The Flow of Our Years

December 12th, 1975

It was the most exciting day of her life. Around her, everyone was rushing to the stadium, not wanting to miss the kick-off. The European Duelling Championship was about to begin, and wizards from all over the continent had traveled here to attend the competition.

This year, the tournament was taking place near Bruxelles, Belgium. Fortunately, it only took a few hours for Agnes to get to the place, thanks to apparating from cities to cities.

The trickiest part was always to cross seas, as she was still concerned she might stop mid-trip and end up in the middle of the ocean. Her duelling professor had informed Agnes that it would be Professor Flitwick who'd travel with her. He had thankfully prepared a portkey and they had traveled together to the Belgian city. Flitwick was the best duellist in Hogwarts, and had many victories behind him. Agnes respected him sincerely. He seemed like a good person, plus she loved his Charm class.

When they had finally reached the duellist compartment, they had been welcomed warmly by all the teams, who seemed to come from each and every country in Europe. The atmosphere was hectic, as every person about to duel was getting ready to fight. 

Agnes had won the national selections a few weeks prior at the Dunstable Duelling Championships, and had earned a place at the European competition. She was among the youngest participants, and everyone seemed to stare everywhere she went.

Her professor had admitted that she was already quite famous in the field, as for the 17 year-old french-british witch who'd won against Brutus Gallow, the best duellist in Britain. She had herself been surprised at how she had earned her victory in a few spells only. But her opponent was old and certainly about to retire from the competition. 

Now, she would duel against people in the prime of life, eager to step up from their national champion status and become a victor in order to reach the highest tournament in the field: The World Duelling Championship. 

Obviously, everyone wanted to take part in it, and trained for many years before they could hope to get selected. Agnes had dreamt of attending it. But she wasn't sure she would be ready to actually participate. Well, first she had to at least try and win one duel today, and then maybe she'd start thinking about what comes next.

The last few weeks had been exhausting as she had to get her homework done in advance so that she could attend the competition. She started the duelling practices early in the morning and then after class until curfew. She barely had any time to see her friends outside of school.

She knew it was worth it, because this is what she wanted, what she had trained for. But she couldn't wait for this tiring term to end, so she could go back to the Dunbars and get some rest. 

Everyone at school had been very enthusiastic about her victory at the nationals, and Joshua had even asked his parents if he could attend her tournament in Belgium (request which he was refused for multiple academic reasons).

But Mrs Dunbar had sent a few owls wishing Agnes good luck, alongside a parcel to which Mr Dunbar had attached a few practical gifts she'd used during her trip. She felt really thankful to her friends and family. Everyone was so supportive, and that was one of the reasons why she wanted to do her best and further her experience in duelling. 

- You have beautiful robes! Said a feminine voice from behind Agnes. 

- Thank you! It's from London. She answered politely. 

The witch facing her was tall and had a smooth black skin. Her hair were tied with an elegant tiara-like ornament. Her eyes were crystal blue and she had a mesmerizing smile. 

- I am Eugenie Hicks. Nice to meet you. I am the commentator for today. The tall woman announced, proudly standing in the middle of the room. 

She really stood out from everyone else by her height and her undescribable presence. 

- how do you do? I am-

- Agnes Lenoir. I know who you are, of course, young miss Lenoir. You are famous in the duelling community. 

Agnes felt shy. People seemed to know about her, as had predicted her professor, but how much did they know? She smiled to the woman who thankfully caught the attention of a journalist who was interviewing every participant in the room. 

It was getting crowded, and she could not wait to get started. She knew her first duel would be with a Hungarian wizard. He was known for his aggressive spells and for not letting his opponent rest one bit. 

There was a fire in the chimney of the large room. Sofas and table had been arranged so the participants could rest comfortably before entering the arena. At least five hundred people were present in the stadium, waiting for the show to begin. 

Agnes' eyes locked onto the bright fire on the other side of the room. She felt its warmth and could smell the wood burning in the chimney. As if the flames were merging with her own body, she felt the eagerness to fight. That's what she liked about fire, it made her strong and passionate in the split of a second. She would have liked to go and touch it, but people around her would have looked, and it was not the time to grab unwanted attention. 

She smiled to herself and joined professor flitwick who was in a busy conversation with another mentor from Russia. Next to them was standing a tall and well-built young man. His hair were light brown and had been freshly cut in a short hairstyle. He was wearing his duelling uniform, tight enough to reveal his muscular body. His arms were hidden in his back, and he was standing in a military-like posture. His sharp face structure gave him a strict aura to him.

Agnes approached the little group and bowed her head in a polite way to announce her presence. Professor Flitwick was standing on a pedestal, making him the same height as his student, but they were still shorter than the two Russians wizards in front of them. 

- Ah, Agnes! Here you are! Let me present you Professor Dragomirov who teaches at Koldovstoretz School in Russia. And this is Alexei, his student.

- Former student, Flitwick! Alexei is already 19 years old and has graduated last year. corrected the man in a proud smile. 

- Nice to meet you. Said the young man, locking eyes with Agnes. 

He grabbed her palm and approached his face to her hand, in a traditional salutation. Agnes felt her cheeks heating up at the contact. 

- It's a pleasure to meet you, she managed to say, unable to escape his gaze.

He let go of her hand politely and went back to his initial posture. 

- You are probably going to encounter each other in the arena! Now, Agnes, you should go get changed. You might be called in first to duel. Rushed Flitwick while looking at his watch. 

Indeed, time flew by so fast and it was already time to focus on the competition. The stadium was filled with wizards eager to watch the duels, and Eugenie Hicks had now entered the stage, preparing the audience for the oncoming show. 

It was way more stressful than the inter-house competition Agnes had done at Hogwarts. But then, she remember there was no one she knew in the public. No one she particularly had to impress. No family, no friends. Just her and her opponent. She had decided to show no mercy. 

She felt heart beat faster and faster in her chest, so she had to calm her breathing with some meditation exercize. 

Flitwick had prepared a more professional-like duelling uniform, for Agnes not to wear the Ravenclaw one (although she had attached a small Hogwarts and Beauxbatons pins to her shirt, to show where she belonged. She liked the binarity of her self. She was not either french or british, but both. Her roots wer in Beauxbatons, but she had grown so much since attending Hogwarts.

She loved the ambivalent aspect of her life, and embraced her singularity. 

Her long hair were tied in a long ponytail with a light blue ribbon, the same one she used to wear back in Beauxbatons, and she was wearing fingerless tight gloves to get a better grip on her wand. She was ready. 

The first duels had gone by fast, and Agnes was finally facing the hungarian opponent. He was a heavy-looking grumpy man, who looked a littel scary and had a brutal gait to him. 

She won.

Her second opponent was a german wizard from Cologne. All she knew was that his name was Matthias and that it was his fourth participation in the competition. He used a few spells Agnes had never heard of, but managed to dodge each and every one of them. 

She won. 

The third oppone came from Greece. It was a short woman, who's skin was beautiful sun-kissed and eyebrows were dark and thick. She had think pink lips and many men in the audience seemed to be her fans. Agnes wondered if anyone knew her in the public. 

She won again. 

The fourth duel would determine whether she could get in the quarter finals. People were starting to get really agitated among the spectators. Agnes was focused and did not dare to look around. She was on a good start and it was not the time to get distracted. 

Professor Flitwick was standing a few meters away from the stage, where other contestants were waiting for their turn. Agnes had not noticed his excitement and his passionate clapping each time she'd won a duel. 

Finally, she was qualified. Her last opponent had been tricky to win to, but she had managed to cast a powerful stupefy when the wizard had looked in the public for a split second. 

- Agnes, oh dear! How do you feel? Beautiful work, I almost lost my words at that last spell, how well handled! Flitwick blathered at once. 

The young witch grabbed the towel she was handed and swept off the sweat from her face. Things were getting serious. Other constestants had took her place and the public was now passionately supporting a Bulgarian witch and a swedish one. 

She drank a potion Slughorn had prepared for her, giving her a gain of energy at once. She needed to stay in full focus and shape at all cost. It tasted weird but she still drank it all. 

Around her, the number of contestants had lowered, and only a dozens remained. All seemed tired but excited for their next duel. Alexei, the russian wizard was there too. He looked focused and his professor was giving him intructions while he was warming up. 

When the quarter final duels were announced, Agnes was first to go on stage. She was facing a middle-age lady, who (according to the commentator) came from Portugal. 

Her duelling techniques were sharp and brutal, which Agnes found a hard time adjusting to in the first minutes. She liked to attribute elements to her opponent. That woman wasjust like fire. She therefore would have to use the opposite element to fight her. Water. She needed to focus on her agility and smoothness of movement to escape from the woman. 

After having dodged a few spells, Agnes used a blasting curse, which announced the end of the match, as her opponent was projected on the end of the stage, unable to continue the duel. Agnes sighed at last and was granted to duel in the semi-final. 

She had hoped not to duel against him. She felt a strange attraction to that Alexei guy. There was something about him which did not even need to be addressed. It was as if he knew all about her when he gazed into her eyes. Yet, there he was, in the arena. Ready for their duel. 

Her semi-final would be memorable. The Russian wizard was fighting without any mistake, and Agnes really thought she'd lose that one. There was no way to attack him, as he dodged everything perfectly, even catching the spelle with his wand and reflecting it onto her. 

It was sort of fun, however. She loved the challenge of their exchange. In silence, as if they could not hear the passionate screams in the audience, Agnes and Alexei were casting spells, curses, trying by every mean to defeat one another. They were both really good. 

But when they came to get really close, that is when Agnes knew she could win. Alexei had marked a slight moment of hesitation, staring into her eyes. She had smiled to him, in a silent way of saying 'I'll win this one'. 

She just had to Expelliarmus him and that was over. By the time, he tried to grab his wand back, She stupefied him and was announced the winner. The audience shouted her name and were now brandishing banners with her name on it. 

After the duel, Agnes walked down the stage, and the russian young man walked up to her. He looked in rough shape, and was panting a little.

- You. You are strong and skilled. He admitted between two breaths. 

- And so are you. 

But before they could continue their conversation, the final contestants were announced. 

The final will be the duel of the Austrian Jakob Almendinger and Agnes Lenoir representing The United Kingdom!

Flitwick looked as if he'd gone crazy. He was trying to keep his calm while tapping on his legs in a rhythmed manner. Agnes laughed at it. If the other Hogwarts saw him right now, they would be in shock. The professor gave his last instruction to the young Ravenclaw, and pushed her kindly towards the stage. 

This was it. There was no going back. She was either going to lose in finals or earn the recognition she was yearning for and gain a place in the world championship next year. 

Let's have no regret. 

The Austrian wizard looked kind Agnes had quickly talked with him backstage a few hours prior, not knowing they would duel against each other in the finals. He was a tall blond man with brown eyes and a thick beard on his chin. He looked kind and fatherly, but she had seen duel before, and he was skilled and had no mercy for his opponent. 

She does not know how long lasted the duel. How long it took, before she became out of breath and felt like she was jumping from on corner to the other, avoiding to get cursed in the face. She does not know how she did to touch him with her spell either. It was as if her body was doing the job, knowing each and every move, dodging and crawling down, then standing up again. 

She does not know how. 

But she had won. 

Eugenie Hicks was now announcing the end of the duel, and Agnes was the only one still on the stage. standing. Her breathign was unstable and she looked up at the stadium, filled with overly excited wizards, shouting her name. 

It was magical, her heartbeat seemed to synch with the clapping in the audience, the superficial lights locked on her, Agnes Lenoir. The winner of the European Duelling Championship. 

Flitwick seemed the happiest she had ever seen him. He almost looked teary. Around her, everyone was shaking her hand, congratulating her victory. She could have felt shy as her face must have been looking all sweaty and red from the effort. But at that moment, she did not care. Especially when she lifted the golden cup in the hand. The explosion of noise in the stadium was mental. 

Minutes later, she had took a quick shower and changed in the dressing room and had joined back the contestant resting space. There, some were already packing, disappointed to have lost. Other were already drinking to celebrate their good ranking and enjoy some time before departing.

Alexei came to her, also wearing normal clothes. She smiled to him. 

- You earned it. I knew you would make an impression on the public... And not just them. 

He gazed into her eyes, and she felt her cheeks burning when she understood the meaning of his sentence. Was it because he was older? Or pretty attractive and charming? There was something about him she liked. He took her hand and softly shook it in a conventional manner. 

- I appreciated duelling in your company. He said. 

He approached her and she almost stepped back from the surprise. The young wizard came closer to her face and tenderly kissed her cheek before whispering:

- I hope to see you again. 

She touched her cheek with her hand while he gave her a last smile and left the room. Her heart was beating even faster than before the championship. The heat on where he had kissed her was almost tingling her skin. 

Wow.. 

- Ready to depart, Agnes? Flitwick asked, stepping in from where Alexei had departed.

- Let's go home, professor. She answered simply, a soft smile on her lips.