Chapter 2
The dueling book was actually a notebook. Its cover was brown and cracked, its edges bitten off and its pages yellowed, obviously well-used and, as Nyta and Rowan began to skim through, a spidery cursive filled every possible space with spells, potions' recipes and techniques about dueling and spell creation.
So quickly Rowan fell in love with its acute observations, so enamoured Nyta became with its ramblings that they easily immersed themselves in the book and put what had happened in the Artefact Room behind them. Years later, as they revisited their feelings during these days, Nyta wondered if they became so obsessed with the dueling book because of their shared steadfast endeavour to ignore everything that would make their school experience even more troublesome. Nyta could only imagine what Merula would have had to say, if she had known that Nyta was hearing voices.
Deciding to follow Felix's advice and learn about dueling, they found the disarming charm, Expelliarmus, in the dueling book and they practiced it on each other, making their wands fly off their hands on the solitude and safety of their room. Meanwhile, Rowan annotated in their diary that Nyta had won 10 points for Slytherin with her Wiggenweld Potion, which she had made sure to tell Felix about, and that, on a Tuesday, when they had decided to invite Ben Copper to their Dueling Book Sessions (that is how Rowan called it in their diary), the Gryffindor boy had taken to it very quickly.
Nyta had first promised to teach Ben the disarming charm to cheer him up after she found out he was being bullied by Merula and some other Slytherins because of being muggleborn. After Expelliarmus,Rictusempra became their new goal, which came with the delightful incident in which Nyta and Rowan's roommates, Marina Sanchez and Skye Parkin, entered their dormitory to find Rowan doubled up in laugher half on the floor and half on Nyta's bed, one of their hands to their stomach and the other grabbing the blanket while Nyta's cat licked her nose.
''What is going on?'' Had snapped Marina, her fingers stilled on the doorknob and sight fixed on Rowan. Behind her back, Skye had taken a look at the scene and snorted before ducking under Marina's arm and threw herself to her bed.
After that, November was marked by Nyta, Rowan and Ben losing five house points each after a Hufflepuff prefect caught them playing gobstones in the corridors. They learnt a Bubble Spell and Ben and Rowan had fun sending bubbles to each other, despite the cold weather, while they perfected their Ebublio Jinx. November ended with Felix calling for Nyta:
''I have asked Snape for an empty classroom this weekend.'' He told her, in that manner he had in which he had no doubt all of your attention was in his words. He showed Nyta a piece of paper, with Professor Snape spidery writing in it. Nyta took it. ''This Saturday, after you have breakfast, I will want to see what your friend Khanna and you have learned.'' He smirked. ''You better do not have breakfast too late.''
He was already looking at the fireplace before he finished talking, ''Amari! What are you doing?'' he exclaimed while he approached a boy with curly hair who was throwing sticks into the fire at a thundering pace.
That Saturday, Felix made Nyta and Rowan duel each other.
They bowed to each other and counted aloud. Eleven years old, they did not know any incredible spells and, friends as they were, they did not want to hurt each other. Fortunately, that was not what Felix wanted to see.
Nyta started with the Bubble Spell, making Rowan stumble with the force of the bubbles exploding in front of them. Rowan counterattacked with Ebublio, which Nyta side-stepped easily. They smiled at each other and Nyta did not have time to move her wand before Rowan's wand started to light colourful sparks so bright that Nyta could barely look at them. She had to cover her eyes with her arm to keep them open. Blindly, she pointed her wand where she knew Rowan was:
''Expelliarmus!'' Rowan hand was jerked back as their wand flew behind them.
''Impressive'' commented Felix, stopping their duel. ''That's some very powerful spells, Syn. And Khanna, you have showed pretty cunning ideas. Slytherin would be proud of you.'' Felix crossed his arms, thoughtful. ''How did you think about blinding your opponent?''
Nyta nodded, interested as well.
''Oh, well...'' Rowan turned red, ''You know, the dueling book said something along the lines of distracting your enemy.''
Felix smiled, unkind but appreciative:
''You two will become something to look for, won't you?''