News at Hogwarts traveled faster than any owl, and by dinnertime, there wasn't a soul in that castle—from the ghosts to the elves in the kitchens—who didn't know what was about to happen.
The rumor had spread like wildfire throughout the school: Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion, would duel the mysterious and feared Carrow twins.
The hallways were filled with speculation, the occasional bet, and whispers. Ravenclaw students analyzed the odds based on Fleur's skill in the first task, while Slytherins smiled with confidence, knowing that Lord Gaunt's fiancées were no ordinary witches. The atmosphere was electric, with the promise of violence between three of the most beautiful and dangerous witches in the school keeping everyone on the edge of their seats.
Meanwhile, in the highest tower of the castle, the calm of the headmaster's office was abruptly interrupted.
Albus Dumbledore was reviewing reports on Grindelwald's movements in Eastern Europe when the door burst open without warning, startling a sleeping Fawkes.
Madame Olympe Maxime stormed in, her immense stature forcing her to duck her head to pass through the doorway. Her usually expressionless face was red with indignation.
"Dumbledore!" Maxime bellowed in her thick French accent. "This is unacceptable! I must protest!"
Dumbledore put down his quill and interlaced his fingers on the desk, looking at her with some annoyance that he hid behind a calm smile.
"Good afternoon, Madame Maxime. To what do I owe the honor of such an... energetic visit?"
Maxime snorted, causing the instruments on the shelves to vibrate.
"It's about Fleur. She has just informed me that she has challenged two of your students to a formal duel. A duel of honor!"
"Oh," said Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow. "Duels between students are forbidden without supervision, but given the circumstances of the Tournament and some of the international tensions... I suppose it can be done. What is the problem, Olympe?"
"I fear for the safety of your students!" exclaimed Maxime, waving one of her hands. "Fleur is no ordinary student. She is one of the most talented witches Beauxbatons has produced in decades. Her magic is strong, and when she gets angry, she can be... devastating. I fear for the physical integrity of those poor girls who had the audacity to insult her. I don't want any serious injuries on my conscience."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming more acute.
"And who, specifically, are these students you are so afraid for?
"I don't know their names," Maxime admitted with disdain. "I only know that they are twins. They belong to the House of Snakes, and according to what Fleur shouted at me, this whole absurd conflict began because she tried to invite that boy... Lord Gaunt... to the dance."
A long, heavy sigh escaped Dumbledore's lips.
"Ah... Misses Hestia and Flora Carrow."
The name echoed in the office with a weight that Maxime could not perceive.
Dumbledore shook his head toward the ceiling and rubbed the bridge of his nose. For six years, he had tried to figure out the Carrow sisters. They were enigmas. Their magic was strange. They had no clear political ambitions, sought neither academic glory nor power.
The only thing Albus Dumbledore knew for certain about them was one thing: their... love for Aurelian Gaunt. They were fanatically obsessed with the boy, and were completely transformed if anyone threatened their "property" .
"So that's what they're called," said Maxime, interrupting his thoughts. "Fleur told me it will be a double duel. One of her friends from the academy, Marie, has offered to accompany her to even the numbers. She said they would face each other tomorrow."
Maxime leaned over the desk, looking at Dumbledore seriously.
"Please, Albus. Make those girls retract their statements. Make them apologize publicly before it's too late. Fleur is furious and won't hold back. I don't want to have to explain to the twins' parents why their daughters are in the infirmary with magical burns or disfigurements."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to reply, to tell his French colleague that perhaps, just perhaps, it was his Champion who needed protection, but Madame Maxime didn't give him time to say anything else.
With a dramatic turn and a sharp tap of her cane, the Beauxbatons headmistress left the office as quickly as she had entered, convinced that she had done her good deed for the day by trying to save two "helpless" students.
The door closed with a soft click.
Dumbledore was left alone in the silence of his office. Fawkes let out a soft, melodic trill from his perch.
"I'm afraid, Fawkes," Dumbledore murmured, scratching his nose again and looking out the window overlooking the grounds. "Madame Maxime has no idea what a snake pit her student has just gotten herself into."
The meadow they had chosen for the duel was located on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and although it was not an official event, a considerable crowd of students from the three schools had gathered, watching from a safe distance behind trees and rocks, eagerly awaiting the confrontation.
Fleur Delacour was the first to arrive, accompanied by her friend Marie, a girl with brown hair and green eyes who had a nervous expression on her face. Fleur walked with her chin held high, her blue robe fluttering in the wind, her eyes flashing with cold fury.
At the opposite end of the meadow, Aurelian Gaunt stood facing Hestia and Flora. The twins were buzzing with excitement about the fight, smug smiles plastered on their faces.
Aurelian sighed and walked over to them. He pulled them close and placed a soft kiss on each of their foreheads.
"Don't be so harsh," Aurelian murmured softly.
Hestia's smile faltered and Flora's eyes narrowed.
"Are you worried we'll hurt your little French birdie?" Flora asked in a dangerously sweet tone.
"So you care about her?" Hestia hissed.
Aurelian let go of them and looked at them with a seriousness that froze the air between them. His eyes showed no amusement, only annoyance.
"You already know the answer to that," he said firmly. "What I really care about is that you don't turn this into an unnecessary international incident. I know better than anyone what you're capable of. This whole feud is stupidity caused by your childish jealousy."
The twins visibly relaxed when they saw that there was no affection for Fleur in his gaze, only pragmatism. They smiled again and kissed him quickly on the lips.
"It's okay, Aurelian," said Hestia.
"We promise we won't leave her in... such bad shape," Flora said with a wink.
Aurelian shook his head and walked away toward the trees, crossing his arms.
Hestia and Flora turned and walked slowly toward the center of the field.
Fleur watched them approach with disdain.
"If you repent now," Fleur announced in a loud voice so that everyone could hear her, "and kneel to apologize for your insults to my heritage, I will let this offense slide. You don't have to be humiliated," she finished with a smile.
Hestia and Flora looked at each other, then looked at Fleur and let out a dry, half-hearted laugh, as if someone had told them a bad joke.
"Are you done crowing?" Hestia asked, pulling out her wand with boredom.
"Start whenever you're ready, little bird," Flora said.
Fleur blushed even redder with anger, nodded to Marie, and they both adopted classic French academy dueling positions.
"Allez!"
Red sparks filled the air and the duel officially began.
Fleur and Marie went on the offensive immediately, attacking with all kinds of offensive spells: from ice spears to gusts of biting wind and the occasional stunning spell.
Hestia and Flora simply moved in sync. One step to the left, one turn to the right. They deflected spells with minimal movements of their wands or by raising Protego shields that absorbed the impacts.
During the first few minutes, it seemed that the French had the advantage. Fleur cast spells with grace and precision, while Marie covered her flanks.
Fleur smiled smugly, watching the twins retreat step by step.
"Is that all?" Fleur taunted, casting a fire spell. "I thought snakes bit!"
Hestia and Flora stopped dead in their tracks. The fire dissipated before a shield conjured by Flora. Slowly, macabre smiles spread across their faces. Their eyes glowed in such a way that it sent shivers down the spines of the spectators.
"What a disappointment..." said Hestia, lowering her wand.
"If this is your maximum level..." continued Flora.
"... You're not even good enough to be practice dummies," they finished in unison.
The air changed and the twins' magical pressure exploded suddenly.
With a speed that some spectators could barely follow, they went on the offensive.
"Depulso!" shouted Hestia.
Marie was hit with great force and flew ten meters backward, instantly losing consciousness after hitting her head on a rock.
Fleur was now completely alone.
"Your turn!" shouted Flora.
What followed was not a duel, it was a hunt. Hestia and Flora cast spells and curses of pain with surgical precision. They broke Fleur's shields as if they were made of paper.
"You're pathetic!" Hestia shouted, casting a spell that made Fleur's wand heat up to red hot, forcing her to drop it.
"You're weak!" Flora laughed, hitting her with a pushing spell that knocked her to her knees in the mud.
Fleur tried to get up, tried to retrieve her wand, but the girls gave her no respite. They played with her. They cast cutting spells that tore her clothes and left deep cuts in her perfect skin, destroying her image, her ego, and her will.
"This is the champion?!" the twins sneered, circling her like sharks. "You don't even look like a witch! You're only good for fucking!"
Fleur, on her knees, her hair dirty and tears of frustration and fear running down her cheeks, realized the fatal mistake she had made. These were not normal students. They were monsters with human skin.
"Stop!" Fleur sobbed, covering her head with her arms in a fetal position. "I give up! Je me rends!"
At that moment, two adult figures burst onto the lawn.
"Stop!" Professor Sprout bellowed, arriving alongside Professor Snape.
Sprout rushed toward Fleur and Marie to help them, while Snape stepped between the twins and the French girls.
Hestia and Flora stopped their attack instantly. The malice disappeared from their faces as if it had never been there, replaced by feigned innocence.
They turned away, ignoring the teachers and the stunned crowd, running toward Aurelian.
"Did you see that, my love?" asked Hestia, hugging his left arm, seeking his approval, like a little girl who has drawn a good picture.
"We showed her her place," said Flora, puffing out her chest.
Aurelian looked over their heads toward the center of the field. He saw Fleur Delacour, the French champion, crying in Sprout's arms, her pride shattered and her gaze lost.
Aurelian shook his head slightly, already thinking about the repercussions of this fight.
"Let's go," he said curtly.
He took both girls' hands firmly, giving them a squeeze that they interpreted as silent congratulations. Without waiting for Snape to question them or for the spectators to recover from their shock, Aurelian led his betrotheds back to the castle, leaving behind the chaos they had caused.
------------------
I have a Patreon account. If you would like to support me, I would greatly appreciate it. You will be able to read up to 15 more chapters, listen to all chapters as audiobooks, and view images of the characters in the story for free. Thank you very much for reading my story :D
patreon.com/Daoistrg