｡+.*𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗜𝗥*+｡ [𝘿. 𝙈𝘼𝙇𝙁𝙊𝙔]¹

XXI. SHOWDOWN AT HIGH NOON

At first, the black flames were all I could see, but they didn't hurt--and, judging by the lack of panicked 'holy-shit-I'm-on-fire!!'s, Harry wasn't affected either.

Coming through the other side, we found ourselves in a torch-lit chamber and, aside from the shocking sight of a very familiar mirror that took me off guard for a moment, the only other inhabitant was--

"You!"

Harry was stunned.

Quirrell smiled, eerily calm.

All of his twitchy, nervous mannerisms were gone.

"Me--"

"Locomotor Mortis!"

Before either of them had the chance to react, my wand flew up and Quirrell's legs snapped together.

Shocked, the wizard fell forward, landing jarringly on his hands and knees on the stone floor.

Luckily--for me, not him--his wand went flying.

I shot across the chamber and, as he grabbed for his wand--

Quirrell jerked his hand back, just barely avoiding having his fingers stepped on as my foot suddenly pinned the wooden stick to the floor.

"Go ahead," I taunted(because even in a situation like this, there's always time to quote Beetlejuice), staring him down with my wand pointed dangerously at his face as he gawked up at me, "make my millennium. And before you think 'oh, she's just a first year, what's the worst she can do?' I feel obligated to mention that I've been onto you since September--wait, no, July; your entire vibe at the Leaky Cauldron screamed, 'look at me, I am a suspicious individual'--and, for the past couple months, have been teaching myself some pretty nasty spells so I could defend myself if you tried anything like, I don't know..." I tapped my chin, "messing with my Nimbus during a match?"

I smiled mockingly at his bug-eyed expression.

"I haven't been able to really use them on anybody yet, obviously," I went on blithely. "I mean, I got some good practice off those judgy tossers who keep being dicks to Harry, but I had to draw a vague, squiggly line somewhere so I wouldn't get, you know, expelled--and there's loads I haven't tested yet. I've always learnt best through trial and error--and I have been wondering if the Jelly-Brain Jinx really turns your brain to jelly--and the Bat-Bogey Hex sounds fun, too--and that jinx that removes a person's fingers...I know!" I acted like I'd had a brilliant idea, "let's do all three, then go from there, shall we?"

There was something really satisfying about having him in this position.

--let's not analyse that.

"You're gonna have to get up pretty bloody early in the morning," I added, leaning down, "to pull one over on a Slytherin--we invented this game."