A Confrontation in the Common Room
The Slytherin common room was dimly lit, the green glow from the enchanted lamps casting flickering shadows along the stone walls. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, filling the space with warmth, yet the atmosphere remained tense.
As Harry reached for his wand, preparing to slip out unnoticed, two figures blocked his path. Hermione and Daphne stood before him, arms crossed, their expressions unreadable.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hermione asked, her voice calm but firm.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Taking a walk?"
Daphne smirked, a hint of amusement flashing in her ice-blue eyes. "Try again."
Harry exhaled through his nose. "You know about the duel."
"Of course, we do." Hermione's gaze sharpened. "We're not blind, Harry."
Daphne leaned lazily against the couch, studying him. "You've been here for barely a month, and you're already challenging people to duels?"
"It wasn't my idea," Harry defended, shoving his wand into his pocket. "Ron was the one who challenged me."
"And you accepted," Hermione countered, exasperation slipping into her tone.
Harry shrugged. "I had to."
Daphne rolled her eyes. "No, you didn't. But since you're too stubborn to back down, we're coming with you."
Harry frowned. "Why?"
Hermione's expression softened just a fraction. "Because if you get hexed into the infirmary, someone needs to make sure you're at least carried there properly."
Daphne's smirk returned. "And we don't trust Gryffindors to play fair."
Harry huffed out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Fair enough."
The Duel Begins
The abandoned corridor near the Trophy Room was bathed in silver moonlight filtering through the tall arched windows, casting elongated shadows across the stone floor. Dust motes floated in the air, disturbed only by the tension crackling between the two boys facing off.
Ron Weasley stood at the far end, his wand gripped tightly in his calloused fingers. His expression was a mix of determination and barely restrained anger. Beside him, Neville Longbottom shifted uneasily, clearly regretting his decision to tag along.
Opposite them, Harry stood relaxed, his fingers resting lightly against the smooth wood of his wand. Hermione and Daphne lingered a few steps behind him, their presence a silent reminder that this wasn't just a meaningless duel.
"Ready to lose, Potter?" Ron sneered.
Harry didn't bother responding. Instead, he casually drew his wand, assuming a dueling stance with an ease that belied his inexperience.
Professor Flitwick had only briefly covered proper dueling etiquette, but Harry had an instinct for movement, a natural grace that made even the simplest action look effortless. He dipped into a shallow bow—a mere formality—before stepping back, wand raised.
Ron hesitated, then bowed stiffly, his pride making the motion awkward.
"On three," Neville said hesitantly. "One... two—"
"Expelliarmus!"
Ron didn't wait for three.
The red streak of light shot toward Harry before Neville even finished speaking.
Harry barely had time to react, twisting his body to the side as the disarming spell missed him by inches.
"So much for rules," Daphne muttered.
Hermione scowled. "Typical."
Harry retaliated immediately. "Flipendo!"
The Knockback Jinx surged forward, but Ron deflected it with a hastily cast Protego.
"Is that all you've got?" Ron taunted, eyes gleaming with confidence. He jabbed his wand forward. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Harry ducked, the Full Body-Bind Curse barely missing his head before slamming into a nearby suit of armor. The metal figure locked into place with an ominous creak.
Harry countered with Rictusempra! The Tickling Charm shot toward Ron, who managed to block it, though he staggered slightly.
For the next few minutes, spell after spell flew across the corridor—Verdimillious, Flipendo, Lumos Solem—each attack forcing the other to dodge, deflect, or counter.
Despite himself, Harry smirked. He was winning.
For now.
Ron's expression darkened. His grip on his wand tightened as he adjusted his stance.
"You're good," Ron admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "But not good enough."
Then, suddenly—
"Expulso!"
Harry's instincts screamed at him to move, but the explosive hex hit the ground near his feet, blasting stone and dust into the air. He stumbled, coughing as debris clouded his vision.
"Depulso!"
The Banishing Charm struck him before he could recover, knocking him back another step.
"Stupefy!"
The Stunning Spell struck Harry square in the chest. He gritted his teeth, managing to stay upright, but the force of it left a sharp sting in his ribs.
Daphne and Hermione tensed, their eyes locked on Harry as he slowly lifted his wand again.
Ron smirked. "Not so confident now, are you?"
Harry exhaled. His heart pounded—not from fear, but from realization.
He had made a mistake.
He had been relying solely on magic, assuming his quick learning would be enough. But Ron, despite his brashness, had more experience. He had been raised in the magical world, wielding a wand long before Hogwarts.
Harry was still catching up.
But he had something Ron didn't.
A gift.
He lowered his wand slightly, shifting his weight just enough to feign hesitation.
Ron took the bait, scoffing. "What's wrong, Potter? Out of tricks?"
Harry smirked. "Not quite."
For a brief moment, his emerald eyes flickered—just barely.
And then—
A thin, nearly invisible beam of heat shot forward. It wasn't lethal—not even close—but it burned just enough to sear through Ron's sleeve, leaving an angry red mark on his arm.
Ron yelped, dropping his wand. He clutched his arm, his face twisted in shock and pain.
"What the hell was that?!" Ron shouted.
Harry twirled his wand between his fingers, his face carefully neutral. "A spell, obviously."
Neville paled. "That—That didn't sound like any spell I've heard of."
"Must not be paying attention in class then," Harry said smoothly.
Ron glared at him, chest heaving. But he had no wand. No defense.
He had lost.
Hermione and Daphne exchanged a glance.
"Did you see what he did?" Hermione whispered.
Daphne nodded slowly. "It didn't look like magic."
But neither of them pushed the issue.
Neville hesitantly picked up Ron's wand, handing it back. The redhead snatched it, still scowling.
"This isn't over, Potter," Ron muttered.
Harry smirked. "It never is."
With that, he turned on his heel, Daphne and Hermione falling into step beside him.
A Lesson Learned
As they made their way back toward the dungeons, Hermione broke the silence.
"You shouldn't have accepted the duel."
Harry shrugged. "I learned something, didn't I?"
"You nearly lost," she pointed out.
"But I didn't," Harry countered.
Daphne eyed him. "What was that spell at the end?"
Harry only smirked. "Trade secret."
Hermione frowned but let it go—for now.
They were almost at the common room when—
Footsteps.
Daphne tensed. "Patrol."
Hermione swore under her breath. "We need to move. Now."
The three of them darted into the shadows, pressing themselves against the cold stone as the footsteps grew louder.
Would they be caught?
Avoiding Trouble
Harry, Hermione, and Daphne pressed themselves against the cold stone walls of the castle corridor, their breaths barely audible.
The footsteps grew closer—slow, deliberate. A lantern's dim light flickered at the far end of the hallway.
"Filch," Daphne mouthed.
Hermione clutched Harry's sleeve. "We can't get caught. We'll lose house points."
Harry's mind raced. He wasn't worried about detention, but being caught meant answering questions—questions he didn't want to deal with.
His eyes darted to a nearby tapestry. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Hermione's wrist and pulled her through the gap behind the fabric. Daphne slipped in beside them just as Filch rounded the corner.
The caretaker muttered to himself, peering around suspiciously. His cat, Mrs. Norris, sniffed the air, her glowing eyes scanning the darkness.
Seconds stretched into eternity.
Finally, Filch grunted and shuffled away, his lantern swinging as he disappeared around the bend.
They waited.
One breath.
Two.
Then—
Daphne exhaled. "That was close."
Hermione elbowed Harry. "You nearly got us caught!"
Harry smirked. "But I didn't."
She huffed but let it go.
"Come on," Daphne whispered. "Let's get back before we actually do run into someone."
A Resolution
Back in the Slytherin common room, the tension from the night's events began to settle. Harry dropped onto one of the couches, rubbing his temples.
Hermione and Daphne stood before him, arms crossed.
"You need to take this seriously," Hermione said. "That duel proved it."
Daphne nodded. "You relied on spells you just learned. You were lucky Weasley's an idiot."
Harry frowned. "I wasn't that bad."
Hermione scoffed. "Ron outmatched you in spellwork. You only won because of—" She hesitated.
Daphne arched a brow. "Whatever trick you pulled at the end."
Harry smirked but didn't elaborate.
Hermione sighed. "You need to study, Harry. Properly. Not just the spells we learn in class."
Daphne leaned against the armrest. "She's right. If you want to get stronger, you need to push beyond the curriculum."
Harry considered that. He had always intended to improve, but tonight had exposed a flaw in his thinking.
Ron had been stronger in a direct magical duel. That wouldn't do.
He nodded. "Fine. I'll start studying outside of class."
Hermione looked pleased. "Good. Because we're going to make sure you do."
Harry chuckled. "Why do I feel like I just walked into a trap?"
Daphne smirked. "Because you did."