Many Thanks to Liaira for being a new Patron!??

  _________

  In the Forbidden Forest, Fawley, the tree destroyer, cast another Killing Curse, taking dow aree.

  He answered, "You already know why I came back, don't you? You've been running around the castle, trying to find something on me, haven't you?"

  "And then, to tattle to Dumbledore," Fawley tinued, his voice full of disdain as he moved closer to Eda. "You think you earn his pity, make your miserable life just a little better."

  Eda leaned against the tree, gripping her wand tightly. She could hear Fawley's footsteps clearly, and she was calg the distaween them.

  All those months of practice weren't for nothing.

  Even though Eda wasn't a match for Fawley, she wasn't going to be taken down by a single spell. She could hold her own for a few rounds.

  "You were searg for something, but you didn't find it." Fawley's footsteps grew closer, aurned slightly, firing a Stupefy spell at him.

  The spell was well-aimed, and Fawley had to stop and deflect it with his wand.

  Eda tinued, "Last October, you and Snape were talking in the corridor, and I happeo pass by."

  Fawley thought for a moment, recalling the event and Snape's strange behavior at the time.

  "That ungrateful Snape! He noticed you and protected you, that pdog of Dumbledore!" Fawley snarled, enraged. "He betrayed his master. I generously gave him a ce to atone, arayed his master again! That coward!"

  "Professor, it seems you don't quite uand," Eda replied. "Being able to go with the flow is also a valuable skill. But I still don't uand what it is that's driven you to this level of madness."

  "How could someone as shallow as you uand the greatness of my master! It's an item crafted by his very hands, capable ing him back! Wheurns, he'll lead us in ging this fwed world, purging those unworthy of magid making the wizarding world pure once again."

  "But you aplished nothing. You were forced to slink away with your tail between ys in the face of the curse's power. Do you think your master will five your cowardice?" Eda taunted him.

  After destroying several trees near Eda with his spells, Fawley replied, "Staying in that position, stantly exposed to the curse, ointless. Of course, my master will five my shortings. On the trary, he will reward his most loyal servant with the honor he dreams of. It's what his most faithful followers deserve."

  "I doubt Voldemort is as merciful as you cim," Eda said, eyeing the increasingly sparse cover provided by the damaged trees.

  "How dare you utter my master's h your filthy mouth, you disgusting Mudblood!" Fawley shouted, his tone b on madness. He waved his wand furiously, sending branches and stones from the ground flying toward Eda's hiding pce.

  Eda, in turn, waved her wand, defleg the ining objects. The branches and stones hit the shield of her Protego spell with dull thuds.

  Though she knew she couldn't defeat Fawley, Eda's temper wasn't oo back down easily. She had always been good at taunting others, and now she used that skill to strike back.

  "What's so sacred about Voldemort's name? He's just an Emo Lord who got beaten by a baby."

  "Shut up! Shut up! My master will be great again; he'll remove all obstacles!" Fawley roared, attag Eda even mgressively. His vicious spells bypassed the trees, shing out at Eda like a whip.

  Eda had to repeatedly cast the Protego and Shield Charms, as the whip-like curses from Fawley left ssh marks around her as if she were being attacked by an axe or sword.

  "Greatness? Yeah, sure! I still think Dumbledore is greater than Voldemort. At least he wasn't defeated by a baby," Eda retorted, sidestepping from behind the tree to unch a terattack. She first sent a barrage of small stones flying towards Fawley, followed by three Stupefy spells.

  As the battle tinued, Eda's bat experience greidly. Her ability to attack, defend, and adapt in the heat of battle improved with each passing moment.

  "You will pay for every word you've spoken, just as you will pay for your curiosity!" Fawley shouted, waving his wand to fend off Eda's attacks. This time, her offensive had begun to pose a real threat.

  Isn't there any justice left in this world? 't even brag a little without sequences? Eda thought sarcastically.

  "Does your master know that his loyal servant is about to kill a thirteen-year-old girl?" Eda tio taunt him. "Oh, I fot, he's even worse than you. He went after a one-year-old baby and got beaten by him. pfft"

  What's the point of taunting if you don't go for the triple? Besides, Eda was als to buy time. She had deliberately left an ink spot oe for the twins, signaling them to check the Marauder's Map for her location.

  Now that Eda was in the Forbidden Forest instead of the dungeons, she was certain that if the twins saw it, they would ght to Professonagall. The ink spot was a signal betweehree of them, and Magall was Eda's st hope.

  Hold on, at least until Professonagall arrives—Eda couldn't afford to lose her life here. Having been given a sed ce at life, she wao make the most of it.

  Fawley said, "e out! The cat-and-mouse game has gone on long enough. Don't dey any further—the spiders are probably hungry by now."

  The trees surrounding the two had been mostly destroyed by Fawley, leaving Eda with almost no pce to hide. It ity Fawley wasn't w as a lumberjack with how quickly he cleared the area.

  "There's no point in hiding any lohe soohis ends, the sooner I might even give you a quick death if I'm in a good mood," Fawley taunted, pointing his wand at a broken log on the ground. The log immediately flew into the air. "Or are you pnning to be a coward like Snape?"

  Uhe influenagic, the log shot towards Eda like a speeding car. She could almost see herself being thrown through the air in her mind.

  "Reducto!"

  Eda's Reductor Curse shattered the log, but a few small fragments tinued flying toward her. Eda had to duck quickly to avoid them, and the pieces whizzed just above her head.

  Had she not ducked in time, Eda might have ended up like a female version of "Nearly Headless Nick." For the first time, Eda was gd she was on the shorter side.

  "Yew wood, phoenix feather core, fourteen and three-quarter inches long, worth ten Galleons—you're all I have left to rely ohought as she crouched.

  "I don't know what you're talking about with this coward stuff; I'm a Gryffindor!" Eda kissed her wand, then stood up and stepped out from her hiding pce. "So I'll give you what you want!"

  Since hiding was no longer an option, Eda decided to face the challenge head-on. She would charge in and see what happened; if it didn't work out, she'd just have to go a Merlin.

  "Crucio!"

  "Expelliarmus!"

  Esmeralda "Eda" Twist, cast the Disarming Charm, but there was no spell csh between her and Fawley—so Hogwarts' first welding duel didn't get its grand opening.

  Besides, it wouldn't have been a good idea to engage in a csh because Eda ositioo the left, making it a disadvantageous spot.

  Eda transfigured the shattered wood on the ground into a small dog, which she sent charging towards Fawley. The dog barked as it ran, seemingly trying to intimidate Fawley, or perhaps just trying to dispel its own fear.

  Fawley's wand shook violently, produg a crag sound in the air, and Eda's jured dog was sent flying back. The sharp noise drowned out the dog's whimper as it hit the ground, reverting bato splintered wood, even more fragmehan before.

  After dealing with the dog, Fawley furiously waved his wand again.

  Three fiery serpeed from his wand tip, followed by a strong gust of wind. Both flew towards Eda, with the wind seemingly cealing something else, like the sound of steel bdes scraping the ground.

  "Finite Intatem! Protego Totalum!" Eda quickly cast defensive spells on herself while dodging the fierce wind's onsught and staying alert for any sudden attacks.

  It was a bit chaotic, but Eda managed. She first dispersed the three fire serpents, then focused on weakening the relentless wind.

  "Petrificus Totalus! Incarcerous!" Eda shot a spell at Fawley, aiming to disrupt him and prevent further attacks.

  Suddenly, several ropes appeared in front of Fawley, writhing like living creatures, ing around him as if trying tle their prey. Fawley pulled back his wand, causing the pursuing wind to finally stop. He waved his wand several more times before the magical ropes vanished pletely.

  Fawley was somewhat armed. He could clearly sehe drastic improvement in Eda's abilities.

  From the start in the castle until now, Eda had evolved from someone who only cast spells meically to someone who skillfully used the characteristics of spells and attatervals to increase her ces of success.

  There weren't many prodigies in the world, but Fawley just happeo be unlucky enough to enter one who could push the boundaries as far as Eda.

  "Professor, you still haven't expined why it had to be me," Eda panted, "It's your duty to answer your student's questions."

  ___________

  Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH at my Patreon?