Exploring the Restricted Section

As Evan spoke, a sudden recollection seemed to dawn upon him, prompting him to add,

"And Malfoy, you still owe Hermione a thank you. Don't forget that!"

"Halse! That was your despicable ambush on me!" Malfoy drew his wand, aiming it at Evan, his pale cheeks flushed with fury.

"Even if I fall from the sky and die or get locked in Azkaban... I'll never thank a Mudblood!"

Crabbe and Goyle also unsheathed their wands, but the many astonished looks from the Gryffindors reminded the trio that they were at the Gryffindor table. Any aggression here would only result in them being thrashed...

At the mention of the word 'Mudblood,' Evan frowned, and Ron leaped up, shouting,

"Malfoy! We accept your challenge! Tonight, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

"Fine, I'll be waiting tonight..." Malfoy smirked and turned to leave.

"Dueling, what's that? Two people poking each other with swords?" Harry asked, completely baffled after Malfoy's departure.

"Of course not, how could we be as foolish as the Muggles?" Ron said proudly, sharing his knowledge of the rules.

"Well... it starts with both parties standing opposite each other, then bowing as a sign of respect. Wands are raised, and a glorious duel of magic ensues. If one falls, their second must take over, continuing until one side is completely defeated!"

Ron's excitement grew with each word, the thrill of a duel far surpassing the tedium of classroom study. Plus, he had had enough of Malfoy's antics.

"Death?" Harry gulped.

"Ron's exaggerating. That's a formal wizarding duel. At most, we'd use simple spells like Disarming or Leg-Locking Curses. Sometimes fists are even more effective," Evan explained, shaking his head.

"Evan, you're going tonight, right?" Ron asked eagerly.

"No, I told you earlier, I have other plans tonight and no time for Malfoy's games," Evan replied, shaking his head again.

To Evan, the idea of brandishing wands and casting spells face-to-face seemed foolish, not at all befitting his vision of a wizard's conduct. A fencing match might be more entertaining, at least offering some spectacle.

Considering Ron and Harry's restless nature, Evan still kindly cautioned,

"Malfoy might not even show up tonight. He could just be luring us there so that Filch can catch us all..."

"Impossible, right?"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, believing Malfoy wouldn't stoop so low as to dishonor a wizard's duel.

Seeing their determined faces, Evan knew his words were in vain. With a sigh, he stopped advising and returned to his book, "Quidditch Through the Ages."

As far as he remembered, tonight's escapade for Harry and the others would be a close call but ultimately harmless, and might even lead to further clues about the Philosopher's Stone.

Should any real danger arise, Dumbledore would certainly step in. The headmaster wouldn't allow any harm to come to his chosen savior.

"Ron, are we really going to duel Malfoy tonight? What if it's like Evan said, and Malfoy doesn't show up?" Harry voiced his concerns to Ron as they headed back to their dormitory after dinner.

"Of course, we're going. It's a duel! Malfoy won't stand us up. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if he showed up and we didn't," Ron tried to buoy Harry's spirits, having already committed to the challenge.

"But without Evan, it's just the two of us. How can we beat all three of them?" Harry argued.

"We could ask Neville to join us, then it'll be three," Ron suggested after some thought. Malfoy's cronies might be dim-witted, but they were much bigger and stronger, making a fight highly disadvantageous.

"Neville?" Harry opened his mouth to object, then swallowed his words.

Why did he suddenly feel even more worried?

Maybe it would be better to go as just the two of them...

...

At midnight, in the Gryffindor common room, Evan set down "Quidditch Through the Ages."

To avoid the embarrassment he faced during flying lessons, Evan had borrowed books on flying immediately after class. Several hours of reading and practice had almost brought his flying skills to a level two.

The dormitory was deserted; Harry, Ron, and Neville had snuck out minutes ago.

Evan could only wish them luck; the three-headed dog was not known for its amiable disposition.

Noticing the time was right, Evan crawled out of the cylindrical passageway and glanced back to see the entrance had sealed itself.

The Fat Lady, who guarded the passage, was nowhere to be seen, likely off visiting.

Hogwarts at midnight was eerily quiet, darker and more foreboding than usual. The dim candlelight every few meters barely illuminated Evan's path.

In this wizarding world, ghosts were not to be feared. Evan had chatted with a few and was unfazed by their presence, though he mentally criticized the system's method of dispensing rewards.

It was rather hardcore—the reward was in the Restricted Section, and he had to retrieve it himself.

Not very systematic at all!

Evan navigated the lengthy corridor, the aggravating rotating staircases proving an obstacle on his way to the Restricted Section.

At night, these staircases seemed more capricious than during the day, shifting unpredictably just as Evan approached, as if to challenge those like him who dared wander at this hour.

Fortunately, Evan's spellwork came in handy. Using the Levitation Charm, he briefly floated, drifting to his desired location. The Freezing Charm stopped the staircases from moving, holding them in place...

With a few simple spells, Evan progressed smoothly.

Portraits of bearded old scholars hung around the staircases, observing Evan's agile movements with interest, while others greeted him warmly.

After descending the stairs, Evan responded courteously to the portraits and turned towards the library, heading through the Great Hall.

"Alohomora!" Evan cast the Unlocking Charm to open the tightly shut library doors. For safety, he closed them behind him and waved his wand to cast a Wand-Lighting Charm.

"Lumos..."

A bright white light flashed from the tip of his wand, then dimmed to a soft glow. It was faint, but for Evan, it was more than enough to see by.

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