Riddle Me This

VII; Goblet Of Fire

   

"DID YOU CATCH sight of that Dorian Tori? He is one fine piece of male specimen."   "Did you see the way he drank his tea? Scrumptious."    "I hear he's single and ready to mingle."

All week the conversation topic was of the charming and captivating Dorian Tori from Durmstrang. In the beginning, Bella had swooned along with the rest of the hormonal teenage girls, crawling for male attention, but after a hostile run in with him she soon came to her senses.

Walking back to the Slytherin common room, Bella's stroll is intercepted by a boy, no doubt from Durmstrang, seeing as most weren't notified of the rules of curfew. Or refused to acknowledge them. It was regular for her to rebel against the infuriating rule, and she was just making her way back using her normal route. He swaggered  closer, confidence radiating off him in waves, "I've heard of you, you know, the star student. Does well in her classes, mostly sticks to herself. A goody-two shoes. I wonder if your live up to your reputation, or if you're hiding something.."

Sighing in exasperation she maneuvers around him, heading to the portrait at the entrance of the common room. However, before she can ask to be let in, the obnoxious boy stops her, "Well, that's not very polite, not that you seem very well-mannered. Did your mother do that bad a job at teaching you how to treat a ma—," stopping him in his tracks she turns to face him, malice in her eyes. The desolate hallways set an eerie tone as she takes menacing steps towards the boy, "Allow me to stop you there. I'd say you were looking for a death wish if I knew any better. I suggest you leave me be before I hex you into oblivion."

He falls to the ground in fright;  attempts to sputter out a response and ultimately fails. The pride left his eyes the longer he kept the girls stare. Alone in the deserted corridor, only prefects scouting around for rule breaking students, there was no one around to stop any of her advances. Smirking she gestures for him to leave, "Scat."

Scrambling to his feet, he flees the scene, unknowingly passing a dark figure on his way. The hidden phantom smiles inwardly at the girls behavior, feeling proud on her behalf, maybe she just requires a push.

A booming voice startles Bella out of her thoughts, "Welcome students, today you receive the privilege of dueling, with a small compromise, I will undertake the responsibility of choosing the partners based upon the skill you have so far displayed in my class." Merrythought then begins partnering, starting alphabetically. A cough to my left disturbs my thoughts, and I turn to find Tom watching me intently. Having not spoken to him all week, Bella can't help but be irate. Was it perhaps what she had inquired in the common room all those nights ago? She hears Professor Merrythought, "Mister Riddle and Miss Ambrosius." Smirking she thrusts a hand forward, "May the best wizard win."

Glancing once to her hand, he clasps it tightly, "I will." Tom struts to his position opposite Bella and she shouts after him, "Arrogance does not suit you, Riddle." This causes him to stumble a bit, caught off guard. He glares daggers which Bella responds to with a signal of surrender. Soon after everyone is partnered, some hostile while others friendly, we take our positions. The usually calm classroom environment has taken on a competitive tone, every student charged with excitement. Rounding on my feet, I take a bow before firing, "Anteoculatia!" Tom easily deflects the amateur curse,"Stupify!"

Feuding belligerently back and forth, Tom and Bella garner a crowd. As shots increased in danger Tom felt increasingly apprehensive. He didn't want to hurt the girl, but he couldn't allow her to upstage him. On the other hand, Bella was firing spells ardently, taking no time to think twice of the consequences, until Tom rendered her defenseless, "Expelliarmus!" The students surrounding the two began conversing over who they thought won as Bella and Tom stood, staring. Just as Tom concluded the duel, stretching out his hand for her to collect her wand, Bella fired.