Defense Against the Dark Arts

"How'd you break your wand?" Imelda asked as they walked down the halls of Hogwarts. 

"I just put too much energy through it, I guess. And the wand didn't choose me," William said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

A moment of silence followed as Imelda remained quiet. The sounds of Classical music being played throughout the building were almost drowned out by the chatter of students. 

"...Breaking a wand is hard, really hard. What did you cast?" Imelda questioned with a furrowed brow. 

"Incendio, I think? My memory's a bit foggy," William said.

"You broke your wand with just an incendio?" Imelda was astonished. Everything she had learned until that point was either wrong or didn't apply to William. Wands were durable, very durable, it would take a mass amount of energy flow to break a wand. It just didn't seem possible to her.

"Here, don't believe me?" William questioned, his face unbothered. His steps stopped as he looked around the halls to see if anyone was around before he pulled up his sleeves. The burn scar that climbed up his arm wasn't noticeable until the color contrast of the new and old skin could be seen. Once he removed his sleeves, Imelda could see where his healthy skin met its scarred counterpart. On one side, vibrant white skin, and the other, pink. It was as if William let his arm sit in steaming hot water for half an hour.

"...Just what were you fighting?" Imelda could no longer hold in her curiosity. She continued to stare at his arm not only for its scar but for the manly physique he built. 

William then pulled his sleeve back down, much to Imelda's disappointment. He turned away and said in the deepest voice he could muster, "I've sworn a vow of secrecy. My secrets must never be told to another soul."

"Fine, I'll let you have your little boy secrets," she said with a smirk as she started to skip down the hall and walk up the stairs. "Let's get to class."

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After a small conversation, William learned from Imelda that the professor was a grumpy old woman with a lovely heart, Ms. Hecat. When William and Imelda entered Professor Hecat's classroom, William didn't know what to expect, but he didn't expect students dueling before class even started. 

As William took a better look at the duel, he noticed Sebastian was dueling with a Gryffindor student. "Stupify," he called out. His cast was quite powerful, but as it approached its opponent, it suddenly slammed against the Gryffindor student's shield charm.

"You're just going to hide behind your shield charm; I thought you were a Gryffindor!" At that moment, a slight hesitation crossed the other student's face at that moment, and his wand lowered. Sebastian took his chance and said, "Stupify!" The spell was directed towards the student's head. His fast reaction allowed him to call out Pretago, but the bolt filled with magical energy bounced off his ethereal shield and traveled upward to the skull of a mighty dragon. 

The dragon's bones started making audible creaks as its head wobbled. In just a moment, the skull began to fall to the ground. It was headed directly for the Gryffindor student. With masterful reflexes, he dodged the giant skull that threatened to crush him.

"Levioso!" The voice of an older woman resounded throughout the room as she exited from her office. The skull appeared to freeze in the air.

"The skeleton of this Hebridean Black is a trophy from the greatest poacher raid of the century, so when I say you are more replaceable than it, I mean it!" She paused, her expression marred with disappointment. "Now, you may wonder what a woman as old as I could place myself against such unfavorable odds and live to tell the tale, knowledge. Age matters very little to the wise, so I'll share my wisdom by reviewing a spell I always keep prepared. Levioso," As she talked, the skull found its way back up to the skeleton.

"Levioso," the Gryffindor said with disgust, "we learn it every year, along with the story of the poacher raid. The story is uninteresting, and the spell is usele- Woah!" Professor Hecat sent the student into the air with a flick of the wand.

"Leander Prewett, care to fight back," the professor said with a slight smile. Leander expressed utter hopelessness as Hecat's wand pointed towards him. "The lifting charm has helped me face dark wizards for years; a surprised opponent is a weak opponent, as I always say."

She then turned to the rest of her students, "How about first-day duels?" A smile appeared on her face. She flicked her wand from one side of the room to another, and the desks that filled the room were moved to the walls. 

"Lewis and Prewett, you two step up first. Everyone must remember the usefulness of Levioso as we duel; it could save your hide." William looked towards the professor with weary eyes. "Don't worry; I'll teach you; that's what I'm here for anyway," she said with a warm smile.

"Stand there, Leander and William, you stand there." She pointed in two different directions, about 15 feet away from each other. "This is a duel of magic only; keep that in mind… you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," William responded. He then looked towards Leander. 

Leander had a confident expression on his face. He couldn't win against Sebastian, but Sebastian was a pureblooded, skilled opponent. This new student in front of him had just learned about magic; sure, he faced a dragon, but his likelihood of him being skilled was low. 

"Good, now bow to your opponent… Now, on the count of three, the duel will commence. One, two… three!"

Leander immediately called for the disarming charm. "Expelliarmus," his incantation curled off his lips with extreme speed, and his wand movement was all but perfect. He was fast, but not fast enough. Just as Leander's spell was about to manifest out of his wand, William spoke, "Acco," it was as if the wand listened to him before he even said the word. The light of the wand shot forth, hitting Leander. It dragged him through the air, and his visage then stood before William. 

"Petrificus Totalus," he called. Leander's form then became unmoving like a brick. He fell forward with zero resistance. William casually moved to the side, letting the boy fall to the ground, his posture remaining immaculate.

A small sigh escaped William's lips. 'I was scared for a minute,' he thought. Then it occurred to him, 'I don't know what 'strong' looks like anymore.' For all his life, a knife, firearm, or even a strong body suggested strength, but now, he didn't know. He couldn't feel nor see his opponent's magical power, and that irked him.

Professor Hecat walked over to the paralyzed redhead with a gleeful smile. " We should have used Levioso," she whispered aloud as she bent down and called, "Rennervate."

Leanders's whole body began to loosen. Before he was resting on his face, the tip of his nose to be exact, but now his entire face was plunged into the floor.

Leander looked to William, who was walking away. His face became bitter as he got up and yelled, "Filthy mud-blood!" His loss stung him to the core. William appeared to Leander as a Muggle-born and a new student who, somehow, made his way into one of the houses. Sytherinin was no less. His face was red with anger, and the muscles in his face were scrunched. Everything about him showed fury. 

William turned to Leander with a smile and said, "See this, S." He pointed to the green emblem on his chest that signified his house. Mine means Superior. What does yours mean?" William questioned as he walked over to Leander.

William pointed his finger toward Leandch's chest. "Does it mean grotesque, like your hideous face?" He approached even closer, with William's fingers tapping Leander's Gryffindor insignia. "Or are you gutless? Like you're acting right now?"

"Look, if everyone will just calm down…" Sebastian said as he put himself between the two opponents. 

"No! You can't just come here and expect others to…" His speech was cut short as Ms Hecat put her wand to Leander's and called out, "Nox."

"Catch him," Professor Hecat commanded. 

Sebastian lunged forward and caught him with the help of a female Gryffindor student.

They picked Leander up, wrapping his arms around themselves. They carried him to a desktop and laid him down. 

"Just because one student was humbled doesn't mean we'll stop our competition. Two house points for every victory against the opposing house." Hecat's words immediately dispersed the tension in the room. Awarding more house points would always make students happy. "Next up, Mr. Felx and Mr. Sallow," the Professor said, like a showman.

"Wish me luck," he said as he walked past William. The two opponents then found themselves in the middle of the classroom.

As William started to watch, he felt a tap on his shoulder, "Cressida Blume," she introduced herself with a slight bow. She was a natural beauty with a round face covered in freckles. Her curly, long brown hair shined a silky gleam. "I'm sorry Leander was spiteful to you. He isn't normally like that." Her voice was soothing, like it could even put a dragon to sleep. It felt akin to a harp performing a masterpiece. William thought of the massive difference between the two Gryffindor students he interacted with.

"It's not your fault," he said, giving her a warm smile, "and like you said, he doesn't normally act like that." William then turned his eyes back to the match.

"You're just going to forgive him like that!" Imelda said with a fire in her voice. "He called you a Mud blood, the worst insult someone can muster."

Willian looked at her calmly. "They're just words to me. I know they have a negative connotation, don't get me wrong, but does it really matter if he calls me that?"

"I hear that Professor Fig is your mentor. Is he why you're so good at spellcasting?" Cressida questioned as they looked at the match.

"Hmm… He is a good teacher, but my hunger for knowledge separates me from others. I spent a year in the muggles' army, which disciplined me beyond measure, so when I got the invitation from Hogwarts, I studied under Fig with great passion and discipline. I would work eight days learning the material, then sleep for three. After I slept, I stayed up for another eight."

"Woah, you were in the army? How old were you? You're only 15 now." Cressida questioned with worry laced into her tone. It was inconceivable for her to think the military would draft a child.

Imelda looked at Cressida with chastising eyes. " You're worried about the muggle military when you should consider staying up for eight days straight. Do you know how hard that is?"

"I'll answer any questions in a moment." William upturned his finger as his eyes were glued to Sebastian's duel. "This is starting to get good."

For a while, the two combatants were throwing spells back and forth at each other, but in a moment of pure coincidence, they both called out 'Accio.' Their forms were immediately pulled towards one another. Their wands glowed with an intense purple as they hit one while flying through the air. The Gryffindor student was caught off guard, but Sebastian was resourceful. He lowered his forehead level to the Gryffindor student's nose. The,n the collision happened. 

'Mr Felix' could feel it, the blood running down his face and the fracture his nose sustained. The pain was unbearable for him, but he found his will, and his balance, as he had almost fallen backward. His head was thrown back, but when he attempted to pull his head forward, his actions were blocked by the prod of Sebastian's wand.

"Nox!" Sebastian said. His wand worked instantly, sending a pulse of white light through the Gryffindor student's body. The boy lost consciousness and fell to his knees.

Sebastian then approached William, Imelda, Cressida, and the quiet Ominis. "Good job," William said as Sebastian arrived in front of them.

"Thanks. I was going to copy what you did, but Allen was too skilled. He had the upper hand throughout the duel. Only at the end, when I broke his nose, I got an opening."

"Nice," William said. The Professor then called duels for two other pairs before William returned to Cressida. 

"I was just ten, my father… My adoptive father just passed, and I started to steal. One day, I stole from the wrong man, an Admiral. He sent me into a war the British were fighting with Burma despite the age restrictions. He wanted me to die, but I survived. I returned home a year later after the only resistance left were civilians."

The group around William was quiet—a shadow cast over Ominis' face. Imelda looked towards William skeptically, and Sebastian looked confused.

Cressida smiled and said, "I should write a book about you. It would be an amazing story!" She waved her hand through the air, "A boy, against a nation of savages! I can see it now."

(Authors note: Wizards are racist. More so than muggles, I would argue.)

Ominis' wand gave a calm radiance as it pointed to the ground. Despite not being able to see William's forced smile, he could feel the pain emanating from him. "It must have been quite hard on you, a child in the military," Ominis said.

After a brief moment, William's forced smile seemingly became real. "Well, I grew up fast, that's for sure."

"What'd you steal?" Sebastian said, walking over to William with a smile akin to the devil's. He was smart enough to know that William had told the truth, and he saw the emotion on his face, so he changed the subject.

"The Sword of the 'Tiger of Mysore'. He was a king whose kingdom got plundered. A soldier took his sword, its been passed through the family for generations. The sword itself was magnificent and very valuable."

"You're sure to earn us house points in muggle studies; you took muggle studies, right? Right!?" Imelda interjected herself, swinging William's soldiers.

"Yes! OK, yes!" William said, shaking her off.

"That's good because Slytherin students always do poorly in muggle studies," Sebastian chimed in. "Harry will probably 'suggest' you do well in the class."

"Oh, I've always liked Harry. He's just as competitive as a Gryffindor and has a huge heart," Cressida said. 

"Who's Harry?" William questioned.

Ominis, who recovered from his momentary stupor, said, "Harry Potter is Slytherin's Head boy and probably the only person in the Potter bloodline to be sorted into Slytherin. His real name's Henry, if you're wondering." 

"...And why would he talk to me?"

Before Ominis could respond, Sebastian inserted himself back into the conversation, "On the second day of each school year, right after curfew, he gives a speech about 'the lengths we must go to maintain our dominance over the other houses' in pursuit of the house cup," his voice getting deep as he talked like Harry. "We've had the cup for four consecutive years, and he'll be damned if he's going to let any student throw away the pride of our house."

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Defense against the Dark Arts is a double-period class lasting two hours and a quarter. 

Just before class was over and all duels were complete, Sebastian offered a duel to William. As they lined up, Sebastian called towards William, "Time for a warm Hogwarts welcome."

The opponents bowed to one another, and hen Hecat counted, "1, 2…3!"

As William readied his wand, Sebastian's wand was already pointed towards his opponent. Sebastian spoke no words as a small stream of fire exploded forward. It ran towards William before it finally bloomed. It flared outward, covering the height of William's body and then some. 

William thought fast; the incantation sped out of his mouth as he moved his hand. "Wingardium Leviosa."

The table to his right flung in front of him. The flames only continued to glow brighter as they hit William's shield, slowly consuming it. Sebastian's eyes shined as he looked at the plume engulfing William. The flames made a loud 'brrrr' sound, so loud Sebastian didn't hear William's incantation. "Depulso!" William cried. The desk had been his protector, then shot forth.

As the flames fell off the sides of the table like water, Sebastian finally saw it, comprehended it. He jumped out of the way, and the table slammed against the wall behind where he had stood.

"Wingardium Leviosa," William called out again, picking up Sebastian. He brought Sebastian to his feet, then walked over to him with a raised hand. "Good job, man," William said, shaking Sebastian's hand. "But, what was that? You casted without saying a word?" 

"That was nonverbal casting," Sebastian said with a smirk appearing on his face.