Written for the September Event: (plot) Duelling with someone at Hogwarts and also for Muggle Studies assignment 7.

Also, written for the Hard-core Marauder Fan Competition: James and Severus hash it out over who Lily prefers. You can be the judge of who wins.

Words: 753


Wizarding Duel

Severus PoV

"Snape!"

I halted and looked around to see from where the hated voice was coming from.

There he stood on my right, James Potter, as cocky as ever. I was about to go on towards the forest, ignoring him when he said something that stopped me again.

"Let's hash it out, shall we?"

"About what?"

"Lily, of course. If I win, you leave her alone and if you win, I will leave her alone."

"I set the rules. Wizarding duel. No fists. First one to lose the wand, loses."

"Done."

I was confident I would win. Potter was alone this time, and I could easily surpass him in a one-on-one duel. I had no chance when the Marauders ganged up on me, but here we'd be on even grounds.

And walking ahead, we shook hands. Without turning back, I went back three paces, like he did and immediately went on the offensive.

"Stupefy!"

He immediately countered it, producing a shield and I immediately fired off another, "Petrificus Totalus!"

This time he managed to sneak in an Expelliarmus. I put up a shield charm, just in the nick of time.

He followed by a stinging hex, which made contact with my nose.

Ignoring the sudden burn in my eyes, I shouted, "Densaugeo!"

I immediately continued with a tickling hex and the dancing feet spell.

He was forced on the defensive, blocking the first, avoiding the second by throwing his body outside and then taken by the third.

He cried the spell for the Bat-Bogey hex and went to put his dancing feet to rest.

His hex caught me by surprise as I thought he'd miss his aim.

And the duel went on like this for about an hour. In between, one or the other was caught, when spells were fired in quick succession. I relied on fast thinking whereas he did on his quick reflexes, more or less making us even, like I'd thought initially.

I sported a beard, and long toenails, my nose still stinging occasionally from the pain. I had given as good as I got. Potter was tied under langlock hex, forced to use non-verbal magic, which we had only just started learning, limiting his repertoire of spells. His hair was singed and he was dusty from ducking to ground and moving out of the way, which also contributed to his breathlessness.

I knew it was now time to end it.

I shouted, "Impedimenta" which he blocked successfully.

Just as I shouted an Expelliarmus, he fired off a back firing jinx,. We both had said the spells at the same time and I watched in disbelief, as slowly my wand rose out of my hand and flew into his outstretched left hand.

We came forward and he gave me my wand back, handle first, going with the standard duelling protocols and shaking hands with each other, and the hexes from the duel came undone, fixing us, except from those which had physically hurt like stinging hex and the fatigue which Potter was showing heavily now.

"You win, Potter," I said, meeting his eyes.

"You stay away from her." He nodded towards me.

With a stiff nod, I went off to what I was doing, without a second glance, going towards the edge of the forest for the potions ingredients Professor Slughorn wanted. I'll fix myself there, outside the scrutiny.

I was still surprised that he had won. I had thought I would win. Maybe it was time to take Malfoy up on his offer for teaching me new hexes.

I followed the old customs as all Slytherins did and knew I had to stay away from Lily now though it wouldn't be such a big problem now, I thought to myself bitterly.

Lily was still not speaking with me for calling her a Mudblood. It had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself, too angry and humiliated after Potter's stupid prank and her coming to my help. Maybe it would be for the best. She wouldn't be in my company and the other Slytherins would stop picking on her for being friends with me.

I knew she'd be angry if she ever came to know about the duel Potter and I just had. I think it was a silent agreement between Potter and I, not to breath of this to anyone else, so unless someone saw us it wouldn't pose a problem.


Almost halfway done!