In desperation, as he felt the magical buildup from the elder wizard across the room, Harry reached into his mind's eye and imagined himself standing at the other end of the room. Right as the bolt of concussive force leapt from his opponent's wand, Harry disapparated silently. Time seemed to stand still for him as he felt the room blurring past him until he appeared in the location he'd imagined, knowing despite being unable to see that he was looking right at the Black patriarch's exposed back.
" Tenerio Dextera !" the binding spell blasted his opponent. Orion turned, the spell clipping him instead of catching him full-on. The elder wizard's brow furrowed in concentration as he fought with the magic of the spell. By the time he recovered, however, Harry could see again, though his vision was still spotted and blurry. Taking advantage of his opponent's temporary immobility, the youth flicked his wand, sending a pair of stunners screaming in high and low. Another quick motion sent more pieces of debris flying at Orion as his combat reflexes took over.
His renewed assault, however, expended itself harmlessly against a shimmering barrier, causing Harry's jaw to drop. He had never even seen the elder wizard raise his wand to cast the spell. His eyes narrowing, Harry arced his wand around rapidly, causing random pieces of furniture and rock to orbit around them in a seemingly chaotic pattern. The flying debris took occasional nosedives at his opponent, preventing Orion from doing much more than arch a curious eyebrow behind his shield.
Orion was about to wave his wand and dispel whatever charm Harry had placed on the makeshift missiles when three of them converged on his location at the same time. Shifting stances, Orion altered his wand motion fluidly, blasting the incoming projectiles with bolts of magic.
" Orbus Solis !" The roar of magic behind him alerted Orion to the fact that he had run into one of Harry's traps, as the blazing sphere of fire expanded rapidly, encompassing half of the room. The only thing he could do was reinforce his shields as sheets of flame washed across it, blocking his vision. It was an impressive spell to know for one so young, he mused. But I had better stop this before we damage the room. Further.
With a grand sweep of his wand, Orion sent a wave of concussive force outwards, instantly extinguishing the magical flames. "Enough," he said. "I have seen enough of your performance for one night, Mr. Ashworth. I must admit, it was quite impressive." If a little crude, he added to himself quietly. Harry visibly relaxed. The boy has talent, and he's clearly fought before, but no one seems to have taken the time to properly teach him. But his way of fighting is most intriguing. He makes use of mundane spells… very creative, very unique. Very effective… I can see why Bella would have trouble countering it.
"Thanks," Harry replied uncertainly as he glanced around the destruction they'd wrought. "Sorry about the room," he added sheepishly.
"Not to worry." A wave of his wand restored the floor to its former marble glory. Scorch marks and blast pockmarks on the walls erased themselves. The carpet returned, and within moments, the room looked as spotless as it had when their duel had begun. "One of the benefits of living in an ancient magical home," Orion explained. He smiled easily as he returned his wand to his robes and settled in a chair.
"Now, to return to your question about the wands… it is not unheard of for a wand to have two owners. Although this usually occurs after the previous owner dies, and someone else inherits the wand. It's usually re-sold, as the chances of the inheritor matching the wand are rather slim." Orion peered intently at Harry, who was shifting uncomfortably, and knew that his answer was about to hit very close to home. "But as you were asking about brother-wands, the matter is a little more complicated. You see, wands are more than just the sum of their components. They are more than an amalgamation of the wood, the core material, and the binder and catalyst that connect the two. Each wand is unique. Even in the case where two wands share the same core, they will usually be uniquely different, and hence, pick different owners. They are usually not compatible with the other wand's owner, either."
"I see," Harry began.
"No, I don't believe you do," Orion replied evenly. "You see, no one really knows what makes a wand choose a particular owner. There has been speculation about that ever since the first wands were made. However, if a wand is compatible, exactly compatible with two different owners, it usually means they are connected in some way. Not by blood, not necessarily by their actions, but by something more. Something deeper. Some people would call this something fate. I prefer to think it is just the way magic works. Whatever the case, it usually means those two are destined for something." He didn't need to ask, he already knew that Harry's hypothetical situation was much more than that, but he figured that he had put him through enough for one night. Whatever hidden agenda Harry Ashworth-or whatever his real name was-had, Orion was suitably convinced that it lined up well enough with his own.
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