The Dueling Club
The next morning Luz woke up with her bones fully grown but very stiff, she looked at Tinella’s body but it was hidden behind high curtains. Madam Cutburn came bustling over with a breakfast and then began bending and stretching her arm and fingers.
After eating she was let go, and she rushed to Gryffindor Tower to tell Gus and Willow about Tinella and Kiki. But they weren't there. She then rushed over to Myrtle’s bathroom, after making sure no Kare-taker or prefect was following her, she entered and locked the door behind her.
“It’s me,” Luz said. There was a clunk, a splash and a gasp from a cubicle and she saw Gus’s eyes peering through a keyhole “Luz!” Gus said surprised “You gave us such a fright, come in, how’s your arm?” Luz managed to squeeze inside the cubicle.
“It’s fine,” Luz saw inside the cubicle a small cauldron where should be a toilet, it was lifted by three metal rods and a silent fire was lit beneath it “We were going to come to meet you, but we heard Professor Eda talking to Professor Moncullos about Tinella and thought we’d better starting the potion right away” Willow was sitting on her Palisman, a few feet above the cauldron.
Luz nodded, but she had more to add, she told them what Kiki told her, but more importantly what she didn't tell her. Willow and Gus listened with their mouths wide open “It has been open before?” Gus said “Then, it’s settled… Simone Troisoeil must have opened the Hall when she studied here, and now she told Boscha how to do it…” Willow said darkly as she added leeches to the potion.
“I wonder if the monster can make itself invisible, that would explain why no one is seeing it lurking around… or maybe it can disguise itself, like a chameleon,” Gus said adding crushed lacewings to the cauldron.“So Kiki stopped you from getting on the train and broke your arm.” Luz nodded. “You know what, Luz? If she doesn’t stop trying to save your life she’s going to kill you.” Willow concluded.
The news that Tinella Nosa had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.
Amity Blight was looking paler than ever, but Luz felt that Edric and Emira were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Amity apoplectic with rage, told them she was going to call their mom and tell her what they were doing.
Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Star Butterfly bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor girls pointed out that she was in no danger; she was a pureblood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.
They heard that Boscha was staging for Christmas, which struck them as very suspicious so they all sighed Professor Chariot’s list. Luz spent almost two full days convincing her mother to let her stay this year again. “The holidays would be the perfect time to put the potion to good use, but we’re only halfway done… we need the bicorn horn and the basilisk skin… The only place we could find those is in Lilith’s private store” Gus said gloomily but Willow smiled.
“Actually, I already got the skin,” Willow said pulling out what looked like a rolled parchment but when Luz touched she recognised instantly, it felt like snake skin, but much more rough and cold, and it felt as though it had some body hair in it. Gus was shocked but Willow only responded “I have my sources, and no, I didn't skin any basilisk before you say anything” when he asked how she got her hands on it.
So they hatched a plan to get the horn; on their next double potions class with Slytherin, Luz and Willow would cause a diversion so Gus could sneak and steal what they needed. It was simple enough, Luz brought one of Edric’s Filibuster fireworks and when Lilith went to check the sloppy work Star was making, Luz lit the fireworks and shot it in one of the other student's caldrons.
The plan worked, as best as it could. The firework fell on Skara’s caldron which exploded, splashing half of the class with swelling solution, panic aroused as the students ran around, their faces and hands swelling twice or trice the original size. It was a bit comical, especially with Lilith splashing deflating draught over the students like a gardener to revert the effects of the potion.
“If I ever find out who threw this,” Lilith whispered, “I shall make sure that person is expelled.” Luz arranged her face into what she hoped was a puzzled expression. Lilith was looking right at her, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.
“She knew it was me, I could tell,” Luz told Gus and Willow as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Gus added the last ingredients after Willow crushed the horn and they finally managed to shred the Basilisk skin in 3 standard weight pieces.
“She can’t prove, so she can’t do anything to you,” Willow said reassuringly, but Luz wasn't so sure, knowing Lilith. A week later, the trio notice a small lot of people gathered around the notice board in the Entrance Hall. A piece of parchment announced that a Duelling Club would be starting that same night.
“It might come in handy one of these days,” Gloria said “I don't think Slytherin’s monster can duel,” Willow said but she too read the sign with interest. The trio decided to give it a try, and then, 10 past 8 they were at the Great Hall, where the long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along the wall.
“I wonder who will be teaching us,” Gus said as they edge into the chattering crowd, the entire student body seemed to be there. “We’d be very lucky if was Miss Eda, some say she’s even stronger than Principal Bump,” Luz heard a Hufflepuff boy talking alone, probably with his Palisman on his shoulder, a red Cardinal bird “As long as it’s not… oh no…” The boy sighed.
Jon De Plume was walking up the stage resplendent with a cape of deep plum over his shoulders and accompanied by none other than Lilith, wearing her usual black. De Plume waved an arm for silence and called “Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! Now, Principal Bump has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions—for full details, see my published works,” He said throwing his cape to a group of seventh years, who all fought vigorously to keep it.
“Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Clawthorne,” said De Plume, flashing a wide smile. “She tells me she knows a tiny little bit about duelling herself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry—you’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!” No one seemed much relieved.
“Wouldn’t it be good if they finished each other off?” Luz heard Gloria talking with a cute Ravenclaw boy who agreed with a smile on his face. Lilith’s upper lip was curling. Luz wondered why De Plume was still smiling; if Lilith had been looking at her like that she’d have been running as fast as she could in the opposite direction.
“Before we start…” Lilith said and, as though he was about to give detention to everyone there, suddenly no one was even whispering “I want to know, does anyone here knows the difference between a magical duel and a witch’s duel?” She asked and a few hands were raised slowly, by mainly Ravenclaw students. “Very good question, professor Clawthorne, I was about to make it myself. Let’s see someone to answer it… ah! You there!” De Plume said and Lilith’s face became somehow scarier.
“While a magical duel is a duel performed by magical creatures – such as wizards, witches or goblins – a witch’s duel is a magical ritual that can happen during a magical duel if three rules are met, though the name can be misleading, a witch’s duel does not need to happen only between witches” The boy Gloria was talking to answered, winning 7 points to Ravenclaw.
“And what happens during a witch’s duel?” Lilith asked him “Well… nothing, but some magical effects can only happen during a witch’s duel” Lilith nodded and moved on, and the boy sighed in relief. “Can someone name the first rule? You there!” De Plume pointed at the Hufflepuff boy, and Luz noticed that the other Hufflepuffs looked at him with severe looks.
He was nervous “I believe… that the rule one was… that a witch’s duel must have an assailant and a defendant and the first must have the intention to harm or… do something worse to the second ” De Plume granted the boy 7 points for the answer. Shortly Gus gave another rule “There has to be a prize for the assailant and it must be something that will be taken from the defendant, it can’t be something that will simply be awarded.” He yearned 7 points for Gryffindor.
And Amity finished with the third rule “For the ritual to be completed, the defendant alone must bow, if they don't or the assailant also bows, the ritual won’t be completed” Lilith rewarded 7 points to the young Blight “Good to see you have some resemblance of knowledge in you, now for my next ques–” But De Plume interrupted her.
“Come on now, professor, we all came here to duel, not to answer questions, let’s show them something more practical” Mostly everyone was pleased with the news and by the look on Lilith’s face, soon they would have another thing to be pleased with.
The two professors turned to face each other and bowed; at least, De Plume did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Lilith jerked her head irritably. Then they raised their Palismen, like swords in front of them. “As you see, we are holding our Palismen in the accepted combative position,” De Plume told the silent crowd. “On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.” Everyone looked at Lilith. “I wouldn’t bet on that,” Luz murmured, watching Lilith baring her teeth.
“One—two—three—” Both of them swung their Palismen above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Lilith cried: “Expelliarmus!” There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and De Plume was blasted off his feet: He flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.
Some students cheered. Others were dancing on tiptoes. “Do you think he’s all right?” Some squealed through their fingers. “Who cares?” Many answered. De Plume was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hair was standing on end. “Well, there you have it!” he said, tottering back onto the platform.
“That was a Disarming Charm—as you see, I’ve lost my Palisman —ah, thank you, Miss Uri—yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Lilith, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy—however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…” Lilith was looking murderous.
“Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor,” Lilith suggested as though she was giving him a chance to live another day and De Plume seemed to notice because he said “An excellent suggestion, Professor. Let's have a volunteer pair. Park, Noceda, how about you?” Willow reluctantly climbed the stage.
Luz was about to argue when Lilith beat her to the punch “Noceda's staff causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Park to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house? Troisoeil, perhaps?” She snapped her finger and Boscha was by her side so fast Luz thought she had teleported.
Boscha and Willow eyed each other malevolently as they take their places onstage. Grudgingly, they bow to each other “Scared, Park?” Boscha asked grinning with malice “You wish” Willow answered with the severest face Luz had ever seen her friend with “Palismen at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent – only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two, three!” Willow opened her mouth but Boscha was faster.
“Everte Statum” Boscha cried and Willow fell backwards with a loud thud – she later told Luz that she felt as though something pulled the rug underneath her – Boscha laughed but Willow didn't let go easily, she got back to her feet quickly and pointed Clover to Boscha.
“Rictumsempra!” A jet of silver light hit Boscha in the stomach and she doubled up, wheezing, Boscha sank to her knees; Willow hit her with a Tickling Charm, and she could barely move laughing “I said disarm only!” De Plume shouted and Lilith finished the spell with "Finite Incantatem". The two were once again pointing their Palismen at each other and yet again, Boscha was faster.
“Sepersotia!” The end of her Palisman exploded. Willow watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
“Don’t move, Park, I’ll get rid of it…” said Lilith, annoyed, she passed Boscha who was grinning. “Allow me! Volate Ascendare!” shouted De Plume. He brandished his Palisman at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack.
Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Amelia Asthas and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. Luz wasn't sure what made her do it, she got up on the stage “Leave her!’ She shouted stupidly to the snake who turned to Luz, eyed her for a moment and turned back to Amelia “I said leave her!” Luz yelled louder.
But then, miraculously, the snake stopped, as if it was a kid whose mother forbade it from grabbing something at the grocery store and started looking around, looking for other prey. Before Luz could say anything, Lilith cast “Vipera Evanesca” on the snake, making it vanish in a puff of black smoke.
Luz looked up at Amelia, grinning, expecting to see her looking relieved, puzzled, or even grateful—but certainly not angry and scared “What do you think you’re playing at?” she shouted, and before Luz could say anything, Amelia had turned and stormed out of the hall.
Lilith, too, was looking at Luz in an unexpected way, it was a shrewd and calculating look, and Luz didn’t like it. She was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Luz got down the stage and walked out of the hall, Willow and Gus right behind her. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something.
Luz didn’t have a clue what was going on, and neither Gus nor Willow explained anything until they had dragged her all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Then Gus pushed Luz into an armchair and said, “You’re a Parselmouth. Why didn’t you tell us?” Luz had no idea what that was.
She probably was looking at them confused because Willow explained to her “Parselmouth is someone who can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes” Luz thought for a moment “I know, I mean, that’s only the second time I’ve ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on a bully at the zoo once—long story—but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard—” Gus interrupted her.
“A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?” He repeated faintly “So? I bet loads of people here can do it,” said Luz. “Oh, no they can’t, It’s not a very common gift. Luz, this is bad” said Willow. “What’s bad?” said Luz, starting to feel quite angry. “What’s wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn’t told that snake not to attack Amelia—” This time Willow interrupted her.
“So that was what you were saying?” Now Luz was getting impatient “What d’you mean? You were there—you heard me—” She shook her head “I heard you speaking Parseltongue. You could have been saying anything—no wonder she panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something—it was creepy, you know—” Luz gaped at her.
“I spoke a different language? But—I didn’t realise—how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?” Gus shook his head. Both he and Willow were looking as though someone had died. Luz couldn’t see what was so terrible.
“D’you want to tell me what’s wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Amelia’s head?” she said. “What does it matter how I did it as long as she doesn’t have to join the Headless Hunt?” Gus said, speaking at last in a hushed voice “It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That’s why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent.” Luz’s mouth fell open.
“Exactly, and now the whole school’s going to think you’re his great great great great granddaughter or something—” Willow said “But I’m not,” said Luz, with a panic she couldn’t quite explain “That will be hard to prove, he lived about a thousand years ago, for all we know, you could be” Gus concluded.
Luz didn't sleep well that night, she hugged her pillow and watched snow starting to drift past the tower window and wondered; could she be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin? The only thing she knew about her father's family was that he was an orphan. Luz tried to say something in Parseltongue, but the words didn't come out apparently, she needed to be close to a snake to do it.
But I’m in Gryffindor, Luz thought. The Sorting Hat wouldn’t have put me in here if I had Slytherin blood… Ah, said a nasty little voice in her brain, but the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin, don’t you remember? She held some tears there were forming in her eyes, she needed to stop crying so much.
Luz turned over. She’d see Amelia the next day in Herbology and she’d explain that she’d been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (she thought angrily) any fool should have realized. By the next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled.
Professor Milo wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation he would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Ark and Tinella Nosa. Luz fretted about this next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Gus and Willow used their time off to play a game of wizard chess.
Eventually, Luz got tired of sulking next to the fire and went to find Amelia on her own. She walked past many rooms, eavesdropping and peeking every other looking for the Hufflepuffs. Professor Muncullos was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger. It was hard for Luz to not take a look.
Luz decided to check the library, maybe Amelia was catching up on some work there. There she found two Hufflepuff boys who were in their year, though they weren't studying, but discussing the recent events. Luz managed to hide behind a bookshelf near them.
“So, she decided to hide in the dormitory, if she was marked down as Noceda’s next victim, it’s best if she keeps a low profile for a while, though she’s been waiting for something like that ever since she told Noceda she was muggle-born,” One of the boys said to the other, a dark-skinned boy with purple hair and bright yellow eyes.
“So you really think it’s her, Marco?” The other boy said a bit unsure “Hop, how many good people do you know or read about it speaks Parseltongue? They even called Salazar ‘Sepert-tongue’, it’s a dark mark, besides, everything is very suspicious if you ask me” Hop turned to him even more confused.
“Remember what was written on the wall? Noceda had some sort of run-in with the Kare-Takers and the next thing we know, one of them is attacked. That first year, Nosa, was annoying Luz at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of her while she was lying in the mud. Next thing we know, she’s been attacked.” Marco said counting every attack on his fingers.
“She always seems so nice, though,” said Hop uncertainly, “and, well, she’s the one who made the Emperor disappear. She can’t be all bad, can she?” Marcos lowered his voice mysteriously, Hop bent closer, and Luz edged nearer so that she could catch Marco’s words.
“No one knows how she survived that attack by the Emperor. I mean to say, she was only a baby when it happened and should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark witch could have survived a curse like that.” He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, “That’s probably why the Emperor wanted to kill her in the first place. Didn’t want anyone competing with him. I wonder what other powers Noceda’s been hiding?” That was all Luz could take.
Luz walked away and walked back as if she had just entered the library, the two stopped the moment they saw Luz. Marco, who had the same complexity as Luz, went almost as pale as Amity. Hop managed to put on a shaking smile on his face “He-hello” He said “Hello, I’m looking for Amelia” Hop and Marco exchanged worried looks.
“What do you want with her?” Marco said in a quivering voice “I wanted to tell her what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club,” Luz said and Marco took a deep breath. “We were all there. We saw what happened.” Some colour seemed to rush back to his face.
“Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?” said Luz “All we saw was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Amelia” said Hop slowly, he was trembling as he spoke “I didn’t chase it at her!” Luz said, her voice shaking with anger. “It didn’t even touch her!” Hop was about to open his mouth when Marco spoke.
“It was a very near miss,” said Marco. “And in case you’re getting ideas,” he added hastily, “I tell you, the magic might have skipped two generations in my family, but I’m not a push-over and just because your blood is special, I’ll not let you hurt my friend and get away with it!” Though visibly shaking, Marco stood up to stare her in the eyes.
“I don’t care what sort of blood you’ve got! Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?” said Luz fiercely. “I’ve heard you hate those muggles who live around you,” said Hop swiftly. “It’s not possible to live with Andrea and not hate her,” said Luz. “But why would I hate all muggles? My mother is a muggle! Por Dios!” She turned on her heel and stormed out of the library, earning herself a reproving glare from Malphas, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook.
Luz wasn't really going anywhere, she just blundered up the corridor in fury, until she met with Hagrid and she tackled him so hard that she fell on the floor. His face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn’t possibly be anyone else, he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.
“All righ’, Luz?” he said, pulling Luz up as if she was a doll he let fall. “Why aren’t yeh in class?” Luz greeted him and explained it was cancelled “What are you doing here?” she asked. Hagrid held up the limp rooster “The second one killed this turn, it’s either foxes or blood-suckin Bugbears, an’ I need the Principal permission ter put a charm around the hen coop” He looked at Luz through his balaclava.
“Are yeh sure yer all righ’? Lookin’ all hot and bothered” Luz couldn't bring herself to repeat what Marco said so she lied, saying she was fine and that she had Transfiguration next and she needed to go. They parted ways, Luz’s mind filled with what she had heard from Marco.
Luz stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. She was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.
She turned to squint at what she’d fallen over and felt as though her stomach had dissolved. Amelia Asthas was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on her face, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn’t all. Next to her was another figure, one of the strangest sights Luz had ever seen.
It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Amelia’s. Luz got to her feet, her breathing fast and shallow, her heart doing a kind of drum roll against her ribs.
She looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side. She could run, and no one would ever know she had been there. But she couldn’t just leave them lying here… She had to get help… Would anyone believe she hadn’t had anything to do with this?
As she stood there, panicking, a door right next to her opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out. “Why, it’s Nosy Noceda! What’s Noceda up to? Why’s Noceda lurking—” Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault.
Upside down, he spotted Amelia and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Luz could stop him, screamed, “ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!” Luz was petrified.
Door after door was opened, and with loud crashes, a flood of students filled the corridor. For many minutes, Amelia’s body was close to being crushed by the students who didn't fully understand what was going on. Luz was pinned against the wall, she watched as teachers tried to restore order.
Soon, Eda burst from one classroom followed by her own classroom, she was confused for a moment before stomping the ground with her Palisman, the whole corridor shook and the students went silent. The other teachers brought the students back into the classrooms. Luz saw Marco and Hop staring at the scene from afar.
“¡Pillada en el acto Noceda!” Marco yelled “That will do, Diaz!” said Miss Eda. Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Amelia and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:
“Oh, Noceda, you rotter, oh, what have you done, you’re killing off students, you think it’s good fun—” Professor Chariot, who was also in the scene, barked at Peeves and he zoomed away backwards, with his tongue out at Luz. Chariot and Professor Muncullos took Amelia to the hospital wing. But no one knew what to do for Nick.
In the end, Professor Eda conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Marco and Hop with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This they did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Luz and Professor Eda alone together.
“This way, Luz,” she said. “Professor, I swear I didn’t—” said Luz at once. “This is out of my hands,” said Professor Eda curtly. They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a golden statue of a Griffin.“Dianthus gratianopolitanus!” she said.
This was evidently a password because the Griffin started to rise upward in circles and steps formed as it went up. Even full of dread for what was coming, Luz couldn’t fail to be amazed. Professor Eda made a motion and she stepped onto it. She rose higher and higher until, at last, slightly dizzy, Luz saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin. She knew now where he was being taken. This must be where Bump lived.