Even as a former duellist champion, her Head of House put a low profile in front of the angry nurse which had decided to channel the personality of a full-grown dragon for now.
"Good afternoon, Miss Potter." Said Flitwick in a respectful tone where almost none of his usual good humour was present. "I am pleased to see that despite the pessimistic assurances of the two Saint Mungo's healers which came to inspect you, you remain perfectly alive and in good health."
Alexandra couldn't stop a half-frown half-grimace at that.
"Was it that bad?"
Flitwick emitted a loud sigh, his shoulders slightly lowering.
"To be quite honest, you should be dead, Miss Potter."
Alexandra widened her eyes. That was not what she had expected to hear.
"How?" The Ravenclaw student said slowly. "I remind only being hit by one curse at the end, and Devkins didn't use one of the lethal incantations banned by the Ministry of Magic in 1902."
"Reading a bit in the law section, do we?" Asked rhetorically the small half-goblin, while Alexandra tried to her best, without much success, to appear as innocent and virtuous as possible.
"Just keeping myself informed." Alexandra grumbled.
"For your personal information," continued her Head of House in his teacher mode, "we examined Devkins wand, and I believe you were hit by the Sovereign Curse of Darkness, also known as Merlin's Bane or the Magic Reaper."
"Big names." Alexandra remarked, not overly impressed. Some of the wizards who invented the spells had an overblown ego. "What are its effects?"
"It devours your magical core, Miss Potter." Told Flitwick in a voice where there was no amusement of any sort. "It can also do irreparable damage to your soul if given enough time. All the while, the victim suffers a physical and mental torture which makes most of the dark torture spells in existence looks tame. The sole counter-curse is so long to cast it fails half of the time, few shields are able to protect someone for more than an instant. It is one of the vilest curses in existence."
"Great." Alexandra stated in a sarcastic tone. "And the reason this spell isn't on the banned list of spell is because?"
"It was supposed to be lost to wizardkind." Replied the retired champion duellist. "Devkins," his voice was full of venom, "using it is the first instance recorded someone casting this spell in the last five centuries in Great Britain."
"How could such a spell be lost if it was so powerful?" Asked Alexandra in an incredulous voice.
"It was invented by Morgana La Fay." replied simply Flitwick as it explained everything.
"This is the curse which destroyed Merlin, isn't it?" Alexandra demanded after a moment of silence, the clues finally adding mutually in her head. "You called it Merlin' Bane, so..."
The Ravenclaw Professor smiled in approval. "According to the legend, it is. However the full effects of the spell and its most detailed characteristics have been lost long ago. Frankly, most of what we know today about this curse are rumours, speculations and guesses. After the death of Morgana and her Dark supporters, all traces of this spell and many were erased forever. For good reasons I might add."
"Until today."
"Until today." Repeated Flitwick with a disabused nod."You were incredibly lucky, Miss Potter. The diagnosis of the healers who studied your arm is that your opponent had not the time to fully empower his attack before you killed him."
The eleven-year old girl did not answer. Alexandra really didn't feel like explaining Devkins had not missed the mark with his last spell. She should be dead, if not for the golden light which had protected her. The Golden Light having touched her from her experience with the Mirror of Erised. But that left of course more questions...
"Remind me to never underestimate you with a Bombarda by the way." Added the Charms Master.
"I had not the choice." Alexandra said, a bit defensively. The young witch had not forgotten her Head of House had defended her to use the spell save emergencies. "I didn't want to kill him."
"Good." Flitwick said in an approving voice. "I agree circumstances force your hand, but you shouldn't make a habit of it. The Headmaster won't always bury the affair." The former Duellist Champion cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief before speaking again.
"And let's pray you don't have any opportunity in your life to use it anymore." His posture and tone were hesitant at the end, almost as he didn't believe his own words. No doubt the series of assassination attempts, duels and magic ambushes at Hogwarts this year didn't plead in favour of a calm outcome for the short-term future.
"My arm?" Alexandra asked, choosing to return on a safer topic.
"You will recover the full use of it by the end of the week, though I must advise you to be careful. You have still traces of dark magic on it, and any reaction to a similar power in the days to come could have ... unpredictable effects."
"So better limit my practise of magic for the next days and no abuse of my right arm?" At the nod of her professor, she breathed in relief. It could have been worse, Alexandra thought. She was left-handed, so not using her right hand for the moment would not cause major problems.
That still left the question of where and when the Junior Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts had found such a dangerous and ancient curse, but she had the feeling Flitwick was as ignorant as her in that particular subject. The only man who could have answered was dead by her hands.
Rising from the chair he was sitting on, her Head of House wished her a prompt reestablishment, although wishing she avoided to create as much trouble for the next year.
The next visitors were Hermione and Nigel. Instantly, the brown-haired witch raced on her and hugged Alexandra.
"I'm so sorry, Alex..." Sobbed the bushy-haired girl.
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