Of course, it was only natural that he would eventually run into a problem.
He was practicing his flippendo spell in the classroom he had claimed for practice. It was a knockback jinx he had read was a precursor to spells like Depulso. He was now certain he had meandered down the wrong type of banishing charm, as these wouldn't help him get rid of Peeves at all. He was pushing small objects around and knocking over desks with it when Daphne came in, wringing her hands.
A nervous habit.
He frowned.
Tracey was walking behind her, which was somewhat odd. Tracey rarely joined them here. Sometimes she did, but it was the exception more than the rule. She was also quiet and not meeting his eyes, and that really set off his warning flags.
He frowned deeper.
"What happened?" He asked. He could feel their nervousness. It was making him nervous, which made him want his cupboard.
He focused.
"I made a mistake," Daphne began, stepping forward slightly. "So, earlier this morning Tracey and I were talking to Millicent. We were talking about you being the youngest seeker to play here for such a long time and Malfoy… and Gregory and Vincent, that is, Goyle and Crabbe-"
She is being very meandering.
"Anyway, Malfoy wanted to challenge you to a wizard's duel. He was fairly insulting and I, ah… I accepted. I offered to be your second, though, - of course Crabbe is Malfoys and, I'm really sorry." She seemed to be pleading with him while simultaneously apologizing.
"What did he say that was insulting?" The question seemed to catch her off-guard. "Was it about your family again?" He remembered something like that on the train.
She nodded. Harry never had a family for anyone to insult. Not really. But he imagined that if he did, he might react similarly.
"What do you want me to do?" He was confused. She took his words as acceptance of something though and smiled slightly, while Tracey stopped shifting her weight back and forth, from foot to foot.
"The duel is tonight, in the trophy room at midnight. Do you want to practice or-" She seemed excited. He knew what a duel was, but she was taking it awfully seriously.
"-Will you bring him here now?" He asked her. She looked shocked. He had never interrupted her before, he realized. She already felt bad about accepting the duel on his behalf and was worried that he was mad at her.
"Sorry. I'm not mad or anything, I just want to talk." She accepted that and looked relieved.
[He's really hard to read sometimes.]
Daphne's thought was almost audible.
Harry didn't think that was true, but he didn't say anything as she left, Tracey trailing behind her. He hit the desk next to him with a flippendo, more forcefully than he had before. The desk rocked off the ground slightly and was mildly deformed by the blow. Harry sighed and repaired it with another gesture – it took a few waves. He then came back to the basic stunner. The pale bolt of light was practically pink, nowhere near the deep red of the more powerful stupefy. And he had practiced the disarming spell, but he never used it against anything that could be disarmed. He wasn't sure what would work, and he didn't know what Draco knew. He also knew that Daphne seemed to want him to do this, so what could he say? Should he say no?
Malfoy and his morons walked in a few minutes later, followed closely by the two Slytherin girls. It made Harry wonder, not for the first time, where the Slytherin common room was.
"Well Potter, you wanted to speak to me?" Draco drawled imperiously. He still had that smirk. Harry found himself wanting to duel the boy.
[Filch…Expel…Trophy…Potter…Duel]
A lot of that was unhelpful. There was jealousy too, and the feeling of being snubbed. The handshake and Quidditch were the likely source for these feelings. Harry thought for a moment.
"You're trying to trick me," Harry murmured. He felt Daphne's confusion and Tracey made a noise like a mouse being stepped on.
Draco just looked stunned.
"You don't intend to meet me tonight. You're trying to get me expelled." Daphne's clear shock told him she hadn't considered that angle.
Draco scowled. "You think I'm afraid of you?" He denied fiercely. "You wish, Potter."
"That's not what I said." He turned his back to Draco and rubbed his jaw in thought. Stepping away. He could almost hear Draco fuming behind him.
Just when Draco began to say something, Harry spoke again. "Why don't we duel now then?"
Harry turned around. He saw the look in Draco's eye and didn't need to use his talents to see that he had him trapped.
"Fine. Where?" Draco's responses were stiff now. He didn't actually expect to have to duel.
"Here," Harry murmured. "Stand there, opposite me."
Draco sneered, "I know how to duel, Potter."
But he went and stood opposite him all the same, Crabbe and Goyle off to the side. Daphne was now watching on in interest, but Harry needed to focus. It took him surprisingly little time to clear his mind.
"Do you mind if Tracey counts us off?"
Draco shook his head and Harry turned to the girl in question. "Do you mind at all?" She shook her head as well and stood to Harry's right and Draco's Left.
"Bow first!" The excited girl all but squeaked. Harry bowed to Draco and Draco gave a short wobble which could technically be called a bow.
"Three!"
[Serpensortia first, then I'll hex him while he's distracted.]
Harry didn't know what Serpensortia did. Not for certain. He was, however, willing to bet that it had something to do with snakes. A snake wouldn't threaten him… or would it? Were summoned snakes different? He made a back-up plan just to be safe. It might cause him to be bitten as if by a snake, though.
"Two!" It was hardly words which left Tracey's mouth. She was bouncing.