A/N: This is my first story in a very long time, and I have to say that the writing style of this one disappoints me. Nonetheless, I hope the gist of the story comes through, because that's what I want! Enjoy!

Champion

"As the winner of the wizards' duel, you, Alexandra Margarita Russo, get to keep your powers. As for you, Justin Russo, and you, Max Russo, I am afraid –"

"Yeah, yeah, we know. We lose our powers," Justin Russo interrupted the Grand Wizard. He shot daggers at Alex, arms folded across his chest. "Just send us back home already."

The Grand Wizard turned to Alex. "Would you like to do the honours, Miss Russo?"

A self-satisfied smile played on Alex's lips. She glanced at the Grand Wizard, turning to Justin and Max. "I would love to," she replied, twirling her wand. "The wizards' duel is over and through, take us now back home, please, do."

The three of them were enveloped in a whirl of wind and blue smoke, and they left the astral plane and found themselves back home.

"Well, I hope you're happy now, Alex," Justin said, "since you have all the power now." He started down the stairs, heading for the Waverly Sub Station.

"I don't see the big deal about it," Max commented, taking a Pop-Tart out of the box and attempting to shove the whole thing into his mouth.

Alex sighed. She had a feeling this was going to happen. She ran after Justin, walking behind him. "Look, Justin, what do you want me to say? That I'm sorry I won the contest and I got to keep my powers? That I'm sorry you got so nervous that you messed up? That you –"

Justin whirled around to face his younger sister, stopping just inside the Sub Station. "That's enough, Alex. I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?" He continued on into the kitchen, grabbing an apron from under the counter and putting it on.

Theresa Russo looked up from slicing the bread and smiled at Justin. "Hi, honey, how was the contest?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He headed for the sink, washing his hands.

Alex followed him into the kitchen. "I won the contest and Justin's being a sore loser."

Justin bit his tongue, struggling to keep in his anger.

"Oh, Justin, baby," Theresa cooed, looking over at Justin. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, don't be, Mom. It was Justin's own fault that he turned the Grand Wizard into a guinea pig instead of turning a guinea pig into a matchbox," Alex said, hand on her hip as she waited for Justin to say something in his defence.

He didn't.

Instead, he grabbed a Teriyaki Turkey Sub and pushed through the kitchen door, delivering the sandwich to Table 7.

Alex rolled her eyes, sighing again, in frustration this time, and followed him out. "Justin, we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Alex. You won and I didn't. That's all there is to it."

Alex grabbed Justin's arm and pulled him back into the kitchen, which wasn't too hard, because Justin secretly ached to talk to her.

The two of them headed into the freezer, and Alex closed the door behind them as they entered the lair.

"Alright, Justin, what's going on?" Alex demanded, folding her arms.

Justin paced around a little, biting his fingernail. "Alex, how could you have won the contest? It's not fair that you should get to keep your powers. You don't understand magic, you don't appreciate it, you don't even respect it! Why should you get to keep your powers when I'm the one who respects it?"

"Justin, I said I was sorry. I know, I don't fully understand and appreciate and respect magic the way you do, but you don't use magic the way I do. Magic makes things easier for us, but you use magic to read in the night, to fix the plumbing, to make sandwiches. I use magic a lot more than you do –"

"Darn right you do," Justin interrupted.

"Shut up, I'm not done yet. I use magic so much more than you do, I have more practice."

"Practice? You call fixing a bad hair day practice? You call making clothes appear by magic, practice? Alex, you disrespect magic so much…I can't even say it."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do, Justin?"

Justin's eyes were filled with tears, and he turned away from Alex, rubbing them away. "Nothing, Alex, I don't want you to do anything. I just had to get all this off my chest," he said, his voice calmer now, but still broken.

A tear fell from Alex's brown eyes, a black mascara streak on her cheek. There was something she could do. And no matter how much it hurt, she knew she had to do it.

She strode over to Justin and grabbed his hand.

"What…?"

"Through the rain and through the blizzard, take us back to see the Grand Wizard," Alex chanted.

In a moment they were in the Grand Wizard's bathroom, wet and covered in snow. The Grand Wizard looked up from the bathtub, and grabbed the shower curtain, hiding himself behind it.

"What is the meaning of this, Miss Russo?" he demanded, embarrassed at being found in bath.

"Your Magicness, sir, I, um, I want to give my powers to Justin."

"Alex, what are you doing?" Justin asked, squeezing her hand to try and stop her.

Alex turned to Justin. "You stuck up from me when the headmaster took away my powers. You're right. I don't respect magic. I don't deserve it, Justin, you do."

"Alex, no," he started, but Alex turned back to the Grand Wizard.

"Do it, please."

"Are you sure?" the Grand Wizard asked. "Once done, this spell is irreversible. You will never get your powers back again."

Alex took a deep breath. "I'm sure."

"Well, then, in that case…This little witch has been good and bad, this little witch won the duel but is sad, this little witch is through with her power, give them now to her brother."

"That didn't even rhyme," Alex noted. The minute she had spoken, purple light flowed out from her, shaping itself into a ball. It hovered in the air for a moment, then shot into Justin, making him stumble backwards a few steps.

The Grand Wizard shrugged. "The rhymes are just for show. It's what you want the spell to do that really matters. Now get outta here."

Alex looked at Justin, smiling. "Take us out of here, Justin."

"We've had all our share of drama, take us now back home to Mama!"

A whirlwind later they were back in the lair. Justin hugged Alex. "Thanks, Alex. That must have been hard for you to do."

Alex's smile faltered, but she tried to keep it on. "Not really," she lied. "Although I am going to miss being able to fix bad hair days by magic." She pulled away, grinning at him. "And now I am late for a shopping spree with Harper. I'll see you later."

She turned and left the lair, bottom lip trembling as she held back her tears. It was hard, but it was worth it.

-end-