Harry Potter: Pandora's Box

Chapter 6: A Duel and Practice

Summary: Someone needs to be reminded how duels work...and Quidditch practice!

Chapter 6: A Duel and Practice

Malfoy was a moron. That was literally the only way to explain his behavior, as far as Harry was concerned. Even being arrogant and entitled wouldn't help explain why he'd gotten incensed enough to challenge Harry to a duel and then expect to be able to set the terms. As the challenged individual, Harry had accepted...and then calmly sought out Flitwick at the staff table. Pandora had told him about Flitwick's dueling career, even shown him one of Euphemia's memories of having seen a championship match featuring the man. So it had been a bit of a no-brainer who to go to. The half-goblin professor had been taken aback for a few moments, but then cheerfully agreed to referee a match for them the following day.

Which is how Harry found himself standing across from an unreasonably confident looking Draco Malfoy, in a dueling room that Harry hadn't known existed, with a couple of dozen curious onlookers loitering around. Including, Harry noticed, all of the Slytherin first years. Several of them were looking not at Harry, but at Draco, with predatory glints in their eyes. Somehow, Harry thought that Malfoy's position in Slytherin was less secure than the blonde ponce thought it was. If Harry won...

Of course, Harry had no idea if he could win. Sure, he'd been practicing a handful of dueling spells religiously for the last few weeks. But Draco was a pureblood, one who had presumably been taught a fair bit of magic before ever setting foot in Hogwarts. For all that Harry wanted to dismiss him, it was possible that the annoying prick might have the practical experience that Harry himself lacked. Still, at least it would let him take the blonde's measure in a low-risk environment, even if the idea of losing didn't exactly sit well with Harry.

The 11:00 o'clock dueling time agreed upon came and Flitwick stepped between them. Speaking in a slightly more serious voice than usual...but still an irrepressibly cheerful one.

"Very well, gentleman! This duel will adhere to the Under-17 international league rules. I trust both of you studied them last night, as I suggested?"

Draco and Harry both nodded, so Flickwick continued.

"Excellent! If either of you violates the rules, I will step in and end the duel, with the immediate loss of the rule breaker. With that in mind...bow."

Harry bowed shallowly, Draco barely even moving his head in a clear insult. Flitwick frowned, but continued.

"Very well. Rules are too incapacitation or removal from the dueling platform. You may begin when the light touches the ground."

Flitwick stepped back, his wand flicking out. A red ball of drifting light left his wand and slowly descended between them.

Harry didn't bother to watch it. Figuring he'd need every advantage he could get, he let Pandora track it, focusing instead on the yellow light right in the center of Draco's chest that she'd put up the moment the flare spell began to drop. It was the same targeting light she used for his practice, an idea they'd worked out last night to give him a small edge. He knew she was tracking the flare spell herself and that yellow light would turn green the moment the flare touched the ground.

Second later, the yellow light blinked green, and he was moving the instant it did. To his chagrin, Draco had started moving first, bending the rules by beginning a wand motion but not finishing it before the flare touched. Malfoy managed to get the first spell off as a result, despite having to speak his spells. Thankfully, Harry had managed to switch his spell at the last moment. He couldn't manage a full shield-charm yet...but he could manage the Deflection Charm, which created a short-lived field that pulled low-level charms and hexes wide.