Duelling—it sounds tense, fierce, swift; a battle of back-and-forth exchanges that burns through energy. But in reality, a round lasting dozens of seconds is already considered long...
Indeed, netizens who frequently engage in PvP would understand this.
For instance, when he used to play as CaptainRegulus69 in PvP matches—furiously hammering the keyboard, unleashing a flurry of attacks until a victor emerged in a chaotic frenzy—it felt long. But checking the clock afterwards, it had only been a few minutes.
So how can we make the Duelling Club more fun?
Simulated battles? Environmental design? Combining PvP and PvE?
Why not create varied scene maps—with buildings, cover, and magical terrain to enhance immersion? Something akin to the Muggle games he once played, like Counter-Strike, Overwatch...
Why not build a large-scale, real-life MMORPG? A magical competition on the scale of the Triwizard Tournament?
And of course, there has to be a team mode—teaming up, strategising, duelling side by side.
Simply marvellous.
It wouldn't just improve students' magical abilities in a comprehensive way—it would also foster teamwork, and better prepare them for actual combat.
But at the core—it has to be fun.
Life should be fun.
And since this is the magical world, it should be even more fun!
Stepping down from the stage and blending back into the crowd, Regulus stood at the front watching the matches, already deep in thought about how to take things even further...
But for a project of this scale, he knew he couldn't do it alone. He needed to recruit as many members as possible, seek out allies, and attract sponsorship.
He was truly worried sick about Hogwarts.
During this time—
In the first pair to take the stage, a younger student, as soon as Regulus called out, "Begin!", dropped his wand to the floor out of sheer nerves.
This, naturally, caused a wave of laughter, and the Little Wizard snatched up his wand and fled the stage like a startled bird.
Regulus, of course, stepped up, shook his hand, and reassured him with Professor Flitwick's earlier words of encouragement—delivering a warm bit of "chicken soup for the soul" to help steady his nerves.
Unexpectedly, the second pair to duel were both familiar faces—
Lily Evans of Gryffindor, and Avery of Slytherin.
The usually warm and amiable Evans wore a cool, composed expression this time.
She didn't spare Avery so much as a polite glance—Evans hadn't forgotten that Avery once used the word "Mudblood" to insult her friend, Mary Macdonald.
The little queen of Gryffindor raised her wand and cast a Shield Charm. With the sheer force of the deflected spell, she sent Avery flying backward, landing flat on the floor.
Brilliant!
She was beautiful—and her spellwork was, too.
Regulus clapped politely, while also noting that the intelligent and dazzling Miss Evans—just like his brother Sirius—already had quite the following. Many Little Wizards in the audience were staring at her with starry eyes. Among them, of course, were James, Severus...
Tsk tsk. Good looks really are a kind of combat power.
From the lower years to the upper years, the duels grew increasingly thrilling.
The Ravenclaw prefect and the Hufflepuff prefect battled back and forth for nearly three minutes, and in the end, the little badger proved slightly superior.
"They're both excellent—becoming Aurors in the future will be no problem!" Professor Flitwick praised them both generously.
Well, they all became the core members of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, Regulus noted inwardly.
It was a pity that Headmaster Dumbledore hadn't come to watch the matches in person.
…
What Regulus didn't know was that Headmaster Dumbledore was, in fact, closely observing everything happening in the Great Hall—
In the spacious, beautifully appointed circular Headmaster's office, Fawkes perched quietly on a golden branch, tilting his head to peer at a large crystal ball set before Dumbledore.
The crystal ball was currently projecting a live image of the Duelling Club's grand opening in the Great Hall, the glowing surface reflecting Dumbledore's sharp, focused blue eyes.
Most of the time, the view in the crystal ball was centred on Regulus Black..
On the wall, the portrait of former Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black was also straining to peer over, as though wishing he could poke his entire head out of the frame.
Phineas, who resided in the Headmaster's office day in and day out, had of course noticed Dumbledore's particular attention toward his two great-grandsons.
At first, he believed it stemmed from the old man's regard for the Black family name—but over time, he began to suspect something more.
Dumbledore appeared to have certain reservations and suspicions about his great-grandsons… especially after Regulus began displaying clear leadership qualities.
And as for Dumbledore—
Black hair, handsome, intelligent, exceptionally talented, and from a family that prided itself on pure-blood lineage...
Sirius, in particular, was doubly handsome, but his recklessness and constant disregard for rules gave many professors headaches...
And Regulus—Slytherin, charismatic, skilled at organisation, already showing signs of being adept at resource allocation and rallying others to his side...
It was hard not to be reminded of another student he deeply regretted.
He had heard quite a bit about what that student was now doing—and if even one percent of it were true, then he had to admit that Mr Riddle's education at Hogwarts had, in some respects, been a failure...
When he first met Riddle, he had sensed unmistakable similarities between Riddle and "his old friend." Yet still, he had been careless, deceived by him, and failed to intervene in time.
He remained convinced that Moaning Myrtle's death, as well as the matter involving Hagrid, were closely tied to Riddle.
At the time, he had only been the Head of Gryffindor and the Transfiguration professor.
But now—now, as Headmaster—Hogwarts under his watch must not fail again.
Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles, his expression grave.
"Albus, how are my great-grandsons?" the old Headmaster Black couldn't help but ask.
"Phineas," Dumbledore said calmly, turning the crystal ball to face him.
Inside the crystal ball, Sirius had just walked over to Regulus and was laughing, saying something to him.
"I think having two brothers in different Houses really can improve inter-House relations."
…
After six duels had concluded, Regulus walked back onto the stage. Below, countless pairs of reluctant eyes were fixed on him, filled with anticipation.
"Thank you to all the teachers and students who attended the Duelling Club opening today." Regulus bowed deeply, then removed the golden badge bearing the DC logo from his robes and held it aloft.
"The Duelling Club badges have been distributed to the prefects of each House. Those selected for the Duelling Club should collect theirs from their respective prefects. Thank you again to the prefects for their hard work."
Once he had finished speaking, Regulus stepped forward and handed two pure gold badges, each nestled in a velvet box, to Professor Flitwick and Professor Stokke.
"A special thanks to Professor Flitwick and Professor Stokke. They will be lifelong honorary members of our Duelling Club." Regulus began to applaud again.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Beaming, Professor Flitwick gave a gracious wave.
"Please continue to follow the Duelling Club for future activities!" Regulus called out, even as his eyes darted precisely to where Rabastan Lestrange stood in the crowd.
Rabastan, who had been watching Regulus intently, met his half-smiling gaze—and felt his heart skip a beat.
Is it coming? Is he going to challenge me?
"The first event is officially over. Thank you, everyone!" Regulus concluded, shifting his gaze away.
Heh. I'll just keep you on edge.