Lucy Weasley was highly regarded by Professor Flitwick as quite the charmswoman and she certainly proved herself just that in her duel with Sally MacDougal.
The girls began by holding their wands up in front of their faces before bowing to each other. They then turned so that their backs were facing one other and strode five paces forward before Professor Raleigh counted down from three and they spun around to face each other.
Lucy was faster and managed to send an immobulus charm flying straight towards Sally's chest. Just in the nick of time Sally was able to cast it off with a shield charm, but she stumbled backwards in her haste and lost her footing in the process.
Lucy closed in on her, raised her wand and exclaimed 'Expelliarmus!', just as Sally thrust her wand forward from her position on the ground and yelled 'Confundo!'.
The girls' spells hit each other in unison. Sally's wand flew out from her hand towards Lucy but Lucy, who was left stumbling around blinking in bewilderment from Sally's confundus charm, was unable to catch it and it fell to the floor. Sally lunged forward to grab it. She shot another confundus charm at Lucy and then another and another until Lucy's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost her grip on her wand along with her grip on reality.
She stumbled off the stage in a daze and Madam Pomfrey hurried forward to check up on her.
'Miss MacDougall is the winner!' Professor Raleigh exclaimed from his seat high above them.
Sally wiped the sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her robes and smiled. But she didn't have much time to rest.
'Choose your opponent Miss MacDougall' Raleigh barked.
'Voisin Duff!' Sally yelled immediately. It seemed that the Slytherins had also made a pact to challenge each other as well.
The Slytherin chaser climbed onto the stage as cheers erupted from Slytherin. But he wasn't there for long. It took Sally less than a few seconds into the bout to blast him backwards and send his wand flying into the crowd.
Voisin rolled off the stage with an vexed look on his face.
Sally's next opponent was Horon Carrow's cousin from fourth year, Beth Carrow. She was a formidable looking girl with a face like a bulldog and a nasty glint in her eye. It was Slytherin against Slytherin once again and Lily could see that James was shifting from one foot to the other impatiently, as he began to worry that he wouldn't get the chance to compete at all.
Sally got one good hex in before Beth shot a jet of green light at her and she turned a pale shade of green, dropped her wand and doubled over. The students on the stands all stood up to get a better look at what was happening.
Sally retched before letting out an almighty belch. To the horror of all who were watching, a large slug burst out of her mouth and onto the stage. Sally let out a wail and quickly shuffled off the stage in embarrassment. The sea of students parted in order to avoid the stream of slug slime that came pouring out of Sally's mouth as she ran off in the direction of the hospital wing.
Beth Carrow looked delighted. Lily caught Lysander's eye and whispered;
'She's as bad as her cousin that one'
'I hear he grew up with her- that they've been living together since they were kids, what with his mother being in Azkaban and all'
'So maybe that's where he gets it from' Lily said in horrified disgust.
Beth was scanning the hall with squinted eyes, trying to decide on her next prey. She stopped staring at the Hufflepuff stands. Lily could see Scorpius sitting at the back of the stands and hoped that Beth wasn't as intent on revenge against the Malfoy family as her cousin was.
'Simon Cole!' Beth bellowed.
A small wispy-haired, rosy-cheeked Hufflepuff boy from Lily's year made a terrified squeaking sound.
'Oh dear- why did poor little Cole go and enter?' Lily could hear Hazel gasp from a few stands in front of her.
Simon stood up and made his way down the stands to the stage. He was visibly shaking, but this just seemed to make Beth's smirk grow wider.
'A second year against a fourth year hardly seems fair' Lily muttered with concern.
But Simon bravely took out his wand and stood before Beth even whilst twitching with fear. As soon as Raleigh had counted down from three and the bout had begun however he threw himself down on the ground in order to dodge Beth's violent blasting hex.
The one advantage Simon seemed to have was that he was rather small and agile, whereas Beth was large and slow. He sprinted around the stage for a while narrowly missing being hit by Beth's ever more destructive spells as the Slytherin crowd laughed.
Finally Simon managed to keep himself and his wand steady for long enough to shout out 'Aqua Eructo!'.
A great fountain of water burst out from Simon's wand showering Beth. This made the Slytherin crowd laugh even louder as Beth stood there with a terrifying grin on her face, letting the water wash over her.
'What are you trying to do you little twat?' She bellowed with laugher 'give me a bath?'
The steam of water slowly became smaller and smaller until only a trickle fell to the ground from Simon's wand. Lily could see that some of the Slytherins were now laughing so hard that they had fallen off their seats on the stands.
Beth grinned menacingly at the small boy and slowly raised her wand. She didn't seem to be the least bit worried about prohibiting Simon from sending any more spells her way. Perhaps she thought he didn't know any more.
But little Simon, with a pale face and wide eyes quickly raised his wand again and screamed 'Glacio!'.
The soaking wet Beth was frozen within seconds. Her wand arm remained stuck up in the air, a shocked look frozen onto her features.
'Mr Cole is the winner!' Raleigh declared as Madam Pomfrey once again hurried forward and onto the stage to retrieve the ice-figure that Beth Carrow had become. The Hufflepuff stands erupted into applause for Simon who looked stunned at his own victory.
'Choose an opponent Mr Cole' Raleigh instructed after a few moments in which Simon stood looking almost as frozen as Beth had.
Simon's eyes filled with fear once more at the realization he'd have to duel again. He spun looking around the room for a friendly face.
'Mr Adderly please Sir' Simon said quietly.
Lily could see James thrust a fist into the air in triumph. Now that Johnathan was in the competition he seemed confident that his best friend would make good on his word and choose James in the next bout.
The Hufflepuff crowd looked rather disappointed at Simon's choice of a Gryffindor. But Lily knew why he had done it. Johnathan was known for being incredibly kind to the younger students, helping them find their classes and teaching them helpful spells regardless of their house. Everyone knew he would be a shoe-in for Prefect once he reached fifth year.
Johnathan took out his wand and climbed onto the stage, giving Simon a reassuring smile and nod. For the first time since he'd taken to the stage, Simon looked relieved.
Johnathan let Simon get in a few good hexes which he easily deflected before disarming him with expelliarmus and being declared winner as everyone knew he would be. Simon didn't seem to be upset at his loss but rather looked both relieved that it was over and happy that he'd enabled the brotherly senior student to get into the competition.
Johnathan turned to look into the crowd and locked eyes with James.
'James Potter' he said with a grin.
James returned his grin and climbed eagerly onto the stage.
'I won't go easy on you' Johnathan warned with a smirk.
'I wouldn't expect anything less' James shot back cheerfully and the two boys held their wands up in front of their faces and bowed signaling a start to the duel.
Lily watched on apprehensively. A small part of her hoped that Johnathan might win but she wasn't sure why. Maybe it had something to do with James' conceited attitude over the past week.
But though the boys fight was by far the longest and closest, it ended with a well-placed disarming charm from James and the two boys congenially embraced before Johnathan stepped down off the stage conceding defeat.
James then looked around at the crowd with an expression of determination.
'James!'
Lily could hear the sound of Albus calling to him. She spotted him down by the edge of the stage, trying to get his attention.
'James- I'm here! Pick me!' he yelled, waiving his hand.
But whether James had not heard him or not it was hard to say.
'Mr Horon Carrow' James said grinning.
Lily's heart stopped. She saw a flash of anger pass over Albus's face.
'You promised!' He hissed.
'I'll get to you brother' James said dismissively with a quick glance at Albus. So he had known he was there, Lily thought ruefully.
Horon Carrow took to the stage to the sound of half-hearted cheers from the Slytherins. He didn't look particularly happy about having been chosen.
James sent Carrow flying into the air by one leg within seconds of the bout beginning, his wand falling hopelessly to the floor. A few giggles could be heard here and there but Carrow's deadly glare soon quietened them.
'Put me down Potter!' He spat.
'With pleasure' James said smiling setting him back down with care. Once he reached the ground Carrow scrambled off the stage but the loathsome look in his eye prevented anyone from cheering for James' victory.
Next, James chose Brice Scabier as Albus looked on in disbelief. Lily realized with a bolt of dread that it seemed like James was making his way through the Slytherin Quidditch team in a bid to rile them up before next week's match.
Sure enough, once he had beaten Scabier in a bout just as swift and one-sided as the last, James called on Cruin Yaxley to be his next opponent. Albus slammed a palm against the stage in frustration.
'You promised me James! You promised-' he yelled up at him angrily.
'And I'll get to you, don't you worry' James chuckled back unfazed.
Yaxley faired somewhat better than his team mates had even managing to hit James in the arm with a nasty stinging hex. But there was no stopping the over-confident eldest Potter and he swiftly ended the bout by bounding Yaxley with a flick of his wand and a 'Petrificus Totalus!'.
Raleigh announced James the winner yet again before declaring that the next bout would be the final one for the day. Nine bouts had been fought, four of which had been won by the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.
Albus was more agitated than ever as James looked around the room again considering his next choice.
'Come on James. Please. You have to keep your word-' he plead with him now.
The only two players left who hadn't fought from the Slytherin team were Relder Aethelwulf and the youngest, Raul Pucey. Lily doubted that James, even in his current ambitious state, would stoop so low as to choose a second year as his dueling opponent, which left the fourth year Seeker Aethelwulf his likely choice.
'James! Please!' Albus yelled again over the excited whispers of the crowd.
To Lily's relief James turned to look at him this time and with a small laugh said;
'Alright then. If you really want to go next- Albus Potter!'
The crowd broke out into a frenzied chatter. James Potter versus Albus Potter? Harry Potter's two boys against each other? This would be a bout to be remembered.
Lily sighed in relief. At least it seemed as though a verbal fight between her two brothers over a broken promise had been avoided. Albus would get his chance to compete and James could take down Aethelwulf in tomorrow's round. Or so she thought.
Albus climbed onto the stage with an unfamiliar hungry look in his eyes. James on the other hand was all smiles.
'Better give them a good show eh?' He said with a flick of his head towards the crowd of students.
'I guess we'd better' Albus replied in a low voice, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on James.
'Would you look at that Lily! Both your brothers against each other! How thrilling!' Hazel exclaimed. She had turned in her seat and was looking over at Lily with glee as though they were in for a treat. Lily's expression could not have been more different from Hazel's. She just frowned back at the girl, dread knotting up her stomach.
James' blue eyes looked into Albus's emerald ones as they lifted their wands to their faces and bowed. Lily watched the familiar brown haired head of James and the black messy one of Albus move further apart as they strode the required five steps each.
To Lily, Professor Raleigh's countdown seemed like it was in slow motion as her entire body tensed with nervousness. The hall had gone completely silent in anticipation for the battle between the two brothers.
'Three'
Lily saw Albus's wand hand twitch in excitement.
'Two'
James let out another chuckle.
'One'
Albus spun around faster than James and shot a stream of white sparks towards him. It was the same charm that Lily had used on that fateful day by the lake against Carrow. She never would have thought she'd see it being used in a fight between her brothers.
James was able to deflect it just in time with a quick flick of his wrist and the incantation 'Protego!'. He immediately shot off several immobilizing charms in rapid fire procession at Albus but each of them was deflected one by one.
James grinned at Albus's impressive reflexes. But not for long enough to let him get another shot in.
The duel continued on with James moving steadily closer towards Albus, yelling incantation after incarnation. But nothing was fast enough to get past the nimble seeker.
Everyone in the hall was holding their breath, waiting for the shot that would get through Albus's defenses and end the fight. But no matter what angle James tried or what spell he used, Albus was waiting with something to block it.
James grit his teeth and increased his speed. The smile had gone from his face as he concentrated on getting out all the spells he had practiced with Johnathan as fast as he could.
When nothing worked, he yelled out in a voice tainted with frustration 'Defodio!'
But the spell wasn't aimed at Albus. It flew over his shoulder and hit the stone wall behind him, gouging out a hole and sending stoney debris flying. The students nearest to the wall shrieked in surprise and rushed to get out of the way of the falling rocks.
A few of the larger ones flew forward and hit Albus in the back. Albus dropped and rolled forward with a yelp of pain.
James lowered his wand and stepped forward with concern.
'Albus, I'm sorry! Are you-?'
But before he could finish Albus had raised his head and screamed out 'Incarcerous!'
Thick ropes burst out from the end of his wand and wound themselves around James who lost balance and fell to the floor.
Without waiting a beat, Albus got up and closed in on James.
'You've lost' he growled at him.
'No!'
James was wriggling about trying to loosen the ropes in vain. The hand that still clutched onto Harry's wand stuck out and he tried to maneuver himself around so that he could point the wand at Albus.
'Yes' Albus hissed. He lunged forward and pried the wand from James' hand.
James' eyes widened in shock and anger as Albus held the stolen wand up high for all to see.
'Mr Albus Potter is the winner!' declared Raleigh and the hall broke out into scandalized whispers.
'No!' James yelled in disbelief, still thrashing about on the stage.
Lily stood up off her seat. She couldn't believe it either.
But more than anything else, she couldn't believe the look of contempt that she saw in Albus's eyes as he looked down at the bound up James, their father's Phoenix feather core wand firmly in his clasp.
A/N: Hello! Thanks again for reading and please do take a moment to leave a review :) I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter and it gives me so much motivation to write more.