Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to JK Rowling. This is a series of one-shots based on the Seven Deadly Sins.

Avarice n. "Inordinate desire of acquiring and hoarding wealth; greediness of gain, cupidity"- OED, online.

For Greed "A desire to possess more than one has need or use for (or, according to Dante, "excessive love of money and power"). In the Latin list of the Seven Deadly Sins, avarice is referred to as avarita."-

Avarice

"He's a product of his heritage," they'd whisper pretending he wasn't there. That he was no better than a common Mudblood. He despised them and his parents, especially his mother. His father had been right; his mother's first love was money which left him with nothing- just a bastard in a long line of bastards begotten by a bastard and an heir.

"He's just like his mother!" They'd sneer behind his back. He was nothing like Her. She went after dreams, pathetically childish dreams. His paternal grandfather was right; his mother was nothing more than a cheap whore, willing to whore herself out for illusions. His maternal grandparents pretended he didn't exist because to them his mother didn't; she'd been drowned at birth like all bastards. It was just a pity that a maidservant had rescued her.

"…whores himself out…" They'd hiss snidely to one another in dark corners where they thought they were alone. It was amazing really what was revealed in the dark, when people thought that they were alone. It was divine justice that they poured out their sins to one they scorned. He didn't actively go out of his way to overhear people's conversations; people just assumed because he was reading that he couldn't listen as well.

Knowledge was power, as the old saying went and Blaise intended to make himself extremely powerful. He'd listen in silence as his housemates chatted around him, offering the occasional quick quip when it suited him. Silently harvesting the information they so freely sowed. The other houses weren't much better. If you knew who to talk to it was amazing what you could learn for free. Then, of course, there were those who offered information as bribes hoping it would satisfy him. It never did of course. Why should he give up a free gold mine?

Malfoy was a veritable rainbow; anything he said in terms of gossip was sure to pay off. The fact that the Malfoy heir failed to realise the power of his words and the gold they offered was sadistically amusing, for who didn't want to get one over the insufferable Malfoy's? Parkinson was a prize whore, she and Malfoy would go well together and bring blonde bigoted idiots into the world. Parkinson thought she was clever but Blaise knew her secrets. It was amusing to watch the proud Pansy reduced to begging. He was intrigued as to how far she'd go, how much her reputation was worth to her. He'd wait, of course, until she'd go no further then he'd destroy her as a warning to others. You did not cross Blaise Zabini.

The only person in the whole school that he didn't have anything remotely juicy enough to use a bribe on was Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor Mudblood who defied genes and promised to be a brilliant witch far outranking the likes of Parkinson. If she wasn't so noble, despite her inferior bloodline, he might have considered her worth his time. She was the only one who showed any promise in the dull world of Hogwarts.

He'd taken to turning up in the library when he knew she was there and sitting and watching her. She was a rather interesting specimen. The fact that she could ignore someone as handsome as him always intrigued him. If he didn't know she was so righteous sometimes he'd think she was flirting with him.

"Zabini?" He looked up surprised to see her standing in front of him, her face reserved and not revealing her intentions.

"What can I do for you Granger?" he drawled. A smile, which on anyone else would have been called a smirk, flitted across her face.

"It's more what I can do for you," she said settling into the chair opposite him. She was surprisingly composed for a Gryffindor. "I hear you collect information." He inclined his head slightly but otherwise said nothing. "For the right price, I'd be happy to provide you with information you may find financially beneficial."

"I only deal in definites Granger, you should know that."

"What if I said I have some information involving Parkinson that she would be happy to pay to kill to keep quiet?" Despite himself Blaise found he was intrigued wondering how he could have missed such profitable information.

"What would be your price?"

"I want you to leave Ginny Weasley alone; to stop holding the fact she's dating someone in Slytherin against her." He'd laughed.

"So that's your weakness is it Granger? You're so virtuous you'd do anything to protect your friends?" It surprised Blaise when she laughed coldly and her cool eyes caught his.

"This is a one time deal Zabini, so I suggest you make up your mind which venture is more profitable."

"Go on then, indulge me. What have you on Parkinson?"

Note: I hope I managed to capture the HBP-Blaise. In its way, I think this may be the darkest yet in the series. It isn't exactly how I intended it, especially the Blaise/Hermione interaction. Look out for the fourth part of the series: 'Sloth'.