It's that time of the year again. Every year, last week of November, Hogwarts throws this event called 'Dueling Week' where students can duel anyone and earn house points. It's something fun yet informative that can help us boost house points. The original point of this is for students to gain points while learning and practicing spells at the same time. However, to students, it's just a competition to see which house is better -- also for students to show off.
Today is the first day of that event. It's Monday and classes have just ended, 3:30. The dueling starts at 4:30 but most students are already heading over to the courtyard, where the event is happening. As soon as the clock tower rings, half of the students from my Divination class had ran out before Trelawney could remind everyone of the homework. This event is something that almost everyone is thrilled for, including myself, all of my friends, and the teachers and staffs of the school.
I got out of Divination with Seth, who dragged me along with him to the courtyard. We're on the 3rd floor so it was a long run, but we still made it to the front of the crowd thanks to Fred, James and Lupin who had been there before us. Roxanne, Nina and Colleen are there as well, right next to the boys. Nina loves this, so of course she'd be one of the people to be here first.
"James is going to participate." Fred stated, playfully punching the first year's shoulder. "You are going to slay, aren't you James?"
"Hell yeah I am." James puffed his chest and held his head high. "I plan on taking the trophy from Slytherin and gaining a champion badge on my first year."
Lupin shook his head. "No one's had that luck, Potter. Not even me." Lupin won a Veteran's badge last year but he couldn't get any further because all the Slytherin participants are too sly and sneaky for him. Still though, a Veteran's badge is something to be proud of.
There are four awards given to those who participate: Beginner's badge, Veteran's badge, Champion's badge, and the dueling trophy. Beginner's badge is for anyone who participates. As soon as they enter, they automatically get the beginner's badge. If someone wins ten duels, they get the Veteran's badge. The champion badge goes to the student who defeats everyone in the competition, basically. The trophy is a house award. The champion student's house will get the trophy and will be displayed in their common room for a year, until the next dueling event.
For 3 years now, the Slytherin house has been holding the trophy. Their best dueler, 6th year Mason Zaria, has been crowned as undefeatable. He's entered at his first year and received a Veteran's badge, won a champion badge 3rd, 4th and 5th year and kept the trophy for the Slytherin house. The next best player is none other than Margaret Higgs. Then there are those who are the favorites, such as Flint, Prince, Rosier, and of course, Lupin. Roxanne and Nina entered on their 2nd year and received a beginner's badge but unfortunately both failed to defeat 10 students. Colleen and I never bothered to participate, though we do love to watch.
I just stand there, watch the duel and judge.
"Who else is going to be dueling?" Seth turned to the girls. "Nina?"
She nodded. "I'm going to try again this year. Roxanne and I. And Sam."
"You're funny." I chuckled at my silly friend.
"Nina and I signed your name. We think you should try it." Roxanne grins sheepishly. "It's a way to let out stress and anger, you know. You look like you've been holding a lot of those lately. It won't hurt, darling. You've hexed Teddy enough to know the perfect dueling strategies."
"Hey!" Lupin exclaimed.
"Also we have a higher chance of getting the bloody trophy and laugh at Zaria's face if a Gryffindor wins." Nina added quickly. "But yes, that too, what Roxanne said."
See what I mean? It's taken as a serious competition.
"I can't believe you guys!" This is going to be humiliating. Watch people laugh at me when I fall on the floor and eat dirt.
"I think you can make it to top 10 though." Seth smiled at me. "You've seen enough duels. You know enough spells. You know strategies. I'm sure you'll be fine." If Seth didn't have asthma, he would enter in a heartbeat. That's why he's in favor of me doing this. "And if you make it to the top 10, you'll get a lot of gifts and treats from the Gryffindor house."
That's true.
"Okay but don't laugh at me when I lose to a first year."
"Don't worry darling, we'll be cheering for you." Lupin winks. "I'll be your number one cheerleader."
***
Each house has 10 participants so 40 participants in total. A pair of students will be chosen randomly and that pair will be dueling in the middle of the courtyard. Since it's the first day, there's 40 people but by the end of the week, the last day, it'll come down to two people. I've just checked the list of Gryffindors that will be participating and I think we have a shot of winning this year.
Gryffindor Participants:
Edward Lupin - 5th year
James Potter - 1st year
Roxanne Weasley - 4th year
Fred Weasley - 5th year
Nina Harries - 5th year
Colton Flint - 5th year
Samantha Avery - 5th year
Ulysses Knight - 7th year
Maven Snow - 2nd year
Felicity Gold - 2nd year
9 out of 10 are actually great. One of them would be the embarrassment of the team. Me.
The dueling started 20 minutes ago and so far, only Maven Snow has been called to fight with a Slytherin boy named Silver Xian, who is also a 2nd year. It was a pretty quick duel. Xian knows a lot of spells but Snow is quick to block and cast a defensive spell. And so Snow wins and moves to the next around.
Mason Zaria had dueled against a 7th year and won within a couple of minutes.
Roxanne went a few rounds after and lost to Margaret, though it was a pretty good and intimate duel.
James dueled against a Hufflepuff girl named Chelsea Smith, 3rd year, and won fair and square. The teachers all looked pretty impressed, Hagrid and Longbottom especially.
Prince went against Eleanor and won, which upsets James a little.
Lupin won against a Ravenclaw boy.
Fred lost to a 7th year from Slytherin named Thomas Williams, but in my opinion, the Slytherin boy cheated by using a spell that's too advanced. Still, Slughorn and Filch counted it.
After a few more rounds and waiting anxiously, my name finally gets called.
"Samantha Avery and Brian Miles."
"Whoo! You got this Sam!" Nina cheered, shaking my stiff body as I make my way to the center of the courtyard. The rest of the Gryffindor students and a few of my friends from other houses cheered along for me, giving me a boost of confidence. Brian Miles, a 6th year Hufflepuff, gave me a smile as we stopped at the middle of the field.
"I'm not going to go easy." He said through a big smile, shaking my hand with a tight grip.
"Good." I replied with the same attitude.
While everyone counts to three, I hear Seth and Lupin cheering for me the loudest. Oh Merlin. I gripped on my wand and breathed out slowly. As soon as the countdown finishes, I ducked and missed a jinx from my opponent's wand. While I was down, I pointed my wand at his legs.
"Locomotor Mortis!" Right as soon as I cast that spell, I ran behind the tree and hid, knowing he would shoot a spell at me. Even when I hid behind the tree, Miles still went for an explosive spell, causing the log in front of me to burn. That forces me to leave my hiding spot since I'd get burned if I stayed any longer.
When I was leaving the tree, I felt a spell hit me. "Levicorpus!" My body flipped upside down and I am being dangled in midair, as if an invisible hand is holding me from my ankle.
Let me tell you, that was not funny because I am wearing a skirt. I had to hold my skirt with my left hand so I don't flash everyone and I struggled to shoot Miles, since I am upside down. Still, I hit him right at his chest. "Rictusempra!"
I was dropped to the ground and just as I predicted, my face goes to the dirt -- and it hurts so much. Ignoring the pain, I stayed at the ground and pointed my wand at Miles. He is rolling on the ground laughing uncontrollably while his legs are still locked from my previous curse. To finish this off, I cast the petrifying spell. "Petrificus totalus!"
When the opponent is unable to move or cast a spell, the other person wins. And so I won. "Samantha Avery moves to the next round!" Slughorn announced with a blank expression. The Gryffindor students boasted in cheers, my friends and Seth being the loudest.
"Wooohoo Sam!" Nina screams loudly. "That's my best friend!"
Well, one down, much more to go.
***
The first day of dueling, Gryffindor and Slytherin takes the lead with the most house members still in the competition. Slytherin had half of their players out and Hufflepuff is left with 3 participants. Ravenclaw is left with 4. For Gryffindors, there's still James, Lupin, me, Felicity, Flint and Maven Snow.
The next round will be on Wednesday and the final is on Friday. Tuesdays and Thursdays is left for a smaller kind of duel. It's for other students who didn't want to sign up but still want a short, simple duel. These students aren't after the trophy or any badges. It's just a one round kind of duel. Two students duel and the winner just gets house points and nothing more, nothing less. People really take that for granted though.
"I can't wait to go against Zaria. I will squish him like a bug." James says excitedly at the common room.
He has been excited and happy ever since dinner. "How cute James, considering you are a cute little bug." I cooed, ruffling his curly hair. "But you know what? I am so rooting for you. I feel like either you, Felicity, or Lupin will make it to the final round."
Lupin's advantage is his cleverness and mischief mind. He outsmarts just about everyone he duels with. James is much like Lupin, though he's much more faster and better with body movement. Lupin uses his brains but James uses his body. Felicity Gold, on the other hand, I don't even have words.
She's a bit short for her age, like me, she's got a curvy body, she's got long blonde hair and she wears glasses. She looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you. She definitely got everyone's attention when she won against a 6th year from Slytherin. I hope her or James makes it to the finale round. Imagine if Zaria gets beaten by a 1st or a 2nd year? That would be just perfect.
"You were brilliant out there too." Lupin nudged me with his elbow, taking a seat next to me on the couch. "Even if you did fall to your face many times."
"Gee, thanks."
"You're still not as good as I am though." He smirks proudly. When Lupin fought, the cheering was louder than ever because he's got a lot of girls supporting him. When he won, it was even louder and it gave me a headache. Or maybe it was the fall that gave me a headache. "Were you cheering for me? I heard you were cheering for me. You were like, 'Go Teddy go! I love you Teddy! You are the winner go Teddy!"
"You probably have mistaken me for one of your fangirls, Lupin, because I don't cheer and I also don't call you Teddy." I scoffed.
"In your head, you were saying that."
"In your head, maybe."
"Well, I won't deny that." He grins. "Sometimes your voice is in my head screaming at me like, 'Oh my god Lupin you're so annoying!' It's like my motivation. You motivate me."
I let out a snort at the way he mocked my voice. He even did hand gestures and flipped his invisible long hair. "Good. I'm glad I'm making a difference in your life."
"You have no idea."