He would have liked to make some connections and acquaintances with the Potters, but he was basically unknown to them, so he didn't approach.
He stayed where he was instead, watching the room casually, letting his gaze pass over groups and conversations without lingering too long on any one place, as if he had nothing better to do than stand there and observe, though in truth he was measuring people more than anything else.
The hall was full, voices low but constant, the kind of gathering where everyone knew everyone else or at least knew of them, and those who didn't stood out whether they liked it or not.
He felt as though someone was eyeing him from afar, maybe it was his inner raven sensing it or his magic, and when he turned, three boys were indeed walking toward him.
The one in front was hard to miss.
Pale blond hair, sleekly combed back, his face slightly red. His robes were black, sleek, cut well enough that they sat perfectly without looking stiff, the Malfoy crest on his chest.
The two behind him were almost identical, same dark hair, same build, wearing expressions as if they had smelled something bad. Their robes matched—black, fitted, expensive—with the same kind of crest resting on their chests. Lestrange.
They stopped in front of him.
"How dare a halfblood like you associate with the black sisters," the blond boy sneered.
Gilderoy observed their appearance, their crests on the robes, immediately guessing who was standing in front of him.
"How dare a mudblood like you approach my betrothed," one of the dark-haired boys added, his nose wrinkling as if he smelled something bad.
The other nodded in agreement with his brother, eyes fixed on Gilderoy.
Nearby conversations slowed, then stopped, and it didn't take long before the silence spread outward, people turning just enough to watch.
Bellatrix moved before anyone else could speak.
She turned from where she had been standing with her grandfather and walked straight toward them, her gaze already locked on the three boys before she even reached Gilderoy's side. "Who are you to command who the black family associate with."
Her tone was controlled, but Gilderoy could feel the anger in it.
Narcissa stepped forward as well, which drew a few more looks than anything else had so far. "You know, Gilderoy could wipe your arses in a duel," she said, unable to keep a trace of excitement out of her voice. "He was able to stand toe to toe with Bela."
Gilderoy was surprised at Narcissa and Bellatrix both coming to his defence, more at Narcissa, since he had met her for the first time only a few minutes before and she still was defending him.
"Maybe there is more to it."
The room went completely quiet now.
Gilderoy noticed it, the weight of it settling over the group as every eye shifted toward them.
From the corner of his vision, he caught Arcturus Black standing at a distance, watching with interest, though he made no move to interfere.
The blond boy turned toward Narcissa, shocked.
Rodolphus's face reddened, anger rising fast, his jaw tightening as he looked back at Gilderoy.
"All right mudblood," he started, then paused, taking a breath. "I, Rodolphus Lestrange challenge you to a duel to defend my honour."
Lucius stepped forward as if backing Rodolphus, looking strangely confident. "I, Lucius Malfoy too challenge you to a duel."
"You want a duel?" Gilderoy smirked. "Sure, why not. Let us duel."
Arcturus Black stepped forward then, his presence enough to settle the direction of things without needing to raise his voice. "There is an open ground outside in the gardens. I will ward the area."
The movement toward the grounds happened quickly, the crowd following in a loose cluster, voices low again but carrying a different tone now, sharper, expectant.
Gilderoy took his place at one end of the open ground, wand already in his hand, his grip steady as he looked across at Lucius Malfoy, who stood opposite him with the same composed posture, wand held loosely, almost lazily.
Bellatrix stepped into the middle, glancing between them before raising her hand slightly. "Begin."
Gilderoy caught Narcissa's eye just before it started. She smiled and winked at him.
Lucius did not miss their interaction, turning red with anger.
His wand moved immediately, the spell leaving it without hesitation as it shot toward Gilderoy.
Gilderoy raised his shield in time, expecting force behind it.
The spell struck and faded almost at once, against his shield without resistance.
For a split second, he felt disappointed.
"How is Lucius this weak"
Gilderoy's wand snapped forward, the fireball forming cleanly and striking Lucius head-on, flames catching on his robes in an instant.
Lucius panicked, attempting to cast auguamenti, but his focus had already slipped from the duel, and before he could recover, Gilderoy's next spell hit.
The impact slammed into his gut hard enough to fold him, lifting him slightly before throwing him back onto the ground, the air forced out of his lungs as he went still.
For a moment, the courtyard stayed quiet.
Then two boys somewhere to the side broke into wolf whistles, both of them raising a hand in approval, and Narcissa stood there with a bright smile that she didn't bother hiding.
Rodolphus stepped forward, his face now dark with anger, whatever restraint he had left gone.
Without bowing, he raised his wand and directly casted.
The spell was dark purple, almost like a dark curse, moving fast and cutting straight through the air toward Gilderoy.
"Seems like he's sending some dark curse at me. Well, if he's not holding back, neither will I."
Gilderoy saw it coming and stepped to the side, letting the spell pass rather than meeting it with a shield, raising his wand in the same motion and casting without pause.
The spell that left his wand carried a sharp crackle, a surge of electro energy that shot forward and struck Rodolphus directly.
It was the same spell Bellatrix had used to defeat Lei in the finals.
The moment it hit, the current spread across Rodolphus, forcing his body rigid before throwing him back, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing down a few feet away.
He didn't get back up, his body still twitching from the aftershocks
---
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