering weakly at the tip of his wand before fading out entirely.
Amelia said nothing, which somehow made it worse.
Another of the lower years tried, this time forcing more effort into it. A burst of magic formed, but it collapsed midway, dispersing before it could reach the target. A third attempt went off improperly, the spell forming too late and shooting wide, striking the padded wall instead.
Behind them, the sixth- and seventh-years had already begun pairing off. Unlike the younger students, their spells formed reliably, but their exchanges lacked structure—more instinctive back-and-forth than anything resembling proper dueling.
Amelia let the initial attempts finish before speaking, her tone calm but cutting through the room with ease.
"If this is what you rely on, then you're not ready to duel anyone," she said, folding her arms. "You're casting without knowing what you want the spell to do, and it shows."
A few uncomfortable glances were exchanged, but no one argued.
She stepped forward, pointing at the targets again. "You're going to try again, but this time you decide first. Not where the spell goes—what it does when it gets there. If you can't answer that in your head before casting, don't cast at all."
The second round began with more hesitation, but also more focus. The lower years took longer before casting, their attention turning inward as they tried to form a clear outcome before releasing the spell. The results improved slightly, though not consistently.
One student cast and watched in frustration as the red light appeared at the tip of his wand before dissipating. " I don't get it."
Amelia stepped in beside him. "What did you want it to do?"
"Stun properly."
"That's not an answer," she said. "If you can't describe the effect, you don't understand it. Try again, but this time decide exactly what you expect to happen when it lands."
He frowned, thought for a second, then cast again. This time the spell formed cleanly and struck the dummy with a sharp impact.
"Good. Keep practicing," Amelia said, already moving on to the next student.
A 3rd year student near Gilderoy attempted a spell again, only for it to collapse before forming. He tried again, this time with visible frustration, and failed in exactly the same way.
Gilderoy stepped closer. "What are you trying to do?"
The student looked at him. "Make it work."
"That's vague enough to fail every time," Gilderoy replied. "What should happen when it hits?"
The student hesitated, clearly unsure.
Gilderoy nodded slightly. "That's your problem. You're casting without a result in mind. Decide the intent first, then commit."
The student tried again, taking a moment longer this time. A red spell burst from his wand and struck the dummy with a solid clang.
"…Oh," he said, blinking at the result.
"It's not complicated," Gilderoy said. "You're just making it harder than it needs to be."
Another student, who had been watching, stepped closer. "Can you help me too?"
Within minutes, more of the lower years had drifted toward him, each one asking in turn as they tried their spells again under his guidance
Pandora watched the shift with clear interest. "You're attracting a crowd," she remarked.
"Well, I, Gilderoy Lockhart, do not mind imparting my knowledge to eager students," he said, a confident smile spreading across his face, his tone dripping with that familiar boastful flair.
Several of his peers—those who had known him for years—exchanged looks before sighing in unison, a few already rubbing their temples as the familiar act returned in full force.
Gilderoy caught it immediately.
His smile widened just a little more, bright and utterly shameless, as he met their gazes one by one, holding it just long enough to be irritating.
The reaction was instant.
Annoyance flickered across their faces, restrained but very much there, as he turned away as if nothing had happened at all.
The lower years took their time before casting, fewer spells failed outright, and their control improved noticeably. The older students continued their duels, but even then, their exchanges remained rough, lacking the discipline that came with formal training.
Amelia shifted her attention toward the sixth- and seventh-years, watching one exchange before stepping in. "You're both too slow," she said, cutting them off. "One of you keeps casting and doesn't stop. The other focuses only on defending—and if you see an opening, send something back immediately."
The two students nodded, adjusting their stance as they faced each other again.
This time, the exchange picked up pace. One began casting in quicker succession, forcing the other to react continuously instead of pausing between spells. The defender struggled at first, missing a block and taking a hit, but on the next attempt managed to raise a defense in time and return a spell, albeit a fraction too late to capitalize fully.
"Again," Amelia said.
They repeated it, faster this time. The hesitation between their actions began to shrink, their reactions coming a little sooner, the gaps between casting and response narrowing with each attempt.
Nearby, Gilderoy watched quietly, noting the improvement as the exchanges grew slightly faster with each attempt.
Pandora's attention shifted toward him, a faint smile forming as she stepped closer. "Since you're being helpful today, why not duel with me?" she said, her tone light. "Just a simple exchange. Nothing complicated."
Gilderoy glanced at her for a moment, then gave a small, easy shrug as he stepped forward. "Sure. If you insist."
They moved into position, facing each other with just enough distance between them for a short exchange, the nearby students beginning to notice and subtly shifting their attention toward them.
Pandora moved first, her spell clean and deliberate. Gilderoy deflected it without difficulty and responded almost immediately.
"Accio." He said aiming for her wand.
Pandora moved at the same time.
The spell caught her instead.
She was pulled forward with enough force to close the distance instantly, colliding into him before he could correct it. He caught her reflexively to keep them both from losing balance, his grip steady.
Pandora looked up at him, entirely unbothered by the sudden proximity. "Whoa, Gilderoy… where exactly were you aiming?" she asked, her voice laced with quiet amusement. Before he could react, her fingers gave a quick, subtle pinch to his backside.
"That wasn't intentional," Gilderoy replied at once, releasing her immediately.
"Oh, really?" Pandora's brows lifted, her smile turning just a shade more mischievous as she held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary.
Behind her, Xenophilius watched the exchange with an expression that didn't quite match the situation. There was no tension in him, no trace of jealousy—only a strange, almost pleased smile, as if he found the entire outcome quietly entertaining.
Is there something wrong with Xenophilius? Why is he smiling like that?
Pandora stepped back then, smoothing her robes with casual ease, the moment slipping away as if nothing unusual had happened at all.
The remaining time passed with more controlled practice, the earlier chaos avoided through more deliberate casting. By the end, the difference from the beginning was clear enough that even the less confident students could see it.
Amelia stepped forward once more. "That's enough for today. If you remember anything, remember this—if you don't know what your spell is supposed to do before you cast it, then you shouldn't be casting it at all."
There were nods this time, more certain than before.
Regulus spoke then, his voice cutting through the room without effort. "Lockhart."
Gilderoy looked at him.
"You've been holding back," Regulus said, stepping forward. "You defeated me. You reached the semifinals of the international dueling tournament. That's not something you reach by accident."
The room went still as the weight of his words settled, several students turning toward Gilderoy in shock, their faces frozen in outright disbelief.
Gilderoy didn't deny it. For once, he didn't deflect either. Instead, a slow smile spread across his face as he gave an exaggerated, almost theatrical bow.
"Ahh, I, Gilderoy Lockhart, did indeed participate in the tournament," he said lightly, straightening with practiced ease. "And yes, I advanced to the semifinals."
A few stunned looks lingered, the shift in perception almost visible as the group tried to reconcile this version of him with the one they thought they knew.
Gilderoy met Regulus's gaze without wavering, and in that quiet moment, it became clear to everyone present that whatever assumptions they had made about him until now had been completely and irreversibly - wrong.
---
Drop stones.
I am releasing this chapter even though the power stones haven't reached target.
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