Unmasked

The Duelling Mishap

Note: This chapter describes a panic attack and the result of abuse. Take caution reading this chapter if you feel like this may be a trigger for you.

The echoing of scraping chairs and loud chatter reverberated off of the walls of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom the next day. Harry, Ron and Hermione filed into the room with a few minutes to spare, shuffling over to their seats. As they settled in, Harry and Ron were still arguing over a question in their potions homework, to which Hermione whacked Harry over the head with a roll of parchment to get him to shut up. He scowled at her, then turned back to his seat next to Ron to put his bag down, plopping down in his chair. Hermione smirked, satisfied, and did the same.

A hush spread over the class as Snape strode up the aisle a moment later, using his wand to flick open everyone's books to page 492. He stood at the front of the room with a brooding glare, as if daring anyone to speak. He took a moment to look over them all before saying dully, "Chapter 10 is on duelling." He spun to face the blackboard, scrawling on it as he spoke. "We will quickly review what you have learned in previous years... that will be today. It will be brief, covering basic tactics, defences, charms, jinxes, hexes, and the like. You will pair up once I am finished the lesson and practice these basics, but please, don't break anything or I will be forced to take house points... You are strongly encouraged to use silent incantations, however, it is not mandatory as this is just review."

The class listened attentively as Snape droned on about hexes and jinxes that many of them had practiced the year before as a part of Dumbledore's Army. The defences were common to all of them, as were the few charms they had been taught were useful in duelling. About twenty minutes later, Snape released them to find their partners. Hermione partnered with Ron, so Harry partnered with Neville.

Neville first threw a leg-locker curse his way, which he blocked. Harry retaliated with a jelly-legs jinx, which Neville blocked as well. Silently, the dancing hex was shot at Harry, who ended up doing a jig in front of his peers. He chortled, shooting back a hex that tickled Neville so much he cried as he thrashed, trying to remember the counter jinx. Harry eventually remembered how to remove the one on himself, while trying to simultaneously help Neville out.

The classroom was full of commotion. Dancing students, stumbling students, Gryffindors with elephant trunks and Slytherins desperately trying to escape the invisible tickling fingers. Pansy and Draco fired silent hexes back and forth, each periodically hitting each other, but usually blocking them. Seamus and Dean managed not to make anything explode, however, Seamus did end up being blasted against the back wall. At the front of the room, Snape shook his head solemnly, quickly returning to his marking. Ron had managed to successfully hit Hermione with both a leg-locker curse and the tickling curse, so she had to hop around, laughing wildly while desperately trying to get enough breath to remove the effects. Ron was trying to laugh, but could only quack every time he opened his mouth.

Among all of the noise, a shrill shriek quickly got everyone's attention. All eyes landed on a pair of Slytherins at the far side of the room. Pansy's hands covered her mouth. Her horror filled eyes led everyone to follow her gaze, causing gasps and screams to escape her classmates, followed by silence as everyone tried to comprehend what they were seeing. Snape immediately stood from his desk.

"I-I," Pansy stuttered, taking a step towards Draco. "What happened to you?"

Draco was staring down at himself with wide eyes, scanning each and every exposed mark with panic. He had left his robe at his desk and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. There was no escaping the cuts, scars and bruises littering his pale flesh. His glance shot up, meeting the eyes of his peers. All of them. The long cuts and gashes, swollen and jagged scrapes, different sized and coloured bruises... The fresh and the old. Exposed for everyone to see. He said nothing, just stared between himself and the crowd of his peers.