Chapter 39: Back into the Fray
Once again, I stood on the platform. Across from me stood Lucas Schmidt of Germany, who had no instructor, which meant he had come through serious qualifying rounds as a self-registered entrant. He was not someone to dismiss lightly.
"...Begin."
The referee gave the command, and we both raised shields immediately to block each other's opening spells. The difference was that I could afford to play defensively, since my reserves were considerably deeper than those of almost any of my peers.
Spells flew back and forth. I alternated Disarming and Paralyzing Charms with practiced ease, refreshing my shield at intervals, while my opponent was not content with such a modest arsenal. He pelted me with lightning bolts, fireballs, Knockback Jinxes, and much more.
Well, it seemed I was heading for a technical victory here, since winning the way I'd agreed on with Penny was simply not going to be possible.
Even so, I watched my opponent closely and decided to try to catch him making a mistake. If his reserves ran out first, so be it. I would not complain. But if he walked into my trap...
Once I had made that decision, I began casting at him with slightly less force. I was mimicking the gradual onset of fatigue, though not by simply weakening everything uniformly. Periodically I would seem to gather myself and throw something noticeably stronger at him, then falter again... and I started raising my shield just a fraction slower...
I hesitated before refreshing my shield, and the boy decided he could end the duel right there. Rather than renewing his own shield and then finishing me off, he chose to attack, gambling that he wouldn't need the shield he'd lose to my incoming spell.
"Expelliarmus. Petrificus Totalus. Expelliarmus."
I sent all three spells at him in the same instant, snapping my speed and power back to where they had been from the start. He dodged the first, but the third hit him. The second had been aimed at an entirely different point. Whichever direction he had moved, he would have lost.
"Winner. Draco Black. Great Britain."
I performed the required bows and handed the wand to the referee, then stepped off the platform.
"You seem very determined to make Penny lose her wager."
Fleur commented on my performance.
Is that so surprising?
"Well... a little. Most people here take this tournament far more seriously than you do, and if they knew you were holding back, or rather, why you'd been so sparing with your spells, it would cause quite a stir."
I shrugged.
"Honestly, I don't particularly care what they think. I'd hold back in this tournament regardless, because meeting the next age group's champion with your cards already on the table is poor strategy, and the same goes for the older group after that."
"You have grand plans..."
Fleur shook her head.
"What a pity they're destined to come to nothing."
"We shall see about that."
"We shall."
It was something of a promise that when we met as champions of our respective age groups, we'd both show what we were truly capable of.
Fleur was called to the platform shortly afterward, and she won her bout, though not without effort. Her opponent proved unexpectedly resistant to her influence and was also rather skillful at countering her fire spells. I took out a small notebook and began making brief notes. Her previous bouts had not drawn out her capabilities to this extent.
"Taking note of her weaknesses, dear brother?"
"Yes..."
I gave Nymphadora a nod, making no attempt to hide the fact that I was gathering information on Fleur.
"Why aren't you doing it for the others?"
"Because this isn't for me."
I shook my head.
"I'm going to give it to her, so she knows where her problem areas are and can address them before the next tournament."
"You think she doesn't already know her own weaknesses? Surely her instructors pointed them out to her?"
"Well..."
I shrugged.
"She might be concealing certain skills already, holding them back for the final. In that case, everything in this notebook..."
I held it up briefly.
"It will simply be a record of how well she hides her abilities. But from what I can actually see..."
I watched as Fleur steadily pushed her opponent backwards and out of the circle.
"Stop! Armando, that is a warning. Three warnings, and you will be assessed a technical loss."
The boy grimaced slightly but nodded, and their bout continued. Another five minutes passed, and he was forced back again, earning a second warning.
"Can't you see what's happening?! She's pushing me out!"
"Yes..."
The referee nodded without any change of expression.
"...and forcing your opponent from the circle is a valid means of winning, just as disarming, immobilization, or causing moderate injury. Continue."
The bout resumed, but the boy was now genuinely angry, and before long it was Fleur who was forced to step outside the circle.
"How do you like that, you roasted hen?!"
He shook his fist as he said it, making it absolutely clear how delighted he was to have pushed her out and earned a warning. I frowned. Insults were not prohibited as such, but conducting yourself like that...
"Git..."
Nymphadora shook her head, making no effort to hold herself back.
"Nymphadora. Language."
"But..."
"The fact that he is an extremely ill-mannered young man does not mean you get to behave the same way."
"You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Me?"
I looked at my little sister with genuine surprise, and the other girls' ears perked up.
"Oh, I would not let it go at all, but I have come to know Fleur fairly well over the past few days, and she will not forgive him for it herself."
I shook my head slightly, conveying wordlessly: poor lad, poor lad.
"Continue."
And Fleur did not disappoint me. This time her attacks were considerably more powerful and precise. Again and again she broke through his shield and caught him as he tried to dodge, until she finally caught the hand holding his wand. The rest of his body was already covered in burns, and knowing that Veela fire was no ordinary fire, I understood perfectly well that the boy was going to spend a great deal of money not merely healing those burns, but erasing the scars as well.
"Stop! The bout is over! Winner, Fleur Delacour. France."
"I can still fight!"
The boy blustered, but the referee ignored him completely. Fleur gave an elegant bow and hurried back to us.
"Here."
I held out a sheet covered in cramped handwriting.
"Mm?"
She took it and read it carefully, a slight frown forming on her face.
"You sound exactly like my father. He always says I need something besides fire. But I won't..."
"You did..."
I gave a conceding nod.
"...but the bout would have been considerably easier if you had even two water spells on hand, or a couple of air spells, something to augment your fire when you needed it."
"Hmm..."
She blinked.
"...even so, I still..."
"Fleur, please..."
I looked at her steadily.
"...I'm not asking you to immerse yourself in learning other elements right now. I'm simply asking you to learn two spells from each element, just enough to catch an opponent off guard at the right moment."
"All right..."
She gave a slow nod.
"...I'll think about it."
We watched the remaining bouts in her age group for a while, and when her group had finished its matches for the day, we headed for the exit. But no one was about to let us simply walk away.
"Well then, missy. You found yourself a little bodyguard, huh? Think he can protect you? He's a weakling who only knows three spells..."
"Sir, don't you think your tongue is a bit too long for someone who presumes to address a lady in such terms?"
Our parents stood nearby, but neither pair intervened. Mine held back deliberately, while the Delacours simply left matters to us, since an event like this was meant to give us experience handling ourselves. The boy was covered in burns, and from his eyes I could tell he had probably been heavily dosed with potions.
"Beat it, little man. I need to have a word with this hen."
"Sir, you will have to go through me first, since I am accompanying this lady and have no intention of leaving her alone with you."
"Get out of my face and get lost! I promise I'll just use her for a bit and then..."
In the next instant, I channeled magic through my body, closed the distance between us, and drove my fist into his stomach. He folded in half.
"Urgh!"
"Sir, I suggest you keep your tongue where the sun doesn't shine, because that sort of language directed at a young lady is entirely unacceptable. If you continue to say such disgusting things, I will be compelled to break your nose against my knee until there is very little nose left. Are we understood?"
"You're dead! Do you hear me?! You are dead!"
The boy rasped this out between coughs.
"You are quite welcome to issue me a formal challenge..."
I shrugged.
"I'll bury you without any challenge! I'll hire the best mercenaries I can find and crush you!"
"Oh. So you wish to take things to that level. In that case, I suppose I ought to contact the Mercenaries' Guild and place a contract on your head..."
I tilted my head thoughtfully.
"...and, in order to prevent any reprisals from your family, on your entire family as well, up to and including the fifth generation. Or should it be the tenth?"
I considered this at leisure.
"I imagine a hundred thousand should be more than sufficient to attract hunters of adequate reputation."
"I'll..."
The boy had clearly not been paying attention, but his parents appeared at his side immediately and silenced him with a Muting Charm.
"Heir Black, we offer our most profound apologies for our son's words and conduct..."
The man speaking to me looked, in my estimation, like someone who spent far too much time on his appearance.
"...he spoke solely on his own behalf. We do not endorse what he said."
"Your apology ought to be directed not to me, but to the young lady he insulted."
The boy's parents glanced over at Fleur.
"Miss Delacour, we offer you our sincere apologies. You have our word that we will see to our son's upbringing without delay."
"Sir Alecto Cristo, I never for a moment believed that your son's words reflected the position of your House. I accept your apology."
"You are most gracious. We would also note that you and this young man make a rather fine pair."
"Thank you."
A faint warmth of embarrassment colored Fleur's voice.
"Then I think we may consider the matter settled."
I gave a thoughtful nod, and everyone agreed. After that, we simply went our separate ways, with Fleur and our group heading back to the restaurant, where we settled at our usual tables.
"I... thank you..."
Fleur gave me a careful nod.
"It was nothing..."
I shrugged.
"...I may not be a fairy-tale prince, but when your parents are clearly in favor of me as your companion, I could hardly disappoint their expectations. Besides, I find it genuinely distasteful when someone speaks to a girl that way."
"Mm..."
"Though that doesn't stop you from teasing us yourself."
"Oh, come off it..."
I waved a hand at Penny.
"If you actually minded, you wouldn't have argued with me again and again..."
I shrugged.
"Well... I can honestly say I don't really mind. It turned out to be rather fun."
"There you go."
I shrugged again.
"Besides, the wagers I make are not genuinely offensive or impossible. They are perfectly harmless. So I see nothing wrong with my conduct. I may even make a wager with Fleur when we are both champions of our respective age groups and I issue her a challenge."
"And what sort of wager would you offer me?"
Fleur was looking at me with interest.
"I honestly don't know yet. I may think of something by the time it becomes relevant..."