Chapter 7
The Duel
After the wand weighing ceremony, Rita Skeeter was set loose upon the champions and their mentors. First, she ordered that they take group pictures, then individual shots of the mentors with their champions were demanded, some pictures with the committee, the judges and what not.
Dumbledore organised a quick lunch for the classroom as everyone was famished after the photoshoot. Rita Skeeter, however, said she was feeling rather unwell and refused to eat anything, all she drank was a lot of water.
The champions and mentors then waited for their turns to be interviewed by Skeeter, who set up shop inside the office connected to the classroom.
Sarah sat silently finishing her potions homework as Athena helped her through some difficult steps. Lyra sat close to them, with her feet crossed, her leg shaking distractedly as she ate a piece of chicken pie.
"This Skeeter woman is a piece of work…please be careful in there…especially you, Sarah…" Athena said worryingly as she looked over Sarah's essay.
"Don't worry…she seems smitten by me." Lyra offered overconfidently as her eyes rested on the office door.
"Just don't say anything, I wouldn't!"
"That's a lot of things Thee-Thee…"
"You know what I mean Lyra…she's known to be rather nasty…twisting and turning people's words and emotions for the sake of news…she's a liar and a…"
"So, she's like any other journalist then…"
Athena shook her head at Lyra and looked back at the essay and offered Sarah multiple tit-bits to add, so as to impress her professor. Sarah quickly worked the points in. The office door slammed open as Moody and Potter stumbled out of the office. Potter looked extremely angry and so did Moody. Athena and Sarah noticed this and left what they were doing to find out what had happened. Lyra decided instead, it was a good time to light a post lunch cigarette. She clearly had no self-control with this, easily having forgotten the promise of cutting it down to one a day, that she had made to herself just last night.
A few moments later, Sarah and Athena returned and began narrating the terrible lies that Skeeter woman had scribbled down. Lyra continued to watch the door to the office being thrown open again. She watched as Zeus Shorthorn and Snape marched out of the room. Shorthorn looked positively disturbed, while Snape had looked bothered by it. Lyra looked at him, as their eyes met. A few seconds later, she was glaring at him. He looked away embarrassedly as if he'd been caught.
"Lyra!" called Sarah for the umpteenth time, frustrated that her aunt's mind had been elsewhere.
"What?!" snapped Lyra angrily looking at her niece.
"Come on…we're the only ones left." Sarah said biting her lip. Lyra grit her teeth and stood, following her niece into the office and slamming the door behind her.
They sat down, as Rita Skeeter began talking to Sarah. Lyra paid no attention. She just kept thinking about what had just happened. In all honesty, she was a little shaken by it. Had Snape just tried to read her mind? No. He had…there was no doubt about it. Lyra had not realised earlier, but every time they had looked at each other, he had always looked straight into her eyes. He had tried to break her barriers. And Lyra had a feeling, he had somehow been successful this time. She didn't know what he'd seen, until she had realised what he had done, and pushed him out of there. What the hell was he playing at?
"Lyra?" Sarah called out. Lyra looked at her niece. She and Rita Skeeter were looking at her expectantly.
"Sorry…I was…distracted…what…what were we talking about?" Lyra asked looking at Skeeter, who smiled at her cunningly.
"Your niece was just telling me about what she found most fascinating about you! She said you could show it to me." said Skeeter smoothly.
"Fascinating? Me? I'm really not that interesting…Ms. Skeeter." Said Lyra chuckling modestly.
"Come now Ms. Marks…it's far unlike you to be so humble…your deeds are extraordinary…and so are your failures." Skeeter smirked. Lyra eyed her carefully.
"I…really don't know what you are referring to…Sarah…what did you tell her?" Lyra asked worriedly, hoping her internal angry rant hadn't offset their chances. Because, if Sarah had said anything even slightly incriminating, they…or rather Lyra was going to be in a world of trouble.
"I just told her about the thing…" said Sarah shrugging.
"WHAT…what…thing?" Lyra asked apprehensively.
"You know…the thing…the thing you do…THE THING!"
"For Merlin's-sakes, if you say 'thing' one more time…" Lyra snapped frustratedly.
"Don't get so annoyed…I was just telling her how cool you are…and how you can guess exactly where someone has been without even knowing them!" Sarah replied pouting for being snapped at without reason.
"She says…you don't even need magic…" laughed Skeeter, treating Sarah like a cute little child. Which aggravated Sarah even more. She looked at her aunt in annoyance.
"Oh…no…uh…she's right…in a way…" Lyra replied seriously. Skeeter was now suddenly very intrigued.
"Oh…really? So, then tell me, Ms. Marks…where was I before this?" said Skeeter smirking.
Lyra sat back in the armchair as she looked at Skeeter thoroughly, she raised a polished eyebrow.
"Late last night…at a pub!" said Lyra as Skeeter sat up straight. She looked at her in surprise.
"How…how is that possible…this can't…there has to be something…some magic…how would you?" Skeeter stammered.
"Did you see me use my wand?" Lyra asked amused by her surprise.
"I take it by your reaction that I was right." Lyra added, Skeeter nodded.
"You see, Ms. Skeeter. We as humans…have become far too invested in ourselves. We no longer want to witness the things happening around us, we'd rather selfishly look at ourselves and what's going to be beneficial to us. What I just did, so can you…in fact, as a journalist…it's an integral part of your job description…observing the world around you…finding…uh…news. What I did…was just…simple…it's called the art of deduction. Really, nothing more, nothing less…"
"So…you just…you deduced all of that, in a second?"
"Oh…oh, no, no…I've been observing you all day. From the minute I offered you a cigarette I knew…and I knew the back story too. You were clearly there to impress someone. Possibly a new employer? You are naughty aren't you, Ms. Skeeter…you clearly got him extremely drunk along with you. And you clearly lost track of time and woke up with a bad hangover. But you couldn't miss this scoop…even if you didn't really want to be here in the first place."
Skeeter grew apprehensive now. Her smile completely faded.
"How…how do you know all this?" Skeeter hissed at her. Shutting her book and squishing the quill in it. Lyra smirked; she had her cornered.
"Simple isn't it. In the morning when I offered you a cigarette, you said you didn't smoke, yet you smelt like you had put on enough perfume to fill the room— a failed attempt to hide the smell of cigarettes on your clothes. How I knew you were meeting a new employer…which…uh…you turned into something else, your chipped toenail…tells me, he wasn't what you were prepared for, but you went for it anyway. The dress you're wearing makes it clear you were trying to impress someone…and it was most definitely not going to be a bunch of old teachers and bureaucrats…or even acne faced teenagers. It had to be someone you really wanted to leave your mark on. Someone who already knew you, yet someone more powerful than you. A senior editor in your newspaper, perhaps. I knew you were hungover, because you refused to eat anything and have been overhydrating yourself all day. How do I know you came here in a rush? The buttons on the back collar of your dress, are done wrong, so you clearly did not have time to hide the marks he's left on your neck. Of course, I only assume it was a man…I can't be sure of that." Said Lyra smoothly, through the explanation.
"Did you like my scoop, Ms. Skeeter?" Lyra asked the woman, sitting back in her chair, crossing her legs, resting her elbow on the armrest and then her chin on her hand. Rita Skeeter had nothing to say. She looked extremely anxious. The smile and haughtiness in her demeanour had been replaced by terror on her face.
"Ms. Marks…please…I could…lose my..." She began pleading.
"Have you ever played chess, Ms. Skeeter?" Lyra asked cutting her off abruptly.
"I am familiar with the game." Replied Skeeter.
"Then you'd know which piece is the most powerful, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'm glad…we are on the same page. After all, if women don't support women, the world would crumble, wouldn't you say?"
"Completely."
"Do you have any other questions for us?" Lyra asked as Rita Skeeter quickly shook her head.
"Lovely…I look forward to your delightful piece in the Prophet tomorrow. Come Sarah." Said Lyra getting up as she looked at Rita Skeeter one last time. The woman gave her a firm and forced smile.
"How was it?" Athena asked hurriedly as Sarah and Lyra stepped out of the office. Minerva had come to her sister's side.
"It…was weird…really…I honestly didn't understand half of it." Sarah said puzzled, as if she had just walked out of a complicated exam.
"What? Was it so bad?" Athena asked panicking as she looked at Lyra, who shook her head, trying to calm her down.
"I honestly think Lyra…threatened her…" said Sarah looking confusedly at her aunt.
"YOU THREATENED HER!" Athena almost yelled.
"Oh dear…" Minerva sounded anxiously.
"Merlin…I didn't exactly threaten her…"
"Then she asked her…if she liked chess? I don't know…it was really weird…you know how she gets all cryptic, Aunt Athena…" said Sarah, the more she thought about it, the more she confused herself.
"Lyra! Tell me exactly what happened!"
"What?! I just basically said…that I know she's a skank who sleeps around for work and that…if she says something untoward…the news of her skankiness might just be let slip into the world. Obviously, I was polite about it." Said Lyra shrugging.
"Ohhh…"
Sarah sounded as she suddenly seemed to put the pieces together.
"You're fucking brilliant!" Sarah said shaking her head at her aunt in disbelief.
"SARAH! Language!" Athena snapped as Lyra chuckled.
"Wait…how would know you any of this?" Minerva wondered.
"The art of deduction…Aunt Minerva…you were an auror…you get it." Said Lyra patting Minerva on the shoulder.
"I think, I'm going to faint." Said Athena.
"Stop being such a drama queen!" chorused Lyra and Minerva rolling their eyes at her.
Sarah sniggered loudly, while Athena glared at the two women, who were now chuckling at each other stupidly.
Harry Potter walked past multiple people wearing those offensive badges. Everywhere he went, he just saw those badges that read, POTTER STINKS!
What was worse, was Rita Skeeters article had come out just yesterday and people were now either looking at him pitifully, or with disgust. The Slytherin's however, were having a field day making fun of him.
He had even gotten into an altercation with Malfoy that morning and Hermione had borne the brunt of it. So, he had lost both his best friends now, Ron who was behaving like a basic prat and Hermione who was spending her day in the hospital wing. All of this, while he had to deal with what he had seen last night.
A nerve thumped in Harry's head, but he recalled Hermione telling him to ignore them. So that's what Harry did, or at least he tried to.
Finally, locating the person, he was looking for, Harry slumped into the transfiguration courtyard, pulling his backpack, he walked up to Zeus Shorthorn with a purpose.
"Zeus…do you have a second?" He asked softly. The Slytherin's surrounding the head boy looked at Harry like he was scum on Earth.
"Read the badge, Potter!"
"Get lost, Potter…the real champion doesn't have time for you!"
"Are you going to cry, Potter…shall we get the tissues?"
They laughed menacingly at his expense. Zeus tried his best to shut them up. He pulled the younger champion to the side out of earshot.
"Potter…about the badges…I've told them not to…"
"Forget that…"
"The first task…it's dragons!"
"What?!"
"Yeah…dragons. They've got one for each of us. They've got nesting mothers it seems, making them more vicious or something…we're supposed to collect something…I don't know exactly what that means…but…this is all I know." Said Harry purposefully. Zeus Shorthorn seemed shocked by what the boy had said. Potter then turned around. Zeus grabbed his backpack.
"Potter wait! Why…why are you helping me?" Zeus asked in surprise.
"Karkaroff knows…so obviously, Krum does to…and since I know…I thought it was…you know…only fair to tell you! It's Dragons…and people die in this thing…and…I don't want anyone to die."
"Harry…Harry…slow down mate!" said Zeus as Harry took a breath.
"Does…does Sarah Lincolns know?" Zeus asked as Harry frowned.
"No…I don't think she's got any idea." Harry replied shaking his head.
The two boys now looked at Sarah Lincolns who was in the courtyard talking to her friends.
"Should we tell her? I mean…she's the only one who doesn't know…and she's been nothing but nice to me…to Neville…to…" Harry rambled.
"We should. Of course." Said Zeus smiling proudly at Harry.
"I'll speak to her in the common room…I've got to get to Transfiguration…before professor McGonagall acts on her threat to turn me into a pocket watch." Harry said as Zeus laughed.
"A classic threat, she has to still act upon…" Zeus added. Harry smirked.
"Thank you, Harry!" Zeus said kindly. Potter nodded and began walking away.
"Potter! Hey, Potter!" called the young blonde boy from the tree. Harry gripped his backpack strap in anger as he turned to look at Malfoy.
"Why so tense, Potter? Scared cause your mummy and daddy, can't save you?" laughed Malfoy, quoting the already misquoted piece by Rita Skeeter that had come out that morning. Harry began walking away.
"Hold on Potter…I need to know something. My father and I have a bet you see…I said you won't last ten minutes in this tournament. He reckons, you won't last five! What'd you think?" Draco laughed wickedly.
That really hit Harry's last nerve. He threw his bag down and walked towards Malfoy threateningly.
"Shut up Malfoy! I don't give a damn what your father thinks. He's vile and cruel and you're just pathetic!" Harry yelled, his wand was in his hand and so Malfoy's. They glared at each other. Harry scoffed and then turned around to pick up his bag. Malfoy raised his wand and shot a jinx at Harry.
"Protego!"
Harry turned around to see his protector as Sarah had stepped in front of him. Deflecting the spell like it meant nothing. For the first time, Harry realised that she was a force to be reckoned with. Sure, she usually seemed like she was a harmless and sweet girl. But right now, the way she stood in between him and Malfoy, Harry understood why the Goblet had pulled out her name.
"Attacking someone when their back is turned is a coward's move!" Sarah snapped at Malfoy. He glared at her.
"Can't hide behind your American girlfriend forever, Potter…going to make her run the first task for you too?" Malfoy said snidely.
"That's enough Malfoy…" said Zeus walking up to Malfoy to sound him off.
People began gathering.
"This bitch wants to duel, Zeus…she's still standing there…protecting Precious Potter…he's the one who stole your glory…if I were you, I'd be ready to take them down, cousin!" spat Malfoy glaring daggers at Harry and Sarah.
"No one is duelling anyone!" snapped Zeus as the crowd now began softly chanting.
"Go on Sarah…show them the AIMS way!" said Dennis hooting for his friend.
"Please…everyone…calm down…there will be no duel here!" Snapped Zeus as the crowd booed him.
"Why not? Are you scared Shorthorn?" Called someone from the crowd.
"Hogwarts are a bunch of cowards!" Shouted a Durmstrang student.
Suddenly, the crowd was yelling and screaming at each other.
"People! There is nothing going to happen here. We're not savages. Malfoy…Potter…apologise to each other and get this settled!" said Zeus looking at both the boys, who glared daggers at him. The crowd once more turned against Zeus in unison.
"You're really a disgrace Shorthorn…fight her! If not for your cousin…then for the sake of Slytherin!" snapped Malfoy looking at Zeus with disgust in his eyes.
"I am not fighting a girl!" Zeus snapped. He then suddenly realised what he had said. He turned to Sarah shaking his head.
"No…no…I didn't mean it that way…"
"I can beat you in seconds." Sarah resounded as the crowd cheered her on. Harry hooted for her as well.
"Please…this is ridiculous! Sarah…come on…I didn't mean it like that…I'm sorry…" Zeus said, Malfoy playfully pushed him ahead.
"I am NOT duelling anyone!" Zeus thundered at his housemates who were now chanting his name.
"Why not? She's clearly not got any skills for this…her stance is poor and she's not holding her wand properly…a simple disarming charm and she's as good as gone." Announced a baritone mirthfully. The crowd fell silent. Zeus looked at his mentor who the crowd had parted for, all looking at him in surprise as to what he had just said.
"I am not fighting her…she's another champion…this tournament is about camaraderie…if you're so keen on a duel…fight her yourself!" Zeus snapped loudly at Professor Snape, who rolled his eyes at him.
"Pity. You'd win…especially, seeing how evident her negligible understanding of duelling is…probably never even shot a spell at another in Defence class, have you, Ms. Lincolns?" Snape asked sardonically, smirking at her. The Slytherins collectively booed her. Sarah sucked in her cheeks. She had shot a spell or two…or maybe five…but that didn't mean she hadn't seen her aunt practice and go on and on about her duels with dark wizards. All of those things had to count for something, right?
"I have a lot of field experience…think that counts?" Said someone from the other side. Snape who had been ravelling in the chants of his name, paused to look at her. The crowd once more parted as Lyra Marks walked towards Sarah Lincolns and Harry Potter. She stood next to her niece looking straight at Snape.
"This is a bad idea…!" Zeus hissed at his mentor, who didn't seem very keen on listening to him.
Snape ignored him. His wand slipped into his hand through his sleeve. He looked at her challengingly. Lyra scoffed at him. It made him angrier. Who the hell, did she think she was?
"She's a member of the 27 Coven…professor…what are you doing…?" Zeus asked with slight panic in his voice.
"There is no one to judge…" Snape spat at Lyra as they both looked at each other challengingly.
"Aunt Lyra…don't…" Sarah whispered to her aunt worriedly pulling at her aunt's shirt, hoping she'd be mature enough to pull away. However, this was Lyra, there was no way she'd walk away from a duel.
"You know the AIMS policy on bullies…we don't tolerate such behaviour." Said Lyra taking her wand out of its holster.
"I'll judge this!" Volunteered Moody. Where the hell had he appeared from? Thought Sarah and Zeus in their heads.
"Still got a chance to run, Mr. Snape…I'd advise you do so." said Lyra chuckling to herself.
Snape however, did not take kindly to her comment. He was not a coward to back away from a fight.
"Contenders must bow." Moody said as the two just looked at each other taking their stance.
"BOW!" Moody snapped again. They finally, bowed just their heads, unwillingly.
"Alright then…you want to play dirty…the first one to get the other off their feet wins." Said Moody with a cunning smile, his magical eye darting between Snape and Lyra.
The two contenders, glared at each other for moments, they stood there with their wands held, both in attack stances, but doing nothing. They just stood there, neither moving.
"What…what are they doing…how's Snape going to win if he just stands there?!" Draco announced his annoyance. Zeus shushed him.
"A duel is not about headless spells…it's who can play the best mind game. Right now, they're both waiting for the other to make the first move. The first move is the one that makes or breaks!" Zeus whispered.
"How boring…" snapped Draco.
"If one of you doesn't do anything…I'm calling this off!" Snarled Moody, sharing Draco's sentiment.
Neither duellist paid heed as the crowd waited for them to do something.
Lyra tried avoiding his eyes as well as she could. She worried he'd try to scratch into her mind again. Instead, her eyes focused solely on his hand. A single quiver and he was as good as gone. But he was skilled, she'd give him that, most opponents would have already fired something inane by now.
Something caught his eye and in that millisecond of a distraction, his hand moved a centimetre to the left. That was all she needed as his wand acted without consent, or probably acted upon the non-verbal spell he had been narrating in his head. The wand cast an inch away from her face.
Rusty, are you? Lyra thought smirking to herself.
Lyra moved to her right and they began a duel that the students were excited to witness.
"Confringo"
"Diffindo"
"Obscuro"
"Petrificus Totalus"
"Reducto"
"Stupefy"
"Tarantallegra"
"Avis"
"Bombarda"
"Confundo"
A series of spells were sent back and forth between them as they both panted. Neither had been taken down by these basic casts. Sure, they had pushed each other around, but not much came of it. Clearly, they were both growing tired and breathless defending themselves from the barrage of constant attacks. However, both still remained undeterred.
"Levicorpus!" He snarled at her. Lyra crouched to dodge the spell.
"Snape!" Moody warned growling.
"Cheat!" Lyra snarled at him.
He scoffed. There were no rules, they were playing dirty. He was trying to get her off on a technicality and Lyra wasn't going to let that stand. If he wanted to play dirty, she'd show him dirty. As soon as she crouched, she pointed her wand at the ground.
"Seismos!"
The ground around them shook as Snape wasn't expecting such a powerful cast. He tried to steady himself. That was when she got him.
"Volamucus!" She said pointing her wand straight at him as Snape held his large nose, a mucusy bat shot out of it. Lyra was now going to have fun.
"Impedimenta"
He tried to dodge it, but he wasn't fast enough. He was blown off his feet, but she wasn't going to accept her victory so easily.
"Flipendo!" She snapped flourishing her wand playfully. Snape was flipped mid-air multiple times, his bellowing robes coiling around him. He fell on his back with a sharp thud.
"Expelliarmus!"
The last spell, shot his wand straight out of his hand, she caught it easily.
That was the last of it. He had been insulted, beaten by simple spells, all, with a bruised ego and a battered back.
"Right…I'm not even surprised…Ms. Marks wins!" stated Moody as the AIMS students cheered wildly.
Lyra scoffed and smirked as the Slytherin's and Hogwarts students who had been cheering their professor on, looked dejectedly. Zeus tried to help his professor up, dusting the man's robes.
Lyra bit her lip. She felt sorry for him. But she had warned him. Besides, what was he thinking duelling a member of the 27? He was either extremely stupid, or extremely egotistic to have even considered this duel.
"Alright there, Mr. Snape?" Lyra called as he watched him shove Zeus aside and dust his own robes. He answered with a glare.
"Go on…no hard feelings…good game…"
She was a sport; she was obviously just trying to make amends.
"Keep your pity, Marks…you'll need it for your champion in the first task." He sneered snatching his wand from her.
"What the fuck is your problem with me?" She snapped at him as the students watched this verbal duel now.
"The problem is that you're an immature little bitch…" Snape sneered losing his cool.
That was it for Lyra.
"Say that again…I fucking dare you…"
"An immature little bitc…"
Lyra punched him in the face with such force he stumbled back, holding on to his bleeding nose.
"MS. MARKS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Athena yelled at the top of her voice. Lyra glared at the man who held his nose in pain.
"Teaching the teacher…" Lyra responded flexing her hand that was hurting from the punch.
Athena glared at her niece, then quickly walked over to Snape. Minerva joined her sister in the ministrations of the professor. Soon, Dumbledore joined in to look at him. Dumbledore took the hurt professor to the hospital, after thundering at the students to go study.
"Go to Minerva's office and stay there!" snapped Athena, rushing behind Dumbledore and Snape.
Lyra rolled her eyes as she turned around to see her niece and Potter talking to each other. Lyra bit her lip as a sense of dread filled her. Had she let her anger get the better of her? Could they pull her off the tournament for this? What would happen to Sarah if they did?
Lyra cursed her temper. Sarah looked at her aunt and beamed at her proudly.
"I'm sorry, you're in trouble because of me…" Sarah said gently walking up to her aunt.
"I've been in worse situations…" Lyra replied shortly.
"Sarah…I fear I have failed to be a good example to you. I feel like I might have really messed up this time!" Lyra said anxiously to her niece.
"Lyra…no…you protected me…he was being a bully…you're right…I just wish you hadn't punched him!" Sarah said placing her hand into Lyra's.
"I know…I just…I got angry…and…"
"I know…" Sarah said trying to calm her aunt down, she'd seen her father do it many times.
"I should go…" Lyra sighed.
Sarah quickly hugged her aunt around the waist.
"I love you, Lyra!"
Lyra licked her lips, her anxiety decreased slightly. So, she had punched him, so what? He had provoked her. This was his fault, not hers. He had gone prying in her head, he had caused this flare in her temper.
"I…love you too Sarah!"
That was all she could say as she placed a gentle hand on her niece's head. They then parted ways.
AN/- Would love to know what you'll think of the story so far. Please review :)