The desks have been pushed back. Wands are out. Professor Mulberry walks the center of the room with her clipboard, calling names for today’s partnered duels.

Your brothers sit with the rest of the Slytherin boys behind you — Tom cool and unreadable, Mattheo bouncing his leg with quiet energy, Theo smirking at something Draco whispered, Enzo tapping his wand, Blaise spinning his quill.

You roll your shoulders, stretching your fingers. You’re good at dueling. Better than most. But you don’t show off — you never need to.

Mulberry scans her list.

“Lexi Riddle… versus—”

There’s a pause. A whisper across the class.

“…Vance.”

Your stomach dips.

Vance. A Ravenclaw boy with too much ego and too little restraint.

Mattheo mutters under his breath, Great. Bloody fantastic.

You step forward anyway, chin high. You refuse to give him the satisfaction of fear.

Vance smirks at you, twirling his wand lazily.

“Don’t go easy on me, princess.”

You don’t respond. You simply bow, take your stance, and wait for Mulberry’s cue.

“Begin!”

You cast smart, clean, defensive spells. Nothing excessive.

But Vance… He swings wild. Aggressive. Like he has something to prove.

Tom’s eyes narrow.

Mattheo leans forward in his seat.

Theo mutters, He’s telegraphing every strike—idiot.

Still, you keep your ground. Shield after shield. Step after step.

You flick your wand sharply —

“Expelliarmus!”

His wand jerks. He stumbles.

Embarrassed.

The class snickers.

His jaw clenches.

That’s when everything goes wrong.

Vance snaps.

His grip tightens on his wand. His face twists with something ugly, something reckless.

Before anyone can react—

“SECTUMSEMPRA!”

The word slices the air like a knife.

Tom shoots to his feet. Mattheo’s chair scrapes backwards. Every Slytherin boy lunges forward at the same time.

But the curse is already flying.

You raise your wand— Too slow.

The spell hits.

Burns. Slices. Explodes across your shoulder and side.

You hit the ground hard, breath punched out of you, vision blurring with a flash of red and silver pain.

Hands. Screams. Footsteps. The world sways.

You hear Mattheo first.

“LEXI! LEXI—GET AWAY FROM HER—MOVE—MOVE—MOVE—”

He drops to his knees beside you, hands shaking as he presses against the bleeding gashes.

Tom’s voice is cold enough to freeze fire.

“He used that curse. On my sister.”

Blaise: Oh, he’s dead.

Draco: That wasn’t an accident.

Theo: I’m about to commit several crimes—

Enzo: Someone hold me back. Actually—don’t.

Vance tries to speak — “I— I didn’t— I didn’t mean—”

Tom steps toward him like a storm given a human shape.

“You knowingly cast a dark curse. On a Riddle.”

His voice could kill on its own.

“You will pay for it.”

Mattheo snarls without looking away from you.

“Tom. You get sixty seconds. Then I want what’s left.”

The boys stand like a wall around you, blocking view, blocking anyone from coming close.

You try to lift your head.

“M…Mattheo…”

His hand instantly goes to your cheek.

“Hey—hey—don’t move, little sister. We’ve got you. We’re right here.”

Tom kneels beside you, wand steady, eyes burning with a rage that shakes the air.

“Lexi… keep your eyes open.”

The class is silent. Terrified.

Because when a Riddle loses control? The world remembers.

And your brothers? They are moments away from tearing the castle apart for you.