1379 duelling contest

"According to contemporary accounts, the duelling was of a standard that few had ever seen before…"

- Miranda Goshawk, Book of Spells.

This duelling contest was held in 1379, on Dartmoor, Devon. Witches and wizards from across Europe came to partake, and featured duelling of a level of skill that was almost unprecedented.

An English witch, Elizabeth Smudgling, won this contest with a single Disarming Charm (a charm that, in the opinion of magical theoretician Miranda Goshawk, was of Smudgling's own making) and was subsequently awarded the title of "Supreme Dueller".

History
"Think big! Think bigger than you have ever thought before! Let us see, this night, magic on such a scale that future generations will envy us for having witnessed such greatness!"

- The judges of the contest.

This contest was called together on Dartmoor, in Devon, in the year 1379. It was held at night, so as to avoid attracting the attention of Muggles, and gathered master duellists from all over Europe. The judges of the competition were distinguished warlocks and sorcerers from several nations.

After the wizards arrived, the duelling competition duly commenced. The duelling was noted, by witnesses, to have been of a standard that few had ever seen before. As the contest progressed, only four contestants remained: the English witch, Elizabeth Smudgling, and three wizards.

Before the four semi-finalists began their duels, the judges intervened with rousing speeches, telling them to think big and to display great magical prowess in the three duels that would follow.

The first semi-finalists then moved in front of the crowd. Keeping in mind the judges' advice to think big, the first wizard transformed himself into a bull and charged the second, who escaped death by quickly turning himself into a viper. The second wizard bit the first on the leg, sending him crashing to the ground in pain.

Next, the second wizard faced the third, and brought a great storm cloud down from the sky, drenching his opponent in freezing-cold rain and forcing him to evade bolts of lightning. The third wizard then got the idea to call a powerful cyclone, which not only blew away the storm, but also the judges, most of the spectators and several trees.

It took several hours for everyone to regroup. Frightened of what the third wizard might do for his encore, the judges attempted to talk Elizabeth Smudgling out of duelling him, telling her that it might be easier if they simply gave him the cup before anyone else got hurt, but she refused.

Smudgling and the third wizard then went up against each other. On the count of three, the wizard began a long, complex incantation that would have caused a mountain to break out of the ground and fall upon Smudgling's head had he been given the opportunity to complete it. However, Smudgling beat him to the punch, quickly murmuring the incantation for the Disarming Charm and sending his wand flying out of his hand. She was awarded the title of "Supreme Dueller" and the Disarming Charm became one of the most useful spells in any dueller's repertoire.

Appearances

 * Pottermore