Hermione arrives at the hall five minutes early. Harry is already sat at the Hufflepuff table and he smiles reassuringly at her. Hermione smiles back. She doesn't know where she stands against her opponent in terms of power but if it all goes south, she still has her secret weapon.

Professor Flitwick hovers at the front of the room. As a professional dueller, he has been unofficially chosen as the judge. Flitwick doesn't seem intimidating but that just makes him all the more dangerous.

"Bow to each other."

Hermione bends to her stomach but keeps her face upright so her eyes can trace Malfoy's movements.

She knows it will get him disqualified if he attempts something but you can never be too careful. They straighten up slowly.

Malfoy sneers at her. She has seen it so often that she could be forgiven for mistaking it for Malfoy's natural facial expression. Hermione is aware that her own face looks displeased - she hasn't really got a leg to stand on. Still, she can't help but wondering what his neutral face looks like. She's never going to find out unless she starts stalking him and she can't be bothered. It's Malfoy after all. Spending any more time around him than necessary does not sound appealing.

Professor Flitwick calling for the duel to commence breaks her out of her thoughts. Hermione knows she needs to beat the boy because otherwise, the consequences won't be good. As a Pureblood, its likely that he has been tutored so she needs to keep one step ahead. She has noted that he seems quite thin and as Purebloods don't seem very concerned with physical health - magic helps! -, perhaps she can use it to her advantage.

Malfoy immediately calls "Sensorptia" and a long, green snake emerges from his wand. Hermione doesn't particularly like snakes but she isn't terrified of them although she appreciates their danger. Hermione has never used "Locomor Mortis" on a non-human before but it works and the snake can only move its top half. This is actually shaping up to be a good learning opportunity.

Malfoy snarls angrily and she hits him with the same curse. He doesn't seem to know the counter and it seems it's below him to hop so as she sidesteps his retaliatory spell, she calls out "Winguardium Leviosa".

Malfoy realises too late that she was aiming at him. After carrying Harry to the Hospital Wing, she has perfected the spell.

"Do you yield?" she calls as she uses her magic like a lasso. Malfoy is clearly too disoriented to cast any more spells.

"No!" he says defiantly.

Hermione shrugs and shakes him a bit more. She realises that Malfoy is looking pale or at least paler than usual. It's difficult to tell with his complexion. Maybe it's time to put him down. She's no torturer. And he really is looking quite unwell.

When she lets Malfoy down, he staggers for a bit before casting a weak "Winguardium Leviosa" of his own. Suffering from magical exhaustion (another thing she needs to work on - she put way too much power into that Winguardium Leviosa but it was totally worth it), Hermione is just a bit too slow to sidestep it. Before he can truly move her though, Malfoy passes out.

She leaves him there without a second thought.