An Otherworldly Experience (Tom Riddle Era)

Chapter Fifteen

Sorry, friends, for the late upload, I've been travelling.

Kelli had two different feelings upon seeing Hogwarts. That she was home. But Hogwarts wasn't welcoming her home this year - depending on how well Tom and she got on, it could just be the death of her. And Kelli had the type of personality that got ahead of her. She'd argue with anyone whom she didn't agree with, she antagonised them and she had a generally very annoying personality if you were on the wrong side of her.

They had Dueling Club the first Wednesday and every Wednesday following and if anything, that's what Kelli was looking forward to most because it was finally the time Kelli could finally release all her pent up anger at Tom over the summer holidays. Elizabeth and Lauren had made sure to go, knowing that there was a lot of tension, though Kelli didn't really agree with the idea of 'tension' they had.

"Students, students," called Professor Stone over the group of every year. "Will Miss Watson, Hufflepuff's fifth-year prefect and Mr Riddle, Slytherin's fifth-year prefect, please come forth?"

Both students head up to the stage and did their usual routine, wands out, bowing, six steps each, turning and facing the other.

"Now, you two may go at each other with everything you know," Professor Stone told them, "I, of course, will intervene if I think it's become too intense and one of you may lose your life. Everyone, please step back from the stage."

Kelli was glad to hear that - though surprised that Professor Stone had gotten very relaxed with their duels, especially the year that she'd had spent her summer holidays with him with him playing prison warden.

"And begin," he called once everyone had taken enough step backs.

Kelli moved first, calling, "Impedimenta!"

He used a protection spell and Kelli shot three spells at him to explode at him, speaking each one, all short spells that didn't have too much force before he shot one back at her. She met it halfway with the same spell and it exploded in the air. The ceiling shook with the force and steam obscured their view slightly.

Tom took advantage of the moment and started to shoot spells. She deflected two, dodged one, deflected another before using a non-verbal expelliarmus. The red light shot towards him and he flicked it, a smile curling upwards on his face. The duel became non-verbal, both recognising the colour of each jinx and curse that flew towards them or passed them.

For the first time, Kelli was giving him a real match.

Small birds shot out the end of Kelli's wand, flying right at Tom. He moved his position but she hadn't brought them out to attack, she'd brought them into the match to transfigure them into darts that were going at full speed at him. She did just that and he deflected them.

Kelli thought of her happiest memory and oddly enough, it was the sorting hat actually sorting her in Hufflepuff. She'd spent years before coming to Hogwarts thinking she was a Hufflepuff but constantly doubting it. But for her to actually hear it from the sorting hat itself? A dream, a really fabulous good dream, come true.

"Expecto Patronum," she said, speaking clearly.

A white rabbit erupted from the end of her wand and flew right at Tom's face, temporarily blinding him. She shot her first spell at him - Impedimenta. And he was hit and she disarmed him of his wand.

For the first time, she'd won. But this was the first time she'd really been passionate about her duel with Tom.

She caught his wand with her other hand.