Don't be fooled by the sheer size of Hogwarts. The number of young wizards studying here is far smaller than most people imagine.
Not only is the wizarding population itself limited, but even among wizarding families, not every child is born with the talent to use magic.
Take Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker, for example. Although he was born into a wizarding family, he cannot cast even a single spell. People like him are far from rare in the wizarding world. On top of that, the First Wizarding War drastically reduced Britain's magical population, with many fleeing abroad to seek refuge. This, in turn, further reduced Hogwarts' student numbers…
If you estimate roughly twenty students per year, each house would have about 140 students. With four houses combined, that comes to only around 560 young wizards studying at Hogwarts.
Compared to the past, that number was significantly lower.
Worth mentioning was that the followers gathered in the Room of Requirement at this moment numbered exactly twenty. They were Slytherin students from various year levels, with an even split between boys and girls…
"Front ranks, attack!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each individual spell wasn't particularly powerful, but when they struck together, the noise and destructive force were impossible to ignore.
Contrary to what anyone expected, Draco hadn't taught Goyle's group any Dark Magic, nor had he introduced powerful spells like Sectumsempra.
Despite having far more people than the other groups, Draco chose a method no one had anticipated…
"This is very different from wizard dueling. On a battlefield where groups clash head-on, an individual wizard's strength rarely decides the outcome."
While Goyle and Crabbe caught their breath, Draco calmly explained his reasoning.
As for those labeled "ordinary wizards," none of them had the energy to argue at the moment.
Draco had never intended to train Goyle and his group into elite wizards capable of taking on multiple enemies in tight spaces or small-scale skirmishes.
That kind of training wasn't easy, nor was it realistic.
If any of these followers truly possessed magical talent and potential comparable to Draco's, their families wouldn't have fallen into decline. There would be no reason to stake their future on Draco in the first place…
"Rear ranks, defend!"
Buzz!
At Draco's command, the front-line wizards stepped back in unison. Those in the rear raised their wands, moved forward a step, and conjured semi-transparent magical shields.
"On the battlefield, individual strength is reduced to its lowest point. Only by standing together and trusting your companions can you repel the enemy, and even have a chance to survive under the Dark Lord's hand."
"Yes!!"
Whether it was their first time trying this kind of formation, or because Draco's final words had ignited something in them, Goyle and Crabbe now wore expressions of excitement and fervor.
"Front ranks, attack!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each exchange of positions, their once-uneven attacks grew increasingly synchronized. Their movements and footwork became smoother, more instinctive.
Once Draco was satisfied with that, the next step was to increase the spells' power and casting speed…
...
The commotion on Draco's side naturally drew the attention of others.
Beyond the novelty of it all, they were even more surprised by Draco's rare display of seriousness.
Most of the time, Draco didn't pay much attention to these followers, nor did he take them particularly seriously. Previous training sessions had largely been handled by Goyle and the others, with Draco only stepping in occasionally to demonstrate or offer guidance.
But this time, everyone could clearly feel it. Draco was genuinely serious now…
As Draco watched Goyle and the others repeatedly switch positions with an expressionless face, Astoria quietly slipped up behind him and, without warning, leaned close to his ear and whispered.
"How did you come up with this?"
"....."
Not seeing the reaction she had hoped for, a trace of disappointment surfaced in Astoria's eyes.
Draco glanced sideways at Astoria, who may or may not have done it on purpose, then turned his gaze back to the field.
"Muggles… aren't completely useless."
"…Don't tell me you got the idea from Muggles?"
Astoria had clearly never expected that answer. The ever-present charming smile on her delicate face faltered as Draco nodded, a hint of astonishment slipping through.
Having had very little contact with Muggles, Astoria simply couldn't imagine what value those who seemed utterly harmless under a wizard's wand could possibly offer.
Seeing the shock on her face, Draco wasn't surprised at all.
In truth, if it weren't for Hermione, Draco would never have taken any interest in Muggles to begin with. Through their occasional conversations, he had learned from Hermione about so-called technology, as well as a history of warfare that was no less brutal than that of the wizarding world.
In fact, large-scale Muggle wars were often even more savage, bloodier, and darker.
Curious about it, Draco had spent some time looking into that history…
Seeing that Draco didn't dismiss her outright, Astoria licked her slightly dry lips.
"Are you sure… this will actually work?"
"Wizards don't really have a concept of fighting side by side. Even duels rarely go beyond three versus three, so most of the time, victory is decided by individual strength."
Rather than answering her question directly, Draco began talking about the wizarding world's long-standing, largely unchanged approach to combat.
Perhaps because individual wizards were so powerful, most focused on improving personal ability instead of emphasizing teamwork.
That was something you could see even in spellwork. Support-type spells were extremely rare, because no one felt they were necessary…
Of course, that also had a lot to do with the wizarding population being so small. Large-scale battles were difficult to begin with.
At the same time, every era produced geniuses like Dumbldedore or the Dark Lord.
Combat power at the very top of the pyramid wasn't something numbers alone could overcome. In other words, whichever side had them had essentially already decided the outcome…
Under such circumstances, it was only natural that the magical world never placed much importance on this area. Even organized forces like the Aurors developed toward being elite, versatile individuals.
And now, Draco was stepping onto a path the magical world had never truly attempted before…