Chapter 117 – Discovery
We were standing in the garden of the black fortress, the snow around us thrown to the sides, still fluttering in the air now and then before it could settle back down to the ground. Quincy was lying in a destroyed bush, only her legs sticking out, trying to somehow climb out from under the heavy snow, while I was gasping for air, holding my wand with a trembling hand, aiming it at Grindelwald.
"You are good." He smiled, one hand behind his back, holding his wand as a fencer would aim with his rapier. "Better than I expected, but your movements still need refinement." He attacked with a spell I didn't comprehend, but I managed to deflect it. I was already on the back foot, constantly retreating, only defending and finding no chance to go on a counter-attack. "Good, good! But not enough!" He shouted, pushing on, and I could feel that one millisecond of lapse in my focus, and I would join Quincy in the bushes with a painful slam.
I could feel my anger rise, and his movements seemed to become slower in my eyes. I knew by now it was the basilisk's blood becoming irritated within me because I was losing and putting myself in danger, so it was trying to take over.
"Control it." Echoed Herpo's voice within my mind, and it was the distraction I couldn't afford. It made me eat Grindelwald's spell, which launched me into the sky before I slammed against a row of hedges, breaking them with a loud crunch. The heavy snow on them quickly fell on me, burying me under a cold blanket, leaving only my boots sticking out.
"Your spellcasting speed and reactions are top-notch, Young Conrad." He continued, and I could hear him, albeit muffled, while I was digging myself out. "But what happened? Your concentration faltered as if something interrupted your thoughts."
"Something like that..." I grunted, sticking my head out, looking around, watching Quincy finally free herself, shivering, trying to get the snow out of her hair and from under her jacket.
"Not the first time either. This has happened in every session in the past two weeks."
"..."
"No matter." He waved his hand, smiling, "Secrets are the ultimate weapon of wizards. Just don't let it become a visible weakness, Young Conrad. We will repeat this bout tonight once again. The conditions can not be advantageous at all times. As for you, Young Quincy..."
"Eh..." She flinched, twitching her mouth as she also knew she was not a duelist.
"I will test your advancement on apparition."