Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 178 We still need wisdom!

Draco stood in his designated spot, staring at Harry across from him, secretly plotting something.

Potter grew up in a Muggle family and probably didn't know many spells. At most, he attended a few tutoring sessions with Professor Levent, learned some basic dueling techniques, and learned the Disarming Charm ahead of time.

Skill is one aspect, but there's also the issue of dueling etiquette.

Unlike the pure-blood noble wizards of Slytherin, Gryffindors are a group of reckless and barbaric individuals who show no regard for appearances when dueling, focusing solely on winning with all their might. The last duel was abruptly ended by Professor X's intervention, but Draco could sense that Potter's fighting ability was slightly superior to his own.

Despite practicing intensively during his holiday at home and not having much fun during the entire Christmas break, he still lacked confidence in this battle.

Keep in mind, their opponent is Porter!

In his first year, he faced trolls and the dark wizard Quirrell. In his second year, he directly confronted the basilisk. Although there were always external factors interfering with these battles, his achievements are real. As an ordinary second-year student, who wouldn't feel intimidated when facing such opponents?

In any case, he is a descendant of the Malfoy family, a Slytherin wizard, and was taught by Professor Levent. He is courageous but not barbaric or mindless. As long as he makes good use of the Malfoy family's wisdom... he will definitely win!

Draco took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a complex expression, but he still gripped his wand firmly.

……

Harry was also secretly observing Malfoy across from him.

Having attended Hogwarts for almost two years, he has experienced a series of events. He once clashed with Malfoy and also served the same confinement punishment of patrolling the Forbidden Forest. When Hagrid secretly hatched and raised Norbert, he did not inform on him and volunteered to become the team's Seeker, making him a worthy competitor...

When I asked for Dobby earlier, he agreed very readily.

The conspiracy orchestrated by Mr. Malfoy may have nothing to do with his son.

Compared to his initial simple dislike, Harry's opinion of Malfoy has improved slightly.

End the fight quickly, go a little easy on Malfoy, so he doesn't get too embarrassed.

Harry thought to himself.

"one two three!"

【Expelliarmus】

Harry quickly regained his senses, waved his wand, and magic surged forth, a beam of red light instantly striking Malfoy in front of him.

This was the Disarming Charm that both Professor Levent and Professor Flitwick had taught. Harry had only recently learned it and could only be considered to have a basic grasp of it; its power wasn't particularly outstanding. However, Harry felt that this charm was exceptionally easy to cast, as if it perfectly suited his magic.

At the same time, the other party also raised his hand and cast a spell, also a disarming spell. The speed was not as fast as the two professors who had just demonstrated, but it was already considered extremely fast among their peers.

Based on his experience from numerous battles, Harry narrowed his eyes, his intuition telling him that the opponent's disarming charm was weaker than his own.

"boom!"

With a muffled roar, the two disarming spells collided precisely.

The spells were cast almost simultaneously, but Harry's Disarming Charm was faster and more powerful. It continued to travel a distance after impact, exploding less than five feet in front of Draco.

Closer distance means higher risk and shorter reaction time.

The side that gains the advantage will be able to react faster and have ample time to organize the next attack.

Harry, standing 17 feet away, saw the astonishment on Draco's face and his wide eyes, and without hesitation launched a second attack.

【Expelliarmus】

Another crimson beam streaked across the hall, shooting straight toward the opponent's chest.

Draco immediately waved his wand as well.

"boom!"

The two disarming spells collided and exploded with a deafening roar. This time, the explosion was much closer to Draco, only about three feet away.

Before he could prepare, the third spell crossed the safe distance, streaking towards him with a thin tail of red light. Draco had no time to think and could only hastily defend himself. The spell had barely finished when the two spells collided and exploded almost touching the tip of his staff.

"No, we'll lose if this continues..."

Draco was slightly flustered, and three disarming spells in succession rendered him almost unable to lift his head. The wisdom of the Malfoy family was completely useless.

You can't directly challenge his spell!

That guy's disarming spell was a bit outrageous; it was cast faster and more powerful. When the two spells collided, it was an almost one-sided defeat.

The three consecutive explosions left Draco's head buzzing. He couldn't think of a solution in his haste, and having learned his lesson from last time, he didn't want to resort to dark magic like the Oolong Emerging from its Cave. Various thoughts raced through his mind, but ultimately only one remained—

Let's fight him!

The opposing team was already preparing for their fourth attack. Draco realized he couldn't keep up, so he looked at his well-maintained wand, gritted his teeth, and threw it directly at the opponent's face.

The hawthorn wood is thick and heavy. A portion of it has been hollowed out to store the unicorn tail hair core. It still has a lot of weight and makes a slight sound when it spins in mid-air.

"Huh...huh..."

The throwing posture was not standard, and the force and angle were both wrong. It deviated slightly from the intended route, but fortunately it was not far away and did not deviate too much.

Harry stared in surprise at the small wooden stick that struck his trouser leg. It didn't hurt or itch; it had little force and was less powerful than a blow from Tooth's tail. But it did stop him from casting a spell.

Following closely behind was Malfoy.

He disregarded the elegance of a pure-blood wizard and the manners of a Slytherin, grabbed his collar and rammed into him. The impact of his running start threw the two to the ground, and they naturally began to wrestle.

The wizard duel became anything but magical.

When Melvin returned to the Great Hall, this was the scene he saw: two lean second-year students were wrestling. It was more of a one-sided fight than a fight, with Harry holding Draco's arm firmly in his grasp, giving him a clear advantage.

Draco, pampered since childhood, had never been in a fight, while Harry often sparred with his cousin, a heavyweight boxer, and the difference between the two was very obvious.

Looking around, there was almost no murmur; the onlookers were all silent.

The prefects of both houses, Professors Flitwick and Snape, and the students watching the spectacle watched with sparkling eyes and eager expressions, but no one stepped forward to stop them.

Melvin also saw Hermione: "Why didn't you separate them?"

“This duel has a wager; if Harry wins, he can save Dobby,” Hermione whispered.

"There's no need to make such a scene. They're wizards, what kind of fight is this?" Melvin couldn't bear to watch; it was even worse than when they used dark magic last time. "Harry even had tutoring sessions, it's not like he couldn't win. Where's his wand?"

"It was Malfoy who chose hand-to-hand combat."

"..."

Melvin fell silent.

Is this still the same proud, peacock-like Malfoy?
Could it be due to my own influence?

Last semester, they encouraged him to compete for the Seeker position and to show courage, which turned a Slytherin into a Gryffindor.

……

Courage has its limits. As the initial excitement cooled and Draco regained his senses, a wave of shame washed over him when he caught sight of the teachers and classmates watching.

The feeling was familiar, somewhat similar to when I recommended myself to Professor Snape last semester. I had been caught up in the moment but regained my senses, and I was being stared at in the same way.

Last time it was just Professor Snape, but this time it was almost the entire school. Draco realized something was wrong; Professor Levente's teaching seemed problematic. Courage doesn't always work. Last time he got the Seeker position, but this time he caused the Malfoy family to lose face.

It makes him seem like one of those Gryffindor idiots.

"..."

This farce should end!

Draco held his breath, relaxed his hands for a moment, and exerted force at the same time during the relaxation of his opponent. It looked like he was about to break free of the restraints, but Harry just grabbed his arms again and resumed the grip.

The joint was twisted into a tricky angle, making it difficult to move and causing severe pain.

Draco quickly whispered, "Let go! Let go!"

"You've given up?" Harry relaxed a little.

"..."

Draco frowned slightly. He had already lost face once by making such a scene; if he admitted defeat, he would lose face twice. "How could that be!"

"Then I won't let go."

"..."

Draco twisted a few more times, only to find that it was virtually impossible for him to break free on his own. Instead, he was twisted even more painfully and tightly. Completely exhausted, he had no expression and was even somewhat numb.

Potter is a Gryffindor, and he doesn't care about manners or such things at all.

His monstrous mind was only focused on winning and wanting that house-elf.

House-elves?
Draco's eyes lit up. He lowered his voice and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Let me go, and then admit defeat, and I'll give you that house-elf!"

“I won the duel, so you should have released Dobi.”

Draco gave up struggling and sneered, "You're right, but do you really want to do this?"

"..."

Harry paused for a moment, then recalled Dobby's scars and the various punishments it had described.

Burning hands with an iron, banging one's head against a wall, whipping one's torso... In the eyes of a pure-blood wizard, house-elves seem to be less than even the lowest of slaves. One can imagine that if Dobby were to anger Malfoy, he might suffer even more cruel punishments.

Although Dobby can be quite hateful at times, he's just a little mentally unstable; he's kind at heart.

Harry frowned slightly, loosened his grip a little, and asked in a low voice, "If I give up, you won't torture Dobby anymore and will just hand it over to me?"

"I swear in the name of Malfoy."

"All right……"

Sure enough, Malfoys are all bad guys!
Harry released his grip, stood up with a complicated expression, and bowed with his wand in acknowledgment: "I concede defeat in this duel."

Draco also struggled to his feet, panting as he completed the dueling ceremony, but without a hint of smugness on his face. He staggered out of the Great Hall and headed toward the Slytherin common room.

Professor Levent's teachings are not applicable in all situations; most of the time, the wisdom passed down in the Malfoy family is more reliable.

Professor Flitwick's voice, tinged with amusement, rang out:

"Alright, that concludes today's dueling lesson."

"The methods for practicing the Disarming Charm and the Armor Charm will be made into videos and given to the prefects of each house. If there is anything unclear, you can watch and practice it repeatedly through the Mirror of Shadows, or ask me questions during your free time, or you can consult Professors Snape and Levent."

The class leaders all nodded in agreement.

Influenced by Melvin last semester, each college common room has a small mirror, with professors from each subject providing relevant memorizations, which are used to review and fill in any gaps in knowledge.

Mentioning the mirror inevitably sparks discussion.

George of Gryffindor called out, "Professor, could you help us connect the Shadow Mirror to the Floo Network?"

“This matter involves the school’s security, and I can’t make a decision on it. I need to ask Headmaster Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall,” Flitwick said with a smile and a shake of his head.

After scanning the auditorium and confirming there were no other issues, the professor dismissed the class.
"Next week at the same time, here again, the Duel Club welcomes everyone to join."

"..."

George and Fred exchanged a glance, their eyes darting around, before turning and walking out of the Great Hall, seemingly heading to find Professor McGonagall.

……

Melvin dismissed the students and ended the club activities, staying behind to help Professor Flitwick tidy up the auditorium, where candles and various tables and chairs floated and tumbled in mid-air.

While casting the Levitation Charm, Melvin and Flitwick chatted idly, one sentence accusing Headmaster Dumbledore of exploiting the staff, the next exchanging tips on using the Levitation Charm. They seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.

They extinguished the torches and candles, said goodbye to Mrs. Lorris, and went upstairs together back to their office.

As lights out approached, there were no students in the hallways, and the portraits on the walls were quietly laid to rest. As they passed the third floor, they happened to run into Professor McGonagall, who had just come down from upstairs.

“Melvin, Felius…” The vice-principal greeted the two, but his gaze lingered on Melvin. “Are you free tomorrow? Come with me to Hogsmeade. There are some accounts to settle.”

Flitwick also looked at Melvin; since the young professor arrived, the two of them had become regular partners on this project.

But Melvin refused this time, spreading his hands helplessly: "I'm sorry, Professor, I have a business appointment with a friend tomorrow... some personal business."

"Not in Hogsmeade?"

"In Newcastle."

"In that case, my weekend will be requisitioned."

Flitwick sighed regretfully, which made Professor McGonagall chuckle. Neither of them delved into why the young professor was discussing business in a coastal city near the North Sea.

Melvin chuckled softly, "Why is Professor McGonagall coming downstairs?"

"The Weasley twins' application to connect the Mirrors of the various houses to the Floo Network, so I went to the Gryffindor common room to ask the prefects for their opinions."

"You agree?"

“I think it would be good to connect on weekends and holidays, but I’d like to hear your opinion, what do you think, Melvin?”

"..."

In a closed boarding school with limited entertainment options, how can students be exposed to television programs?

Melvin's expression was somewhat strange: "Professor McGonagall, I remember you're of mixed race, right?"

“My father was a Muggle and he was the church minister of Caithness County.”

Melvin understood. Televisions weren't common back then, and given the pastor's conservative nature, Professor McGonagall probably hadn't witnessed teenagers being addicted to television.

"Why do you ask that? What does the Shadow Mirror have to do with my background?" Professor McGonagall asked curiously. "Shouldn't the Shadow Mirror be connected to the Floo Network on weekends?"

“If you insist…” Melvin hesitated for a moment, “I think we can give it a try.”

(End of this chapter)