Fire and Ice

Duels

The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher stood, and turned to face his eager class.

He began writing on the chalkboard behind him, waving his wand while still facing his students.

D...U...E...L...I...N...

"Dueling!!" An enthusiastic Gryffindor  shouted. The whole class cheered, apart from one boy.

"Partners!" The professor bellowed, silencing the class. "I will be choosing your partners, and at a time, you will duel in front of the class. Miss Granger! Miss Parkinson! You're up."

The Gryffindoors cheered for Hermione, while the Slytherins boo'ed her. They didn't even register that Pansy Parkinson was a dueler.

That didn't stop her though. "Hope I thrash her!" She squealed at the Slytherins, shaking her narrow hips at them. Too into yelling at Granger, they ignored her. Simpering, Pansy brandished her wand at Granger. Granger looked determinedly back at her.

"Begin."

After three minutes of garbled words and flashing lights, Pansy was groaning on the ground, coated in warts and moles. Granger limped away, whimpering as her clothes brushed her hives on her skin. Her hair was an explosion.

"Well played, Miss Granger," the professor began, but his voice was drowned in the Gryffindoor's high-fives and cheers.

The dueling matches continued, as the Slytherin's caught up, fell behind, caught up, fell behind. Whistles, cheers, boo's and groans echoed through the make-shift arena.

One boy stood silently at the back, staring and slightly sullen. He had only dueled once, in his first year, and nearly killed someone. Word spread fast. He wanted to duel, he did, but was expressively forbidden by his parents to do so. Now, of course, he knew why.

There were only two boys left.

"Potter-" cheers erupted the room, "-and Malfoy, up. This is the tie-breaker. Whoever wins, their team wins. And points will be given."

"Malfoy never duels, though," people began to whisper, as the protagonist of their quiet conversations stared ahead.

"In order to gain a grade in Defence Against the Dark Arts, one must duel at least once. Malfoy, up." The Professor waved his wand, causing the students to be pushed at either side of the room. Potter slowly walked to the centre, burning loathing (which he had to hide so well) in his emerald eyes.

How dramatic, Draco thought wryly. He copied Potter's movements.

Everyone was silent. Crystals met emeralds, a second after the professor said, "Begin."

Two seconds later of furious flashes from both wands, Potter laid singed and unconscious on the ground. Draco remained untouched. He walked back to his seat silently, all eyes on him, as he tried to ignore the burning intensity in his stomach, as powerful blood rushed crazily in his veins, as his heart thudded out of tune. As his body craved more.