Chapter 106
The young wizards looked in fascination at the flock of birds flying above the ring, a creature that did not exist in reality, and even right now they could only exist in this state for a short time, but the sight of them hovering over the gilded ring, clad in fiery red feathers, is a memory that many young wizards could never forget in their lifetime.
Professor Flitwick waved his wand and discharged his spell.
“These charms are taught in class with no extra study required,” said Flitwick, “but, once combined, they can be very effective.”
A senior Ravenclaw girl couldn’t resist asking, “Professor Flitwick, I know all three of these charms, can I master this combined spell?”
“Miss Padma, the difficulty of a combination spell is never in the spell itself, but how you can fit, and maintain your spells so that they remain stable in their overall form.”
Flitwick said, “So you are asking me, can you be able to master it? The answer is yes you can. But it takes time, it takes practice, and it tests your mastery of the spell very much.”
” What I demonstrated is an example of the kind of spell that works well with each other, and which requires a certain amount of your own ability. Whereas the second type, it is relatively simple.”
“Our common dueling spells, such as Full Body-Bind Curse, Disarming Charm, Stunning Spell, Shield Charm, etc., are really useful. But we can pair them with some other spells to give you more of an advantage.”
“When the two sides of a dueling pair are evenly matched, it is often these seemingly insignificant and simple spells that would become the key to breaking the balance.”
Next, Professor Flitwick showed the depth of his own magic charm mastery –
“For example, the supersensory charm, it can significantly enhance your own sense, will make you more sensitive to the environment, more sensitive to the magic spells;”
“For example, the Reparifors charm, before the duel apply it on yourself, you can effectively resist the minor magic ailments such as poison, Stunning Spell so on – the effect depends on the opponent’s spell power, but in any case, there will be some effect;”
“Then there’s Slippery Jinx, which can make the road before you slippery;”
“Or Flame-Freezing Charm and Impervius Charm, it can resist water and fire damage, although it doesn’t work on Fiendfyre, for general flames and water spell, it’s still very effective;”
Flitwick named a dozen charms in a row, and the young wizards were dumbfounded.
Even Felix showed a thoughtful look, thinking about the effects of Filius’s theory on his own.
In fact, his instant killing technique is the product of this kind of ‘magic charm with each other’ theory: thought acceleration and Apparition are the core of it, while the Stunning Spell can be replaced by another charm as a means of attack – it depends on what he wants to accomplish.
Theoretically, the Stunning Spell can be completely replaced with the Full Body-Bind Curse and the Disarming Charm, which will have little effect on this tactic.
And Filius’s ‘break the stalemate by a simple spell’ method, again, goes well with Felix and Lockhart’s exchange as well.
It can only be said that the two professors, Flitwick and McGonagall, each from a different field, yet on the same path, are perfectly reflected in Felix.
Finally, Flitwick concluded: “Spells are alive, they have various complex relationships, some restrain each other, some complement each other. If you are interested in dueling, you can spend more time and refresh yourselves on the spells you have learned.”
“I think you will have a whole new perception of them.”
Next, Professor Flitwick called up a few Ravenclaw students and showed the other young wizards his theory.
Like Professor McGonagall, he had similarly placed restrictions and limitations on himself.
Even when he faced a three-man siege at the same time, he always found the most suitable way to break his opponent’s offence with a simple spell.
“Watching Professor Flitwick duel is like enjoying a waltz.” Justin Finch-Fletchley said adoringly.
“What’s that?” The young wizard next to him asked.
“Uh … a muggle dance that looks very beautiful and graceful,” Justine explained.
As a dueling champion, Flitwick’s foundation is extremely solid, especially the transition between steps, so many spells are blocked and directly avoided.
The young wizards watched in awe and were even more impressed when Professor Flitwick used his wand to release a massive firework that easily obscured the opponent’s vision.
Finally, Flitwick bowed and left the stage with a smile on his face.
It’s followed by unstoppable applause.
The third person on the stage is Snape, who stood in the center of the ring, and the young wizards who were originally restless instantly quieted down.
Snape’s style is completely different from the first two professors, and he said in a cold tone, “What I want to offer is that when you encounter the dangerous dark wizards when you meet the scum that lingers in the gutter of darkness-”
He looked at the young wizards off the stage, and after a long pause, he said, “What to do.”
The young wizards were silent, stunned by the scenario Snape described, only Harry suddenly remembered his own brief misadventure into Knockturn Alley.
Knockturn Alley bordered Diagon Alley, a dirty, narrow alley lined with eerily dim stores, all of them appeared to have some ties with dark arts. According to Hagrid, there are quite a few dark wizards hiding there.
This year, he went into it by mistake because he made a mistake while using floo powder. At that time a scary-looking old witch took the initiative to talk to him, her handheld an object that looked very much like Dead Man’s nails, if not by chance he meet Hagrid, he did not know what would happen.
Snape continued slowly: “You need to identify the danger and distinguish it.”
“You need to prepare different coping strategies: a scuffle at school, how would you handle it? A conflict with a stranger, how to deal with it? How to confront an evil dark wizard? And dangerous species and plants …”
“Frankly, I don’t think your gimmicks will help much when you face a dark wizard … Running away will ALWAYS be the first option; asking for aid is the second option; and when you have no choice … then strike first, use any spell you can think of.”
Snape’s black eyes remained motionless. As if they were embedded with two stones. He said unhurriedly, “In a duel, the first strike is always the best strategy, and giving up priority would mean being at a disadvantage.”
There is dead silence off the stage.
“Severus …,” Professor McGonagall said with some concern, “I think young wizards are not required to be exposed to these things.”
Snape hooked the corners of his mouth in a mocking expression, but he didn’t continue the conversation above, either.
“When faced with danger, use the spell you are most comfortable with, not the most powerful. Speed, angle, timing, success, these are far more important than the mere power of the spell.”