Chapter ~ The Duel
As Lily stomped away from James, who was still holding Snape in the air at wand point, a sly grin crossed her face. She stopped as the petite brunette ran past her, and turned to watch. This was going to be fun.
"James, let him down." Muriel was out of breath, having run all the way from the castle the moment she spotted the trouble. James glanced at her and made a face, failing to notice the dangerous tone of her voice.
"Or what? Going to give him detention?" Sirius laughed shortly, but Muriel could feel worry radiating from them both. She didn't bother to speak another word. If Lily hadn't been able to make James stop then nothing she could say would have any effect either, except -
"Wingardium leviosa." James flew into the air as Severus fell. "All right, Severus?" she asked calmly. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Remus was on his feet and Peter was already heading this way. The laughing and carrying on had ceased all across the lawn and she could feel the tension like muddy water around her. 'Muddy water,' she thought to herself suddenly and grinned. With a few more whispered words James was streaking headlong through the air toward the lake. There was a terrific splash, and she turned to look for Severus. She saw he was already back to the castle doors and hurried after him, but was stopped as Sirius suddenly appeared in front of her.
He was so angry he couldn't even speak. His wand was already pointing at her, and his free hand was clenching and unclenching at his side. Muriel stifled the arrogant grin that was threatening to creep over her face again. A very angry Sirius Black was an entirely different story from Potter, and she'd better not start by making him angrier.
"Sirius," she said cautiously, by way of greeting. She couldn't remember ever actually calling him by his first name before, but if she'd hoped it would calm him, she was disappointed. If he'd been a dog his hackles would have been up and he'd have been growling. He WAS growling, she realized with a start. She almost laughed, but stopped herself as Sirius brought his wand sharply to his face, then bowed.
Muriel swore under her breath. All she wanted to do just now was check on Severus and make sure he was all right. But he was already gone, and obviously she wasn't getting passed Sirius without a fight. She returned his bow, then turned on her heel and walked a few paces. She couldn't go very far because a tight circle of other Gryffindor and Ravenclaw 5th years had surrounded them. She winked at one of the Ravenclaw boys, whose name she couldn't remember, then turned to face Sirius. His wand was already raised.
She was far enough away to miss what he was muttering, but she guessed he was counting, and prepared her first shield to bounce his spell back to him. It was such a bright day that he didn't notice the shield charm until he'd already cast his spell. He only just dodged his own curse in time, but Muriel had already cast her first hex, and it caught his right shoulder, which immediately grew great lengths of dark hair. He swung the arm up to meet her as the crowd laughed. The hair was long and fine like his own, and covered his entire arm and his wand. Before he had a chance to cast another spell, she'd performed the counter spell and the hair disappeared. She barely had time to get another shield charm in place, as his wand jabbed toward her again.
She wasn't prepared to redirect his curse to him, and it spun away over her head instead. She whispered her curses and shielded herself from most of his attacks, dodging the few hexes that he managed to cast too quickly for her. She laughed out loud each time one of her spells hit, fueling his anger as nothing else could. Sirius Black didn't know how to block her curses, and the surprise on his face was comical. Muriel found time to perform the counter curse to almost everything she did to him, though. It wasn't as though anyone else would know how to, since she'd designed all these curses herself.
Muriel could see Sirius gritting his teeth as yet another curse shattered the only deflecting spell he seemed to know. He knew she was playing with him, and she could feel his frustration mounting. He'd been expecting her to take this a little more seriously, but she kept her curses and hexes polite. 'Nothing painful,' she thought to herself as she decided on her next hex. She let Sirius stand again before she cast.
"Vertigoni spiralius," her voice was stronger now. Sirius, holding his wand as tightly as he could, closed his eyes briefly as he began to spin. His feet left the ground and he spun faster, his long black hair coming loose from his ponytail and flying out from his head. He couldn't focus on her long enough to cast anything. If he tried, he'd likely hit someone in the crowd. He was up above their heads now, and his face was turning purple in anger. He caught a glimpse of a very wet and bedraggled James standing behind Lily, who was laughing. It finally occurred to him that this had been a very, very bad idea. Of course James was fine. Mur wouldn't have really hurt him.
"Eronia Excavay," Muriel said, her wand still pointing at Sirius. He felt the world stop abruptly as he was thrown backward out of the air to land several feet outside the circle of his classmates. Somehow Muriel reached him first. Before anyone else arrived, she'd whispered something again, but he couldn't hear what it was. He was on all fours now, trying to pull himself to his feet, but he felt like he was going to be sick.
"Miss Deesia what is the meaning of this!" It was Professor McGonagal, and she looked very angry. She pulled Muriel's wand arm away from Sirius. He looked up at the Professor weakly. Muriel was silent. Everyone was silent. He swallowed hard.
"It was my fault," he whispered. His hand flew to his mouth, but he continued. "I started it." Professor McGonagal looked from Muriel's defiant face to Sirius, who was staring at the grass again, his hand still over his mouth. Sirius Black had never before willingly admitted that ANYTHING was his fault. At least, not until he'd endured a good hour of the Headmaster's interrogation tactics.
"You will both serve detention the moment you get back next year." She was bristling, but she let go of Muriel and helped Sirius up. "Come on, Mr. Black, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey." Her voice was resigned. This boy had spent almost as much time in the hospital wing as he had in detention, which was really saying something.
As Lily stomped away from James, who was still holding Snape in the air at wand point, a sly grin crossed her face. She stopped as the petite brunette ran past her, and turned to watch. This was going to be fun.
"James, let him down." Muriel was out of breath, having run all the way from the castle the moment she spotted the trouble. James glanced at her and made a face, failing to notice the dangerous tone of her voice.
"Or what? Going to give him detention?" Sirius laughed shortly, but Muriel could feel worry radiating from them both. She didn't bother to speak another word. If Lily hadn't been able to make James stop then nothing she could say would have any effect either, except -
"Wingardium leviosa." James flew into the air as Severus fell. "All right, Severus?" she asked calmly. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Remus was on his feet and Peter was already heading this way. The laughing and carrying on had ceased all across the lawn and she could feel the tension like muddy water around her. 'Muddy water,' she thought to herself suddenly and grinned. With a few more whispered words James was streaking headlong through the air toward the lake. There was a terrific splash, and she turned to look for Severus. She saw he was already back to the castle doors and hurried after him, but was stopped as Sirius suddenly appeared in front of her.
He was so angry he couldn't even speak. His wand was already pointing at her, and his free hand was clenching and unclenching at his side. Muriel stifled the arrogant grin that was threatening to creep over her face again. A very angry Sirius Black was an entirely different story from Potter, and she'd better not start by making him angrier.
"Sirius," she said cautiously, by way of greeting. She couldn't remember ever actually calling him by his first name before, but if she'd hoped it would calm him, she was disappointed. If he'd been a dog his hackles would have been up and he'd have been growling. He WAS growling, she realized with a start. She almost laughed, but stopped herself as Sirius brought his wand sharply to his face, then bowed.
Muriel swore under her breath. All she wanted to do just now was check on Severus and make sure he was all right. But he was already gone, and obviously she wasn't getting passed Sirius without a fight. She returned his bow, then turned on her heel and walked a few paces. She couldn't go very far because a tight circle of other Gryffindor and Ravenclaw 5th years had surrounded them. She winked at one of the Ravenclaw boys, whose name she couldn't remember, then turned to face Sirius. His wand was already raised.
She was far enough away to miss what he was muttering, but she guessed he was counting, and prepared her first shield to bounce his spell back to him. It was such a bright day that he didn't notice the shield charm until he'd already cast his spell. He only just dodged his own curse in time, but Muriel had already cast her first hex, and it caught his right shoulder, which immediately grew great lengths of dark hair. He swung the arm up to meet her as the crowd laughed. The hair was long and fine like his own, and covered his entire arm and his wand. Before he had a chance to cast another spell, she'd performed the counter spell and the hair disappeared. She barely had time to get another shield charm in place, as his wand jabbed toward her again.
She wasn't prepared to redirect his curse to him, and it spun away over her head instead. She whispered her curses and shielded herself from most of his attacks, dodging the few hexes that he managed to cast too quickly for her. She laughed out loud each time one of her spells hit, fueling his anger as nothing else could. Sirius Black didn't know how to block her curses, and the surprise on his face was comical. Muriel found time to perform the counter curse to almost everything she did to him, though. It wasn't as though anyone else would know how to, since she'd designed all these curses herself.
Muriel could see Sirius gritting his teeth as yet another curse shattered the only deflecting spell he seemed to know. He knew she was playing with him, and she could feel his frustration mounting. He'd been expecting her to take this a little more seriously, but she kept her curses and hexes polite. 'Nothing painful,' she thought to herself as she decided on her next hex. She let Sirius stand again before she cast.
"Vertigoni spiralius," her voice was stronger now. Sirius, holding his wand as tightly as he could, closed his eyes briefly as he began to spin. His feet left the ground and he spun faster, his long black hair coming loose from his ponytail and flying out from his head. He couldn't focus on her long enough to cast anything. If he tried, he'd likely hit someone in the crowd. He was up above their heads now, and his face was turning purple in anger. He caught a glimpse of a very wet and bedraggled James standing behind Lily, who was laughing. It finally occurred to him that this had been a very, very bad idea. Of course James was fine. Mur wouldn't have really hurt him.
"Eronia Excavay," Muriel said, her wand still pointing at Sirius. He felt the world stop abruptly as he was thrown backward out of the air to land several feet outside the circle of his classmates. Somehow Muriel reached him first. Before anyone else arrived, she'd whispered something again, but he couldn't hear what it was. He was on all fours now, trying to pull himself to his feet, but he felt like he was going to be sick.
"Miss Deesia what is the meaning of this!" It was Professor McGonagal, and she looked very angry. She pulled Muriel's wand arm away from Sirius. He looked up at the Professor weakly. Muriel was silent. Everyone was silent. He swallowed hard.
"It was my fault," he whispered. His hand flew to his mouth, but he continued. "I started it." Professor McGonagal looked from Muriel's defiant face to Sirius, who was staring at the grass again, his hand still over his mouth. Sirius Black had never before willingly admitted that ANYTHING was his fault. At least, not until he'd endured a good hour of the Headmaster's interrogation tactics.
"You will both serve detention the moment you get back next year." She was bristling, but she let go of Muriel and helped Sirius up. "Come on, Mr. Black, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey." Her voice was resigned. This boy had spent almost as much time in the hospital wing as he had in detention, which was really saying something.
