Though Charlotte could sense Erwin's power from his earlier moves, she hadn't anticipated just how formidable his magic truly was. The spells he unleashed packed a punch that even her battle-hardened Shield Charm couldn't fully deflect.
Erwin didn't let up. His wand still hummed as he fired off another Expelliarmus.
Charlotte dodged to the side with practiced speed.
Erwin mirrored her, pressing the attack.
"Incarcerous!" she cried.
Vines erupted from the ground ahead of him, blocking his path.
Erwin frowned. This was the downside of a limited spellbook—he had only two choices: blast through the vines or veer off course.
But Charlotte wasn't about to let him decide.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The curse streaked from her wand, aimed squarely at his back. Turning now would send him straight into it.
Erwin marveled at her tactical savvy. No choice, then—he'd drop the pretense.
"Sectumsempra!"
The spell targeted the vines. In an instant, razor-sharp, invisible blades sliced through them like paper.
Erwin slipped past the wreckage.
The surrounding young witches and wizards gaped in shock.
"What spell was that?"
"Sectumsempra? I read about it in a book—Professor Snape invented it!"
"I've heard whispers about it, but it's deadly! Who knew Erwin had mastered something so advanced?"
A ripple of envy spread through the Slytherins. As pure-bloods, they all knew the spell's infamous reputation—Snape's own creation.
Even Charlotte faltered for a split second, her rhythm breaking.
The professors exchanged glances. McGonagall fixed Snape with a stern look. "Snape! Erwin's brilliant, but teaching him something that vicious now? Unacceptable."
Snape said nothing, though inwardly he was baffled. He'd jotted the incantation in his notes, but those were for later—Erwin shouldn't have seen them yet. Had the boy skimmed ahead?
McGonagall pressed on. "We need to end this duel. Sectumsempra's too risky."
"No," Snape countered coolly. "Slytherin tradition demands we let it play out. Besides, it has a counter-curse. Erwin's no fool—he won't turn it on Charlotte. If he meant to, he'd have done so already."
McGonagall hesitated. She valued her students' safety, but Slytherin rules were ironclad. No interference. And she trusted Erwin's judgment.
Erwin, having evaded the assault, kept up the pressure with yet another Expelliarmus.
Charlotte anticipated it this time and sidestepped smoothly.
But then Erwin felt a prickling danger at his back. Instinct kicked in—he whipped around and cast Sectumsempra once more.
The severed vine segments, which she'd silently levitated with a non-verbal Wingardium Leviosa, split apart mid-air and veered harmlessly to either side of him.
Erwin's eyes widened. Clever.
He shot Charlotte a glance. She looked almost disappointed.
It clicked for him in a heartbeat: the silent Levitation Charm. She'd rigged the debris to ambush him. Impressive instincts.
But her gambit had failed. Now it was his turn.
Erwin twirled his wrist, wand at the ready—
Charlotte sheathed hers. She balled her right hand, placed it over her heart, and declared, "I yield."
Erwin froze mid-motion.
She flashed a wry grin. "You win, junior. Don't go hitting me now—I'm not keen on a trip to the Hospital Wing!"
"Why surrender?" he asked, brow furrowed.
"Not much magic left in me," she admitted. "You've blocked everything I've thrown. No dodging another Expelliarmus. And that Sectumsempra? If you'd led with it, I'd have been done from the start—can't parry what you can't see coming. Pointless to drag it out. I refuse to end up dangling like a piñata."
Erwin studied her, suspicion lingering. But her smile was genuine.
"Fair enough," he said. "Congratulations on a solid fight. From now on, you're looking at your new fourth-year prefect—once you handle the rest."
He inclined his head. "Thanks, senior."
Charlotte chuckled and rejoined the Slytherin ranks. The other students now eyed her with a mix of awe and wariness—fear of her spell synergy, her casting speed, that silent Levitation Charm. Few could match it.
Erwin turned to Marcus Flint, whose scowl deepened.
"Tomorrow at noon, senior."
Marcus hesitated, then huffed and stalked off. From the sidelines, he'd seen enough: neither Charlotte nor Erwin was a pushover. To cling to his prefect spot, he'd need a plan.
A smirk tugged at Erwin's lips. He remembered Marcus's earlier jabs all too well. Now, payback loomed—no mercy.
Cassius sidled up. "Mastered Sectumsempra already? That's a shocker. Looks like you're out of my league."
Erwin chuckled. "Don't sell yourself short, senior. I catch hints of your real power. Question is, will you unleash it when we square off? I'm dying to see."
Cassius grinned. "You'll find out soon enough."
Their easy banter masked the rivalry ahead. To an outsider, they might've seemed old mates.
As the crowd dispersed, the duel wrapped, a sleek black owl swooped down before Erwin.
"Come with me."