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Alex had a reason for being certain he would win.
'Magic.'
No matter how refined her spells were, no matter how quick her reaction speed was, no matter how little magic each spell consumed, casting still required magic.
In the end, she was only a second-year student.
There's no way her magic is greater than mine!
Alex had not wanted to win this way.
But every attack he made had been easily neutralized by his opponent. He grew more and more impatient, and in the end, he could only rely on this almost shameless method to win.
If this dragged on, the only one who could win was me!
Still, as expected of the disciplinary group, they really did have something special.
After exchanging spells with Hermione, Alex's initial desire to teach her a lesson gradually changed into admiration.
'She's clearly only a second-year, but her depth of knowledge in Charms is absurdly broad.'
'She's clearly a Gryffindor, yet she's smarter than many Ravenclaws.'
Under the back-and-forth exchange of spells, Alex gradually sensed that Hermione's counter-spells were no longer as quick as they had been at the beginning.
'Her magic is probably at its limit.'
'Then... it's over!'
"Serpensortia!"
With an explosion at the tip of Alex's wand, a long black snake sprang out.
It raised its head, coiled its body, and bared its venomous fangs at Hermione, constantly letting out hissing sounds.
It was a jinx that fell just short of Dark Magic.
It could conjure a venomous black snake from the tip of a wand.
If Alex had been in peak condition, he could have cast a more powerful spell.
But he was almost at his limit too.
If Hermione had held on for a few more exchanges, perhaps Alex himself would no longer have been able to keep going.
Standing behind the black snake, Alex looked at Hermione with complete confidence and announced in the posture of a victor, "Miss Granger, I believe you have already lost—"
At the exact moment Alex was about to declare his victory, Hermione waved her wand at the long black snake with lightning speed.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
An invisible blade of wind flashed past.
The blade skimmed past Alex's temple, sending a few strands of brown hair drifting slowly down.
The black snake was split in two in an instant.
Black blood splattered across the floor, as if it had been cleaved open by an invisible sword.
Sectumsempra.
It was a nonverbal spell invented by Professor Snape.
"You must be joking. Our duel has only just begun."
Hermione pointed her wand at Alex and revealed a sweet smile.
"Now the second round begins. My turn to attack."
Unlike Alex, who had exhausted the magic in his body and looked completely drained, Hermione showed no sign at all of having overused her magic.
In theory, Hermione, who was only in second year, should have been far below sixth-year Alex in terms of magic.
After all, Hermione was still growing and still had several years of development ahead of her.
But...
The blue gemstone ring on the middle finger of Hermione's left hand emitted a faint glow.
And the red-and-white ball fastened at her waist reflected an unusual gleam under the sunlight.
She had a cheat.
Given to her by Dudley.
Indeed, just as Hermione had said, her second round had only just begun.
"As expected... of the disciplinary group..."
Alex had originally thought that with Dursley and Potter absent, and with Malfoy, that thorn in Slytherin's side, also not there, he could suppress the disciplinary group's prestige a little.
He had not expected that Granger would be such a powerful witch.
Looking at it now, she had merely been playing with him the entire time.
He accepted it.
He truly accepted it.
"I concede."
With a thud, Alex collapsed onto the floor.
The Serpensortia just now had wrung out the last of his magic.
Now he did not have a single drop left.
On top of that, Hermione's silent and invisible spell had frightened him as well, leaving him unable to muster even the slightest will to resist.
"How is that possible?!"
Audrina stared at everything before her in disbelief.
She truly could not understand why her brother, who would graduate in another year, could not defeat a mere second-year student.
Alex did know a considerable number of spells.
But whether in depth of mastery or casting technique, he was far below Hermione.
After all, he did not have a professor giving him special tutoring.
He certainly did not have a group of companions practicing with him whenever they had free time.
In terms of actual combat, the gap between them was enormous.
After Hermione's victory, the other students all remained silently in place, looking at her and waiting for her judgment.
"Using the authority of a prefect for personal gain, attempting to shield a relative from punishment. Mr. Shaffer, I believe you are no longer fit to continue serving as a prefect. Of course, at present, the disciplinary group does not yet have the authority to remove a sixth-year prefect. I will report this matter to Professor Flitwick exactly as it happened."
"Do you accept that?"
"I accept..."
Alex sighed softly and replied weakly.
Then Hermione turned to Audrina and the other two girls.
"Tormenting classmates. Harassing classmates. I gave you a chance."
"I will report this matter to the professors and the Headmaster exactly as it happened. They will decide your final punishment."
"Of course, if they ask for our opinion, the disciplinary group's recommendation will be... expulsion. Tormenting classmates is the sort of thing that, once it happens once, can happen a second time."
"Zero tolerance. That is the principle of the disciplinary group."
With every sentence Hermione spoke, the faces of the three girls grew a little paler.
By the time she finished the final sentence, two of them had already fainted from fright.
If what they had said was true, then the other two could at most be counted as accomplices.
"Densau—"
Still unwilling to accept it, Audrina had only just drawn her wand.
Before she could complete the spell, she was struck by a red light and sent flying backward.
In the next instant, countless red pimples appeared across her face and body.
The curse on the shoes fully erupted.
"Now we can add one more charge: attacking a member of the disciplinary group."
Hermione did not even look at her.
"If anyone has any objection, you may come find me at any time, just like this 'Miss Pustules' here. Or rather, you may come find our disciplinary group."
"Of course... bear the consequences yourself."
Hermione looked around and spoke in a stern voice.
"Whether Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, we will treat everyone the same. As long as discipline is violated, we will investigate it to the end."
"The All-Hogwarts Special Committee Against Student Torment and Cheating."
"You may also call us the disciplinary group."
Her voice reached every student present with exceptional clarity.
"Can I join your group?"
No one knew which student in the crowd had shouted.
"The doors of the disciplinary group are always open to every student. If your heart seeks justice, and you wish to receive fair treatment, then come join us."
"Of course, the condition is that you pass the test first."
"Granger! The Queen of Gryffindor!"
No one knew who shouted that first.
It instantly ignited the atmosphere of the entire place.
All the students began shouting along.
Luna, the protagonist of this incident, ended up being left to the side instead.
She did not mind at all.
She was looking at Hermione with eyes full of admiration.
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