Chapter 22: A Duel?
The following week passed in a single breath.
Training, instructing a herd of children disguised as students, reading, preparing the classroom for practice, and studying under Flitwick, who showed me no mercy whatsoever and drove me hard.
When my mothers heard that Flitwick had offered me an apprenticeship, they spoke with one voice to tell me I was obliged to accept. Naturally, I accepted, and two more hours a day were now devoted to Charms and spellwork. More precisely, my mothers had spoken directly with Flitwick themselves, explained to him the nature of my Gift, and paid him a considerable sum, after which he became my teacher under contract, bound to teach me everything he knew. And so that is precisely what he taught me.
Only a week had passed, yet I could already feel the weight of the increased load, though complaining was the furthest thing from my mind. I threw myself into everything Flitwick gave me. For now, it was nothing extraordinary. He was beginning by establishing how deeply I actually understood Charms and spellwork, since the previous sessions had only been examinations...
Even so, I carved time out of my schedule for Daphne, Penny Clearwater, Harry, Hermione, and Tracy. I also helped the Ravenclaw students from first through third year with their assignments, not doing the work for them, simply pointing them toward where to find what they needed.
In short, I had not a single free moment to my name.
"You! Teacher's pet! Getting a bit too big for your britches, are you?!"
The sixth Weasley appeared beside the Ravenclaw table while I was eating lunch, and the accusation was blunt enough to send me into a momentary stupor. He had been slightly cleverer about the timing this time, approaching while the staff table was still empty.
"Cat got your tongue?! Scared?!"
I said nothing.
"I'm challenging you to a duel on behalf of Neville! Tonight! Midnight! In the Trophy Room! A proper duel: no fists, magic only!"
I blinked at the unexpected demand, then slowly turned to face Weasley.
"To begin with, Sixer, according to the dueling code, it is IMPOSSIBLE to issue a challenge on someone else's behalf. If Neville wishes to duel me, Neville must do the challenging himself. If, however, you are simply too cowardly to own it and have decided to hide behind Neville, that won't work either."
"I'm a coward?!"
"You are, you are..."
I gave a pleasant nod, my manner absolutely untroubled. I did not regard Weasley as an opponent. I knew what he was capable of as a wizard, and felt not the slightest concern. I did not regard any of my year group as opponents, in truth. Only the older students preparing to take their Auror entrance exams might have given me anything to think about.
"...furthermore, according to the dueling code, if YOU are challenging me, then as the challenger you may choose only the location. The form of duel is my choice: magical, cold steel, bare hands, or no restrictions. And the question of what constitutes defeat: concession, unconsciousness, first blood, serious injury, or death..."
Weasley flinched at the last word. Behind his back, his brothers had materialized, unnoticed by him, watching him with expressions that made it quite plain he was going to be hearing about this at length.
"...as for the time, that is a matter for the seconds to negotiate. It cannot simply be announced; it must be agreed at the convenience of both parties. So, since YOU have issued the challenge and already named the location, I shall select a combined duel. With magic alone I would certainly finish you, whereas in a combined form you at least have a chance... a small one. Vanishingly small, I would say, but a chance nonetheless. As for the terms of defeat..."
I looked at Weasley with a slight smile. He had gone quite pale the moment I made clear that the duel would be with him.
"...I think I shall settle on serious injury. There is so much one can do with that..."
I shook my head with theatrical regret.
"...severed limbs, destroyed organs, curses to torment one for the rest of one's days, even the stripping of magic..."
Weasley attempted to faint, and was caught on both sides by his brothers.
"Heir Black, we offer our apologies for the conduct of our youngest and most foolish little brother. As his elder family members, we are prepared to offer weregild for his words and actions, so that you do not feel obliged to take them seriously."
The twins were taking the situation genuinely seriously, evidenced by the fact that they had stopped alternating, with one of them doing all the talking. Their tone, too, was entirely unlike their usual cheerful manner.
"Weregild... Fred and George Weasley, I will not ask weregild of you. I have a certain respect for you, even if your pranks occasionally cross a line. You observe limits, and you do not break them."
The brothers exchanged a glance and gave each other a small nod, then both looked back at me.
...I ask only one thing. Take your little brother firmly by the scruff of the neck and bury him in schoolwork. Have him write and rewrite essays until the quality satisfies you. Make him memorize chapters of his textbooks. Or come up with something yourself, as long as he doesn't have time to bother me or anyone else.
"We thank you..."
"...for your understanding..."
"...and solemnly swear..."
"...that our dear brother..."
"...will not know what day it is..."
"...and should he refuse to cooperate with us..."
By then, both twins had realized their brother was safe and the situation was no longer dangerous. They slipped back into finishing each other's sentences and turned to look at Ron with an expression that made even me mildly uncomfortable.
"...we shall make him our exclusive..."
"...product tester."
"I'm telling Mum!"
Ron shouted this, then immediately clapped both hands over his mouth as he registered where he was and what he had just said. Sniggers rippled from one end of the Great Hall to the other.
"Ronnikins, our dear mother is..."
"...at home, and the most she can do is..."
"...send a Howler..."
"...whereas we are here..."
"...and shall remain here until Christmas..."
"...and after Christmas as well..."
Ron went white. The twins took him by both arms and hauled him away from the Ravenclaw table toward their own, continuing to explain at length that hiding behind their mother wouldn't save him.
All things considered, they do push it too far sometimes, but they seem decent enough. I should have a word with them. If I remember correctly, they want to open a shop someday. Something to think about. Perhaps it would be worth becoming a co-investor...
"Er..."
"Yes, Hermione?"
"Draco, you weren't actually going to... I mean, really..."
Hermione, stop applying the rules of the Muggle world. What looks like cruelty to you is simply ordinary life here. Every witch or wizard is an armed person the moment they pick up a wand. I believe I have said something to this effect before...
I looked at her thoughtfully.
"Though it hardly matters, I will say it again. It is as though in the Muggle world, every person carried a firearm, and those who had trained seriously carried something heavier. The result is that we, as wizards, have a particular view of life. A situation like this one..."
"...is entirely unremarkable. And if the twins had not intervened, it would have taught Weasley to hold his tongue. Now the responsibility belongs to the twins, though I doubt they will actually manage it..."
Penny shook her head.
"I... I see..."
I rather suspected she did not see at all, but she had accepted it as the way things were and decided not to push her views into territory she did not understand. That, in itself, was already a very significant step forward.
One hour later.
"Mr. Black, Professor McGonagall has asked me to bring you to her. Do you have any idea what this might be about?"
Flitwick had come to my empty classroom while I was still setting up for my lessons. As he spoke, he quietly took in the work I had already done.
"I have a fairly good guess..."
I nodded.
"It may have something to do with the fact that at lunch today, while the staff table was still unoccupied, Ronald Weasley attempted to challenge me to a duel on behalf of Neville Longbottom. I simply clarified the relevant points for him."
"Simply clarified?"
"Well... I may have gone into the dueling code in some detail, set him straight about the fact that any duel would be between him and me, and then chosen a duel that could cause serious injury while describing at some length what exactly that entails for the losing party."
Flitwick looked at me steadily and gave a slow nod. From the particular quality of his smile, which was closer to a grin, really, it was clear the account had not displeased him at all.
"I suggest we not keep the Deputy Headmistress waiting..."
Flitwick nodded toward the door, and I made my way to McGonagall's office, where Weasley was already waiting.
"Ah, Mr. Black..."
The Head of Gryffindor gave me a nod, and in her expression I caught a hint of mild disapproval.
...I am glad Professor Flitwick found you and brought you along. I wished to speak with you about the matter of making threats toward students of other Houses, particularly students who are plainly no match for you.
"Professor, are you fully aware of what actually happened?"
"Of course I am. You threatened Mr. Weasley."
"I did threaten him..."
I agreed with a nod, and in Weasley's eyes I saw something very close to bewilderment. He had clearly not expected me to concede the point.
"...However, what was the context in which I was compelled to do so?"
"Whatever the context may..."
"Hold on, Minerva. Let us not be hasty. I had a brief conversation with Mr. Black before bringing him here, and I rather think it would be worth your while to hear him out."
"Very well, Filius... I will hear what your student has to say. Though I doubt there is anything he can tell me that will change my view on threats. We are not living in the last century, when such things were considered perfectly normal."
"Mr. Black, please go ahead..."
Flitwick cast a Silencing Charm on Weasley.
"The matter began during lunch, while the staff table was still empty, when Mr. Ronald Weasley approached the Ravenclaw table and, in a rather... distinctive fashion, yes, I think that is the most apt way to put it, challenged me to a duel on behalf of Neville. Neville Longbottom, as I understood it, though he did not specify, so I cannot say with certainty who he actually meant."
"Let us suppose that is correct..."
McGonagall gave Weasley a rather searching look.
"So I pointed out that a dueling code exists, and that according to it, as the challenger he had the right to choose only the location, while the choice of weapons and terms of conclusion was mine. I then simply selected a duel to serious injury, and described to Mr. Weasley what that might mean for him in practice."
"Go on..."
McGonagall had by now understood that I had simply called the boy's bluff, and that he had promptly lost his nerve.
"After that, Mr. Weasley chose to make a tactical retreat..."
"A tactical retreat?"
McGonagall looked at me with what might have been interest.
"Precisely. That is to say, Mr. Weasley chose to collapse in a faint, but his brothers were standing behind him, and when they addressed me I agreed not to take their younger brother's words seriously. In return, they undertook to occupy him with his studies to the point where he would simply have no time for this sort of thing..."
"Hmm... from that angle, it does rather appear that you had every reason to respond as you did... Mr. Weasley..."
Weasley, who had not dared leave his spot, was gesticulating with increasing desperation to indicate that he did not agree with my account of events.
"...is what Mr. Black has said accurate?"
Weasley shook his head vigorously.
"Take your time. I am about to lift the Silencing Charm, and then you may speak. However, before I do, I wish to remind you that you were not the only person in the Great Hall, and I am perfectly capable of questioning everyone who was there, your brothers included. Now, is what Mr. Black has told me accurate?"
McGonagall tapped her wand and the Silencing Charm lifted. Weasley looked somewhat hunted as his gaze moved from her to me, then to Flitwick, and back to his Head of House.
"Y-yes..."
"Then why did you come to me and give me a false account? Because by your telling, Mr. Black had apparently begun threatening you entirely without provocation."
"Well, he..."
He shot me a look of pure venom.
"...he's a teacher's pet and he's got too big for his britches! Acting so important! So perfectly correct about everything! But he's nothing but an arrogant show-off with a family full of Death."
The Silencing Charm came down on Weasley again. I had reached for my wand, but when Flitwick beat me to it, I lowered my hand.
"Mr. Weasley, fifty points from Gryffindor, for making a false report against another student and wasting the time of two Hogwarts professors. Furthermore, as you evidently have far too much time on your hands if you can afford this sort of behavior, your essays will henceforth be three times the length required of everyone else."
"I concur..."
Flitwick gave a nod.
"...and I expect my colleagues will feel the same."
Weasley's expression became very, very bleak.
"Mr. Black, thank you for not allowing the situation to escalate into a genuine conflict."
"Always a pleasure, Professor McGonagall."
I nodded and left the office, leaving Weasley alone with two professors.
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