I am Gryffindor!

" One of the things a Gryffindor needs to master, apart from magic, is sword fighting," my grandfather said, staring at me. We were in the training fields, a little away from the mansion. Grandpa was wearing a training outfit made of dark brown fabric with golden details, and I was just in simple gray training clothes.

" Our ancestors, before the statute of secrecy, like many other wizards, lived in Muggle communities. But even with our family's reputation as skilled wizards, it didn't stop ordinary people from wanting to challenge us," he said, pacing back and forth.

" Many wizards would take any opportunity to use a spell and end the fight quickly, but we are honorable with our opponents. That's why we have dedicated generations, not only to magic, but to sword fighting, so that when necessary, we can fight honorably and on equal terms," he finished, stepping back in front of me.

" Of course, over time, this kind of practice was lost, but it became a tradition in our family to train from a young age in the way of the sword," he said, turning and slowly walking toward a row of wooden swords. He picked up two and returned to his previous position.

" And that's why we're here today," he said, tossing one of the wooden swords in front of my feet.

" To ensure that this tradition continues," he said with a smile, then began to distance himself, and once far enough, took a duel stance.

" Let's go, we don't have all day!" he shouted from the other side of the training field.

In a trance-like state, I looked at the small sword at my feet, trying to process what was happening.

' I'm screwed, how do I face a swordsman with seventy years of experience ?! ' I reluctantly picked up the sword from the ground.

' I hope all those hours watching Star Wars were worth it,' I thought, swallowing hard, wondering what was coming.

Not really knowing what I was doing, I took up a peculiar stance, one that any sci-fi fan would recognize—Form IV: Ataru.

A lightsaber combat form from the Star Wars movies. Don't judge me, I have no idea how to fight with a sword. This is the closest I could manage.

I know the stances of the other forms, but let's try this one first. Keeping my breathing calm, I advanced at high speed toward my grandfather.

Thanks to my physical and magical training with my grandfather, I could now move faster than an average human, or even a common wizard. The magical training helped me with better mana circulation throughout my body, improving my reflexes, speed, and reaction time.

And my physical training allowed the mana to circulate smoothly through my body, ensuring it flowed like water, which also helped in training, as with magic always flowing, I recovered faster from fatigue, small injuries, and training sprains, allowing me to train longer.

Rushing toward my grandfather at high speed, within a few seconds, I was already near his left side, but something felt off. He hadn't moved since we started. Pushing that aside, I planted my left foot firmly and attacked his left side with force, but before my sword could get close...

" SMACK ! "

Blinking twice, I saw that the old man's sword had blocked mine, and that old rascal was smiling.

A second later, I was on the ground, having been knocked down by him, without even knowing how.

I grunted with my eyes closed on the ground, and when I opened them, the tip of his sword was in front of my face, and he had a serious expression.

" Again," he said, removing his sword and giving me space to get up.

" You're not going to let me quit, are you ? " I asked, a little hopeful, only for that hope to be shattered immediately.

" Quitting is not an option," he said calmly, resuming his fighting stance.

" Why do I still ask ? " I sighed, closing my eyes and letting my head rest on the ground for a few seconds.

" I ask myself that too, kid," I could hear my grandfather say in the background.

'This is going to take forever,' I thought in despair.

'Here we go,' I thought, getting up and grabbing my sword.

Three hours later

" THREE HOURS, WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR THREE HOURS ! " I shouted in frustration. I was tired, my clothes were torn, my skin bruised, and my body was covered in marks.

We've been at this for three hours, and I still haven't been able to land a hit. Every time, he wouldn't let me stop.

" I know how much time has passed, Aurelius, but I believe by now you know what I'm going to say," he said with a cheerful tone.

" Don't even start—" I tried to say.

" Again," my grandfather said with a smile, once more taking his stance.

"Arrggg!" I groaned in frustration.