The newly expanded Hogwarts Dueling Club training hall was huge.
Thanks to the professors' help, several abandoned classrooms had been magically combined and redesigned.
Multiple dueling platforms now surround a large central stage. The room felt more like a professional arena than a student club.
In the evening, students were already sparring across the different stages.
Alexander stood on the main platform when a seventh-year stepped forward.
"I would like to challenge you."
Alexander immediately recognized him. The student had already passed the preliminary examinations to become an Auror after graduation.
Alexander smiled.
"Alright. Let's begin."
Around them, students quickly gathered to watch.
Meanwhile, Flitwick floated nearby, observing with interest.
"Duelists ready?" Flitwick asked.
Both nodded.
"Begin."
The seventh year quickly cast.
"Expelliarmus!"
Alexander casually raised his wand and deflected the spell.
"Too predictable," Alexander said calmly.
The duel continued.
Unlike his duel with Lockhart, Alexander didn't overwhelm his opponent immediately. Instead, he deliberately controlled the pace.
He corrected mistakes while they fought.
"Your stance is too open."
The student cast another spell.
"Better," Alexander nodded. "But your wand movement is too wide."
Another spell exchange.
Alexander stepped to the side.
"You rely too much on power. Try controlling the timing."
Students watching from below were amazed.
Alexander wasn't just dueling.
He was teaching while fighting.
After nearly ten minutes, Alexander finally ended the match.
"Expelliarmus."
The seventh-year's wand flew out of his hand.
Alexander caught it easily.
"I win."
The student sighed but smiled.
Alexander handed his wand back.
"I hope you learned something," Alexander said.
"I did," the student replied respectfully.
"Good. Come challenge me again when you've improved."
The seventh-year bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
He then returned to his friends while students continued whispering excitedly.
Alexander looked around the hall.
Multiple stages.
Dozens of students.
Many duels are happening at the same time.
Then an idea suddenly appeared in his mind.
A ranking system.
Alexander muttered.
"That would be a perfect idea."
While students continued practicing, Alexander opened his enchanted briefcase.
Inside, Silver and Copper peeked out curiously.
He said, "Do you guys want to come out and watch?"
They nodded, and Alexander said, "Try not to be seen. Also takes some pictures."
While Silver and Copper went to take pictures, he took out several small metal plates.
With a flick of his wand, he began using Transfiguration.
The metal reshaped.
Edges smoothed.
Symbols appeared.
Soon, dozens of blue and silver badges floated around him.
Each badge had writing engraved on it.
At the top:
HDC
(Hogwarts Dueling Club)
Below that:
The student's name and year.
Then a number representing their rank within their year.
At the bottom:
Their overall ranking in the entire club.
Once he was satisfied with the design, he started to make enough for club members.
Middle of Dueling Club, Alexander finished the last badge and clapped his hands.
"Everyone, gather here for a moment."
Students quickly gathered around the central stage.
Alexander began handing out the badges.
"These badges will represent your rank in the Dueling Club."
Students looked down at their badges with curiosity and excitement.
"If anyone needs help adjusting the Transfiguration on the badge to fit their information, the professors and I will assist."
Alexander then raised his wand.
"Now please wait a moment."
He cast another spell, one of the walls in the room slowly shifted.
Stone reshaped.
Words appeared across the walls in glowing letters.
Rules of the Ranking System
Ranks will only change if there is an official judge approved by a professor or Alexander. Duelists can only challenge opponents within ten ranks above or below them. Duelists must accept all challenges from other duelists. Duelists are allowed rest periods. If a duelist is found deliberately avoiding challenges, they will forfeit their rank. No fixed matches. First violation: warning. Second violation: permanent ban from the Dueling Club. Only the number one duelist of each year may challenge Alexander once per meeting.
At the bottom of the wall appeared the final line.
More rules may be added later.
Students finished reading, and excitement exploded across the room.
"This is amazing!"
"We have rankings now!"
"I'm going to climb to number one!"
Alexander raised his hand.
"One more thing."
He turned to the professors.
"Professors, could you help me create a magical ranking board so everyone can see the standings?"
Alexander handed them a small design sketch.
Flitwick's eyes sparkled.
"A brilliant idea!"
Together, Alexander and the professors began casting spells.
Runes glowed across the walls.
Enchanted numbers formed.
Within minutes, a massive ranking board appeared.
It displayed:
Year rankings.
Overall rankings.
Alexander looked at the ranking board and nodded in satisfaction.
"The board will automatically update after official judges a duel."
"Now, everyone please raise your badges in the air."
All the students raised their badges, and the professors started to cast spells on the students' badges.
The students stared in awe as magic flooded the dueling hall.
Once all the professors lowered their wands, Alexander spoke again.
"Seventh-year students."
"Please help act as temporary judges. Be fair and unbiased."
He then gestured toward the rest of the room.
"Everyone else, begin your placement matches."
"Once everyone is done, Seventh-year students, we will judge your duels."
Immediately, the room exploded into activity.
Students rushed to the stages.
Duels began everywhere.
Meanwhile, the first-year students could only watch from the side.
They stared with envy, but instead of complaining, they began practicing their spells harder than ever.
They wanted to join the rankings as soon as possible.
Hours passed as duels continued.
Ranks shifted constantly.
By the time everything was finished, it was already very late at night.
Even Professor Flitwick had lost track of time because he was so excited.
Finally, he clapped his hands.
"That's enough for tonight!"
Flitwick checked the clock and gasped.
"Oh my!"
He cleared his throat.
"Everyone has permission to return to their dormitories late tonight."
Students cheered tiredly.
When the Dueling Club finally ended, students left in groups.
Some were smiling proudly at their rankings.
Others looked disappointed.
But overall—
The Dueling Club had entered a completely new era.