The tension in the Slytherin common room was thick enough to be bottled and sold as a particularly nasty potion ingredient. Students crowded around, whispering about the upcoming spectacle. Professor Snape, with his signature billowing robes, stepped forward and waved his wand. A bright, glowing circle formed on the floor.

"The rules are simple," Snape announced in his usual deadpan drawl. "Cross the boundary, and you lose. Any unnecessary injuries will result in immediate disqualification."

Rudra Raja Kumara grinned as he twirled his wand.Time to put on a show.

Vincent Crabbe stepped forward, cracking his knuckles like he planned on boxing instead of dueling. His beady eyes locked onto Raja, who simply smirked.

Snape raised a hand. "Begin."

Raja didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wand, he cast, "Lubricus Solem!"

The floor beneath Crabbe turned into an slippery as oil poured there. The hulking boy flailed, windmilling his arms in slow-motion horror.

"Wha—whoa—AAAAAH!"

Before gravity could fully claim him, Raja flicked his wand again. "Flipendo!"

A soft blue pulse of energy smacked Crabbe in the chest, sending him sailing out of the ring like an oversized bowling pin.

Gasps echoed through the crowd—only for them to turn into surprised murmurs as Raja cast "Spongify!" just before Crabbe hit the ground. Instead of breaking his nose, Crabbe bounced gently like a dropped pudding.

Snape sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Crabbe is out."

One down. Raja dusted off his robes and turned toward his next challenge.

Draco Malfoy strutted forward with all the arrogance of a boy who believed he had already won. "I hope you're ready, Kumara. I don't plan on losing like that buffoon."

"Oh, don't worry," Raja replied, stretching his arms. "I promise you'll lose in a much moredignifiedmanner."

Snape once again raised his hand. "Begin."

The duel started with a quick exchange of spells. Draco fired a sharpFlipendo!and Raja sidestepped, countering withLumos Maxima!The sudden flash of light made Draco shield his eyes, giving Raja the opening to flick his wand.

"Cistem Aperio!"

A loud crack split the air as a nearby crate burst open, sending parchment papers flying everywhere. Malfoy, momentarily distracted by the chaos, was caught off-guard when Raja aimed anotherFlipendo!at his feet.

Draco skidded, flailed, and—despite his best efforts—toppled backward, rolling just out of the circle's edge. He sat up, looking positivelyoutraged.

"You—!"

"Me," Raja confirmed smugly.

Snape, who looked like he was reconsidering his entire life's decisions, sighed again. "Malfoy is out."

Two down. One to go.

Daphne Greengrass stepped forward with a calculating glint in her eye. Unlike Crabbe and Malfoy, she exuded a quiet confidence. Before stepping into the ring, she turned to Snape.

"I will only participate if I am allowed to useallfirst-year spells."

Snape arched an eyebrow and turned toward Raja. "Do you accept?"

Raja nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Snape raised his hand one final time. "Begin."

The moment his hand dropped, Daphne went on the offensive.

"Incendio!"

A burst of flames shot toward Raja's feet. He reacted instantly. "Spongify!" The ground beneath him softened, allowing him to spring backward like a gymnast.

Daphne wasn't done. She flicked her wand again. "Diffindo!"

A sharp force sliced through the air toward him, but Raja countered with a quickWingardium Leviosa!lifting a discarded piece of parchment in front of him to block the spell. The severing charm split the parchment cleanly in half, but by then, Raja had already repositioned.

He grinned. "Not bad. But try this—Lubricus Solem!"

Daphne anticipated the move and quickly cast, "Spongify!" just in time to prevent herself from slipping.

The crowd murmured—this was a duel worth watching.

"Nice reaction time," Raja admitted, before waving his wand. "But let's see how you handle—Cistem Aperio!"

Another crate exploded, sending various scrolls and vials tumbling into the dueling space. Daphne usedFlipendo!to push them away while simultaneously castingLumosto momentarily blind Raja.

Raja blinked against the sudden brightness, but smirked.Clever.He responded withIncendio!—not to attack Daphne, but to create a smoke screen between them.

Daphne narrowed her eyes and took a calculated step forward—only to realize Raja was waiting.

"Flipendo!"

Caught mid-step, Daphne lost her balance. She tried to castWingardium Leviosato stabilize herself, but Raja was already moving. A quickDiffindo!precisely cut a loose thread on her robe, distracting her just enough that she stumbled backward... and her foot crossed the line.

Silence. Then—

"Greengrass is out."

A slow clap started. Then another. And another. Within moments, the first-year Slytherins werecheering.

Daphne stood, brushing off her robes with dignity, before smirking at Raja. "Not bad."

Raja grinned back. "You too."

Snape's voice cut through the applause. "It seems our new addition has... made an impression." His tone was unreadable, but there was a glint of interest in his eyes. "Class dismissed."

As the crowd dispersed, Malfoy stormed up to Raja, scowling. "This isn't over."

Raja just smirked. "Looking forward to the rematch."

And just like that, the first-year muggle-born menace had cemented his place in Slytherin.

Hogwarts had no idea what it had just unleashed.

To be continued...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com