Halloween was on the horizon, but Umbridge’s detentions were nowhere to be seen.
Between studies and Lockhart’s shenanigans, ti passed one day after another.
The Heads of the Houses had put up the notices a week ago saying that no more submissions would entertain for the Intra-School Competitions.
Today would be the first day when the students faced off against each other.
With little ti on their hands and hundreds of duels to conduct before the end of the 1st term, the Professors had decided to go with the fastest way to decide who would be fighting whom.
On Saturday eve, all the students from the second to fourth year, who had submitted their nas for the Competition, gathered in the Grand Hall.
The House tables were lined against the opposite walls.
In the middle of the Grand Hall, they had put a long and wide platform, hovering a few feet above the ground.
On the dais, in front of the High Table, a big cauldron hovered, oozing blue mist.
Harry and Black exchanged glances as they saw the cauldron. Near them, Ron, Draco, and a shaking Neville walked, also finding the cauldron a bit out of place.
Would they be brewing a potion or sothing?!
Wasn’t this supposed to be a duel?!
"You will be alright, Neville," Harry said. "Just wave your wand before the other one can."
Neville didn’t know what to say.
It didn’t even seem he had anything in mind.
At first, Neville didn’t want to submit his na at all.
But then Draco threatened to write to Neville’s grandmother, saying his grandson was acting like a coward. Coward wasn’t the exact word Draco had used, but that sent the gist of it.
Neville ended up submitting his na, anyway.
There were scores of students like Neville in this collection of Competitors.
So, it didn’t co as a surprise that almost all the students from the three years were going to face each other now.
"How... how will I fight soone from fourth year?" Neville whispered, nearing Harry and Black. He was afraid Draco would hear him and say sothing an again. "Can I... Can I have those gloves?"
Black’s lips twitched. "They aren’t even letting use them," he told Neville. "Sothing about it pure magical duel..."
"But the gloves are magical..." Neville complained.
Black put a hand on Neville’s shoulder and almost cried. "Exactly... Exactly... Let’s go to Dumbledore and complain..."
Harry rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, he nudged Black’s side with his elbow.
"What?"
Harry pointed his chin ahead.
From another Grand Hall’s entrance, Slytherins were marching in.
Surrounded by not less than a dozen girls, and even more fans from the other three Houses, was Darcie Malfoy.
"Tell that monster not gonna compete against us..." Black cursed under his breath.
"I heard that!" Draco hissed, looking over his shoulder.
Black frowned at him. "You look even more scared than Neville..."
"You!" Draco hissed.
"SILENCE!" The voice bood in the Grand Hall.
...
On the dais, behind the mysterious, misting cauldron, the Professors had arrived.
On either side of the Headmaster were the Director and the High Councillor. The four Heads of the Houses were also separated, two on each side.
Dumbledore put his wand down and smiled at the students.
"We will begin with the 1st Group’s Competitions shortly," he told them. "But first, let tell you all the most important... rules, you can say."
He stepped forward and bead at all.
"This is not a fight," Dumbledore said. "This is not an exam. No one’s gaining marks or... losing. Do not duel to win.
"Duel to learn sothing from your opponent. Duel to teach sothing to your opponent. Duel... to beco better."
They didn’t know why, but as the students looked at the Headmaster, a surge of emotions rushed through their minds, killing the worries.
Only excitent remained, their shoulders relaxing.
"With that," Dumbledore suddenly raised his voice without using the wand, "let introduce you to your friend here..."
He pointed at the cauldron.
"The Cauldron of Mist is sothing that I created for fun..." Dumbledore told them. "... to use it for fun activities, like this. It holds all the submitted nas on pieces of parchnts.
"As per the Referees’ directions, the Cauldron of Mist will spew forth the nas of duelists at random. So, you might be dueling your best friend or a rival.
"There’s a charm in unpredictability that adds a touch more excitent, no?"
Draco looked over his shoulder and grinned at Neville.
"...?" Neville gulped.
Harry and Black were having a hard ti holding their laughs.
"Those, whose nas are chosen," Dumbledore continued, stepping back to his position, "will duel on the platform.
"To win a duel, you must incapacitate the opponent from casting any spell. Curses are forbidden. Selective Jinxes and Hexes are also forbidden from the Competition. The lists were already shared with you all three weeks ago.
"I hope you have all rembered what magic not to use, even if you don’t know what to use."
Dumbledore let out a smile as the students chuckled at the irony.
Using a spell forbidden from the Competition would lead to instant disqualification.
"Director Umbridge and High Councillor Madam Villanelle will act as the Referees," Dumbledore told the students further. "The Heads of Houses will be the judges, awarding points from a quota of 25 Points for each Head to both duelists based on their performance.
"When all duels have ended, a list will be prepared based on these points. The top ten will be chosen as the School’s representatives for the 1st Group of Triwizard Tournant."
Dumbledore bead at them, then.
"Yes," he said, continuing. "Even if you lose a duel, you will have a chance to enter the top 10. In case of ties, a Tie-Breaker duel will be held."
"Sir, what about magical creatures?!"
A shout from the crowd imdiately caught the Headmaster’s attention.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "If you have submitted a request to use a magical creature in the duel beforehand, only then you can use it against your opponent, Fred, right?"
"George, Professor!"
Dumbledore smiled knowingly, not falling for the trick.
"Alright!" he thundered, outstretching his hands. "Don’t forget to cheer your friends while they are up on the dueling platform. As you all know, I have lots of candies to taste..."
The students laughed.
"... I will be here only for the first duel," Dumbledore told them. "I am sure the Heads of the Houses will be more than enough to revert any mishaps. So...
"... Let it begin!!!!"
Boom!!!
A mass of blue mist exploded from the Cauldron of Mist.
Two square pieces of parchnts, surrounded by coiling mist, were thrown out and then began falling like wet dry leaves.
Dumbledore lifted his hands and the chits perfectly landed on his palms.
The small smile on his lips suddenly flickered.
He looked up, his blue eyes falling on the most magnificent of the witches he had co to know recently. "Ms. Darcie Malfoy."
The crowd erupted with cheers.
As soon as the cheers began, they died, too.
All realized that one of them would be fighting her... the very thought was nauseating. It was yet to be seen who was the unlucky one, though.
Dumbledore’s eyes shifted.
A grave silence fell on the students.
The Headmaster looked at one student, their eyes matching.
"Would you please step forward," Dumbledore asked with amusent, "Mr. Arlen Black?"
*****************
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