 Wowza!
Anger had perhaps sharpened his reflexes, or maybe it was just the knowledge that he'd been manipulated into endangering his soul for the sake of a dummy. Which he supposed was much of the same thing, really. But whatever it was, by the time reality stopped being a blur and dropped him in the stands, the boy did not stumble or heave; he merely took a step forward and walked on, as if he'd been there all along.
It mattered very little that a Ministry official had been there all along. Perhaps it would later, when he was feeling less hot all over, and more like giving them credit for what was an admittedly okay plan. But right now, well.
Well.
Because he knew that if he looked at friends or family he'd run to them and possibly not let go for a long time, Levi made a nearly inhuman effort and looked at no one. He walked confidently, face impassive, until he joined the rest of the competitors of which there were very few. And that, from Hogwarts, there was only one.
"Dora." Was chatting up Head Boy Bronwyn, and the few Ilvermorny competitors seemed to be, not surprisingly, seemingly keeping to themselves. And like him, they didn't look necessarily pleased. So, at least he wasn't the only with common sense and there was a small comfort to be had, in that.
The presence of screens should have given him enough embarrassment to last for a last time but mostly, Levi felt defiant; he had whimpered and vomited and he was pretty sure that somewhere in between a dementor making him feel like death wouldn't be too bad and having said dementor's hand around his neck, he'd cried a little, too. It should have been embarrassing, really, but who the hell other than the present competitors could say they wouldn't have reacted similarly? Or perhaps worse? Would they have even been able to scare off a dementor at all?
And what on earth was he supposed to do with the teapot?
He did not put his wand away, and focused on this screens; particularly on Brent and Cassie. Brent seemed to be on his way out but his Ravenclaw friend was clearly struggling with a particularly argumentative dummy. If he'd not been in such a terrible mood, Levi would have been the first to be on his way to the nearest professor to ask questions about the exact nature of the dummies. Mostly, how on earth did they manage to give them enough reasoning and deductive skills to hold proper conversations?
It was impressive, really.
Under his breath, he said: "Just stun it and drag it by the hair, Cassie." Easier said than done now that he was out of hell, of course.
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