Two days later, late afternoon on the edge of the Quidditch pitch.
It was one of those rare, crystal-clear autumn days at Hogwarts. The sky was a perfect, endless blue with a few lazy wisps of cloud drifting along. Warm sunlight spilled over the grass, chasing away the damp chill that had hung around for days.
But the three flat dueling platforms normally used for Duelling Club had been completely transformed overnight.
A lush, miniature forest now stood in their place—dense, alive, and ringed by a wall of thick, dark-green thorn bushes about a thousand feet across. From the outside you could see towering firs, full-canopied oaks, and spreading beeches. Inside, the light was dim and dappled, vines hung like curtains, and the ground was carpeted in thick moss and fallen leaves. You could even smell the deep-Forest mix of earth, wet wood, and faint wildflowers.
No question who was responsible: Professor Viktor Scamander. Using his mysterious Druidic magic, he'd "borrowed" an entire ecosystem from the Forbidden Forest and transplanted it right here.
Right now the brand-new mini-forest was surrounded by a buzzing crowd of young witches and wizards. The entire Duelling Club had shown up, plus plenty of curious students drawn by the spectacle. Everyone was pointing, whispering, eyes wide with excitement.
Viktor stood at the single entrance—an archway formed from twisted living vines. Tom perched on his shoulder, chest puffed out, looking every inch the proud co-creator of this masterpiece.
"Quiet down, everyone," Viktor said. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried perfectly. The chatter died instantly; every eye locked on him.
"As you can see, this is a brand-new training ground for Duelling Club and anyone else who wants real combat practice. I'm calling it… Battle Royale."
The edgy, exciting name sent another ripple of whispers through the crowd.
"Rules are simple," Viktor continued, raising his voice. "You enter through this arch. Once inside, the forest plants will randomly teleport each of you to different spots. You start scattered."
He paused to make sure everyone was listening.
"Every ten minutes, a temporary magic marker will appear on your wrist, and a simple rune on the back of your hand will let you sense the rough direction of other players. Of course, they can sense you too."
"Your goal is to be the last one still standing in the forest. You can use any spell you know, as long as it doesn't cause permanent injury."
"Two important restrictions: First, no magical items except your wand—no Sneakoscopes, no prototype curse-filtering lenses, no prank gadgets. Just you, your wand, and your wits."
"Second, if a combat spell hits a major part of your body, the forest and my magic will register it as 'eliminated.' The plants will gently carry you out."
Seeing the mix of thrill and nerves in their eyes, Viktor's smile grew. "Oh, and to make things more interesting—and to sharpen your reflexes—I've planted a few… surprises inside. Hope you enjoy them."
"Surprises?" Ron muttered to Harry and Hermione. "When Professor Scamander says 'surprises,' it usually means we're about to get the crap scared out of us."
Hermione pressed her lips together, but her eyes sparkled with competitive fire—she was already mentally running through every spell she might need.
Harry gripped his wand, feeling that familiar flutter of nerves and excitement he got right before a Quidditch match.
Fred and George exchanged a knowing look. They'd helped make the protective lenses and hadn't heard a word about this side project, but it was clearly right up their alley.
Cedric Diggory stood among the Hufflepuffs, calm and focused, already thinking about the wilderness tips Viktor had taught in Care of Magical Creatures.
Students from every house—including plenty of Slytherins—were cracking their knuckles, ready to prove themselves.
"Professor! Can we join too?" several kids who'd only come to watch called out, eyes shining with hope.
"Of course," Viktor said generously, waving them forward. "This is open to anyone who knows basic defensive spells. If you want to test yourself, step right up. Remember: safety first, learning second, winning third."
"Meow!" Tom added, raising a paw. His amber eyes gleamed with pure eagerness.
Viktor glanced down at him and laughed. "Looks like our quality-control supervisor wants in too. All right, Tom—you're a special participant. Same rules, but we'll be flexible on 'elimination.' Maybe just a graze counts?"
Tom lifted his head in pure disdain, then leaped gracefully off Viktor's shoulder. He strutted straight to the archway like he owned the place, glanced back at the crowd, and gave two loud "mrrrow!" calls that clearly meant Follow me.
The ridiculous, adorable display cracked everyone up. Even a few professors couldn't hide their smiles.
"Then let's begin," Viktor said, stepping aside. "Hogwarts' first-ever Battle Royale—start!"
A huge cheer went up. Students surged toward the vine arch.
Neville Longbottom went first. The second he stepped through, supple vines wrapped gently but firmly around him and whisked him deep into the trees with a startled yelp.
One by one the rest followed. Each newcomer was scooped up by different plants—vines, dangling aerial roots, even sudden moving carpets of moss—and whisked away in random directions.
Fred and George tried to go in arm-in-arm, but two different creepers grabbed their ankles and yanked them apart. They barely had time to shout "See you in the Forest!" before disappearing.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione meant to stick together, but a flowering bush snatched Hermione first. Ron tripped over a root that popped out of the ground and was immediately rolled away by a moss blanket. Harry was scooped up by soft aerial roots dangling from above and swung deep into the woods like a living swing.
Cedric kept his cool, reading the plants' movements and moving with them instead of fighting, so he looked far more composed than the rest.
Last came Tom.
He strutted to the exact center of the arch, turned, and waved a paw at Viktor like a show-off. The next second, several extra-thick vines shot out and wrapped around all four legs, his neck, and his tail.
"MRRROW?!" Tom yelped.
Right in front of everyone, the vines yanked in opposite directions, stretching the poor cat like super-elastic taffy. His body elongated, eyes bulged, mouth stretched wide in a comically warped "mrrroooowww!"—then whoosh—the entire "cat noodle" was dragged into the forest and vanished among the trees.
The watching students exploded with laughter. Even some professors doubled over.
Viktor just shook his head, grinning, and watched the last student disappear. The thorn arch slowly closed, sealing the forest once more.
He raised his wand, tapped out a few complex runes that sank into the boundary, and a giant translucent hourglass shimmered into existence overhead, starting its countdown. At the same moment, a faint leaf-shaped green rune appeared on the back of every participant's hand—including Tom's.
"All right," Viktor murmured, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "Hope you enjoy the little surprises I left in there."
Those "surprises" were already moving through the magically sustained mini-forest.
They were ordinary insects and small animals Viktor had carefully enlarged with Engorgement Charms. Knee-high black-shelled ants industriously hauling giant leaves. Fist-sized, brightly colored spiders spinning webs strong enough to catch squirrels. Mantis-like creatures nearly as tall as a first-year, sickle blades raised, compound eyes scanning. Wrist-thick snakes sliding silently through the leaf litter.
Their aggression had been gently dampened by magic. Their real job was to startle, obstruct, and crank up the tension, forcing the students to use everything they'd learned.
Inside the forest, the real fight for survival had already begun.
Harry Potter had been deposited on a thick branch high in a massive oak. He caught his breath, immediately alert, scanning the dim woods. Rustling sounds came from every direction.
He gripped his wand tighter, heart hammering.
The ten-minute marker hadn't appeared yet. He was completely alone.
"Lumos," he whispered. A soft light bloomed at the tip of his wand.
Suddenly he heard footsteps and low voices below—two younger Slytherins who seemed to have teamed up.
Harry held his breath and crouched lower. The moment they passed directly underneath, he leaned out and fired: "Expelliarmus!"
Red light flashed. One Slytherin's wand flew away.
The other spun in panic—"Stupefy—"
"Rictusempra!" Harry was faster.
The second Slytherin collapsed in helpless laughter, wand clattering to the ground. Vines immediately appeared, gently scooping both "eliminated" students out of the forest.
Harry let out a relieved breath, slid down the trunk, and gave his wand a satisfied flick. He was getting really good at that Disarming Charm.
Hermione Granger had been set down at the edge of a relatively open clearing. She immediately backed against a large tree, eyes sharp, taking in every detail.
"Poor visibility, limited sightlines, possible ambushes," she muttered, brain already racing.
She cast a quick Muffliato variant to silence her footsteps, then moved carefully between the trees.
She heard distant flashes of light and shouts but refused to rush in.
When the ten-minute marker finally appeared and the rune on her hand warmed, several faint glowing dots bloomed in her mind. She analyzed them instantly: one nearby was moving fast—probably being chased. Two farther away overlapped—either allied or fighting.
She decided to avoid the obvious trouble spots and head toward an empty area, hoping for better ground.
On the way, a knee-high, furry spider suddenly lunged from behind a tree, eight eyes gleaming.
Hermione gasped but didn't panic. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
A rock shot up and smashed into a trunk nearby with a loud crack. The spider startled and scuttled away.
She followed up by Transfiguring a few fallen leaves into squeaking mice and sent them running in the opposite direction to create a diversion.
Ron Weasley had been dumped behind a damp clump of bushes. He scrambled up, brushing moss off his robes.
"Bloody hell—lost Harry and Hermione already," he grumbled, gripping his old wand a little tighter.
His luck turned almost immediately: he spotted a lone, nervous Hufflepuff first-year with his back turned.
Ron's eyes lit up. Perfect ambush.
He crept closer, burst out from behind a tree, and yelled, "Locomotor Mortis!"
The kid's legs locked. He yelped and toppled over. Vines whisked him away.
"Ha! Got one!" Ron crowed, stepping forward to check his "trophy."
That was when the light above him suddenly went dark.
He looked up.
A giant, furry face with eight shiny black eyes was dangling upside-down from a branch, inches from his nose—a massively enlarged forest spider, mandibles clicking softly.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Ron's scream echoed through the trees. His eyes rolled back and he keeled over backward, wand flying from his hand.
He never even got a spell off.
Vines caught the unconscious boy and his wand, carrying them quietly out of the forest.
In the distance Fred and George could be heard giving exaggerated groans.
Fred and George had started separated, but they had a plan. George neatly bounced an incoming spell with a Protego and hit his attacker with a Tickling Charm, then used the twins' secret "directional hint" trick they'd worked out for complicated terrain. Fred was doing the same.
They met up at the edge of a glowing-mushroom clearing after leaving a trail of dancing, buck-toothed opponents behind them.
"Mate!"
"Bro!"
They high-fived and stood back-to-back, wands ready.
"Looks like Ronnie's already out," Fred said, noticing one familiar dot had vanished from the rune on his hand. "Bet he got scared senseless."
"Probably a giant spider," George shrugged. "Forget him. How do we play this—hunt or set an ambush?"
"Hunt," Fred grinned. "And let's see what those 'surprises' the professor promised actually—"
"Whoa!"
A bright-green mantis almost as tall as they were stepped gracefully out from behind a fern, twin sickle-blades raised, triangular head turning toward them with curious compound eyes.
"That's one big surprise!" George whistled.
The twins instantly dropped into fighting stances, wands leveled, eyes sparkling with more excitement than fear.
"Color-Change Charm? Or should we test that new tripping-curse variant we came up with?"
Cedric Diggory was playing the role of the perfect wilderness scout. Dropped beside a small stream, he first studied the water flow and the angle of sunlight through the leaves to get his bearings.
He Transfigured a few broad leaves into tough wrist guards and a simple cloak for camouflage and minor protection, then moved silently along tree shadows and underbrush, pausing often to listen.
When the ten-minute marker refreshed, he memorized the positions and movements of the glowing dots and chose a quiet route near the water—good for ambush or observation while avoiding crowds.
Along the way he met an enlarged, grumpy-looking hedgehog. Instead of attacking, Cedric murmured the gentle calming charm Viktor had taught in class and slowly backed away. The hedgehog relaxed and curled up, ignoring him.
He also used modified wind charms to kick up dust clouds that blocked sightlines and created small muddy patches with Aguamenti to slow pursuers.
His progress looked less like a frantic battle and more like a careful, skilled wilderness expedition.
And then there was Tom.
After being stretched like taffy, he popped back to normal shape and landed in a soft pile of leaves. He shook his head, a little dizzy, then immediately lit up—this place was a giant playground!
He easily dodged a panicked student's wild "Avis" flock (which only created a bunch of noisy birds that attracted more attention), then used feline agility to leap and bound through the trees.
He found Hermione's Transfigured mice, batted at them playfully for a minute, then encountered the giant spider that had fainted Ron. Instead of running, Tom arched his back, puffed his fur, hissed, and swiped a paw. The spider decided this weird little creature wasn't worth the trouble and scuttled away.
Tom gave a smug "mrrrow!"
Spotting Fred and George facing off against the giant mantis, he slipped silently up a tree behind it. Right as the twins prepared to fire, Tom launched himself with a loud "MRROW!"—not attacking, just creating chaos.
The startled mantis spun around. The twins' spells hit dead-on—"Colovaria!" and a modified Jelly-Legs Jinx.
The mantis instantly turned bright pink and wobbled on suddenly rubbery legs, flailing its sickle arms in the most ridiculous way imaginable.
"Nice one, Tom!" Fred laughed.
"Teamwork!" George added.
Tom landed gracefully, licked a paw, winked at them, and vanished back into the woods to cause more trouble.
Outside the forest, as the giant hourglass drifted downward, flashes of light kept appearing. One by one, students were carried out—some covered in leaves, some with sticky sap in their hair, some still giggling helplessly from Tickling Charms.
Viktor watched with a small smile, eyes sharp, mentally noting how each student had performed.
The air beside him shimmered. Dumbledore appeared, watching the lively forest with equal interest.
"Very creative teaching method, Viktor," the Headmaster said mildly. "Learning under pressure, growing through play. And it looks like your 'surprises' are working beautifully."
"They need to face unconventional situations," Viktor replied with a nod. "Sudden giant creatures, hidden opponents. It trains reaction time, spellwork, and… well, courage."
He glanced at Ron, who had just been deposited nearby and was still clutching his chest, breathing hard.
"How are the protective lenses coming?" Dumbledore asked.
"First batch—enough for all staff and the older students—is finished and undergoing final stability checks. The twins were a huge help; their handwork is excellent," Viktor answered. "Full production for the entire school should be done in the next few days. Everyone will have them by next week at the latest."
"Excellent." Dumbledore's gaze grew distant. "The castle wards are tightening, the lenses are nearly ready… but we both know the real threat may appear in ways we don't expect. Every extra bit of preparation we give the students could make all the difference."
The two men turned their attention back to the noisy, vibrant mini-forest.
Inside, the battle continued—shouts, spell flashes, collisions, and the occasional unmistakable "mrrrow!" from Tom weaving through it all like a chaotic soundtrack to a very strange Hogwarts autumn afternoon.
Harry was still weaving between trees, dodging patrols of giant ants while searching for Hermione.
Hermione had already outsmarted several opponents and "surprises" with clever spells and was moving steadily toward what she calculated might be the safest zone.
Cedric advanced like a seasoned hunter, almost unnoticed, heading for the forest's heart.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, the twins and Tom had formed a temporary alliance of pure mischief and laughter.
Who would be the last one standing in this very special Battle Royale?
The answer was still brewing inside the magically enclosed forest.
But one thing was certain: every young witch and wizard at Hogwarts had just received a memorable, adrenaline-filled lesson in real combat—whether they'd laughed, screamed, or both.
And Viktor knew that every bit of this training might one day give them that one extra second of life when the real shadows finally closed in.