The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

In the Hufflepuff common room, the warm glow of the fireplace illuminates the comfortable armchairs.

"Shh—shh—shh—"

Rowe Baggins sat on a single stool, holding a rough whetstone he had found by the Black Lake, intently sharpening his frying pan.

This pot has been with him for half a semester, and thanks to Luo Wei's careful maintenance, the bottom of the pot still gleams with a cold, eerie light.

[Skill Activation: Basic Forging]

[Action: Shield Maintenance]

[Progress: 85%...90%...]

[Enchantment Effect: Physical Parry +5, Non-stick Coating 100% Complete]

"Uh, Rowe?" Justin Finley walked over, carrying several copies of "Sailing with Vampires," his face full of confusion. "What are you doing? If you're hungry, the kitchen is next door. The house-elf would be happy to make you a steak."

Luo Wei stopped what he was doing and gently blew away the iron filings on the surface of the pot.

"In this world, Justin," Rowe's voice was low and serious, "if you have no sword, the cauldron is your best friend. It is the ranger's last line of defense, a sturdy shield against the orc's axe, and a stove for cooking hope in this cruel world."

He stood up and skillfully swung the frying pan twice, making a "whooshing" sound as it cut through the air.

"Look, perfect balance. It can withstand a deadly curse and still fry a perfect sunny-side-up egg. That's the art of survival."

Justin blinked, clearly not following the leap in logic: "But... we're going to a dueling club, not camping. Professor Lockhart said we're going to learn 'Disarming Charms,' which are disarming spells."

"Disarm?" Rowe sneered, hanging the frying pan on his belt. Its heavy weight gave him a sense of security. "That's Grimaldi's lie. That guy who only knows how to deceive people with sweet words has no idea what real combat is. On a real battlefield, the enemy won't wait for you to finish your incantation; they'll just chop off your hand."

Just then, Ernie McMillan burst into the lounge, panting, breaking the awkward silence.

"Big news!" Ernie shouted, his face flushed red, drawing everyone's attention. "I just heard that Professor Snape will be attending! He'll be Lockhart's assistant!"

The lounge fell silent instantly, followed by an even louder murmur of discussion.

Lo Wei's pupils contracted sharply.

"I knew it..." Rowe muttered to himself, his hand involuntarily tightening its grip on the pot handle. "This isn't just a performance. It's a trap. Saruman and Clever Words have teamed up; they want to wipe us out, or at least put on a public show of force to intimidate the rebels."

"What trap are you talking about?" Susan asked curiously, still clutching the runestone that Rowe had given her.

"No time to explain." Rowe quickly straightened his robes, making sure his wand and frying pan were ready to be drawn at any moment. He turned to the Hufflepuff classmates.

"Listen up, Hufflepuff comrades! Stay alert tonight. Don't stand on the edge of the stage, and don't eat anything anyone offers. If you see a green light or hear a strange hissing sound, get behind cover immediately, or behind me!"

The Hufflepuff badgers looked at each other. Although they were used to Rowe's ramblings, seeing him so serious made them all a little uneasy.

"Maybe we should wear earmuffs?" Hannah Abbott suggested quietly, recalling her experience in her herbalism class, "to protect against mandrakes?"

"Put those on," Rowe nodded firmly. "And the goggles too. Wear the dragon-skin gloves as well. Anything can happen on the battlefield; stray bullets don't have eyes."

So, at eight o'clock that evening, when the Hufflepuff students lined up to walk toward the Great Hall, their appearance was quite peculiar. Some wore pink earmuffs, some wore thick dragon-skin gloves, and some carried pot lids. Rowe, walking at the very front, had a gleaming frying pan hanging from his waist, and he stood tall and proud.

The auditorium has been completely changed.

The long table had vanished, replaced by a gilded stage built along the wall, glittering under the glow of thousands of floating candles, appearing both luxurious and gaudy. Almost the entire school was crammed into it, everyone visibly excited, clutching their wands tightly.

But in Lo Wei's eyes, this scene was portrayed as something else entirely.

[Scene Loading: Isengard Colosseum]

[Environmental Effect: Morale Intimidation (Due to the presence of the enemy leader)]

[Light intensity: Dazzling (Dizziness resistance assessment in progress...)]

Lockhart, dressed in a crimson robe, stood center stage, waving radiantly, his white teeth gleaming in the candlelight. Ring ring. Opposite him, Snape, in his signature black robe, stood somberly in the shadows.

"Look at that fake smile," Rowe whispered to Harry beside him from below the stage. "That's a snake's disguise before it bares its fangs. Harry, grip your wand tightly. Tonight, they might test your strength."

Harry swallowed nervously, unconsciously tightening his grip on his wand: "You mean Snape's going to kill me in a duel? In front of all these people?"

"No, that's too obvious." Lowe shook his head, his eyes piercing. "He'll try to humiliate you, break your will, and even... induce you to unleash the dark power within you. It's psychological warfare."

Before Harry could ask any further questions, Lockhart on the stage began his opening remarks, waving his arms exaggeratedly to quiet everyone down.

"Come closer! Come closer! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? That's great!"

Lockhart's voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the Great Hall, making everyone's eardrums ache.

"That's right. Professor Dumbledore has allowed me to start this little dueling club to train you all thoroughly in case you ever need to defend yourselves and use the methods I have used countless times to protect yourselves—for details, please see my published works."

"He's promoting his autobiography," Rowe scoffed. "Typical bard tactics, using fictional stories to boost his reputation."

"I should also introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth. "He told me he knows a thing or two about dueling and generously agreed to give me a little demonstration before class. But I don't want you little ones to worry—after I'm done demonstrating, I'll return your Potions teacher to you unharmed, so don't be afraid!"

Snape curled his upper lip, revealing a chilling expression. If looks could kill, Lockhart would be a pile of ashes by now.

"That fool," Rowe muttered, "is provoking a Balrog."

[Battle Warning: Boss Battle Imminent]

Gilderoy Lockhart (Lv. ?? Bard) VS Severus Snape (Lv. 50 Dark Wizard/Potion Master)

The two turned to face each other and bowed. Lockhart twirled his hands around with a flamboyant gesture, like a circus act; Snape, on the other hand, merely gave an impatient shake of his head.

"Watch closely, Harry," Rowe quickly analyzed like a commentator, "Lohart's movements are too unnecessary; they're for theatrical effect, but in actual combat, that means a longer spellcasting animation. As for Snape... his wand barely moves; he's charging up."

"one two three--"

The two of them simultaneously raised their wands sharply over their shoulders.

Snape shouted, "Disarm you!"

A dazzling red light suddenly shot out from the tip of his wand; it was more than just a beam of light—it was like a cannonball being fired.

[Skill Judgment: Powerful knockback]

Damage type: Impact damage + Magic damage

Lockhart had no time to react. He was struck by the immense force, sent flying through the air in a purple arc, before crashing heavily into the wall at the end of the stage, sliding down and curling into a ball.

"boom!"

The entire stage seemed to shake.

Hermione screamed and covered her mouth with her hand. The other girls gasped as well.

"Just as I expected." Rowe adjusted the frying pan. "This isn't a simple disarming spell. It's a variation of the 'Shield Slam' used by the Uruk Orcs. It uses a burst of magical energy to create a physical shockwave. It was a perfect critical hit."

Lockhart swayed as he stood up, his hat falling off and his wavy hair becoming disheveled, but he still managed to force a smile.

"Well, everyone saw that!" He stumbled back to the center of the stage, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's a disarming spell—as you can see, I lost my wand. Ah, thank you, Miss Brown."

He took the wand Lavender offered and continued his rambling: "Professor Snape, that was a beautiful move, but if I wanted to stop you, it would have been effortless. I think it's better to let them see for themselves to broaden their horizons..."

"He's just barely hanging on." Rowe looked at Lockhart's trembling hands. "His health bar has dropped by at least half, and he's currently in a 'stunned' and 'weak' state. If this were in the wild, he would have been torn to pieces by a dire wolf."

Snape's murderous aura grew increasingly intense, and Lockhart seemed to sense this as well, for he suddenly said, "The demonstration is over! Now I will come to you and divide you into pairs. Professor Snape, if you would like to help me..."

Snape strode toward the crowd, his black robes billowing like a dark cloud looming overhead.

"That's right." Lowe took a deep breath. "The real trial has begun!"