Sentire, a Hogwarts Legacy story

Chapter 6 - The Gaunt Jaunt

"Is this necessary!?" Ominis strained to shout over a cascade of loud charms and jinxes that Terra and Sebastian were hauling at each other's faces.

After Terra took a day to recover, Sebastian showed up the following morning at her front door to apologize. But instead of flowers or chocolates as a gift, he offered something very different-a duel.

"Necessary? No," Sebastian replied. "But it's fun."

"And healthy," Terra added between basic casts, stabbing her wand through the air.

"See! For once, we're in agreement. Nothing like a bit of exercise to get the blood pumping," Sebastian nodded, rotating his wrist into a defensive stance.

"And if he dies? Well, he dies."

Protego!

Depulso!

"Ha! Saw that coming from a mile away," Sebastian joked while sending a few more basic casts at Terra's direction.

The trio made sure to duel behind Terra's home so no passersby would get caught in a stray cast. Nevertheless, Ominis was pacing back and forth, drowning in anxiety over the two possibly getting hurt. There was only one rule: other than the Dark Arts and Ancient magic, all spells were legal for use. And in case of emergency, he had prepared an assortment of healing potions and magical bandages to the side.

"You know, Sebastian," Ominis began to stutter, "when I agreed to help you apologize, I thought it would be something normal. A gift like roses or baked goods. Not like-"

Stupefy!

Impedimenta!

"...this!"

"Dueling is how we got to know each other in the first place," Sebastian said lightheartedly, flailing a number of wordless jinxes at Terra's way. "I will say, inviting her to Crossed Wands was one of the best decisions I ever made."

"Flatterer. I'm still mad at you," Terra said while blocking each and every jinx.

"Oh? Then give me all you got."

Tarantallegra!

Sebastian and Terra's friendship was a bond forged through dueling. Up until the final rounds, Terra always chose Sebastian as her Crossed Wands partner, earning them great success. The two learned how to blend their typically contrasting fight styles together; Terra opted to wear down her prey through control spells, while Sebastian's aggressive style utilized flashy and explosive blows. As the unsanctioned club continued into the year and the Sallow family issues unfolded, Terra and Sebastian's battle synergy naturally sharpened together. So when he offered to apologize in this way, Terra found the idea rather endearing.

Yet, Sebastian kept a small detail close to his heart: this duel was secretly for his own satisfaction as well. For in every duel she ever fought, in every battle hard won, and even in this moment, Terra always had the biggest smile on her face. Put her wand in hand and she became her best self, as if everything was made right in the world. Sebastian loved seeing her competitive spirit and, especially now, could not help but revel in it.

Incarcerous!

With swiftness, Terra's wand conjured a mess of ropes that leaped and locked Sebastian down to the ground, forcing him to drop his wand in surprise. The bindings grew tighter and subdued him to a stall. Flat on the ground, Sebastian let out a hearty laugh at his demise. "Wow, where'd you learn that one?"

"I'm the Crossed Wands champion for a reason." Nonchalantly, she walked and kicked Sebastian over to lay him on his front. With a big "Oof" on his part, Terra sat on his back in glorious victory.