He loved a challenge. What's more, this was going to be QUITE a challenge.

Zeke KNEW what he was up against, because if the former Auror thing wasn't enough of a tip off, he also knew that the man he was opposing today had squared off against his mum and lived to tell the tale. Of course, he knew he didn't have a snowflakes chance in hell of winning this one, but he was determined to last more than 5 minutes if it could be helped. This would be a tremendous learning opportunity.

With that in mind though, he wasn't going into this completely blindly. He had formed what he thought was a fair idea of Sabel's abilities and strategies, and he had thought to form a few of his own to counter his Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's.

Obviously taking a defensive stance wasn't going to get him far, because while he had done alright with dodging and deflecting the assaults of his peers, this was a whole new ball game and he wasn't going to leave an impression on the man if he focused on shielding the whole time. Hiding in plain sight would do him no good either, the man would easily be able to reverse any concealment he could produce. No. His plan required him to be on the offensive. Regarding the whole 'offensive' plan, he knew he had to be unpredictable, to stretch himself beyond anything he had done so far. He had to go outside of what he knew. Unfortunately transfiguring his Professor into a fluffy rabbit wasn't going to happen - if the man's skills weren't enough to solidify his resignation to this fact then the fact that he wasn't perfect at transfiguration certainly did. If he was going to have any impact at all, he had to play on his strengths.

Taking to their arena, Zeke went through the motions, paying his respects to his trainer-mentor-Professor with the customary bow, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Don't go easy on me," were his only words before straightening and taking his position ---- casting his first spell without a seconds hesitation. "Obscuro!" he cried out, his wand directed at Sabel - before promptly casting the first phase of his SURPRISE! tactic beneath his breath, his intention firmly set on causing a ring of rosebushes to grow around Sabel, his mind set on trapping him.

Truth be told, he'd been hoping one or two of the students might buck up and send a challenge off to at least one Professor or another. Truth be told further, he had his expectations as to who would be doing such a thing. Or should, in his opinion. Needless to say, he wasn't left to disappointment. The whole lot of the students in the dueling club had impressed him, again and again. This time was no exception.

Albeit a bit hoped for. Zeke was most definitely his mother's son. That much was evident from the get-go, but even more so as they both stepped out onto the dueling grounds. The determination not to loose, to give him a run for his money and more. It almost made Sabel laugh.

But then he'd likely be viewed as laughing at the kid, and that was not his intention at all. So, he settled for a content smile as he stopped across from the young boy. As Zeke bowed, so did he, bending at the waist. His eyebrow didn't comply quite so well, arching at Zeke's further challenge and request.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Surely he'd hear from his mother if he did. As he straightened, he gave his wand a little twirl between his fingers.

It was about all that he had time to do. Zeke was quick, and sharp, and much to Sabel's own disappointment with himself, there wasn't much to do but to snap off a quick "Protego", sending the spell zipping back towards Zeke.

The pop of the spell against his shield was all he needed to snap his mind into the mentality of the duel. Or at least, almost into the mentality. There was a limit, a boundary, he had to be careful not to cross here. While he wouldn't go easy, he wouldn't go full out either. Such things had no place here in Hogwarts.

He was in the middle of altering his footing and moving more to the side, his hand twisting for a chosen spell, when the crunch of bramble beneath his feet had him pausing. Impressed, Sabel paused and watched as the rose bushes grew at a rather alarming rate around him. And he stood there, one hand on his hip as he let out a low whistle. Already the bushes were at his knees. His waist. Growing up around his shoulders.

A smirk was spared for Zeke before the two of them were out of view. Sure, the thorns were a bit pricky and movement wasn't huge, but he didn't need movement. Reaching out, he plucked one of the thorns from the branches and tucked it away. A rose by any other name...

With a slight smile, tickled pink by the fact that Zeke was giving him his favorite thing to deal with, environment, Sabel turned his attention to the rose bushes which were getting thicker by the moment. With just enough room to move his hand, he started in on the spells, only loud enough for himself and the rose bushes to hear. "Incendio Duo....."

All at once, every branch and bush around him caught flame, and as soon as that flame had spread into a wreathing mass, he followed it up with "Ventus Duo!"

The blast of air was strong enough to send all fire and remaining bushes in an outward explosion. Hopefully, Zeke was strong and quick with his shield spell.

And just because he could, Sabel twisted with his new-found freedom of movement and sent off a quick trip jinx, under his breath, to where he thought he could just see Zeke past the roar of the flames.

Wouldn't dream of it, too right he wouldn't. Good. Great. Brilliant.... he was screwed.

The first sign of his pending doom was the speed at which Sabel deflected his spell, leaving him scrambling to dodge it himself - which he managed, with a skittish side-step and a half - the half was a necessary measure, he was sure of it. But then there was a relative calmness, for himself at least, though from what he had seen of Sabel before he disappeared behind a thick wall of roses he wasn't perturbed by the event either.

He was in trouble now, wasn't he?

Something awful was coming now, wasn't it?

Wand trained on the tower of rose bushes, Zeke was about to cast phase two of his plan... but for some unknown reason, it was done for him. It was on fire. Fire. FIYAH!.... so what had initially been HIS plan, was not Sabel's. Sweet mother of Merlin he was in for it. Either the dude was going to DIE in there with the flames and the smoke and things, or Sabel was going to land him in hospital. Either way, he was sure his life would soon be over, should word of this spread home. He was sure there was a rule on setting friends on fire, sure of it.

As it was, he was right. The end was near. It was imminent.

As quickly as the flames had started, they were expanding out in what could only be described as a fiery-rosebush-debris storm. And he wasn't prepared. Not really. He did dive out of the way because apparently spells and words and things weren't coming to mind, so in his haste he had somehow been fortunate enough to miss the BIGGER bits of debris, though he still felt the intensity of the heat, the scratches of the brambles and the impact as he landed a few feet away with a heavy thud, groans escaping his lips.

.......................................... ugh.

The only thing he DID have time enough to defend from, was whatever else Sabel was sending at him. The man was trying to finish him off... but he wasn't going to let it end here. "PROTEGO!"... perhaps too late, but it was better than not at all. Whatever it was deflected back to the Professor.

From where he lay so as not to waste time, Zeke cast the Smashing Spell at the ground beneath Sabel's feet, just in front of him, and followed that up by casting, "Waddiwasi!" at the debris from the floor and the remains of the rosebushes - burning or otherwise - in what he hoped would be a pleasant shower for his opponent. This wasn't Plan 2. It was merely a distraction to he could get to his feet again.

Mentally, he was crossing his fingers and toes that he wouldn't be toast in the next minute.

Truth be told, he was a little bit worried about how Zeke might respond to the wall of fire rushing towards him. There was always the chance that his first duel with Benzi had put on a good layer of nerves when it came to dueling with fire, compounded with the concern that well...it WAS a LOT of fire.

So, he was ready with an extinguishing spell on the tip of his tongue and a couple water spells waiting behind it. Just in case. Just in case he had to save Zeke from becoming the latest roast of Hogwarts. And in turn, to save his own hide from the boy's mother. Both were terrifying prospects, so it was a great relief to see the kid alive and well, if a bit disheveled. And apparently fully functional.

The deflection of the spell was so on point, that Sabel barely had a thought enough to throw up a non-verbal shield and send the spell skittering away towards one end of the room. There were bigger fish to fry. Namely, the sudden upheavel of the very ground in front of him and his own inferno coming right back at him.

Jumping back twice to get away from the floor being rent apart, Sabel fired a verbal Aresto Momentum at the hurtling chunks of rock and bits of rosebush and flame, giving himself enough time to set his feet and focus his intention. "Glacius duo!"

The thin film of ice from his wand grew, catching the sprinkling debri and expanding through the air, jumping from one stone to the next, one rosethorn to the next, until the entire field of wreckage was encased in ice. It was strange and beautiful looking all at once, but there was little time to admire it.

Twisting his wand, Sabel shoved it forward. "Bombarda maxima!"

In an ear shattering moment, the wall burst apart, ice chunks filled with the debri flying back towards the Gryffindor.

It was scary, seeing how easily Sabel was able to turn the tables on what he thought was a decent distraction, and his previous strategy too. It made him question if what he was about to try next would work.

There was no doubt in his mind, that he had to play to his strengths. Charms. And so that was his game plan.

While watching Sabel slow and literally FREEZE the debris, forming a glorified snowflake, Zeke cast stage one of his second plan, the Disillusionment Charm. Stepping lively, away from where he had been standing seconds ago and much farther out to the side, Zeke uttered the Obliteration Charm beneath his breath, erasing any trace of his movements from the arena floor to his current spot, though he would have to inch his way further so that he was behind Sabel, and THAT was when he heard it. The ...

BOOOOOOOOM!

... sound of shattering glass, or in this case, ice.

He was glad not to be on the receiving end of that one. He handled the heat but he didn't think he'd be up for a brain freeze at the minute, he was under enough pressure as it was. Besides, rapid changes in temperature never did him much good, didn't fancy spending the rest of his term being hurried out of the Hospital Wing for not being sick enough. Sick was sick in his opinion even if it was all in his head.

With his mind racing, his hands also found a way to keep themselves busy, because this was his moment, and likely the last if Sabel was consistent with the whole trying-to-send-him-to-his-deathbed thing.

"AGUAMENTI!" "GLACIUS!" he cast from as behind his Professor as he was going to get, the second the spells left his wand his lungs forgot how to breathe and so he was suspended in a state of pause.

Or not towards the Gryffindor. Towards empty air and blank space it seemed. It was a foolish mistake on his part, not expecting that Zeke would move. Expecting that he might stand still. When, in the past few duels, had he ever seen that from the kid? The boy was like a jellybean on coffee. Could hardly hold still, let alone stay in one spot.

But he would also have had to have tied rockets to his ankles to get out of sight so swiftly and quickly. For good measure, Sabel had a quick scan of the room, confirming his suspicions. Either the kid vanished into thin air, or had become part of it. Smart. Also one of his favorite moves.

Turning slowly on the spot, Sabel considered the ground and the walls, looking for that tell-tale shimmer of the disillusionment charm. He was only a quarter of a way around, when Zeke's sudden casting answered all his questions. To the right, just over his shoulder. Which meant no time for anything other than diving out of the way.....

Apparently long legs were something of a disadvantage however, as he was suddenly jerked out of mid-dive and his face made good friends with the floor. A few choice curses left him at the smarting pain, as he twisted himself to look back at his foot. It was neatly suspended in mid-air, a lasso of frozen water holding fast around his ankle and pittering off in a stream towards where Zeke had been.

That particular concern would have to come in a moment, however. Leaving his foot where it was, despite how uncomfortable and undignified of a position he was in, Sabel gave his wand a flick, casting a non-verbal stealth sensoring spell. As soon as that was off, and as soon as he got at least a vague impression of where Zeke was was, it was a series of quick wand movements and non-verbals: jelly-legs, jelly-fingers, jelly-brain. Yes, he was intending to turn Zeke into a jelly-delight.

As soon as those three spells were off, Sabel took the brief moment to cast a verbal drying spell at his leg, which promptly fell to the floor with the rest of himself as the ice melted away and water dried up. It was then a matter of scrambling to his feet.

His hope had swelled to the size of an engorged Erumpent, which was perhaps dangerous in the small space of his mind. Zeke's heart had been hammering in his chest so hard that he thought Sabel might have heard it, evidenced by his spinning around. Only... he hadn't?

There was SUCCESSS! Never before had he been so pleased with having the opportunity to cast aguamenti, but coupled with glacius... it was a beautiful thing. Sabel was a sculpture... almost, and perfectly posed. He had time only for a private smirk before his plans came undone.

First it appeared he was no longer hiding in plain sight, though he didn't think that would be possible after giving away his location with his spell work.

Secondly he was hit, hit and hit AGAIN. His legs gave out from beneath him, jerking him down to the ground, the sensation of being on a roller coaster coming to mind. But then, his brain was mush, words and things and things and images and thoughts all scrambled floated and drifted and bounced around in his mind... somehow all together they formed a warped understanding that he was in dire strife - and then something else. And if all of that wasn't bad enough, his fingers weren't fingers anymore... they were tentacles of flesh incapable of gripping or binding around his wand. The Larch fell to the floor, and something about that sound told him it was over, but WHAT was over was a little unclear. Could he pick it up? How? Teeth?

He didn't know what he was sitting on, standing on, laying on... was that his face? Somehow he'd managed to melt into a puddle on the floor, simply laying there and looking up a stupid grin on his face.

The scrambling to his feet was done because well, he had expected some counter. Really, he hadn't expected that Zeke would get hit with each and every one of his spells. Sure they were cast off in fast succession but....

Looking at the kid turning into more a puddle of a person than any sort of jelly-bean, Sabel did feel a little bit bad. Just, a tad bit. As in, it had to be a right embarrassment in front of his fellow students, even though there was no reason for embarrassment. The kid had done well. Extremely well.

Walking over to the puddle of Browne on the floor, Sabel stopped and blinked at the rather silly expression the boy was wearing. Apparently, the jelly-brain jinx had worked too. "I'm sure the floor isn't that comfortable."

Casting a quick finite over the boy to discard all manner of jelly-this and wobbly-that, Sabel stopped down and gently caught the kid under the arm, helping him back to his feet. As serious as he tried to look, he couldn't help the hidden smile of pride. "Nothing broken, I hope."

Appreciation.

He had an appreciation for Sabel which he didn't have before this duel. It wasn't that he DIDN'T appreciate and respect the man, he did, greatly so, but until now he could only imagine what the man could do. There was no denying that he'd seen how strong magic could be, and how deadly some people could be... but to see THAT in a display of magic as beautiful as what he'd seen today, by someone that was so... NICE, was just mind blowing.

Feeling more whole as the spells were removed, Zeke blinked up at his Professor - unable to do anything but accept the man's assistance to get back on his feet. "It does alright," he joked regarding the floor's comfort. He'd had worse.

He didn't even need to inspect himself. There were bumps and lumps and niggling pains, sure... but nothing hurt so badly that it might be broken, so he simply shook his head no. Bending to retrieve his wand, he could feel there would be a lovely bruise on his ribs though, because it was definitely tender there. Nevertheless he'd live, and that was the main thing.

A part of him was conflicted. Losing was never a nice feeling, especially not losing as terribly as he just had... but at the same time, he came into the duel expected just that and worse. It was a valuable experience.

"Thank you," he said, straightening his back and extending his hand for a shake. It wasn't for the help up, and it wasn't for anything he could really say out loud. But he was thankful for the understanding he gained from the experience - not only in what he was capable of, how to utilise the space in the arena, but for understanding that the world was wasn't black and white - and that one didn't need to be dark to be dangerous. "And I'll make sure not to cross you in a dark alley any time soon..." heh.

The smile remained, relatively hidden but yet visible for those who knew what they were looking for. He gave the kid some space, but not so much that he'd be unable to catch him if he decided that there were some injuries warranting a keeling over.

But both the kid's person and humor seemed well intact, and the boy seemed in quite high spirits as well. He was going to give him a clap on the back of appreciation for that, but Zeke beat him to the punch. An offered handshake. Sabel blinked at it a moment, as if he wasn't sure what it was. It had been a long time since anyone had offered such a pleasantry after a duel.

Reaching out, Sabel clasped the kid's hand and gave it a firm shake. A grin worked its way onto his lips as he shook his head with a quiet chuckle. "I would be the one person, besides your mother, you would want to cross in a dark alley."

For the briefest of moments he wondered if Sabel was going to blow him off, his hand suspended in midair, but he needn't have been concerned, for a firm shake followed promptly enough.

What he said though was true enough, never mind that the statement was flawed. A year or so ago, he would have pointed out the inaccuracy too. How there were far more than two people in the world that he could trust not to kill him. Gavin, Ashley and Avery aside, there were his friends here at Hogwarts, and some Professor's too that he felt he could trust. But instead of arguing the point, he nodded his understanding. "Noted," he complied.

And with that, for now, Zeke exited the arena, happy to return to the crowd of on-lookers to cheer on the following participants. He'd have questions for Sabel later.