Erebus spent a Herbology lesson squeezing bubotuber pus, something he had thought he had left behind in his third year of Hogwarts. He tried to stay awake in the Astronomy lecture on mystical significance of Iron on Mars. He was used to having to memorise star charts, but this class seemed to be more like astrology. In the hallway between class he spotted sight of close-knit pairs of students from other Divisions who paid him little mind. At lunch, he joined Ditte and Cassiopeia back in the common room, where bowls of salad and walnut soup appeared for them on the sideboard.

"Is Aladár good at duelling?" Erebus asked, before taking a tentative spoon of the grey soup.

Ditte frowned at her soup. "He isn't terrible."

"Oh but he is!" said Cassiopeia. "He's such a fraud. He wears that ridiculous beard to make himself seem like the next Merlin, but he's never got beyond Tin."

"I just wouldn't underestimate him," said Ditte.

"I know the Disarming Charm. Everyone at Hogwarts has to learn that one," said Erebus. "Surely I just have to be quicker than him at casting."

"He'll shield against it," said Cassiopeia. "He may be a terrible wizard, but he's not that terrible."

"Then I don't know what I'll do," said Erebus, despondent.

"Perhaps you'll learn something this afternoon that will help," said Ditte.

A large part of the afternoon was dedicated to the Duelling class. Everyone in Tin (except for Himmel Drom of course) stood alongside one wall of the Uncallow Hall. It was a long chamber with rough stone walls pit-marked with burns and craters from countless duels. A fresh layer of sand and straw coated the floor. Whether to soak up blood or provide a softer landing, Erebus couldn't be sure. In the centre of the room was a huge heap covered wholly in thick velvet cloth.

A thick mist spilled out through the cracks of the heavy oak door at the far end of the chamber. The mist spread in front of the assembled students and slowly coalesced into the form of a hunched old woman with a face thick with warts.

"Welcome delicious children to another lesson where I will help you make yourself more difficult to defeat," the old woman croaked.

"Everyone says Professor Kjerring is really a hag, but I don't believe it," Ditte whispered.

"Today you will be practising the Tongue-Tying Curse. Useful if you want to leave your victim alive but incapable of casting a verbal spell or crying out! I've assembled some erklings to help us."

Professor Kjerring waved her wand and the velvet cloth slipped down, revealing a pile of cages in the middle of the room. Inside each was a three foot high, sharp-nosed, bitter little beings that Erebus immediately recognised as the wilder relatives of the house-elf. They started crying out in a cacophony of voices, clamouring for release.

Kjerring waved her wand and one of the cages lifted into the air. Then she croaked "Mimblewimble!"and inside the erkling went silent as its tongue curled up in its mouth.

"Now, you will try!"

Each of the students took a cage. Some carried theirs off of the pile, others levitated one like the teacher had. Erebus was last and picked up one of the cages. It had thin metal bars and was much heavier than it looked. Inside was a blotchy purple erkling. She was wearing a ragged dress and she looked out of the cage with big brown eyes.

"Let me out!" the erkling snapped.

"Why don't you just apparate," Erebus asked. "Can't all you elves do that?"

As if to reply, the erkling shook the bars of her little cell.

"You don't smell like the others," she said wrinkling her little nose. "I know what you are wizard. Let me out or I'll tell them all!"

"You don't have to do that!"

"AHEM!" the erkling shouted. "THIS WIZARD IS A—"

"MIMBLEWIMBLE!" Erebus cried out, his wand outstretched. Cold air bursted forth and the erkling's tongue swelled, elongated and tied itself in a knot.

"—mphh!"

"I'm so sorry," said Erebus. He looked around to see if anyone had seen. He could see Aladár trying to pull his beard back out of the cage where it was being pulled by a particularly irate erkling. Cassiopeia was expanding on how she couldn't wait to try the spell on her own house-elf. Ditte was already trying out the counter-curse on her erkling. Erebus sighed in relief.

Zornitsa appeared at Erebus's side. "What was that erkling saying about you?" she asked.

"I, uh, I mean..." Erebus started.

"What's wrong? Did your tongue-tying backfire?"

Erebus was saved by Professor Kjerring calling the class to attention.

"Ahh, the sound of muffled tongues!" the teacher croaked. "Of course, any witch worth tussling with will be able to cast silently. But this is always useful against children and muggles... Now you've all had a little practise, it's time to spar! I want you all to try adding Tongue-Tying to your repertoire."

The whole division began to split themselves off into pairs. Erebus was looking around in confusion when Aladár approached.

"Time to see what you're made of!" he said.

"Are you sure…?" Erebus asked. "Won't you find out in about ten hours time?"

"Form up! It is time to duel!" Aladár cried, his robes billowing of their own accord. He held his wand high and stepped back across the hall. Already around them, stray spells were scattering from the others who had begun. Aladár shouted out, "Mimblewimble!"

Erebus dove to the ground. His whole side was bruised but his tongue still felt normal. He shot back the tongue-tying curse from where he lay. Aladár moved to cast a shield-charm but he was too late. He shook his head, his long beard curling unnaturally. From his mouth there was only a half-choked guttural sound. Erebus picked himself off the floor and started dusting the straw and sand off of his robes.

The next thing he knew, his wand had flown out of his hand to scatter half-way across the room. Aladár was staring intently at him, wand pointed straight. He had cast the Disarming Charm silently! Erebus began to run towards his wand, but it was already floating towards Aladár's hand.

"Hey give that back!" Erebus demanded. He ran up to to Aladár who had slipped the stick of pine into his inside-robe pocket.

"Mhmmph," said Aladár, shaking his head.

"You dirty cheat. Professor! Professor!" He called out to Kjerring who wandered over.

"What is it, child?"

"Aladár's taken my wand!"

"Then I suggest you get it back," she said.

He tried reasoning with the boy. "I've got to share a dorm with you. You don't want to make an enemy of me."

"Mhpph!" Aladár replied, showing no indication of any desire to return the wand.

By this time a small crowd had gathered as the others began finishing their sparring.

"What about our duel later?" Erebus asked.

"You'll forfeit if you don't have a wand in the first minute of it," Ditte told him.

In desperation Erebus grabbed Aladár by his lapel and tried to take back his wand by force. No sooner had he touched the robe when it a wave of invisible force burst from Aladár. It knocked Erebus clear off his feet and half-way across the room. The air was knocked from his lungs and everything ached.

Ditte gave him a hand up. By which time, Aladár had evidently made his exit.

"And here I thought nobody would want to steal a troll-wand," Ditte said with smile. Erebus was in no mood to joke.

"I can't believe him! How dare he!"

"You should be glad it wasn't the formal duel," said Ditte.

"And I can't believe he can cast silently!" Erebus continued, starting to pace. "They don't start teaching us that until 6th year at Hogwarts."

"Never mind that," said Ditte. "You did well until you let down your guard. You just need another wand for the duel, and then you can get your own one back off of him."

"Perhaps I could borrow one?"

"Out of the question. But perhaps, now just perhaps, you could make one..."