25 December 1973
It was Dora's second Christmas in the new timeline. She was the only first year Hufflepuff to stay for the holidays. In fact, only a handful of fifth year and seventh year Hufflepuffs had stayed at the castle, allowing Dora more privacy than she'd ever had at school. Athena, her familiar, had enjoyed the privacy as well, having more room to stretch her furry legs. Dora shook her head as she looked at the half-kneazle snoozing lazily on her dormmate's bed; at least all her roommates cared for the cat, a fact that Athena simply adored.
Dora woke to a generous pile of gifts at the foot of her bed. She tore through the presents hastily: Black family heirloom jewelry from Walburga and Orion, new sets of robes from Al, an enchanted journal from Narcissa, a new volume on Defense Against the Dark Arts from Moody, a toilet seat from Kreacher (Sirius would be jealous), a set of new luxury quills from Regulus, several pounds more chocolate from her many Slytherin admirers (Remus would be pleased with her haul), and several new rolls of parchment, alongside several pots of ink, from the young Marauders.
Dora quickly disposed of the wrappings and shrunk the chocolates to fit into her pockets; she would share them with Remus and the other young Marauders later on. She glanced at Athena, who blinked lazily at her mistress.
"You are so lucky you're a cat, Athena," Dora told the half-kneazle. "Spoiled and carefree, just as you ought to be." She rubbed Athena's belly softly as the half-kneazle purred. "I'll bring you a little Christmas feast when I get back, okay?" Athena simply purred and blinked her eyes again. Oh, to be a cat…
Dora dressed in some of her new robes from Al and went up to the Great Hall for the Christmas feast. In her original timeline, she had never stayed at the castle for the holidays, even in her O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. years; being able to go home to her loving parents, she now realized, was a luxury she never appreciated. She would remind herself to be kinder to her parents if and when she returned to the 1990s.
Dora was pleasantly surprised to see the Great Hall decorated so spectacularly for the holiday. Just before Christmas, the castle always held more cheer, but Christmas morning saw the castle bedecked with gigantic, lit Christmas trees, enchanted snow falling from the ceiling, and dazzling, charmed snowflakes shining brilliantly against the walls. Rather than the four House tables, the Great Hall only held one single table. Evidently, with so few students staying behind in the castle, there was little need for House tables.
The table was nearly full by the time Dora approached it. Three of the four young Gryffindors were seated in the very middle of the table (Peter had gone home for the holidays), equidistant from the watchful eyes of both Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. Regulus and Severus were sitting side-by-side across from Professor Slughorn, who was clearly tipsy from several drinks. A gaggle of fifth and seventh year students sat quietly near an identically tipsy Hagrid, eyeing the gamekeeper nervously. Dumbledore was flanked by the other remaining professors, leaving Dora in the only available seat in between Remus and Severus.
"Ah, Miss Black!" Dumbledore greeted. "So good of you to join us!" Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared on the table before all those gathered. The Christmas spread was more extravagant than Dora had ever seen; all manners of meats, side dishes, desserts, and holiday drinks covered the table. Dora dug in happily, as conversation between the Gryffindors drifted towards her.
"Dora, what did Kreacher get you for Christmas?" Sirius asked, swallowing a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "He got me a half-used bar of soap!"
"Not as good as the chamber pot, then, eh?" Dora quipped, as the young Marauders and Regulus burst into laughter.
"I was hoping for a toilet seat," Sirius replied. "There's always next year," he lamented.
"Doubt it," Dora teased. "I got the toilet seat!"
"How come you got it?" Sirius demanded.
"I asked," Dora smiled coyly. "And ordered him not to send it to you." She grinned triumphantly as the boys laughed harder.
"Reg, what did Kreacher get you?" Dora asked, craning around Snape's curtain of black hair.
"A cake!" Regulus said. "I've never gotten anything so good from him!"
"You're welcome," Dora said. "I ordered it just for you."
The Gryffindor boys laughed all the harder at Dora's triumph for arranging the gifts for Regulus and Sirius.
"Don't worry, Sirius," Dora consoled. "I'll have a chance to make it up to you sometime." She winked at the Gryffindor boys and Regulus; they had agreed to meet in the seventh floor corridor for the Room of Requirement that afternoon to share her chocolate with them. She had a surprise waiting for them, too, and she could barely contain her excitement. Only a few more hours, and she'd be in the next best place to home.
"Ready?" Dora asked the James, Remus, Sirius, and Regulus excitedly. Regulus was glancing at the Gryffindor boys nervously, but Dora had made James, Remus, and Sirius promise to be on their best behavior so the Black brothers could enjoy the holiday together.
Dora had paced the length of the seventh floor corridor outside the Room of Requirement multiple times, being as specific as she could with her instructions for the Room to fulfill. She had taken a glance inside; it was perfect.
"C'mon!" Dora ordered enthusiastically. The boys followed her into the Room, looking mildly perplexed at the scene.
"Where is this?" Sirius asked, looking around at the cozy space. "What is this?"
"It's the Room of Requirement. It changes into anything you need or want it to be. I made it my home," Dora said proudly. "This is what my house looked like at Christmas every year. I wanted to recreate it." As Remus had been the only one to enter the Room of Requirement, the other three boys gazed in wonderment at what the Room could do.
They were in the Tonks family's living room, just as she had last remembered it from two Christmases ago. They lived in a row home, southwest of London, in a mixed magical-Muggle community.
"Can I give you a tour?" Dora said shyly. "I want to show you where everything was."
Sirius, Remus, and James looked agape at the little home. Regulus remained expressionless, but Dora could see him scrutinizing the small home carefully.
"Dora, is this really where you lived before?" Sirius looked up at the narrow staircase. "This is where the Scamanders live?"
"No," Dora said. "Just me and my mum lived here. Let me show you around. We're in the living room now, where we would celebrate Christmas." The cozy living room was as she remembered it; the brick fireplace had a merry, crackling fire, with three stockings hanging on the mantle. The Christmas tree was up against the window facing the street, and the coffee table in the center of the living room was laden with Dora's holiday favorites: mince pies, shortbread, and Christmas pudding.
"Why are there three stockings if it was just you and your mum?" Remus asked, his brow furrowed.
"One for me, one for mum, and one for our dog," Dora lied.
"You had a dog?" James asked.
"His name was Snuffles," Dora fibbed, with a smile. "Follow me." They walked out of the festive living room towards the kitchen and dining room. Small rooms, but warm and inviting all the same.
"This was our kitchen and dining room," Dora said, gesturing to either side of her. "I was never good at household spells," she smiled. "Drove mum mad."
"You didn't have an elf?" James asked. "I'd have thought the Scamanders had at least one."
"Grandfather and Grandmother do, but mum and I preferred to keep things simple," Dora mused. "Let's go upstairs." She led them up the narrow staircase, which opened up to a small landing.
"Over here," Dora pointed to her right, "was my mum's lab. She worked with a lot of potions there." In her timeline, the smallest bedroom had been where Granny Tonks would stay for holidays.
"Here," Dora pointed to her left, "was my room." Dora went into her childhood bedroom and felt the tears springing to her eyes. It had been over a year since she had been "home," and stepping into her childhood bedroom (albeit altered to remove all her pictures from it) was almost unbearable. She led the boys into the room that faced the street, having a picture window identical to the one in the living room below.
"This is…different than I imagined," Sirius noted.
"Me too," Remus admitted.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dora demanded. "This was my room."
"It's not like you," Regulus interjected. "Too…young?"
Dora looked around the room. When she had left for Hogwarts at age 11, the bedroom had barely changed. Her parents had left it in stasis for her; the only markers that time had changed were the pictures of her growth and friendships throughout Hogwarts and beyond. Without the photos, the room felt more childish than she remembered. Her mother had decorated it with nymphs in mind. Charming, fairy tale-like nature scenes were painted on the walls. The stuffed wolf she had been gifted (by her time-traveling self, as it would turn out) was proudly displayed on the modest, single bed.
"It was perfect for me," Dora simply said. "I enjoyed growing up here."
"You're barely 12! You're still growing up," James declared. "Not an adult yet at all!"
"Doesn't feel that way some days," Dora said solemnly.
"That's what I mean," Remus said thoughtfully. "You're 12, but not – not really. You act a lot older than your age."
"Girls mature faster than boys," Dora explained lamely. "Or, you lot are especially immature." She grinned cheekily at them.
"A wolf?" Remus wondered aloud, looking at the stuffed toy on the single bed.
"I got it when I was a baby," Dora explained. "A gift. It went with me everywhere for years. I called it Woofie."
Remus blushed lightly; if only he knew the whole story, she thought. "Next door was my mum's room, and then the bathroom right next to it was ours."
"That's the whole house?" Sirius asked quizzically.
"Yep," Dora replied. "We lived simply. It's what I miss most."
"Grimmauld Place must've been a shock, then?" Regulus suggested.
"You went from this to Grimmauld Place?" Sirius said, mouth agape.
"Err, yes," Dora stammered. "Grimmauld Place was hard to get used to," Dora said truthfully, remembering the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black in her original timeline, wherein the home was filthy with dust, cobwebs, and decades of grime. "I do miss home, though. Come downstairs with me for tea and chocolate?" she suggested to the boys, who all followed her down to the living room. They made their way down to the humble living space and sat down in the Tonks family armchairs and sofa. It wasn't quite the Christmas Dora remembered, but it most closely mirrored one of her earliest memories of Sirius – and Remus!
Remus had visited for the first time at that Christmas. Tonks was just barely eight years old, and her older cousin, Sirius, would be coming to celebrate Christmas with the Tonkses for the first time, too. After he had run away from home, he'd spent Christmases with the Potters, but had agreed to come see the Tonkses, as the new young Potters, James and Lily, were celebrating the holiday with Lily's newly-widowed mother.
"Mummy, did you say Sirius is bringing a new friend?" Tonks asked.
"Yes, Nymphadora," Andromeda answered. "Your cousin has a friend who lost his own mummy and daddy this year, and he will join us for Christmas dinner."
"If he lost them, why doesn't he go find them?" Tonks asked petulantly. "Do I have to hide my hair?" the child asked grumpily.
"No, honey," Ted interjected. "Sirius' friend is a kind wizard. What your mother means when she says he 'lost' his mummy and daddy is that they died, like Granddad Tonks. You remember him? He is in our hearts now, but not alive anymore. Sirius' friend lost both his mummy and daddy, and they are only in his heart now."
"Oh," Tonks said softly. "He must be very sad. Will my hair make him scared?"
"No, sweetheart," Ted replied. "I think your hair colors might cheer him up. No need to hide who you are from him." At this, the eight year old Tonks brightened considerably. Being an eight year old Metamorphmagus, she lacked the ability to control her morphs or her magic. Spending time with the extended Tonks Muggle family was out of the question; somehow, her mother's magic family wasn't an option. Magical children were few and far between, and little Tonks couldn't easily befriend Muggle children with her uncontrolled morphing. Wearing a hood or hat remained one of her few options when interacting with the world, much to the eight year old's dismay.
"Do you think he'll like me, mummy?" Tonks asked. Her cousin, Sirius, always asked Tonks to do something different with her hair or nose when he visited and made her feel special. She hoped this new friend would be as kind.
"I'm sure he'll love you, Nymphadora," Andromeda replied. "Wash up and come down. They'll be here any moment."
Tonks rushed up the stairs to her bedroom, taking in the nature scenes that had been painted on the walls as long as she could remember. Her beloved stuffed wolf, Woofie, was proudly perched on her colorful quilt. She dressed herself quickly and scrunched her nose, concentrating deeply to alter her appearance. After nearly making herself blue in the face from the effort, the eight year old had changed her hair color to a deep Christmas crimson, with gold streaks. It matched perfectly with the dress she'd begged her mother to get for her.
As soon as she opened the door of her room, Tonks heard the jolly voice of her father, the smooth voice of her cousin Sirius, and the modulated voice of an unfamiliar man. The new friend!
Tonks ran down the stairs to greet her cousin and his friend, but ran over her own feet, causing her to stumble down the stairs. Just in time, a pair of gentle hands righted her and prevented her from smashing into the back of the front door, as she had done many times in her young life.
Tonks looked up into the stranger's eyes. He almost frightened her. The stranger had sandy brown hair and eyes like honey. The stranger's face had scars. Some were deep, some were shallow. He didn't look at Tonks unkindly, but his face was one of surprise and shock. Tonks backed away from the stranger, slightly startled at the abrupt introduction.
"I see you've met mini Tonks," Sirius said teasingly.
"Sirius!" Tonks shouted, running into Sirius' outstretched arms. Her older cousin was the only person she knew on her mother's side of the family, and he was impossibly cool to the eight year old. He wore leather jackets, rode a motorcycle, and had tattoos up and down his arms.
"Tonks!" Sirius exclaimed, holding the girl in his arms and whipping her around in a hug. "You've grown!"
"I can grow more now, look!" Tonks said excitedly. She scrunched her face in deep concentration and managed to grow another two inches before she exhausted herself. She let go of the morph and shrunk back into her size.
"Neat trick, that is," the stranger said, smiling broadly at the girl.
"It's not a trick," Tonks insisted. "I'm a Metamorphmagus," she said defiantly. "It's what I am."
"Who you are, darling," Ted reminded. "You're a who, not a what."
Sirius barked a loud laugh as the stranger blushed. What was that about? Wondered the eight year old. Are they teasing me?
"You're not teasing me, are you?" Tonks demanded. She was angry, and the hair she'd worked so hard to morph was now entirely a fiery red. "Look what you made me do!" she moaned. "It's all wrong now!"
"It's not wrong, sweetheart," Ted repeated, kneeling to look at Tonks in the eye. "You'll learn to control it, just like your magic. When you do, you'll be the best witch our world has ever seen." He smiled warmly at his daughter, and Tonks looked up at Sirius and the stranger with wary eyes.
"I believe I haven't made the best introduction," the stranger said gently. "I'm Remus Lupin, Sirius' mate from school."
"Remus?" Tonks asked. "Like the wolf?"
Sirius guffawed loudly and was doubled over, clutching his side from laughter, as the Remus fellow became bright red.
"Are you a Metamorphmagus too?" Tonks asked excitedly. "Did you change your face color? I can't do that yet!"
"No, honey, he isn't," Ted said carefully. "I think Sirius embarrassed him because he laughed at his name."
"You don't like your name?" Tonks looked up at the embarrassed man. "I hate my name!"
"It's fine, and your name is lovely," Remus replied quietly. "How did you know about the wolf?"
"Mummy taught me!" Tonks said proudly. "Remus and Romulus were the wolves who started Rome!"
"You're very intelligent," Remus said, a pleasantly surprised look on his face. "Not many children know that story."
"I'm smart," Tonks boasted. "I like stories."
"If you're good, we'll tell you stories about our days at school," Sirius promised. "You'll be good?"
"Only if you are," Tonks snarked. "Mummy says you make a lot of trouble." All the adults laughed at Tonks' comment.
"Mummy, can I show Mr. Remus and Sirius my new story books?" Tonks had received a set of story books for her eighth birthday from a family friend who shared her name. It was from someone also called Dora, but Tonks had never met the "other" Dora before.
"You may," Andromeda assented. "Be quick about it, Nymphadora, as dinner will be ready soon."
"Sirius, Mr. Remus, follow me!" Tonks ordered excitedly. She rarely had the chance to share what she had with others, having never had a sibling.
"Nymphadora, you can just call me Remus."
"Don't – call – me – Nymphadora!" Tonks shouted. "Call me Tonks!"
"Okay, Tonks," replied Remus with a smile. "As you like."
"Sirius, Remus, this is my room," Tonks said, pointing to the room on her left. She hurried into the room and knelt in front of the bookcase, pulling out a few volumes of fairy tales and Muggle stories. She looked up to see Remus and Sirius staring at the room with wide eyes, looking at the room and back at each other with blank stares and dropped jaws.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked, frowning. "Are you ill?" The two men were staring at her, looking at each other, back at her, and at the room. Deciding they were ill, she went to her bed and grabbed her beloved stuffed wolf, Woofie.
"This is Woofie," Tonks explained. "He makes me feel better when I'm ill. Maybe he can help you too." She offered the stuffed wolf to Remus first, as he looked suddenly pale. Remus stared down at the proffered stuffed wolf, with a look that Tonks couldn't quite place.
"Sirius, why is Remus like this? Did you tease him again?" Tonks looked over at her cousin, Sirius. His face was also set in shock. The two young men were completely speechless.
Not knowing what to do, Tonks ran to the threshold of the door, thinking to ask her parents for help. Before she was able to run through the doorframe, the same pair of hands that had caught her earlier caught her again.
"We're alright, Tonks," Remus said hoarsely. "This room reminds us of a witch we know."
"Did you lose her too?" Tonks asked. "Mummy told me you lost your mummy and daddy."
"No," Remus replied. "I didn't lose her, and I hope I don't lose her for a very long time." Remus looked very sad when he said this. "I did lose my mum and dad this year," Remus said more softly. "I miss them very much."
"Did they tell you stories?" Tonks asked. "My mummy and daddy tell me lots of stories."
"They did," Remus replied gently. "If you'd like, I can tell you stories, too. I'm afraid it might be time for dinner. Sirius?" Tonks saw Remus look up at Sirius, who was very quiet. Tonks had never seen her cousin so still.
"Mmm," Sirius answered noncommittally. "We'll go." Tonks led the two men downstairs to the living room, where she and her parents spent an evening in laughter, recounting their tales from their days at Hogwarts. As Sirius and Remus shared their own adventures, Tonks couldn't help but wish she could have been there with them.
As Dora contemplated the memory, she realized then that it was this moment, this experience in the Room of Requirement that triggered Sirius' and Remus' reactions. They must have recognized her room and connected her identities! What if…?
"Dora?" Remus' voice brought her back to the living room within the Room of Requirement. "What do you think?"
"I'm sorry," Dora quickly replied. "I was distracted. What do I think about what?"
"We were wondering," Sirius began gruffly, "if you got chocolates from the Slytherins this year and if we should check them first."
"Not all Slytherins are like that," Regulus huffed.
"Just some of them," James teased.
"Not like all Gryffindors are saints," Regulus muttered.
"That's enough, boys," Dora admonished. "We'll check them anyway, just in case," as she saw Regulus pouting. "I'd be doing this anyway. I don't easily accept things from others." The boys gave her a quizzical look. It's not as if they had been personally trained by Alastor Moody, she remembered. Dora then reached into her pockets and pulled out several miniature boxes of chocolate, casting charms on them to return them to their original size.
"It will be hard to tell if any of them have poisons just by looking at them," Dora murmured. "Give me a moment." She scrunched her face in thought and walked to the kitchen. As she had requested, a small jar of bezoars had materialized on the kitchen table.
"Alright, gentlemen," Dora announced. "We'll try a chocolate from each box. If any of them have love potions or other poison, then we take a bezoar and it will counteract the effects of the potion. Then we toss the chocolate into the fire, yeah?"
"We could save them for Pete, since he went home for the holidays," goaded Sirius.
"No," Dora said firmly. "We destroy the poisoned chocolates and keep the safe ones. Now, let's dig in." Luckily, only one of the ten boxes of chocolates were affected with a love potion, and Regulus had already vowed to avenge Dora for the errant Slytherin who'd gifted her the laced chocolate.
They spent the remainder of Christmas afternoon stuffing themselves with chocolate and munching on Dora's favorite holiday foods in the living room she'd coaxed the Room of Requirement into configuring. Despite the unusual company and setting, Dora enjoyed a happy Christmas.
….
28 January 1973
"Stupefy!" Dora called, attempting to stun Moody for the fifth time. He easily evaded her and sent a stunner right back. "Protego!" he shouted, sending a stinging curse back to Dora. She dodged it and cast her own jinx, "Locomotor Mortis!"
"Impedimenta!" Dora cast, as Moody deflected her spell once again. A split second later, Dora yelled "Confringo!" and Moody was finally blast off his feet and into the cushions on the other side of the room.
"Well done, Black," Moody grumbled. "If you weren't impersonating a first-year, you'd make one hell of an Auror." Dora beamed at the praise.
"I miss it so much," Dora said. "I wish I hadn't been sent so far back. Dumbledore made me a student because all the people I was trying to help are just kids now, and I know it's important, but I wish I'd been able to get to them five years from now. I could be more useful."
"Recon work is just as valuable, Black," Moody muttered. "You're getting information that helps the Order."
"Do you think Dumbledore would ever let me do something for the Order besides be a student?"
"Take it up with him. He's an odd man, but he might find a place for you."
A flurry of voices could be heard from the other side of the wall now. Both Moody and Dora whipped their wands out, ready to attack. Dora snuck up to the wall to find the voices' owners.
"The room just appears here, out of nowhere!" Remus shared.
"Are you sure you're doing it correctly?" Peter asked. "What if it's the wrong place?"
"I'm doing what she did last time, pacing and asking the room to be there," Remus explained. "It's not showing up."
"Maybe you're doing something wrong," said James. "Do you think it could only be found if it wants to be found?"
"What if she's in there now?" Sirius asked. "DORA! ARE YOU IN THERE?" Sirius bellowed.
Dora burst into laughter. "It's just the Gryffindor boys I spend time with," she explained to a puzzled Moody.
"They're mostly harmless," Dora said. "I showed one of them the room a month ago and he must be trying to bring his friends here. I'll have to tell him that if it's occupied, it can't be used by someone else."
"DORA, SAY SOMETHING! ARE YOU IN THERE?" Sirius hollered again.
"We can be done with it today, lass," Moody said. "Go see your boys." Dora morphed away any bruises she had and led Moody to the door. As usual, he'd brought his own invisibility cloak to wander undetected through the castle and leave through Dumbledore's Floo.
Dora came out of the Room of Requirement and found all four boys with their ears pressed against the stretch of wall to her right.
"I'm right here, boys," Dora announced. "What are you lot doing up here?"
"I wanted to show Peter the Room!" Remus said. "He wasn't here over Christmas!"
"You should've told me earlier. If someone's in the Room, it can't be found or used by anyone else," Dora clarified.
"You're not in there anymore," squeaked Peter.
"Astute observation," Dora said, coldly. Peter looked down at his feet while the other boys laughed.
"Can we go in there now?" James asked.
"Remus, go ahead and show them. I'm done with the Room for the afternoon," Dora said.
"You don't want to come with us?" asked Sirius.
"You want me there?" Dora questioned.
"Of course we do!" Remus said excitedly. "Set it up the way you just had it!"
"It hasn't changed, so come on with me," Dora directed, opening the door once more to the dueling space she shared with Moody most Sundays.
"What have you been doing in here?" James asked, eyes wide with wonder at the sight of the room. Dora and Moody had set up the room with cushions on either side for them to fall into, and occasionally had obstacle courses set up with which to hide themselves in, so as to surprise the other with attacks. This Sunday, the room was open, save for the cushions, to allow for uninterrupted, relentless practice dueling.
"Dueling practice," Dora replied, carelessly. Bollocks. May as well embrace it.
"You practice dueling?" Remus asked sharply.
"By yourself?" Sirius asked.
"In here?" James questioned.
"Yes, no, and yes," Dora quickly clarified. "I won't tell you who I duel with, before you ask."
"Why not?" Sirius whined. "Did Uncle Al get you a private tutor?"
"You can get a private tutor for dueling?" James asked. "I'm writing mum and dad tonight!"
"Ugh, boys," Dora said. "It was all arranged with Dumbledore. That's all I can say, so leave it be."
"Are you good?" Peter tentatively asked.
"At dueling?" Dora asked tersely. Peter nodded while the other boys looked intrigued to know the answer.
"If you must know, I'm decent," Dora answered. "I'm definitely better than you lot, but not as good as Dumbledore or some of the best Aurors."
"Prove it," Sirius challenged. "Prove you're better than us!"
"That's a really stupid idea, Sirius," Remus interrupted. "You know she's good with spells. You wouldn't stand a chance."
"Try me," Sirius dared, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Dora sighed and resigned herself to dueling her hardheaded cousin. She and Sirius went to the middle of the room to begin the duel; Remus, James, and Peter were utterly thrilled at the prospect of the cousins dueling.
They bowed to each other, and before Sirius could offer any spell, Dora called "Expelliarmus!" and got Sirius' wand. Sirius rushed at Dora to get the wand back, but she lazily cast "Stupefy!" and Sirius was knocked back into the cushions. He got himself up again and charged at Dora, who simply flicked her wand and sent Sirius back into the cushions. Remus, James, and Peter were snickering at Sirius' failed attempts.
"You can give up and try again," Dora suggested. "I don't mind."
"That was cheap, starting with disarming me!" Sirius yelled.
"I'll give you a head start, then," Dora grinned. "Try to disarm me first."
Sirius and Dora bowed again, and, true to her word, Dora gave Sirius five seconds to defend himself. He cast "Expelliarmus!" but Dora was faster; she easily stunned him. Sirius tried to stun her in return, but Dora cast a shield charm. Sirius tried to petrify her, but Dora simply reversed the spell and he fell flat on his back.
"You're welcome to give up again," Dora smirked. She cast "Rennervate!" on Sirius, who stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. He attempted to disarm Dora again, but she was faster; she cast a shield spell and then disarmed him in return.
Remus, James, and Peter were gobsmacked, but laughing raucously at Sirius' failed attempts to duel his cousin.
"I'd like to see one of you try!" Sirius whined. "Remus, you're the best, you go on now!"
"No, I'm going to try now," James asserted. "Remus can take what's left of Pandora!" He smiled proudly and met Dora in the middle of the room to bow before the duel.
Within seconds, Dora had James disarmed and stunned. James tried twice more before he gave up and joined a brooding Sirius on the sidelines.
"Pete? Remus?" Sirius asked.
"No," Peter said. "Not me. Remus, you go." Remus looked apprehensive, but met Dora in the middle of the room again.
Remus was far more talented than his friends, holding his own for a full minute before Dora had him stunned in the first round. In the second round, he'd learned fairly quickly and lasted a few more minutes. The third round followed in the same manner. He was easily stunned, but he'd lasted longer than either Sirius or James.
"Better than the others, definitely," Dora declared. "Well done, Remus. "
"It's hardly fair!" Sirius complained. "You get dueling practice! Why can't we get them?"
Remus joined in. "Why do you get these practices, Dora? Why can't the rest of us get them?"
Dora ran her hands through her hair, thinking of the best response. "I get these practices because I asked for them," Dora determined. "With a family friend on my mum's side. I really wish I could tell you more, but I just can't."
"Try," Sirius suggested. "We could understand, if you wanted us to." The other boys looked at Dora expectantly.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Dora teased. "Let a girl have her secrets for now." Sirius and Remus looked most dissatisfied with her answer.
"Tell you what," Dora began, "we'll duel for it. If all four of you can outduel me, then I'll tell you." Sirius, Remus, and James looked thrilled at the prospect, while Peter looked terrified. "If I beat you, then you can't ask about it ever again," Dora added.
"Deal," Sirius said. Remus, James, and a reluctant Peter bowed before Dora's trap. Dora had dueled more than one wizard before, but if they didn't coordinate, they'd fail. All four boys tried disarming Dora at once, but she was quicker to cast a shield charm and deflect the disarming spells. Dora ran headfirst at an alarmed James, casting quick stunners to Remus and Sirius; only Sirius' stuck. James tried to stun Dora, but she deflected it and petrified him instead. Peter stood shaking in a corner of the room, and Dora easily stunned him as well.
Sirius began stirring from his stun, while Remus began firing spells at Dora. She easily avoided all of them, staying quick on her feet and more precise with her shields. Finally, Dora cast "Expelliarmus!" on Remus, stunned Sirius, and cast "Incarcerous!" on a running Remus. The whole affair lasted all of five minutes.
To cement her victory, Dora levitated the boys to the center of the room and cast "Incarcerous!" once more, tying them all together. They now were all conscious after being stunned, and looked at each other in bewilderment at their unusual predicament. Dora held all four of their wands in her hands, grinning widely at them.
"Secret stays with me then, doesn't it?" Dora goaded. "If you ask nicely, I'll get rid of those ropes and return your wands to you."
"Please, Dora," Sirius begged.
"We won't underestimate you again," added James.
"You win," squeaked Peter.
"Dora's the best dueler," Remus declared.
"Very well then," Dora said, releasing the boys from the ropes and returning their wands. "I see we've reached our agreement, boys. I'm off for tea now." Dora grinned impishly at the boys and left the Room of Requirement in high spirits.
"Remind me never to cross her again," Sirius muttered, as Dora skipped away.