#16 - Runs In The Family

Anjay had wandered the castle for quite some time after he'd struck a deal with Mardling. What had he done? Usually walking helped him think, but for all the ground he covered, he still struggled to understand his own motivations for why he'd done what he just did. Had he lost his mind? He had struck a deal with Lucas Mardling, future criminal and probable Azkaban resident, to purchase Polyjuice Potion to help him infiltrate the common rooms of other Houses. 

Why? The curiosity, mostly, which he found fascinating in a morbid and disassociated kind of way. Was anything interesting enough to risk this much trouble, this much blow to his reputation? It felt risky, and not even in an exhilarating kind of way. It felt more like he was a passenger on a train from which he could not disembark now that the wheels were in motion. Whatever this was, wherever it led, he was going to see it all the way through. 

He needed to further clear his mind. He retraced his steps back through the castle and found himself coming upon the Duellist Chamber, and decided that a few rounds of dueling might be a good way for him to think. Duelling always put him in a kind of trance where he was so focused on the task at hand that the subconscious parts of his brain were left free to wander. It ended up being a very productive way to have some eurika type moments. 

"Hello, little sister," Anjay was surprised to see his sister in the chamber beckoning challengers. "How have you been? You disappeared so quickly after our match yesterday. Shall we see who fares better today?" He smiled at Jurni and gave a bow, quickly pulling out his wand. He was happy to see her and bond over one of their favorite shared activities, something that reminded Anjay of their childhood. "Well, if you insist..." he said with a smirk, taking up her offer to cast first.  

Anjay lightly stepped into a casting stance and gave his wrist a gentle flick, casting his offensive spell towards his sister. 

Anjay felt a burning sting behind his eyes and the sensation of pinpricks all over his body, an uncomfortable type of pain he'd never really felt before. Strangely, the hurt of it helped him focus. Duelling was almost mechanical, a skill and an art, a song and dance.

He stepped into a familiar pattern of footwork and jabbed his wand forward in an offensive spell, hoping to be the victor this time.

A hint of smile showed on her face when Anjay stepped into view. She hadn't seen him since their last duel, which ended in a loss on her behalf. Looking back on it, the match had been bittersweet. She enjoyed having spent time with her brother, but had been feeling a bit down over the Daily Prophet at the time. It was a feeling too hard for her to shake, even after the letter she received from her grandmother. She'd have to share that letter with Anjay soon.

Jurni settled her feet across from him, bowed, and eyed her brother carefully. She'd lost to him before and she wasn't about to repeat that experience again, even though she wasn't exactly in the highest of spirits. With that thought in mind, she didn't think her odds were great, but had no intention of going down without a fight. Regardless, Jurni knew her own strengths, and like in everything had no problems having enough confidence in herself to combat an older duelist.

"It's about time I got my groove back, don't you think?" she smiled big, watching her spell overcome her brother. "Before we leave today, remind me to give you the stack of flash cards I made to help you study for your OWLs. I thought you would appreciate the extra hand," she added, all while readying herself to combat Anjay's next offensive.

Her spell was released first, and Jurni had maybe half a second at best to be proud of that. Then she watched it sail over Anjay's shoulder, and the next thing she knew her body was locking into place and the balance of her world was pitching forwards. Considering she could do nothing about what was going to happen, Jurni closed her eyes and braced herself for the hard fall.

The spell released and she got to her feet, muted but determined. There was no embarrassment or shame, or at least not yet because she could still win the duel. Jurni eyed her brother, then quickly flicked her wand forward with a flourish, aiming her offense at the square of his chest.

"Thank you!" Anjay replied after he sent his spell, happy to see that he'd been able to land a hit on his sister. So often their duels, both magical and intellectual, and just the regular jostling of personalities between brother and sister, always felt even and balanced. In a school full of people who seemed to not get him, Jurni was the one person he could count on to understand. 

The pendulum swung back as Jurni's offensive bested his defense once again. Though he stayed on his feet, the spell flipped his stomach upside down as if he'd rapidly done a million somersaults in the air. Fighting the urge to throw up his breakfast, Anjay fell to one knee until the nausea subsided. When he felt like he could stand again, he immediately launched another offensive spell.

"Did you see the Prophet yesterday?" he asked her as the magic left his wand.  

Jurni had a speed that was admirable, especially in such a young duelist. The spell sang down her corner of the chamber with a bright flash of light, but this time—speed had not worked in the Hufflepuff's favor. She hadn't taken the time to consider how Anjay's body would move with the arch of his own casting, and the spell flew harmlessly over the Gryffindor boy's shoulder.

However, she had little time to worry over that, because while Anjay's spell had taken a little longer to find its form, the thing landed with finality when it hit the her square in the stomach. Jurni's body was forced forward from the impact. She began to cough and hunched herself over so she wouldn't choke. Her body spasmed, and she coughed up mouthfuls of dirt, one after the other until there was enough for someone to sow vegetables and herbs. The taste was awful.

"I wish I hadn't seen it," Jurni quipped, her voice raw. "I can't stop thinking about the house-elves, Anj. I'm tired of their lack of rights and the mistreatment they endure. They've experienced injustice for far too long," she continued, wiping her mouth clean, "Then the one about father? What if his plan backfired? What if he had got hurt?"

She shook her head, sad eyes on her brother, but determined to try and figure out his pattern and how to catch a spell against him. The spell Anjay had used landed squarely on target; Jurni would never deny that he was a great duelist. It would just make it all the better if and when she defeated him. With a slow breath, she counted in her head, her ears ringing with an incantation in mind until she finally released it, twirling her wand with another flourish.

Success! Another blow landed. Anjay waited for Jurni to gather herself again, his defensive stance at the ready. "Ahh... yes. The house elves." Anjay hadn't even really registered that would be the part of the Prophet that Jurni would take the most interest in. He himself was far less concerned about house elf rights than his sister. He didn't see many house elves themselves complaining, so why did she?

"What about mother? Surely her promotion didn't escape your notice." Her spell hit him square in the face, and in an explosion of pain Anjay felt his front two teeth grow to roughly 5 times their usual size, making him into a cheap caricature of a bunny rabbit. His whole mouth felt on fire and like his overgrown teeth would rip his mouth apart.

Could he end their duel with one more well placed offensive spell? He swept down into a kneeling kind of motion and lobbied off another offensive spell.

Jurni looked as if she was just forming the first consonant of the word that would have cast her spell when a streak of nearly white blue light tore across the way. This time, it was her brother's success with speed that bested her, his pinpoint accuracy landing it. The spell hit the Hufflepuff girl's hand like lightning, zapping her wand away with such force that it was sent soaring near the feet of any onlookers, only to clatter harmlessly against the floor and roll in front of them.

Even in the face of loss, no one would see Jurni wear her true feelings on her face. A small look of surprise crossed her features when her wand was sent flying out of her hand, flying toward any observers and to the ground. The successful disarm meant that Jurni obviously couldn't cast her own spell, and the match and victory went to her rather experienced, older brother, Anjay.

"It's hard to see the good when you're blinded by the bad, Anj," she replied, retrieving her wand. "You aren't at all concerned about father then?" Jurni asked, incredulous. She was well aware her brother didn't share the same sympathy for the house-elves that she did, but did he not care about their father's well being? Him always putting his life on the line?

"You can start us off again," Jurni offered, her features still impassive, as a strong tightening formed in her chest and stomach. She didn't like that Anjay hid his feelings. She was his sister. They were family, weren't they? Jurni would never judge him if he were scared or worried. She just wanted to know that she didn't feel alone in this way. She wanted him to care just as much as she did about their family's safety—or if he didn't, to at least try to show some empathy.