The Defence classroom was almost unrecognizable. All the tables had been Vanished, leaving a large, empty space on the floor. The shelves that usually held an assortment of pickled jars, bottles and whirring devices had been boarded up behind solid oak planks (presumably to protect them from careless wandwork). The sun was just beginning to set, casting an eerie, red glow across the room making it feel even more unfamiliar, a few glittering torches made the shadows dance.
The hair on the back of Lily's neck stood on end as she and a group of other students shuffled hesitantly into the room.
"In! Come on, I don't have all night." Professor Crowe stood in the centre of a large circle etched into the floor. She motioned for them to stand around the edges of it, waving her wand casually and making the students skip to stay out of the point of it. She was a stern woman. Tied-back, silver hair with sharp eyes to match her sharp features. This year's new Defence teacher had carved a very strict, no-nonsense atmosphere in her classes that kept the students balanced and teetering on the edge of fear and respect.
Lily thought the woman might remind her of Professor McGonagall, but she soon learned the key difference between them. Despite their Transfiguration Professor's strict exterior, she cared deeply about her students, their wellbeing and ambitions. Professor Crowe would tear you apart as quickly with words as she would with her wand. She wasn't wicked, but she was ruthless, seeing her job as a duty to serve rather than a responsibility to care.
To Lily, her Defense classes felt like a military camp. Drills, routines, repetitions. As though Professor Crowe was a sergeant prepping them for war.
"It's all very proper, isn't it? I thought this was supposed to be a bit of fun," Marlene hissed on Lily's left. She had her curly hair tied back and her wand gripped tightly in her right hand.
"I don't think that woman knows the meaning of fun," Lily whispered back, coming to stand in line between Marlene and a seventh-year student.
Professor Crowe surveyed the group, each student falling silent as her sharp eyes passed over them.
"Welcome to Dueling Club," she began (with more foreboding than welcome). "As sixth and seventh years, you are the advanced group. I expect complete attention, concentration, and commitment to these classes. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Crowe." The chant was practiced and uniform.
"The skills you learn here will be invaluable for when you leave the halls of Hogwarts. I will not tolerate foolishness, lateness or insolence. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Crowe."
She scanned the room again as if daring the students to step out of line. The silence was deafening. Lily's eyes drifted around the circle, all the students had their gaze trained on Professor Crowe, wands in hand and standing straight-backed, chin up.
Like soldiers.
Lily's eyes landed on a dark-haired boy across the room, lingering on him just a little longer than on the others. His eyes were sharp behind the glasses, his shoulders square and firm. There was a grimace on his face, something serious that didn't belong there. James Potter was usually so jovial; Lily found it odd to see him so stern. It didn't suit him.
As though he had heard her thoughts, the boy's eyes flickered over to her, catching hers for the briefest of seconds. Lily tore hers away, training them resolutely back on the professor. She ignored the small grin that tugged on Potter's lips.
"You will split into pairs. You will duel your opponent to disarm them. You will not hold back. This is a Dueling Club. You will duel as though it is a real fight. Otherwise, you will be dismissed. Do I make myself clear?"
The affirmative chant rose again as the professor turned around the class, waiting for someone to step out of line. No one did.
"You do not cast till I say. Pair up."
Lily felt Marlene grab her arm, pulling her to her side. "Dear Merlin! She doesn't give half an inch, does she?" Marlene muttered to her. Lily chuckled quietly and took her position in front of her friend. The other students did the same, each pair standing ten feet apart around the circle in the room, wands at the ready, waiting for further instruction.
"People on the left, move two partners to the right."
There was a muttered gasp. Lily looked up at Marlene, whose eyes were wide and fearful at the thought of working with a stranger. Lily shot her an apologetic glance as she shuffled with the rest of the inside group to the right, coming to stop in front of a burly, seventh-year Ravenclaw student she didn't have a name for. His eyes were a lot less kinder than Marlene's.
"When you duel, you will not be dueling friends. You will be fighting enemies, people whom you perhaps knew once, but now know no longer. What we do in this club will be no different. You will treat every partner as an enemy. One who must be disarmed. You will not cast to cause injury. Do I make myself clear?"
Lily's voice was hoarse when she chanted. The Ravenclaws' eyes never left hers, pinning her to the spot under his stare. Her wand felt heavy in her hand.
"Good. No hesitations. Begin."
The room exploded with noise and lights. The Ravenclaw threw a bolt at her, jagged purple flames careening towards her in a blaze. Lily threw up a shield, hasty and thin. The fire roared into it, pushing her back with a force she hadn't expected. She felt her legs get pulled from under her and her head cracked hard on the flagstone floor. There was another shout, and she felt her wand get yanked from her hands. Lily blinked the stars out of her vision to see the tall Ravenclaw standing over her, his wand pointed at her throat.
Lily froze, her heart hammering against her sternum. Somewhere above her, Professor Crowe called for them to stop. The Ravenclaw lowered his wand, swapping it to his other hand and reaching to help her up off the floor.
"Thanks," she muttered quietly, leaning to pick up her wand. The Ravenclaw said nothing, simply studied her with a patronizing look before returning his attention to the Professor.
Professor Crowe's glare was no more forgiving. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line as she surveyed the crowd of students hoisting themselves from the floor. Lily shot a glance at Marlene. She was standing opposite a Slytherin girl, rubbing her shoulder with a grimace.
"You can do better. Move four spaces to the right."
Lily didn't even look at the Ravenclaw before shuffling off to find her new partner. How long had she even lasted against him? Twenty seconds? Less? Only to be rendered completely vulnerable on the ground, her wand miles away and out of reach. Helpless on her back like a bloody turtle, and in what? Twenty seconds? She hadn't even cast a spell, she hadn't even thought of casting a spell. Her whole mind had frozen in terror at the first sign of danger.
Lily could fight. She had fought before; thrown hexes at bullies, yelled at people who deserved to be yelled at, even punched a boy who was intimidating Petunia in the playground. Lily had never been one to back away from a fight.
But here, in this daunting room with an equally daunting professor, against people she didn't know. People who she didn't have a reason to fight. For the first time, Lily felt helpless.
"Alright, Lil?"
Lily's head snapped up. Remus Lupin stood in front of her, his head tilted in concern.
"Yeah, fine. Sorry."
"It's all a bit serious, isn't it?" he whispered to her, giving her a moment to drag herself back to reality.
Lily smiled back. "Maybe we should have joined the baking club instead of the Dueling Club?"
"You've seen my potions, Lily. Trust me, I'm less of a threat here."
Lily laughed before clapping her hand over her mouth as Professor Crowe let out another stern cry for attention.
Remus stood up straight, his eyes fixed on the Professor. Had he always been that tall, she wondered? Lily had walked the Prefect patrols with Remus a dozen times. Perhaps it was the room, the atmosphere, but suddenly, Remus Lupin felt a lot more intimidating than the cheeky prefect who loved to scare the couples kissing in broom closets.
"No hesitations. Duel to disarm. Do I make myself clear?"
Remus turned to look at Lily. He flashed her a quick, kind grin, then fixed her in his gaze. Something shifted behind his eyes. Lily had never noticed the kindness that lived in them, the mischievous glint or worried stare. She had never realise how full of warmth they were until it was gone. Remus' eyes focussed on her with nothing more than a feral hunger. As though he was sizing her up, picking out her weakness with a trained eye and listing through the best way to kill her.
He smiled, cruel, teasing and sly. When he spoke, it was almost a growl.
"Yes, Professor Crowe."
Lily swallowed down the panic. 'It's Lupin. He won't hurt you. Buck up.' She shifted her stance, her wand raised and ready.
Lily's shield was raised before Professor Crowe had finished speaking. Remus's attack glanced off it, giving time for Lily to yell 'Expelliarmus!'. She missed, Remus dodging out of the way and twisting a yellow spell at her feet. She jumped, leaping over the light. Remus threw another non-verbal spell at her. Lily's shield wasn't as strong this time. It shattered under Remus' spell, and Lily stumbled backwards but stayed on her feet. She pointed her wand at the floor.
"Arena sentinus!"
The stone beneath Remus' feet turned to sand and Lily grinned as he sank ankle-deep into the floor. Remus swore but kept his eyes fixed on Lily, throwing another bolt of light at her. It hit her shoulder, sending a stinging sensation rippling down her arm. She yelped in pain, but Remus was ruthless. He sent another bolt of sparks at her. Lily tried to raise a shield with her tingling arm, but it was little more than paper. Her wand dropped from her hand. She lunged to get it, but Remus summoned it, his own wand raised at her heart.
Lily frowned, her heart pounding and head spinning. She looked up at Remus, still expecting a fight, but Remus was smiling and holding her wand out to her. Lily took a step back, adrenaline still pumping through her veins.
"That was fun. Could you, eh…" Remus motioned his feet, trapped by the sand. Lily blinked at him. A nagging voice in her head made her pause. He had tried to hurt her, he'd disarmed her. Her wand was in his hand. Why should she release him when he was obviously the enemy? It would be foolish for her to let go of her advantage over him.
She blinked again. Remus, her friend, stared back.
"Sorry," She stumbled forward, grabbing her wand and releasing the spell. She shook the thoughts from her head. It was just a Dueling Club. There was no danger. She was fine.
The duel had felt so real, the fear and panic was still racing through her heart, she could almost hear it hammering against her ears.
He had looked so feral, so angry. She couldn't imagine being afraid of Remus Lupin, yet only thirty seconds ago she wouldn't have doubted his ability to kill her if he wanted to.
"—show me that spell. Are you okay, Lily?"
"Hm? Yes! Sorry, you were saying?" Lily hastily tried to drag her attention back to reality. Lupin looked at her with some concern but said nothing. All cruelty gone from his face, replaced with the mischievous charm she was used to.
"I was saying you'll have to teach me that quicksand spell. Though, probably out of earshot of the other two. Merlin knows the damage they could do with it." Lupin motioned over his shoulder. Black was scowling at some Slytherin boy, his wand rolling in his hands. James Potter was helping up a Hufflepuff girl. His normally wild hair was plastered to his forehead, glasses slightly askew. The corner of his shoe was scuffed, as though he had tripped over something recently.
'Good on her,' Lily thought to the Hufflepuff, who was grinning madly as she let James pull her to her feet.
"It's a good spell. I'll be tipping sand out of my shoes for weeks," Remus muttered.
Lily smiled at him. "You're a good dueler."
"Dad used to be head of the Dueling Club when he was at Hogwarts. Taught me a few things to defend myself if I ever needed it." A dark shadow crossed his face which was quickly replaced by a smooth smile. "You did well though, Evans. Just don't get distracted next time, yeah?"
"Yeah." Lily nodded. She wanted to ask why Lupin would ever need to defend himself, but Professor Crowe cut through the noise again, demanding their attention.
"Three spaces to the right."
The command was short and firm. Lily gave Remus one more polite nod before trudging to her next partner. She passed Arlo Nott, a short Slytherin boy in her year who was frowning hard and shifting restlessly on his feet. Katrina Butler, a tall, wiry seventh-year Hufflepuff stood proud despite a purple bruise blossoming on her left temple. Lily didn't speak to any of them, walking by in silence until she came to stop in front of her new partner.
"Alright, Evans?"
James Potter's voice was full of glee and mischief. Lily scowled. Of course it would be James. Why not? A club with almost forty members to pick from, but naturally she would be paired with the one person she despised more than any of them (which, considering there were Slytherins in the room, was an admirable achievement).
"Potter," she replied with a bland indifference.
"Saw what you did to Lupin. You lasted almost two minutes that time! Huge improvement on the first round."
"Have you not got your own duel's to be fighting instead of watching mine?"
"I won mine," Potter replied with a goading smirk. "Had to pass the time somehow." He was twirling his wand between practiced fingers, teasing her with his casualness. Lily half wanted to forget the wands altogether and duel him the Muggle way.
'Don't get distracted!' Lily chided herself. 'He's just riling you up.'
'Yeah? Well, it's working,' replied the other extremely unhelpful voice in her head.
Lily scowled, took a breath, and turned back to Professor Crowe. She could feel Potter's eyes on the back of her head, but she didn't dignify it with a response.
"Duel to disarm. Do not hesitate. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Crowe."
"Prepare."
Lily turned back to James who was still smiling casually, his wand hanging loosely by his side. She frowned at him, shifting into a defensive stance, her wand raised. His smile widened.
"Begin."
Lily threw up a shield on instinct, ducking behind it. But no spell hit it.
She looked up. James was standing calmly on the other side, his wand still loose by his side. She hesitated, her shield flickered.
"Are you going to do anything?" she yelled at him.
"Thought I'd let you get a few hits in first. You know, like a gentleman."
"That's not how you duel."
"It's how I duel."
Lily grit her teeth. She let her shield drop, her wand still itching in her hand, ready to raise it again at a moment's notice. James stood open, wand lowered and leaning back on one leg.
Lily fired an Expelliarmus at him.
James ducked easily to the side, letting it fly harmlessly past his shoulder. He grinned.
She fired another one. He sidestepped again.
The third she aimed just to his left. James sidestepped (probably on instinct) before raising a shield when he accidentally moved into its path.
"Ooh, sly move, Evans."
She said nothing and aimed a tripping jinx at his ankles. He leapt over it, laughing. "Ah, ah, I think it was my turn."
"That's not how duels—"
Her sentence was cut off as James sent a spell spinning towards her head. She threw up a shield, wincing as it glanced off her magic. She barely had a second to think when another flash of light came hurtling towards her. Lily didn't think, she jumped to the side, then spun back when a third flash zoomed past her ear.
Her heart was pounding. Her head snapped up, wand outstretched, waiting for another attack. But James Potter just stood there, grinning smugly.
"Your turn," he said calmly.
Lily didn't hesitate this time. She fired three spells at him in rapid succession. James sidestepped each one, frowning when the third spell caught on his robes, singeing the fabric.
He said nothing. Simply pointed his wand at Lily who once again threw up a shield. The magic cracked against it and Lily took a step backwards. Then two more as a second and a third spell ricocheted off her shield. She was about to drop it when a fourth spell bounced off it, cracking her shield in two and sending a jolt of magic through her sternum.
"It wasn't your turn!" she yelled at him.
James' wand was still raised. "It's a duel, Evans? Who said anything about turns?"
Lily cried out, "You absolute ARSE, James Potter!"
Lily forgot all about her form, she forgot about her fear and her hesitations. She let the frustration and anger flood her as she sent spell after spell at James Potter.
James laughed, throwing his head back and dancing around her attacks, matching her spell for spell. Lily's wand twisted and flicked, blurring into a mess of lights and sparks. She forgot about the room. She forgot about Professor Crowe. She forgot her own name, her mind filled with one goal.
Disarm the rat-bastard, James Potter.
A gold flame shot past her hair. She danced underneath it, sending an auburn spell to the lit torch over his head. The torch was knocked from the bracket and fell towards the ground. James twisted, flicking water to douse the flames while Lily took the opportunity to race up behind him.
She sent a tripping jinx to his knees and James stumbled, landing heavily on one knee. He turned and pointed his wand at a discarded cloak in the corner.
"Accio! Praesidium!"
The cloak flew towards him and hardened into a tall, black wall between him and Lily. Lily's Expelliarmus bounced harmlessly off it.
She yelled in frustration, slicing her wand down in an arc. "Diffindo!"
A large rip appeared in the fabric, but James was no longer behind it. She threw her head around, flinching when a jagged shot of red light caught her hip. She growled, her wand jerked in her hand, but she gripped it tight, swinging around and catching Potter darting across the room.
Lily didn't care that he was out of the circle. Lily didn't care that the other groups had finished their duels and were now watching her and James with rapt attention.
"Glisseo!"
James skidded on the smooth flagstones, sliding clumsily into the wall. Her disarming spell followed soon after, but the Quidditch Captain ducked easily beneath it.
A levitating spell hit her and Lily felt herself be yanked skywards with an undignified yelp. She twisted, shouted 'finite', and landed with a crash on the stones. Another spell zoomed towards her, but she rolled quickly out of the way. Looking up, James was running towards her, his feet still skidding on the smooth stones.
"Foraminis!"
A hole opened up in the floor, round and perfect and directly in the path of James Potter, who stuttered in his haste before leaping over the hole. He made it, barely, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance. Lily used his few seconds of hesitation to leap to her feet and aim her wand again.
"Expelliarmus!"
The spell hit true. James Potter's wand went flying from his hand and landed with a clatter on the other side of the room.
Lily exhaled. Her wand arm dropped, a bubble of pride welling in her chest.
Until an arm grabbed her. She felt herself being swung round, and suddenly the floor was gone beneath her. The air left her chest, replaced by panic as her feet tried to grab purchase on something, anything. She grappled at the one thing keeping her from falling.
A hand, grasping hers, strong and sure.
"Shall we call it a draw?"
James Potter looked down at her from above, panting heavily. Sweat plastered his forehead, there was a crack in his glasses and a rip on the sleeve of his jumper. And he was smiling like Lily had never seen him smile before.
"I-I disarmed you…" Lily said breathlessly, clinging to his hand and trying desperately not to look down.
"You did," James said calmly. "Although, I think I still have the upper hand."
"You're insufferable."
James pulled her up, helping her clamber out of the hole she had created. Exhaustion hit her like a train, the adrenaline trickling from her bones. Her knees faltered, but James grabbed her by her waist, saving her from toppling backwards.
Lily froze. She could feel his breath on her cheek, his hand still grabbing hers. It was as though the world stopped, just for a second. Just one.
She hesitated.
James let her go and took a step back.
"I think I met my match in you, Evans," James said with a smirk, moving to retrieve his wand. Lily shook her head, trying to drag herself back to reality and not think of how James's hand had grasped hers, how he had swung her so effortlessly over the hole, how he had held her tight when he pulled her up.
How he had been so close to her.
Before she could speak, a figure crossed in front of her. Sharp eyes met hers, Lily stared back with both fear and determination. There was something new in Professor Crowes eyes, something that softened the cold just a little.
Pride?
Her head snapped towards James, who met her look with an equal fire. The room was silent.
"When you duel somebody, you do not fight to kill. You fight to survive. You fight to protect."
Professor Crowe turned, taking in the room around her. Every student looked haggard; ruffled robes, wild hair, gasping breaths. They stood in groups, leaning on each other, enemies and rivalries forgotten. A far cry from the prim and proper students who had entered the Dueling Club only an hour before.
"There are no second chances in a duel. No second guesses. You do not wait. You do not give way. You do not hesitate. You find your opportunity and you take it. Whatever that may be."
She circled the hole in the floor Lily had conjured, the broken torch bracket on the wall. Lily glanced around the rest of the room. The boards covering the cupboard had scorch marks on them, the window sported a clean crack down one side, and there were scraps of fabric from robes littering the floor.
It looked like a warzone.
"You fight. You protect. You survive. Do I make myself clear?"
The response was unanimous. Determined and strong. Lily caught James' eye as she answered. His gaze was as steely as her own.
You fight. You protect. You survive.
"Yes, Professor Crowe."
THC Monthly Challenge: June
Standard
WC: 3965
Prompt: [Event]: Dueling Club