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Soon, Vison gave up on the idea of making the Biting Cabbages smarter. Perhaps the very nature of "intelligence" was not compatible with them, as none of the Biting Cabbages gained this characteristic. However, something unexpected happened.
Type: Biting Cabbage
Level: 2
Characteristic: Parasitism
State: Growing (0%)
To his surprise, they all developed the ability to parasitize. This was something similar to the Devil's Snare, as they could attach themselves to people's bodies. But when Vison attempted to have the Biting Cabbages parasitize him, he found the results even more bizarre than he had anticipated.
Looking at the few Biting Cabbages that had sprouted on his arm, Vison shuddered. He quickly decided that it was better to keep them in their flower pots.
As night descended, the Hogwarts dining hall was brightly lit. At the Gryffindor table, Harry was recounting the events of his flying lesson earlier that day to Ron. Professor McGonagall had made a special exception, allowing him to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
When Ron heard this news, his mouth fell open in surprise, and he forgot to chew the pie he had in his hand.
"Don't tell anyone," Harry said casually, while munching on the same pie as Ron. "Wood told me to keep it a secret. He's the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
Ron, however, was too excited to stay calm. His eyes widened even more.
"Oh Merlin," he exclaimed, slapping Harry's shoulder. "If I were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I would be so excited I wouldn't even be able to eat! Are you a Beater? Or a Seeker?"
"I'm a Seeker," Harry replied, trying to keep his voice low. "And keep it down, Ron."
For the rest of the meal, Ron bombarded Harry with questions about how he had been chosen.
Harry himself was a little surprised. When he had first touched a flying broom, he felt an instinctive control over it. During the flying lesson, his broom had jumped into his hand after only one try, something no other student could manage on their first attempt. Slytherin students, who prided themselves on their superior flying skills, struggled with multiple attempts, while Malfoy—Harry admitted—was a good flyer but still slightly behind him.
Just as Harry was thinking about Malfoy, the boy himself appeared in front of him.
Malfoy sneered at Harry. "Yo, Potter, didn't the Professor say you could return to the Muggles?" he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Or are you staying for your last supper at Hogwarts?"
Malfoy's words were clearly an insult to Harry, referring to the incident during the flying lesson when Harry had violated the rules. Goyle and Crabbe, standing behind him, snickered quietly, joining in the mockery.
But Harry found their teasing more comical than offensive.
"You've gotten braver," Harry remarked coldly, giving Goyle and Crabbe a disapproving glance. "After all, you're now surrounded by a couple of laughingstocks."
At this, Goyle and Crabbe stepped forward, glaring at Harry. Under the table, Harry's hand inched toward his wand. His Charms skills were not yet perfect, but a simple Levitation Charm should be easy enough. He wasn't sure if he could lift Goyle and Crabbe to the ceiling, but if they attacked him, he would cast the spell immediately.
The tension in the dining hall was palpable, but Goyle and Crabbe hesitated, unwilling to escalate things with so many people around. Harry felt relieved but also slightly disappointed. He had been eager to try out his Charms in a real situation.
Suddenly, Malfoy spoke again. "Harry Potter," he said with a sneer, "How about we have a proper Wizard duel? Tonight. What do you think?"
Without missing a beat, Harry stood up, meeting Malfoy's eyes. "Why wait until tonight? We can do it now. I know a place where no one will disturb us."
Malfoy, taken aback by Harry's readiness, quickly coughed and regained his composure. "Potter, don't rush it. A Wizard duel is no child's play. You'll need a better assistant." He glanced over at Ron, then shook his head in mock disapproval.
Ron, who had been silently watching, suddenly stood up, his face flushed with anger. "You wait right there, Malfoy. I'll be his assistant."
Malfoy gave a satisfied nod, a small smile playing on his lips. "Very well, Potter. Midnight in the trophy room. Be there."
With that, he turned and left, Goyle and Crabbe following behind him. They didn't give Harry any chance to reply.
Harry sat back down, exchanging a thoughtful glance with Ron.
"Maybe I shouldn't have accepted like that?" Ron asked hesitantly, worried that he might have made the wrong decision in accepting the duel on Harry's behalf.
Harry smiled and patted Ron's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ron. I was going to accept anyway."
Ron's expression softened.
"So, what exactly is a Wizard duel?" Harry asked, still curious about what he had agreed to.
"I thought you knew!" Ron exclaimed, sounding a bit shocked. "A Wizard duel is when two wizards stand face to face, bow to each other, and then cast spells on one another. Sounds cool, right?"
"Sounds formal," Harry replied, taking another bite of his pie.
"But your duel probably won't be like that," Ron added with a shrug. "You and Malfoy probably can't even use decent spells."
Harry nodded. That was true. The only Charms he knew were basic ones. None of them were particularly suited for combat. He lacked advanced spells like the Shield Charm or Disarming Charm. And as for Malfoy, Harry wasn't confident that Malfoy knew any better spells than he did.
"Well, in that case, you can always punch him in the nose," Ron said, making a punching motion with his fist.
Harry chuckled. "If it comes to that, I'll give it a try."
Just then, a familiar voice interrupted their conversation.
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt," Hermione said, standing behind them with a frown on her face. It was clear she had overheard their discussion.
"You can't be wandering around outside in the middle of the night," she said sternly. "You'll definitely get caught, and Gryffindor will lose points!"
Ron rolled his eyes. "No one will know if no one tells on us," he said dismissively.
Hermione crossed her arms, looking at both of them disapprovingly. "Still, you should be careful. Besides, you don't want to get into trouble with the professors."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, both of them somewhat unconvinced by Hermione's argument. Still, they knew she had a point.
"Alright, Hermione," Harry said, "We'll be careful."
Hermione nodded, although she still looked skeptical. "You'd better be."
As the evening wore on, Harry couldn't help but think about the upcoming duel. He had no idea what to expect, but he was ready to face whatever Malfoy threw his way. The night was sure to bring unexpected surprises.
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