Hogwarts : leveling up the world

John stood atop the wall of the Black Castle, his gaze fixed on the defense lines formed by the wizards and his own soldiers. He occasionally glanced at Asmodeus and the seven other archmages, who were deep in discussion in the distance.

But John's main focus was not on what was nearby; instead, his eyes were drawn to the horizon. Far away, the sky was already cloaked in a storm, with not a single ray of sunlight breaking through to illuminate the snow-covered ground. He knew that the army of the dead was approaching and couldn't understand how Asmodeus and the others remained so calm.

He had seen the threat these creatures posed and knew his army would suffer great losses, even with the battle formations Asmodeus and the wizards had devised to minimize casualties. According to Asmodeus's plan, John and Daenerys's soldiers would form the first line of defense. When he heard this earlier in the morning, he was stunned. He couldn't fathom why beings as powerful as wizards needed the cover of ordinary mortal soldiers. So, at the last meeting, he directly asked this question in the presence of the other archmages.

In response, ten pairs of eyes looked at him, making him feel as if he were being seen as a fool.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked at that moment.

One of the living trees, which Asmodeus called Ents, answered his doubts.

"You may have misunderstood the strength of the wizards. Our archmages are the pinnacle of power in our world, and even the soldiers of Asmodeus's Order of Flame are elite among elites; they can fight three or even five ordinary battle wizards at once. The remaining ninety thousand we brought are a mixed army, with no experience in large-scale battles or facing muggles or anyone skilled in close combat. We cannot place them on the front lines because, as soon as someone gets too close, they would be no more effective than peasants with pitchforks."

Hearing this, John finally sighed and agreed with the plan. Now, recalling that conversation, his worries about the future only deepened. Previously, believing that all wizards were roughly equal in power to the members of the Order of Flame, he had been almost certain of victory. But now, seeing the ninety thousand recruits positioned behind the line of ordinary soldiers, he was filled with doubt.

The army's formation, once the fortifications were ready, would be roughly as follows: At the center were nine legions, each consisting of ten thousand wizards. In front of them, a defensive line of fifty thousand Dothraki was positioned, flanked by ten thousand of John's soldiers on each side. Members of the Order of the Flame would take the flanks, unleashing the most devastating magic upon the enemy. When fatigued, they would retreat to the castle and support the army from a distance with combined spells.

Speaking of combined spells, John was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Asmodeus and the other archmages spreading out along the perimeter of the Black Castle, raising their wands to the sky. As John watched the mightiest wizards of the past and present, they pointed their wands into the air and chanted:

"Protego máxima. Fianto duri. Protego horribilis. Rebelli inicium."

Gradually, the city and its immediate surroundings were covered by a thin, semi-transparent dome. Waves of light occasionally rippled across this strange energy shield. Seeing the barrier raised, Asmodeus walked to the center of the castle, the location of the barrier's core. As he moved, the nearby archmages began to disperse and prepare for the next day's battle. However, Dumbledore and Grindelwald did not follow suit.

They, too, headed towards the center, leaving their respective corners. From the wall, John witnessed a curious sight: crowds within and beyond the city parted like water as the trio made their way to the central square. When they reached the square, the trio exchanged glances, and John heard them chant in unison:

"PROTEGO DIABOLICA!"

Each of them repeated the incantation thrice, and a kind of energy John, as a muggle, had never seen became visible, gathering on the wands of Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Asmodeus. On each wand, a strange ball of flame formed, each with its own color. Dumbledore's fire was a bright orange, warm and radiant. Grindelwald's blue flames resembled a tumultuous ocean, ready to burst out of control at any moment.

Asmodeus's flame was a deep crimson, almost as if stained with blood, exuding an aura that was both destructive and oddly soothing. The trio wasted no time; once they saw all were ready, they raised their wands and shouted the incantation again.

Three streams of flame shot upwards, merging, strengthening each other, and creating new hues. As everyone anticipated this powerful surge to destroy the newly established barrier, the fire touched it and vanished. For a moment, it seemed as if the flames were merely an illusion, but this notion quickly dissipated. Within milliseconds, waves of flames of various colors began to spread downward from the center of the barrier, eventually turning it entirely purple.

The barrier pulsed strangely, as if breathing with the trio, each of their breaths causing the flames to swell or recede. From afar, the castle looked like a massive fiery dome in the middle of a white world. To John's surprise, the wizards did not stop their work upon seeing that half of the defensive structures were covered by the dome and half were not. Instead, the wizards of the Order of the Flame shrugged and walked through the barrier, carrying the materials they needed with their magic.

Seeing the wizards pass through the barrier without issue, the soldiers followed suit. Thus, the erection of such a great barrier did not affect most workers; only a few peasants were initially frightened and anxious, but passing wizards quickly reassured them.

Meanwhile, Asmodeus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald conversed:

"How many hits do you think that thing can withstand?"

"Hmm... Well, its primary purpose isn't to withstand a giant. It's meant to keep the dead out of the city."

"Still, it's probably wise to have an estimate, don't you think?"

"Well... I'd say two hits. This barrier can't handle more than that. It's too complex to maintain an enemy recognition spell and a barrier of this magnitude simultaneously."

"Two hits..."

"Alright, let's go. We need to inscribe runes on the walls. I fear Nicholas will die from exhaustion if he keeps doing it almost alone."

"Hahaha, did you hear how he scolded that wizard from the Order? I did. Honestly, I thought he was about to fly into a rage."

"..."

"Aren't only those who passed his course working with him? Why do they still make mistakes?"

"I think I heard him say something about parallel rune inscriptions... It seems someone messed up, and Nicholas's rune didn't take effect either."

"By Merlin's beard, does that old man expect wizards to be on his level after three months of training?"

"Well, at the very least, he wants them to avoid mistakes he considers basic..."

"His perception of 'basic' needs an adjustment."

"Oh, here he comes."

As they talked, they reached the outer defensive line and heard:

"Imbeciles! Idiots! Are your hands growing out of your backsides?! You! Come here! Do you see this symbol?!"

"Y-yes..."

"Then why on earth did you draw yours upside down?!"

"...."

The trio fell silent. They watched the furious Nicholas hurling members of the Order of the Flame in all directions, kicking them as he went.

"Um... Should we stop him?"

"..."

"Asmodeus, these are your people. Go help them."

"???"

"They brought this upon themselves. Let them learn."

Seeing neither Grindelwald nor Asmodeus wanted to intervene, Dumbledore decided to rescue the unfortunate knights and said, "Alright, let's relieve these lads. We need to help Nicholas with the rune inscriptions."

"Sigh..."

The other two sighed and followed.