Inside the Slytherin common room, many curious students had gathered, waiting to watch the show.
“Isn’t that Ivan Selwyn?”
Some students mocked him openly.
Being pure-bloods, they weren’t afraid of Selwyn coming after them.
Ivan Selwyn’s reputation was already quite well known.
After all, not everyone managed to spend their first night at Hogwarts hanging from a chandelier.
The memory made both Ivan Selwyn and Obern Nott’s faces flush red.
They were “nobles” who cared deeply about their reputation.
“It looks like they’ve gathered such a large group to deal with that Ravenclaw infiltrator.”
Someone immediately recognized the situation.
Malfoy stood among the crowd with Crabbe and Goyle behind him, curiously observing Will.
He had already heard about Will, the student who had hung his classmates from the chandelier, but he wasn’t particularly interested in him.
In Malfoy’s opinion, among the heroes of the world, only Harry and Draco mattered.
Everyone else was merely a passerby meant to highlight them.
However, Harry Potter seemed unwilling to accept his friendship, so Malfoy had spent the past two days observing Harry.
Seeing so many people led by Yaxley ganging up on Will, Malfoy curled his lip in disdain.
“Bullying the weak with numbers. It disgraces noble conduct.”
If it were him, he would deal with the boy alone.
He wouldn’t even need Goyle or Crabbe.
“Hmph, their family’s reputation was already disgraced when that Muggle-born kid hung them from the chandelier.”
Someone had heard Malfoy’s words and spoke with equal disdain.
“This is good, too. Let those Muggle-borns know that nobles aren’t to be trespassed upon.”
“That looks like Yaxley from third year, doesn’t it? As a third-year student, getting involved in the affairs of first-year students, isn’t he ashamed of bullying younger students?”
“Hey, the Yaxley and Selwyn families are close. There’s nothing wrong with him standing up for Selwyn.”
“Selwyn is a waste, too. He actually lost to that Muggle-born first-year.”
Most of those speaking were children from wizarding or pure-blood families.
Among Slytherin, Muggle-born students had little influence and were mostly ostracized.
Their backgrounds and strength were lacking, and their numbers were small.
Listening to the surrounding discussions, Yaxley’s expression became increasingly ugly.
“Kid, magic isn’t something you can simply talk about. I’m only giving you this chance because you managed to beat those two.”
Yaxley pulled out his wand, his expression grim.
“Since you don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Will doubted that this guy had ever experienced a real fight.
What was the point of all that nonsense?
In the end, whoever was left standing had the right to speak.
Will simply raised his hand, pointing his wand at Yaxley.
There was no fear or tension in his silver-gray eyes.
Instead, Yaxley could actually see a hint of mockery in them.
“It seems I have to teach you, you Mudblood, a lesson!”
“Stupefy!”
Yaxley waved his wand, and a spell shot toward Will.
Will didn’t dodge.
Stupefy flew straight toward him.
“This kid is scared stiff!”
“Yaxley is a third-year student. That kid is asking for death!”
“Let this Mudblood realize his place!” New chapters come out on g.com first.
The Selwyn group shouted from the side.
“Get out of the way, Will!”
Sylvia anxiously urged him to dodge.
“Protego!”
A faint magical shield appeared around Will.
“It’s useless. With his first-year magical power, Protego is no different from paper. It’s wishful thinking to believe he can block Yaxley’s Stupefy.”
Several older students commented from the crowd.
Stupefy struck Will directly, and everyone watching thought he would be defeated instantly.
But Will merely swayed slightly before grinning at Yaxley.
“Not a bad attack.”
[You personally experienced a spell’s attack. Due to being blocked, your perception is incomplete. Charms Experience +2]
Was Will stupid for not dodging?
Of course not.
He was experimenting.
He had tried casting Stupefy on himself before, but the effect had been terrible.
Later, he recalled one of the fundamental rules governing magic: the power of a spell was related to the caster’s magic, emotions, psychology, and thoughts.
Professor Moody, who was actually Barty Crouch Jr., had once said in class that casting the Killing Curse required sufficient magical power.
When casting Dark Arts spells, a wizard’s extreme emotions could affect the power of those spells.
When casting the Patronus Charm, one needed to possess happy memories.
The Hogwarts professors also emphasized the importance of a wizard’s mental state when teaching spells, while Dumbledore had repeatedly spoken about “the magic of love.”
It was difficult for Will to generate excessive hostility toward himself.
That wasn’t genius.
That was schizophrenia.
So he needed someone else to help him complete his experiments, and Yaxley happened to be a very good tool.
As for the Shield Charm, it could be said that this was one of his most familiar spells.
When Will first encountered magic, he immediately understood the importance of defensive spells like Protego, so he had spent several years practicing them.
A considerable portion of his Level 4 Charms experience had come from repeatedly grinding the Shield Charm.
By now, simply reading about it or continuously casting Protego made it difficult for him to gain any more experience.
Returning to the present, everyone watched as Will took Yaxley’s Stupefy head-on without showing any obvious effect.
They couldn’t help but be greatly surprised.
Will’s skill had far exceeded their expectations.
The mocking smile on Will’s face made Yaxley’s expression twitch.
Being humiliated like this by a first-year Muggle-born wizard made him furious.
“Avifors! Expelliarmus!”
Yaxley cast two spells in quick succession.
This time, Will didn’t stubbornly defend himself.
He quickly jumped to the side, dodging the Expelliarmus hidden among the flock of birds.
He immediately pointed his wand forward.
“Incendio!”
Large flames erupted, clearing away the birds and filling the common room with heat.
Will didn’t stop.
“Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!”
Three spells were cast in rapid succession.
Yaxley was about to dodge when the two blades of grass beneath his feet suddenly transformed into black snakes.
The snakes wrapped tightly around his legs, catching him off guard and causing him to fall to the ground.
At that moment, the downward-aimed Petrificus Totalus struck him directly.
Yaxley’s body instantly went rigid.
In just a few dozen seconds, Yaxley had been defeated by Will. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Ivan Selwyn and Obern Nott immediately panicked.
They hadn’t expected the reinforcements they had found to be defeated so easily.
“All together! Don’t be afraid of him. He’s only one person!”
Gritting his teeth, Selwyn shouted as seven or eight students raised their wands at once.
Will narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Confringo!”
“Boom!”
A violent explosion erupted in the middle of the group.
The powerful shockwave caused a sharp ringing in the young wizards’ ears, while seven or eight students were instantly knocked to the ground.
Some of their wands flew several meters away.
The surrounding students gasped and covered their ears.
Draco Malfoy’s jaw dropped.
He now admitted that this Muggle-born was incredibly strong.
If he wanted to match Will, he would probably need Crabbe and Goyle’s help.
The way everyone looked at Will also changed.
For a first-year student, Will’s skill was simply monstrous.
Forget first-years.
Even many third-year students would struggle to cast those spells so smoothly, let alone combine spellcasting with Transfiguration.
And now he had even used a dangerous advanced spell like Confringo.
Everyone quickly distanced themselves from Will.
He was simply too dangerous.
One had to remember that Peter Pettigrew, recipient of the First Class Order of Merlin, had died while using Confringo, along with twelve Muggles.
What kind of talent was this?
[You have used spells multiple times. You are more proficient in a certain spell. Charms Experience +1]
[You have used spells multiple times. You are more proficient in a certain spell. Charms Experience +1]
[You have used spells multiple times. You are more proficient in a certain spell. Charms Experience +1]
Will frowned slightly.
He had only gained five experience points.
What a loss.
However, judging by everyone’s reactions, he had probably achieved his goal.
They shouldn’t bother him anymore.
Now he could finally enjoy a peaceful life at Hogwarts.
At least, that was what Will thought.
“Will Behrens! What have you done?!”
An angry roar suddenly came from the entrance to the common room.
Will turned his head and saw the grim-faced, greasy-haired bat.
The Slytherin students immediately scattered like frightened birds.
“This isn’t Will’s fault, Professor. They started it…”
Sylvia tried to explain, but Snape interrupted her immediately.
“Miss Lestrange, this has nothing to do with you. Step back and let me question Behrens.”
Snape’s expression was dark and unpleasant.
“Otherwise, indulge your inexplicable kindness and have someone take these poor wretches to Madam Pomfrey.”
Snape’s black robes swept across the floor, casting a cold shadow behind him.
“As for you, Mr. Behrens, the great wizard…”
He turned and walked toward the corridor, his black robes tracing a dark arc behind him.
“My office is the third room in the West Tower of the castle.”