The Founders

Chapter 6

Kyra did not make him cry.

At the start of class, Professor Brockett introduced the new student as Alexander Fyfe, and he stood in front of her desk, eyes lowered as if he were bored, or shy. He kept his shoulders very straight, but leaned against the desk with his hands in his pockets. His eyelashes cast a slight shadow over his cheekbones, Kyra observed, until he raised his eyes and caught her watching. She gave him a curt nod.

Kyra missed the last part of Professor Brockett's speech and so was surprised to find most of the class looking at her. Grace elbowed her.

"Huh?" she asked intelligently.

"I would like you and Mr Fyfe to give us a small demonstration," the Professor explained, gesturing for Kyra to join them at the front of the classroom. "Of duelling," she added with a touch of impatience. Kyra took a moment to register Alexander standing with his wand ready. She wove her way through desks to the front as Brockett continued speaking to the class about the duelling practice that they would be having that year.

Professor Brockett transfigured the desk so that it melted and spread over the floor, forming a shiny wooden stage. It looked very slippery. Kyra stepped onto it and raised her wand, finally levelling her gaze with Alexander's. He held his wand loosely, almost nonchalantly and gave her a slight smile.

They crossed their wands sharply over their bodies, bowed and stepped back.

Kyra hurled a leg locker curse at his chest and then whirled to the side, dodging his charm. She straightened up again to cast the agumenti jinx at him. A ball of rushing water spun to engulf him.

It was sent off course by a swipe of Alexander's arm and evaporated into a purple smoke, which began to tendril back towards Kyra like arms reaching to enclose her. She cast a full body protego, and then another as Alexander volleyed curse after curse, each one breaking into green sparks against each new shield. Kyra could barely see through the smoke and sparks, her eyes trying to track his movement.

She cast another shield and ducked down, aiming the engorgio charm at his feet. She heard him let out a surprised laugh and a stunning spell came shooting towards her, which she rolled to avoid. Raising herself immediately into a crouch, panting, she ducked one way and then the other and stood up, throwing a lux spell at him.

A painfully bright ball of roiling light shot from the end of her wand and she turned away, shielding her eyes. When the light died behind her, she raised her wand again, turning back, and for a moment, she could see him clearly through all the smoke and light. He looked straight at her, barely fazed by the exertion, and inclined his head ironically in a nod.

Black ropes came shooting out of his wand and wrapped around her wand hand, and then her other, pulling tight and then pulling them apart, as though she were pinned to a cross. He hurled a leg-locker curse at her exposed chest. Her legs snapped together and her body went rigid.

Unable to break her fall, she collapsed backwards onto the ground painfully. Her wand fell from her hand and her tailbone cracked against the floor, flaring in agony and sending shockwaves up her spine. Before her head could crack back as well, Alexander cast a cushioning spell.

He advanced over her sprawled figure, with his wand held loosely again. She glared at him furiously and violently twisted her wrist against their bonds, reaching for her wand. The tendons in her wrist screeched and she strained further.

There was an ominous crack but she managed to reach for her wand, casting densaugeo at his stupid, smirking face. He waved it away just Professor Brockett announced the end of the duel.

The Professor turned her attention to the class, asking them to list the curses used in the duel. Alexander knelt beside her and he removed the ropes and the curse on her legs before offering her a hand up. Kyra ignored him and sat up, cradling her wrist. Hot shooting pains flared through it and she held it very gently, wincing.

He shook his head at her. "I think you broke it," he said in a voice expressing the magnitude of her idiocy.

"Madame Pomphrey will have a potion for it," she said acidly, while frowning down at the angry bruises developing into a swollen bracelet. "She has a potion for everything."

"Potions are great things," she continued, looking up at Alexander, who raised his eyebrows in question. "They use a lot of plants, you know. Except for when some selfish bastard steals them," she said, her voice vibrating with anger.

"Ah," he said, leaning back on his heels. "I was wondering when you'd bring this up again. So, what were you drivelling about last night?"

Kyra glared at him. "I didn't drivel," she responded with dignity. "And also, do you have any idea how long it takes to grow praesidio plants?"

He suddenly stilled. "You're growing praesidio plants?" he asked, his voice suddenly low and tense.

"Don't act stupid and admit it," she responded, less sure now.

"I didn't steal your stupid plants. Why the fuck are you growing praesidio plants? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" He stood up, his shadow falling over her, and she matched his stance, her legs unsteady and her arm still held against her.

"Well, why were you out in grounds right when they were stolen?" she fired back.

He pushed his hair back in agitation and ignored her. "Only dark magic uses those plants. Why would you grow them in a school greenhouse?"

Fair point. "It's none of your business." He looked at her incredulously. "I enjoy it," she amended, hating that, on some level, he was right.

He shook his head in disbelief and was about to respond when the bell rang. Kyra saw that half the class had already packed up and was heading for the door. Without looking back at her, Alexander stalked off the platform, pulled his bag from his desk, swung it over his head and strode out of the classroom.

Grace approached as the rest of the class filtered out loudly, cheerfully heading to lunch, and gave Kyra a consolatory pat on the shoulder.

"That was pretty rough. You got thrashed."

Kyra glared at her. "Thanks, I realised that."

"You didn't make him cry," she continued.

"No, I don't think so." Kyra stepped off the platform and gathered her belongings.

"So, that was one pretty intense conversation, by the looks of it," Grace probed. "I tried to listen, but I couldn't catch much."

Kyra gave her a look, though unsurprised. "I'll tell you later. I just need to ask Professor Brockett something."

"Ask me what, Miss Chen?" Professor Brockett loomed up behind them, her white hair striking against her purple velvet robes. She was a very stern Scottish lady, who was close friends with Headmistress McGonagall. Kyra heard a rumour once that they shared a summer cottage somewhere in the highlands. She wondered what they would do there. Shooting, knitting?

Turning, Kyra asked, "Do you know where I could find a copy of the syllabus for DADA? Some kind of comprehensive guide?"

Professor Brockett smiled knowingly. "You can probably find one in the DADA library."

"There's a DADA library?" Kyra echoed in surprise. How could she have been going to this school for six years without knowing that there was a whole separate library for her favourite subject?

"Yes, it's on the fourth floor, behind the statue of Remus Lupin. The password is 'confringo'," Brockett said. "Have fun, girls." She swanned out of the room.

"She's so cool," Grace spoke in awe, watching her leave.