During the first week at Hogwarts, students found themselves overwhelmed with a variety of activities such as sorting out extracurriculars, attending classes, and catching up with friends. Alfie was no exception and had plenty on his plate.
When he went to visit the Room of Requirement and his vivariums, he noticed that his absence had caused tension and distrust. The creatures were not as friendly as they used to be and some even hissed at him when he approached.
Determined to regain their trust, Alfie made it a point to visit the Room of Requirement when he could between classes. He brought them treats and played with them, slowly building back the bond that had been lost during his absence. He had Deek to feed and care for them over the Summer but it was a shame that they seemed to have thought he abandoned them.
Toward the end of the week, he received an owl from Lucan Brattleby. He wrote to him shortly after the bird incident with Poppy and asked if she could be invited to the Crossed Wands Duelling Club.
Hi Alfie,
My Summer was good, thank you. If you vouch for her, that's all I need to know. Have her come to the first Crossed Wands meeting this Saturday at 9 a.m.
Regards,
Lucan
Alfie beamed. Of course, he could tell Poppy in person but he wanted to make her invitation to her first extracurricular activity special.
He remembered the moment when he received his official letter to Hogwarts and how significant it was for him. Unfortunately, the circumstances that led to him receiving his letter were not ideal. Alfie was bullied severely at his school in London and at one point one of his bullies, Ezra Thomas, was struck by lightning on a sunny day whilst terrorizing Alfie. If this had been an isolated incident it might have been dismissed as bad luck, but more strange things continued to happen to his bullies when Alfie was around. Many students and teachers began to fear his presence. When his Hogwarts letter finally arrived, it was a relief to Alfie and his parents as they finally received answers about his magical predisposition.
He intended to convey to Poppy that this invitation was significant, that there were those who were willing to include her in their social circles. He took out the finest piece of parchment that he could find and began to write.
Dear Ms. Poppy Sweeting,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Crossed Wands Duelling Club. Please report to the Clock Tower Courtyard entrance in The South Wing this Saturday at 9 a.m.
We very much look forward to receiving you as a member of this prestigious, exclusive, and unsanctioned club.
Yours sincerely,
Alfie Scamander
Crossed Wands Duelling Club Champion
Alfie placed it in an envelope and sealed it with his personal wax seal marked with his initials. Impressed with his work, he summoned his snowy white owl.
"Hello, Celeste. This will be a short one, unfortunately. Please take this to Poppy Sweeting."
The owl obliged and carried on with its task, letter in tow.
–Clock Tower Courtyard Entrance–
Alfie was one of the first ones to show up at the gathering for the first-ever Crossed Wands Duelling Club meeting of the school year. The few others were Lucan Brattleby, Leander Prewett, and Natsai Onai.
He approached the trio of Gryffindors. "Good morning, guys."
"Good morning, Alfie!" Natty greeted, pulling Alfie into a friendly hug.
"Ah, look who stumbled into the lion's den. Thought Sebastian might've been with you. You're dormmates aren't you?" Leander inquired.
"Sebastian tends to sleep in later than I do."
"Hello Alfie," Lucan greeted. Lucan grew a couple of inches taller, his voice an octave lower, "I expect to see your invitee Sweeting joining us as well."
"Sweeting? You don't mean Poppy Sweeting? Didn't realize Pungent Poppy could fight." Leander sneered.
Alfie twitched at the insult. "Watch your bloody mouth, Prewett, " Alfie hissed. He gripped his wand tightly, ready to brandish it at the red-headed boy if he were to push even further.
"Have I struck a nerve? You haven't been here long but I wouldn't hang around her if you knew what a little weirdo she was," Leander smirked.
In one swift movement, Alfie brought his wand up to Leander's chin. "I dare you to say that again," he seethed with rage, but Leander was the opposite, basking in his provocations.
Lucan stepped in between the two boys. "Save it for the first few rounds, will you? No need to tire yourselves out before the real fun begins."
Natty held back Alfie and pulled him away from Leander while Leander continued to provoke him with a cheeky smile. "I don't like that guy," Alfie said, anger laced in voice.
"He's just trying to provoke you, Alfie. Before you got here, he wouldn't stop talking about how he was going to unseat you from your champion title." Natty frowned, explaining the situation.
Alfie smirked, still caught in a staring contest with Leander. "Oh so he's obsessed with me, that's what you're saying."
"Don't let him get in your head, Alfie. It's a common tactic to get your opponent riled up, to get you to not think clearly."
"Oh, I am thinking clearly," Alfie retorted, not removing his gaze from Leander.
Natty shook her head and chuckled, "With the intense way you're starting him down, you should just kiss him already."
He snapped out of his trance. "Please don't suggest such a thing again," Alfie groaned, his hand running through his light brown hair.
Natty smiled, "Mission accomplished. Now stay focused."
Other members started strolling in, including Poppy, who warily surveyed the area of students before her face lit up in relief as soon as she spotted Alfie. Alfie beckoned her over with a wave.
"Hello, Alfie and Natty!" Greeted Poppy cheerily. She hastily walked over towards the both of them.
"Poppy! It's so good to see you! I look forward to seeing you duel. I've heard so much from Alfie about your adventures. Who knew that you were such an excellent fighter?"
"Surely I won't be dueling on my first day will I?" Poppy asked nervously, her voice soft and apprehensive.
"Don't worry, just do what you normally do. You're one of the best duellists I've ever seen," Alfie reassured her.
Poppy smiled, "You overestimate me, Alfie."
"You underestimate yourself," Alfie remarked. He didn't understand why Poppy thought herself so low. It must have been the bullying that she had to endure. Surely, Poppy knew the way students spoke about her, and from first-hand experience, he knew how words could affect a person's self-esteem over time.
"There's a face I didn't expect to see here." Sebastian approached the trio, "Welcome to Crossed Wands, Sweeting."
"Oh hello, Sebastian. Good morning!" Poppy greeted.
Sebastian arched an eyebrow and placed his fingertips together. "I never pegged you as a duelist. This should be intriguing," he remarked.
Alfie placed his arm around Poppy's shoulders and squeezed her gently as he spoke. "Poppy is a force to be reckoned with, Sebastian. You should see the way she tears apart poachers."
Poppy's face flushed at the playful gesture.
"Poachers?" Sebastian's curiosity piqued further. "You don't strike me as someone who goes looking for trouble. I suppose there's more to Poppy Sweeting than meets the eye." Sebastian's arms were crossed as he looked down at Poppy's petite form, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Duellists!" Boomed Lucan's voice throughout the hall. The chatter in the room started to quiet down.
"Welcome to the inaugural Crossed Wands gathering. As per our tradition, we'll have the new members showcase their skills. We have only one newcomer this year, and that's Poppy Sweeting!" The boy with curly hair pointed at the modest Hufflepuff girl, who looked embarrassed. It was apparent that she didn't like being the focus of everyone's attention.
A few mumbles and some cheers from Alfie, Natty, and a few others could be heard around the room. "And her opponent will be... " Lucan hesitated and his eyes mischievously scanned the room, "Leander Prewett."
A cheer erupted around the room. All except for Alfie and Natty who were wary due to the previous interaction with Leander.
Alfie approached Lucan angrily. "What are you getting at?" Alfie hissed.
"Given yours and Leander's spat earlier, I'd quite like to see his face when Poppy manages to beat him." Lucan whispered excitedly, clearly proud of his choice, "I'd actually bet my money on Poppy. You recommended her after all."
"I bet 5 galleons that Leander wins. Call me a skeptic but I've never seen Poppy duel," Sebastian said.
Alfie shot him a bitter look. "Be prepared to lose that bet, Sallow."
"Sounds like a deal!" Lucan beamed.
Poppy Sweeting and Leander Prewett stood at opposite ends of the dueling area. She gripped her wand tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that Leander was a skilled duellist and she would have to be at her best to stand a chance against him.
Leander smirked at her, twirling his wand in his hand. "Are you ready to lose, Sweeting?" he taunted.
Poppy didn't respond, but instead focused on her breathing, trying to calm her nerves. She spotted Alfie in the crowd who gave her a reassuring look and suddenly she felt calmer. She knew that she had to keep her wits about her if she was going to win.
Suddenly, Leander shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and sent a jet of red light toward Poppy. She quickly countered with a "Protego" shield charm and the spell bounced off harmlessly.
Poppy retaliated with a "Stupefy" spell, but Leander dodged out of the way and sent a "Petrificus Totalus" in return. Poppy managed to roll out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding being frozen in place.
The duel continued for several minutes, with both Poppy and Leander exchanging spells and counter-spells.
They were evenly matched, but Poppy could feel her energy waning. She knew that she had to end the duel soon or risk losing.
Leander made a mistake, leaving himself open for a moment and Poppy seized the opportunity. She shouted "Expelliarmus!"
Leander's wand flew out of his hand, landing several feet away.
She approached him, wand at his throat, signifying that she was the clear winner. The crowd erupted into cheers. She looked over at Leander, who was now standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
Lucan was ecstatic that his bet paid off. Alfie smiled proudly. "Guess you owe us 5 galleons each Sallow."
"I suppose so." Sebastian sounded more amused than defeated.
Alfie was caught off guard as Poppy ran towards him and embraced him, causing him to lose his balance slightly. The fragrance of lavender and a faint hint of saltiness from her sweat filled his nose. "I can't believe I pulled that off in front of everyone!" Poppy exclaimed in disbelief.
"I never doubted you, unlike this one over here." Alfie gestured his head towards Sebastian, his arms still around Poppy.
"Hey, I've never seen you duel, so don't blame me. A celebration is in order. What say we head to the Three Broomsticks after all this is over? I guess I owe you a butterbeer for betting against you." Sebastian suggested.
Poppy pulled away from the hug and Alfie found himself missing her presence. "I'd love that!"
As more students approached Poppy, congratulating and welcoming her to the club, Alfie watched her face light up with almost as much excitement as when they found the Golden Snidgets. He remembered that moment vividly. The sun shone through the ruins, reflecting off the trees and flowers and casting a golden, sparkling glow over everything.
This time, the light didn't come from the sun that entered through the large doorway of the Clock Tower Courtyard; it radiated from Poppy's pure and genuine happiness which enveloped the entire area.
As he observed her smile and her eyes glimmered with joy, time appeared to decelerate. He began to realize that witnessing her happiness was turning into his obsession.
When Poppy turned to look at him and smile amongst the crowd, Alfie swore his heart stopped beating for a moment. It was as if time had come to a halt, leaving only the two of them in existence.