Chapter 48:

"Bena!" he bellows, startling birds from the trees.

"What, Tom?" I am infuriating polite.

"Fight me." He commands.

"I am doing just that."

"No you are not. You are taking the damn high road your uncle is to very fond of. I throw a curse; you deflect it. You are only defensive, not offensive." He growls.

"Then prove to me going on the offensive would be worthwhile."

More sparks explode from hid wand tip.

"Why not just kill me and get it over with, Tom?"

"Because you serve more." He says quietly.

I am stunned. I stare at him, disbelieving what I heard.

"You are not some common muggle, or a mudblood, or even a weak wizard. You are a Dumbledore, Bena. Even I, who despise that name, recognize the power it commands.

I am quite literally speechless.

Fortunately, Tom manages to stay enough in character and takes advantage of the situation.

"Vitrioli!" he shouts.

A stream of viscous green liquid stream forth. I dart out of the way at the last moment, the poison hissing as it lands on a rock behind me.

"Calolio!" I shout. A stream of hot oil streams forth. Tom constructs a shield and deflects the blow easily.

We continue to exchange curses, both of us becoming more daring, though we still allow for the other to take their turn.

Finally, Tom manages to singe the arm of my robe. I glare at him. My anger has been successfully riled.

"Dammit, Tom!" I bellow.

He looks delighted.

We step back to throwing curses, though his are becoming increasingly more lethal. We are constantly circling one another, our wands firing off curse after curse. I land a hit. We continue. Tom lands a hit. We continue.

Suddenly Tom stops, staring directly over my left shoulder. Risking it, I glance. A dark haired figure is descending rapidly from the castle.

"Harry James Potter, get back the castle!" I roar. He stops momentarily, surprised by the vehemence in my voice. I turn my head back to Tom just in time.

"Randale!" Instantly, a shield pops up halfway between Tom and Harry. The stream of red that had left Tom's wand bounces off and is reflected into the woods.

"Dammit, Harry- get out of here!" I command, not taking my eyes from Tom, who has begun to salivate at the sight of his new prey.

"No!" Harry shouts back. We are standing twenty meters apart from one another, which Tom forming the third leg of the triangle another 20 meters from Harry.

"Bena- don't do this!" Harry yells.

I feel my anger rise up. Tom is positively glowing. I shoot two quick spells, which draw his attention away from the shield for a brief moment. I send a more powerful spell his way. It lands straight on – he falls.

Unable to contain my joy, I give out a great whoop. Unfortunately, it draws Harry's head from behind the protection of the shield. Tom notices and fires off a spell, which grazes Harry's right arm. Harry gives a cry of pain and retreats behind the barrier.

"You can't protect him forever, Bena." Tom says, picking himself up from the snow.

"I shall try."

He chuckles. "Bena. Oh, dear Bena. What will happen now?"

"Albus will rescue him and leave you and I to one another."

Tom appears to consider this, though I do not fail to register the three steps taken in Harry's direction.

"Tom." I warn. He looks at me, an expression of schooled innocence upon his face. My attention is momentarily drawn to Harry, who is gesticulating wildly hidden behind the shield. He is pointing to something. Ah.

"Tom." I say again, louder this time. He gives me his full attention.

"Let him go." I say simply.

Tom is speechless.

"Are you mad?"

"No more than you." I answer.

"Then we are in a very bad way."

I allow my smile. When he wishes to display it, Tom has a very biting wit.

"Let him go."

"I cannot."

"Tom."

"Bena."

"Our fighting has come to standstill." I point out. He nods.

"Very well." He nods.

"Crucio!" we both yell. The moment the word is off my lips, Harry takes off at a sprint towards the castle. My spell hits. Tom's does not. By the time Tom's scream has fallen off, Harry is safely within the protection of the castle.

I smile smugly. "You scream like a woman."

Tom scowls and picks himself off the ground for a second time. "That was risky." I nod.

"It does not mean you have won."

"No." I agree.

"Ready, then?"

"Oh, yes."