Chapter 28

In which Thomas got a public scolding

1st of November at Hogwarts began with a chill. Students can be seen milling around bundled in thick winter cloak, scarves, mittens and traveling in groups to ward off the chilly wind. The cold wind was especially harsh in the Defense classroom, which happened to face where the cold draft had come from and as such bore the brunt of the early winter chills.

For some reason, Thomas felt a foreboding chills on top of his freezing class. He felt like he had forgotten something important, but for the life of him, couldn't quite remember what it was he had forgotten. Severus was of no help, since the man was not with him all day long during Halloween. (Except for the party they both would prefer to forget and not be reminded of, and thus had refrained from mentioning the event whenever they talked.)

Harriet, on the other hand, stared at him long and hard with a little frown in her face that had him broke in cold sweats and quickly excused himself to go and order another trinket for her 'Come of Age Party'. (He breathed more easily when his lady beamed at the crystal covered miniature of her classroom decoration to commemorate the event but couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't what he had forgotten.)

That is until he rummaged in his teacher's desk and saw the announcement of the Junior and Senior Duelling Competition that application date was fast approaching. The joint adrenaline between his host and his at the realization that he only got roughly two months to pick a Junior and a Senior team had him forgotten his plea and went as fast as his legs can take to the Headmaster's Office. On his way there, he saw Professor Flitwick talking to his students, and without so much as an excuse me, lifted the diminutive Professor and carried him to the Headmaster's Office.

"Clarence!" The Charm Professor squeaked. "What is the meaning of this?! Put me down!"

"I'm sorry Professor" Thomas said without breaking a stride. "It's the dueling competition. The National Competition will be held in the Third of January and we haven't submitted any participant from Hogwarts. I completely forgotten to tell the Headmaster and you!"

"Third of January?! Are you joking? That's in two months!" Professor Flitwick looked outraged.

Thomas knew that the Duelling Champion would see it that way. When he was a student, there was a Duelling club that they can choose the participant from. Without the club, they need more time to prepare the students for the championship.

Thus, Harriet and some other top scorer in Defense found themselves gathered in the Defense classroom to form the beginning of a new Duelling Club.

"Why am I here?" she whispered to Su Li in exasperation.

"It's a draft. We've been drafted to establish the Duelling Club." She whispered back.

Harriet's face turned sour at the information. Merlin, was it not enough that she'd been drafted to the Quidditch team, and now this Duelling Club? They'd better be allowed to blow up something. This new club would take more time from her personal projects.

"Welcome, everyone, to your first ever Duelling Club Meeting" Professor Higgs announced with a large smile while Professor Flitwick bounced in excitement. Professor Snape, on the other hand, looked as dour as ever.

"We have all the five top scorers from every year of Hogwarts, from the second years until seventh years. You were invited based on your marks in both Charms and Defense Practical Exam in the end of last year, as well as personal invites from all the Head of Houses. All Head of Houses are involved in this club, as we are the only club to actually participates in National and hopefully, International circuits. Unfortunately, Professors McGonagall and Sprout were otherwise occupied, but you might see them in our later meetings." He took a deep breath and smiled at the 50 something students as he pulled a hat out of his sleeves and shook it ominously.

"Now, the closest event is in January, and to determine the team that would participate in the competition, I want every student to write their names in a piece of parchments that will be distributed by Professors Snape and Flitwick. This hat will determine who will face who on a round robin duel. You can use any spells in your repertoire this far. The Junior Team will start with the second years, if you please. The winner of this round will go to face the third-year champion, to the fourth-year champion. Professors Snape and Flitwick will be your advisors while I would be your referee. Senior Team, that is fifth to seventh year, you may watch, or go back to your dorm. Your selection will be in three days. The two selected teams will train three times a week with all of us until the competition in January, and if we're fortunate enough to win it, we will participate in the International Circuit on May 15th."

The students chattered excitedly as the second years students wrote their names and entered it to the hat."

"First round" Professor Higgs announced as a piece of parchment flew to his hand. "Justin Finch Fletchley Versus"

He took a deep breath as another piece of parchment flew to his hand. "Daphne Greengrass"

The two first years stepped up the dais and listened to the advisors' instruction. They meet in the middle and bow to each other before taking a stance.

"Begin" Professor Higgs announced again.

Daphne sent a Petrificus Totalus that Justin side stepped deftly. The spell went wide and hit Ronald Weasley, who was an invitee of the Gryffindor's Head of House. Justin retaliated by sending a tickling hex followed in rapid succession with Tarantallegra and a tripping jinx. Daphne avoided the tickling hex and twirled around the Tarantallegra, right into the path of the tripping jinx. But she stumbled near Justin and took his wand as she tumbled down, making her the winner of the round.

"Well, what a surprising result. This is a lesson to all of you. It doesn't matter how impressive your spellworks are. At the end of the day, the one who took the wand wins." Professor Higgs said with a large smile.

The first meeting went better than he expected. The fight continued with Daphne dominating almost half the second-year participants until she faced Susan Bones, the Third Rank from Defense Practical Exam, and conceded defeat.

"don't be so disappointed, Ms. Greengrass, this is a round robin competition, and your stamina is nothing to be sneezed at, defeating four people in succession is not a bad achievement. Stamina is also important in a Duelling Circuit, because your challenge could last hours to days depending on your opponent." The Professor commented again.

Susan won two other fights but bow down to Harriet who won the rest of the fights in a single stroke.

"Yes, Ms. Potter is a quick draw, which is always an advantage." Professor Higgs mussed.

The third years fight was slightly more interesting due to the wider array of spells in their repertoire, but the winner of the third year'r round, Kevin Entwhistle from Gryffindor, still fall short of Harriet's quick and almost silent expelliarmus.

Finally, it was the last round of the fourth year's round, between Melissa Garret of Slytherin and Fred Weasley. Melissa was getting more and more flustered by Fred's creative use of transfiguration and charm spells that humiliated her.

In a fit of anger, she yelled "Serpensortia!"

The spell summoned a Black King Cobra to their midst, hissing and spitting venom in his annoyance. The snake looked around and zeroed on Justin who was close to the front and trembling like a rabbit. Professor Higgs immediately summoned the snake to him and tried to banish him (and failed, because the Black King Cobra was hungry and had a surprisingly strong will to stay and 'eat the rabbit').

In the midst of arguing with the snake, he felt a glare to his back and heard a mighty hissing sound. The room fell into chaos as everyone were over each other to escape the gigantic snake that had somehow came into the room without anyone knowing. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Professors Snape and Flitwick herding the student to safety and returned his attention to his irate familiar.

"Medusa, what are you doing out of the chamber?" he asked timidly.

Of course, he remembered now that he was supposed to go and visit Medusa with Harriet, only to be delayed because of the 'Coming Of Age' thing, and he'd forgotten to inform the basilisk in their change of plans. For three days.

"Play with other snakes, will you, hatchling?" the Basilisk hissed in irritation. "you said you're coming and bringing me the tasty wooly snacks, you said you're introducing me to your nest-mate to-be. I waited, and waited, and waited. No tasty wooly snacks, no words. I have to hunt you down the pipes and what did I found?"

She shook her gigantic serpentine head dramatically. "I know I'm old, but really, master?! It's not enough that I have to share you with that tiny smelly snack, but A mere Black King Cobra?!"

"Excuse me, I'll have you know that I'm a perfectly fine specimen of my race. Not a mere anything." The Black King Cobra hissed, apparently feeling insulted if the flare of his hood is any indication.

"Shut it, you pedestrian ordinary worthless muggle species" Medusa glared at him. "be thankful that I still love my master enough to cover my gaze so that you still could be insolent enough to challenge a Basilisk of Legend."

"Yes, of course, so legendary that she'd forgotten that she's old."

The snakes continued to bicker, forgetting poor Thomas that was stuck between the two irate snakes.