Blessed Curse Chapter 3

Remember this Fear

Disclaimer : I do Not own Harry Potter. He and whatever affiliated material is owned by J.K Rowling. Standard Nasu-verse disclaimer applies as well. In other words, anything goes, getting confused by the rules is a given.

Yes, yes, assignment handed in. Decided to work on this chapter before crashing in bed for the next two days. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed writing this chapter.

****Blessed Curse****

"Good morning Master." A calm, stolid baritone voice slowly penetrated the hazy veil of Helen's sleep as a finger repeatedly poked her side with a sadistic pleasure, "It is already 7.30 am. I believe your classes start in an hour."

The mound on the bed stirred slightly at her servant's insistent poking, "Unnyuuu... Just a bit longer..."

When the door flew open with a bang, and an excitable voice, this one she recognized as belonging to Hermione, interjecting itself between them with a screech as her housemate hurled herself onto Helen's bed, she knew beyond any doubt that whatever hope she had left of sleeping late was dashed like so much glass on rocks, "I'm awake... I'm awake, Mione." She groaned, trying to stop Hermione from crushing her in a bear hug. One green eye darted over to where her servant was simply watching her with a grin, begging for help with one outstretched arm as she slowly suffocated under Hermione's affectionate embrace.

"50 minutes left." Hawke added rather unnecessarily with a small grin and shining eyes, "I'll be waiting outside, while you ladies... ahem, take your time."

20 minutes later, a rather disgruntled Helen found herself walking down the stairs from the Gryffindor girl's dormitory with a rather apologetic Hermione and a grinning Hawke, "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you enjoy watching me suffer." She groused at her Servant.

"My... what a thing to insinuate; I was simply allowing you and Lady Hermione to enjoy your time alone." Hawke replied, his cane rhythmically tapping on the stairs.

"Then at least stop grinning like an idiot." She rebuffed him curtly, spinning around she gestured at him, "Besides, are you really planning on following me dressed like that the whole day?"

Hawke quirked his lips as he glanced downwards at his sharp black butler's suit, save for his left arm which was still encased in its steel armour, engraved runes barely visible against the dark alloy, "Would you prefer i follow you around in full armour? That can be easily arranged." he lifted his arm and started incanting when his master jumped on him, slapping her hands to his mouth, causing both of them to almost stumble off the stairs, "No! Just.. No!"

"Calm down, Master!" Hawke chided the young girl as he wrapped one arm around her tiny waist to stable both of them with the use of his cane.

"So-sorry.."

"It is fine. Just try not to do this on the stairs."

Whatever Helen was about to say was lost when Hermione decided to interject, sounding distinctly amused, "You know... if you want some privacy... I can leave~"

Helen shoved herself away from her Servant and immediately backpedalled, "No, no! That's fine; it-it's just... I was stopping him from using his armour!"

Hermione's smirk widened just a little bit.

"Gah! It's so embarrassing!"

Hawke decided not to mention how funny he found her over exaggerated expressions were while she was suffering.

Hermione giggled as she eyed the butler up and down, causing him to fidget uncomfortably at the surprisingly straightforward girl, "It's alright isn't it? You basically have your own eye candy following you around Hogwarts, and he already more or less declared himself as yours... nothing wrong about taking advantage of it~"

"Mione! Th-that's so... vulgar!"

The girl in question laughed again and wound her arm around Helen's, dragging her down the stairs towards the great doors, "True though. It's only been a day, but I hear his already getting a fan club to rival Cedric's." She glanced at her watch and gasped a decidedly fake gasp, "Never mind that, we're not going to have time for breakfast if you keep drooling over your new Servant."

"I was NOT drooling!" Helen protested, uselessly, as her enthusiastic friend dragged her towards breakfast.

Hawke simply rearranged his expression into a more neutral one and followed them through the door at the bottom of the Main Hall, half of him wondering if the reason Hermione was so carefree in this particular verse was because she had Helen to confide whereas the one in his home dimension only had him and a certain red head to lean on. It certainly would explain why the supposedly bookish girl was so confident and outgoing compared to the one he had once known.

Carefully, he took his place behind Helen at the breakfast table, with his back to a wall, as he planned out his strategy for the coming days, enduring the giggles and stares that were burning his front.

Oh right... today's last class was Potions wasn't it?

It was going to be an absolutely wonderful day, Hawke spontaneously decided with a carefully hidden, frigidly cold grin that was directed at a certain hook nosed Potions Master. He might have had a task to do but nothing said he couldn't enjoy himself doing it by taking a little detour here and there. Especially not if it came at a certain Potions Master or Headmaster's expense.

"Hawke... can you stop giggling like that behind me? It's a little disturbing while I'm trying to eat..."

"Ah..."

****Blessed Curse****

"Be silent. 10 points from Gryffindor for not being ready, Weasley." An already quiet class became quieter than a funeral's wake.

There really wasn't any need for that, Hawke mused, most students already knew that going into Snape's class while talking was suicidally stupid unless they were Slytherins or really just that dumb. Case in point, he glanced at the aforementioned red head that stood slightly to his left and front, and who was arguing with the hook nosed professor.

"But Malfoy doesn't even have his book out yet!"over on the other side of a dungeon, a smirking boy with thin platinum blonde hair softly patted his empty desk, obviously riling the red head up even further.

The tall, sallow man slowly stalked over to the red head's table, their table, positioned at the very back of the class, towering over him with all the likeness of a weirdo dressed in a bat suit, "Are you arguing with me Weasley? 10 points and detention for the rest of the week."

Then again, Snape was probably being particularly spiteful due to his very presence. Not that he really needed help doing that anyway.

Hissing at the dense Weasley, Hermione tugged at his robes and forced him to sit down quietly with a nice elbow nudge. Stoically standing behind the Gryffindor Trio, he could already guess that Ronald Weasley was going to have some problems breathing for the next few minutes. Which was probably the point, come to think of it.

Jet black eyes, as sharp as cut obsidian slowly panned over the trio until they met solid emerald, these ones far colder and solid then the ones he was accustomed too. It frankly unnerved him to see how familiar the fire that burned in them were, especially when tinged with his favourite colour, "Ah yes... the Servant was it?"

Hawke sketched a polite bow and a smile that could be no sweeter, "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Snape. I have heard absolutely wondrous stories about your prowess at Potions," Snape blinked at the flattery, "And your equally spectacular failure at passing down that skill."

If glares could kill, Hawke fancied himself so dead that not even the Holy Grail could bring him back as he heard stifled snorts all around the chamber, mostly from the ones in red though.

He spun on the spot, flaring out his cloak dramatically, "Silence!"

"Nice cloak."

More giggles.

Once the entire class looked suitably chastised by another even more intense glare, he spun back to glare at the Servant, "I am sure that these... stories must come from a pathetically stupid lot that do not understand my class." The way he glanced at Helen and her friends left no doubt about whom the lot he had in mind was.

Hawke smiled sweetly, "Of course. It's so hard for the stupid to understand the smart isn't it? But don't mind me, you have a class to teach don't you? You shouldn't waste your time dilly dallying over lil' old me."

Helen let out a near inaudible sigh of relief as the Potions Professor gave her attendant one last glare before stalking all the way back to the front of the class and slamming the board, allowing writing to magically fade into existence on its surface, "Today we shall be continuing where we left off; identifying common components of most poisons and their counters. Instructions are on the board."

As the class started rushing to grab ingredients, Hawke immediately noticed the Potions Professor zooming back on him from across the class, hiding his hands behind his back, he plastered an absolutely fake smile on his face and bowed again.

"So tell me, you are a Servant? Someone like you must have a lot of experience with poisons do you not?" Black eyes rove up and down Hawke's slender form with a silky sneer, "Especially since, I doubt you have any other use other than being a man whore."

Hawke nearly rolled his eyes; one would think defeating an adult dragon in front of a crowd would at least give him a hint about his abilities outside of the bed, "My... I wouldn't presume... but yes. I do have some experience with poisons. I am sure you found them... useful too."

Almost as one, the class froze and took a deep expectant froze as they stopped to watch Hawke versus Snape, the sequel.

"Could you tell me what do you get when you add distilled Erumpent fluid to essence of nightshade?"

Hawke gave him a deadpan look, "Considering they are both largely harmful ingredients, an explosive poison would result, probably something that explodes and harms whatever it touches, if not outright kill. In fact, if you add some stabilizers like Moondew, or Horned Slug's tears, you would get a Potion of Exploding Rot, unimaginative name really."

A triumphant sneer appeared on the Potion's Master's sallow lips as he slowly stalked forward, "One wonders why a... Servant like you knows how to concoct something so... dark."

"Common sense mostly, something most magic users seem to lack." Hawke slowly grinned. "Though, I must admit, that I have no idea why they react with each other in that way. My Potions Teacher wasn't very smart. Brave enough to try and cheat Death or bully children, but not very smart."

Snape wasn't entirely sure, but he knew that he had been insulted in some way that he did not understand but before he could call Hawke out on it, simmering cauldrons all around the class, that is to say, mostly on the Slytherin's side of the dungeons, started exploding in a myriad of colourful sparks and noxious fumes, Hawke calmly glanced around the class and gave a helpless smile as he continued to stand in his original spot, casually pointing out the obvious, "It does appear, most of your students seem to share that same weakness. It must be a common failing amongst Potion Masters I guess."

He turned and bowed to Helen who was rooted to the spot, staring at the fireworks with something resembling a fascinating mix of horror and amusement, "Master, it appears that it is not safe here. Please evacuate immediately."

"Stop right there Servant!" Snape hissed as he charged at the tall, raven haired man and grabbed him by the lapels of his suit, bringing both men eye to eye, "This is your fault, I know it is."

Then he did what Hawke had been waiting for the entire class. Snape tried to peek into his thoughts. It was something of a sore spot for the raven haired man, but his grasp on Occlumency was tenuous at best, and non-existent at worse, a result of a rather dismal mentor, so he did what he did best.

Occlumency was a very important skill in the life of a wizard, particularly so if one was privy to a number of important secrets as well as instantaneously giving on the upper hand in a wizard's duel. When one was duelling with a wizard that was proficient in Legilimency, Occlumency was no longer a luxury but a necessity, or the opponent would simply pick every move straight out of the idiot's head before it was made and act accordingly, rendering the duel nothing but a waste of time.

Now this usually applied to most wizard duels, in Hawke's case, having a pronounced preference for melee attacks caused Occlumency to become something of a moot point in his battles.

Basically, the only thing Snape saw in Hawke's thoughts might as well have been pasted on his forehead in neon letters for all the difference it would have made.

'I. AM. GOING. TO. BREAK. YOUR. FACE. IN.'

Hawke promptly did exactly what he was currently thinking by driving the heel of his palm straight into Snape's nose with a grotesque cracking sound, the greasy haired man's head snapped backwards before Hawke grabbed his ears and pulled, bringing his head hurtling forward into a devastating head butt and simultaneously dribving his knee into Snape's groin.

"Yuck..." He flicked his hands to get rid of the grease and reminded himself to get a nice long bath later.

Then patting the creases on his lapels down as he let the unconscious Snape fall onto the floor face first, Hawke casually looked around the class and gave a cheeky nod, "Class dismissed."

He made sure to step on the back of Snape's head on the way out.

****Blessed Curse****

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" a rather hysterical Hermione screeched as she clutched her face, nails dragging grooves along the soft white skin of her cheek, "YOU hit, you actually HIT Professor Snape!"

"Bloody awesome!"

Hawke got the impression that his fan club may have received another member.

Helen on the other hand was staring at the wall in catatonia, muttering something along the lines of 'expelled', 'doomed' and 'Wish I did that first.'

That last one almost caused him to guffaw but he restrained himself with admiral strength of will, choosing to address the frantic brown haired girl as he gently threw a piece of bread he had snitched from the kitchens to one of the Giant Squid's tentacles, "I had a legitimate reason. Mr. Snape attempted to read my mind. That is a legal offence no matter the purity of your blood and I was justified in defending my privacy."

The tentacle slowly wrapped around the puny scrap and waved at him in thanks before pulling it down under the water's surface.

"You! Your stupid slave hurt Severus! I'll get you and that slut expelled for this!" a rather red faced Malfoy demanded angrily as he and his thugs appeared slightly further down the banks, the burn marks, covered with burn salve, on his hands and cheeks indicated that the accidental explosions might have actually hit at least one of their targets. It also explained why he only showed up one hour after class.

Hawke almost gleefully got up as he revised his earlier opinion; target number 3 and number 4 in one day.

This was going to be an abso-fucking-lutely wonderful day. Then again, that usually meant his terrible luck would come back and bite him in the arse somewhere down the line, but he was determined to enjoy the little details.

Waving the trio aside, Hawke mockingly bowed, "Expelled? I don't understand, what has my Master done to offend you so?"

Malfoy spluttered, "You hit Severus! If that wasn't bad enough, you fought like a barbarian Muggle!"

"Ehh... So?"

He spluttered even more at the offhanded reply while Hawke turned around and waved his metal arm at the three Slytherins, "Behold; a perfect specimen of too much inbreeding, can't even formulate a response to defend its puny honour. Let it be known that boinking your sister might not be such a good idea."

Spinning back to face the Malfoy heir; Hawke bowed again, "Please, don't let me get in the way of your clowning. Go ahead and try to expel me. It's not like you can do anything but splutter, like a worm in the mud. Draco Malfoy is powerless, it's just your father, Lucius Malfoy's power isn't it?" He gave the Slytherin a disdainful look, "You can't even fight a duel without cheating, can you?"

Crossing his fingers behind his back, he slowly counted down from three; he doubted that Malfoy's fragile ego could take much more rapid battering without resorting to violence. Not unless this particular one was wiser than his, but then again...

"A duel! A DUEL!? Duel this, Diffindo!"

Bingo.

Hawke calmly tapped his cane on the ground with a firm command, "Terrae."

A fence of solid, packed earth instantly rose up to chest height, blocking the splash of light that gouged a scar along its front.

Helen immediately backpedalled as the individual she was starting to get familiar with slowly disappeared, fading behind a cold visage and icy emerald eyes.

"Are you sure you want to duel me? You will not survive."

Malfoy growled and gestured his thugs to flank the man calmly standing behind the Earthen wall, "It's not like you can use magic cant you? You had to defeat Severus with Muggle combat after all."

Hawke decided not to point out the fact that he had just summoned a wall of earth with pure elemental magic, or the fact that a whole group of students, just released from Transfiguration had seen the whole thing on their way out for a quick sunbathe before dinner.

"Understood. I accept your challenge. From here on out; only magical combat shall be used."

He could almost hear the triumphant crow inside young Malfoy's mind.

His two lumbering bookends pulled out their wands and simultaneously cast a ribbon of red magic that flayed the air between them as Malfoy started casting his own spell.

Without pausing, he flicked his cane, transforming it into his blade staff and thrust it out, catching the first spell from Goyle with the orb on one end and redirecting it towards the second with an extra burst of magic, simultaneously casting a wandless Accio on Malfoy's robes with his free hand. The first bolt of magic, enhanced with some of his own, clashed and overwhelmed it, exploding with a burst of brilliant sparks directly in a summoned Malfoy's face.

He smiled coldly as memories of being tortured at Goyle and Crabbe's hands as Malfoy gleefully raped a crying Hermione flashed through his mind's eye as the blonde screamed as if his eyes had been burned out, "Pugillo Terrae."

A bubble of Earth sprouted out from the ground, slowly encasing the two bookends in earth shaped like fists, slowly squeezing the life out of them.

Glancing at the screaming blonde in disdain, he cast a healing charm at the blonde before encasing him in a bubble of hard packed earth with a quick incantation, crushing him in its grip, "Pugillo Terrae."

"If I recall correctly, these two idiots are your only friends aren't they?" A completely cold and ruthless grin slowly tainted his visage, "Congratulations. You get to watch them die like I did. Orchideus."

Malfoy's wide, pained eyes as he tried to get some oxygen into his creaking chest showed utter confusion at the relatively non harmless spell, at least until he realized his friends were choking and retching terribly.

Everyone watched in horror as flowers and vines started sprouting from their throats and ears.

Malfoy drew one deep breath with all his might and screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks, "STOP! STOP PLEASE! I YIELD! Please..."

Hawke cocked his head with a blank expression, "Yield." He grinned coldly and tightened the grip on them, "What's that?"

Horror dawned on the blonde's haggard face as he realized what was about to happen.

"HAWKE! STOP, RELEASE THEM! I COMMAND YOU!"

Pain immediately pierced his temples, bringing the ruthless Servant down to his knees and his rage to a complete stop, struggling to look back at where he had left Helen; he realized that she was clutching her left shoulder in pain, obviously having invoked a Command Spell.

He hadn't even realized she had them.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, he managed to bite out a croak and released his magic's hold on the three, dropping them onto the ground like puppets being cut from their strings, "Yes... Master."

Malfoy crawled forward and tried to shake Goyle's shoulder, checking their orifices to see if the vines had remained, only breathing a sigh of relief when he realized that they were still breathing and alive, despite being unconscious.

In front of him, Helen slowly stepped up towards a Hawke who was still kneeling in pain.

"What was that?" She asked, coldly, fiercely, almost a mirror image of how Hawke had looked barely moments ago.

"It was duel. They requested it, they must pay the price." He gritted out an answer.

Helen slapped him across the face, "I don't care if they started it, or if they asked for it. Never kill anyone in front of me again."

The Servant let his head fall, feeling cool Earth touch his forehead, as she ran away from him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yes. Master." He softly whispered and slowly stood up. One glare from him sent the terrified students scurrying away from him into the castle, no doubt to spread the gossip.

"Tsk. Just my luck."

Clutching his torso until the dull throb of a burning knife slowly faded, the Servant stalked and limped his way towards a terrified Malfoy with the help of his staff. Towering over the blonde, he lifted his staff above his head in a two fisted grip.

"Wha-what are you doing?! He-Helen told you not to KILL ANYONE!" He screamed hysterically as the blade's edge glinted in the evening light above his head, embodying a sharpness that he could not and did not dare to even imagine.

Hawke brought it down violently, driving the blade deep into Gaia's embrace with one move.

A small drop of blood from the cut on Malfoy's chin slowly leaked its way, following the law of gravity.

He lowered his face until he and Malfoy were face to face, "Be thankful worm. You were only spared today because of my Master. If I was not stopped, you would be dead, Draco Malfoy would cease to exist, and there would be nothing Lucius Malfoy could have done to bring you back." He growled lowly.

"Remember this fear, worm. Remember it when you face Voldemort and then ask yourself, who do you fear more, Snake Face, or me. Then remember and realize that I WILL come for you and nothing, NOTHING, in Heaven or Hell will stop me the next time." Painfully, he got up and started to limp away, pausing only to throw the boy one last sentence, "Your life belongs to Helen Potter now. Be thankful."

****Blessed Curse****

Author's Note : I declare myself, King of Mood Whiplashes. Joking. Lol.