The sun had climbed higher by the time the last of the preliminary rings dimmed and folded back into the marble like they had never existed.
Those who had made their way through the preliminary competition amounted to only 64, less than 10% of those who had come here today to compete would be moving on.
Those that had managed it were brought to the side where they drew lots, which would determin their placement in the greater tournament, before they were allowed to retire for the day.
The coming days would be a flurry of duels though if it was left up to Cassius they would come in the same style as the preliminaries themselves.
To pass the qualifiers and into the top 8 you had to win three fights, three more after that in the finals to be crowned this years champion.
Though the makeup of the duels was more 'fair' to the participants as each duel would take place with a day between the next, and thanks to the bracket format you would know who your opponent was and could prepare yourself to face off against them.
The only mystery was who they would be placed against first as that would only be known at the start of tommorow.
~
After a night of well earned rest Cassius awoke to a more than excited pair of coaches, Flitwick was just bubbly getting to watch some real world class level duelling today, while Sirius... oh sirius he had a twinkle in his eye that almost all but assured he was up to no good again.
When we returned to the main venue gone were the twenty-five dueling platformsm, what remained were nine massive platforms—each one nearly twice the size of the earlier rings, their containment wards rising like translucent domes.
Where before the atmosphere had been noisy with excitement and bravado, now the air had shifted into something tighter.
Focused.
Weighted.
Sixty-four duelists.
None here by luck... well okay some through luck, well the luck of having an innate talent but even still.
Cassius felt the change immediately as the competitors gathered for the formal ceremony.
The formal ceremony was certainly something of an eye opener, mostly because Sirius was well serious for once, back ramrod straight, not cackling like a madman, making himself look... presentable.
Flitwick was humming under his breath, a tune Cassius recognized as an old duelist's march often played in the background during dueling club practice.
Above them, the central bracket displayed the names of the top 64, arranged now in an elegant branching tree, each line pulsing faintly as if alive.
Then the announcer's voice boomed across the hall:
"Competitors, welcome to the Bracket Stage of the National Sixteen and Under Dueling Championship!"
Polite applause rippled through the audience stands.
Cassius scanned the gathered duelists.
Older faces—sixteen-year-old veterans—watched him now with real calculation.
Now they knew he wasn't a fluke.
Now they cared to see what their junior was capable of.
A glimmer of pale silver hair caught his attention across the arena.
Fleur Delacour stood with her Beauxbatons coach, serene as a glacier, her expression unreadable—though her eyes flicked toward Cassius for a moment.
Not assessing.
Not condescending.
Simply curious.
She had breezed through her own preliminaries, her matches lasting seconds as male opponents crumpled beneath a single spell the moment her Veela aura washed over them.
Cassius had heard the whispers.
If she faces him… will it work?
Looking at her from across the venue there certainly was allure however, comparing Fleur to the supermodels of his previous life... well felt like a insult really, and shaking his head after averting his eyes.
Cassius didn't worry about it.
But others clearly did.
The announcer continued:
"Matches from this point onward shall be conducted in a best-of-three format. Duels will take place across nine platforms simultaneously. All victories must be decisive—knockout, disarm, incapacitation, or ring elimination, though no serious harm or death may be performed to do so mean disqualification."
Cassius's name glowed next on the new bracket.
ROUND OF 64 — RING 4
Cassius Snape (Great Britain)vs.Eduardo Marescotti (Italy)
Flitwick clapped his hands together.
"An excellent test! The Marescotti family specializes in elemental redirection—do be mindful of rebounds, my boy."
Sirius grinned, thumping Cassius's shoulder. "Kick his arse pup."
Cassius stepped onto the newly expanded platform.
The floor hummed beneath his boots, etched with runes meant to stabilize high-magnitude spells, protecting the audience while also being a safeguard in case one participant tries to go to far, activating to stop the creation of serious injury or death.
His opponent strode in confidently—tall, dark-haired, wand already spinning loosely through his fingers. Eduardo smirked.
"A child in the main bracket. How adorable."
Cassius didn't bother replying.
The referee raised her wand.
"Duelists—Round One—Begin!"
~
ROUND OF 64 — MATCH ONE
Eduardo moved first—fast, decisive.
"VENTUS CORONA!"
A spiraling ring of razor wind burst forward, a slicing vortex designed to trap Cassius in its center.
Cassius slid sideways, wand cutting a lean arc.
"Aegis."
A translucent shield formed and the wind broke around it in rippling sheets.
Eduardo didn't pause.
"Fulminis!"
Lightning arced from his wand—sharp and branching.
Cassius dropped, sliding across the stone, air sizzling above his head.
He countered immediately, firing a chain of silver bolts angled low.
Eduardo twisted sharply.
"Reflectio!"
The spell hit his redirection charm—and snapped back toward Cassius at double speed.
Cassius's coat fluttered with the force as he stepped aside at the last instant.
He's fast.
And trained to punish every straight line.
Good.
Cassius raised his wand.
"Tripudio."
Three afterimages of flaming motion erupted from his spell—spirals of light meant to confuse sightlines.
Eduardo snarled and cut through the first with a slicing hex, the second with a wind whip—
But the third soared upward, bursting into golden sparks.
Eduardo blinked.
Cassius stepped through the fading light.
"Expulsio."
The blast hit the Italian's shield head-on—shattering it like thin ice.
Eduardo staggered—Cassius followed instantly.
"Stupefy."
The stun hit clean to the chest, sending the Italian sprawling back across the rune-lines.
The referee snapped her wand upward.
"Round One—Victor, Cassius Snape!"
Polite applause.
Louder whispers.
Cassius exhaled once, resetting his stance.
Across from him, Eduardo climbed to his feet, furious now, pride wounded more than flesh.
~
ROUND OF 64 — MATCH TWO
Eduardo didn't wait.
The moment the referee's wand dropped he unleashed a barrage.
"SAGITTA IGNEA!"
A rain of searing fire-arrows filled the air, each one a potential knockout if it struck.
Cassius spun his wand.
"Fluxus."
A rippling distortion field warped the space in front of him—fire arrows bending off course, curving around him like bending reeds before scattering into harmless sparks.
Eduardo lunged through the smoke, wand slashing down.
"Oscuro—!"
Dark chains shot upward—
Cassius moved like he had been waiting for that exact spell.
"Fractura!"
The chains burst apart midair.
Eduardo pushed forward, desperate to break his rhythm.
"Fulgur—Maxima!"
A column of lightning crashed down—
Cassius stabbed his wand into the ground.
"Divisio!"
The stone split under his feet and the lightning slammed harmlessly into the fissure as Cassius rolled out the side, hair crackling.
Eduardo swore. "Why won't you just—"
Cassius raised his wand, voice calm.
"Because you don't control the rhythm."
Eduardo's eyes widened.
Cassius flicked his wand up sharply.
"Vincula!"
Silver binding cords snapped into existence, striking toward Eduardo—
The Italian blasted them apart with a wind burst, panting.
Cassius didn't press.
Not yet.
He watched.
Counted.
Eduardo raised his wand again—
Cassius moved first this time.
"Fulmen."
Lightning.
Eduardo shielded.
"Accelerare."
Cassius blurred forward.
Eduardo braced—
"Bombarda."
A controlled explosive blast detonated at Eduardo's feet—not enough to injure, but enough to break his footing.
Eduardo went airborne—
Cassius struck.
"Stupefy."
Clean.
Direct.
Final.
Eduardo hit the ward boundary, bounced, and crumpled to the floor.
The referee lifted her wand.
"Round Two—Victor Cassius Snape. Winner of the match: Cassius Snape!"
Applause rose louder this time—genuine, impressed, carrying with it an edge of astonishment.
Cassius bowed politely and stepped off the platform.
Sirius practically tackled him.
"THAT—WAS—MAGNIFICENT!"
Flitwick's eyes sparkled. "Splendid pacing! You forced him into overextension beautifully!"
Cassius nodded once, breathing barely elevated.
One match down.
Five more to go.
His match was over pretty quickly and rather than leave they instead moved to the sidelines to watch the other duels in progress, at least until the match to decide his next opponent had ended.
The board above flickered—new matches forming.
His next opponent's name appeared:
ROUND OF 32 — RING 2
Cassius Snape (Great Britain)vs.Hideo Takamura (Japan)
Cassius raised a brow.
Takamura was a name he recognized—Japanese dueling prodigy, known for rapid incantations and seamless transitions between offense and defense at least from what he had ready studying up one the prospective competion for this contest.
A real duelist.
Finally.
But that would need to wait for tommorow first as the other matches of the first round were still going on and the event wouldnt begin against until the following day, having seen all they needed to Cassius followed after Sirius as the pair went to explore the finer sights of Paris in the meantime, all while getting into mischief against one another as the prank war between them entered an international level.