Snake Pit (Ryeji)

Dueling Under The Influence

"Professor-" Yeji stumbled, gripping onto Ryujin tightly.

"Yeji." Professor Park's tone was cold, her sharp gaze shifted between Yeji and Ryujin who was slumped over her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"I'm..." Yeji paused momentarily, noticing there was something off about the Professor. She didn't look at all concerned at the sight of one of her students, clearly injured, draped across Yeji's back, only seemingly put off by what Yeji was doing here. It was the same strangeness she had picked up on in their potions lesson earlier but had dismissed as tiredness. Now, however, there was no semblance of exhaustion, in fact she looked almost ready to pounce.

"I'm taking Ryujin to the Hospital Wing." Yeji lied. "She feinted."

"Is that right?" Professor Park questioned with a shallowness in her voice. "Why don't you give her to me and I'll take her there instead?"

Yeji gulped but took a step backwards. She saw Professor Park's eyes darken as she started walking closer.

"Yeji..." Professor Park pressed.

"Ok ok, I- hold on." Yeji glanced over her shoulder before carefully lowering Ryujin to the ground and leaning her against the nearby wall. She was not totally unconscious but certainly seemed too weak to hold herself up properly. As Yeji was crouched with her back to Professor Park she subtly slipped her wand out of her pocket and took a deep breath.

In a flash she turned "Stupefy!" and thrust a spell the Professor who merely deflected the attempt and shot back at Yeji. However this time Yeji was prepared for an attack. On instinct all her defensive skills she had learnt in her lessons came flooding back to her and wove their way through her body as she quickly blocked the incoming spell. Amazed once again by her own success, but not wanting to waste any time, she shot back again, this time with a different spell.

"Expelliamus!"

Light burst from the end of her wand and shot directly at Professor Park who again simply flicked her wand and let it collide into the wall. A sharp cracking sound echoing off the stones around them.

Professor Park then blasted back another disarming spell at Yeji who, by some miracle, managed the block it again.

For a few minutes the duel went back and forth. The only sound the noise of magic firing around them both, like electricity bending through the air, until inevitably one of Professor Park's attacks caught Yeji off guard, her 'incarcerous' spell snatching her around the ankles. Thick ropes immediately sprung up and coiled around Yeji, forcing her wand to drop from her hand and roll away. Her arms now strapped to her sides as she tripped over her own feet with her legs bound together. Yeji groaned as her shoulder crunched under the impact of falling and glanced at Ryujin who was slumped behind her with heavy eyes.

Yeji grimaced before turning back over to where her attacker was and watched, helpless, as Professor Park walked towards her, or rather walked towards Ryujin. Her eyes now back to the dull glazed-over look she had had when Yeji had first bumped into her.

"Professor please-" Yeji began to beg, when all of a sudden a burst of light hit the Professor in the chest sending her flying back down the corridor. Yeji gaped and rolled over to see Ryujin sitting behind her shaking, her wand gripped between both hands pointed at Professor Park who was now sprawled on the floor a few feet away.

"Ryujin!?" She whispered in shock, before the girl's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she crumpled into a heap, quivering. "Ryujin! Hey! Can you hear me?"

"There you are!" A sinister voice boomed.

Yeji flinched and craned her neck up to see Professor Jeon at the end of the corridor, eyes wild, gripping his side with one arm. Yeji squirmed under the ropes snaked around her.

"You know it's pathetic really." Professor Jeon ranted as he staggered towards the two girls. "How Park Jihyo can't even beat you in a duel. No wonder she was so easy to curse." He chuckled to himself, seemingly amused, before straightening up and taking out his wand.

Yeji strained against her bonds in a futile effort to reach her wand, "Professor please. There must be another way."

"Oh there is. You made me realize it's pointless just to hurt her. I was never going to get away with it before her father showed his face anyway. I may as well do what my brother in law tried to months ago. The difference is that I will succeed in getting revenge where he failed."

Yeji's eyes widened as she understood what he was implying. Powerless to do anything as she watched him raise his wand, an evil grin pinching at the corners of his lips.

"No please, wait!" She screamed, tears blurring her vision.

"Avada Kedav-"

But before he could finish a burst of red light struck the Professor in the back and he crashed into the wall, falling unconscious onto the ground. From behind him emerged a distraught-looking Karina.

"W-what?" Yeji blinked back her tears, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Yeji?" Karina's said in a tone that conveyed utter shock and disbelief. "What's going on?"

"Please help." Yeji begged, although it came out in a whisper. Slowly Karina made her way over to where Yeji was lying tied up.

"What happened to Ryujin? And why the hell was Professor Jeon about to kill someone?"

"She, she needs to go to the hospital. We have to tell Professor Kim. Please."

Karina raised an eyebrow, looking Yeji up and down before relenting and casting a spell to cut through the ropes holding Yeji.

Immediately Yeji jumped up and leapt over to Ryujin who was still motionless in a heap on the ground. Karina then cleared her throat and Yeji looked up at her, heart pounding.

"You take Ryujin to the hospital. I'll tell Professor Kim." She said.

"Thank you." Yeji internally breathed a sigh of relief and gently scooped Ryujin into her arms as Karina turned and hurried away Yeji grimaced as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder but blinked back her tears and determinedly marched, or more accurately staggered, her way past the unconscious bodies of her two teachers in the direction of the Hospital Wing, praying that Ryujin would be ok.