The red uniform of Durmstrang stood out in the forest close to the school. The fur coat blew slightly in the wind. It was night, the forest almost pitch black, it didn't bother Linus with eyes improved eyes. His black leather boots crunching down in the soft ground of the forest.
It's been four days since Linus was challenged by Elisa Winterholm.
It was Friday and Linus decided to finally use his ancient magic in a different way. If It really was possible to do whatever I so choose with this power, I really should learn how to.
Standing in the forest he saw a clearing. Stepping into the clearing. This is perfect, almost like my own little training ground.
Linus sat down on the ground. So first I need an objective what do I want to achieve. Looking around at the trees and ground and… rocks. How about I try make some chairs out of rocks.
He focused on the rocks, how they looked, felt. He then imagined the chair he had at home but made of rock this time.
"Nothing huh…" focus feel the power inside. Linus breathed out. Letting himself calm down, a focus. Thinking again of the chair. The warm feeling inside me again. I can feel it.
The rock started cracking and moving. Slowly the chape of the chair emerged. Linus focused on the feeling he was feeling, the warmth, the power. He looked over at a tree and thought the same. A chair, the tree started moving, forming, almost like it was alive. After a few seconds, a chair almost exactly the same as the one at home.
Linus sat down in the chair. Yeah, I can live with this. He spent the next hour trying different shapes and sizes. Making tables, walls, even making a statue of his wolf Hati.
Looking at the statue. A thought came to his mind. Can I make this thing move then? Standing before the statue. He focused, letting the warmth spread throughout his body. Suddenly a crack. The statues head started moving. Thinking more about how Hati moved and how he wanted the statue to the same. slowly it came to life, even wagging its tail. The wolf looked very much alive, moving like it was flesh and not out of wood.
"Incredible…" Linus muttered for himself.
Linus spent a better part of 3 hours in the forest. Sadly, he couldn't bring his wood wolf with him, as animals and such weren't allowed inside the school. The wolf turned back into a normal tree.
Walking back inside the school, he saw the ancient runes on the walls and doors.
I should try making some runes, I should be able to. Maybe, never really gave it a thought. Durmstrang was teaching runes, but not ancient of course. If I could make runes on my moving little minion, that thing would be scary for most to face. Sounds fun. Linus thought with a slight smirk creeping up on his lips.
Stepping into the common room, Linus stopped. There were a lot of people here, even the girls. They all looked as he entered.
"Have I missed something?" Linus asked out.
Nikolai waved his hand. "No we just decided to have a little first year hangout. Join us."
Linus shrugged hanging his fur coat up, and took a seat near the fireplace in one of the sofas.
The mood was calm. Everyone just sat and chatted. Drank tea and ate sweets.
"Are you nervous?" a voice came out, I turned to see that it was Ariana who said it. Sigrun roommate
A silence filled the room as everyone started listening.
Linus took a moment to answer. "No, I'm more excited than anything."
Armin chuckled and said. "You're a combat freak, probably psycho."
Everyone laughed, even I did.
Sigrun looked at me. "Do you really think you will win?"
"I do" I said without hesitation.
I'm going to kick her ass in that duel.
The problem was that a lot of people were probably going to watch this duel, even a certain headmaster. Volkov said to watch out for him and not show him too much. Is he going to be a problem.
The mood in the common room was relaxed. Not the usual stressed out when everyone was trying to learn potions before class. This is nice Linus thought to himself.
The weekend came and went.
It was now Monday and Linus was standing in the potion classroom, mixing ingredients for a wiggenweld potion. A rather simple potion, but it could be useful if I ever got hurt in combat as it was a healing potion.
The chamber smelled damp stone and burnt ingredients from failed potions. Erik and Nikolai sighed in frustration as they failed their second potion attempt. Sigrun had gotten better, mostly from just looking at what I did, but still she had improved.
"Linus Gray." the deep voice cut through the chamber. It was from professor Arkadi. When I looked towards him he just waved his hand as to motion me to approach.
"Yes professor?" i said when I approached his desk.
He looked up at me from his parchment. "I have a special task for you." He said calmly. "I know these potions are useless for you to learn as you seem to know them already." He stopped and took out a book and opened a page. "I want you to make the advanced potion of Antidote to Veritaserum. It's a difficult potion to make, but if you manage to make it I will consider giving you time of instead of coming to class." He handed me a parchment "Think you can handle it?"
I looked down at the parchment, the list of requirements was long. A lot of time sensitive moments. "Yes, I will manage."
The professor just nodded and went back to his own work.
Stepping back to my desk I finished my wiggenweld potion and put it away.
This was the last class for today. So Linus began his work, he collected all necessary ingredients and neatly organized them on his workbench.
Opening the Gray family potion book reveled the recipe and methods for the potion.
Checking the ingredients once more.
a clove of sopophorous bean solution in a blue vial, a thimble of powdered bezoar, a small crystal phial of ashwinder shell dust, a pinch of powdered bicorne horn wrapped in silk, a clay jar of murtlap infusion, three micro-doses of diluted wolfsbane, and, in a tiny wooden box Arkadi had entrusted him with, the runic salt that would stabilize the whole brew.
Arkadi watched from across the chamber, arms folded. "No shortcuts." He said. "Timing is temper. If you hurry, you'll make something that will do more harm than good."
Linus got to work. The hours passed in a blur as he kept his eyes on the potion. The professor had already left during some point. It was now midnight as Linus looked at the clock.
"last ingredient… runic salt" one single grain, if more it would go to shit. He picked up the grain with the small tongs, dropped it in and began using his wand over the cauldron. The sigil has to be perfect.
After a total of seven hours, it was complete. Linus poured to potions into vials, a total of three vials. Pretty good. Linus cleaned up his station and returned to his dorm. As soon as he laid his head on the pillow he was out.
The next morning after breakfast.
Linus headed down towards the potion classroom, there were already students here preparing for their class. As I entered the classroom I saw someone familiar. Elisa, she stood at the right most table and she looked up and saw me.
I waited as the professor's desk for him to arrive, Elisa saw me standing there and walked up to me.
"Are you prepared to yield on Friday little boy?" she asked in a soft but playful voice.
The ones inside the class chuckled.
"No, I'm prepared to see you get thrown out of that circle faster then you can cast your first spell." I smirked
She looked at me for a second before saying. "I like your attitude, it suits you." She smiled. "How about we make a bet you and me, loser has to do anything the winner tells them to." She smirked "You in?"
This could be fun. "Yeah, I'm in."
She turned and started walking back to her seat. "Good, see you Friday then cutie."
A third-year flirting so openly with a first year? Interesting.
Professor Arkadi entered the classroom and walked up to his desk. And looked at me. "So, how did it go?"
I picked up the three vials and let him inspect them.
He looked carefully at them, checking color, smell, how dense it was. "Perfect" he smiled "very good. I will keep one vial, and the school infirmary will have one, and you have one. Now I trust that you know how these can be used in a dangerous way so don't go talking about it to anyone."
I nodded "I understand." Taking the vial and putting it away.
"Now, because you completed this potion. A difficult one, most will never make, you can skip the potions classes until after Christmas." Arkadi said.
Good now I have more free time to train. "Thank you, professor."
The rest of the week flew past with classes in magical theory, charms and even some training activities for strength.
Friday the day of the duel. Linus stood inside the circle, not nervous or scared. He was excited, the thought about what spells she would use against him made it feel so much more interesting. She knew about the rumors, so most likely she had some sort of plan on how to counter it. Or was she just like me, to just go head first into things and hope they turn out in our favor.
The duel hall was big. There was seating all around, high ceiling. Banners hung everywhere. The air was filled with tension, the crowd was discussing what the outcome would probably be.
Looking around there were people running around with betting boxes. There were a lot of people, maybe even the whole school.
Looking to the seating behind me I saw more familiar faces, classmates, roommates and Sigrun. she seemed worried, it was written all over her face. I looked at her and smiled and gave a thumbs up. It seemed to have calmed her down somewhat.
The chamber came to live as Elisa stepped into the circle. She was one of the more famous in the school, so it was no surprise that she got the crowed going as soon as she stepped in. she seemed excited.
Professor Volkov would be the referee for this match, so he stepped into the circle as well and started speaking in a clear and steady voice. "Alright, quiet down." He paused for a moment letting the crowd settle down. "Rules are, first to yield or go unconscious. No unforgivable curses. You understand?"
Both nodded but had their eyes remain on each other.
Volkov just sighed and muttered for himself. "These two are going to kill each other…"
Volkov raised his hand. The tension in the room raised with it. Everyone sat silent, waiting for the moment the hand would drop and spells would start flying.
Then it happened the hand dropped. As soon as it was down all the way it started.
"Bombarda maxima!" Elisa shouted, the spell flew past Linus head as he dropped down on one knee.
Linus countered. "Depulso" he said calmly as a shockwave like spell flew from the wand, "Protego" the spell hit Elisa's shield with a loud bang, making her stagger.
She recovered quickly and raised her wand. "Glacius!"
The icy beam streaked toward Linus, coating the stone floor in frost. He sidestepped but felt the chill bite into his leg. Ice climbed up his foot, freezing him into place.
"Incendio!" he shouted, pointing his wand downward. Falmes burst forth, melting the ice and spreading outward in a circle. Steam hissed as the two elements collided. Through the rising mist, Elisa appeared again, wand aimed and eyes blazing.
"Confringo!"
The explosion sent Linus flying backward, crashing into the dueling barrier. His shoulder screamed in pain, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. He coughed up some blood into his hand. He got up, wand raised.
The crowd roared. Some shouted his name, others hers.
Linus smiled, his blood humming. Finally, a real fight.
"you hit harder the I thought, Winterholm!" he called out.
She grinned, spinning her wand with elegant precision. "You'll remember that when you're on the floor Gray!"
Linus raised his wand, the air around him cracked. He whispered something, not a spell anyone in the hall recognized.
Elisa noticed. Her grin faltered. "What the hell was that?!"
He flicked his wand downward. The ground between them rippled. Stones and dust lifted into the air, swirling in a tight spiral before forming jagged shards. With a sharp motion, he sent them flying like a storm of knives.
"Protego totalum!" Elisa shouted, forming a dome of shimmering yellow light. The shards hit and shattered on impact, but cracks appeared in her barrier. Linus didn't give her time to recover. He was already running forward, wand blazing.
"Expulso!"
The blast shattered her shield, the shockwave flinging her backward. She hit the ground hard but rolled, wand still in hand.
Her lip bled. Her braid had come loose, hair sticking to her cheek. Yet she laughed. "Finally taking this seriously?"
Linus smirked. "I was waiting for you to make it interesting."
She responded with a furious chain of spells. "Diffindo! Stupefy! Bombarda!"
He ducked the first, deflected the second, but the third got him. His side erupted in pain, his fur coat catching fire. He tore it off, tossing it aside. His shirt was singed, a line of red blooming on his ribs.
The crowd was wild now, on their feet.
"lets end this!" Linus screamed.
"Vitae animum" he whispered
The stones of the floor groaned. from them, pillars rose, like clay taking shape, two knight like statues came to life. Their eyes glowing blue.
"Elisa took a step back. "You're insane!"
The knights lunged forward. She blasted one apart with "Reducto!" but the other slammed into her shield, forcing her down. She twisted on the ground, wand shaking as she released a concussive burst of magic. The final knight dissolved into dust. But Linus was already there.
His eyes now glowing blue. The spectators noticed it. And the professors as well.
Linus raised his wand. He whispered. "Fulmen Ardens" a spell he got from Nerida, one of her favorites.
His wand lit up, ropes of lightning came from his wand as the spell was released. A white bolt of lightning came out with a roar and crackle.
"SHIT…." Elisa said as she saw the incoming spell. But it was too late. The spell hit her with a bang. lightning spreading trough out her body. She collapsed on spot.
Linus turned his head to Sigrun. she looked worried. Our eyes met, I smiled, gave a thumbs up again and collapsed.
Professor Volkov was already moving in to check on Elisa. As he arrived by her side, he saw white sparks moving on her coat, residue of lightning magic.
"She's badly hurt, take her to the infirmary!" as he said that two medics were laying her on a stretcher. Volkov turned to where Linus had collapsed. Professor Arkadi was already checking his condition.
Volkov walked up to Arkadi. "He's not dead right?"
"No, he's just passed out. He'll live" as he said that Linus was carried of to the infirmary as well.
The student around were going crazy.
"Did you see that spell? White lightning!"
"Yes, but did you see his eyes? They were glowing."
"How could he even stand after being his by that bombarda spell, you could see his ribs!"
Volkov looked at the aftermath, the duel circle was destroyed. Nothing bad but still. He nodded in approval.
Two days later.
Linus found himself wrapped in bandages. His chest was covered. Looking around, this seems like the infirmary. On the bed to his left laid Elisa awake.
"I kicked your ass" I said with a smirk
She looked over. "Oh, look who decided to wake up. And start it off with attitude." She laughed after a moment.
"How long have we been here?"
She ate a spoon of soup before she said. "Two days, its Sunday today."
Fuck, my weekend is gone.
I have gotten a system notification, why not check it out.
*Reward earned by winning the duel: 2x*
Such a nice surprise.
*Reward received: Wizard/witch summoning card (S tier), Trait mark of Nerida (Nerida choose you, prove yourself worthy of this mark)
Hmmm… Quess she wants me to show of some of my magic.
And another card, Astrid is going to get a friend soon.
Then the door to the infirmary opened.
Looking at the door, it was Sigrun. She ran up to me, basically throwing herself onto me.
"Told you that I would win." I said casually.
I heard her muffled cry. "shut up"
I took my hand on her back and one on her head and patted her. She must have been worried.
"I'm okay"