Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

On the dueling platform, the girls waved their wands, lighting up the entire Grand Hall.

Padma Patil shifted on her feet, raising her wand to fire another spell.

"Expelliarmus!" Cho Chang's wand flicked masterfully.

With a tiny pop, Padma Patil's wand went shooting off her hand, the Ravenclaws cheering for both girls.

Sitting on a chair behind Cho Chang, Umbridge declared her the winner of the duel.

Meanwhile, Madam Villanelle checked up on Padma for injuries.

Fortunately, despite getting riled up by Dumbledore's speech, the students had failed to push each other to the point that they needed a one-way ticket to the Hospital Wing.

Unlike the duel between Darcie and Black, the rest of the duels either ended swiftly or became too long, ending up being declared draws by the two referees.

Well, Umbridge wanted to declare both students losers in such cases, but the Heads of Houses and Madam Villanelle deferred her intentions.

As the girls stepped down, behind the high table, the Professors noted down their points, awarding them on various basis like the use of spells, ingenuity, out-of-the-box thinking, improvisation, wandwork, etc.

Who won the duel mattered the most, of course, but it wasn't the sole criteria that would determine the final list.

That's why, there remained a constant surge of elated emotions in the Grand Hall.

Not to mention, because the prime objective was to learn, almost all students gathered on Saturdays and Sundays' eve to enjoy the duels.

Today was no different from the others… except for a few minor absences.

On the Gryffindor side, Harry, Ron, and Draco whispered among themselves, cursing whoever was trying to get Black during the Quidditch Game. Black was still in the Hospital Wing out cold, Madam Pomfrey tending to his injuries.

A relaxed Neville stood by the boys' side.

Just before Cho Chang and Padma Patil's duel, he had taken the stage and—lost. So, now, he could finally enjoy the duels.

On the Slytherin side, a fuming Hermione complained to Darcie and Daphne about the Cauldron of Mist because…

… it had taken one move for Hermione to throw a shaking Neville off his feet and then off the dueling platform as well.

"Why did it pair me with Neville?!" she squeaked. "I couldn't use even a tenth of my preparations!!! Oh, no! The Professors wouldn't give me good marks… I couldn't do anything!!!"

Darcie and Daphne shook their heads.

Today, in the morning, Darcie had blasted off the huge block of ice with only one spell, shocking all. It felt like she had become even stronger after her fight with Black.

Despite her bandaged right arm, Darcie had suffered only superfluous injuries as the shards had exploded off in directions away from her.

It was one of those ice shards that had found its way into Black's shoulder.

However, from the way Gryffindors were looking at her, it seemed like they all believed she had done it on purpose.

Darcie cared little.

She had lost Slytherin the game and that hurt the most. That and…

"… I still can't believe Dobby did that…" Daphne mumbled when Hermione stopped to breathe. "Why…"

Despite the questions going unanswered, they already knew the answer.

Somehow, the House-elf must have gotten the impression that Black was Darcie's enemy.

Even after rising from his timid, beaten self, Dobby still carried an air of aloofness about him. Then there was the fact that he was as easily gullible as he had been before. And impulsive, too.

It didn't surprise Darcie that the House-elf came crying to her and smashed his head open when he realized he had hurt his mistress.

"Dobby would never think of hurting any student for me…" Darcie pointed out. "He must have heard it somewhere."

The girls looked toward the Slytherins and saw Draco.

Did Draco manipulate Dobby to hurt Black?!

"… Aren't they friends?" Daphne asked.

Sometimes, it was hard to believe, and impossible to fathom, what kind of boy Draco had become. The sneer on his lips hadn't changed since childhood. But then there were times…

Darcie remembered what Black had called her on the dueling platform and a vein popped up on her forehead.

Daphne's lips twitched.

A bright blue flash!

A fiery roar!

"Ms. Daphne Greengrass!"

The girls spun their heads so fast that stars shimmered in their darkening eyes.

In front of the high table, Gilderoy Lockhart was standing near the Cauldron of Mist, smiling charmingly. He was holding two pieces of parchments, looking at one of them.

Then, his head shifted to the second one.

"Mr. Draco Malfoy!!"

…

Daphne didn't know when and how she moved.

When she came about, she was already standing on the dueling platform, with Umbridge behind her.

In front of her, Draco looked at her oddly, but confidently.

She, Darcie, and Hermione had been preparing for this moment for weeks.

Yet, as Daphne felt the eyes on her, all those preparations seemed to melt away, her wants feeling wet in her palm.

Daphne and Darcie had always been the quiet ones.

Always standing out, and away, from everyone.

They didn't like to talk much. They didn't like to interact much. Nor did they like to be part of others' conversations.

However, Darcie had been forced to give all these things as the wizarding world demanded it from her.

Daphne, on the other hand, felt left behind by the times… and her friend.

When the doom came, would she — could she stand shoulder to shoulder with Darcie? Ever?

The duel must have begun, for Draco's hand blurred, trying to disarm her.

Her ears went numb, a strange ringing noise filled her mind.

Even then, Daphne's wand moved with pure muscle memory, countering the spell with one of her own.

The second time, Daphne's wand moved faster, but something odd happened.

Draco sidestepped the banishing charm, smiling. His lips moved.

Daphne still couldn't hear anything, but she knew that smile.

"You are afraid," Draco was saying, stepping closer, making Daphne step back. "You are going to lose."

Wands moved back and forth.

With every next spell, Draco kept pressing forward, putting Daphne on defense.

No matter what Daphne thought, or tried to do, Draco kept reading her moves as if she had told him all about it beforehand.

Acute Perception!!!

Yes… Daphne thought, her heart beating out of her chest. Of course, he's using it. Where does it leave me?

Winning or losing didn't matter much to Daphne.

But she didn't want to get left behind anymore. Not ever.

Through her blurry eyes, Daphne's gaze landed behind Draco.

There, standing among the roaring crowd, was Madam Villanelle, smiling at her. She nodded at her brilliant student.

Draco's spell hit Daphne's shoulder, pain shooting through her arm.

Her wand went flying off, spinning and spinning, and landed somewhere far.

As Daphne fell, she saw the crowd of students cheering. She saw Harry and Ron, going wild. She saw everyone.

Then her eyes landed on Hermione and Darcie.

They smiled at her, nodding at their friend.

Yes… Daphne shook her head. … Perhaps, it's not them who are leaving me behind. Perhaps… it is I who isn't stepping forward.

"I choose you…"

As Draco pressed on to finish the job, a huge book materialized over Daphne's head, black-blue mist curling around it, feeling the surroundings with unknown, unearthly Mana.

A slithering pillar of black-blue mist left Daemonologie — the Grimoire, taking the shape of an alien, magical creature.

"… Seviper!"

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AN: Original Images of Hermione vs Neville and Daphne summoning Sviper are available

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