Professor Lupin was sitting on a comfortable but beat-up couch, reading a
book. Next to him was Snape piled into
a mountain of what looked like pop-quizzes.
"He's not half as bad as that wretched Potter".
Said Snape holding up a paper that had little red X's all over it.
"Come
now Severus, Harry is a good student. You're not being fair." Lupin said
not looking up from his book. Snape scoffed while Professor McGonagall sat down
in an armchair.
"I
bet you, even Longbottom, can beat him in a duel." Snape sneered.
"Care
to put your money where your mouth is?" McGonagall said.
"Are
we aloud to bet on students?" Lupin asked looking from Snape to
Mcgonagall's determined faces.
They
both ignored Lupin and shook on it.
"I
don't think-" Lupin started.
"Remus,
you can hold the money." McGonagall said shutting him up.
"Ok."
Lupin agreed while Snape and Mcgonagall's money was poured in his hands.
"Now,
how am I- er- we going to get Potter and Longbottom to duel?" Snape
murmured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Harry,
please see me after class." McGonagall said sternly.
Harry
tried to remember if he'd done anything wrong, but nothing came to mind. At the
end of class he walked up to Mcgonagall's desk, Hermione and Ron giving him
curious looks.
"Harry".
McGonagall said when they were alone. " There is something I want you to
do for me. You of course know Neville Longbottom?"
Harry
nodded.
"Yes,
of course you do. Will you please challenge him to a duel?"
Of
all the things Harry expected her to say it wasn't that.
"Uh,
I guess-"
"In
front of me and Professor Snape of course." McGonagall added hastily.
"Its very important that you win…so important that if you loose…you might
not pass Transfigurations…"
Harry
was shocked. He wondered just what was going on here.
"Why?"
He asked.
"Never
mind why, just do it. You may leave for your next class…I do believe it's
Potions?"
Harry
left and saw that Hermione and Ron were waiting for him.
"What
was that about?" Ron asked while walking to the dungeons.
"Professor
McGonagall said if I don't beat Neville at a duel, I'll fail
Transfigurations!" Harry responded.
"Why
would Professor McGonagall ask you to do that?" Hermione said while
walking in the classroom.
"10
points from Gryffindor!" Snape snapped as they walked in. "That's for
being late!"
Harry
knew better than to argue.
"Oh
and Potter…see me after class…" said Snape lazily.
At
the end of class, Snape dragged Harry into his office.
"Potter,
I want you to challenge Neville Longbottom to a duel. As soon as you do so I
want you to drop to the floor like a stone." Snape said giving him a look
of loathing.
"Professor
McGonagall said the same thing…but she wanted me to win."
"She
did, did she? Ha! Trying to
cheat!" Snape said angrily, seeming to forget his own tactics. "Two
can play at that game. Potter! If you win, you fail Potions, is that
clear?"
"But-"
Harry protested.
"Now
get out of my office. Remember, like a rock Potter." Snape called after
him as Harry ran to the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So
if I win, I fail Potions, but if I loose, I fail Transfiguration." Harry
complained at the Gryffindor table.
"That's
horrible Harry. What are you going to do?" Hermione asked while passing
the pumpkin juice to Ron.
"I
dunno." Harry admitted. "I guess I'll fail potions. I don't like the
class anyway. And maybe Dumbledore will pass me. After all, he knows Snape
hates me."
Just
then Hedwig swooped down towards Harry and a letter flopped on his plate.
Staffroom 5:00 tonight
"Guess I better go if I don't want to be late."
Harry said raising from the table.
"We'll go with you." Ron and Hermione said in
unison.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah, Harry, Hermione and Ron, please do come
in." Lupin greeted them into the Staffroom. Harry realized he wasn't
alone.
Snape seemed to be scaring Neville by giving him tips on
how to knock Harry out, while McGonagall was saying, "Rubbish, absolute
rubbish." Confusing poor Neville more than ever.
"Harry you're here! I was beginning to get
worried." McGonagall said guiding Harry to the other end of the staff
room. A giggle on his right distracted him. Lupin was whispering something to
Hermione and she was nodding her head.
"Ready Severus?" McGonagall asked while Snape
was in the middle of explaining a complicated charm.
"Ok." Lupin said when Harry and Neville were
facing eachother. Harry caught Snape's eye and swallowed nervously.
"Go!"
It all happened at once. Harry and Neville raised their
wands and a green light to the side of them knocked them both down.
"Oh dear!" Lupin said as Snape and McGonagall
were staring at Harry and Neville lifeless bodies.
A smile plastered across Lupin's face, trying not to look
so guilty.
"Looks like they both dropped at the same time."
Ron said.
Snape and McGonagall were silent for a while.
"Potter dropped first! I saw it!" Snape shouted.
"Yeah right, Severus! You're just a sore loser!
Neville probably fainted!" McGonagall argued.
"Me a sore loser!?"
"Yeah!"
And Snape and McGonagall left the Staffroom fuming all the
way.
"Oh gee, it's a good thing they both dropped at the
same time. Or I would have to explain where I got my new wand." Lupin said
winking at Ron as he put two and two together. "Pretty good shot, don't
you think?"
The End
Authors Note: Well? Did you like it? Review.
