Days later, the whistle of the Hogwarts Express pierced the tranquility of Hogwarts, and the castle was instantly filled with the laughter of returning young wizards.
The holiday ended, and vitality returned to the ancient castle.
Sagres's gaze swept across several unrolled parchments on his desk, covered with complex ancient runes and structural diagrams. These were the "blueprints" for the new dueling arena.
That afternoon, a new notice outlined in magical flames appeared on the announcement board in the Great Hall, attracting the attention of all the students.
Dueling Arena: New Challenges!
Magical Ruins Exploration—Step into the Dust of Time, Uncover Lost Mysteries!
Scenes: Ancient Ruins / Lost Temple (scenes rotate randomly)
Challenges: Ancient mechanisms, traps, and residual guardian magic.
Objective: Use counter-curses, Shield Charms, and exploration spells flexibly to solve puzzles, avoid dangers, and safely reach the core area.
Core Test: Breadth of spell mastery, on-the-spot adaptability, teamwork.
Mode: Team Challenge. Up to five players per team.
Difficulty: Medium to high (depending on team composition and exploration depth).
Rewards: House points, dueling points, magical materials, unique spells.
Below it was an exchange catalog listing a long series of magical materials and wondrous spells that young wizards had never even heard of.
Some items in this exchange catalog came from Snowy Owl's sponsorship. It was clear that she had long achieved financial freedom and was very dedicated to the cause of education.
As soon as the announcement was posted, the entire Hogwarts was abuzz.
Compared with simple arena combat, this instance mode, full of mystery and adventurous exploration, was clearly more appealing to young witches and wizards.
In the corridors and the common rooms, discussions about team strategies, guesses about the contents of the ruins, and the sharing of obscure spells were everywhere.
Soon, among the many eager teams, a "Pioneer" team composed of upper-year students from all four Houses was the first to assemble.
They were Penelope Clearwater of Ravenclaw, Percy Weasley and Katie Bell of Gryffindor, Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, and Graham Montague of Slytherin.
The group stepped into the ruin entrance glowing with mysterious light.
The familiar dueling ground vanished, replaced by a gloomy corridor covered in moss and huge shattered stone pillars.
Damp, cold air carrying dust and the scent of ancient magic drifted over them, and the blurred murals on the walls flickered with faint light, as if silently recounting the past.
"Whoa, Merlin's beard!"
Katie Bell exclaimed, the light from her wand illuminating the faint chessboard-like runes on the ground ahead.
"Don't step randomly," Penelope immediately warned, her eyes quickly scanning the ground and walls.
"Those runes mark activated traps. Stepping on the wrong square will trigger stone golem guardians or binding vines. We need to use Revealing Charms to find a safe path, or use Deactivation Charms to temporarily disable them."
The team immediately sprang into action.
Cedric cautiously waved his wand. "Homenum Revelio!"
Silver-dust-like specks of light scattered from the tip of his wand, falling onto the runes on the ground. Several of them immediately glowed with a dangerous red light.
Percy quickly pointed his wand at the glowing runes and cast "Finite Incantatem," causing the red light to dim.
Just as they carefully passed through the area, the passage ahead suddenly vibrated. The walls on both sides seemed to come alive, squeezing inward with a thunderous roar.
"Impedimenta!"
"Protego!"
Cedric reacted the fastest. A huge, solid silver barrier expanded instantly, pressing against the closing stone walls and producing a grating, teeth-aching sound of friction.
The barrier flickered violently, clearly unable to hold for long.
"Quick, find the mechanism or counter the spell!" Percy shouted, rapidly scanning the walls.
"On the wall! The eyes of that snake-shaped relief are glowing!" Katie cried, pointing to an inconspicuous corner high above.
Montague raised his hand without a word and cast a powerful "Confringo."
The red light struck the snake's eye, but it only flickered once, and the walls began closing even faster.
"Montague! Don't use offensive spells!" Percy quickly stopped him. "That's the core of the guardian magic. A forced attack will trigger a counterattack. Use a dispelling charm. The goal is to dispel it, not destroy it!"
"Defodio!"
Penelope immediately cast a powerful dispelling charm at the snake's eye.
The spell struck the eye, and the closing stone walls suddenly paused, then slowly receded with a reluctant grinding sound.
The team members all breathed a sigh of relief, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
As they ventured deeper, the challenges grew increasingly difficult.
Floating animated statues fired fragments of spells, which Percy and Cedric jointly blocked with repeated Impedimenta.
A hall filled with hallucinogenic poisonous mist made Katie somewhat disoriented, but Penelope promptly cast Ventus to disperse the mist, and Cedric used Rennervate on Katie.
Then a massive stone door, intricately carved with complex runes, blocked their path. It required all five of them to simultaneously decipher and cast different counter-curses to open it.
The task tested their communication and cooperation, even forcing Montague to restrain his temper and follow Penelope's commands.
Finally, an ancient guardian spirit appeared like a ghost, radiating a chilling aura. Penelope recognized that it required specific calming charms or powerful dark creature banishment spells.
But no one on the team knew such spells, so they had no choice but to stop there and withdraw.
The "instance" contained a wide variety of ancient traps and residual magic. Merely knowing the basic counter-curses from textbooks was far from enough.
Students had to quickly identify types of magic, including binding, animation, curses, elemental effects, and illusions, then attempt to use or combine the appropriate counter-curses.
In addition, they also had to focus on adaptive protection.
Attacks could come from all directions and in many forms, such as physical impact, magical beams, poisonous mist, or mental shock.
A single Protego could not handle every situation. They needed to switch between different focused shield charms, energy deflection spells, and area protection, or perform quick evasive movements depending on the immediate threat.
The use of exploration spells was also indispensable.
Homenum Revelio could reveal hidden guardian spirits or concealed teammates.
Revealing Charms were essential for identifying traps, mechanisms, and magical items.
Even controlling the intensity of Lumos could affect certain light-sensitive traps.
These spells were no longer mere decorations but necessities for survival.
The five-person limit also forced the team to divide responsibilities clearly.
Some were responsible for reconnaissance and deciphering, usually Ravenclaws.
Some focused on defense, usually Hufflepuffs.
Some handled healing and removing negative effects, often Hufflepuffs or certain Slytherins.
Others were responsible for powerful offensive spells to clear obstacles, typically Gryffindors or Slytherins.
In addition, a clear-headed commander capable of making quick decisions was necessary, regardless of House.
Poor communication or acting independently often resulted in the team's complete elimination.
When teams that successfully cleared the instance emerged from the arena, they were all disheveled, but their faces shone with excitement and pride.
The failed teams gathered together, heatedly discussing their mistakes and how to improve, eager to challenge the instance again.
Discussions about Magical Ruins Exploration throughout the castle continued to intensify.
Books on ancient runes, counter-curses, and protective magic in the library were all checked out, and students could often be seen gathered in corners of the common rooms practicing coordinated spellcasting.
Teaming up between different Houses also became more frequent than ever. To overcome the challenges, the characteristics of each House were forced together, clashing at first, then gradually learning to understand and cooperate under the pressure of the ruins.
Sagres occasionally appeared among the spectators.
He watched the young witches and wizards struggling, cooperating, and growing within the simulated scenarios. He watched them clumsily use newly learned spells to solve the puzzles and traps he had personally designed, and from time to time a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
He was observing these emerging talents who might become his future allies, evaluating their potential under pressure and their value within a team.
This was a long struggle ahead. He needed not only powerful individuals but also people capable of surviving, thinking, and cooperating effectively in complex environments.
Hogwarts' daily routine continued. Quidditch training was in full swing, and professors taught new knowledge in their classes.
Within the ancient ruins of the dueling arena, a selection process aimed at the future was quietly beginning.
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