Chapter 94: Dueling Class

"Young wizards, I need you to stand in the four directions on the stage according to your respective houses," Felix Harp waved his hand to lift the sound-restriction charm.

The students in the audience were puzzled. Felix walked to one side of the square, gold-plated stage, and announced, "Slytherin, gather here!" Then, he moved to another side, "Ravenclaw, gather here!"

"Gryffindor, gather here!"The roots of this story extend from novell bi?n origin.

"Hufflepuff, gather here!"

As Felix walked around the stage, the young wizards understood the professor's instructions and quickly moved into position.

"Ginny, over here!"

Ron called out to his sister. Harry turned his head and saw Ginny standing hand in hand with a Ravenclaw girl, motionless in their spot.

The girl wore a peculiar necklace with bottle caps strung together, and her light, golden hair was tousled. Like Ginny, she remained still. Harry even thought that she might not have grasped the situation, as she stared wide-eyed at the young wizards passing by her.

Ron pushed his way through, with Harry and Hermione following closely.

"Ginny, come on. Um... who's this?" Ron looked at the Ravenclaw girl in front of him.

"I'm her new friend," the girl's gaze slid over him, briefly paused in front of Harry, and then settled on Hermione.

"I know you. Many say you should have been sorted into Ravenclaw," she stared intently at Hermione.

"Is that so? I quite like Gryffindor," Hermione replied.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Harry cautiously said, "I think we should get moving..."

Most of the young wizards had taken their positions, making this group quite conspicuous.

Even Professor Harp looked over.

Ron pulled Ginny along and the girl suddenly said, "Luna, Luna Lovegood. That's my name."

Harry, who was lagging behind, had to stop and introduce himself, "Uh, I'm Harry Potter."

"I know you," the girl named Luna said.

"Really?" Harry muttered. The scene before him was a bit awkward. He hastily added, "See you around!" Then he went to catch up with his friends.

Luna casually made her way to the Ravenclaw group. She waved at Ginny on the other side.

Felix and Snape exchanged a few quiet words. Then Felix said, "Young wizards, take out the parchment I provided you with."

The young wizards looked puzzled as they retrieved the parchment.

"I've had a discussion with Professor Snape, and your problems primarily center around these seven issues. I will go through each one, and you can compare them on your own."

"Balk, come up to the stage. I need your assistance."

After twenty minutes of explanation, Felix's throat felt a bit dry. He knew, though, that his words would only impact some of the top students. For most young wizards, learning magic relied more on "feeling" and "repetition."

So, for the next half-hour, he and Snape kept moving through the crowd, giving specific guidance.

"Miss Pett, your thrust lacks decisiveness. Think about my demonstration and then consult point seven on your parchment."

"Mr. Warren, your incantation pronunciation is off. Yes, an incantation isn't mandatory, but that comes after you've mastered it."

"Ah, you're Nawi Longbottom, right? You're too nervous. Confidence is key! Picture yourself successfully casting the spell. Yes, I suggest you imagine it twenty times in your mind."

Every ten minutes or so, they called up a few examples of mistakes for demonstration. Felix noticed that showing errors was more effective than demonstrating correctness—after a laugh, many young wizards realized they had made the same mistake.

Of course, those who were teased received extra points as compensation.

"Thank you, Nawi, your problem is quite representative. Also, Gryffindor gets five points."

"And you, Miss Vira, your movements are too stiff. Everyone, no laughing. If Miss Vira displays even a tenth of her talent for Ancient Runes, she'll amaze you all. Ravenclaw, five points."

"Marcus... well, let's just say, don't imitate him. We should appreciate his courage at least. Slytherin, five points."

Felix wiped his brow. Guiding wasn't the challenge; the challenge lay in preserving the young wizards' self-esteem and praising them creatively.

"I should prepare a list of compliments, listing every possible reason. That way, I won't need to think on the spot..."

Finally, an hour and a half into the Dueling Class, a fifth-year young wizard succeeded.

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