52 51. Hardwork or talent?

[ The room of Requirement ]

After Severus ended the briefing, they started their training. Narcissa and Lily were stunned to see a new side of him during the training session. He was so different from usual. He is a cruel teacher to learn from. He expects too much from those he trains. They didn't think Severus would go so hard on them. By the end of the session, they were left exhausted, both mentally and physically. Each spell from his wand was more powerful and accurate than theirs.

Even though he was capable of using those spells wandlessly and non-verbally, he choose to handicap himself so that they could have an advantage over him.

Even with the handicap, they struggled.

They couldn't even breach his defenses.

They questioned themselves -when did he become so powerful and skillful? Sure, they knew he was an expert duelist but not to this extent.

From the start, he either defended or redirected their spells to take them out. He just side stepped.

In the center of the room, stood Severus, unmoved from his position since the start of the duel.

Narcissa, Lily, and the other 7 looked at Severus and Benjy duel with awe. the spells flew from their wands as if they were just words, they made it look effortless. Benjy attacked Severus viciously, trying to break the unbreakable defense that Severus created around himself.

Benjy was getting frustrated with each spell that was spelled out from his wand seemed to do no damage to Severus.

'Why? Just why is the ladder between us so high? He wasn't this powerful when I started Hogwarts. He couldn't take on those four Gryffindor not long before yet now he not only took on 10 members at once but defeated 9 of us easily. Despite using various spells and strategies, he is still unmovable. Just a few days before, he was a bit-- a little bit beatable if I went all out and used my martial training along with dueling before but now it seems as if it is impossible. Not just his spells, but his presence alone weighs the duel in his favor. Maybe-- just maybe If I go all out, I could at least put a dent in his defense.'

"Circumdarus Caligos' a bright red line is shot from Benjy at the ground, nonverbally, covering the whole room in mist.

"Protego!" Lily casts the spells to cover them from any incoming spells in their direction. Others follow the same since they knew the spells are going far more damaging than usual.

"What is Benjy planning?" muttered Nolle, praying for Benjy to win.

Ever since the training started, Benjy was the one to try his hardest to gain against Severus but never once did he secure a win. One by one they gave up the hope of winning a duel against Severus yet Benjy persisted. He trained more than he ever did, hoping to win the duel but he was met with disappointment each time.

He spent countless hours strategizing, practicing, and learning just to win a duel against Severus.

He wasn't going to give up so easily.

He will have this win.

He will make Severus take this seriously. He will. He must or all his hard work would go to waste.

---------------------

Using the mist, Benjy launched an array of spells at Severus's position that he memorized, hoping the spells to keep Severus busy, he moved toward Severus at high speed to catch him off-guard.

Seeing the blue and red light from the spells shine in the mist, Benjy made his move towards Severus's position. Just as he was about to move, his spells were countered.

Severus's silhouette with glowing blue eyes in the mist made him look like a predator preying on its prey.

Benjy saw the silhouette of Severus take a step for the first time since the start of the duel.

"You know, Benjy, I admire your talents in dueling but you need to think before casting a spell. Using shining spells in the mist isn't really a good idea. They give out your position and waste the whole purpose of the mist. A duelist can easily see these spells moving from a kilometer away. While the most might not be able to counter it, the experienced ones would easily counter them. Try something less flashing and powerful, use something a bit more silent and vicious. It doesn't have to be tens of spells, it just has to be one spell that will take the duelist out." echoed Severus's voice around the room.

With his voice came a bombarda spell at Benjy's feet, blasting him to the wall.

"And you shouldn't be distracted during the duel, Benjy. You are an excellent duelist but training too hard might break your style." continues Severus, clearing the mist by controlling the air, " I know it is frustrating not being able to win even after trying so much but you have understood that is not all about the how many spells you use or what spells you use, it is about how you employ the spells you learned. A few days ago, you used ordinary spells masterfully. Making use of them to progress the duel on your side, but now you gave into using spells with more power output--"

'Just as I planned." thought Benjy. He purposefully made it seem like he changed his style to get Severus to approach him so that he could catch him off guard this time.

Just as he strategized, Severus stood before him with his fist full of the mist from before and his gaze shined blue in the darkness, making him far more intimidating than he normally is. He felt chills down his spine.

'Intimidated, me,--I, who faced a far more scary opponent from an early. Get a grip, Benjy, you have faced assassins before. Severus is nothing in front of them. Just do as you planned.' steeling his resolve, Benjy levitated all the broken pieces from around the ground and transfigured them into sharp objects.

"You know, I should have given up but I persisted. I persisted because I knew I would be able to catch up to you. And thanks for the suggestion." said Benjy, launching all the sharp objects he transfigured at Severus from all directions, seeing Severus being concentered on him.

*Click*

Severus flicked his fingers, turning all the sharp objects into dust, leaving everyone in the room speechless.

'Yes, now I know why I thought Severus was scary. Neither his magical powers nor his dueling style makes him scary, it is his control that makes him so scary. his control over the room, the control he has over a situation, and the control he has over people, make him a terrifying foe to face both in a duel and real life. Everything around him goes just as he planned. Any variable that might occur in his plan will be solved instantly or integrated into his plan, not that it was new, but the rate at which calculated and reacted to this variable is monstrous. Catching him off guard would require putting myself in the line and creating a variable that he wouldn't be able to solve immediately. Something that must happen in a split second.'

Taking the split second in which Severus turned the flying objects into dust as an opening, Benjy kicked Severus's leg and blasts a Bombarda Maxima, sending him hurling into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Yes!!!" shouts Benjy, joyed at being able to land a spell on Severus.

It was so out of his character for him to show his emotions so openly but he didn't care, he was so happy that he didn't mind it.

"Yaayyyy!!!"

"Hoorahhh!! Boss is down at last!!!"

"Way to go, Benjy!!!!"

"Yaaayy!!!"

Nolle cheered the most, along with the other members of the group except Lily and Narcissa.

They both were looking at Severus who was on the ground, with a bit of concern, not for him but for Benjy.

" You should stop cheering" informed Narcissa.

"Why?"

"Because Severus is just getting started," answered Lily, activating a shield around them once more.

Hearing Lily and Narcissa, all the others focused back at Severus, who was getting dust off of him.

Standing up with torn clothes, "This is where the fun begins." said Severus with a smirk.