An Unlikely Savior ~ (Edit) COMPLETED

Chapter 62 ~ The Duel

Eileen was faster on the turn than Albus. She quickly shouted, “Serpensortia!”

A stream of light flew to Albus’ feet and suddenly a fifteen foot boa constrictor appeared and quickly wrapped itself around him, pinning his arms to his sides as both Lily and Rose screamed.

”Cool!” Hugo breathed as Albus stood there in coils up to his chin, the snake’s head hovering in front of his face, the cold eyes meeting his.

”Concede, Albus, or it’s going to start squeezing,” Eileen called to him.

Albus looked at her defiantly. The snake shifted, preparing to squeeze the young wizard.

Alsop was shaking his head. Albus should have known better than to try and duel Eileen. He was probably prepared to block, but not for this.

Suddenly Albus whispered something to the snake, who looked at Eileen, then uncoiled itself and began quickly gliding toward her as Albus smirked. It was fast, really fast. Eileen was stunned, as was everyone else.

”Albus is a Parselmouth. He speaks Parseltongue,” Alsop said in amazement.

”Well, dad’s a Parselmouth,” James said in awe.

Lily was silent, crushed against Rose from the time the snake formed. Her green eyes were wide as plates as the snake slithered toward her cousin. Eileen snapped out of her shock and dispatched the snake, but she didn’t have time to block Albus’ spell.

She was covered in thick gray smoke, then there was a little “POOF!” As the smoke thinned bottom first they couldn’t see her legs. But they could see her wand on the ground.

“What did you do to her?” Alsop yelled at him.

”What she did to grandmum, but with a little twist,” Albus replied victoriously. A duel was effectively over when someone conceded or dropped their wand. He’d won. The snake was the perfect diversion. Otherwise, Eileen would have definitely blocked the hex he’d thrown.

Then there was a squeal as Albus grinned nastily and the smoke cleared completed.

Everyone’s eyes rounded.

”Oh no! He hit her with the Swine Flew spell!” Hugo cried.

Indeed, a little black pig with a white face and white wings fluttered above the fallen wand. It had no way to pick it up with its little cloven hooves. Eileen squealed furiously.

”Now you know how it feels,” Albus said smugly. “Next time, keep your damn wand to yourself!”

Albus turned and headed for the castle.

Alsop pulled out his wand and tried to turn Eileen back. He couldn’t do it. Albus had added his signature to lock it in place. He turned toward the walking Albus

”Albus! Come back here! Turn her back, you git!”

”Grandmum was transfigured for almost eight hours. The spell will wear of around then,” he called over his shoulder.

”Albus! Albus!” Alsop called, but he just kept going. He turned back to the fluttering Eileen, who squealed at him furiously.

”He won’t come back,” Alsop explained as James burst out laughing. Rose tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t help herself.

Hugo was the worst. He was actually rolling on the ground on the hard thin crust of snow, apologizing to Eileen as he laughed hysterically.

”Well, I think she’s cute,” Lily said, admiring the soft black fur and wings.

Eileen squealed louder and Alsop outstretched his arms and started walking toward her.

”Come on. I’ll take you to the infirmary. Maybe Madam Finch can help you,” he said softly as Eileen angrily fluttered out of reach. “Oh, come on, Eileen, you can’t flutter around out here until you change back. Be reasonable.”

But Eileen continued to flutter just out of his reach, and pretty soon Alsop was chasing her all around the grounds, much to Hugo’s joy. Lily joined him in the chase, and Rose was clamping her legs together about to piss herself. James could hardly breathe because of all the guffaws. It was hilarious.

Finally Alsop made a running leap and caught her, falling to the ground as she wriggled and squealed, trying to get away from him. Lily walked up with her wand as he stood up. Eileen stopped squealing as she looked at her cousin.

Lily smiled at her, then reached out a gloved hand and petted her head.

”Nice Eileen,” she cooed.

The transformed witch started squealing again, wriggling wildly.

”Don’t pet her, Lily. She’s mad enough as it is,” Alsop said, struggling to hold her and getting a faceful of wing.

Rose, James and Hugo walked up and inspected her.

”You do make a cute flying pig, Eileen,” Rose said, trying to keep a straight face.

Hugo and James started laughing again as Alsop told Lily to put Eileen’s wand in his pocket.

“It’s not funny,” Alsop said. It was a good thing Eileen was turned away from him, or she would have seen him smirking. It really was pretty funny. Now she knew what it felt like to have four legs instead of two.

”Come on, Eileen. Let’s get you to the infirmary. You’ll be warm at least,” he told the pig. Eileen stopped struggling and let out a sigh. Albus had beaten her fairly and squarely. Now she knew what it felt like to be turned into some kind of creature. It wasn’t good. But at least they didn’t hear her cursing like a Muggle sailor. Well, they had but they couldn’t understand it.

Alsop walked to the castle, Lily at his side and Rose, James and Hugo trailing behind. They were still laughing. As they entered the castle, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was standing by the doors, welcoming everyone back. She started when she saw the winged pig in Alsop’s arms.

Eileen saw her and groaned, pushing her face into Alsop’s arm.

”Mr. Potter! Is that—is that a student?” she demanded, her voice shrilly.

”Ah—yes—yes it is. A duel gone wrong,” he said apologetically.

“A duel? Who was dueling?”

Duels weren’t illegal, but they were still frowned upon at school, for precisely this reason.

”My brother Albus and Eileen Snape,” he replied.

”Eileen Snape? Oh my. I suppose you’d better get your brother up to the infirmary,” she said as the students around them laughed.

”Um, all right. But this isn’t Albus. This is Eileen.”

The pig let out a long, sad squeal, which made everyone crack up even more.

”That’s Eileen? My word. Well, take her up,” Minerva directed.

”Yes, Headmistress,” and Alsop walked toward the marble stairs, laughing students following him.

Minerva shook her head.

”Albus Potter outdueled Eileen Snape? I’d better keep an eye on that boy,” she said to herself, then began to greet students again.

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Alsop brought Eileen to the infirmary. Madam Finch immediately exited her office when she heard all the laughter.

”What is this? Out, all of you right now!” she exclaimed as Alsop walked toward her with Eileen.

”Madam Finch, this is a student that’s been transfigured and I couldn’t remove the spell,” Alsop said.

”Out! Out!” the plump witch yelled at the students, who reluctantly withdrew, giggling.

She looked down at the pig.

”A student you say?” she asked pulling out her wand.

”Yes. It’s Eileen Snape,” he said as the medi-witch took her out of his arms and looked at the white face and wings.

”She makes an adorable piglet. Look at those tiny wings,” she said with a smile.

The pig snorted.

”All right, let’s see if I can remove the spell,” she said, carrying Eileen over to a cot and setting her down on it. Eileen immediately tried to flutter away, but Alsop caught her.

”Oh no you don’t. I’ve gone through this a hundred times because of you. Now, you’re going to sit through it,” he told her with a wicked grin. Eileen tried to bite him.

”Hey now! I happen to like pork chops, you know,” Alsop said, snatching one hand away.

”Biting? Tsk. Tsk,” Madam Finch said, walking back into her office. Alsop could hear her rumbling around. She returned, carrying something.

A leash, a collar and a muzzle. Eileen started squealing and writhing, trying to get away from Alsop as the medi-witch tied the leash to a leg of the cot, then put the collar on her and attached the leash. Finally she pulled the muzzle over her head, sliding it firmly over her snout and tightening it.

”There will be no biting here,” she told Eileen as Alsop set her back on the cot. She stood there, wings drooping and head down. She looked—depressed.

”You brought it on yourself, Eileen,” Alsop said softly, feeling bad for her. He’d never been leashed or muzzled when he was transfigured. But he hadn’t tried to bite anyone either.

Madam Finch tried to remove the spell but couldn’t. She checked the magic with her wand.

”It has a signature on it. It is degrading, however, so it should wear off in about ten hours. You can go, Mr. Potter. I’ll take care of her.

Alsop said his goodbyes and left the infirmary.

”Now, let’s just get you situated,” the medi-witch said.

Eileen found herself alone at the back of the infirmary, tied to a heavy chair and parchment spread all around to catch any droppings. She lay on the floor, her head between her hooves. This was awful. Just awful.

Well at least her mum and dad wouldn’t find out about this too soon. Hogwarts only reported life threatening incidents. Her life wasn’t in danger. She’d just been turned into a flying pig.

As she lay there, she had to admit it had been a brilliant spell.

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About twelve hours later, a disheveled Eileen made her way to the dungeons. That damned Albus. She hadn’t expected him to be a Parselmouth. Usually, Parselmouths were Slytherin. But then again, his dad was Harry Potter and everyone knew he was a Parselmouth. Still, he hadn’t been born one. It had been transferred to him by Voldemort when he tried to kill him as a baby. Maybe the power became a transferable part of him. Albus was the first person to ever get the best of her, other than her father.

She didn’t meet anyone on the way to Slytherin house, but students were in the common room when she entered. Immediately, some of them started squealing and laughing as she bad-temperedly walked through. One boy actually blocked her path, flapping his arms and squealing.

Eileen pulled out her wand and transfigured him into a goldfish. The creature flopped around the floor gasping as all the squealing stopped cold.

”I suggest someone get him some water,” Eileen said coldly, heading for her room with a billow of robes. She could hear scrambling behind her as the others came to the unfortunate wizard’s aid.

Albus might have bested her, but she was still the fastest and snarkiest witch in Slytherin.

They needed to remember that.

She walked down the corridor to her room and saw someone had drawn a flying pig on her door in chalk. It fluttered all around the door, apparently squealing.

”Gods damn it,” she hissed, Scourgifying it off and entering her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

What a welcome back to Hogwarts.

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A/N: Lol, short I know, but I wanted it to stand by itself and didn’t want to keep y’all waiting. I couldn’t help the spell he used. I just—just couldn’t resist the reference. I’m twisted, I know. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the duel and thanks for reading.