Charley's cheeks flared red, burning this time with anger. Maybe the older boy wasn't actually playing the game, but he didn't have to be so mean about it! He could still go to Hogwarts and learn all the right spells in the right way. She hated the way he looked down at her from his haughty, spoiled height.

"Just 'cause you en't playing doesn't mean you gotta queer my pitch!" Charley scowled at the boy, spitting the words in his direction. She thought about keeping his wand for herself, maybe she could sell it for a galleon or something close. It should be hers by right, but even the urchin could guess the older boy's strength would let him take it from her easily if he really tried.

That didn't mean she couldn't make him work for it.

She waved spoiled boy's wand in front of him, then aimed for the ground at his feet. The wand shot off a jet of red sparks, much to her delight. Then another one to another place on the ground. Maybe the boy could dance for his wand. Charley suppressed a giggle, failing to keep the glee from creeping up on her face as she leaned in for a bigger show.

"Incendio! " she cried eagerly, making a swooping flourish with his wand. The grand finale, the sparks to end all sparks. Only what came out was livelier, brighter, and far more deadly. Flames danced onto the ground between them, catching dead leaves there as tinder.

Charley gasped as she recoiled, throwing up his wand as if it was on fire itself. She had only meant to make the sparks bigger to taunt her spoiled opponent a little more. The urchin bit her lip as she glanced at the smoldering results on the ground, realizing she had mixed up the incantation for sparks with one Mrs. Mann had practiced with her for cleaning up creeping vines. She glared back at the boy hotly, assaulting him once more, "Look what you made me do!"

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