Editor's Note: This story was used as an assignment for a class, so no HOL points were awarded for it's Paw Print submission.
by Pandora Gotham
“Next up, traveling from her home in Norway, Pandora Gotham!” The announcer voiced her name. Pandora sucked in a deep breath, and walked out of the Dueler’s Tent, wand in dragon leather-clad hand, and lucky Panda Bear beanie on her head. She curled her hands into fists, and undid them, working on getting the knots out.
“Facing off against Pandora is... Josephine Parker!” Pandora’s breath caught, seeing her once best friend.
Pain.
Loathing.
Anger.
A cocktail of emotions swept through Pandora as she remembered her time in Hogwarts that they had spent together. First through Fourth Year they were inseparable. Never one without the other, until her birthday party.
Pandora shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories, focusing on the anger, she watched as the elegant raven strolled out of the opposite tent. Josephine smirked in the direction of Pandora, obviously thinking that the blonde was going to lose.
‘Ha!’ Pandora thought, her own, malicious smirk, stronger than Josephine’s, made itself present
“Facing off against Pandora is... Josephine Parker!” Pandora’s breath caught, seeing her once best friend.
Pain.
Loathing.
Anger.
A cocktail of emotions swept through Pandora as she remembered her time in Hogwarts that they had spent together. First through Fourth Year they were inseparable. Never one without the other, until her birthday party.
Pandora shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories, focusing on the anger, she watched as the elegant raven strolled out of the opposite tent. Josephine smirked in the direction of Pandora, obviously thinking that the blonde was going to lose.
‘Ha!’ Pandora thought, her own, malicious smirk, stronger than Josephine’s, made itself present
upon Pandora’s face. Shock washed over Josephine, and her weak smirk slipped, showing how nervous she was.
“Duelers! Bow to your opponent!” The bowed, reluctantly. “Wands at the ready,” Pandora raised her hand, pointing her thirteen inch wand in Josephine’s direction. “Begin!”
Josephine may have been quick, but Pandora was faster, firing off spells no one had ever seen before. Unfortunately, Josephine was only hit by a few. Where Pandora preferred nonverbal spells, Josephine was shouting hers off at the top of her lungs.
“Stupefy!” Pandora dodged.
“Expelliarmus!” Pandora jumped.
Protego, Pandora thought, and she saw her blue-ish shield spring up around her. Josephine, not thinking clearly, started firing spells off at Pandora, hoping to shatter the shield, but the shield was much too strong.
Pandora knelt down, and singed a circle around her self, then stood in the center. With a wave of her hand, the blue shield disappeared, but the spells kept bouncing off of Pandora, not effecting her at all, and heading back to Josephine, hitting her instead of Pandora.
The crowd was shocked. Never before had they seen such a thing. Such powerful magic the circle held. Josephine looked weary and tired, sweat was pouring from her body, multiple cuts and bruises littered her arms and face, while Pandora wasn’t even panting. She thanked Quidditch practice.
Pandora just stood there, smiling like she wasn’t in the middle of a duel. Josephine’s spells became sloppy as she fired them, not one hitting their intended target. Her tired eyes looked to see Pandora, but as Josephine’s last spell rebounded off of Pandora, Pandora took steps out of her circle.
The crowd watched in fascination as Pandora walked up close to Josephine, their noses practically touching, glared, then stalked off, back to a couple steps in front of her circle. The malicious smirk was back, and Josephine was afraid.
Pandora pointed her wand at a tired and sore Josephine, and muttered her spell,
“Episkey”
The crowed stilled. Never before had they seen something like that. A Dueler healing their opponent. Who had ever heard of such blasphemy? Pandora held her hand out for Josephine to grab, and she hauled her ex-best friend to her feet.
As soon as Pandora’s hand left Josephine’s, a flash of light came from Pandora’s wand, and Josephine was dangled, upside down, in the air, helpless. Spell after spell, Pandora fired, each hitting their mark on Josephine, each a reminder that Josephine had failed.
Before Josephine passed out, she heard Pandora whisper, “I’ll never forgive you.”
Ding, Ding.
A bell rung, signaling the end of their duel, Pandora had won, going to move on to the next round. The crowd was silent for a minute, digesting what they had saw, before erupting into cheers.
Pandora flashed a grim, tight smile to the audience, before flashing away to her tent. In the end, Pandora had won, but for some reason, she wasn’t content. Wasn’t that what she wanted, to tell Josephine how much she had hurt her.
So why was she feeling this way?
“Duelers! Bow to your opponent!” The bowed, reluctantly. “Wands at the ready,” Pandora raised her hand, pointing her thirteen inch wand in Josephine’s direction. “Begin!”
Josephine may have been quick, but Pandora was faster, firing off spells no one had ever seen before. Unfortunately, Josephine was only hit by a few. Where Pandora preferred nonverbal spells, Josephine was shouting hers off at the top of her lungs.
“Stupefy!” Pandora dodged.
“Expelliarmus!” Pandora jumped.
Protego, Pandora thought, and she saw her blue-ish shield spring up around her. Josephine, not thinking clearly, started firing spells off at Pandora, hoping to shatter the shield, but the shield was much too strong.
Pandora knelt down, and singed a circle around her self, then stood in the center. With a wave of her hand, the blue shield disappeared, but the spells kept bouncing off of Pandora, not effecting her at all, and heading back to Josephine, hitting her instead of Pandora.
The crowd was shocked. Never before had they seen such a thing. Such powerful magic the circle held. Josephine looked weary and tired, sweat was pouring from her body, multiple cuts and bruises littered her arms and face, while Pandora wasn’t even panting. She thanked Quidditch practice.
Pandora just stood there, smiling like she wasn’t in the middle of a duel. Josephine’s spells became sloppy as she fired them, not one hitting their intended target. Her tired eyes looked to see Pandora, but as Josephine’s last spell rebounded off of Pandora, Pandora took steps out of her circle.
The crowd watched in fascination as Pandora walked up close to Josephine, their noses practically touching, glared, then stalked off, back to a couple steps in front of her circle. The malicious smirk was back, and Josephine was afraid.
Pandora pointed her wand at a tired and sore Josephine, and muttered her spell,
“Episkey”
The crowed stilled. Never before had they seen something like that. A Dueler healing their opponent. Who had ever heard of such blasphemy? Pandora held her hand out for Josephine to grab, and she hauled her ex-best friend to her feet.
As soon as Pandora’s hand left Josephine’s, a flash of light came from Pandora’s wand, and Josephine was dangled, upside down, in the air, helpless. Spell after spell, Pandora fired, each hitting their mark on Josephine, each a reminder that Josephine had failed.
Before Josephine passed out, she heard Pandora whisper, “I’ll never forgive you.”
Ding, Ding.
A bell rung, signaling the end of their duel, Pandora had won, going to move on to the next round. The crowd was silent for a minute, digesting what they had saw, before erupting into cheers.
Pandora flashed a grim, tight smile to the audience, before flashing away to her tent. In the end, Pandora had won, but for some reason, she wasn’t content. Wasn’t that what she wanted, to tell Josephine how much she had hurt her.
So why was she feeling this way?