DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Harry sat uncomfortably on the bench as the first pair of students were called up to begin the demonstration. Another Confederation wizard stepped forward, obviously taking the role of the official for the night's demonstration. He was quite tall, and seemed to be quite young. His dark hair extended to his shoulders and, along with his curled goatee, made him look eerily like a young Igor Karkaroff.
"I am Lazlo Petrov," he announced with a subtle Karkaroff-like accent. "I will oversee the demonstration. This is not a thing like a tournament. If you do not follow rules, I will stop the duel. You will not enjoy my methods. Call the first... participants."
McGonagall looked at her parchment. "Michael Corner and Luna Lovegood!"
Michael and Luna both walked forward. They took up positions opposite each other. Petrov had his wand raised, and the two students took this as the cue to pull their wands as well. After their wands were out, he stepped back to the head table. They politely bowed to each other as Lockhart had shown them and then they looked to Lazlo to tell them to begin.
With an amused smile he nodded and said, "You may begin as soon as I drop my wand." They both looked a little confused until they realized he'd dropped his wand some time ago.
Michael Corner struck first, but failed to stun Luna because she was too quick with a Shield Charm. When Luna returned a Leg Locker Hex, it erupted in a shower of sparks as it hit a large statue of Cornelius Fudge which had suddenly appeared between them.
Everyone in the Hall gasped at the sudden appearance. Some students jumped up, others were shouting. Michael nearly dropped his wand in surprise, but Luna seemed simply disappointed. She immediately stepped to the side and fired off another spell. It narrowly missed its target as Michael jumped behind the statue.
With a nudge, Harry directed Hermione's attention toward the head table. Dumbledore had his wand out, and Lazlo Petrov was laughing. As the duelers tried to get a clear shot at each other, a few other objects appeared, added by Confederation wizards at the head table. Michael was getting more confused each time a new object appeared and Luna was finally able to sneak up behind him, while he hid in a corner created by a marble column and large iron grate. Luna stunned him, and he collapsed on the floor.
While Madam Pomfrey walked out to revive Michael, Luna walked over to the side where the professors were standing. She carefully carried a glass of pumpkin juice back to her seat where she sat dreamily.
Michael Corner eventually stood and, despite still appearing quite dazed, sat down on the Ravenclaw bench. Once he sat down, however, he blended in with the uncertain, confused, and dismayed looks of the rest of the students.
"Well done! Next pair!" shouted Lazlo.
McGonagall stooped to let Professor Flitwick look over the parchment which listed all the pairings of students. He called out the next pair and it began much the same way the previous duel had, with both students adhering to the strict formality they'd been taught by Lockhart.
This duel lasted even longer than the previous one, as the Confederation wizards at the head table took turns adding more obstacles to the dueling area. Statues seemed to be popular, and from the smiles he saw on the faces of those at the head table, most of the subjects were about as popular and respected as Fudge had been.
The obstacles were starting to clutter the area, and after Marietta Edgecombe was stunned after tripping over a small planter of daisies one of the Confederation wizards informed them that they had not made any of the objects indestructible. The hint was clear, and Marietta looked noticeably upset at her failure to think of that.
The next duel was surprisingly destructive, clearing the floor somewhat and resulting in the complete obliteration of one of the statues. It was reduced to rubble by a series of Cracking Spells while Tracey Davis hid behind it trying to burn down the fence Morag McDougal was hiding behind. Tracey started a number of other objects on fire, but never the fence, and the duel ended when the stone from the statue reflected one of her own hexes back at her, burning several holes in her robes before Lazlo put out the fire.
As the students caught on, they started destroying and vanishing objects that got in their ways. The wizards at the head table added more. One Greek wizard created a fine set of polished stone columns, and another added a pleasant shade tree, which rooted itself firmly into the floor. After only a few duels, the dueling area was starting to resemble something a little more real than a flat stone floor. There were places to hide, things to trip over and shadows to deceive the students. It reminded Harry of the Department of Mysteries.
"Ron Weasley and Zachariah Smith!" Professor McGonagall called out.
Ron and Zachariah walked forward. It started much the way that the other duels had started. Both students backed away from each other as they tried casting spells to disarm or disable each other. They both tried to find some manner of cover while keeping their opponent in sight.
As Zachariah ducked away from one of Ron's Stunners, a large dining room table appeared between him and Ron, complete with a full setting of dishes and utensils.
Zachariah tried levitating a chair and dropping it on Ron from behind a statue. Ron had jumped aside in plenty of time, and fired a pair of hexes back. Zachariah escaped behind one of the trees, and flattened himself against the it, only moving to fire the occasional Stunner or Leg Locker at Ron.
Suddenly Ron stood up and smiled. He pointed his wand directly at the tree and shouted, "Incarcerous!"
Ropes shot out of his wand and began wrapping themselves around the tree. Zachariah, pressed against it, found himself wrapped up in them at the same time. When the ropes finally finished tightening, he was bound quite securely to the tree. His wand was trapped helplessly between his hand and the tree. Ron simply walked over, wiggled it out, and tossed it to Lazlo Petrov.
"A highly defensive position can be quite safe," one of the Council members recited as Ron cut the ropes binding Zachariah. "But often extreme safety and imprisonment are difficult to distinguish. As Mr. Smith discovered, the former may often lead directly to the latter. A fine lesson, Mr. Weasley."
Ron was jubilant as he walked back to the bench. Everyone congratulated him as he sat down, including a respectable amount of clapping from other houses. Even Zachariah Smith smiled and shook Ron's hand as he walked back to the Ravenclaw table.
Cho Chang and Draco were next. Their duel seemed much more serious than the previous ones. It was quite apparent that they both despised each other and they weren't holding back in their selection of curses and hexes.
In effort to try to slow the duel down, members of the Council summoned up a pair of masonry walls, one tall and narrow, one low and long. However, Cho and Draco seemed to mostly disregard them. Instead they were more interested in destroying everything else that was already there. Draco destroyed a statue Cho was hiding behind with a trio of Reductor Curses. She ran for some other cover, smashing a pair of chairs against a wall near him.
Malfoy seemed to be taking a bit too much enjoyment out of the demonstration. Harry shivered as he watched him stalk around the dueling area. Ron leaned across Hermione. "Look at him, Harry!" he whispered, "Looks a bit too familiar, doesn't it?" Harry just nodded. Beside him, he saw Ginny close her eyes and grimace as she nodded her agreement as well. Draco already looked and acted like a Death Eater.
As if to emphasize this point, he began destroying the column Cho was hiding behind. His curses were coming too fast, and were much too dangerous for Cho to risk trying to attack him. With one last hex the column let out a loud CRACK and came crashing to the floor.
Cho turned and fired off a Stunner, but Draco wasn't there anymore. He was striding toward her, with his wand out.
"Abiego!" he shouted, slamming Cho against the wall behind her. He fired a Stunner at her, but she blocked it with a Shield Charm. Draco tried again. "Abiego! Stupefy!"
Again, Cho had shielded herself, but she looked a little dazed. Draco tried a third and fourth time, but each time Cho's Shield Charm stopped his Stunner.
"Drop your wand! I won't stop!" Draco yelled at her. Cho just scowled at him and struggled back to her feet.
Harry could see the cold smile in Draco's eyes. Harry knew he wouldn't stop. Draco threw her against the wall again and again until Cho's lips were crimson with blood. Lazlo looked angry.
"That's enough, Mr. Malfoy."
If Draco paid any attention to Petrov, he didn't show it. "Drop your wand!" he commanded. "Abiego!"
Cho struck the wall again, and was unable to get to her feet. Draco leveled his wand at her with an angry scowl on his face. Harry stood up.
"Stop it, Malfoy!" he shouted.
Draco just laughed. "Abiego!" Cho was slammed against the wall yet again, but kept hold of her wand.
"ENOUGH!"
The commanding voice echoed through the hall. Lazlo Petrov was charging toward Draco, his wand shining with bright golden light. With a flourish, a long glowing strand of light extended and slashed toward Draco with the sound of ripping linen.
Before Malfoy even knew what was happening, he was thrown to the ground violently. Malfoy's wand rolled away from his unconscious body. Madam Pomfrey rushed forward to the students, muttering to herself. After a brief pause between them, she rushed off to Cho. After only a few moments Cho was up and walking, though Harry doubted she would ever forgive Draco. Draco took a bit more work, and Madam Pomfrey had to pull him off to the side to revive him. "A much weaker spell would have sufficed," she scolded Petrov as he looked on.
Petrov shrugged and stared on unabashedly. "Perhaps." It took Pomfrey the length of the next duel to revive Draco and give him enough strength to stand. He eventually stumbled back to the Slytherin benches, holding a small bottle of some potion Pomfrey had given him to drink.
The hall became silent in anticipation of the next names. After a troubled look at the head table, McGonagall stepped forward again. There were only three pairs remaining, and five of them were Gryffindors. Neville seemed tense and kept looking over at Hermione, while Ginny tried to give Neville and Harry encouraging looks. Hermione looked quite unsure of herself. "Get off it, it's not that bad," Ron whispered as McGonagall looked down the parchment.
"Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger."
Hermione stood up and walked slowly forward. Neville paused a bit before standing. "Good luck, Neville," Ginny said with a weak smile. It seemed to help, and Neville straightened up immediately, stood up, and walked purposefully forward.
"Both of them were there, Albus?" One of the Council members asked. Dumbledore nodded silently. Lazlo smiled and nodded to both of them, with his wand raised. Neville and Hermione nodded to each other, and Neville flashed a smile to Ginny. As he turned back, Lazlo dropped his wand.
"Impedimentia!" Neville shouted immediately. Hermione ducked and put up a Shield Charm. Neville's spell bounced off the shield and put a small chip in one of the brick walls.
"Immolus!" he shouted again. Hermione was not expecting him to attack again so soon, and she found flames playing on the hem of her robes and quickly spreading higher. Lazlo began walking toward her, but she she was already behind the brick wall, pointing her wand at the flames with with a disgusted face.
Water shot out of her wand, drowning the flames in a cloud of steam and smoke. She then stepped from behind the wall and turned her wand on Neville. Neville sputtered and dashed away from the water, hiding behind some of the tables.
"Evanesco!" shouted Hermione, and the table he was hiding behind vanished. Neville seemed as shocked as anyone, but he quickly leapt away, trying to get behind something Hermione might have more trouble with. As Hermione strode toward him, he hid behind a large pillar. She attempted to do the same thing Ron had used to defeat Zachariah, but Neville dropped to the ground before the ropes wrapped around him.
"Incarcerous!" Hermione tried again. This time she wasn't aiming for the column but for Neville's legs which were poking out from behind it. The ropes found their mark this time and bound his ankles tightly. Neville was shaking his wand at them and muttering something.
"Ebumpo!" he shouted, but the ropes remained. "Abrumo! Abrumpo!" The ropes around his ankles loosened and seemed to fall apart. Hermione was quite close now but hidden from Neville behind the statue of Fudge and a small tree. Neville aimed toward her hiding space from the other side of the column.
"Difindo!"
There was a loud crack followed by a shout as the branch fell on Hermione. She leaned out to fire a Stunner at him, but quickly retreated with a shriek as she dodged a large piece of masonry flying at her head. The rest of the students were murmuring in surprise. He hadn't used a Banishing Charm. He'd thrown it.
Ron leaned toward Harry. "What's gotten into him?" Harry shrugged and turned back to the duel. Hermione still looked to be in control of the situation, but Neville had got in a couple of lucky shots that had forced Hermione to be a bit more cautious. For the moment she was keeping behind the statue, and trying to find a way to coax Neville out.
"Who're you cheering for?" Harry whispered to Ron as Hermione started the ropes around Neville's pillar on fire. There was a bit of silence before Ron answered. "Well... Hermione is my date to the Ball, and I really... well, you know." He watched as Neville tried to animate one of the smaller statues. Neville missed and hit a large stone. It hopped impotently toward Hermione until she reduced it to pebbles. Ron shook his head. "Still, it would be nice to know she isn't perfect..."
Hermione had tried to destroy the pillar Neville was hiding behind several times, but he'd seemed to have put some form of Unbreakable Charm on it while he was crouched behind it. She fired all sorts of hexes at it, some of which Harry didn't even recognize.
Neville was muttering spells at the column, none of which seemed to work. He tried spell after spell, eventually getting some results. He managed to make it grow twice as tall, and one attempt had made a second column appear right next to the one he was hiding behind. However, it wouldn't provide much more cover for him. It was mostly behind the first column, and did a better job of shielding him from the audience should any of them decide to speed the duel up. Ron and Harry could just barely see Neville's legs poking out around the new column.
After firing all sorts of hexes at the Neville, she got impatient and started moving forward, taking shelter behind a smaller statue, and then a table, and finally a low block of stone with the rubble of a statue strewn about it. As Harry looked to see what Neville was up to he realized that he wasn't there anymore. Ron had noticed it as well.
"Harry, he's gone!" Ron whispered. There was a low murmur as the other students noticed as well. Hermione's head jerked over to the audience. She knew something was up. "Bloody hell, Harry," Ron said in a low voice, "where'd he go?"
Hermione looked a bit worried. She stood up and dashed forward the last few feet to see around the column she'd been attacking.
"Stupefy!" she shouted, but the jet of red light struck the stone floor harmlessly. She looked around frantically. She started walking backwards carefully, her wand drawn and ready. She reached the stone block, and paused to look around. As she continued retreating, she stumbled on some of the loose stone around the block and lost her balance for a moment.
"Stupefy!"
A jet of red light sped toward Hermione and her eyes widened in shock. The curse had come from a wand sticking out of the second column Neville had created.
"Protego!" Hermione shouted as she stumbled. It missed her completely, but her foot caught on a large chunk of stone, and she fell to the ground hard, sending her wand clattering off across the room. There was a collective gasp from the students, partially out of amazement at how Neville had gotten the best of the most accomplished student in the school, and partially out of shock at the language Hermione used to express her own amazement at the situation.
"I never thought I'd get a chance to do this," a voice said from the pillar. Neville stepped out of the second pillar. He stood next to it, wand pointed at Hermione, while his other hand waved in and out of the other pillar. "Pretty good illusion, isn't it?" There was some clapping from the students. Hermione was looking between Neville and her wand.
"Merlin's beard. He's got her," Ron said in shock. "I— I didn't really think..."
Neville raised his wand. "Remember our first year Hermione? Now it's your turn." But Hermione wasn't paying attention to him. Instead she was staring at her hands as if she'd just realized she had them. She scrambled to her feet and started walking quickly toward Neville.
"She's lost it," Ron said. "What's she going to do, punch him?"
Neville started backing away, but then stopped and held his wand out and aimed directly at Hermione's chest. In defiance, she held her arms out to her sides and ran directly at him.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Neville shouted. There was a flash of blue light as the spell hit Hermione, but she didn't fall. No one was more surprised than Neville when the spell bounced off her and struck him in the stomach. His arms clapped to his sides as his body stiffened and fell to the ground. Hermione massaged a nasty bruise forming on her forearm as she calmly picked up Neville's wand and then went to retrieve her own.
After Madam Pomfrey removed the jinx from Neville, the Confederation wizards congratulated both contestants. One of the older members, a white bearded Chinese man, spoke to them. "Mr. Longbottom performed extraordinarily well despite being matched with a more learned opponent. Confrontations such as these are won by luck and determination as often as skill. And luck comes often enough to those with the patience and determination to wait for it."
Another wizard nodded and spoke up. "Impatience was Miss Granger's greatest weakness and her greatest triumph. Her impatience nearly cost her victory, but her quick actions and desire for an immediate resolution saved her. Her Shield Charm would not have lasted much longer, and the chances of Mr. Longbottom being hit by his own jinx would have been quite low had she not been so close. Her actions forced Mr. Longbottom into a disadvantage he didn't see. An excellent demonstration. Very educational. We thank you both."
Neville and Hermione both walked shakily back to the benches. Neville looked disappointed. Ginny tried to give him an encouraging smile but it didn't help. "Well, at least we'll have something in common to talk about." Ginny stared at him.
"And what do you mean by that?" she asked with a hint of warning. Neville was still rubbing the back of his head and wasn't thinking yet.
"Well, we'll both have lost our duels, won't we?"
"Oh, that's nice!" Ginny shot back. "Thanks for your support."
Neville looked away but seemed otherwise unabashed. He replied in an even quieter whisper. "Come on, we both know Potter won't let anyone be better than him. Even Hermione couldn't beat him." Ginny just crossed her arms and looked away.
Harry could tell Ginny was upset about something, but she wouldn't look at him, and Neville kept throwing nasty looks his way. What did he do? He wasn't the one who'd tricked Neville into putting himself in the full body bind. Ron was still laughing and congratulating Hermione. She graciously reminded him that she only won by a lucky chance.
The three of them continued to whisper as Katie and Warrington faced off in front of them. Warrington knew enough hexes and charms, but his aim was horrible. "And he's a Chaser?" Ron said quietly. "He's got less coordination than most trolls I've met."
"Which is only one, really," Harry interjected.
"Yes, well he's worse than that one, isn't he?" Ron finished in an annoyed voice.
Hermione was shaking her head and joining in as well. "It's almost working, though. The randomness of it all is a bit confusing."
Harry could see what she meant. Warrington was dodging between obstacles and firing curses off wildly toward Katie, who was trying to make her way closer to him to get off a few clean shots. However some of the spells were so far off the mark that she was forced to see if he had been aiming for some other target.
When he'd reached the last obstacle before reaching the area the Professors were watching from, he cowered behind it firing off Stunners and Leg Locker Curses in rapid succession. He cast them about carelessly, causing even Lazlo Petrov to seek shelter behind a tree.
Katie, however, was nowhere near any of Warrington's curses. She had snuck around the low wall he was using for cover, and was now crouched right behind him. "Oh, how embarrassing," Hermione said as she tried to conceal the smile on her face. Katie tapped Warrington on the head with her wand.
"Silencio!"
Warrington tried to turn on her, but no sound came from his mouth.
"Stupefy!"
Warrington slumped to the ground, as Katie walked back to the bench shaking her head and smiling.
Even the wizards at the head table were laughing quietly. The witch with the German accent spoke up. "One well aimed, well thought out jinx is more potent than fifty hastily thrown ones. Mr. Warrington's... tactics may have worked well if this room were filled with his enemies, but against a single foe, more concentration is needed."
The Egyptian wizard at Dumbledore's side stared at Harry again. "I believe there is only one pair left, Minerva?" he said with a smile. McGonagall raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Of course," the wizard acknowledged. "I do hope this final duel will not be... disappointing," he said a frown. "I do not yet see the wisdom in this."
"Oh, I never said it was wise," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I merely said that it would be entertaining. Minerva, will you do the honors?"
With a deep frown, Professor McGonagall called out: "Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter!"
Ginny walked ahead of Harry, and slightly to the side. As they approached Lazlo, she whispered to him. "I'm not letting you win."
"But—" protested Harry
"Neville's already hacked off at you. What do you think he'll do if you humiliate me?" she whispered quickly. "Weren't you trying to avoid that?"
They stepped over broken chairs and tree branches until they reached Petrov. "This is because I said you were small, isn't it," Harry asked. Petrov smiled and waited for Ginny's response.
"Well yes, there is that as well."
Lazlo Petrov dropped his wand to his side and backed away. Both Harry and Ginny were holding their wands, but they were pointed at the ground, and neither of them was making a move to lift them. They both simply stared at each other. Slowly Ginny began to smile.
"You may start whenever you like," prodded Lazlo.
Neither of them responded, and yet neither of them made any move to actually start dueling. The corners of Ginny's mouth twitched and her hand tightened around her wand. Her eyes were staring directly into Harry's and he knew that she was waiting for the first twitch that would signal his first attack.
"Please," Lazlo encouraged them, "you may begin."
"I already have begun," Harry growled back.
Ginny's eyes went wide, and she ran off to get in front of a nearby column. The branch Harry had been trying to summon without his wand wasn't responding fast enough, and Ginny had figured out what was happening.
"Accio"
The branch shot off toward Harry, and despite her efforts to get out of its way, it caught her ankle as she leaped in front of the column, and she hit the floor hard. Before anyone could gasp or shout, Harry had dodged the branch, and was aiming his wand at Ginny.
The shouts of "Stupefy!" and "Protego!" echoed in the hall as a bolt of red light shot toward Ginny, but bounced back at Harry. He ducked and scrambled away as it took a chunk out of the brick wall behind him. Ginny crawled behind the column and sat there, nursing her sore ankle.
"Not very sporting, Harry!" she shouted.
"Viverus!"
Suddenly a tea table near Ginny jumped to life and galloped over to her. She raised her wand, but it reared up on two legs and pinned her arms to the column.
Harry was trying to sneak around to try and stun her again, but the debris from the other duels was slowing him down. There was a sudden shout and then he heard what could only be smashing of his pet table against a stone statue.
Ginny was still standing behind the column, waiting for Harry to make a move, when she suddenly saw him aiming his wand directly at her. Their spells collided in midair, and ricocheted off into the Hall. Ginny began banishing any loose object she found toward Harry, forcing Lazlo Petrov to destroy a number of them which had taken paths toward the head table.
After being struck by one too many branches and loose stones, Harry retreated. Ginny was firing stunners and Leg-Locker Curses from behind her column. As he ran he turned and pointed his wand at a statue near Ginny.
"Mobililapis!" he shouted, and looped his wand gently in Ginny's direction.
The statue slid along the floor with a heavy grinding sound. Ginny didn't notice it until slid between her and Harry. With a echoing yelp of surprise and pain, Ginny's wand arm was pinned between the statue and the column.
Harry heard claps and cheers from the students as he strode toward Ginny to take her wand from her trapped arm. As he neared her, her hand turned and touched the wand tip to the statue, and with a flash it crumbled into a heap of gravel and dust.
"That HURT, Harry," she shouted through a grimace. Her wand was pointed directly at him.
Harry turned and ran for cover. From behind him, he heard Ginny shout out a hex.
"Incarcerous!"
He felt ropes wrapping loosely around his knees, and he jumped behind the brick wall. The fall knocked the wind from his lungs and his wand from his hands. It clattered across the stone floor and rolled into the open nearly twenty feet from him. He only had a moment before Ginny would summon it. He freed his legs and stumbled to his feet. Still gasping for breath, he made a running leap for the shelter of a tumbled statue between the wall and his wand. As he sailed through the air, his wand leaped toward him.
He could hear Ginny breathing heavily over the murmurs and applause generated by his last feat. He was lying on his back behind a statue, trying to catch his breath. He had his wand, but there was little he could do. It was only a matter of time before Ginny found a way to stun him. He took a quick look, and pulled his head back just in time to avoid a Full Body Bind.
He had an idea. He pointed his wand at a small brick nearby. It suddenly shot off toward the professors, scattering them and causing Lazlo to quickly destroy it. While Ginny looked away, Harry jumped up and pointed his wand at her.
"Reducto!"
The Hall echoed with a booming explosion. Neville shot out of his seat with a cry. Several other students shouted in dismay. Even Dumbledore stood as a great cloud of dust and debris blossomed across the front of the Great Hall, obscuring everyone's vision. It was clearing much faster than anyone expected, and Harry noticed Aurors in the back of the Hall striding forward with their wands drawn.
As he'd expected (and hoped), Ginny stumbled out of the cloud coughing and gasping for air, covered in a fine white powder. The pile of dust which had been the statue he'd used to pin Ginny's arm was nowhere to be seen. Harry calmly aimed his wand.
"Ledus!"
Silvery sparks shot toward the oblivious Ginny, who dropped her wand with a shriek as they struck her upper arm. Upon hearing her wand clattering on the ground, she seemed to wake up.
"SPAC Wand!" Harry shouted quickly.
The wand jumped from the ground and flew through the air toward him. Ginny had seen it and she was already in motion. She took two steps and then jumped off a nearby trunk. With all the skill of a professional Quidditch Seeker, she plucked her wand out of the air and landed roughly on the ground. The move caught Harry by surprise, and before he could react, Ginny was crouching only feet from him, with her wand pointed directly at his chest.
They both remained silent and still, with their wands trained on each other. Harry was frozen, waiting for the slightest move to tell him to attack or defend himself. He wanted Ginny to attack. He could dodge or shield himself, and he'd be in a better position to end the duel quickly.
As Harry stared into her eyes, he could see her determination. They were wild and focused on him. Despite the grim look in her eyes, the rest of her face was relaxed and composed. It looked strange, and it felt even more strange.
He felt his heart skip. He'd seen that look before, but not from Ginny's eyes. In his memory, the eyes were green, very much like his own.
Harry forced those thoughts from his mind. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Any movement, any twitch could signal Ginny's attack. His eyes scanned her face for the smallest hint of movement. Strands of her hair had been pulled from her pony tail and hung loosely down the sides of her face. She was covered in fine while dust, but it didn't hide the slight flush in her cheeks and it made her lips just look even more red. He had to fight the familiar fluttering in his stomach. No, he chastised himself. Think about the duel.
"Why did you have to do that, Potter?" she said as she slowly rubbed her upper arm. Her motions were smooth and almost graceful. She was purposefully avoiding any threatening movement, but there was the same hungry fire dancing in her eyes. Harry felt the urge to back away. Had he made her actually angry? She slowly stood, keeping her eyes and wand on Harry at all times, but the corners of her mouth twitched in an effort not to smile. Harry was relieved, but didn't really feel much safer. Even the twins had learned to avoid Ginny when she was angry.
The Great Hall was silent as everyone waited for something to happen. Harry decided he had to win the duel. He could deal with Neville. If he lost, everyone would assume he would be angry with whoever beat him, whether they were hiding feelings for him or not. While he wanted to avoid that if possible, he wished there was some way that didn't require him to face an angry, determined Ginny Weasley.
Some part of him thought up a plan. It wasn't fair. Ginny wouldn't like him doing it, but it would work. He tried not to smile as he concentrated on Ginny's wand. All he had to do was push it aside a little bit. An inch or so would be more than sufficient. All he'd have to do then would be to get her to attack.
Suddenly Ginny's eyes slid off to the side, looking over to the large windows lining the sides of the Hall. Harry wondered if she felt him pushing her wand, but her face told him it had nothing to do with anything he was doing. Her eyes were very round, her wand hung loosely from her hand, and her jaw dropped in horror. As she started stepping away from him weakly, Harry knew something bad was happening. He had been right. He should have expected this. Everyone would be watching him. No one would be left to defend the castle. Why hadn't he refused to be a part of this silly demonstration?
Harry's world seemed to slow down to a crawl. He saw the faces of the students turning to the windows, the Professors were trying to look as well. It couldn't be Dementors, he'd have felt them by now. Was it a dragon? Were Death Eaters flying toward Hogwarts? Why hadn't his scar so much as twinged all night?
Harry whipped around to point his wand in the direction Ginny had been looking, but saw only the calm night through the windows. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron and Hermione jump out of their seats, Hermione covering her mouth in surprise.
They weren't looking at him, but at Ginny. Could it be true? A voice in his head responded immediately: Yes, it could. How could he be so stupid? Fred and George would be so proud of her. He tried to turn back around as fast as he could, but he knew it couldn't possibly be fast enough. In his own mind, Harry laughed at himself. This must be what Neville felt as he was hit by his own curse. Before he could even see her, he heard her clear voice ring out through the gasps and shouts of the students.
"Expelliarmus!"
A moment later, he felt the spell hit him, knocking him off his feet. He tried to hold onto his wand, but it finally wrenched free of his grasp. He watched as it sailed in a high arc over Ginny's head toward the head table.
He didn't have much of a chance, but he had to try. He stumbled to his feet and watched as it dropped into a large pitcher of water. Ginny was was already running toward it, but Harry still had the advantage. He focused and tried to summon his wand like he had done so many other times.
"Algesco!" shouted Ginny.
The spell struck the pitcher, but didn't seem to have any effect. Harry held out his hand, and suddenly the entire pitcher was flying at his hand. It was moving much too fast and Harry had to dodge it.
Clang!
It rang off the statue of Fudge and rolled around on the ground. Harry dove for it and reached inside. He suddenly looked up. Ginny was facing him again, but this time she was laughing. His wand was frozen inside the pitcher. Harry turned to Lazlo, shaking the pitcher upside down. He nodded solemnly, but smiled slightly as he stepped forward to congratulate Ginny.
The old Egyptian warlock stood up from the head table. "When your opponent is skilled in wandless magic, he is not truly disabled while he is conscious. His weapon is his mind and its strength lies in his will. To defeat him, you must disable his mind, or erode his will."
Harry was about to ask what that meant, when he saw Petrov back away quickly. He turned in time to see Ginny raising her wand.
"Ginny, no!" he shouted, holding his hands out. "I can't—"
"Impedimentia!"
The hex bounced off Harry's hands, but the force made him stumble and fall to his knees. He was more surprised than anyone he could see. Ginny was not surprised at all. She appeared disgusted and annoyed. She was also pointing her wand again.
"Incarcerous!"
Harry concentrated on pushing the ropes from him. He managed to keep his hands free, but he couldn't move his arms or legs. He felt a little dazed and tired.
"Stupefy!"
This spell rebounded like the first, but this one shot off erratically toward Ginny who was forced to dodge it. She seemed disgusted by her mistake. There wasn't much he could do. He searched the area for something that might help him, but he didn't dare stop holding his hands out in front of him. It took more and more concentration to keep shielding himself, and he noticed that he was feeling even more dizzy and exhausted. It was taking a good deal of effort just keeping his eyes open. He couldn't keep this up for long.
The room was spinning. Or perhaps Ginny was. He was having trouble figuring out just what he was seeing. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his side. "That was for my lower arm!" A moment later, his other side hurt as he heard Ginny shouting again, "And that was for my upper arm." Harry's ribs hurt as he tried to breathe.
"Did... Did you just...kick me?" Harry asked as he tried to sit up. He couldn't. It was like something was wrapped around him. His mind searched for the reason, but he found himself staring blankly into Ginny's smiling face without any thought of the question he'd been trying to answer.
Ginny walked forward and raised her wand again. Though he barely understood why, Harry pushed his hands out toward her.
"Rictusempra!". Her voice echoed through the silent hall.
Harry tried to stop it, but a moment later, his sides were aching again, but from laughter this time. He couldn't stop laughing. He was gasping for air. The world swam about him.
The laughter, the dizziness, the extreme exhaustion made him delirious. All he could see was Ginny's face. She was smiling down at him and laughing. This isn't so bad, he thought. For a moment he felt euphoric. There was only him and Ginny. It was just like the summer. Just him and Ginny, talking with each other like normal people. Through the haze, he heard her speaking.
"You know this is your fault."
Harry laughed with real enjoyment. At that instant, there was no Voldemort, no Death Eaters hunting him, no murdered parents, no dead godfathers, no classes or nosy reporters. There was just Ginny, smiling and laughing with him. Harry concentrated as much as he could, trying to force himself to speak. "B-Because I... I said you were too small?"
"That's right, Harry," she replied quietly. "Sleep well."
"Somnus!"
Harry's world faded into darkness.
Authors Notes:
I wasn't planning on updating quite yet (only 2 more chapters), but Tronishere wrote a great review begging for more. So here you go. Everyone can thank Tronishere. Also, because (s)he asked so many great questions (heavily paraphrased below), I'll answer them to torment any others who might be eager for more:
The twists are confusing: Yes. I suppose they are. I didn't find them confusing, but then, I had the whole plot laying out in front of me, didn't I? I honestly don't know how confusing or convoluted the story is. I just know that it supposedly makes sense in the end.
What's up with Neville: A superb question. I sincerely hope that all of my readers are asking that very question. What is up with Neville? Is there anything you've missed? It makes me happy that you're asking such a brilliant question.
But I'm not going to answer it.
The good news is that the story will answer it for you. So be patient, and Neville will explain it himself.
Why aren't Ginny and Harry going to the Ball together: You know how these things go. Well, maybe you don't. Occasionally you have to make decisions that are difficult. It's hard to tell which way is best. But you make them, and nothing starts on fire, so you assume everything is working out. Of course, after a while it gets more and more difficult. You can't really go back and change your mind, and who knows if it'll be worse if you'd try it the other way, so you keep going. Pretty soon, you're sticking with the original decision just because you've sacrificed so much time and effort that it would seem like a waste to ditch all of it. Harry and Ginny assume (correctly in my opinion) that if Harry had a public girlfriend, it would make her too much of a target. So, they are trying to avoid any hint of that, for fear of others picking up on the same things Hermione and Claire did.
Is Hermione trying to keep them apart: No. At least, I wasn't trying to make it seem like she was. Hermione is being a good friend to both of them. She's keeping their secret and trying to help them keep it themselves. She's the responsible one of the three, but is annoyed that she has to be there to be responsible.
Please don't drive Harry and Ginny apart: Hey, it's not me. This whole thing is driven by a plot that's been in my head for years. I've said that this isn't a Romance, so you should't really expect a lot of compelling plot coming from any of the romantic links between characters. Now, I'm not going to maken any promises I know I can't keep, I won't lie, and I won't spoil the story for you, so I'm not going to reveal anything that is in story for Harry and Ginny. I will only say that this is not a Romance, and that if you are expecting wildly changing emotions, you've been reading the wrong story. Sure, Harry and Ginny are teenagers and teenagers are fickle like that, but I just don't find it terribly interesting.
That being said, I... well... I guess you'll just have to read. I... um... yeah. Harry and Ginny are unlikely to change their feelings toward each other. How about that? Is that good? Maybe you should join the Yahoo group to grab my email in case... well, in case you want to add comments later.
What is Dumbledore playing at: He's really Dumbledore. I promise. And you're absolutely correct. Harry is being put on display for the ICW. I'm happy that was clear. I hinted at the reasons for (some of) Dumbledore's odd behavior. His position isn't as strong as it once was. Dumbledore is demonstrating Harry to the ICW. Chapter 32 does a better job of explaining. It's appropriately titled 'Revelations' and contains quite a few of them.
Feeling frustrated for Harry: Well, I'm glad you are sympathetic toward Harry. Or... well, I'm glad my portrayal is still sympathetic. He has been lied to by the Order, used (to some degree) by Dumbledore, isolated and somewhat betrayed by his friends, and now Dumbledore is manipulating him to gain support in the ICW. And we haven't even gotten to Voldemort yet. His life is a bit rough right now... but... hmm... I don't know what to really say about this other than:
Buckle up.
Don't make us suffer: I'll try not to. I realize I could generate more hype by dragging out the upload process, but I wanted to give everyone something to read before the real (actually good) Book 6 comes out. So here you go. I stayed up to give you this.