Oliver Evans is The Prodigy of the Heart (Book One)

Chapter Seventeen: Duel

"Gregory..." he narrowed his eyes "be careful what you learn from that boy. He never listened to my instructions, thinking he could do whatever he pleased and things would still work out." Snape stepped out in front of me, halting my movement "Why didn't you come to me first?"

"I didn't want to bother you with my bad choices, professor. You've already helped me so much."

"What is it that Mr. Fallin wants from you?"

"I think he just wants to help me, sir."

"Very well." he stepped out of my way "The best advice I can give you is this: You won't know their next move, so know their habits. Analyze their face, their steps, the way they take their breaths. If you feel as though you cannot go on any longer, take every ounce of your remaining energy and focus it all on taking them out."

"I'm scared, professor. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see..." I paused and peered up at him. He was looking back at me, his eyes gazed longingly back into mine. I stuttered, "Um. Well, anyway. Thank you for your advice, professor." I said sheepishly as I turned to leave

"My door is always open for you, Mr. Evans." he said as I started out the door.

Back in the common room, I laid down on my bed and stared out the window. The water was peacefully making the underwater plants dance and flow against the current. I reached for the handle of my bedside table drawer and pulled it open. There inside was the desire sphere that Trent had given me weeks earlier. I tugged the ball closer to my grasp and felt it's cold, glassy texture hit my fingers.

I laid the sphere next to my face on the bed, seeing my reflection hit against the swirling haze inside. For a moment, all I could see was my face staring back at me. Then, the haze started to shift away and revealed another face; Professor Snape's. My eyes widened as a clear image of professor Snape appeared before me. I was standing next to him, with his arms wrapped around me; my focus was completely on him looking back at me, kissing my forehead tenderly. Startled, I flinched and knocked the ball onto the ground; it rolled under my bed and out of sight.

I just laid there for a moment; the image of professor Snape and I still fresh in my mind. I shakily rose to my feet and bent down, fishing the desire sphere out from under my bed frame. It was covered in a light sheet of dust. With my sleeve, I rubbed the sphere's surface clear. Under the dust was professor Snape and I standing underneath a tall oak tree. He held my hands in his as dozens of leaves blew past us in the wind. I saw myself lean in while standing on my tip toes and kiss his lips before the image slowly started to fade away.

I felt my legs give out beneath me as my knees hit the floor. I knelt there and just stared back at the sphere in my hands. My head was spinning a thousand miles a minute, memories racing and replaying in my mind. I began to realize that the sphere may have been correct, my heart always did seem to beat faster when I was around him. Perhaps, the feelings of joy and enlightenment that I felt when I was with professor Snape, were deeper feelings of infatuation.

My knees began to ache as I knelt on them. Standing up, I put the desire sphere back into my bedside table and shook my head. I laid back down onto the bed, pulling the covers up and over my face. I could feel my breath bouncing back against the blanket onto my face. Listening to the low hum of students from the common room below, I slowly fell asleep.

Tuesday came and went uneventfully. I noticed that other students were looking at me quite a bit in the halls. A younger Ravenclaw girl even asked me if I was nervous for the next day. Apparently the word had spread quickly about my upcoming duel with an unknown member of the PBS.

When the day finally arrived, I awoke with an unusual sense of confidence. In my head, I could only picture a sure victory against this stranger. Through the day, I came across some of the other members of the PBS, who all shot me dirty looks.