Chapter 103

In addition to looking to get something for his sister, he wanted to buy something for his parents and grandparents. He had found the slingshot from the Room of Hidden Things for his dad and was planning on buying a watch for his grandfather. For his mother, he found a beautiful, small silver phoenix broach after asking his friends for ideas for a gift. Albert decided to gift his grandma the Lego set Black Seas Barracuda. Both of these gifts would cost a pretty penny.

Albert headed to the library to find books that would help him create a magical artefact by himself. The last couple of attempts blew up in his face. In the library, he met a familiar face that he hadn't seen in a while. He had a troubled look as he saw the person of interest walking from the duelling section to the darker battle magic section. From how his hands were jittering, Albert suspected Gabriel had found himself in a little bit of a pickle. Gabriel gestured for him to come closer.

"Hello Gabriel. What have you done this time?" Albert asked in a joking tone. "You have gotten into trouble again and need me to bail you out again."

"I might have done," Gabriel replied. "Could you do me a favour? Could you loan me these books under your name?"

"Okay, but you owe me a favour. Now, what is it for, and why do you need a book on jinxes and hexes?" Albert asked.

"I might have done something I shouldn't have," Gabriel said sheepishly. "And the person in question has challenged me to a 'Duel of Fate'. You won't go back on your word, will you?"

"No. I always keep a promise when it benefits me. What is a 'Duel of Fate' and who did you annoy? And isn't duelling prohibited at Hogwarts?"

"A 'Duel of Fate' is also known as a 'Duel of Honour'. Someone challenges you, and you have to accept it. There are stakes involved, and the duel is sanctioned by magic itself. That means no backing out. I annoyed a Ravenclaw prefect prospect," Gabriel said. "And yes, duelling is prohibited, but there is a whole underground duelling arena at Hogwarts with a gambling den and everything."

"What did you do to him?"

"We had a slight disagreement about Bridget Winlock," Gabriel said as he looked at Albert's confused face. "Bridget Winlock was a diviner and a good one at that. He is also one of the most famous people in the field of arithmancy. He discovered the magical property of the number '7'. He thinks Winlock was a Ravenclaw, while I thought he was from Hufflepuff. I recently found out that he's from Hufflepuff, and I want him to forget all about it."

"That sounds like a petty reason for a duel of fate," Albert said.

"Did I also mention that his sister had a crush on me? I led her on, slept with her, and then I stopped talking to her after we did the deed," Gabriel said. "Please don't judge me."

"I hope he hurts you, you sick monster," Albert said. "Why would you do that?"

"There's a better-looking girl from a better-off family that I'm currently seeing. Will you please help me?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't want to, but I won't break my promise," Albert said. "Why can't you borrow the books under your name?"

"I might have burned the last couple of books that I borrowed from the library," Gabriel said.

"I'm going to regret helping, aren't I?"

"As long as I don't lose, you'll benefit from his exchange," Gabriel said. "I'm the underdog, so you could make a decent return if you bet on me."

"Follow me. What duelling spell do you know?"

"Only the owns they teach us."

"So you want to learn hexes and jinxes before you learn actual duelling spells? When is your duel?"

"In a couple of days."

"Okay, that should be enough time to learn essential duelling spells."

"How do you know about them?"

"I read a book."

"Here, take this. 'Disillusionment Charm and Co.: The Basic Guide for Any Aspiring Aurors' and 'Duelling basics'. They should help you. Do you know about common chain attacks?"

"No. I'm completely clueless."

"It'll be a miracle if you win. Let's go through the basics. A simple magic attack. Point your wand at your opponent, channel your magic, let it flow through your wand, and release. It's all in the flick of the wrist. All wizards and witches can perform it without much trouble. This basic attack damages the target and can be easily mixed with other Spells to create powerful chains.

Next are your core spells. Core Spells are a vital part of what makes a wizard. In combat, they are especially useful. Most witches and wizards usually have four core spells that determine their duelling style and approach. Any spell can be a core spell. Skilled duelists can even use the most basic spells, like Lumos and Wingardium Leviosa, and make them one of the deadliest spells in their arsenal. Master and grandmaster duelists usually have 16 core spells."

"Do the headmaster and Professor Flitwick have 16 core spells?"

"Don't interrupt me. They probably have more than 16. Now onto your defence. You can either block, dodge, or deflect. To block, use any iteration of the shielding charm, Protago. You can use the older versions. They are easier to learn, but they are versatile. The modern ones are harder to learn but can be used in virtually any situation effectively.

When you are about to receive an attack, you'll probably go into a state of increased awareness. You just need to use the right spell when it comes at you in order to deflect such an attack. You can't do it too close; otherwise, it will blow up in your face. This will send it away and prevent damage. Deflecting is a very important defensive tool at the disposal of all aspiring wizards and witches. Read the books to find out which spells you need to deflect.

Counterattacking is strictly related to deflecting. As I was saying, you just need to use the right spell. If you time it just right, you will counterattack with a basic magic attack or any other spell you want. By performing a counterattack, you will not only give yourself another life, but you will also be able to mount an offence immediately, possibly turning the tides of combat.

Not all attacks can be blocked or counterattacked. Certain attacks may give you a foreboding feeling, which means that the incoming attack cannot be blocked. The only way to prevent being affected is to dodge it. Simple, enough?"

"Yes, I think, but..."

"Good enough, now onto banned spells. Obviously, the three 'Unforgivable Curses', Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Crucio, are no go's. Depending on the situation, the Blasting Curse, Confringo, would not be allowed due to its damage output. Here, read this. It tells you about all the banned spells in official competitions.

Onto common duelling chains. One of the best chains is Leviosa, followed by a basic magic attack three times, followed by Accio, a basic magic attack three times, then Flipendo, and finally a basic magic attack three times before slamming them onto the ground with Descendo. You also use Accio and Incendio to burn their robes. Bombara is just a good all-rounder. If you're good at transfiguration, you can tear a bit of your uniform or the rumble to transfigure a projectile or something and launch it at them. Or you could levitate a stone and use Despulso. Depending on the stone, it can either be used as a projectile or a smoke screen. If it is a smoke screen, you can use the disillusionment charm to get behind them."

"Wait, wait, wait! Can you slow down? How am I meant to remember all of that?"

"Your not. It's somewhere in the book. You can read it later for yourself."

"Can you do it?"

"Can I do it? No. I've been here for 3–4 months, and I haven't learned all those spells yet. You should be able to do it. It doesn't sound that hard," Albert said. "Lay off on the jinxes and hexes. You are definitely not ready for it. Learn the basics first and fast. I have places to be and people to meet, so this will be it. See you whenever the duel is."

"It's on the weekend. I'll see you then, and the books?" Gabriel said.

"Tell Madam Pince you're borrowing it on my behalf and that I'll collect it for you later. I'll speak to her myself later."

ALBERT'S POV

That was frustrating. A third-year student, not knowing the basics of duelling, yet accepting a duel. It may have been a 'Duel of Fate', but he should have tried to get out of it. I had no idea if I should help him until I heard the familiar chime of the system. If someone did that to my sister, I would also want to hurt them. Even though Nina is annoying, she's my sister, and I would never let something like that happen to her. If someone did that, I wouldn't mind using Curcio on them. I reckon it'll be fun.

Fun? That's probably the remnants of the Horcrux I used recently, but it's not wrong. Anyway, onto the mission the system generated.

Please, sir, can I have some… help?

Mission Overview: Your friend, Gabriel Truman, has done something unforgivable by the standards of the union of older brothers. He has come to you for help.

Mission Objective: Prepare Gabriel Truman for his duel.

Mission Rewards: 100 experience points, Gabriel Truman favorability +10

The Story of the Underdog

Mission Overview: Your friend, Gabriel Truman, has done something unforgivable by the standards of the union of older brothers. You are debating which side to support; however, you picked your friend for some reason.

Mission Objective: Help Gabriel Truman win

Mission Rewards: 1000 experience points, random spell for Gabriel Truman's repertoire, Gabriel Truman favorability +10

Dismissing the system, I head towards the reason why I came to the library. Shannon asked for my help with her homework, and I never break a promise. Plus, it means I spend more time away from the diadem. I sat down and started reading. I felt Madam Pince's gaze, but I ignored it for now. After Shannon finished, I spoke to Madam Pince before heading to the Great Hall with Shannon.