The crooked, unstable curse flew toward Lucien so poorly formed that he couldn't even be bothered dodging it.
"Mr Weasley," Lucien said coldly, "launching a sneak attack before the duel even begins."
A faint mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"No wonder your brothers constantly have to clean up your messes for you."
"Shut up!"
Ron looked like a rat whose tail had just been stepped on.
"You disgusting dark wizard!"
He waved his wand wildly toward Lucien again and again.
Unfortunately, Ron knew pitifully few spells.
At home, the Weasley children spent most of their time eating, playing, and causing trouble. At school, without Hermione supervising them constantly, Ron and Harry practically wished classes didn't exist at all.
As a result, Ron could only repeatedly cast the same few spells.
Half the time, he even stumbled over the incantations badly enough to nearly hit himself.
"Levicorpus."
Lucien finally lost patience with the childish game.
Ron's body instantly flipped upside down and floated helplessly into the air.
Seeing Ron wriggling around like an oversized worm, Harry immediately couldn't bear it anymore.
"Lucien…"
"Harry," Draco interrupted sharply before Lucien could respond, "are you seriously trying to plead for Weasley again?"
For the first time, Draco's anger exploded completely.
"Do you even know what he said to Lucien before this? Or the rubbish he's been spreading in the Great Hall?"
His voice became increasingly bitter.
"And when Weasley attacked Lucien just now, I didn't see you stepping forward to stop him!"
Draco stared directly at Harry.
"In your eyes, is Weasley the only friend you care about?"
"Then what are Lucien and I?"
Lucien nearly laughed despite the situation.
The expression on Draco's face genuinely resembled a dramatic breakup between lovers.
Ever since Harry defended Ron inside the hospital wing previously, Lucien had already given up completely on the so-called saviour's misplaced compassion.
Naturally, he felt no sympathy now.
Harry struggled awkwardly for several seconds before managing only a weak reply.
"You're both my friends…"
"Ron just—"
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Love had finally transformed into anger.
Draco directly raised his wand toward Harry.
"You made your choice the moment you came here with Weasley tonight!"
His silver-grey eyes blazed furiously.
"Draw your wand, Potter!"
"Or don't blame me for looking down on you!"
Harry wanted desperately to explain things properly, but seeing Draco's furious expression, he realised nothing he said now would help.
Perhaps it would be better to apologise later.
"Rictusempra!"
"Tarantallegra!"
"Incarcerous!"
Spell after spell flew from Draco's wand rapidly.
The education pure-blood heirs received far surpassed anything Harry had experienced growing up among Muggles.
And after Lucien's personal guidance recently, Draco's abilities had already improved tremendously compared to the original timeline.
Against a Harry who barely knew any practical spells at all, the duel quickly became completely one-sided.
"Fight back, Potter!"
"You coward!"
After only several exchanges, Harry was already fleeing clumsily around the trophy room while barely managing to defend himself.
Then—
"Meow."
A cat's cry suddenly echoed from the doorway.
Everyone froze instantly.
Harry's face turned pale.
Draco panicked immediately.
"What do we do?!"
To first-year students, Filch and Mrs Norris were practically demons wandering Hogwarts Castle.
The caretaker's terrifying appearance and obsessive hatred toward students made him one of the most feared figures in the school.
Before Draco even finished speaking, Mrs Norris had already slipped gracefully into the trophy room.
"Damn it!"
Draco looked horrified.
"Filch is definitely outside already!"
"When Snape hears about this, he'll skin us alive!"
He was practically on the verge of tears already, mentally preparing himself for hours of furious lectures followed by another round of detention.
Meanwhile, Ron suddenly became excited.
During the past several days, he had accumulated endless resentment toward Lucien.
The humiliation from the hospital wing.
The jealousy.
Being hung upside down tonight.
His mind had long since drowned in anger.
At this point, he would rather get caught himself than let Lucien escape punishment.
Twisting violently while hanging upside down, Ron began shouting desperately toward the doorway.
"Someone's here!"
"Come quickly!"
"Students are sneaking around at night!"
The sudden betrayal stunned everyone present.
Even Harry looked utterly horrified.
No, seriously?
You're dragging everyone down with you?!
Sure enough, heavy footsteps immediately thundered outside.
Filch had heard everything.
The approaching sounds felt like giant drums pounding directly against everyone's nerves.
Just as Draco was sinking into despair, something unbelievable happened.
Mrs Norris — the nightmare of countless Hogwarts students — quietly rubbed herself against Lucien's legs.
Then, with a graceful leap, she climbed directly into his arms.
Draco's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Lucien… this…"
"It's nothing," Lucien replied calmly while scratching beneath the cat's chin. "I fed her a few times before."
That explanation only shocked everyone further.
But the truly unbelievable scene was still coming.
The moment Filch entered the trophy room, Ron immediately shouted excitedly.
"I'm reporting them!"
"They broke school rules sneaking out at night!"
"Hurry and catch them!"
Ron's face was filled with vicious satisfaction.
Unfortunately for him, reality immediately shattered his expectations.
Instead of glaring at Lucien with his usual terrifying expression, Filch's gloomy face visibly softened the moment he saw him.
Then, to everyone's disbelief—
Filch actually greeted him politely.
"Mr Grindelwald."
Filch even nodded slightly.
"Long time no see."
Lucien smiled warmly in return.
"Good evening, Mr Filch."
Then his expression became sincerely appreciative.
"Honestly, Hogwarts would descend into complete chaos without your nightly patrols."
Filch's eyes widened slightly.
"This is just my job…"
"No."
Lucien shook his head seriously.
"If not for your dedication every single night, countless students would break school rules without restraint."
The wrinkles on Filch's face practically folded together from smiling.
No student had ever praised his work before.
Especially not this sincerely.
Then Lucien glanced casually toward Harry and Ron.
"By the way, Mr Filch."
"Draco and I discovered two students sneaking around after curfew tonight."
His tone remained perfectly innocent.
"They're still tied up inside for you."
Filch's eyes lit up instantly.
His office permanently contained chains, shackles, and handcuffs he desperately wished to use someday.
Sadly, no professor or headmaster had ever supported him.
Now, seeing how well Lucien understood him, Filch's fondness toward the boy rose instantly again.
"Leave it to me!"
Filch practically grinned.
"You and your friend should return to your dormitories first."
Then he turned slowly toward Harry and Ron.
"Students who break school rules deserve proper punishment."
Harry and Ron both stared in complete disbelief.
Why?!
Why was the treatment difference this enormous?!
This was blatant favouritism!
Ron nearly exploded.
"You're abusing your authority!"
"Why are you only arresting us?!"
Then, blinded by anger, he shouted the single worst thing possible.
"Squib!"
Filch's expression instantly darkened.
Unfortunately, Ron still didn't realise how badly he'd messed up.
Lucien smiled faintly before casually cancelling the Levicorpus charm.
Bang!
Ron dropped heavily onto the floor face-first.
"Mr Filch," Lucien said politely, "we'll leave these two to you."
Then he turned calmly toward Draco.
"Let's go."
The following morning, the Gryffindor hourglass near the entrance hall sat completely empty.
Every last point had been deducted.
Harry and Ron instantly became public enemies among Gryffindors.
Students glared at them everywhere they went.
Ron tried desperately explaining himself to anyone willing to listen.
Unfortunately, all he received in return were sarcastic responses.
"If it's unfair, why were only you two punished?"
"Maybe look for the problem within yourselves first."
"If you're weak, practise more."
"And if you can't handle losing, don't provoke people stronger than you."
But what Ron found even harder to accept…
Was that his parents had already learned about everything.
And very soon—
A furious Howler was on its way to Hogwarts.