A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

Felix couldn't help but clap his hands in praise, as this was exactly the same strategy he had used to defeat Lockhart.

The second speaker was Professor Flitwick, who demonstrated a dueling philosophy: the combination of spells.

Professor Flitwick was short, but he easily drew the attention of the young wizards, just as he did in class.

"If you have mastered a lot of magic, you will definitely have a question: can I really use them?"

"Perhaps specializing in one type of magic would be better?"

"These are two different options. Today I want to show you how different spells should be combined."

“They’re all very simple spells, let me think—” Professor Flitwick exclaimed, “Flock of birds!”

His wand made a loud bang, like a gun firing, and a flock of small red-feathered birds fluttered their wings and flew out of the wand.

A Hufflepuff muttered, "This spell isn't simple; it's NEWTs."

“Shut up,” his friend said.

Flitwick looked at the bird: "You can certainly use it to launch an attack, and it works quite well. But if you add a copying charm—" He waved his wand, and the bird quickly split apart with a "bang bang bang".

"Plus the Inflation Curse—"

The tiny bird, no bigger than a palm, rapidly expanded.

Flitwick looked up and surveyed the hundreds of owl-like birds that surrounded the gilded arena, almost obscuring his figure.

Many young wizards couldn't help but feel a sense of awe in the presence of Flitwick's small stature.

Chapter 106 Snape's Advice

The young wizards stared intently at the flock of birds above the arena. These were creatures that did not exist in reality, and even their current state could only last for a very short time. But the sight of them, adorned with fiery red feathers, circling above the gilded arena was a memory that many young wizards would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand and dispelled the spell.

“These spells are taught in class and don’t require any extra learning,” Flitwick said. “But once they’re combined, they work very well.”

An older Ravenclaw girl couldn't help but ask, "Professor Flitwick, I know all three of these spells. Can I master this combination spell?"

“Miss Palma, the difficulty of combination magic never lies in the spells themselves, but in how you combine and maintain your spells so that they remain stable as a whole.”

Flitwick said, "So you ask me, can you master it? The answer is yes. But it takes time and practice, and it really tests your ability to control spells."

"The above are examples of the first type of spells working together, which requires a certain level of ability from you. The second type is relatively simple."

"Our commonly used dueling spells, such as the Petrify Charm, Disarm Charm, Stun Charm, and Armor Charm, are indeed very useful. But we can combine them with other spells to give you more advantages."

"When the two sides in a duel are evenly matched, it is often these seemingly insignificant and simple spells that become the key to breaking the balance."

Next, Professor Flitwick demonstrated his mastery of spells—

"For example, the Extrasensory Charm can significantly enhance your own perception, making you more sensitive to your environment and more acutely aware of spells;"

"For example, the Revival Charm, when cast on oneself before a duel, can effectively resist Stunning Charms or Mind-Bending Spells—the effectiveness depends on the power of the opponent's spell, but in any case, it will have some effect."

"For example, the spell 'Smooth Slide' can make the road in front of you smooth."

"Or a waterproof and moisture-proof spell, which can protect against water and fire damage. Although it has no effect on dark magic fire, it is very effective against ordinary fire."

Flitwick rattled off more than a dozen spells, leaving the young wizards dumbfounded.

Even Felix looked thoughtful, pondering the impact of Flitwick's theories on him.

In fact, his instant-kill technique is a product of this theory of 'combining spells': accelerated thinking and apparition are the core elements, while the stun spell used as an attack method can be replaced by other spells—depending on what he wants to achieve.

In theory, the Stunning Curse can be completely replaced by the Petrifying Curse or the Disarming Curse, so it won't have much impact on this tactic.

Flitwick's method of breaking the stalemate with simple spells also corresponds to the fight between Felix and Lockhart.

It can only be said that Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, starting from different fields, arrived at the same destination by different paths, a fact perfectly embodied in Felix.

Finally, Flitwick concluded: "Spells are alive; they have all sorts of complex relationships. Some counter each other, while others complement each other. If you are interested in dueling, you can spend more time reviewing the spells you have learned."

“I think you will have a completely new understanding of them.”

Next, Professor Flitwick called over several Ravenclaw students and demonstrated his theory to the other young wizards.

Like Professor McGonagall, he also imposed limitations and constraints on himself.

Even when facing attacks from three people simultaneously, he could always find the most suitable method to break through their offensive with simple incantations.

“Watching Professor Flitwick’s duel is like watching a waltz,” Justin Finley said admiringly.

"What is that?" asked the little wizard beside him.

“Uh… it’s a Muggle dance that looks very graceful and elegant,” Justin explained.

As a dueling champion, Flitwick has an extremely solid foundation, especially in the transitions between footwork, and he can avoid many spells without even blocking them.

The young wizards were dazzled by the spectacle, and when Professor Flitwick unleashed a barrage of fireworks with his wand, easily obscuring his opponent's vision, he won thunderous applause.

Finally, Flitwick bowed and left with a smile.

Behind him, there was unstoppable applause.

The third to step onto the stage was Snape. As soon as he stood in the center of the ring, the previously restless young wizards instantly quieted down.

Snape's style was completely different from the previous two professors. He said in a cold tone, "What I want to share is what happens when you encounter the most dangerous dark wizards, when you encounter those scum who linger in the dark gutter—"

He looked at the young wizards below the stage, and after a long pause, he said, "How should we deal with this?"

The young wizards fell silent, terrified by the scene Snape had described, but Harry suddenly remembered his brief experience of wandering into Knockturn Alley.

Knockturn Alley is next to Diagon Alley, a dirty, narrow alleyway lined with gloomy shops that all seem to have something to do with dark magic. Hagrid says that many dark wizards live there.

This year, he made a mistake while using Floo Powder and accidentally stumbled into this place. At that time, a terrifying-looking old witch took the initiative to talk to him. She was holding a plate that looked like a dead person's fingernails. If he hadn't met Hagrid by chance, he didn't know what would have happened.

Snape continued slowly and deliberately, "You need to identify danger, distinguish danger."

"You need to prepare different coping strategies: how to deal with fights at school? How to deal with conflicts with strangers? How to deal with encountering an evil dark wizard? And dangerous creatures and plants..."

"Frankly, I don't think your tricks will be of any use against a dark wizard... Running away is always the first choice; asking for help is the second choice; when you have no choice but to take action... strike first, with any spell you can think of."

Snape's black eyes remained unmoved, as if two stones were embedded in them. He said slowly, "In a duel, striking first is always the best strategy. Giving up the initiative means falling into a disadvantage."

There was a deathly silence in the audience.

“Severus…” Professor McGonagall said somewhat uneasily, “I don’t think young wizards need to be exposed to these things.”

Snape curled his lips into a mocking smile, but he didn't continue the previous topic.

"When facing danger, use what you are best at, not the most powerful spell. Speed, angle, timing, and success rate are far more important than the sheer power of the spell."

Chapter 107 Spell Levels?

"Teacher, how do you determine your best spell?" a Slytherin student asked.

Snape said coldly, "Those things you learn fastest and use best. Besides that—"

“If you can invent a spell yourself, it will naturally be your forte.” With that, he flicked his robes and strode off the stage.

Below the stage, Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry, but their expressions conveyed different meanings:

Hermione: So your specialty is the Disarming Charm?

Ron: That's it? It should at least be a high-level spell, right?

When Felix stood on the stage, the young wizards were still immersed in the atmosphere created by Snape, which was still moving even though he didn't talk about any specific magic.

Felix decided to offer some real insights.

"At the end of the last lesson, we mentioned that even the same spell can have vastly different effects depending on the wizard casting it."

"This is especially evident in duels, after all, it's hard to imagine a wizard spending a lot of time and effort researching the 'Cleanse' spell."

“Most everyday magic is the same. We don’t use it to explore the mysteries of magic or to beat our opponents to a pulp,” Felix joked.

The young wizard in the audience chuckled softly.

"For wizards who excel at dueling, they possess astonishing mastery of one or more spells."

He glanced at the wizards below the stage: "Take the Disarming Charm as an example—"

Felix waved his wand, and a thin red light flashed and disappeared.

"This is the initial level of understanding."

Harry watched intently; this was precisely the level he could currently unleash.

Many junior wizards who have mastered the Disarming Charm are doing the same thing. And the comparison shows that most people are at this level.

"This stage is considered beginner level, and there is a possibility of failure when casting the spell." At this point, Felix said with a slight troubled expression, "For ease of understanding and comparison, let's call it a first-level spell for now."

"At this point, the factors that affect the success rate of casting spells are your casting actions, chanting, faith, and the mobilization of magical power—these are the basic elements. I won't go into detail here; the materials from the previous lesson describe them in detail."

"And as you practice more, you become more skilled, and there's almost no chance of failing to release the power, like this—"

Felix waved his wand, and a distinct red light streaked across the top of the Great Hall.

Harry heard his senior, Albert Balk, who had just been called up to demonstrate, excitedly say, "This is my spell!"

"For ease of understanding, we can call it a second-level spell."

Felix casually traced arcs with his wand, as if conducting a symphony.

"Based on this, you have devoted more time and energy to studying spells—ideally with the guidance of a teacher, which will appropriately enhance their power."

Felix waved his wand, and a red beam of light, as thick as a finger, shot out, instantly spanning half of the Great Hall.

"This is a level three disarming spell... By analogy, it's somewhat like the threshold for professionalization in the magical world, such as a newly trained St. Mungo's novice healer or a new Auror."

The young wizards were all staring intently at Professor Hyp, listening carefully to every word he said. They instinctively felt that today's lesson was very important.

Even the professors' expressions turned serious. Snape was curious about how high Felix would push the spell.

A spell classification system? Ha, that's something he'd do!

On stage, Felix continued speaking at his own unhurried pace, "Next, as your understanding of spells deepens and you become more proficient, you will even be able to make some changes to the spells themselves to suit your personal habits—"

A beam of light shot out from the tip of the staff, but this time the incantation was more concentrated, and its color was mixed with white light. It also left a clear arc in mid-air.

"Its power is not much different from a third-level spell, but it is more controllable and wins by subtlety, so it can be called a fourth-level spell," Felix said. "To add, this is also the level of spells that talented Aurors and St. Mungo's physicians are most proficient in after working for a few years."

Felix nodded slightly. From here on out, not everyone can do it. Talent, perseverance, and guidance are all indispensable.