The Battle of Perfecto

“Really?” a woman’s voice said. She was wearing a purple hat with a bell on its twisted tip. She pointed her wand at him.

Hidalgo stared as a silver swallow exploded from Aly’s wand-tip and charged towards him. It caught Hidalgo by the waist and, with the strength of a rhinoceros, threw him against the wall.

“The fuck?” Hidalgo gasped, surprised that a Patronus has managed to attack him.

“That’s Aly,” Don said, grinning. In the few seconds that Hidalgo had been stunned, Aly had released him from the snake-chains. “She specializes in the unorthodox. Took you by surprise, didn’t she?”

“Won’t work on me again,” Hidalgo said as he flicked his wand and the bird Partronus vanished in a wisp of smoke. “Now, before I start killing you, where is my amulet?”

But Don and Alyssa had now cast Patronuses at Hidalgo. The two silvery-blue birds, a raven and a swallow, charged at Hidalgo and sent him flying backwards, out into the small park beside the Covered Court. It was still raining pretty hard.

The dark wizard staggered to get on his feet. The expression on his face of complete bewilderment.

“I must admit,” Don said, his wand pointed at Hidalgo. “It never occurred to me to use the Patronus Charm.”

Aly shrugged. “I just thought that since it was a dark artifact, a Patronus would be perfect against it.”

“And you thought right,” Don said, egging his raven to peck at Hidalgo.

“So what?” Hidalgo yelled, grabbing the silver raven and crushing it. “The most you can do with your Patronuses is to shove me aside. I can still fight you. Avada Kedavra!”

Aly wove her wand quickly, causing one of the trees beside her to bend down and take the hit. The bewitched tree burst into green flames and shriveled into a dried twig.

Don waved his wand into a twirling motion, causing the surrounding trees to move like giant tentacles around them. With motions from his free hand, he directed them towards Hidalgo, who parried them with Shield Charms and sometimes with his bare hands.

Aly summoned her swallow Patronus again and set it against Hidalgo. Throwing his arms around to protect himself, Hidalgo failed to notice the roots that have raised themselves from the ground and he fell on his back.

Don cast quickly, manipulating the roots to wrap themselves around Hidalgo’s legs and arms, pinning him to the ground.

“Would you look at that?” Don said, standing before Hidalgo. “Apparently, a powerful artifact is still no match against a powerful tandem.”

“Fuck you,” Hidalgo spat, struggling against his bonds. Without enough freedom in his hands, he was unable to break the spell that made the roots move.

Don bent down so his face was inches from Hidalgo’s. Being this close, it was easier to see where their faces differed. The scars, mostly. Don had a nick just above his left eye and another on his forehead, just before the hairline. Hidalgo had a cut on the left side of his upper lip, obvious by the shiny, clear skin amidst the stubble. There was another cut across his neck.

“I’m going to kill you,” Don whispered.

“I dare you,” Hidalgo laughed, flashing his teeth in a sneer. “You’re such a pussy you can’t even cast a proper Cruciatus Curse.”

Don chuckled and pulled the amulet from Hidalgo’s neck. He straightened up and twitched his wand, causing the roots to raised Hidalgo up in a standing position. He was dripping mud.

“We’ll see,” Don said. “I’ve changed a lot since the last time we dueled, Brother. Crucio! ”

*

Aly stayed a few feet away from the two wizards. She had cast a Shield Charm around her, just in case, but the spell did not muffle Hidalgo’s screams as the Cruciatus Curse caused him mind-blowing pain. She knew not to interfere. She knew that the resentment between Don and Hidalgo was even more complex than the latter’s desire to acquire the two halves of the amulet.

*

Hidalgo gasped as Don released him from the Torture Curse. He laughed as tears flowed out of his eyes, and sweat trickled down his forehead. He was trembling slightly, from the chill of the wind and rain, and the impossible pain.

“Fun, isn’t it?” Don said, voice devoid of emotion. “Quite the rush.”

But Hidalgo continued to laugh. “If you think I will order my army to retreat just because you’re torturing me, you’re mistaken.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Don said, raising his wand. “I’m merely torturing you for the fuck of it. Diffindo! ”

Hidalgo’s shirt split open, and a cut appeared on his chest. Hidalgo suppressed a cry of pain as blood flowed out of the wound. Twice more, Don cast the Splitting Jinx, cutting Hidalgo on the leg and cheek.

“You deserve this,” Don told him.

Hidalgo only laughed. “I don’t deny that I do,” he said. “But then again, so do you, after all, we are so much alike.”

“Bullshit.”

“You may not accept it yet, but the darkness that has overshadowed me has already taken you as well,” Hidalgo said. “Pretty soon, this merry little cycle will start again, even in my death.”

“You’re wrong,” Don said, stubbornly. “Well, except the part about your death. Sectumsempra! ”

Blood spurted out of Hidalgo’s throat. He looked at Don with blank eyes, but with a victorious grin. Then his head lolled to the side and a rattling breath escaped his lips.