A.N. I'd just like to say that today I am leaving for a trip, and I won't be returning until October. My parents are going to be home-schooling me until I return. This is just a message, saying that. You'll have to wait for the chapter 24.
Malena
I'm just messing with ya!!! Okay, I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and I promise that I won't be leaving!!!!!!!!! I'm glad that several of you liked the little "moment" between Harry and Ivy
*grin *. Anywayz, enjoy!!!!!!!!
Malena
P.S. You will be finding out about the belated Christmas presents sometime in the next few chapters.
"Ready to duel?" Voldemort said. Harry simply nodded.
"Take off those sunglasses, it's not even light out," Voldemort spat, turning his back to Harry and walking about twenty feet away from him. Harry didn't budge.
"What did I just say?" Voldemort said.
"Look, I'm not here to take orders from you," Harry said. "Are we going to duel or not?"
Voldemort gave a cruel laugh, his pale and ugly face twisting into a smile.
"Yes… you are as ignorant as Harry Potter was too. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, just like him." Harry felt his face turning slightly red, and he hoped that Voldemort didn't notice. He was too busy getting his wand out. He twirled it slightly and pointed it at Harry.
"I was not very appreciative of that little joke you played on me last week," Voldemort said softly. Harry forced a puzzled look on his face. "The sign…"
Harry held back a smile, and kept looking into Voldemort's crimson eyes.
"No… not very appreciative at all…" Voldemort said. "Avada Kedavra!" The spell landed about 5 inches in front of Harry's feet. He didn't even jump. Voldemort smiled again.
"You're brave. Like the Potter boy," Voldemort hissed again.
"Look, are you going to keep comparing me to this kid, or are we going to fight," Harry said.
Voldemort's smile flickered.
"Fine," Voldemort snapped. Harry knew that Voldemort was not used to being interrupted. None of the Death Eaters dared to, but they didn't have the Avada Kedavra Potion.
"Prepare do die Stealth," Voldemort said. The two of them bowed to each other.
"Get in the starting position," Harry said.
"I know you imbecile," Voldemort snapped. They got in the position, and he said, "One… Two… Three!" Voldemort was fast, but Harry was faster. Before Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse could even get close to Harry, he flipped out of the way and yelled "Yfieert!" For a mere second it looked as though the spell worked. Voldemort's body was instantly rooted to the ground. He gave a short laugh and the spell was broken.
"That was weak," Voldemort snapped. "Crucio!" Harry easily withstood the spell. Voldemort's eyes widened as Harry didn't even flinch.
"Crucio!" Harry repeated. The spell hit Voldemort in the arm, and he winced in pain. Then he threw the curse and sent another one back at Harry. He blocked it easily and yelled, "Esnepsus!" A familiar rumbling noise came from the sky, and a man-sized tornado appeared next to Voldemort. It swept him off his feet and into the air, until it threw him back into the ground.
"Dueling Master 1, Voldemort 0," Harry said softly as Voldemort stood back up.
Meanwhile:
"And what was that all about?" Angelina said. "That kiss?" Ivy glared at her and tried not to blush. She failed.
"Ivy and Stealth, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-"
"All right! Stop it!" Ivy snapped, brushing her wet hair out of her face.
"Why'd you kiss him?" Celeste asked.
"That's none of your business," Ivy said, ignoring the giggles that were spreading throughout the Great Hall.
"You like him, don't you?" Angelina coaxed. "Come on, you can tell us! I promise we won't tell."
"I'm sure you won't, but he will," Ivy pointed at Alex.
"Well, it's kind of obvious anyway," Sphinx spoke up.
"Since when do you care about what happens in our lives?" Ivy said.
"Hey, I'm 21! I like gossip now and then," Sphinx said.
"Really? 21? The way you act I thought you were 30 or something!"
Sphinx scowled at her.
"So… Do. You. Like. Stealth." Angelina said shortly.
"It's. None. Of. Your. Business." Ivy replied.
"Then explain why you kissed him…" Angelina arched an eyebrow.
"Uh…"
"That's it, she's fallen under Stealth's spell. You're totally in loooovvee," Celeste sighed.
"I am not!"
"So, when did it first happen?" Cedric asked. "When did you know that you were…."
"But-I'm not!"
"Then why are you blushing every time we mention his name?" Alex said.
Ivy blushed again, and then sighed.
"When did you know that you were in love with him?" Angelina said, repeating after Cedric.
Ivy sighed again and said, "Somewhere between us kissing to get Alex jealous and him leaving to go duel."
Ivy gave a small smile and said, "That's all you're getting out of me. I'm going to go brush my hair." She disappeared with a ping.
"Ah… young love," Angelina sighed.
"All right, all right," Sarge snapped, "That's enough gossip tonight. This is a place of business. Sphinx, Jaleesa, and Ethan, I want you to go search the castle. Report back to us every 10 minutes." The three of them got up and Molecularized to different places in the castle.
"Ivy's so lucky," Celeste said. "I wish today was my day off…"
~*~
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry yelled. There was a flash of green light, but Harry realized that Voldemort had moved out of the way of the curse.
"That was not smart," Voldemort spat at him.
Voldemort then raised his wand and yelled, "Perhonimancia!" All of a sudden Harry found himself in a field with flowers, bees, and butterflies. It was a complete change of scenery.
Without warning, Harry was hit hard in the stomach. He went flying ten feet, and landed with a thud on the ground, his sunglasses askew. He realized what the spell had been. An Illusionment charm. It made your enemy's scenery change while you can think of something else to do. Harry jumped to his feet and yelled Avada Kedavra again. This time his aim was true, and Voldemort was knocked to the ground. He lay there… not moving at all. Harry stayed away back, not knowing what to do next. Was that the last of Voldemort?
"So…" Remus was saying. "What ever possessed all of you to spend 3 or so months away from your family, your friends, and everyone in the Order of the Phoenix." Everyone was lounging around the Great Hall. Several of the teachers were chatting with the Agents, and a few of the students were listening intently.
"We did it because the safety of our next generation is the most important thing in the world. And we were happy to be able to have the honor of doing one of the noblest things in the wizarding world," Ivy said.
Remus arched an eyebrow and said, "No, seriously. What ever possessed you to do that?" The Agents started laughing a bit.
"Because it's our duty," Celeste said.
"And we get paid a whole lot of money," Max said. She was sitting upside down in her chair, her curly hair hanging over the edge of her seat.
"How much?" Flitwick asked. "I mean… on average, how much do you make per month."
"It depends," Alex said. "If we're on a Mission we get paid more than if we're working at the Order."
"How much are you getting paid for staying here?" Hermione asked.
"Each of us are getting paid about 1,000 Galleons per day," Max said calmly. Most of the teacher's mouths dropped open.
"That's more than I make in a month," Snape hissed.
"Well, look at it this way," Cedric said. "We put our life on the line every time we go to work. You saw what happened to Will, Eric, Brian, Todd, Jeff, A-"
"All right, all right, we get the point," Snape snapped. "Personally I think that being a Potions teacher here is more hazardous than prowling the corridors like you do."
"We're just securing the place," Ivy snapped. Sphinx raised an eyebrow at her, and reluctantly she added, "Your majesty."
Snape got a look on his face and slumped back into his chair.
Suddenly Ivy perked up and said, "Stealth? Is everything all right?" All of the Agents and teachers turned in Ivy's direction. "What happened? Is he dead?"
"I don't know, he's just lying there," Harry replied. "If I approach him I don't know if he'll spring up and curse me, or not!"
"Well, you have to do the Diablo."
"Yeah, I know." Harry said, uncertainly looking down at the still form lying on the grass. "I'll try to call you back later. Bye."
"Bye." Ivy said. She turned to the rest of the group and said, "Well, apparently he's still alive."
"I'll take that as a good sign," Angelina said.
~*~
Harry pulled off his sunglasses and pocketed them. He was still staying about ten feet away from Voldemort. He slowly took a step forward, then another… Voldemort didn't move. Harry knew that if he had to perform the Diablo curse he had to do it right in Voldemort's eye. Closer… closer… He was about two feet away from Voldemort when he was hit in the chest with Avada Kedavra. He was knocked backwards and he rolled to his feet again. Voldemort had just gotten up off of the ground. He had a long gash on his cheek, and dark red blood was oozing from the wound.
"That was stupid," Voldemort hissed. Harry could feel a wound on his chest, and the blood seeping through his shirt. Before Harry could lift his wand so it was level with his opponent's face, Voldemort yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" The spell was aimed at Harry's arm, and it ricocheted off of his bracelet. Harry felt his image flicker. Voldemort's eyes get wide for a moment, and then they narrowed dangerously.
"Potter…" Voldemort hissed.