A/N: Sorry. Short chapter. The next should be the last though.

Mudbloods Beware: Chapter 8

Foiled: The First Time

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The chanting blew a tattoo on Draco's eardrums. He had his wand out, circling a boy he had once considered a friend, prepared to blow said boy's head off at the first sign of movement. Draco had failed to reclaim the Basilisk Venom from Professor Snape's office, so he decided the next most satisfying revenge would be a duel. Draco had waylaid Zabini in their dormitory, and the two had been trading curses and shields for five minutes. The fight had spilled down the stairs and into the common room after Draco knocked Zabini down the dormitory steps with a poorly deflected Expelliarmus. Now, the two boys were trading more and more dangerous curses. Draco barely blocked a jinx that would have sent him to St. Mungo's for sure.

"Sectumsempra!" Draco shouted, and Zabini's arm got an unfortunate slice, but his shield blocked the rest of the curse.

"Draco! Draco, stop!" Pansy had been tugging on his arm every thirty seconds since the fight came to the common room, but something about her tone had changed. She seemed…excited.

"Draco, Professor Umbridge is calling members of the Inquisitorial Squad," Pansy pointed to Milicent Bulstrode, who had apparently come in with the message.

Draco eyed Zabini warily, and Zabini seemed to notice that something was going on. While he was distracted, Draco threw a swift punch. No one could have told him how much it would hurt. It was like smashing his fist into a concrete wall, but it was only bone and flesh. At least Zabini was taken aback by the blow, and the way he was clutching his mouth, he might be missing a few teeth.

Pleased with himself, Draco stomped off behind Pansy, and he was glad he had.

Sitting at the windowsill in Umbridge's office, tossing Harry Potter's wand in the air, catching it, over and over, Draco felt like he could forgive Zabini. If he would continue to feel this way in the morning was an impossible determination, but feeling it now was enough to show him his own elation. He felt powerful. Maybe he could even take Nott. Then icing on Draco's cake, Harry was apparently going mad, spurting gibberish at Professor Snape.

Finally, the Granger girl caved. There was a secret weapon. This was kismet. Draco would surely be able to get his revenge on Nott if he had a secret weapon. Draco offered to go with Umbridge, as protection of course. Couldn't let on that he was scheming again.

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone? In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these escape," she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

Draco looked around at his fellow Squad members and smirked. He felt confident they could handle it…well, with the possible exception of Crabbe and Goyle.

Barely a minute after he had the thought, his face was covered in bats. It all started so innocently. Neville asked if he could use the restroom. Despite feeling that no harm could come of it, Draco insisted Neville hold it, and told Bulstrode to keep a closer eye on him. The one they should have watched was that Weasley boy. Draco averted his backup watch on Crabbe and Ron for a second, and in that time, Weasley retrieved his wand and jinxes were whizzing across the room. They all got their wands way too quickly, and all Draco could do was listen once the bats attacked. He heard bodies falling. Stunners were traded, but it had to be the squad members who were down. He was pretty sure it was Neville who cast an impediment jinx, though that must have been the disbelief talking. The only voices he could hear were their "captives." How had it all gone so bad so fast? Draco tried desperately to chase off the bats attacking him, but it was pointless. He could actually feel cuts on his face, blood oozing out, and then, to heap insult on injury, he heard the feet rushing by. That was them escaping. At least the bats stopped.

Draco wanted to curl up and cry. Instead, he made a vow. He wouldn't fail again. He would get Potter, and that would show Nott. Maybe with a little healthy fear in him, Nott would be an easy enough second target. "This will not happen again!" he muttered fiercely to the empty room. At that point, one of the cuts on his face stung extra viciously, and he nursed it all the way to Madam Pomfrey. Umbridge was there as well. Draco smiled. At least he wasn't the only one whose night ended badly. And it looked like he would be away from Hogwarts before she could heal up enough to lecture him about the escape. He scowled. "Never again," he mumbled before Pomfrey made her way to his side. It's time to uphold the Malfoy name.