"...Neville, do you think we could ever dodge Professor Snape's attacks and counter like Pro... the Watchman Professor did?" Draco asked, pushing his nearly dislocated jaw back into place with his hand. Without turning his head, his eyes remained glued to the battle on the stage. Even though they were dry and sore, the young Malfoy refused to blink, not even for a second. Slightly tilting his body, he whispered to Neville beside him.
Neville, who was also gradually recovering from his shock, didn't look away either. His eyes were filled with admiration and reverence.
"What do you think?" he replied with a question of his own.
"...Sigh, that guy must be a monster, right? I feel like no matter how hard we try in this lifetime, we'll never catch up to him," Draco said with a bitter smile. He had always known there was a significant gap between himself and Glenn...
But he hadn't expected that the gap would be this enormous—so vast it was beyond his imagination.
In his eyes, Professor Snape's strength was already among the very best of the wizards he had encountered. Even his father, Lucius Malfoy, would likely lose in a duel against Snape, perhaps within just a round or two.
...And Glenn?
Draco watched as Glenn, on the platform, weaved and dodged through several spells in close quarters, continuously advancing toward Snape.
Now, after several rounds of dueling with Snape, Glenn was still holding his ground. Even though it was clear he was at a disadvantage, he could still find opportunities to threaten Snape and even land effective blows.
To think he had once believed Glenn was no match for his father... Well, now—
...Well, forget it! Forget it, my foot!
After all, his father's stance was still wavering!
And now Draco knew that the Dark Lord, Voldemort, was not truly dead and was seeking a chance to rise again.
If Voldemort were to return, would his father's allegiance shift to the Dark Lord's side?
The answer seemed obvious.
Draco had a premonition that, whether willingly or under duress, his father would rejoin the Death Eaters.
And Glenn had already firmly taken a stand against Voldemort.
As for Draco himself...
Even though a small part of him still admired the Dark Lord, who had once led pure-blood wizards to dominate the wizarding world, when he asked himself honestly—on one side was his friend, and on the other, his idol... former idol—it was clear which side he should choose.
Oh, of course, the Unbreakable Vow Glenn had made him sign at the start might have played a tiny role in his decision...
Yes, just a tiny role.
It was Glenn and Hermione, both raised in the Muggle world, who had the greatest influence on him.
Oh, right, Glenn couldn't exactly be considered a Muggle-born wizard anymore; he was a half-blood.
During one of their chats, Hermione had briefly mentioned Glenn's grandparents, which allowed Draco to learn about Glenn's true lineage.
But that didn't mean much. That couple, who had grown up in the Muggle world, were still far stronger than him, weren't they?
Even if you considered Hermione, a true Muggle-born witch, her abilities still surpassed his.
In recent training sessions, he had taken quite a few beatings from the young witch.
...Though, to be fair, that was partly his fault for being too mouthy. Not that Draco would admit it.
Under the influence of those two, Draco's beliefs had unknowingly shifted. And let's not forget the impact of Neville's parents' suffering during the previous wizarding war—it had deeply affected him.
Now, he was fully aware of the brutal consequences that extreme bloodline ideology had brought to the wizarding world.
Staying out of this mess was the smartest choice. Draco knew that if he could remain uninvolved, it would be ideal.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. He was already caught in the middle.
He had to find a way to bring his father over to Dumbledore's side as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted was to see his friends and his father clashing.
"BOOM!!!!"
A powerful gust of wind surged from the dueling platform, and Draco's expression instantly turned into the classic "old man, subway, cell phone" meme.
He lowered his center of gravity and steadied himself.
...For now, he decided to focus on the duel.
Draco raised a hand to shield himself from the wind, his vision clearing once more.
...
From the moment Glenn's surprise attack failed to when he caught up with the moving Snape, only a few seconds had passed, yet the battle had already reached a fever pitch.
After the earlier exchanges, Snape was now fully warmed up. As Glenn closed in, Snape abandoned spellcasting and instead channeled his magic through his wand, concentrating it into pure energy beams with singular properties for faster attacks.
Cutting, paralyzing, exploding, burning...
Chains of magical energy in various colors lashed out like whips, exuding an overwhelming aura as they enveloped the figure cloaked in black, creating a web-like trap.
Although these attacks didn't produce the distinct, powerful effects of spells, their advantage lay in their near-instantaneous casting. And if one were struck, the sensation would undoubtedly be excruciating. They were highly effective for forcing an opponent's movements and positioning.
Glenn had intended to use his magical eyes and draw on the power of his Obscurial abilities to neutralize Snape's magic. However, a sharp pain shot through his eyes, and he felt something within him on the verge of bursting. Glenn realized that his body was warning him—he could no longer tap into his Obscurial powers during this battle.
Otherwise, he would lose control.
Glenn sighed inwardly. In the end, it was his own lack of ability. Earlier, to escape the "prison" and explosion Snape had created, he had already exhausted the magical power he could safely wield.
Yes, the Shield Charm alone hadn't been enough to counter Snape's explosive spell. What Hermione hadn't analyzed was that Glenn had briefly enveloped himself in his Obscurial powers, which had ultimately devoured the remaining magic that broke through his Shield Charm, successfully protecting him.
Now, it was too late to change course. Glenn recalled an advanced spell that could defy physical laws and instantly alter the trajectory of an object, but he hadn't learned it yet.
With no other choice, Glenn conserved his limited magic as much as possible, releasing his own energy beams to neutralize a few of the magical chains in his path. Spinning his body, he weaved through the crisscrossing beams of light.
The ground behind him bore several distinct magical scars, each a testament to the intensity of the battle.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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