Power and Persecution [1] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

29. Duels and Chess

DISCLAIMER 

I do not own Harry Potter ... but this scene was Ron's 'I'm Him' moment

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A duel.

A historic practice amongst wizards and witches.

Two magical individuals facing off against one another.

There are rules to abide by, and the winner leaves with pride.

In this case, Bel will win access to the next room.

And instead of dealing with another person, she was dealing with an enchantment.

As Bel slowly walked up the stairs and onto the platform, she saw exactly who her opponent was.

A figure of Albus Dumbledore stood opposite her.

He was made out of what appeared to be grey dust, and his eyes had no life behind them.

Not a person, but an enchantment made of a person.

A powerful person.

One that Bel didn't exactly want to fight.

But if not her, then who?

"Bel ... do you know what you're doing?" Harry asked from behind her.

Her three friends were currently stood a few paces away from her end of the platform, staring up at her with concern.

"I've been starting to duel with Dumbledore this past term. Hopefully that's enough to hold him off so you three can get past him", Bel explained.

In truth, she had only practiced one side of a duel.

Dumbledore on the attack and herself on the defence.

It had been in practice of stopping herself from attacking and keeping her wand under control.

Now she found that she had to abandon that completely and allow her wand to attack Dumbledore anyways.

The irony.

"What do you mean ... 'hold him off'?" Ron asked.

"If he's distracted by me, you three should be able to sneak past and get to the door", Bel replied.

In her mind, that was the best plan.

Because that would mean she didn't have to forego her training.

Dumbledore would attack, she would defend, and whilst he was distracted, her three friends could go on.

Leaving her behind.

"We're not going to go on without you", Harry insisted.

Bel didn't want them too, either.

But there was another thing that meant she wanted them gone.

If she did have to listen to her wand, she didn't want them to be in room.

They could be at risk of getting hurt ... by her.

"You need to trust me ... when he's distracted, you go", Bel instructed as she turned around to face the three Gryffindors.

Hermione and Ron both nodded begrudgingly, Harry keeping a stern expression on his face before he looked down at the floor.

That was the closest to a confirmation she was going to get right now.

Bel took a deep breath and turned to face the enchantment of Dumbledore.