The modest crowd continued to watch a procession of duels in that weekend’s school duelling tournament. Saturday was qualifying day. In the bottom division were first, second and third year competitors, hoping for some house points and to reach that cup. Professor Storm thought it was optimistic if they made it past the first few spells without falling flat on their backsides or sprouting antlers. However, Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons had proved a worthy training ground for the aspirational duellists.

The previous competitors left the platform, one with hands twice the size as normal and the other smoking at the shoulders. The effects of the spells would wear off within minutes, though they provided an amusing spectacle. No need to waste a finite on either of them. The one smoking at he shoulders was clapped firmly on the back by a classmate.

“Spectre,” Professor Storm read from his list, stood at one end of the platform, “and Shacklebolt!” Two first years. This would be short, just like the competitors.

“Wands at the ready!” he instructed clearly, “on the count of three, one - two - three.”

Aoide’s heart was in her mouth and her legs had become jelly. She was sure they were going to wobble out from underneath her as she climbed the steps to the duelling platform. She was going to fall flat on her face and everyone was going to laugh before she’d even cast a spell! But no, she had entered the duelling contest for Hufflepuff (and to make her parents proud - especially her auror mother).

As she got onto the platform a few of her Hufflepuff dorm mates squeaked support from the floor, and it felt like she was breathing far too loudly. At the other end the Professor loomed all the more scary-looking as she was going to duel him. He’d needn’t raise his wand if that was the case! Her wand! Aoide scrambled through her pockets for it. That would be embarrassing.

She took a deep breath, swallowed twice and headed cautiously towards Feliks on the middle of the platform. At least she’d been drawn against a classmate! She might have died if it was a third year, because not dying was all she hoped for, and if she managed that, somehow not making a complete fool of herself, but that was an impossibility. She liked Feliks too, well, when he wasn't saying rude things because he was a bit strange. Trembling, Aoide raised her wand in salute to Feliks and gave a little bob of her head before they turned their backs to pace away and…

“One - two - three.”

Aoide had hardly thought what her first spell should be!

“Err Flip - flipendo![1]” but her hesitation and stumble had cost her an effective spell cast and the blue and yellow light fell short of Feliks at the other end of the platform. The best she could hope for was Feliks was no better!

1.

C3

Feliks was excited! He had only duelled in lessons and never in front of an audience... and never on a stage. It appealed to the same dramatic nature that had urged him to take on the appearance of a snake head in History of Magic; in a way it didn't matter if he won or lost, as long as everyone had some fun watching. And as long as he had fun, of course.

            “Wands at the ready!”

He tossed his wand into the air and caught it by the hilt, grinning down the platform at his opponent. Professor Storm commenced the countdown... Feliks assumed the most comfortable stance he'd learned in class, standing tall. On the count of three, he flung out a hex the very moment after Aoide cast hers.

"Vibrosura!" The pink flash of light, a simple Jelly-Legs Jinx shot into the air but it was aimed far too high, making it an easy thing to avoid. He had overestimated Aoide's height - she was one of the taller girls in their year after all.

Feliks quickly stepped back into shield spell, nearly falling off the platform, though there was no point: the flipendo fell short of her aim as well. The boy wizard hopped forward, lively, preparing to cast again. This was fun! He gave his wand an energetic flick, and was sure not to take his eyes off Aoide. "Petrificus Totalus!"

“Expelli-[1]“ Aoide dropped down and tried to shield, though it wasn’t clear if Feliks had missed or she’d deflected in that moment. Either way, the excitement was fast replacing nerves for the Hufflepuff girl, and this all felt like playing a great game.

“Accido!”[2] Aoide cried from her crouch, balancing on the balls of her feet. She hoped to save a bit of time rather than jumping back up on her feet. Hopefully she could knock Feliks off his feet and try once more to disarm him!

1.	C3 was flipendo vs vibrosura, A3 petrificus vs expelliarmus
2.	C1, successful Accido vs success from Feliks

She had deflected his hex but, encouraged by his successful casting of it, Feliks advanced forwards on the platform.

He had barely made it two steps when Aoide's next spell caught him up by the feet, and the boy wizard exclaimed loudly as his ankles defied intent and tripped him up. But he was quick to tuck his elbows in, falling and then rolling forward into a crouch that mimicked his partner's.

"Flipendo!" Feliks exclaimed breathlessly, blue and yellow light accompanied by a loud noise as the jinx shoved Aoide back. He used the opportunity to get on to his feet once more - all legs and elbows and knees, his dark curls flashing red with pride for a brief moment.

“Oof!” Aoide vocalised as an invisible force thwacked into her like a train. She was too slow to put a shield back up in her surprise that her jinx had worked on Feliks.

She staggered backwards, tottered on the edge of the platform, arms out to either side like the strangest, jerkiest interpretive dance Hogwarts had seen of late. The assembled students around dithered, a low ooooo… of her anticipated fall rose instinctively amongst them.

“AAaahexpelliarmus![1]” Aoide cried in desperation, concentrating on catching her balance rather than her spell, and failing much at both. She didn’t want to lose this because she fell off the platform!!

1.	D1 - Aoide fail, Feliks a winning move

With plenty of time to anticipate her next charm, Feliks deflected Aoide's spell as he kept on moving towards her - he had learned much in Professor Storm's lessons (granted, largely incentivised by fear) and he wanted to be able to cast his hexes without having to always stop to check his posture.

The Slytherin tossed his head back to get his curls out of his line of vision, and flung out another Jelly-Legs Jinx in a flash of pink light. "Vibrosura!" he liked this jinx; it was not too painful and it made him laugh sometimes.

But even as it made true its aim, Feliks quickly sprinted the last few steps to the other end of the platform; he grabbed Aoide just an instant before she could waver and topple off the ledge, gripping her forearm with a wild grin.

"That was fun!" he said, though not too loudly just in case the Professor did not approve.

Aoide didn’t catch what Feliks cast, but her legs took a life of their own even more violently than they had at the Valentines party. All hope of regaining her balance was gone, until a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her weight back onto the platform.

Aoide let out a shriek in surprise at the grab and some relief to have not fallen backwards onto the great hall floor. Her legs were still bucking and kicking beneath her.

“Thanks -“
“That was fun!”
“Yeah - I - sorry!”

Aoide’s flailing legs had just kicked Feliks in the shin. The audience, their heads at about the height of their knees, had a front-row seat to this accidental kicking and giggled.

“I didn’t mean - I heck, finite!!!” Aoide squeaked in her panic, swiping her wand at her legs, panting, flushed in the face. After a moment her frantic leg wiggling began to subside and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Spectre wins for Slytherin,” the Professor announced behind Feliks, but Aoide hardly heard it.

“Sorry,” she apologised again, “and yeah, good match. Thanks for not killing me.” She extended her hand to Feliks with her best firm handshake. The smile on her face broke out as she made proper eye contact with her Slytherin classmate, glad he was being a gentleman about it, even if he had just hexed her. “Get you next time.” She wrinkled her nose, released his hand and hopped from the platform.

End