In Another World

Kodac again wondered through the corridors, sometimes stopping to watch a painting for a while as its subjects would vanish and reappear and whatnot. Other times, they might have a word or two to say, and Kodac would converse with them for a while.

The bell rang again. Doors slammed open and students poured out to head to their next class. A pale boy with white-blonde hair and flanked by two boys built like Muggle seine engines stalked out of a now-empty room off Kodac’s right. His eyes narrowed as he saw Kodac, who wasn’t watching. With a nod and a smirk from Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle lurched forward the young knight.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs behind Malfoy.

"None of your business, Potty. Nor is it either of yours, Weasel," Malfoy sneered.

Ron piped up, "It’s my business if you involve my friends, Malfoy."

Kodac, upon hearing this, turned around. "What are you two doing?" he asked Malfoy’s cronies. They didn’t answer, but instead each raised a fist and threw them at Kodac’s face.

Harry and Ron dived at them, but they needn’t have bothered. Kodac had ducked down, grabbed each of their wrists, and flipped backward, bringing them both to their backs. They would have gotten up, but Kodac had quickly piled one on the other and put a foot on his chest.

"I suppose you think you’re superior?" Malfoy sneered again.

"Not really, I just think you’re inferior and a coward," Kodac replied.

"I’ll take you on alone!" Malfoy bellowed, alarming the passing students, who had already raised their eyebrows at the conquered Crabbe and Goyle.

"Fine. Let’s go. Rapiers only," Kodac started, pulling out two rapiers from his knapsack. Malfoy nodded, and took his rapier up.

"Are you sure you’re up to this, Kodac?" Hermione whispered.

"Don’t give him any advice, Mudblood. And even if you did, he’d lose anyway," Malfoy growled. Both Harry and Ron made furious moves at him, but Kodac waved them off.

"I will take care of this," he said in a low voice. Bringing up his rapier, he shouted, "En garde!"

The rapiers flashed and met and clanged and flashed again. Malfoy was a skilled fencer, but he had underestimated Kodac, who, after all, was used to fighting with a heavy sword. Malfoy had just started to perspire when a crowd had gathered to watch. Kodac was barely panting. He, too, had underestimated his opponent. The nearby teachers had come to try and break it up, but the students wouldn’t let them through (resulting in many lost points), much to the chagrin of the professors.

Malfoy was panting now, as they parted and circled. All the years of his father teaching him to fence had never prepared him for this. He was starting to get desperate as Kodac raised his rapier and shouted, "En garde!" and brought it down in a spectacular collision. Malfoy dropped his rapier, and brought out his wand. Many of the spectators gasped. Pointing his wand at Kodac, Malfoy bellowed, "Expelliarmus!" Kodac’s rapier soared as he flew backwards. Kodac, quickly thinking, cast his hand towards the wall and chanted, "Ota hse somona!" Upon hitting the wall, it buckled, and launched Kodac to his feet about four meters from Malfoy. Casting his hand on Malfoy, who had started to pick up his rapier, Kodac chanted another spell, "Oher aosm sitmone!" Malfoy’s feet were suddenly sliding as though he was on ice. In fact, they were, for Kodac had covered the soles of his shoes with extremely slippery ice. Malfoy summoned his rapier to his hand, and put his wand in his free hand. Kodac threw his hand at his discarded rapier, and it flew into his hand. With another "En garde!" they continued fencing, Malfoy barely managing to stay on his slippery feet. Waving his wand, he shouted, "Tricsio!" Kodac, who suddenly saw left as right and right as left and down as up and up as down, reversed his advances, and was able to stay in the fight with some difficulty. As the spectators gasped and cheered and gasped again, the fencers slowly tired.

Some minutes later, the fighters were still going at it. The entire school arrived to watch. The professors, though clearly wanting to put a stop to it, were unable to do nothing more than watch with the rest. Even Headmaster Dumbledore came to watch, eyes twinkling and a smile on his face. Both Kodac and Draco Malfoy panted now, both sweated heavily, but neither looked as though they’d give in. They had cast a few more spells. Kodac was seeing reverse directions and had had his hands switch abilities, so now he fenced with his left hand. Malfoy was sliding on his feet and could only see what was directly out of his right eye, since Kodac had magicked the other closed, eliminating Malfoy’s ability to perceive depth. Nevertheless, Malfoy had fought valiantly just the same.

Kodac saw his opening. Making a quick parry, he twisted around and thrust the rapier at Malfoy. Anticipating his panic swipe at his rapier, Kodac swung it around and with a flick of his wrist, sent Malfoy’s rapier up into the air and caught it with his right hand.

The crowd cheered. Dumbledore stepped up and muttered, "Finite Incantem." Malfoy could stand steadily and open his left eye; Kodac could see directions correctly and use his right hand as before. Malfoy grew scarlet, angry at his loss.

"You’ll pay for that! I’ll…." Malfoy started to bellow, but Kodac interrupted.

"You’ll do what, Malfoy? I just proved that you are not what you think you are, even if you break the rules that we agreed on," Kodac said calmly, clearly enjoying Malfoy’s defeat and humiliation, in spite of his training for gracious fencing. The crowd cheered again, and the professors were finally able to reach the tired fencers.

"What in the world were you two thinking of?" Professor McGonagall glared.

"I? I was thinking of talking with Professor Sprout before Malfoy here," Kodac gestured at the panting Draco, "insisted on a fencing duel." He explained calmly as he collapsed the rapier blades into themselves and stowed them into his knapsack. Snape glowered. McGonagall, however, rounded on Malfoy, with the backing of the students.

"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" she spoke with forced calm. Her eyes and her thin mouth were the only visible signs of her anger. When Malfoy nodded sullenly, she spoke again. "If that is the case, fifty points from Slytherin," Snape spat on the floor, "and detention," she added, ignoring Snape’s disgusting act. The crowd cheered again (gaining many glares from the professors) and went back to their classes, talking loudly about the duel and rehashing each blow and spell. The chagrinned teachers went back to class the students. Dumbledore, however, stayed to talk to Kodac.

"That was quite a display of fencing skills, Kodac," he said softly. Kodac smiled. He was, after all, the only one in his fencing class to defeat the master. Even his teacher couldn’t believe it when he found his rapier gone.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Kodac replied with a bow. When he looked up at the Headmaster again, he noticed he was being watched with a piercing blue glare.

"However, you have disrupted several classes, and this action must be…." Dumbledore started, but Kodac bowed again.

"I am truly sorry for doing so, but it is custom to challenge a man that boasts or insults others, in my land," Kodac explained. "As well as defending the poor and weak," he added. Dumbledore smiled again.

"Since you have apologized, I think I can let it go this time," Dumbledore suddenly chuckled. "I have never seen such skill, Kodac. Where did you learn that?"

"My teacher was the master fencer in Seabring. He was hired by the king to train the knights and soldiers in swordplay. After studying under him for some months, I was able to defeat him. I believe he was quite surprised, as no one has done so before, though many had challenged him," Kodac explained. "I am sorry again, for I have boasted."

"No need, for many men would honor such talk," Dumbledore smiled again. He looked at his watch. "Professor Sprout’s final class will be ending soon. Would you like me to walk with you?" he asked.

"Thank you, Headmaster, and yes, I would," Kodac replied with elaborate courtesy. Dumbledore led the way out the doors and across the grounds to the greenhouses.

"That was a very good fight. I loved the look on Malfoy’s face when he lost!" Ron told Harry. Harry smiled, too. He just couldn’t get over the look on Malfoy’s face either. Hermione, however, took a different view of things.

"I would like to talk to Kodac about his magic. Normally, people would need a wand to use magic, but Kodac didn’t," she said. Ron rolled his eyes, but Harry nodded almost imperceptibly at Hermione, who caught it and blushed.

The bell rang again, signally the end of classes. The crowd of students was still talking about each swipe, parry, and thrust of the duel. Parvati, however, was silently listening to Lavender’s description of Kodac sweating and working out. Lavender noticed her silence, and asked, amid a flood of giggles, "You have a crush on him, don’t you?"

Parvati looked at her friend. "I…er…ah…um…" she blushed and bowed her head. Lavender grew serious and dragged Parvati into an empty classroom. After making sure Peeves wasn’t around, she sat Parvati in a seat and sat in front of her friend.

"Parvati, you are going to answer my question. Do you, or do you not, have a crush on Kodac?" she demanded with the utmost serious voice. Parvati raised her head. She thought it over for a while. Kodac was cute, and he did look hot when he was fencing with Malfoy. Then she saw her answer.

"I……." she began. Unable to find her voice, Parvati nodded. Lavender stayed serious, intent on continuing their conversation.

"Really?" Lavender urged. Parvati nodded again, now sure of her answer. "Ok, here’s what we do…" and they began to discuss various ways to get Kodac alone with Parvati.

Professor Sprout had just dismissed the class when Professor Dumbledore and Kodac walked in the door. Upon seeing them, she wiped her hands on a towel and hurried over.

"Headmaster! What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed happily. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled with delight as he introduced Kodac to the professor.

"I think you two would like to talk about herbs," Dumbledore explained. Kodac took off his herb pouch and showed it to the Herbology teacher. She was indeed delighted as she and Kodac went off talking about the herbs he had and the herbs and other plants she cultivated. Dumbledore left them to it, and shut the door behind him.

"Go, Lucius, and bring him to me. Failing that, bring someone dear to him!"

"Yes, my lord, I’ll go immediately, by your leave," Lucius bowed and Disapparated.

Voldemort turned to think. He would make Kodac pay for slaying his pet. He had grown rather fond of it, and now it was gone. He would indeed make the Seabringean pay.