"And it's not like you try to get out of class all the time."

"I know I'm not faking, maybe I'm even obviously not, but maybe they think it'd be a bad idea to have a policy fakers might use?"

"Maybe they're just dumb and terrible."

"Anyway we can second you Thursdays and maybe somebody in your House can do it Mondays, if MacDougal'll let that count like Twimble suggested."

"Thanks for going to her for me."

"You could die."

"And I don't want to do that, so thank you."

Miranda hugs him.

Hug. "Please don't die."

"I'll do my best."

Malfoy is willing to second Miranda on most Mondays. MacDougal is grudgingly willing to credit this alternative solution to dueling.

Good.

Miranda and Karen practice seated dueling with spells that won't be a disaster if Miranda can't deflect them. Miranda gets better at shields - they're best with the ostensible chimaera wand - but not to the point where an inability to dodge wouldn't be an awful risk in a regular duel.

Well, she doesn't do many things that'd get her challenged to duels.

She doesn't!

But then she gets into an argument during the boring parts of Herbology with agemate Gryffindor Parthena Prewett about Azkaban, and Prewett feels rather strongly that the fellow who killed her grandmother deserves the place, and Miranda does not notice how strongly she feels about this until after Prewett is demanding that they match wands at sundown.

"You don't technically have to accept a challenge."

"I tried to turn her down and she said I did it wrong!"

"Do they do it differently in Igboland?"

"I don't know I've never been there!"

"Do you want me or Karen to do it for you?"

"Which of you is less likely to get hurt - I don't care if you win it I'll apologize if she wants but I don't want you to get hurt -"

"I don't know let's ask Karen - I care if we win -"

"I really don't object to apologizing, I was trying to do it when she said I refused the duel wrong." But they can go hunt up Karen.

"But you're right and she's wrong!"

"Yeah but I didn't want to upset her, I don't have anything against her."