Welcome to the Dueling Competition,
"First up we have…Potter versus Weasley for the Quarter Finals!"
Harry got to his feet. Both and Ginny and Ron jumped up.
"Let me make that a bit clearer…Harry Potter versus Ronald Weasley!"
Ginny sat back down again, thoroughly annoyed. "Hypocrite," she muttered.
"Good luck Ron!" called Lavender. Ron looked back at her, lost his footing, and tumbled his way down the stands. The crowd roared with laughter, with Ginny laughing the loudest of all and Hermione fighting back a grin.
Ron got to his feet, incredibly red in the face, and ascended the dueling stage with Harry, who had gotten there a lot more gracefully.
Lee watched the two best mates shake hands before crying, "Three--two--one--DUEL!"
Harry pulled out his wand from his pocket, unsure of how to act. The plan was to have Harry lose on purpose so that Ron would look good and hopefully impress Hermione. But it had to look real, or she wouldn't buy it. In fact, considering the kind of brain Hermione had, the rigged duel had to look more than real.
But Ron hadn't been practicing his wand-brandishing skills for nothing. He whipped his out in a superfluous fashion, pointed it at Harry, and roared, "EXPELLIARMUS!"
"Protego!" Harry said. The Disarming spell nevertheless knocked the wind out of him, although his wand stayed firmly in his grip. It was his turn to act. According to Ron's plan, he was supposed to do a Jelly-Legs jinx and purposefully miss his target.
But he was Harry Potter for crying out loud! Harry Potter never missed his target…okay, he did, but usually the target's name wasn't Ron Weasley.
He reluctantly shot the jinx at Ron, which missed by about three yards. The crowd groaned. Up in the stands, Hermione raised a skeptical eyebrow. But neither of the duelers could see that.
"Tarantallegra!" shouted Ron, puffing his chest and making sure his hair was properly windswept. Harry stepped to the side to allow the spell to hit him, and sighed as his legs began to dance frantically. Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Harry!" Ron muttered to him out of the corner of his mouth. "You need to make this look more realistic!"
"But nothing about this situation is realistic!" Harry protested, trying to stay on his feet.
"But--I--you--plan--Hermione--" Ron gave up on trying to make Harry see the logic behind his marvellous plan and, taking advantage of Harry's current state, said, "Petrificus totalus!"
Harry was too quick for him. He reflected the spell and Ron fell to the floor, stiff and unmoving.
"Sorry," Harry whispered not too apologetically. Ron's eyes glared at him, but that was all he could do.
Ron watched from his position on the floor. He had just remembered a new spell he had read in 101 Useful Curses. As soon as he had unfrozen he shouted, "Knickerollisis!"