[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
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Starting this week, the team was finally able to begin planning some simple, practical training exercises.
Although the group had made limited progress in other areas, the semester had only just begun, and many skills still required time and experience to develop.
Harry showed remarkable talent in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even after only a few classes, he had already mastered the practical use of one or two basic spells.
Although Quirrell occasionally cast strange looks their way whenever they attended his lessons, glances that sent chills down their spines, he was nevertheless a responsible instructor when it came to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.
During Tuesday night's dinner, Amanda informed Cedric to prepare for a live practice session the following evening.
"Um… wait a moment, are you sure?" Cedric asked, clearly confused, a large question mark practically hovering over his head.
"You've only just enrolled. And besides, you may not be aware of some of the school rules. As your senior, I have to remind you that Hogwarts strictly forbids private dueling."
Amanda gave him a knowing smile.
"Then we'll find a place to do it in secret."
She spoke before Cedric could reasonably refuse.
"First of all, we're not planning to do anything dangerous. We just want to learn how to protect ourselves. You saw what happened to Draco a few days ago, we urgently need some means of self-defense."
"With your guidance as an outstanding third-year, I believe it will help us master defensive techniques more quickly and make the training much safer."
"..."
Cedric glanced at Draco and rubbed his nose nervously.
"Alright, Amanda. You're right. I suppose we do need to learn some combat skills, but only defensive spells. Especially for Draco… at the very least, so we can protect ourselves if that Dark wizard ever finds him again."
Clearly, Cedric had also heard the rumors Amanda had spread through Lavender.
Amanda smiled and nodded.
"Thank you for your understanding. Then it's settled. Remember to meet us after dinner on Wednesday night."
…
"I've been at Hogwarts for three years and never knew a place like this existed…"
Cedric exclaimed in amazement as a door slowly appeared in front of the tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls.
Harry patted him on the shoulder.
"There are plenty more amazing things ahead, Cedric."
The four of them stepped into the Room of Requirement. Amanda walked ahead and, once inside, moved to the center of the room, facing Harry, Draco, and Cedric.
"First, we'll learn the simplest, and most effective, spell in real combat: the Disarming Charm."
The simplest spells often carried the greatest power. This was the spell Harry used most often. In the original story, he ultimately used the Disarming Charm to defeat Voldemort.
Amanda walked toward several life-sized wooden dummies arranged inside the Room of Requirement.
The dummies held props such as shields and wooden swords, exactly as she had imagined before entering.
"Expelliarmus."
A red beam of light shot toward the dummy in front of her.
The dummy was struck with a dull thud, rocking violently back and forth several times. The shield it was holding flew out of its grasp and smashed against the wall of the Room of Requirement.
"Excellent, Amanda!" Cedric exclaimed.
Amanda smiled in response and continued.
"This is the most basic spell used in dueling, but don't underestimate its power. For most wizards, losing their wand means losing the ability to fight."
"Alright, you two try it on the wooden posts first. I'm sure Cedric has already mastered this spell. Harry and Draco, once you've practiced and gotten the hang of it, we'll split into pairs and start sparring."
"Expelliarmus!"
"Expelliarmus…"
The Room of Requirement echoed with the sound of Harry and Draco chanting spells. Cedric found a chair and sat nearby to supervise them.
Amanda then turned toward a wooden post behind her and attempted to cast the Disarming Charm using non-verbal magic, or even wandless magic.
She had found almost no books on wandless magic in the library. Most merely told readers that wizards capable of wandless magic were extraordinarily gifted and vividly described the wonders such magic could achieve.
There were, however, plenty of books on non-verbal spells.
Non-verbal spells had the advantage of being cast discreetly, but in terms of raw power, they were often much weaker than spells spoken aloud.
Amanda had been reading several books on non-verbal magic over the past few days but hadn't had a chance to put the theory into practice. Today was the perfect opportunity.
She raised her wand and pointed it at the wooden dummy, recalling the techniques described in the books. Her gaze locked onto the weapon in its hand as she silently recited the incantation in her mind.
Fizz
A faint red spark shot from the tip of her wand, but it fizzled out midway, failing to reach the dummy. Cedric noticed what she was doing and walked over, clearly intrigued.
"Amanda, are you using a non-verbal spell? I mean… I've heard that's material for sixth-years."
Amanda nodded.
"Yes. It doesn't hurt to learn ahead of time. Would you like to try?"
She took two books on non-verbal magic from the Philosopher's Ring and handed them to Cedric.
"Here. I've read quite a few books on non-verbal spells, these two are especially good."
"Thanks. I suppose I'll have to take a proper look at them," Cedric said gratefully.
He carried the books to a nearby seat, opened one titled The Theory and Practical Application of Non-Verbal Spells, and began reading intently.
Amanda returned to practicing with the wooden dummy. Non-verbal magic truly was a profound art.
She could grasp the basic spells taught in class very quickly, often mastering them with little effort. But when it came to non-verbal spells, she was like any other young witch her age, starting entirely from scratch.
After several attempts, she gradually began to understand some of the core principles.
In addition to requiring more precise wand movements, the incantation had to be recited silently with a completely focused mind. There could be no distractions whatsoever.
On her next attempt at casting the Disarming Charm non-verbally, the sparks fired from the tip of her wand finally reached the wooden dummy.
The dummy jerked slightly, and the small wooden sword it was holding clattered to the floor.
Amanda exhaled softly, brushed a few strands of pale blond hair from her forehead, and wiped away the beads of sweat forming there.
No rush. Practice steadily.
She lowered her wand once more and attempted to use wandless magic again, just as before.
Using wandless magic did not weaken a spell as much as non-verbal casting, but its lack of precision was something Amanda found slightly embarrassing.
She extended her hand and aimed at the dummy, attempting to disarm it.
"Expelliarmus!"
Flash
A red beam burst from her palm, but halfway through it scattered into dispersed crimson light, raining down like meteors and striking several wooden dummies behind the target.
"Amanda! You missed!"
Harry was so absorbed in his own training that he hadn't noticed her movements at all. Before he could even finish his incantation, a red streak of light shot out from behind him, and the dummy's weapon clattered to the floor.
With a resigned sigh, he bent down, picked it up, and placed it back into the dummy's hand.
"…Missed," Amanda muttered, shaking her head.
She then tried combining non-verbal casting with wandless magic.
This time, she gained both good news and bad.
The good news was that a non-verbal spell combined with wandless magic was nearly indistinguishable from a spoken spell, with no reduction in power whatsoever. The bad news was that, in practice, it made little difference, her spells still lacked accuracy and control.
Single-target attacks turned into area-of-effect blasts, complete with an unintended bonus effect that resembled fireworks and flying sparks.
…
It seemed that wandless magic simply could not match the precision of casting with a wand, which allowed spells to be projected accurately in the direction of the wand tip.
The difference was like that between a shotgun and a precision rifle.
She didn't deny its usefulness in large-scale battles, but how could she make it more accurate and effective?
A new idea quickly formed in her mind. She recalled that young wizards often displayed magical talent because strange things happened around them instinctively.
Most children had no concept of spells at all, especially Muggle-borns.
Just like the time Harry released a massive python at the zoo, terrifying Dudley. All Harry had wanted was for the glass to disappear.
In other words, casting magic did not necessarily require an incantation, it could be driven purely by a wizard's will.
However, this method was far harder to systematize than conventional wand-based magic.
Try it.
She closed her eyes, emptied her mind, expelled every stray thought, and discarded all preconceived ideas. When she opened her eyes again, she stared directly at the weapon in the dummy's hand.
Abandon the concept of spells. Focus on the object itself.
Go.
A powerful intent surged within her. She felt the flow of magic inside her body and welcomed it. It converged into a single force, guided entirely by her will.
Amanda raised her hand and swept it gracefully through the air in an arc.
Drop, she prayed silently.
Clang
The small wooden sword fell heavily to the floor, slipping from the dummy's grasp. This time, no sparks flew from her hand, and no visible spell struck the dummy at all.
Only the dark green gemstone set at the center of the Philosopher's Ring on her wrist glimmered faintly.
If a Muggle happened to pass by, they would likely assume the dummy had simply been poorly made by a careless craftsman, that a sudden gust of wind had knocked the weapon from its hand. The principles governing wandless magic were the exact opposite of those behind non-verbal spells.
Non-verbal spells required memorizing incantations and relying on a wand, while wandless magic abandoned both wand and spell, focusing instead on the object itself.
That seemed to be the case.
A wand was, after all, a tool designed to make spellcasting more efficient and precise. Its invention had clearly raised the baseline ability of the vast majority of otherwise average wizards.
After a moment of reflection, reviewing the theoretical knowledge she had acquired, she settled on her primary direction of research. She clearly possessed a strong aptitude for wandless magic.
Wandless magic was unquestionably superior to simple non-verbal spells: it required no spoken sound at all and was even more discreet.
Moreover, it could be practiced anytime and anywhere.
However, its drawbacks were equally obvious, it demanded tremendous willpower, and the moment one's focus wavered, it became ineffective.
"I'm good now!" Harry shouted excitedly from a short distance away.
"I'm almost ready too." Draco took a deep breath and walked over to Amanda. "You're practicing wandless magic? It looks like you've got a real talent for it."
"I think I can probably use some simple magic now, but… who knows? Maybe it's thanks to the Philosopher's Ring."
Amanda replied cautiously and modestly. "I still need to study it more."
Draco patted her on the shoulder.
"Then when you figure it out, don't forget to teach me."
"Of course." Amanda smiled and walked toward the base of the dueling platform. "Now that everyone's finished training, I think we can begin the official duel."
"Harry, you and Draco go first. Take off the anti-curse badges."
Amanda removed the anti-curse badge pinned to her chest and set it aside.
After Harry and Draco removed theirs as well, they stepped onto the narrow dueling platform at the center of the Room of Requirement.
"Don't forget the etiquette," Draco reminded Harry.
"Oh, right." Harry nodded, looking as though he understood.
Draco took a few steps forward with his head held high and, just before reaching the center line, bowed to Harry. Harry mirrored the gesture and returned the bow.
They backed away from each other.
Draco strode swiftly toward the opposite end of the platform, but before he reached it, he suddenly spun around.
"Expelliarmus!"
A red beam shot from the tip of his wand and struck Harry squarely in the back.
"Ah!"
Harry cried out and was blasted backward, landing heavily on the cushions behind the dueling platform. Fortunately, the Room of Requirement had thoughtfully prepared several thick cushions behind the platform to break his fall.
Cedric hurried over anxiously to check on Harry. He shot Draco a disapproving look.
"Draco, Harry wasn't ready. You should wait until he is before starting."
Harry rubbed his backside and complained, "Cedric… I'm fine. Ow, Draco! What was that? I wasn't ready!"
Draco expertly plastered on a fake smile.
"When you're fighting an enemy, they don't care whether you're ready or not. Understand?"
He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry.
"Get up, Harry. Let's continue."
Harry stood up, straightened his rumpled robes, and raised his wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
Draco dodged sideways. "Expelliarmus!"
Harry ducked and evaded as well.
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