Jacqueline and Soren walked across the empty Training Grounds, a cool breeze brushing the grass.
"Why do you think Selene wants us to meet here?" Jacqueline asked him.
Soren exhaled slowly. "Because of Merula."
Jacqueline blinked in confusion. "Merula? Why would she—"
"She keeps trapping us, threatening you, bullying Ben, and bringing up my sister every chance she gets."
He paused.
"I told Selene everything. So she wants us prepared."
Before Jacqueline could respond—
Selene Avery arrived behind them, "Soren is right."
She walked closer, her prefect badge glinting, "It's my duty to help the younger Slytherins defend themselves. So today, I'm going to teach you both how to stand your ground—and how to duel."
Jacqueline looked nervous,"But… I don't know any dueling spells. I'm from a Muggle family… We never even imagined magical fighting."
Selene gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. Slytherin has a long tradition of spellcraft.
And you'll learn quickly."
Soren stepped beside her proudly. "I can help too. My family taught me a lot of dueling spells."
Selene nodded in approval. "That's why you're both here. Jacqueline needs to learn. And Soren needs to practice."
Jacqueline took a deep breath. "Alright… I'm ready."
Soren grinned and asked her, "So, what spell do you want to learn first?"
Jacqueline replied without any hesitation, "How about the Disarming Charm… and the Tickling Charm? I've heard of both."
Soren nodded, "Okay, then first learn the Expelliarmus. The Disarming Charm."
Soren stepped back and lifted his wand confidently.
"Expelliarmus is simple, fast, and extremely useful. When cast correctly, it knocks your opponent's wand right out of their hand."
Selene also informed them, "Some duelists underestimate it. And because of this, many great wizards lost battles. Since a single Expelliarmus disarmed them at the wrong time."
Soren raised his wand for demonstration. And started showing the correct posture of using. "Use it with precision."
He pointed at a dummy, and read the spell. "EXPelliarmus!"
A burst of red light shot forward—
BAM!
The dummy's wand flew into the air and landed on the ground.
Jacqueline's eyes widened, seeing this, "That's… amazing."
Soren smiled and nodded, "Yeah."
"And about the Rictusempra, let's me teach you," Selene said.
"Rictusempra is a Tickling Charm. In duels, it's extremely effective. It forces the opponent to laugh uncontrollably— so much they can't hold their wand properly."
She raised her wand. "Rictusempra!"
Silver light shot toward a training dummy—
The dummy jerked, shaking as if laughing uncontrollably.
Jacqueline laughed, seeing this.
Soren nodded and mentioned about it, "It's one of Elara's favorite spells. She used to tickle me with it whenever she wanted me to stop bothering her."
Jacqueline giggled, hearing it, "She sounds amazing."
Soren nodded slowly. "She was."
Selene clapped once, bringing them back to focus.
"Alright, Jacqueline. It's your turn to try it. Focus your intent on precision. Imagine the spell reaching its target like a feather brushing across it."
Jacqueline took a steadying breath and lifted her wand.
Soren stood beside her, offering a quiet smile.
"You can do this. Elara always said Rictusempra works best when you're thinking about something funny."
Jacqueline's grip relaxed a little. She aimed her wand at the dummy.
"…Rictusempra!"
A silver streak burst from her wand—
clear, bright, and perfectly aimed.
It hit the dummy cleanly.
The dummy jerked, twisted, and started shaking uncontrollably in silent laughter.
Jacqueline gasped, her eyes going wide. "I—I did it! I really did it!"
Soren laughed proudly.
"That was perfect, Jacqueline!"
Selene nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent work. Far better than most first-years.
You have natural talent, Jacqueline."
Jacqueline blushed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I… I really cast a proper spell."
Soren nudged her gently.
"Told you. You're a witch, Jacqueline—whether you were born in a Muggle family or not."
Selene lifted her wand again.
"Good. Now that you've mastered Rictusempra…
let's see if you can do it again under pressure."
After several rounds of practicing Rictusempra and Expelliarmus, Selene checked the time and told them.
"You two, it was time for Potions Class. If you don't reach on time, Snape will deduct points before you even sit!"
Jacqueline and Soren nodded, "True. Let's run."
They sprinted out of the Training Grounds, dodging students and cutting across corridors until they finally burst into the Potions classroom, just barely on time.
Snape looked up from his desk, eyes narrowing suspiciously… but said nothing.
They quickly slipped into seats beside Penny and Cassie.
---
Professor Snape stood at the front of the classroom and said, "Today, you will learn to brew the Wiggenweld Potion."
The room went quiet. Jacqueline sat up straighter. Soren focused on Snape. Penny immediately began taking notes.
Snape continued, "It is a healing potion used to mend injuries or reverse the effects of a Sleeping Draught."
He gestured toward his cauldron.
"Watch closely."
He demonstrated each step clearly, heating the cauldron to a steady simmer, slicing dittany leaves into thin pieces, adding a few drops of Wiggentree sap, stirring exactly three times clockwise.
Then he picked up a jar filled with thick, slimy material.
"Be especially careful with the Sloth Brain Mucus."
Several students made disgusted sounds.
Soren and Jacqueline exchanged a quick look that showed they both agreed this was unpleasant.
Penny raised her hand to ask a question, but Snape ignored it.
On the other side of the table, Merula leaned slightly toward Soren.
"Hey, Soren…"
Soren didn't react.
"You don't have any brains to spare, so maybe avoid the Sloth Brain Mucus."
A few nearby Slytherins snickered.
Penny glared at Merula. Jacqueline clenched her jaw.
Cassie whispered, "Ignore her."
Soren looked calm and unimpressed, "At least I have a brain, Merula."
Penny snorted. Cassie quickly covered her mouth to hide her laugh.
A Hufflepuff student coughed to disguise theirs.
Merula's expression darkened.
Snape turned toward them. "Enough talking."
The room went silent. "Begin brewing."
Cauldrons were lit across the room as the class started working.
---
Soren focused on his cauldron and followed every step Snape had demonstrated.
He heated the mixture to the right temperature, sliced the dittany leaves evenly, added the Wiggentree sap carefully, and stirred exactly three times clockwise.
When the potion turned the correct shade of light green, Jacqueline whispered, "Soren… I think you actually got it right."
Penny leaned over slightly. "That looks perfect."
Snape walked past their table, glanced into Soren's cauldron, and paused for a moment longer than usual.
"…Acceptable."
He moved on to the next table.
Jacqueline blinked. "That's a compliment from Snape."
Penny nodded, "For Snape, that's basically praise."
Soren smiled a little.
When Snape finally addressed the class, he said, "Mr. Whitlock's potion is one of the few in this room that won't poison anyone. Now class is over."
---
Once potions class ended, Soren, Jacqueline, Cassie, and Penny walked together toward the Courtyard.
As soon as they arrived, they saw a large group of students gathering again around the same area as earlier.
Soren frowned, looking at this, "What's going on this time?"
He asked a younger wizard standing near the back.
The student looked worried, and explained to him, "Merula is threatening Ben Copper again. He keeps trying to leave, but she won't let him."
Soren's expression changed immediately.
His jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed. His fists clenched.
Jacqueline saw it and whispered, "Merula will never stop bullying others."
Soren stepped forward, "I'm not letting her do this again."
He pushed through the crowd.
Merula had Ben cornered against a pillar, wand in hand, smirking.
Ben looked terrified.
"You mudblood, you're an embarrassment to everyone in our year."
Ben swallowed hard. "Just… leave me alone."
Merula sneered at him. "Disgusting mudbloods like you shouldn't even be allowed in Hogwarts."
She raised her wand—
But suddenly Soren stepped in front of Ben, wand already in hand.
His voice was low and furious. "Merula, do you want to prove to everyone that you're the worst witch in Hogwarts?"
The crowd gasped.
Jacqueline, Penny, and Cassie rushed behind him.
"If you don't stop bullying people, I will teach you a lesson."
Merula's face twisted with rage, "Why don't you be more like your mad sister and go missing?"
Soren didn't even flinch, "Funny. You're the one everyone wishes would go missing."
The students whispered—no one had ever spoken to Merula like that.
Merula raised her wand. "Let's see about—"
But before she fired—
Soren acted first. "Rictusempra!"
A silver beam hit Merula squarely.
She burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubled over, gasping between giggles.
"Ha—ha—hahaha— that's all—ha—ha— you can do—?"
Even while laughing, she snapped her wand up and shouted. "Flipendo!"
Soren dodged to the side, the spell hitting a courtyard pillar instead.
Merula tried again, but she never got the chance.
"Expelliarmus!"
A red flash struck her wand.
CLATTER!
It flew out of her hand and landed on the ground several feet away. The courtyard erupted in cheers.
Merula stared, stunned.
"How did you learn that spell already?! No fair!"
Penny clapped excitedly, "That was amazing!"
Cassie nodded. Ben looked at Soren with pure gratitude.
Merula stomped her foot angrily like a child throwing a tantrum. "You can't be better than me! No one can be better than me!"
Soren stepped forward, "I beat you, Merula. Now apologize to Ben Copper, and promise to stop bullying everyone."
Merula's eyes burned with hatred, "I will NEVER apologize to you losers and mudbloods!"
The crowd recoiled at her words.
And she didn't stop. Merula threw her head back and shouted, "I am Merula Snyde! Fourth generation Gryffindor! The greatest witch at Hogwarts! I do what I want, when I want! I run this school! I—"
She froze mid-sentence.
Because behind her…
Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick were standing there.
Snape cleared his throat sharply. "Hmph."
Merula's face was drained of color.
Everyone in the courtyard went silent.
Even Ben stopped shaking.
Soren crossed his arms.
Jacqueline, Penny, and Cassie folded their arms too.
Merula slowly turned around, and saw Snape.