The Midday Duel
Letti had never really thought she could hate anyone, but the brutes in Gryffindor quickly proved her wrong. Thanks to mixed-House classes and her odd schedule, she had to deal with them for six of her seven classes.
Her first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Malfoy, was by far the best. Maybe it was because she was with the first-years who had not been corrupted by Mister Finnigan's influence, or perhaps it was because Professor Malfoy commanded an aura of mutual respect and attention, but that first hour was thoroughly enjoyable. She found herself sitting between Jesus Morales - the only other first-year Slytherin - and Lily Potter. Max Diggins was closeby, but even he seemed in awe of the Dark Arts Professor, sitting silently and absorbing every word.
In the next class, however, all hell broke loose.
Her second class of the day was Muggle History, a class which she had actually been looking forward to given that she had been learning that subject all her life up until now. Plus, it was one of the few classes she was taking as a proper second-year student, which meant that she was in a class with Lorcan, Lysander, and Cassie. Professor Washington, the teacher, had the name and appearance of a general, being a tall, stocky man with an intimidating face.
In reality, though, the Gryffindor students rolled over him.
Trey McCormack was the ring-leader - despite being a fifth-year student, he was still in the second-year Muggle History class. "Who needs to learn about Muggles?" he said proudly as he entered the classroom ten minutes late. Professor Washington didn't even address the interruption, continuing talking about his syllabus as if nothing had happened at all. McCormack took that as permission to be as obnoxious as humanly possible. His antics included throwing balls of paper at the back of classmates' heads, playing several inappropriate videos from his phone, and drumming his fingers along the table in what he probably thought was some sort of rhythm.
When one ball of paper whizzed past her ear, Cassie spun around and hissed at him. "Could you attempt to be less stupid for one day?"
The room went silent. Letti looked forward. Professor Washington had stopped talking for once, and was staring right at their table. "Miss Slink, that sort of behavior is just unacceptable."
Cassie's face contorted with anger. "But he's been rude all class!"
"Not another word, Miss Slink. I'll already be deducting ten points from Slytherin. Talk back to me again, and I'll make it another ten."
She huffed into the back of her seat, furious. Letti pat her comfortingly on the shoulder as Professor Washington droned on again about late assignments. She stole a glance back at McCormack, expecting him to be gloating; instead, he kept an angry stare directed at Cassie.
Later, as they walked towards Cassie's next class (Transfiguration), Letti asked, "Does McCormack hate you in particular for some reason? He seemed really angry back there."
"Oh. Maybe? I dunno, I jokingly told him last year that I had foreseen he would flunk out of Hogwarts and be an eternal loser, and I think he took that personally."
Letti's third class was Potions, and while Max Diggins seemed to have discovered some of his inner-Gryffindor jerkitude, Professor Mercury was quick to quash his less savory behaviors. Unfortunately, that didn't make Potions class any better - Letti quickly found that keeping track of all the different ingredients and steps was more difficult than she could have imagined.
"Oh no, you need a much finer powder," Professor Mercury commented as she walked past Letti's cauldron. "You can still see the snake fangs floating in the mixture. That won't cure boils so much as make them fester."
Letti looked around the room. Several students had done it correctly, as evidenced by a faint pink smoke rising from their cauldrons. She looked back at hers and frowned. Her smoke looked more...smoky.
After Potions came Charms, taught by a tiny old man named Flitwick. Eccentrically-dressed in bright purple robes, Letti immediately took to liking him. Max Diggins, on the other hand, was a problem.
After speaking to the students briefly about the importance of safety and the wonders of learning, Professor Flitwick, standing atop a precarious pile of books, had each of them step up one-by-one and produce sparks from their wands. "Just to see how much control and expertise you have," he explained. "Making sparks doesn't even require an incantation - just think about making them, and twirl your wand like so." He spun his wand in a slight circle. "Would anyone like to volunteer?"
A girl named Bailey Evans went first. She stood nervously in front of the class robes, lifted her wand high above her head, and closed her eyes. Blue sparks spat out of her wand, filling the room with bright light. "Wow," Letti said. Beside her, Lily Potter nodded in agreement.
"Very good, very good!" Professor Flitwick hopped excitedly, shifting some of the books beneath him. Letti was convinced he would fall and hurt himself.
Spurred on by Bailey's success, other students stepped forward to try. Zeena Jasim made a modest effort, Alexander Rodriguez-Lubo generated a shower of white sparks, but poor Jesus Morales could hardly produce more than a few sputtering embers.
Lily Potter stepped forward next, with Letti next in-line behind her. "Miss Potter, excellent!" Professor Flitwick said encouragingly. "Now, just lift your wand high…"
Like Jesus, all Lily could manage was a few small embers. "A fine red color, though," Professor Flitwick said. It was clear that he was disappointed. Lily shuffled away, her head down in shame.
Letti stepped forward nervously. She had never really practiced magic intentionally - thus far most of her spells had happened by pure accident. What if she embarrassed herself in front of everyone?
"Go on, Miss Lunetti, not to worry." Flitwick waved her on.
She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. She raised her wand and waved it in a small circle, eyes closed.
There was a burst of light. Letti opened her eyes and saw a shower of sparks, blue and red, bursting from her wand. The mark on her hand was glowing just as brightly.
"Oh, well done!" Professor Flitwick said, clapping his hands together. "Well done indeed!"
"I can do that." Max Diggins shoved his way up to Letti, looking livid. "Heck, I can do better." He grabbed Letti and pushed her back in with the rest of the crowd. Grinning confidently, he raised his wand in the air and twirled it. "Watch this."
There was a crackling noise, followed by a small explosion bursting from his wand. The blast barely even registered as a gust of wind to the onlooking students, but it was enough to send Max to the ground. Professor Flitwick brushed himself off - amazingly, while his pile of books had been rendered shorter, he had remained safely upright.
"Oh dear," the professor said. "Well, let this be a lesson: don't try to run before you can walk! That's how some of the worst accidents happen. Are you okay, my boy?"
Max stood up and brushed off his robes. His face was hot with embarrassment. Furiously, he stomped over to his wand, snatched it up, and went to the corner of the room to sulk. Letti chuckled at his downfall - normally she didn't like it when people embarrassed themselves, but this was a different situation entirely. She turned to Lily to revel in the joy with her.
Surprisingly, she found Lily walking over to Max, comforting him. She looked over at Letti and their eyes locked. Lily looked mad, but...who was she mad at? Her? She didn't force Max to make a fool of himself!
When everyone else had an opportunity to try and class ended, Letti rushed out to try and talk with Lily. She found her practically running down the hall, and had to race to catch up to her. "Hey, is everything okay?"
Lily glared at her with contempt. "You just don't get it, do you?"
"Get...what?"
Lily scoffed. "You seriously don't know?"
Max sidled up to her and pointed a finger in Letti's face. "Yeah, don't you know, freak?"
"Hey!"
The three of them turned. Cassie was standing not too far away, and she looked livid. "Don't you call my friend a freak, you little twerp!"
"Oh look, it's the other freak." Max didn't seem perturbed by her interruption. "Guess you two freak lovebirds stick together. Dumb Slytherins." A nearby classmate gave him a high-five.
"Wow, stereotypical much?" Cassie walked up in his face. "Dumb first-year Gryffindor thinks he's all that, is that it? Only been here a day and already letting morons like Potter and McCormack mess with your head?"
"What's going on here?" As if on cue, McCormack, Potter, and several other older Gryffindors walked up. McCormack looked down at Max. "These runts trying to mess with you, Big D?"
The little boy swelled with pride at the recognition of his nickname. "Yeah, they think they're better than Gryffindor."
McCormack cracked his knuckles. "Oh yeah? That true, Slink? You think you're better than us? Or, wait, let me guess: you've 'forseen' that you're better than us?" He put his hand against his forehead and buckled his knees, making a moaning sound.
"Step off, McCormack." Cassie had lost her momentum, and Letti didn't blame her. There were too many older Gryffindor boys now, and all of them seemed eager to hex her.
McCormack kept going, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her backwards. "Oh yeah, why don't you make me, you stupid Seer?"
"Don't touch her!" Before she even realized what she was doing, Letti found herself standing between the two of them, her wand drawn and in McCormack's face. The chuckling and jeering coming from the other Gryffindors suddenly stopped.
"O-hoh!" McCormack took a step back, his hands raised. "I'm so scared. The little first-year freak wants to throw down." He looked back at his buddies and grinned. "Maybe I show her how a real wizard does magic, eh?" He withdrew his wand and pointed it towards her.
"NO MAGIC BETWEEN CLASSES!" Professor Flitwick's tiny voice screeched down the halls. He began storming towards them. "Put those wands away!"
McCormack holstered his wand back in his robes and stole a glance back at a dumbfounded Letti. "You think you're so tough, huh?" he hissed, quietly enough so Flitwick wouldn't hear. "Why don't you prove it? Duel, today, right after lunch. Main courtyard. We'll see who's tough then."
"Fine," Letti said through gritted teeth. She put her wand away and quickly followed Cassie away from Flitwick and the Gryffindors.
"What was I thinking? A duel?" Letti was sitting in the Great Hall at lunch, hands over her head. "I can make sparks fly out of my wand and that's about it! Why would I think dueling McCormack was a good idea? I never try to pick fights with people! Am I insane!?"
"Whoa, slow down there, Lunetti." Cassie sat next to her, with Lorcan and Lysander sitting across from them. "It's completely understandable. McCormack gets under everyone's skin. It wouldn't be the first time someone's tried to duel him."
"What part about 'I can only make sparks' don't you get?" Letti was hysterical. "He's going to destroy me! Literally!"
"Can't that thing do something cool?" Lysander was pointing at the mark on her hand.
She shrugged. "I mean, I made a ball of light come out of it, but that's about it. That won't really help me in a duel."
Lysander looked bewildered. "Okay, putting aside the fact that that is the definition of 'something cool', are you sure you don't know any other spells?"
"I mean...okay, yes, but nothing actually useful for a duel!"
"Hey, but that's better than nothing, which is what you were trying to tell us earlier." Cassie put a comforting hand on her shoulders. "C'mon, tell us what you know."
Letti sighed. "Erm, okay. I mean, I taught myself how to open locks with magic, how to properly make a ball of light, and how to make weather jinxes go away." She paused. "I found out I was magic because a storm spawned above my head, and I didn't want it to happen again, okay?"
Lorcan had a hand over his face. "Well, that's it. You're doomed."
"Hey, she could blind him with the light spell!" Lysander was trying for the optimistic side of things. "Blind him and then, and then, and then punch him!" He sat back, proud of himself. "Yeah, that'll show him."
Cassie rolled her eyes. "Terrible idea aside, I don't see how this duel is going to go well for you."
"A duel?" Professor Malfoy strolled by, eyebrows raised. "Surely I'm not hearing a Slytherin student talking about participating in a duel, especially after I hear about an altercation outside of Professor Flitwick's class?"
"Er, of course not, Professor. We're just talking about duels...educationally." Cassie tried for an innocent grin.
It was not convincing. "Hmm, I expect better from my students," he intoned. Then, as if with a sigh, "If, perhaps, an inexperienced witch challenges someone of greater skill to a duel, the wise choice would be to concede before it gets started. Recognizing humility is never a sign of weakness." He began to stride away, then paused and turned his head slightly back at them. "If you're going to be chatting about conduct that is against the school rules, I would suggest perhaps not doing it in the Great Hall so loudly. Someone might think you're...up to something." He left them, taking his place beside Headmistress Patil at the teacher's table.
"That was...uncomfortable." Lorcan shivered. "I think I'm gonna go back to the Ravenclaw table."
"Yeah." Lysander nodded. "I, uh, should go check in on the first-year Hufflepuffs." Both twins stood up and left to their respective tables.
"What was that about?" Letti asked.
"Oh, they're still scared of Professor Malfoy," Cassie explained. "What did you think about his advice? You could just concede and not go through with it."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I mean, you'll definitely be hearing it from McCormack and his goons for awhile, but that's better than having to go to the hospital wing in pieces." Cassie shrugged. "I think conceding is the right thing to do."
Letti nodded regretfully. "Yeah, I guess. Okay."
Lunch passed quickly then, though Letti's nerves did not shrink away. If anything, she was more nervous now than before - sure, she was going to keep herself safe, but at what cost? Having Cassie, Lorcan, and Lysander by her side did make her feel better.
The Gryffindors were already at the courtyard when they got there. In fact, a considerable crowd was present, though many students were trying to play it off as if they just happened to be there, milling about aimlessly. Out of the corner of her eye, Letti noticed Professor Malfoy standing just outside the courtyard. No doubt he would try and intervene if things became nasty.
"So you showed up!" McCormack said scathingly. "I didn't think you would." He stepped away from his friends, taking his wand out of his robes. "You ready?"
Letti stepped forward, but she kept her wand in her pocket. "I don't want to fight you," she said. "Let's call this off before someone gets hurt."
She winced as she realized that was the wrong thing to say. "Is that a threat?" McCormack shouted. "O-ho, she thinks she's hot stuff, eh? You really think you can take me?" He turned back to his friends. "She thinks she's all that, but you know what I heard? I heard her parents abandoned her because she was so ugly!" His friends guffawed.
Letti snapped. "Fine!" She took her wand out and pointed it at him. "You wanna go, let's go!"
McCormack grinned cruelly. "That's more like it. Let's go!" He took a step back, then thrust his wand forward. "Stupefy!"
A bolt of red light snapped forward towards Letti. She shrieked, closed her eyes, and crossed her arms out in front of her, knowing that it would do her no good. What had she been thinking, getting into a duel?
She had expected the magic to hit her and do something. Instead, there was only some surprised murmuring from the crowd. She opened her eyes carefully.
A bubble of light surrounded her. Letti recognized it immediately: a Protection Charm, like the one Henrietta had used down in the depths of Gringotts. She looked over to where Professor Malfoy had been. His wand was out, but he seemed just as surprised about the shield as she was. She looked down at her right hand. Lo and behold, the mark on her hand was glowing fiercely. Realization dawned: she had generated the shield.
She looked up at McCormack as the Protection Charm faded. His face was a combination of shock, concern, and rage. He had not anticipated her being able to defend herself. He snapped his wand forward again. "Stupefy!"
She dove out of the way, not trusting the mark on her hand to summon another shield this time. There was some scattered laughter as she landed roughly in the dirt, her bushy hair falling in front of her face.
Without really thinking, Letti got to her feet and pointed her wand at McCormack. There was a sound like a gunshot, and a swirling gust of wind erupted from the tip of her wand. It grabbed McCormack and lifted him to the air, sending him flying backwards into his group of friends.
"All right, that's enough," she heard Professor Malfoy say. He was stepping into the courtyard, wand at his side, looking thoroughly displeased with the whole affair.
McCormack, red-faced and seething, stood up and pointed his wand at Letti. "Caninfernum!" he shouted.
A strange red rune appeared in midair a few feet from her. A dog-like creature bounded out of it, snarling. At a very basic level, the creature had the appearance of a large dalmatian, if said dalmatian was the color of obsidian, with spots the color and texture of lava scattered across its hide like patchwork. The tail was large and thick, with boney spurs bursting through skin along the spine. Four eyes glared out at her: two, regular sized, which appeared normal; two smaller eyes black as ink were set just above and behind them. Most terrifying was the pair of scythe-like limbs extending from the front shoulders, raised several feet above its head and curving downward in a spike-edged tip designed to skewer. It took one glance at Letti and howled, crouching in preparation for a bounding strike…
She heard someone shout something over the screaming of students, and a blast of energy struck the creature. Immediately, it vanished in a puff of ash, letting out one final sad howl as it went.
Mortified, she turned to see Professor Malfoy standing with his wand pointed towards where the creature had been. His face was livid. He pointed his wand at Letti and McCormack in succession. "This is over! Everyone move along to your classes!" he shouted. "I expected better from you," he said to Letti. Then, to McCormack, "You and I are going to have a nice long chat about where you learned that particular spell."
The rest of the afternoon, Letti's head hung low. She knew she had messed up - she had gotten into a fight. She never got into fights. What had come over her?
Everyone else, however, seemed to be hailing her as a hero. Throughout her remaining classes, fellow students insisted on sitting next to her, on congratulating her in the halls, on waving and greeting her in between classes. It was strange, this newfound popularity, and she wasn't sure she really liked it. In contrast, the Gryffindors' displeasure with her took to two methods: some students silently seethed at her, stealing angry glares or unhappy sneers; others chose to pretend that she didn't exist, knocking into her in the halls and refusing to even look at her during class.
The real consequences for the duel came towards the end of Transfiguration, the last class of her day. A small slip of paper, shaped like an owl, fluttered into the room and landed on her desk. For a moment Letti let herself be impressed by the wonder of this magic, but upon opening the note her joy crumpled.
"What's it say?" Cassie hissed, sitting behind her.
"I have to meet with Professor Malfoy after class," Letti whispered. A pit formed in her stomach. She knew she would be in trouble, but she was hoping it would be something simple, like taking points away from Slytherin.
Cassie walked with her down to the dungeons after class. "You know you don't have to come with me," Letti said. "You should be up getting dinner in the Great Hall right now, chatting it up with Albus."
"I'm here to support you," Cassie said. "I feel sorta responsible, since you were defending me and all. It was really brave. Stupid, but brave."
"You think so?" Letti blushed, again glad for the darkness of the dungeons.
"Yeah! Honestly, Albus is the only person I know of who's ever really tried to stand up to those jerks. Didn't you notice how people started treating you this afternoon?"
"Well, yeah, but I thought it was just because I got into a duel."
"Sure, that was part of it. But it was less about the duel itself, and more about who you were dueling. Plus, the fact that you made that shield spell was pretty badass."
Letti smiled. "Thanks. Well, I guess I'll see you." They had arrived at the steel door of Professor Malfoy's office.
"Good luck in there." Cassie put a reassuring hand on Letti's shoulder, and Letti felt a surge of butterflies swirl in her stomach. Her friend turned and began walking back down the hall.
Letti faced the door. The butterflies quickly vanished, replaced by an ominous pit. She knocked. "Come in!" came the professor's voice.
The pit in her stomach dropped deeper when she saw that Professor Malfoy wasn't alone: Headmistress Patil was also in the room, standing next to his desk. Both adults looked extremely cross. "Close the door, please," the headmistress said.
She did, then stood awkwardly at the door. "Please, sit down," Professor Malfoy said. "We're not going to bite you, I promise."
Letti sat awkwardly in one of the chairs. "You understand why you are here, yes?" Headmistress Patil asked. Her voice was soft, not angry like Letti thought it would be.
"Erm...yeah. I fought in a duel."
"That you did." The headmistress sighed deeply and walked behind the desk, brushing Professor Malfoy's shoulder with her hand. "Using magic between classes, especially against another student, is strictly forbidden."
"And to do this on the first day of classes, no less." Professor Malfoy sounded exasperated. "To say I am disappointed in you, Letti, would be an understatement."
Letti stared at her feet. Hearing him say that nearly brought tears to her eyes. She wondered if she was going to be expelled.
"However." Headmistress Patil stopped her pace on the opposite end of the desk where she had started. "There are extenuating circumstances."
Letti looked up. Was she not in trouble, after all?
"For starters, the boy you dueled with, McCormack, is a fifth-year student, and absolutely knows better than to pick fights. You, in contrast, are technically a first-year student despite your age, and are just now beginning to understand the ways of witches and wizards. It would be unfair to give you the same punishment as your classmate. You will not be expelled from Hogwarts."
Letti's spirits soared. She would get to stay!
"That is not to say you will not face any consequences," Professor Malfoy added, immediately quashing her joy. "For the next week, you will join me here for detention after dinner. I expect you to be prompt and to take this punishment without complaint."
"Yes, sir." That wasn't as bad as she had thought. Detention for a week? She had never had detention before, but she didn't think it could be too awful. "Can I go now?"
"Of course." Professor Malfoy waved her away. Letti got up from the chair and walked quickly to the door.
She was just beginning to open the steel door when the headmistress' voice called to her. "Wait."
Letti paused, letting out a sad sigh. Was she going to give her more punishment? She turned around and shut the door.
"There is something I wanted to ask you - you aren't in more trouble, if that is what you're worried about." The headmistress seemed almost...awkward. How was that possible? "Professor Malfoy mentioned to me that, during the duel, you produced a perfect Shield Charm. That is exceptionally advanced magic at your age, and in fact there are many fully-grown witches and wizards who are incapable of performing such a feat. If you don't mind my asking: how did you learn it?"
"I…" Letti didn't know exactly what to say. "I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident."
"You mean to say you've never learned it before? Nobody has taught you this spell?" Headmistress Patil was incredulous.
Letti shook her head.
Professor Malfoy gazed at her, curiosity alight in his eyes. "I think I might have a theory about this, Parvati. Has there ever been a time when you've seen someone else produce a Shield Charm? Did Miss Hazelwood ever need to perform that spell in front of you, perhaps?"
Letti thought about it. "Actually, yeah. When we opened my vault, this giant Fire Crab came out and attacked us. She made a shield to protect us."
"What about the Ventus Jinx you used against McCormack? Had you practiced that, or did someone use that in front of you?"
Realization began to dawn. "Albus was practicing it in the common room a few days ago."
The professor and the headmistress shared a glance. "I think I have an idea of what that mark of yours is capable of, Miss Lunetti," Professor Malfoy said.
Headmistress Patil stared at him. "You don't mean-?"
"I do." Now the professor looked almost grim.
"What?" Letti was getting concerned.
"That mark of yours seems to have a spell memory, of sorts," he explained. "If a spell is performed in front of you, it seems that the mark is able to replicate it flawlessly, even if you yourself are unaware of the incantation or how to perform it." He leaned back in his chair, his hands forming an arch. "This is both extremely impressive and extremely dangerous. Should you learn to control this ability, you could feasibly become the most powerful witch alive. But without control, and considering the spells performed in front of you…"
"What do you mean?" Letti said. "I could hurt someone?"
Professor Malfoy nodded. "Indeed you could. Especially if you were to replicate the spell that McCormack performed at the end."
Letti recalled the terrifying hound that appeared in the courtyard. "What was that thing?"
"A hellhound." Headmistress Patil's voice was quiet, barely audible at first. "A creature of the Calamity. Thousands of them caused innumerable damage. They are resistant to most forms of offensive magic, and many types of Muggle weaponry proved to be ineffective. Auror Potter was the first to discover a spell that could actually be used against them-"
"A spell which I perfected, I might add," Professor Malfoy said bitterly.
The headmistress rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, you did. The point is, hellhounds are incredibly dangerous creatures, and for one to be summoned on the grounds...I shudder at the thought. Even one could prove extremely damaging to Hogwarts."
"This is why I am concerned about that mark," Professor Malfoy said, addressing Letti directly. "If I am right, and it can perform any spell you've seen-"
"I could summon a hellhound by accident." Letti felt the pit in her stomach return. That creature had been terrifying.
Both adults nodded. "It is imperative that you learn to control this ability," Headmistress Patil urged. "Luckily, you will be in detention for the next week." She turned to Professor Malfoy. "That should be ample time to help her gain some measure of control, no?"
He looked unhappily at her. "I mean, I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I can study up on some relevant literature, if anything even e-"
"Perfect." Headmistress Patil clapped her hands together. "Letti, you will come to Professor Malfoy's office each day after dinner, and he will train you to control this mark of yours. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to go and communicate with some unhappy parents." She strode briskly past Letti and out the door, leaving the student and professor alone in the office.
"Professor?"
"Hmm?" He had already begun rifling through some books in the shelves behind his desk, apparently unaware that she was still there.
"Did McCormack get detention, too?"
He sat up, silent for a moment. Then, "No. He was expelled."
Letti's eyes grew wide. "Expelled?"
Professor Malfoy nodded. "Yes. He's had plenty of second chances over his time here at Hogwarts, but summoning a hellhound to attack you was the last straw. That level of disregard for another's life is not tolerated here." He looked her directly in the eyes. "Understand that you're on thin ice yourself, Miss Lunetti. We gave you the benefit of the doubt because you're brand new to Hogwars and the spell you used against him wasn't dangerous on its own, but make no mistake: I expect you to behave from now on. No more duels, no matter how much other students might frustrate you. Are we understood?"
She nodded glumly. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now go on. You ought to go get some dinner."
Letti left, thoroughly glad that that whole conversation was finally over.