Alex was certain he had this in the bag, and he had his reasons.
Magic!
No matter how precise your spells, how quick your reflexes, or how little energy you use, casting magic always costs power.
She's just a second-year witch. There's no way her magical reserves are deeper than mine!
Truth be told, Alex didn't want to win this way. But every aggressive spell he threw was effortlessly countered by Hermione, and his frustration was mounting. In the end, he resorted to this near-cheating tactic.
Drag it out, and I'll win!
Still, the Disciplinary Squad lived up to its reputation. They had some serious skills.
After dueling Hermione, Alex's initial intent to teach her a lesson turned into admiration.
A second-year with an absurd amount of spell knowledge.
A Gryffindor smarter than most Ravenclaws.
As their spell volley went back and forth, Alex noticed Hermione's counter-spells slowing down.
Her magic's probably at its limit.
Time to end this!
"Serpensortia!" Alex shouted.
With a bang, a long black snake shot from the tip of his wand. It coiled, raised its head, and hissed at Hermione, baring its venomous fangs.
It wasn't dark magic, but it was a nasty spell, conjuring a poisonous snake from the wand's tip.
At his peak, Alex could've cast something stronger, but he was nearing his limit too. If Hermione held out a few more rounds, he might've collapsed first.
Standing behind the snake, Alex smirked confidently at Hermione, declaring, "Miss Granger, I think you're done."
Just as he was about to claim victory, Hermione flicked her wand with lightning speed.
A whoosh of air followed, and an invisible blade sliced through the space.
It grazed Alex's temple, a few brown hairs drifting to the ground. The black snake was cut clean in two, its dark blood splattering the floor as if cleaved by an unseen sword.
Sectumsempra.
A silent spell invented by Professor Snape.
"You're joking," Hermione said, pointing her wand at Alex with a sweet smile. "Our duel's only just begun. Round two—my turn to attack."
Unlike Alex, who looked drained and pale from exhausting his magic, Hermione showed no signs of fatigue.
In theory, a second-year like Hermione couldn't possibly have more magical power than a sixth-year like Alex. She was still growing, with years of development ahead. But…
The blue gemstone ring on her left middle finger glowed faintly, and the red-and-white ball at her waist glimmered oddly in the sunlight.
She had a trump card. Courtesy of Dudley.
As Hermione said, her second round was just getting started.
"No wonder she's in the Disciplinary Squad," Alex muttered.
He'd thought with Dursley, Potter, and that Slytherin troublemaker Malfoy out of the picture, he could take the Disciplinary Squad down a peg.
He hadn't expected Granger to be this powerful.
Now it felt like she'd just been toying with him the whole time.
"I give up," Alex said, collapsing to the ground with a thud.
That last Serpensortia had drained every drop of his magic. He was spent. And Hermione's silent spell had spooked him so badly he couldn't muster any will to fight on.
"How is this possible?!" Audrey gaped, unable to believe her brother—someone a year from graduating—had lost to a mere second-year.
Truth was, Alex knew plenty of spells, but his precision and casting technique were nowhere near Hermione's. He didn't have a professor tutoring him or a group of friends to practice with regularly. In a real duel, he was outclassed.
The other students stood silently, watching Hermione, waiting for her verdict.
"Using your prefect authority for personal gain and covering for your relatives to escape punishment, Mr. Shafiq? I don't think you're fit to be a prefect anymore," Hermione said. "The Disciplinary Squad doesn't have the power to remove a sixth-year prefect, but I'll report this to Professor Flitwick."
"Any objections?" she asked.
"None," Alex sighed weakly.
Hermione turned to Audrey and her two friends. "Bullying a classmate? I gave you a chance to come clean."
"I'll report this to the professors and the headmaster. They'll decide your punishment."
"But if they ask us, the Disciplinary Squad's recommendation is… expulsion. Bullying happens once, it'll happen again."
"We don't let it slide. That's the Disciplinary Squad's principle."
With every word, the three girls grew paler. By the time Hermione finished, two of them had fainted from fear.
If their story checked out, the other two might only be accomplices.
"Incendio—"
Audrey, still defiant, pulled out her wand, but before she could finish her spell, a red flash sent her flying. Instantly, her face and body broke out in angry red pustules.
The shoe curse had finally erupted.
"And now we can add attacking a Disciplinary Squad member to the list," Hermione said, not even glancing at her.
"If anyone's got a problem with this, you're welcome to challenge me or the Disciplinary Squad, just like 'Pimple Princess' here," Hermione said sharply, scanning the crowd. "But you'll face the consequences."
"Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin—we treat everyone the same. Break the rules, and we'll get to the bottom of it."
"The Hogwarts Anti-Bullying and Anti-Cheating Special Committee."
"You can call us the Disciplinary Squad."
Her voice rang clear in every student's ears.
"Can I join you?" a voice shouted from the crowd.
"The Disciplinary Squad's doors are open to any witch or wizard who values justice and fairness," Hermione replied. "But you'll have to pass the test first."
"Granger! The Queen of Gryffindor!" someone yelled.
The chant caught fire, and soon the whole crowd was shouting it, the atmosphere electric. Luna, the center of the incident, was pushed to the side, but she didn't mind. She just gazed at Hermione with admiration.