Arriving at the Courtyard, the two Ravenclaws spotted their Prefect Chester Davies and they both immediately started to approach him. Chester noticing the two Ravenclaws approaching him he walks over to them. "You're finally back. Did you learn a duelling spell?" Chester asked before they stopped in front of each other.
"I learned Rictusempra and Expelliarmus." Lucien answered as he smiled in response. The thought of being able to learn and use two duelling spells in one day was brilliant to him. Chester hearing this from him he also smiled.
"The Tickling Charm and the Disarming Charm? I'm impressed." Chester replied as he crossed his arms, Chester's joyful expression went back to a straight faced one. "The best way to teach you both how to duel is to have you duel each other." Hearing this from their Prefect, They both started to get worried.
"I don't want to hurt Rowan…" Lucien said.
"I don't want to get hurt..." Rowan added as he agreed with Lucien.
"I don't want either of you to get hurt, but that's part of learning how to duel." Chester replied to both of them. "Now let's get started…"
Not a moment later Chester positions both Lucien and Rowan across from each other along with making them face each other as well. "Now I want one of you to cast a spell at each other. You can also dodge before the opponent tries to fire the spell at you."
Lucien thought for a moment as the only thing he can do is dodge and attack. But since he learned how to brew a Wiggenweld Potion when he gets hit, he can heal himself. "Now begin!"
"Rictusempra!" Rowan shouted as he cast the spell that almost hit Lucien.
"Woah!" Lucien moves out of the way as the spell hits the fountain before shouting the incantation back. "Rictusempra!" He casts the spell at Rowan who ducks from the spell.
"That was close!" Rowan sighed in relief.
"Okay good, keep it up you two! You're both doing great!" Chester cheered on for them both as Rowan stood up straight.
They both continued to dodge and fire the Tickling Jinx at each other for about a few more minutes until they were almost out of breath from the dodging and wand waving. Rowan then tries to cast the spell again seeing Lucien was exhausted.
"Rictus-"
"Expelliarmus!" Lucien interrupts Rowan as he causes him to drop his wand. surprising both Chester and Rowan. As he takes a deep breath he stands up straight and looks at Rowan. "Are you alright Rowan?"
"I'll be fine, Lucien. I'll happily trade a few bruises for learning how to duel." Rowan jokes as he picks up his wand.
"Well done. Now you'll both be able to defend yourselves and properly represent Ravenclaw." Chester added as he could see that Lucien was ready.
"And If I keep training, I'll be able to put an end to Merula's bullying…" Lucien said as both Ravenclaws nodded.
"Come on let's get back to the Common Room. You two need to freshen up along with getting ready for your classes." Chester said before leaving the Courtyard as Both Lucien and Rowan followed behind.
For the rest of the day everyone has finished their classes for today. Lucien thought he should get some fresh air in the Clocktown Courtyard again since it looked like a perfect place to relax. Perhaps he might find Rowan there to play gobstones with. Excited he walks down to the Courtyard.
As he arrives at the Courtyard he notices a group of students gathering in one place. Lucien tilts his head a little as he gets a little closer but then notices Rowan near the fountain. He walks over to Rowan who looks at him with a mix of panic and worry in his eyes which makes him even more confused while hearing the commotion near them both which sounded a little familiar. "What's going on, Rowan?" He asked while glancing at the commotion.
"Merula is threatening Ben Copper! He keeps trying to walk away, but she won't let him!" Rowan answered as both of their eyes were looking now at Ben as he was standing there afraid while they both walked closer to see what else was going on. Lucien notices the other students were just watching the situation going down and not even bothering to help him, this irritates him a little.
"You're an embarrassment to everyone in our year!" Merula shouted as her violet eyes were filled with rage.
"J-Just leave me alone!" Ben shouted back, trying to plead for her to leave him in peace and tried to leave the situation, but Merula only rolled her eyes as he stared at the Muggle-born.
"Disgusting Mudbloods like you shouldn't even be allowed in Hogwarts," her voice was filled with disgust as she continued. "Leave the magic to the real witches and wizards."
Lucien not wanting this to get out of hand, he stepped forward. "It will be okay, Merula," he said as he looks at the Slytherin Bully.
Merula looked at him before her anger was filled with slight confusion and annyonce. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes were soon filled with pity once more as his mother's voice tells him to reason with her. "I'm sure your parents will eventually be released from Azkaban. Either way, just because they chose to go down a wrong path, doesn't mean you have to either…"
Merula hearing what he said about her parents, her confused eyes were back to staring daggers at him. "Who told you about my parents?!" She shouted once more this time rage began to build inside her while Lucien tilts his head in confusion slightly. Did he not mention telling her that Rowan found out about it or did she just forget? Lucien just shook his head.
"A friend. You should try getting a friend of your own. You might not be so lonely and miserable." He continued as he stood in front of Ben. "And probably make you more happy."
Merula growled a little as she continued to stare at her enemy. "You never learn, do you, Crow?" Since Merula's attention was now on him it gave Ben the opportunity to get away. A small smirk came across her face. "Why don't you be more like your mad brother, and go missing?"
One of his eyes twitches a little, the pity in his eyes fades as he should not let the mention of his brother get to him once again. "You're the person everyone wishes to go away," he retorted back.
"Make me, Crow." The smirk on Merula's face grew.
Suddenly he hears his mother's voice inside his head once more to reason with her. "I don't want to duel you, Merula," he said before pleading. "Please just stop…" His eyes were filled with hope for her to stop which only makes her angry again.
"Too Bad!" She shouts as she takes out her wand and notices Rowan walking next to him, "Flipendo!" She casts the spell at Rowan which causes him to lose his footing and hit the ground.
Lucien turns around and notices Rowan on the ground, hurt a little as his eyes widened a little in concern and shock. "Rowan!" Lucien helps Rowan up before he slowly gets back up and walks over next to Ben while Lucien turns his attention back to Merula.
"I've been wanting to do that since the Feast," she said as her sinister smirk came across her face once again. "You're next, Crow…"
"I won't let you hurt anyone else...!" Lucien threatened before he started to hear his mother's once sweet and gentle voice turned into screams which caused him to hold his head in pain.
Merula looks at him in confusion before shrugging it off. "What's wrong, Crow? Too much for you to handle?" She started to wave her wand before shouting the incantation. "Flipendo!" She casts the spell at the distracted Lucien which it hits him, causing him to fall and hit the back of his head on the ground.
"Wrong again, Crow."
Lucien feeling the massive pain in his head before hitting the ground only made the pain worse. The screams of his mother were getting louder. Muttering to himself apologizing for threatening a classmate. He could barely hear Merula's voice along with some of the students' laughter but it was cutting in and out. Suddenly everything went silent including the screams except for one sound. It was a long constant yet never ending beep; it was the same sound that he heard when his mother passed in the hospital room.
No longer holding his head in pain, he begins to slowly get up as he faces the ground. His eyes were covered by his white hair.
"Oh? You want to go again, Crow?" Merula said as another smug came across her face.
The only response she was given was a motionless and silent Lucien. "Hey, I said you want to go again?" She repeated but was given the same response once again. Getting annoyed before she started to raise her voice. "Hey are you deaf or something?! Answer me!"
Suddenly a small chuckle came from him which not only confuses her even but it confuses the students gathered around them. The small chuckle quickly shifted into a loud yet maniacal laugh which even scared some of the students including Ben Copper.
"What's so funny?!" She shouted as her eyes were now filled with fury thinking he was making fun of her only for the maniacal laughter to stop and everything went silent for a moment.
"I tried…" Lucien muttered to himself but it was loud enough for it to be heard by everyone else, still looking down. "I tried to be kind Mum...I'm sorry I've disappointed you…" Merula tilts her head but the anger was still there. "I tried, giving you a chance…" Lucien's head slowly raises up a little as everyone could see a smile on his face. But it was not the usual genuine yet kind smile he had. It was something more sinister. Something dark.
"Lucien?" Rowan said as he was concerned but it quickly turned into fear once he saw Lucien's head rise up all the way to look at the Slytherin girl. His eyes stared into hers. Her enraged demeanor quickly shifted as she suddenly felt unease.
His yellow eyes were like those of a mad man. Cold and lifeless. "I tried giving you a chance...But you just had to push me..." He continued as his voice became more dark yet by the minute. "If you want me to fight you, so badly." His sinister smile turned into a crazed grin. "THEN YOU'VE GOT ONE!"
"F-Flipendo!" Merula shouts as she casts the same spell at him, only for him to actually block the spell with his wand. Everyone including her has become speechless with shock while some were surprised.
"H-He blocked her spell!" One of the students said.
"No way! He doesn't even know the shield charm yet!" Another student added.
Almost at a loss for words Merula shook her head in denial. "H-How dare you...How dare you block my spell?!" She was now getting furious before casting another spell at him once again. "Flipendo!" Lucien blocks the spell with his wand yet again. Getting even more angry she keeps casting the same spell every time only for him to keep blocking.
"What's the matter, Snyde?! Can't hit your target?!" Lucien shouted as the crazed grin was growing each time he continued to block her spells. Merula started to scream in pure anger that no one has ever heard nor seen before.
"STOP BLOCKING MY ATTACKS AND FIGHT BACK!" She roared as she was about to cast the same spell once again. "FLIPE-"
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Lucien interrupts her as he casted the Disarming Charm on Merula. Her wand flies out of her hand. Catching her off guard and in complete shock along with everyone else except for Rowan and Ben who were cheering him, completely forgetting about the fear they had earlier.
"H-How'd you learn that spell already? No fair!" She exclaimed as she was about to pick up her wand.
"Rictusempra!" He casted the Tickling Charm at her as she started to laugh hysterically.
"HA-HA! The Tickling Charm too?! HA-HA!" She quickly composes herself from laughing before the anger comes back to her.
"That was amazing, Lucien! Rowan cheered as the excitement filled his eyes.
"Y-You can't be better than me! No one can be better than me!" Merula said before beginning to throw a tantrum.
"I beat you, Snyde. Now apologise to Ben Copper, and promise to stop bullying everyone," he said as the crazed smile fades along with holding on to his head in slight pain. "Ugh...Bloody hell…?" He muttered to himself before looking at Merula who was now screaming bloody murder.
"I'll never apologise to you losers and Mudbloods!" While she was going on a tantrum Professor's Flitwick and Snape showed up and stood behind her. "I'm Merula Snyde! Fourth generation Slytherin! The greatest witch at Hogwarts! I do what I want, when I want! I run this school! I-"
"Ahem." Snape clears his throat as it catches Merula's attention before her eyes widened as suddenly stopped her monologue when she heard Snape's voice behind her, she failed to notice the arrival of the two Professors. Lucien noticed the two professor's as his eyes widened as well. Frozen in fear as her expression was side-splitting to all students except for Lucien who was actually terrified by the two professors showing up and also feeling bad for Merula for some reason. She turned around to see the two Professors.
"P-Professor Snape!" Merula exclaimed as her sudden change in tone of voice to a timid and sheepish one. Most likely either out of fear or out of embarrassment.
Although Snape's gaze quickly shifted from Merula to Lucien. It seemed like he was waiting for an explanation from him.
"Oh...Crap..." Lucien muttered to himself again as he placed his hand off from his head soon as the pain faded. But the fear in his eyes was still there as he did not know what to do. "Professor Snape, I…" He stutters, confused on both what happened and trying to not say anything that would get him into more trouble than he already is.
"I suspect this is your fault, Crow. Are you aware of Hogwarts' policy on unauthorized dueling?" Snape's eyes were still focused on him as his monotone sounded oddly calming which he did not like.
"Yes, Professor," he replied as he managed to keep his fear in check.
"Did you cast the first spell in this duel, Mr Crow?" Flitwick interjected before Snape got to say anything else.
Lucien quickly shook his head. "No. Merula hit me with Flipendo first, Professor," he answered as that was the only thing he could remember feeling since his head was in pain so he just assumed Merula hitted him with the spell.
"Miss Snyde cast the first spell, Professor Snape. Mr Crow was only defending himself," Flitwick said to Snape as he turned his attention towards the Potions Master.
Snape's expression remains unchanged as he turns to the Charms Professor. "And I wonder where he learned the Disarming Charm." Snape replied, sounding like he was blaming him for this entire situation before turning back to Lucien. "Clean yourself up, and see me in the West Towers to face the consequences of your actions, Crow," Snape started to leave along with the Charms Professor.
As the teachers were no longer on the courtyard all of the students immediately started talking to each other. Some of them were cheering for Lucien, while others were giving him looks of terror. Lucien looks around at the students before noticing Merula was nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?" Lucien asked him as he saw Rowan approaching him.
"That was brilliant, Lucien! You defeated Merula Snyde!" Rowan exclaimed. He was grinning in joy. Lucien looked at him as he was confused but seemed less confused since that was important information he got at the moment.
"I did?" Lucien tilts his head as his response made Rowan stare at him strangely along with his smile disappearing.
"You did. Don't you remember?" Rowan's eyes were now worried. "She didn't make you lose your memory did she?!"
Lucien tries to recall the events when he got knocked to the ground but everything just did not pop up. "No I don't...All I remember was blacking out after she hit me with Flipendo and next minute I knew, she was screaming at me…" He then recalls that Rowan and Ben saw the whole thing so they might know something. "What happened from your perspective?"
Rowan rubs his chin as he pieces everything that he witnessed so far. "Well, right after you got it by Merula's spell you got up and went motionless for a while before you started laughing like you really went mad!"
"It was really terrifying." Ben added as he approaches them both. "Even that look you gave her nearly made me faint!"
"Even I have to agree with him on that one," Rowan nodded in agreement. "And you also said something...Strange."
Lucien was beyond confused at this point. Laughing like a mad man? A strange look? Are they just pulling his leg or are they really telling him the truth. Before he could ponder further he was more interested in what he said. "What did I say?" He suddenly felt like he already regrets asking him that.
"Well...How do I put this," Rowan replied as he tried to put what he knows into words. "You said you tried being kind for your mum? And you were apologising to her because you disappointed her? I suspect you were muttering that to yourself...But then you just stared at Merula with...The strange look." Rowan's words trail off as if he was having an inner debate if he should tell him more or not.
"What was the strange look I gave her?" Lucien was starting to get very uneasy as Rowan was being very vague about all this.
"You gave her a smile...And it wasn't just any normal smile. It was...Very dark," Ben answered honestly, making Lucien afraid of himself. It did not sound anything like him. It was like that dream he always had after his mother died. What was happening to him?
"So what are you trying to say? I just completely snapped and lost it?" He said as he could hear the constant chattering of the students continuing.
"That's really what happened! You even blocked all of Meurla's spells...With only your wand!" Rowan exclaimed once again as he went back to being cheerful at the thought. "I didn't know it was even possible to block spells with just a wand!"
Speaking of Merula there was that one question that was lingering inside Lucien's mind. "Did I...Did I hurt her?" He asked as he was concerned for Merula and did not want to imagine if he did while he blacked out. Even if she was a bully and enemy. She was still his classmate.
"Physically? No, but you did hurt her pride since you just disarmed her and cast the Tickling Charm on her. And even tried to get her to apologise afterwards." Rowan answered as Lucien let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good, I couldn't bear the thought of snapping and accidentally injuring someone even if they are my friends and enemies." He smiled as it was the usual smile he always had.
"You sure the sorting hat didn't make a mistake to put you in Hufflepuff?" Rowan joked as the three friends started laughing.
"My mum was a Hufflepuff so I guess I got my kindness from her...And her beautiful white hair." Lucien replied as he stopped laughing while dusting off the mess on his white hair.
"That's brilliant! But why do you think you've disappointed her?" Ben asked as he looked at him. Lucien looks down for a moment before looking at them both.
"Because she brought me into this world, so I figured I would do something to make her proud. Nothing more, nothing less," he answered as he felt a little guilty. But he kind of did tell a partial truth. "Well I better get going, otherwise Snape will have my head."
"Alright, we wish you luck, Lucien," Rowan said before giving him a thumbs up.
"Y-Yeah...I just hope Snape doesn't do anything drastic…" Ben added before shaking a little from the thought.
They leave the Courtyard as Lucien was still confused on what is going on with him but it soon was replaced by what will happen to him once he has to face Snape.
I was going to post this chapter last night but I was tired and did not have the energy. But on the side note, what do you think is happening to Lucien? :3 Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments and be ready for the next chapter soon!