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The students' fervent emotions were like invisible fuel, continuously feeding the raging magical tornado.
And under the deliberate or inadvertent influence of the two top wizards, the rampaging tornado not only failed to dissipate—it grew, its presence becoming increasingly terrifying.
The situation began to shift quietly.
Snape and Flitwick's attacks and defenses grew more cautious, each move having to account for the interference and drain caused by the wind column.
The rapidly expanding tornado was like an invisible referee, roaring endlessly, as if silently urging the two: finish it quickly!
The battle reached a fever pitch. The evenly matched duelists unleashed everything they had, and their powerful spells inevitably grazed or were swept into the vortex.
The magical tornado was like a balloon being frantically inflated—its size visibly growing, energy churning within the column, emitting a low, bone-deep rumble.
Finally, fed constantly by the lingering magic of both duelists, the enormous tornado swelled until it nearly filled the entire dueling arena.
The wind column had reached its limit. Its gray-black wall of wind turned almost transparent, and a dangerous light flickered at its core—like a sun on the verge of detonation.
Then, one of Snape's cutting curses became the final straw.
Rumble—!
With a deafening roar, the fully expanded tornado exploded in an instant, like a powder keg with its fuse ignited.
The resulting shockwave tore through the arena, leveling it completely in the blink of an eye.
Debris, soil, and shattered wood were flung high into the air—only to be instantly pulverized by an even more violent surge of energy.
The audience's gasps were swallowed by the deafening explosion.
Then, two pure white, concentrated beams of light suddenly shone forth, firmly shielding the figures of both duelists.
A gentle breeze swept across the dueling arena, instantly clearing away the thick smoke and dust.
The scene on the field came into sharp focus: Snape and Professor Flitwick stood tens of feet apart, each surrounded by fading protective magic, completely unharmed.
Before them, a massive stone tablet slowly rose from the newly churned earth.
Its surface shimmered with light before settling into a single, clear word:
DRAW!
Without a word, the two Professors calmly lowered their wands, turned toward the cheering audience, and bowed with formal, dignified gestures.
Snape's black robes billowed as he turned and strode directly out of the arena. Professor Flitwick, back straight, raised a small fist in the direction of Ravenclaw, drawing another round of wild cheers, before leaving with light, springy steps.
Dazzling flashes from magical cameras flickered nonstop, and the click of shutters echoed across the arena.
Reporters from every media outlet crowded the edge of the stands, their eyes like searchlights, greedily capturing every detail, hoping to extract more material from this spectacular exhibition match.
In the first match, the two Heads of House fought to a draw!
But both sides had pushed the magical duel to its peak, perfectly igniting the passion of every young witch and wizard.
Headmaster Dumbledore stood up with a smile, raising his hand gently to calm the swelling noise.
His voice carried clearly throughout the entire venue:
"Thank you, Severus and Filius, for this unparalleled, textbook-level demonstration of dueling. Though a winner was not decided, the brilliance of courage, wisdom, and magic has illuminated Hogwarts!"
He paused, his deep blue eyes sweeping across the hall, then solemnly announced, "Now, let us take a short break and prepare for the equally anticipated second match—featuring our extraordinarily skilled Transfiguration Master, Professor Minerva McGonagall!"
With that, he gestured to the far end of the faculty table. "Facing off against—the formidable Professor Sagres Greengrass! Ladies and gentlemen, let us wait and see!"
"Whoo—!!!"
The Gryffindor lions immediately roared with enthusiasm, though mixed in with the excitement were whispers of concern from the younger students.
"Professor McGonagall… will she really be alright?" Seamus asked nervously, eyes fixed on Sagres's tall figure. "I mean… Professor Greengrass is seriously not someone to mess with…"
"Don't talk nonsense, Seamus!" Neville's face turned red as he clenched his fists, as if to cheer on Professor McGonagall. "She's the Deputy Headmistress! My gran says she's incredibly powerful…"
Ron joined in, frowning as he tried to recall. "But… has anyone actually seen Professor McGonagall fight? I mean, other than deducting points and handing out detentions…"
"Idiot, Transfiguration isn't just about turning desks into pigs," Hermione snapped, not even looking up. "Professor Greengrass said in the first dueling class that Transfiguration is a strategic form of magic on the battlefield, and Professor McGonagall is a master of it!"
"Speaking of which," Dean Thomas added, his eyes still gleaming from the earlier match, "what really surprised me was how powerful Professor Flitwick is when he gets serious—he's usually so kind and cheerful!"
"Well, he was a dueling champion, after all," Harry said, eyes fixed on the arena. "It makes sense he's that strong. What I didn't expect… was Snape. He's so powerful too. In the first class, Professor Greengrass was dominating him, so I thought…"
Ron nodded in agreement beside him.
"By the way… where's Professor Sprout?" Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff looked around, curious.
"Oh, come on, Professor Sprout prefers magical plants and herbs over dueling…"
"Yeah, she's so gentle and kind. She won't even use a slightly forceful Banishing Charm on a naughty house-elf…"
"Shh—stop talking, the match is starting!"
...
Sagres and Professor McGonagall stood before the stone tablet, once again silently choosing "Random Scene."
The surface of the stone tablet shimmered with light before settling on the large characters: "Barren Mountains." It then immediately sank back into the ground.
The once-flat arena seemed to be molded by an invisible giant hand, transforming in an instant into rugged, uneven terrain: jagged rocks half-buried in the soil, withered yellow weeds stubbornly sprouting from the cracks, and low, twisted shrubs scattered throughout—creating a desolate, barren landscape.
"Professor McGonagall," Professor Greengrass gave a slight bow, "since this is an exhibition match, shall we focus this round on demonstrating the practical application of Transfiguration in combat? A vivid and illustrative Transfiguration lesson for the students."
Professor McGonagall's gaze was sharp, but uncharacteristically, the corners of her lips curved into a smile. "Then you'd better be prepared, Sagres. In the classroom, I may be gentle—but here, I won't hold back."
"All the better, Professor McGonagall…" Sagres replied with a calm smile. "But I am no longer the student I once was. Since leaving Hogwarts, I've never slacked off in my research of Transfiguration…"
"Very well," Professor McGonagall said crisply, her wand already slightly raised. "I look forward to it."
Before her words had even faded, Sagres had swiftly and gracefully pointed his wand at a large rock in the distance. The rock's surface instantly softened and reshaped under the force of Transfiguration…
Accompanied by a clear, piercing eagle cry, a blue-black giant eagle with razor-sharp eyes and an immense wingspan burst from the earth, beating its wings and soaring into the sky.
"Wow—!" The Ravenclaw stands immediately erupted in gasps and cheers.
The giant eagle circled once above the dueling arena, its piercing eyes quickly locking onto McGonagall below.
Without hesitation, it folded its wings and transformed into a sharp gray blur, diving straight toward Professor McGonagall at high speed.
But McGonagall's expression didn't change. Almost at the same moment Sagres made his move, her wand steadily pointed at another similarly sized boulder nearby. The boulder expanded and writhed violently—followed by a deep lion's roar that echoed through the arena!
A majestic lion, with a blazing mane and fierce, regal eyes, rose from the ground. It crouched low, muscles tensed, then launched into the air with surprising agility—its massive frame leaping upward like a cannonball to intercept the diving eagle.
"Professor McGonagall, Let's Gooo!!" The roar from the Gryffindor stands nearly split the sky.
With a resounding thud, the two massive creatures collided in mid-air, the dull impact sharp enough to make one's teeth ache.
Fragments of stone flew in all directions as the eagle's sharp talons tore deep gouges into the lion's body, while the lion snapped its jaws shut around the eagle's wing.
But in close-quarters combat, the lion—larger and stronger—clearly held the advantage.
Sagres's expression didn't change. He waved his wand again, and the struggling eagle, pinned beneath the lion, suddenly began to shift—its body flowing like mercury.
In the blink of an eye, the eagle's form stretched out, feathers transforming into glinting scales—until a thick, ferocious giant python had replaced it.
The giant python twisted its body with eerie flexibility and, within two seconds, had coiled tightly around the lion's neck and torso. A deadly constriction followed immediately, crushing inward with terrifying force.
"Beautiful!" the Slytherin students shouted, unable to hold back their cheers—both for the elegant transfiguration and for seeing their House's iconic creature overpowering Gryffindor's.
Just as the lion seemed moments from being crushed, Professor McGonagall's wand snapped forward with precision—the coiled lion's form abruptly collapsed.
Its body shrank rapidly, and as it twisted, it transformed into a black-and-white badger.
Though it lacked the raw power and imposing presence of the lion, the badger was incredibly nimble. Like an eel, it slipped through the giant python's suffocating coils and broke free.
But it didn't stop there. The agile badger landed and, without hesitation, sprang at the giant python like a bolt of lightning. Its sharp teeth sank into the python's thick body, tearing at the scales with a loud, grating crunch.
"Well done! Badger!!" The young wizards of the hufflepuff House finally had their moment, jumping to their feet and cheering in excitement.