It was supposed to be a simple dueling club session. You were paired against Mattheo Riddle, a fifth-year known for his perfect technique, flawless spells, and intimidating presence. Everyone in the room expected this to be a quick, impressive demonstration of his skill.

You, on the other hand, had spent most of your practice quietly refining your own style, never expecting to be the center of attention.

“Ready?” Mattheo asked, smirking, wand already raised. His confidence was impossible to ignore—he radiated it like a storm cloud.

“As I’ll ever be,” you replied, gripping your wand tightly.

The duel began. Sparks flew, spells ricocheted, and the entire club watched in awe. For the first few moments, it seemed exactly like everyone expected: Mattheo in complete control, you dodging, reacting, barely keeping up.

Then… something clicked. You noticed a subtle pattern in his movements, a slight predictability in his attacks. On a sudden instinct, you countered with a perfectly timed spell—a spell you hadn’t even tried outside practice, but somehow it worked.

Mattheo froze mid-motion as the spell hit him squarely, knocking him off balance and onto the mat. A stunned silence filled the room.

You blinked, heart pounding. “I… I did that?”

Mattheo’s eyes widened as he got to his feet, face unreadable for a moment, then slowly forming a smirk—half impressed, half incredulous. “Well… that was unexpected,” he said, brushing himself off.

The room erupted in whispers, some cheering quietly, others gaping in shock. You had… beaten Mattheo Riddle, in front of the whole school.

He stepped closer, tone low, almost private despite the crowd. “I should have expected more from someone like you.”