Title: The Dueling Lesson
Author: Grevola
Rating/Word Count: PG, 1000
Notes: Don't own HP or GW. Part of the Sorting Hat Arc, year two. Dorothy enjoys the dueling club. Oneshot, genfic, complete.
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Dorothy Catalonia had been delighted by the idea of a Dueling Club. She'd learned the basics from her grandfather, who had always told her you could learn a lot about someone by the way they duel. He called Dueling, "Wizard's Fencing", and he had made sure her whole kit was packed when she went off to Hogwarts, just in case she got a chance to use it.
She had been among the first to arrive, and had been disappointed to see Lockhart setting up the stage for the lesson. She covered the feeling quickly, and made sure to simper and fawn over the incompetent buffoon every bit as much as the other girls. While she felt her chances of learning had suddenly vanished to near invisibility, there was still a very good chance for some entertainment watching the Professor and other students fumble around. If we're very lucky, she thought uncharitably, someone will blast his head off by accident and we'll get a half way decent teacher.
During the demonstration Snape failed to turn Lockhart into a smoking pile of cinders, but he did demonstrate a very effective disarming charm. Soon afterwards Dorothy found herself paired up with Sylvia Noventa, a Ravenclaw in her own year and a girl she had known before Hogwarts. "Why Sylvia," she gushed, "I didn't know you fenced."
"I thought I'd learn something new," the shorter girl said. She looked much as she always did when she found herself forced into Dorothy's company: uncomfortable but not wanting to be rude. Dorothy was well aware that she made the other girl nervous, and delighted in playing on that.
"Well, draw your weapon and let's get started. The wand dueling is all right for some, but we know better ways, don't we?" And with that she drew her thin, twelve inch dueling dagger from her robe.
"Well, well!" Lockhart said, coming up beside them, "Hold on a moment, let's see what we have here. That hardly looks like your wand, Miss. Dorothy."
"Of course it doesn't," Snape said, having arrived to see what all the fuss was about, "that's an Andalusian Dueling Dagger. And I would love to know what it's doing on campus. Where did you get that, Miss. Catalonia?"
Dorothy smiled, directing most of her attention to Professor Lockhart, "It's a family dagger, sir," she said, "My grandfather said I should have it when he heard about the Chamber." She pretended to pout, "He said I couldn't count on always having Professor Lockhart to keep me safe, because I have other classes as well."
She could tell by his expression that Professor Snape wasn't fooled at all, but Lockhart was completely taken in. "Well, I'd hardly think any of you students is in danger as long as I'm here," he said, "but it's kind of your grandfather to be looking out for you. But, er, is there a reason you can't use your wand like the other students?"
"But Professor Lockhart! Surely you know the dagger is traditional for Spanish wizards? Since, as everyone knows, anyone with magic was so fiercely hunted by the Inquisition that they couldn't be caught with wands. I would never dream of dueling with anything else."
"But a Dueling Dagger seems a bit much for a school club, yes?" Lockhart laughed, "I mean, we're not actually trying to hurt one another here."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Snape muttered, "Potter and Malfoy will be drawing wands in a moment, and we can be glad neither knows a killing curse. And it looks like Long and Chang have decided to put on an excellent display of unarmed Chinese martial magic."
The group looked over to where Snape had gestured. Meiran Long, a spunky Gryffindor with two black pigtails was squaring off against Wufei Chang, a bookish Ravenclaw. Both were wearing Chinese garments, Wufei in white and Meiran in black, and it made Dorothy think of a chess match. Meiran was the Queen, quick and powerful, while Wufei was like the king, unmoving but devastating at close range. The way they fought it looked like they were dancing. Meiran's body bent gracefully to various forms and poses, before she launched herself through the air, trying to kick Wufei. For his part, the Ravenclaw had been stepping through his own set of forms, and when Meiran's foot hit his forearm there was the sound like a gong and a flash of light. When it cleared, several nearby students had been streaked black by the fall out from Meiran's blow. Wufei, still gleaming in his white tunic, hadn't even paused at the blast, and he followed his block with a blow to Meiran's stomach that doubled her over and knocked the wind out of her. It also turned her robes, and those of a few other bystanders, as white as his own. A second later Meiran stood and they bowed to each other calmly as you please.
The scene was interrupted by the sound of hysterical laughter from the other side of the room. While most of the students had been distracted watching Meiran and Wufei, Harry and Draco had been trying to charm or hex each other across the room. Snape and Lockhart rushed over to put an end to the unseemly display, and Dorothy pocketed her dagger.
"I think," Professor Lockhart's voice rose over the chattering of the crowd, "it's time to show you all how to block some spells. If I could have a couple of volunteers-"
But Dorothy wasn't listening any more. She casually slipped one arm around Sylvia's shoulders, the girl looking shell shocked at seeing her housemate duel. "My darling Slyvia, I fear I see even less of you now that we're schoolmates," she said.
"I suppose so, Dorothy," the girl answered, but without much enthusiasm.
"We really must have a chat some time," she said, "I want you to tell me everything you know about the wonderfully talented Wufei Chang."