Duelling Merula

Okay, so this is a silly question, but I won't stop thinking about it until I get an answer. At the beginning of the seventh year, Merula spent her summer >! practicing wandless magic, and then she challenged us to a duel. Her attribute level also increased drastically (59/59/60 if I remember correctly), and if our attribute level goes below that, we will lose, and it seems the storyline really wants us to lose.!<

I'm curious if any of you, before reaching Year 7, >!grind to match Merula's attribute level or higher. Would we have won the duel?!< If so, how would the story progress? and sorry for my bad English lmao