The Curse of Time (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Pov General,

Evelyn and Marie stepped onto the dueling stage while the teachers moved aside to make room for them. Lockhart was secretly eager to correct them if they made the slightest mistake, even though they were bound to make far fewer mistakes than he ever would.

Professor Snape, on the other hand, was curious to see what a duel between two prodigies would look like.

Evelyn and Marie greeted each other, but unlike their usual interactions, their expressions were serious. It was clear that neither of them would hold back, and they were determined to go all out.

After exchanging formal greetings, they stepped back and assumed their positions. Evelyn took a stance that resembled someone preparing to draw a katana. Marie's posture was equally unusual, but it was evident that she was poised to cast a spell with incredible speed.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, which stretched into minutes. It was as if a classic western duel theme could be heard in the background by the spectators.

Professor Snape began to wonder if he had made the right choice in pairing them for this duel, as the tension only grew, and the likelihood of someone getting injured increased with every passing moment they stayed in their stances.

The worst part of all this was that both Marie and Evelyn intentionally made false moves to force the other to react, trying to gain the upper hand.

Evelyn, with her thousands of parallel thoughts, had devised multiple plans to counter Marie. Meanwhile, Marie knew Evelyn so well that she could anticipate her strategies.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

Marie made the first move, and Evelyn immediately blocked it. Before the Expelliarmus could collide with Evelyn's shield, she countered with her own attack.

"Expelliarmus!"

Marie quickly jumped to the side to dodge the spell, and while she was still mid-air, she launched another attack.

"Stupefy!"

"Repulso!"

The Stupefy spell, which was meant to hit Evelyn, rebounded back towards Marie, who managed to avoid it effortlessly.

The duel escalated with both sides launching attacks in rapid succession. The speed and precision of their moves made it appear to the spectators as if they were watching a dazzling display of fireworks.

They were so fast that neither of them could afford to stop and rest. The Protego charms and attacks kept flying out of their wands without pause.

Lockhart started to feel increasingly stressed, realizing that the two duelists in front of him were on a completely different level. He knew he would never stand a chance against them, let alone hurt them.

Evelyn and Marie didn't just rely on their wands in this duel. They moved their bodies constantly, dodging attacks that couldn't be deflected in time.

At times, spells erupted from their wands while their heads were ducked low, avoiding incoming counterattacks.

""EXPELLIARMUS!""

Two red beams collided in the air, locking their wands in a fierce struggle. Neither of them broke the connection, their determination flaring in their eyes.

'Stronger. I must win.'

'I must prove that I can protect her, that Evelyn can rely on me instead of always bearing the burden herself.'

Neither of the two duelists weakened, maintaining the connection between their beams.

Finally, an explosion erupted, and both wands flew out of their hands.

Marie jumped to retrieve her wand, while Evelyn leapt backward, using her heel to strike her wand mid-air.

Marie had just grabbed her wand and was preparing to attack when an object grazed her ear, leaving a small cut before embedding itself in the wall behind her.

Marie dropped her stance and spoke.

"I forfeit. She beat me."

She lowered her wand, admitting her defeat. The object that had nicked her ear was Evelyn's wand, and Marie knew that if Evelyn had wanted, she could have aimed to pierce her head instead.

As soon as Marie admitted her loss, Evelyn collapsed onto her back, exhausted, trying to catch her breath and rest for a moment.