The reason Liam returned the wand was simple.
Lockhart's total magical power was far below his own. Any offensive spell Lockhart cast would be significantly weakened against him. On top of that, Liam had already mastered countermeasures against most common spells.
As long as Lockhart didn't pull out some bizarre, unfamiliar curse, there was virtually no chance of him being harmed.
More importantly, Liam intended to thoroughly embarrass him.
Only then would Lockhart lose the ability to hide behind excuses.
Standing calmly in place, Liam lowered his wand and waited.
Across from him, Lockhart adjusted his stance and struck what he clearly believed was a handsome dueling pose.
"Expelliarmus!"
With a dramatic flick of his wand, a red flash shot across the room.
A moment later—
"AHHH!"
Ron Weasley was blasted backward and sent flying nearly ten feet before crashing onto the floor.
Silence.
Liam stared.
His expression froze.
For the first time in a very long time, he didn't know what to say.
He had seen countless absurd things in Knockturn Alley.
He had seen Dark Wizards blow themselves up.
He had seen idiots accidentally curse their own allies.
He had seen people transfigure their own shoes into rabbits.
But this?
This was a new experience.
The accuracy was unbelievably bad.
The Disarming Charm wasn't like the Stunning Spell, which could become difficult to control under certain circumstances.
Expelliarmus was famous precisely because of its accuracy.
It had been designed specifically to target an opponent's weapon quickly and reliably.
Missing entirely was already embarrassing.
Hitting a completely unrelated student standing several feet away was an achievement of a different kind.
Liam quickly figured out what had happened.
Lockhart had been too focused on looking stylish.
Instead of aiming properly, he had spent more effort maintaining his pose.
The result was obvious.
"Professor."
Liam pointed at his chest.
"Over here."
His voice was filled with mock concern.
"Your opponent is me."
"I know that!"
Lockhart shouted.
His composure finally cracked.
"Don't rush me!"
For over a decade, Lockhart's life had consisted of tracking down accomplished witches and wizards, listening to their adventures, and stealing their stories.
After gaining their trust, he would cast Obliviate and erase their memories of the events and their conversations with him.
Then he would publish their accomplishments as his own.
That was the foundation of his entire career.
The truth was that he hadn't participated in a real magical duel in years.
The last genuine duel he could remember had taken place during his school days.
And he had lost badly.
That humiliating experience was precisely what had inspired him to focus on memory charms instead.
Stealing other people's glory was much safer than earning his own.
When he agreed to duel Liam, he had assumed it would be easy.
After all, Liam was only nine years old.
But now?
Things were spiraling out of control.
Although Liam had genuinely disarmed him through skill alone, Lockhart still stubbornly convinced himself that the first loss had been caused by luck and surprise.
"Take your time," Liam said with a relaxed smile.
He spread his hands.
"I'll wait."
"Pfft!"
Cassandra finally burst out laughing.
Several nearby Slytherins quickly followed.
Lockhart's face darkened instantly.
He shot Cassandra an irritated glare.
Unfortunately for him, Cassandra wasn't remotely intimidated.
Her emerald eyes met his without hesitation.
The pride and confidence in her gaze were unmistakable.
For several long seconds, the two stared at one another.
Then Lockhart looked away first.
For reasons he couldn't explain, the eleven-year-old girl's eyes made him deeply uncomfortable.
They were cold.
Sharp.
Almost like a blade.
A strange chill crawled down his spine.
Unable to continue, Lockhart turned around and marched back toward the professor's desk.
He had completely lost interest in the duel.
"Slytherin students, take note."
He grabbed a quill and sneered.
"Due to the disrespect shown toward a professor by your classmates, Slytherin will lose twenty points."
Professors had limited authority to award and deduct House Points.
At that moment, Lockhart decided to use it as revenge.
"Try it."
The sharp crack of a hand slamming against a desk echoed through the room.
Everyone jumped.
Lockhart's hand shook so badly that he nearly dropped his quill.
Cassandra had risen to her feet.
Her expression was ice-cold.
"You dare?"
The entire classroom fell silent.
Even Liam raised an eyebrow.
"My father works in the Ministry of Magic," Cassandra said coldly. "A fraud like you can be thrown into Azkaban just like any other criminal."
Lockhart's face instantly turned green.
"You wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't I?"
Cassandra crossed her arms.
"If I tell him what happened today, I guarantee you'll be sitting in Azkaban within a week."
The word alone nearly made Lockhart collapse.
Few wizards could remain calm after hearing the name of Azkaban.
Only truly powerful figures like Dumbledore, Voldemort, or Liam himself could ignore the terror associated with the prison.
For ordinary witches and wizards, Azkaban represented pure nightmare.
For Lockhart—a man who had spent his life avoiding real danger—it was even worse.
Cold sweat immediately formed on his forehead.
Still, he couldn't back down now.
Not in front of an entire classroom.
Doing so would destroy his reputation.
And if he didn't defend himself, it would look as though he were admitting Cassandra's accusations.
"Y-you can't slander me with baseless accusations!"
Lockhart protested.
"My books contain detailed records and evidence! Everything I've accomplished is real!"
"Then why can't you even beat Liam?"
Cassandra fired back instantly.
Her tone was utterly domineering.
The question hit like a hammer.
Several students nodded unconsciously.
It sounded reasonable.
Of course, Cassandra's standards were somewhat unreasonable.
In all of Hogwarts, only Dumbledore could confidently claim victory over Liam.
Even professors like Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick would struggle.
While those professors possessed greater magical reserves, Liam's experience in life-and-death combat far exceeded theirs.
His mastery of combat magic had been forged through genuine battles.
And unlike him, the professors would naturally hesitate when facing a student.
That hesitation alone would likely decide the outcome.
Naturally, Lockhart knew none of this.
From his perspective, he simply couldn't defeat a nine-year-old boy.
And that was embarrassing.
"Cough... cough..."
Lockhart suddenly staggered.
His face became pale.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He looked weak enough to collapse at any moment.
"I apologize."
His voice sounded strained.
"My health isn't very good today. I've been suffering from severe dizziness."
He pressed a hand to his forehead.
"That's why I accidentally hit Ronald earlier."
The performance was flawless.
Several girls who had already fallen under his charm immediately looked concerned.
"Professor Lockhart!"
"Are you alright?"
"You should rest!"
Seeing the support, Lockhart felt relieved.
"However," he continued weakly, "Liam still managed to defeat me despite my condition."
He paused dramatically.
"Therefore, I have decided to award Slytherin five points."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Cassandra.
The threat of Azkaban had genuinely frightened him.
As a result, not only did he abandon the idea of deducting points, but he also rewarded Slytherin instead, hoping Cassandra would stop causing trouble for him.
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.