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Unlike the indifferent and aloof attitude of the new students who acted like none of this concerned them, the current senior prefects wore grim expressions, with a few even visibly angry.
Even the red-haired girl who had been impressed by Augustus's talent and had a bit of a soft spot for him was now clearly annoyed.
This arrogant guy really needs to be taught a lesson! she thought, punching the air in frustration.
"You should worry about beating Cook first," Goring said calmly, though he kept things polite out of respect for Augustus's background. "If you can't even get past him, maybe don't talk so big."
The most awkward person right now was definitely Cook. It felt like he had just jumped on stage, only to be told from the sidelines, "You're too weak. Better bring your crew along or you're going to get wrecked."
For someone as proud and ambitious as Cook, being ignored like that was worse than being insulted outright. He was at his breaking point, and through gritted teeth, he snapped, "You ready, kid?"
"Let's start," Augustus said, clearly done with talking. He glanced at Goring, who was standing outside the dueling ring.
"One, two, three—begin!" Goring shouted. He sounded unusually eager, almost as if he hoped Cook would wipe the floor with Augustus and reestablish the senior prefects' authority.
"Stupefy!" A flash of red light shot from Cook's wand. He was fast. But to his frustration, the spell hit nothing but air—and rippled like it struck a wall. A shield? And it was cast silently too? Cook was starting to get jealous. Silent spells really do have the speed advantage...
"Protego!" Cook quickly cast a shield charm of his own when he saw Augustus wasn't retaliating.
He didn't know exactly what kind of shield Augustus was using, but figured his next spell might be enough to break through. Still, Augustus just stood there, looking like he was waiting for Cook to continue, which made Cook even more anxious.
"Confringo!" A greenish-blue blast shot from Cook's wand. Hit? No—just air again. But this time, Augustus's figure appeared somewhere else entirely.
"No way! Apparition? Or was that a Disillusionment Charm? No, that can't be—Apparating in Hogwarts is banned! So what the hell was that?"
Cook wasn't the only one stunned. All the senior prefects were taken aback by Augustus's sudden move. Unlike silent casting, this was something way beyond their experience.
Cook kept firing offensive spells, but Augustus either dodged them with that mysterious teleportation or they got absorbed by that strange invisible shield. All the while, Augustus just stood there smiling, completely unfazed.
The senior prefects were getting tense now. So far, Augustus had dodged seven offensive spells and tanked another five with his shield—and he hadn't cast a single spell in return. He's still not out of magic? For a first-year, this was unreal. He'd only been on the defensive, and yet it felt like he had infinite magical reserves.
Clutching his wand tighter, Cook was starting to sweat—literally. A large bead rolled down his forehead. He let out a long breath and his face turned serious. This isn't working. If we keep trading spells, I'll run out of magic first. He's like a bottomless pit. I've got to break through—hit him hard, once and for all.
"Is that all you've got?" Augustus was still standing right in the middle of the ring, sounding almost disappointed. "If this is your limit, I've gotta say, I'm really let down.
You're supposed to be the Duel King of fourth-year Slytherins, and this is it? You're not even worth wasting time on. Guess I'll take over now—let's see if you can make it interesting."
He raised his silver wand, and in an instant, a fireball the size of a basin formed in mid-air. His black robe billowed dramatically even though there was no wind, and his silver eyes burned like twin flames. Then, with a sharp whoosh, the fireball rocketed toward Cook.
"Protego Maxima!" Cook didn't waste time. He knew a basic shield wouldn't hold up against whatever this new spell was, so he threw up a stronger barrier. And it was a good call. The fireball burned through the first layer of magic, then smashed into Cook's armor-like shield.
After a few crackling bursts of magical resistance, it finally fizzled out—but Cook had been blasted all the way to the edge of the dueling circle.
He barely caught his breath before Augustus raised his wand again, and the fire in his eyes blazed even brighter. Dozens of fireballs, big and small, flared to life behind him in the air, taking up a huge chunk of the sky. They spun and sizzled, heating the air until it shimmered. The whole sky looked like it was on fire.
Cook swallowed hard. He stared at the half-scorched sky and, for the first time, saw something in himself he'd never known was there—fear. Real fear.
He realized that all the spells he'd learned were basically useless against this kind of overwhelming power. If all those fireballs hit him, there'd be nothing left but a pile of charred bones.
He didn't know how much magic it took to conjure that many massive fireballs, or how much skill it took to control them, but one thing was crystal clear: if he didn't surrender now, he might really die.
And sure, maybe Augustus wouldn't go as far as to kill him in front of everyone, but Cook wasn't about to bet his life on that.
"I yield!" he shouted, eyes shut tight like he couldn't bear to see anyone's reaction. But the truth was, no one was laughing at him.
The second those blazing fireballs filled the sky, everyone had been stunned into silence. Honestly, even if he hadn't surrendered, Augustus wouldn't have killed him.
The fireballs were rigged to disappear the instant they made contact, delivering just enough impact to knock Cook clean out of the ring.
Augustus sighed and snapped his fingers. The dozens of fireballs vanished into thin air.
"Um… right, Cook loses," Goring announced, sounding a bit scrambled. He turned to the other senior prefects, who looked just as lost.
This kind of duel had gone way beyond anything they knew—mysterious spells, bottomless magic, and that unforgettable sky full of fire. Was this really just a first-year student? Not even him back in the day could've pulled this off.
The new students were buzzing with admiration, but deep down, the senior prefects felt something else entirely—fear. Maybe his talk about challenging us wasn't just hot air…
They couldn't stop thinking about that terrifying wall of fireballs, and their faces started turning pale.
"That's enough for today—it's getting late," Augustus said casually, looking a little bored now that the senior prefects had lost all their swagger. His words actually made Goring perk up with relief.
"Alright then! That wraps up today's senior prefect selection matches. The first-year boys' prefect is officially Augustus!" Goring declared. All the senior prefects let out a huge sigh of relief.
The new students, on the other hand, exploded in cheers. Having such a powerful leader among them was the best thing they could've hoped for.
As for the girls' match that followed—it was honestly kind of boring by comparison. Among all the girls, only one showed any real skill: Lilian Arlixia, who seemed to come from a prestigious family. She easily secured the role of female first-year prefect.
And with that, the prefect selection battles came to an end, and everyone headed back to their dorms.
It was a day none of them would ever forget. Even years later, they'd still remember the way those crimson fireballs lit up the sky—and Augustus, standing at the center of it all.
"....."