Every powerful wizard has some degree of mastery over Transfiguration.
Transfiguration is not only invaluable in daily life, in ways no other Charm can replace, but also a dependable and powerful tool in battle.
More importantly, the creatures created through Transfiguration can pose a tremendous threat to a wizard, especially since most wizards have little close combat ability.
Whether for attacking or protecting oneself, that makes Transfiguration unbelievably important...
Crackle, crackle.
At the sound, the bear's head, which had been half shattered, was visibly restored to its original perfect state under the infusion and guidance of magic.
And the only thing consumed, the only price paid, was Pansy's magic...
"How are you?"
"It's too early to worry about me, Granger."
Pansy calmly lifted a small pale hand and tucked the loose strands that had fallen across her forehead back behind her ear, but her heavier breathing gave her away. This was nowhere near as effortless as she made it sound.
At the very least, that series of attacks and repairs had clearly drained a great deal of her magic.
Even so, for an underage fifth-year witch to manage this much was already astonishing.
That much was obvious from Ginny's expression, which still had not recovered. The scene before her had clearly dealt a massive blow to her worldview...
In any case.
Just as Hermione found a moment to check on Pansy, the Giant, who had forced back the bear and regained his footing, immediately let out a thunderous roar in their direction.
It was so loud it almost felt as though you could hear it even from inside the castle...
If his earlier actions had not truly been malicious, then now he had been completely enraged by that attack.
And in truth, Pansy's strike had worked. With blood streaming down his face, he looked even more miserable than he had when he was charging through the Centaurs earlier.
Still, even though he stood only five meters tall and counted as a "stunted" specimen among Giants, the brutality and battle-lust in his blood proved that the Giant before them was the genuine article.
That blood-smeared face held more than anger. It was filled with the excitement and frenzy of entering battle.
"Grawp's... enemy!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
His low intelligence kept him from truly understanding the wonder of magic, so the Giant, who seemed to be calling himself Grawp, unsurprisingly chose the Stone Giant Bear as his target. On the surface, it looked like the greatest threat, and it was the one that had just wounded him.
He did not target Pansy, who was controlling the giant bear, nor Hermione, who was coordinating the attack with her.
As for Draco, who had not made another move from the very beginning, perhaps instinct alone was enough to keep the Giant from choosing him as his first target...
...
Boom! Boom!
The instant the two enormous figures closed in on each other, everyone nearby staggered as the ground trembled beneath them.
"Roar!!"
"Grawp... won't lose!"
A contest of strength.
The most primal kind of collision.
The giant bear's paws.
The giant's two hands.
One giant and one bear roared at each other, both trying to crush the other through sheer force.
The earth sank beneath them, and their howls seemed determined to overpower one another. It looked like some battle epic out of myth...
Draco lifted his eyes, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
Through the Giant's already tattered clothes, his hard, straining muscles were faintly visible, and from the excited expression on his face, it was obvious that he still had plenty to spare.
Yes, plenty to spare.
Though he had been driven out by his own kind for his stunted growth, Grawp seemed to have inherited the giants' bloodline talent perfectly...
That was power.
Crack.
The spreading fractures constantly appearing across the Stone Giant Bear made it clear that this strength had already gone beyond what it could endure. If the Stone Giant Bear had been a true living creature, and if Pansy had not been continuously repairing its body, it might have lost in the very next second...
"Granger! Think of something already!! I can't keep wasting my magic like this."
"Shut up! I'm thinking! Give me a few more minutes."
"A few minutes? You've got to be kidding. I can't even give you ten seconds!"
Aside from the tacit understanding they showed in magic, Pansy and Hermione also seemed perfectly in sync when it came to not asking Draco for help.
At that, Draco merely raised a brow and put his wand away. He had sensed their resolve.
And for them, this was also a rare opportunity...
Ginny, on the other hand, who had already decided she was completely useless here, simply could not understand it. Was this really the time to stand there and watch?
Does he really trust Hermione and the others that much?
Even if he looks a little dim, he's still a Giant.
As unwilling as Ginny was to admit it, if anyone present could defeat this Giant, it would undoubtedly be Draco, the one known among the young wizards as the Flame King.
After all, he was the man who had single-handedly defeated a Thunderbird...
...
Even though Pansy kept insisting she could not hold out for even ten seconds, it looked as though she could still last a while longer.
Seeing that, Hermione did not act rashly. Instead, she lowered her head, started pacing in circles, and muttered to herself over and over.
"These Giants have to have a weakness. Otherwise, there's no way wizards could keep them under control."
Reason and intelligence.
Compared to her skill in magic, Hermione's real strength was logical analysis.
Even Pansy, who was always bickering with her, had to admit that. So when she saw Hermione sink into thought, she stopped urging her on.
Somewhere in her subconscious, she even felt a little relieved...
Hermione, completely unaware that Pansy thought of her that way, suddenly realized something.
"That's it. The fight just now!"
"What do you mean? Be more specific!"
"When the Centaurs attacked, the Giant very clearly made a protective move. That has to be his weak point!"
The moment she said it, Hermione gave no further explanation and immediately pointed her wand at the Giant.
"Stupefy!"
Bang!
The target was huge, and because he was locked in a strength contest with the Stone Giant Bear, he was not moving. Hermione's spell struck his completely unguarded head with ease.
And the result was unexpectedly effective...
Boom!
Just one spell.
The Giant's rolled-back eyes showed that the Stunning Spell had worked, and even Hermione herself looked surprised.
At the same time, when they saw the Giant drop helplessly to his knees, everyone around them was too stunned to react.
Draco could read the meaning in their eyes. They probably thought it had been far too easy.
But was it really that simple?
Draco, who had already known the answer in his heart, looked toward the girls sitting on the ground together and nodded with genuine approval.
Even if any adult wizard had been the one facing this, they could not have handled it any better.