Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw

The Ravenclaw common room was still quiet when Nero stepped out that morning, adjusting his robes with a sigh.

The castle was unusually peaceful, most students were still asleep, enjoying the lull of winter break.

But as soon as he took a step forward, Ember appeared out of nowhere, grinning like she had just discovered the meaning of life.

Before he could even raise an eyebrow, Lilith and Alaric materialized beside her, looking far too composed for whatever chaos was about to unfold.

"Nero." Ember clapped a hand on his shoulder. "We need you."

"…For what?" he asked warily.

Lilith replied, "A project. One that may or may not be considered an act of rebellion."

Alaric, always the voice of reason, sighed but didn't object. "It's not too late to say no. But..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's going to be legendary," Ember finished for him.

Nero pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did you do?"

Ember's grin widened. "What we did, dear Nero, is establish a First-Year Underground Dueling Tournament."

He blinked. "You did what?"

"A free-for-all duel competition," Ember repeated, looking way too pleased with herself. "First-years only. No professors. Just magic, pure chaos, and house pride on the line. We've been spreading the word, and..."

"And it's too late to stop it," Lilith added smoothly.

Nero stared at them. Then at Alaric. Then back at Ember.

"…Do you realize we could get expelled?"

Ember waved him off. "Please, Nero. If we got expelled for this, Hogwarts would've shut down centuries ago. This is tradition."

Lilith nodded. "Technically, it's not illegal unless we get caught."

Nero sighed. "I should have stayed in bed."

But despite his words, he followed them.

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The meeting place turned out to be a long-forgotten training hall buried deep within the castle, hidden behind an enchanted wall that a house-elf Ember had befriended was more than happy to reveal.

The room was vast, with stone floors scuffed by centuries of spell practice. Its high ceiling was lined with old torches that flared to life as students entered.

And there were a lot of students.

Close to a hundred first-years from all four houses had shown up. Some looked excited, others nervous, but all were eager.

The air buzzed with murmurs as Ember climbed onto a crate and threw her arms wide.

"Welcome, young witches and wizards, to the FIRST EVER First-Year Hogwarts Duel Free-For-All!" she announced, her voice carrying across the room.

The students cheered.

Nero closed his eyes, already feeling the disaster about to unfold.

"Here's how it works!" Ember continued. "This is a free-for-all. You win, you move forward. You lose, you're out. Last witch or wizard standing wins eternal bragging rights. Until we do this again!"

Nero opened one eye. "You're planning more?"

Ember ignored him.

She clapped her hands. "Gather up! Duels begin now!"

The moment the first spells flew, all sense of order disintegrated.

A Gryffindor misfired a spell and blew a hole in the floor.

A Slytherin conjured shadowy snakes that slithered across the battlefield, hissing menacingly.

A Ravenclaw transfigured someone's wand into a spoon.

A Hufflepuff summoned an entire swarm of enchanted bees.

"WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THOSE?" Someone shouted as the buzzing filled the air.

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS YOU DON'T WANT ANSWERS TO!" the Hufflepuff shouted back.

It was complete mayhem.

Lilith, as composed as ever, dodged a hex with the grace of a dancer. 

Alaric, usually the most mellow, had become an absolute force of nature, knocking students off their feet with well-placed gusts of wind and pressure spells.

And Ember? Ember was laughing.

She flipped over a dueling table like an acrobat, rolling smoothly to her feet before sending a chain of fiery sparks to disarm a Slytherin student.

Meanwhile, Nero had not moved.

He stood at the edge of the chaos, arms crossed, watching with sharp, calculating eyes. He was waiting. Observing the disaster unfolding.

It didn't take long for the whispers to start.

"Why hasn't Nero dueled yet?"

"Do you think he's scared?"

"Maybe he's all talk. He's a genius in books, but can he actually fight?"

Some of the students exchanged uneasy glances. "No. He's waiting."

"For what?"

They didn't get an answer.

Ember, catching the murmurs, turned to him with a smirk. "Alright, bookworm. Time to prove you're more than just a Ravenclaw brain."

Nero sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Fine."

The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.

A cocky-looking Slytherin sneered. "Oh? The 'genius' finally wants to play?"

Nero tilted his head. "Try me."

The duel lasted two seconds.

The Slytherin's wand barely had time to move before a translucent barrier shimmered into existence between them. Their spell rebounded instantly, slamming into their chest and knocking him off his feet. The room froze.

Then, three more students leapt in. A Gryffindor sent a Tickling Hex. A Slythering hurled a Disarming Charm. A Hufflepuff tried to flank him with a Body-Bind Curse.

Nero barely moved.

With a flick of his fingers, barriers rippled into existence, twisting the air around him. The Tickling Hex dispersed into nothingness. The Disarming Charm rebounded, sending the Slytherin's wand flying.

A dozen more joined.

Spells rained down on him from all sides. Stunners, Hexes, Jinxes, but Nero stood amidst the chaos like an unmoved monolith. Every attack was either deflected, absorbed, or turned back against his opponents. His control was absolute, his barriers forming and vanishing in an intricate dance. One opponent fell. Then another. And another.

The final three lunged together.

Nero finally moved.

A step forward. A sweeping gesture. 

The floor beneath his opponents shimmered as Nero flicked his wand, the solid stone seemingly vanishing into thin air. It wasn't truly gone, just transfigured into a perfectly clear, glass-like surface. Disoriented, his opponents yelped as their feet met what appeared to be empty space, their instincts betraying them as they stumbled. Before they could recover, the floor beneath them softened, momentarily turning into something akin to thick clay, dragging them down just enough to unbalance them. A final flick of Nero's wrist, and the stone snapped back to its original state, leaving his opponents sprawled on the ground. Harmless. But humiliating.

Silence.

Then, pandemonium.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"HE DIDN'T EVEN MOVE!"

"THAT WASN'T FAIR!"

Nero dusted off his robes, unconcerned. "I fight smart."

From then on, no one wanted to duel him.

Just as the final matches were starting, the doors slammed open.

Flitwick. McGonagall. Snape.

The entire room froze.

Flitwick's tiny frame trembled with outrage. "What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This?!"

Chaos exploded anew.

As students bolted for the exits, Nero grabbed Ember by the wrist and darted into the shadows.

As they crouched behind a statue, panting, Ember burst into laughter. "That. Was. AMAZING!"

Nero sighed. "You're insane."

She grinned. "And you love it."

He didn't answer.

But he didn't deny it, either.

The next morning, Hogwarts was buzzing.

No one knew who had started the tournament, but the rumors had grown monstrous overnight. Some whispered that it was an initiation ritual, an underground test to prove one's worth to the strongest students. Others swore it had been organized by a secret dueling society that only accepted the elite. Still more dismissed those ideas and claimed it had been a spontaneous event, a challenge that had spiraled out of control.

But one rumor overshadowed all the others.

The Heirs of the Founders, Nero, Ember, Lilith, and Alaric were raising an army.

The whispers grew. The stories spread.

And Nero? He just sighed.

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