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Professor Kryeen's decree that neither Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Ginny should enter her room did not seem to apply to lessons. None of them thought too hard into it. Hermione thought Dumbledore or the Ministry had tried to take Harry out of her class so she let him in. ('Rebellion of a child.' She had said.) Ron and Ginny were under the impression that she was waiting to get one of them alone and finish what she started. Harry couldn't guess, but his curiosity had piped up and he decided that he would try and find out as much as he could about the strange professor. When Hermione objected, the-boy-who-lived pointed out that if Blair was trying to kill him still, then it would be good to know her weakness. They formed a kind of group, bound together by a common question, a timeless friendship, and a named enemy.
§
For once, the fiery teacher was there to greet them. The fire-lit walls flickered off gold and scarlet tile, causing the painted phoenixes to dance. Blair stood tall, the strange necklace of six beads, three white and three black, on either side of a long red feather, shook when she walked around the classroom.
"If anyone doubts my power now, please speak—if not then I shall continue with my lessons." Her rich, bold voice commanded the sixth years attention.
"Professor—what about the... guardian out there? Shouldn't we—er, get it back—or something?" A hazel-skinned Ravenclaw asked.
"Why, it has done me no harm." She replied carefully, looking into the jade seas of Harry Potter for a reaction. He in his part, was determined not to give her one. The last Potter was getting quite good at concealing emotions from his Occlumency lessons with Lupin and rifts with the Hogwart's Potions Master. Still, he was sure an instantaneous smile lit her spicy features.
"But what about Jamie Nickson? That thing would have died if Professor Dumbledore hadn't showed up—and even he couldn't kill it!" The knowledge that their beloved Headmaster could not overthrow the menace brought a hounding dog of fear, and buzzing memories of another creature, another year, another victim...
"Well then it seems that Albus can take care of it." Blair's words were evenly enunciated and subtly laughing. "But I am not burying the coffin again, so may we continue with our lesson?"
The trio glared angrily at her, while the rest of the students had a combination of confusion and hurt in their eyes.
"But before I begin," Professor Kryeen continued. "I will have to measure your skills, then I can find where we shall begin. I'll call people by name into the center of the room." With a flick of her wand the round tables flew to the edges of the room along with chairs.
"I shall give each of you a little test, just for my knowledge, not as a grade. Now then, everyone ready?"
Hermione shot Harry a frantic look that he was determined to ignore as Neville turned almost green with unease. Only the heavy clod of the young professor's boots echoed around the room as she pulled out a long scroll from her desk.
"P-professor?" Dean Thomas managed to stutter, and the-boy-who-lived got a strange growl of satisfaction from the pit of his stomach. Ginny had asked him out.
Blair paused, pools of golden flame piercing his ghastly skin as she glanced up.
"Will it ...er... be dangerous or... anything?" He muttered.
A saucy, cruel smile flirted with her face.
"Not for a level six student. Now, lets begin—Alan?"
A Ravenclaw boy with pale, freckly skin and mousy brown hair stepped forward, trying to hide his fear.
Kryeen drew her wand, holding it tightly with fingers wound as if it was a dagger poise in defense across her long black shirt. Alan stood opposite her in the clearing, surrounded by students and silence as flames crackled around him. He drew his wand, placing feet and bracing his wand to taught dueling form.
Blair shut her eyes, a crimson strand of hair falling over her closed eyes. A breath passed, and then... the golden orbs shot up.
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It was a blur, a mix of color and sounds of surprise with a sharp bang. She had charged, bringing her wand abruptly into attack position, one hand gripped, point titled forward. Her charge was done, obvious by the way she allowed her wand to search upward and her agile feet to overlap as she trod in a circle, never taking her eyes off he boy.
Alan got to his feet with haste, looking no worse then surprised and winded. Gripping his wand and steadying his feet, he shouted.
"EXPELLIAMUS!"
The line of red light threw itself at the tall figure. Blair launched herself left, avoiding the spell and catching herself on her feet as boots cracked upon tile. In the same movement, the body moved with ethereal power. From the jump, the professor twisted her legs to move for one second into a perfect attack position as she descended to the floor.
Without a sound, she replied with another spell, her wand crossing into the form with stunning speed.
The brown-eyed boy flew across the room, landing on th floor at the feet of the right wing audience.
Blair on the other hand, had already stretched out her powerful lean arms and propelled herself off the floor to prevent her fall, doing a back-hand-spring to stand tall and ready the next moment. The entire sequence from "expelliamus" to Alan's fall had taken less than thirty seconds.
The Ravenclaw struggled to his feet again, his cheek bleeding a little from the fall and looking very sore. But an angry light lit his face, making him seem older.
"Luminarium Venator!"
A sparkling ball of ivory light formed, looking like suspended champagne as it grew a long tail and became a jet of crackling light. Alan threw up his wand, pointing it harshly at his Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. A pale red tinge entered the light, and it shot forward to her.
With recoil, the older woman twisted back and the spell slid past her... and turned around again.
The curse she muttered under her breath was cut out by the hiss of the spell, which the crowd could now see, had taken the form of a wolf of ivory light. It hurtled back at her, gaining speed as it closed into its prey.
Kryeen ducked under it, the tops of its paws smoking her hair. With a small scream, she swung her wand up like a chopping sword, waiting perhaps five seconds for the summoned creature to come upon her again. Instead of moving this time, she leaned down slightly, bending her knees for balance and placing her feet out while arms crossed each other over neck and face, wand held over them by two fingers.
The spell turned burning red as it got ready for the attack, inches away.
There was a bang, a billow of smoke covered the field.
Everyone stood with baited breath, Alan looking wide-eyed.
A second passed, and then another, and the smoke began to clear.
The mousy-haired boy found his neck pricked by something, and as the gas entirely cleared he saw Blair, wand point pressing lightly into his neck.
"It's done." She told him with a nod, allowing the boy to half-walk, half-sprint into the crowd. There was no scratch on her, but the long redwood wand in her hand smoked. The professor glanced back at parchment list of names on her desk. A quill spun into action, writing something next to 'Alan Parker'.
Without another moment she called again. "Zachary,"
§
Names went by of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Each time they had a quick and highly unorthodox duel due to the strange style of their teacher. No student came out with more than a cut, although one boy sprained his wrist when he tried to do a move too complicated for him. The quill scratched on the paper the entire time now, jotting notes on the long parchment. As time continued, the students began to lighten up, cheering for students of their house, friends, or even Professor Blair. The fire crackled, the tiles screeched. Time went by, until:
"Hermione,"
Miss Granger tightened her grip on her wand as she stepped forward, head held high as her cocoa eyes glared at the older woman.
Ron whispered into Harry's ear.
"If that bloody wretch goes after Hermione we'll both jump her—okay?"
Despite the grimness of the situation he couldn't help but smile.
"I think Hermione will hold her own, but of course we'll protect her if anything comes to it." He trusted Hermione, but Harry's own protective nature had kicked in.
There was a pause.
"She looks pretty with her hair tied back—I mean... er, prettier then usual, you know? Not that I..." Ron began to stumble over his words, going red.
"Yes, she looks prettier with her hair up." Harry helped him out by simply agreeing with him, but then adding. "I'll tell her you noticed."
Ron gave him a glare and then laughed when he saw his best friend was just joking. "Who knows, she might turn you into a slug."
Harry smiled, but from years of knowing the Weasely he could tell Ron was switching the subject. He would be happy for them, if they got together. But it could cause so many complications as well...
"BEGIN!"
Blair's voice startled him back to the duel now taking place.
§
Hermione managed to duck under the first assault, rolling on the floor and jumping up as quickly as possible.
Her opponent gave a taunting smile. "You've been watching me—how clever of you."
The girl didn't talk, instead she drew an intricate design in the air with her wand and shouted, "Luminarium Series Acc!"
Brilliant white light sprouted from her wand, and for a moment everyone in the crowd was blinded. When their irises adjusted to the light, they saw Blair standing with white hot chains biding her wrists and ankles, pinning her in place.
"Is she going to beat her?"
"Do you think Hermione's won?"
Murmurs surged through the crowd.
Kryeen looked idly down at the bonds.
"It was a good idea, preventing me from using speed and movement by binding me—certainly the most intelligent move I have seen all morning. And had I been just a witch you would have undoubtedly beaten me."
"What do you mean?" The female of the trio asked carefully.
A dangerous smile matched her brilliant fiery eyes. Sweat drops rolled down her smooth cheek.
Suddenly, she began to glow. Not around her, not in the air or the ground, but her body actually started to fill with light. It grew steadily, mounting until the class had to shield their eyes for it outshone even the chains Hermione's spell had summoned. Then there was a crackling sound, the screech of metal upon metal and the sound of burning rubber.
The light faded and Kryeen stood still, no longer glowing but continually holding her firen beauty and powerful aura. In fact the only change was that in one slender hand there was a small ball of light no one could look directly at, as if it was a mini sun; and the chains that had been casted lay broken and lightless on the tile for another moment before they vanished entirely.
Absolute silence filled the classroom.
"How--" Hermione was shaking a little, but her wand never lowered and her grip only tightened.
"Although light is not a direct attribute of my magic, it is not beyond my reach, though it did take years of training to achieve the full control you see now." Her flavorful voice pierced the air into shattering bits and her fist clenched against the small orb of light. One quick contraction, and it cracked and dissipated into a million tiny pieces.
Harry knew she was scared now, from the fearful glance into her eyes; but her expression only hardened and she stepped back into dueling form.
"Hermione get out of there." He whispered hotly.
There was a pause, and then it began again.
Blair Kryeen knocked the smaller girl physically to the ground.
"Ignigena Furis," In a show of irony, the spell the professor used caused a cord of fire to wind across the teen's body, binding her legs together and then crossing at the chest, leaping over the heart to wrap around the neck.
"They are loose now, but if you struggle they will tighten and burn you." The new DADA teacher spoke smoothly.
Hermione breathed evenly, forcing her pulse down while Seamus Finnagin and Dean Thomas held Harry and Ron back along with a group of other boys that joined in.
"She hasn't really hurt any of us." Dean tried to help.
"She is a bloody monster—and if we don't go in and help she might--" Ron bellowed.
"If anything, you two charging into there will only make things worse." Seamus said hotly.
Granger's body lie still as her quick mind clicked. With a bare movement she flicked her wrist, silently concentrating on the spell while muttering it under her breath.
Two things happened at once.
The fiery rope around her arm tightened, and she gave a yelp as it burnt into her skin; and a basin of water from the classroom next door came flying over.
Blair plunged below it as the large goblet zoomed over to Hermione, drenching itself over the girl an extinguishing the spell. With a slight struggle, the Gryffindor got out of her binds and managed to stand up, panting and sporting a burnt arm.
"Very resourceful Hermione." Kryeen acknowledged with a smile that made the other girl sear with anger.
But I had best end this now before we cause some real damage."
With a impossible to follow step she was against Hermione, wand tip buried into her curly hair, put up in a ponytail.
As calmly as she could, the girl walked back to a stunned and relieved Ron and Hermione.
"That quill must have taken up half the paper with all the notes it took on you—it was bloody brilliant." Ron congratulated her as she came over to them.
The professor called another student up as the three friends continued talking.
She gave a small laugh, "Thanks, but I still lost."
"How is your arm?" Harry asked.
She flexed it. "It only stings and looks bad, it really is nothing—I've gotten much worse on our own adventures."
The last Potter was thankful for her ease with it, even though her could tell it hurt.
"I'll take you up to the Infirmary if you like." Ron told her worriedly, thinking along the same lines as his best mate.
In the background Neville was running around with his clothes on fire, trying miserably to cast a water spell and put them out.
She shrugged it off and drew her wand out of her slightly burnt robes again. With a simple tap, the arm healed.
"See I am fine—you two worry to much. If it had been one of you boys out there you wouldn't have thought another moment about it."
"Right, with Ron we would have thought much longer about it as we dragged him to Madam Pomphrey." Harry joked.
"Hey!" Ron said indignantly as they both laughed.
"Ron," Her voice cut straight through their laughter and Hermione's eyes suddenly became fearful again.
The red-head only grimaced and stepped forward.
"I do hope she doesn't do anything to him—we'll step in if anything happens right?" She went on.
Despite his fear, the boy-who-lived gave a small chuckle.
"Ron is strong enough, but yeah we'll help him out if it comes to that."
The girl fell silent, her eyes watching. "He has new robes, I'm glad that his parent's could afford them."
Harry leaned down just a little to whisper in her ear. "Yes, he does look nice in those robes."
Her head shot up, cheeks blushing as her friend just gave a secretive little smile.
"BEGIN!"
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Ron took the first buffet on full, falling to the ground, rolling and getting right back up.
"Expelliamus!" He roared, aiming the red light at his professor.
Blair allowed her wand to fly away, continuing straight forward to smack Ron back into the tile floor again. She looped around again to get her wand.
"Accio Wand!" The Weasely yelled, the redwood wand slipping right from her reach into his pale hands.
With both wands in his two hands he yelled, "Expelliamus!" again.
The crimson lights combined and smacked against his opponent. She flew a few feet, flipping in the air and landing on her feet.
"Come on Ronald, you can do better then that." She challenged.
He jumped up, looking slightly unsure for a moment. "Fatuus Sparus!"
A multiple of thin, silver blades zoomed out from both wands. Blair dodged and swerved passed most of them, but the last blade managed to clip her cheek, sending a thin trickle of blood down her cheek.
"First blood," She murmured, fingers tracing it for a moment before she was up again, sprinting forward with defying speed and shoving the boy a few feet, grabbing her wand from him first.
A crack erupted and Ron winced, standing up again.
"I've got you now, its finished." She told him, advancing easily.
Ron, however did not loosen the grip on his wand as adrenaline filled his core.
"Accio Stone!" He summoned one last time as the professor charged wand drawn.
Kryeen's wand tipped his Adam's apple just as a stone from the broken floor where Blair had summoned Slytherin's tomb from flew and zoomed over to Ron. However, a tall figure was in its way.
The heavy rock smacked straight into her skull.
"Damn it!" She swore, clubbing the teen over the head in response.
"RON!" Hermione called as she and Harry were physically restrained.
The red-haired teen fell down again, panting as life-blood ran throughout his hair.
With a heavy breath, she prodded him with her wand sharply.
"I will continue to fight until you go back into the crowd. I do not punish resourcefulness, determination, or bravery—even stupid bravery. However I admire these traits however, I will fight you and you will loose. You put up a good fight and drew first blood, keep that as your reward." She spoke smoothly, but an appreciative smile and nod told them that she was not angry and her words were indeed true.
Stumbling up in the middle of the empty space he slugged back to the waiting arms of his two best friends, who helped support him.
"Oh, Ron why did you have to continue?" Hermione snapped angrily.
He opened chestnut eyes and a small smile flickered on his face.
"Hey, I'd never hear the end of it from you if I had just given up after a few knocks."
She gave a half-laugh half-sob and tapped his bruises and cuts with her wand.
"I think you've broken your arm and we'll have to leave that for the infirmary." Hermione told him, steadying her breath.
"You did great mate." Harry managed to find his voice, swallowing the anger he felt. When his turn came...
Almost on cue,
"Harry—your up."
The boy-who-lived stiffened and turned to look straight into her golden eyes. She looked back, into pale emerald orbs. Gold shone with taunting, power, and cruel laughter. Green glimmered with reckless fury, angry justice, and steely determination. At that moment, there was no mistaking his Gryffindor calling, or the fact that Professor Blair had been intentionally rougher with Ron and Hermione that any of the other students. Everything fell away, the talk from the crowd of students, the worried glances of his two friends, the scratching quill, the crackling fire and dancing phoenix, the smears of light blood on the tile. No noise resounding in his ears as Harry turned to face her. No sight filled him beside her tall, slender frame, and no feeling came to him except an anger that flowed into his blood.
It was time to settle the score. He would not back down.
"BEGIN!"
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A/N- longer chapter, I thought I would give you all an early Christmas present. The next chapter is completely dedicated to Harry and Blair's duel, and a cliffhanger to the chapter after that. Sorry if there are any errors, I did try to get this one out faster and with all the holiday preparations. anyways hope everyone enjoyed. And if you want too- try looking up the words to the spells I used—you may fine it interesting. Until next time, Happy Holidays!