Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Both men bent down simultaneously, their movements precise yet subtly strained. As they straightened, Tom struck first, his voice calm: "Disarm you!"

The red light shot straight at Lux's wand, but Lux was prepared: "Armor Protection!"

Tom's control over the spell was clearly much better than Amos's; the disarming spell was only deflected from the barrier instead of dissipating.

Lux starts counting down in her mind. Her Heartsteel passive requires 3 seconds to charge, and as long as she can hold out for the time, she can trigger the stacking health.

"Obstacles everywhere! Yugadimu Leviosa! Shattered into pieces!" Tom immediately pressed his advantage, trying to quickly eliminate Lux through control and not give her a chance to retaliate.

Lux immediately dodged the control by sidestepping, but the Slicing Spell still hit the barrier solidly, shattering it instantly.

Lux immediately used a Leg Lock Charm to try to interrupt Tom's attack, but he used a Charm to break free.

"Tom, is that all you've got?" Lux teased deliberately, trying to get him impatient. "You always brag about how great you are in Slytherin, how come you can't even break through my defense?"

Tom's eyes turned cold, but he wasn't fooled. He continued to methodically cast the basic spell: "Petrify them all! Collapse!"

Lux jumped away and waved her wand: "Stop the spell!" successfully neutralizing the attack.

As she dodged, she kept her eyes glued to the countdown on the system panel—2 seconds, 1 second…

When a red dot that only Lux could see instantly appeared on Tom's body, it was the sign that Heartsteel's passive ability had been triggered.

It's now!

Lux suddenly lunged forward. Tom thought she was going to use her wand, so he immediately raised his wand to prepare his armor for protection. But Lux got right up to his side and punched him in the stomach before Tom could cast a spell!

"Bang!" Lux heard a crisp sound in her ear.

The moment Lux's fist landed on Tom's stomach, the Heart Steel effect lit up on her fist, a flash of golden light.

Tom's pupils contracted sharply, his face turned pale instantly, he clutched his stomach, squatted on the ground and began to dry heave, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Lux's current health, combined with the extra damage from Heartsteel, makes this punch as powerful as being stomped on by a troll.

"Tom!" Professor Melis rushed over, her brow furrowed. "What are you doing? Duels must be fought with wands, physical attacks are prohibited! Lacus, you've broken the rules, you've lost!"

Lux was a little confused. She was so focused on getting close enough to trigger her passive that she forgot about the duel rules against using her hands: "Huh? I... I was just too hasty and forgot to use my wand..."

Tom took a while to catch his breath before he stood up, leaning on the table. He gave Lux a cold look, said nothing, and silently walked back to his Slytherin seat. Malfoy handed him a glass of water, his eyes filled with disdain.

After the bell rang, the students left one after another. Professor Mellors called out to Lux, "Can you stay for a moment?"

Lux's heart skipped a beat; she knew she was about to get a scolding.

Once only the two of them were left in the classroom, Professor Mellors sat down and gestured for Lux to sit down as well: "Do you have a personal grudge against Riddle? I could tell your attack just now was clearly hostile."

Lux scratched her head, a little embarrassed: "It's not really a grudge, it's just that I find him gloomy and I can't stand the sight of him."

Professor Mellors sighed, her tone softening: "Riddle is very talented, especially in defense against the dark magic and dueling. I've seen his grades. If he keeps it up, he'll likely be in the Auror's office after graduation. You can't be hostile to him just because he's aloof. The wizarding world needs all kinds of talent. As long as he hasn't done anything wrong, he should be given a chance."

Lux paused for a moment. She had been thinking of Tom as the future Voldemort, but she forgot that Tom was just a student now, with excellent grades, who had never done anything bad, and was even very talented.

If she could guide him to become an Auror, would that change his future destiny? This thought stirred something within her.

"Professor, you mean... he might become an Auror?"

"Very likely." Professor Mellors nodded. "An Auror needs excellent dueling skills and knowledge of defense against the dark magic, which he possesses. Moreover, he is very disciplined and meticulous in his work, all of which are essential qualities for an Auror."

Lux's hostility gradually dissipated. She recalled Tom's usual behavior in class: he was always the first to finish the potion, followed the rules during duels, and although he was aloof, he never provoked anyone.

On the contrary, she is repeatedly breaking the rules.

Perhaps she has always been prejudiced, projecting future events onto Tom in the present.

"I understand, Professor. I'll be more careful in the future," Lux said earnestly.

Professor Melis smiled and said, "That's right. Also, your dueling reaction is very fast, but you're a bit impatient. Professor Felix Flitwick was the champion of the last All England Wizarding Duel Tournament. You can learn from him. He'd be happy to mentor students who are talented in dueling."

Lux's eyes lit up. If she learned dueling from Professor Flitwick, wouldn't she be able to legitimately stack steel against hero-level units?

Miranda, and even Professor Flitwick himself, are hero-level units. They will not only enhance dueling capabilities but also stack the Heart Steel passive, making it a win-win situation.

"Thank you, Professor! I will definitely ask Professor Flitwick for advice!" Lux said excitedly.

After leaving the classroom, Lux hummed a song all the way back to the common room, while Lumi muttered in the wicker basket, "Sis, why are you so happy? You just got scolded by the professor."

"You wouldn't understand," Lux smiled mysteriously, "I've found a great way to stack steel!"

Before we knew it, it was time for the Cuckoo Curse Club gathering.

Lux couldn't wait and arrived early at the room hidden behind the tapestry.

Professor Flitwick sat in a raised chair, wiping a crystal ball.

Miranda and Elena sat around a table, discussing ways to improve the Silent Spell, while Jones fiddled with a magic compass that would spin automatically.

"Lux! You're here!" Miranda waved enthusiastically when she saw her.

Lux walked over and greeted Professor Flitwick first: "Hello, Professor!"

Professor Flitwick adjusted his glasses and said with a smile, "Lux, congratulations on taking down the Golden Cauldron, a remarkable achievement."

"Professor, actually, I came here today to ask you about dueling." Lux sat down next to Professor Flitwick. "Professor Mellors said that you are the champion of the All England Wizarding Duel Tournament and would like to ask you to give me some pointers."

Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up, and he jumped off his chair. "Oh? You're interested in dueling? Great! Your foundation in spells is excellent; you'll definitely learn dueling quickly!"

He pulled Lux ​​to the center of the room, picked up two practice wands, and handed one to her. "Let's start with basic spell combinations, like the Obstruction Charm followed by the Disarm Charm, and then the Levitate Charm..."

Lux took the wand, pondering how to begin: "Professor, I feel that just practicing spells isn't enough; I also need to find a strong opponent for real combat practice. Do you know anyone in the club willing to spar with me? Like... Senior Miranda?"

Professor Flitwick paused for a moment, then understood what she meant: "You want to find opponents of similar strength? No problem! You can practice as a team. The most important thing in a duel is practical experience."

Miranda leaned closer and said, "Lux, you actually want to duel me? I won't hold back."

"That's why I want to train with you! You can only improve quickly by fighting against strong opponents." Lux said with a smile.

Lux continued discussing the duel plan with Professor Flitwick: "Professor, how about we schedule two practice sessions a week, one for basic spells and one for silent spell duels? What do you think?"

"No problem!" Professor Flitwick said excitedly. "I can also design training programs for you, such as simulating different dueling scenarios—forests, secret rooms, even underwater—so you can handle any environment with ease!"

Elena pushed up her glasses: "An underwater duel? You'd need to learn silent spellcasting first, right? I can help you organize the information."

Jones raised his hand: "I can make some magical props for practice, like moving targets, or scarecrows that can simulate an opponent's attacks!"

The room immediately became lively as everyone offered suggestions for the duel training plan.

After the gathering ended, Lux hummed a song as she returned to the Gryffindor Tower. On the way, she saw Tom coming out of the library, carrying several books.

The two exchanged a glance. This time, Tom didn't coldly look away as usual; instead, he nodded slightly as a greeting.

Lux paused for a moment, then nodded.

Perhaps the plan to guide Tom to become an Auror can actually be realized? As long as he stays on the right path, a future Voldemort might not even appear.

Back in the common room, Vera was waiting for her, holding a piece of paper in her hand: "Sister Lux, look at the Hogwarts Castle I drew with a spell, isn't it beautiful?"

The simple line drawing of the castle in the painting shimmers with golden light under the setting sun, the black lake is calm and still, and a small owl is drawn circling nearby, which is Amber.

Lux smiled and patted her head: "Beautiful! Much better than mine. By the way, next time the Cuckoo Club has duel practice, I'll take you to watch. Maybe you can learn a few self-defense moves."

Vera's eyes lit up: "Really? I can learn dueling too?"

"Of course," Lux nodded. "After you study Charms for a while longer, I'll teach you some other spells so you can protect yourself if you encounter danger in the future."

Vera hugged her happily: "Thank you, Lux!"

Seeing Vera's happy expression, Lux became even more convinced of her belief that the fate of these people might be reversed in the future.

If Tom had become an Auror instead of Voldemort, most of the subsequent tragedies would have been resolved.