Author's Notes: To my reviewers, The Enchanted Teakettle, All-American Vampire, blueforest, Cat in a box, LavenderBrown77, LovinLovegood1, and Wren, you guys are the best!
To answer some questions from last chapter: To LavenderBrown77, indeed, it is the first tangible change in the timeline from the FIRST universe. Now, Tom did not find out about Horcruxes from Slughorn, and now Slughorn is on his guard and will not likely tell him in the future (well-spotted!). Also, I will say that the conversation between Honora and Dumbledore at the end of the chapter is significant: in the original timeline, Dumbledore never knew that Tom Riddle was after Horcruxes. Now he does :-) So, little things, but important.
This next chapter proves that physical action can be a great way to release built-up tension! Have fun.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe; JK Rowling does.
Recap of Chapter 12:
'Oh, and Miss Crowley, one more thing,' Dumbledore said. Honora turned. 'You are sure you don't know what Horcruxes are?'
Honora regarded him for a moment. 'I'm sure,' she lied, keeping her mind closed. 'And I don't think I want to know.'
'Let's not be speaking of them again, then,' Dumbledore said. 'Good afternoon,' he finished with a little wave.
Chapter 12
Fate's Turn
Honora fairly skipped out of Dumbledore's office, then out the main doors into the May sunshine to meet her friends. Now the Tom Riddle problem was on Dumbledore's shoulders. She'd done all she could; now it was time to get exams over with and relax for the summer. The day was clear and sparkling, and Honora had a fun and furious revision flash-card contest with Lawrence over their upcoming Arithmancy final.
With abnormal anticipation, Honora was looking forward to the summer holidays. She hated skulking around her own school in fear, avoiding Riddle. With a sour taste in her mouth, she thought it was no better than Polaris: running away from Lord Voldemort. It was no way to live. The best part of the summer would be the fact that Damaris Turpin's house would be free of evil Dark Lords-in-training (so Honora hoped, at least).
Exams week finally descended, and Ravenclaw became a tense nest of nerves. For students already prone to swotting-ness, exams were always the worst and best part of the year. Honora herself preferred a two-hour exam over a long, drawn-out essay any day of the week. She aced her Charms practical, and correctly remembered all the alchemical references of the Tarot for Divination. Of course, her own relative, Aleister Crowley, had practically invented the alchemy-based Order of the Golden Dawn in Egypt and created a Tarot deck to correspond. Any Crowley worth their salt should be an expert on it.
Defence Against the Dark Arts was her last exam, on Friday. The written portion was set for the morning, followed by an afternoon practical. Honora thought she was well-prepared; Defence was by far her easiest subject. She granted that she had an unfair advantage, having grown up in a world ruled by the evil Lord Voldemort; however, she did not let that stop her from showing off her skills in class and winning points for Ravenclaw.
Thus, Friday afternoon afforded Honora an unwelcome surprise. The sixth-years appeared after lunch, expecting a normal practical examination. What they got was Professor Merrythought announcing a new policy.
Merrythought cleared her gravelly voice. 'Boys and girls, I have decided to do something a little different this year for your practical. Instead of individual examinations, you shall be set up in pairs. You will have to duel for your marks.'
A collective gasp of surprise went up amongst the students. Duelling?
'This has never happened before,' Damaris whispered frantically.
Merrythought continued with her instructions. 'You each will be set up based on your marks so far in this class. You should thus be with a duelling partner who is equal to your own skill level. Pay attention now, the partners are as follows…'
The class was silent with dread as Merrythought read off names. Honora listened for her own name but did not hear it until…
'And finally, Miss Crowley and Mr. Riddle.'
Honora gulped with horror. She may as well give up now; she was going wand to wand with the future Lord Voldemort. None in the world could match him, and she knew it. Honora may have had her pride, but even she did not believe for a second that she could best Riddle in a duel. At least not a fair duel.
She glanced over at Riddle. He was looking at her with an expression of arrogant amusement. It enraged her. He probably can't wait to get even with me, she thought miserably. He's probably already rehearsing in his horrible little head. 'Oh, Professor Merrythought, I didn't mean to send the Killing Curse!'
Grouchily Honora turned to Damaris. 'I'm dead,' she groaned. 'This is so unfair.'
'Oh, it's not that bad! I'm sure you're just as good as Riddle,' Damaris said.
'Yeah, right. And I'm also engaged to the Giant Squid.' Honora crinkled her nose in distaste. 'What do you think would happen if I just gave up now?'
'You can't do that, you would fail the class!' Damaris shook her head. 'You'll do fine. Just think 'Head Girl, Head Girl,' over and over again.'
'No, you've got it wrong. It's 'dead girl, dead girl,'' Honora plunked her forehead down on the desk. 'Whaaah!'
'Stop being so melodramatic,' Kay said from two seats over, rolling her eyes. 'Honestly.'
Honora sighed loudly. She rather wanted her friends to indulge her temper tantrum, but it would not get her out of duelling Tom Riddle.
Several minutes later, the class trouped outside, where long duelling platforms were set up. Merrythought had enlisted seventh-years who had finished their exams as referees. Court Aiken, the outgoing Head Boy, was the referee for Tom and Honora. Honora flashed Court a smile, hoping to get points for being a fellow Ravenclaw. Court showed no sign of acknowledgment, however. Man, why doesn't favouritism ever work for me? Honora griped to herself.
She took off her black robe and pushed up her sleeves. Tom stepped up to the other side of the wooden platform. Honora was so nervous that she felt like being sick. If only Grandmother could see me now! The thought made a panicky little laugh rise in her throat. If it had been happening to someone else, Honora would find it uproariously funny. Forced into a duel with the Dark Lord for a final examination!
Taking a breath, Honora stepped up to her side of the platform.
Merrythought started giving instructions. 'Now, walk up to your partner, and bow…' Honora and Tom walked towards each other, holding their wands in front of them. Tom held a stern, almost judicious expression. His eyes appeared intensely blue in the sunlight, but his face was even paler than usual. Honora imagined that he looked like a vicious angel, ready to pronounce harsh judgement upon her. She felt her muscles tense up and she told herself to focus. Now was not the time for blind panic.
They bowed to each other, and then turned. Honora reached the end of the platform, heart racing…then came Merrythought's order: 'On three…Three, two, one…Duel!'
Honora whirled around. 'Everte Statum!' she yelled, sending Tom flying through the air at the other end with stunning force. He pulled himself back up with a look of surprise; Honora guessed he had not expected the power of her spell.
Unwisely, Honora allowed herself to gloat a little, and Tom sent the Jelly-Legs jinx at her. Too distracted to dodge it, she wobbled around the platform as Tom gathered himself for the next round.
'Expelliarmus!' both shouted at once. The spells met dead centre, cancelling each other out. Back and forth they went, testing each other, using more and more complex hexes and spells. Tom was a cool customer, although Honora felt he put a bit more feeling than was necessary into his incantations. His bottled up anger towards her was showing itself. As the duel went on, however, Tom got more relaxed, and so did Honora. It appeared that he was not trying to kill her.
'Lacarnum Inflamarae!' Tom sent an orange bolt towards Honora, setting her skirt on fire. Honora shrieked, dancing around, trying to put it out.
'Aguamenti,' she finally said, dousing it with a burst of water. 'Trying to light my fire, Riddle?' she taunted him.
Tom smirked at her. 'Petrificus Totalus,' he said calmly. Honora dodged it.
'Furnunculus,' Honora countered, hoping to put boils all over Tom's pretty face.
'Is that the best you can do, sweetheart?' Tom teased, putting up a non-verbal shield against her hex.
'I'm just getting started, darling!' Honora shouted back. Once she was into it, this duel was getting to be sort of fun. Tom was playing by the rules so far; she guessed he did not want to risk his DADA mark.
The blood was pumping and Honora trawled her mind for her best spells. 'Incarcerous!' Ropes flew out of her wand, seeking to ensnare Tom. He levitated himself out of the way with an impressive defensive spell.
While still hovering in the air, Tom whispered 'Serpensortia,' so quietly that Honora did not hear it. A huge hissing viper issued forth out of his wand, causing Honora to screech in surprise.
'Scared of snakes?' Tom sneered at her.
'Only yours,' she retorted.
Tom started whispering directions to the viper in what had to be Parseltongue. The slick syllables of it rolled off his tongue, incomprehensible and alien. Honora felt a strange little shiver go down her spine, listening to him. She almost liked it.
The great snake was slithering towards her fast. This was not looking good.
'Glamoura Deceptio!' Honora created a glamour of her presence. It was a standard defence spell taught by Julius Talbot; it created the illusion that Honora was four feet to the right of where she really was. Honora stepped aside to the edge of the platform to let her glamour take over, and the snake went straight for the illusion. She grinned wickedly.
The rest of the class had mostly won or lost their own contests. A large crowd gathered to watch the intense duel between Tom and Honora.
While Tom was distracted with the glamour, Honora sent a Stunning spell at him. Almost preternaturally, he sensed it and whipped his wand in two directions at once, sending a 'Finite Incantatem' to destroy her glamour and then 'Silencio-ed' Honora to keep her from speaking.
'I tire of this, Crowley,' Tom said. 'Give up now.'
She was unable to reply.
'No? All right, then,' he said, casting a non-verbal spell that flung Honora back through the air.
She was losing. Honora focused with all her might to non-verbally release the Silencio, and then suddenly had her tongue back.
'Stupefy!' she screamed at Tom.
'Protego!' he retorted. 'Tsk, tsk. That wasn't nice,' he told her.
'You're not nice,' Honora said, grinning in spite of herself.
'You just don't know me,' Tom said, putting on a hurt air. 'Redimio perchain.'
Honora was not fast enough. Cold metal chains encircled her hands and ankles.
'Expelliarmus!' Tom shouted. Honora's wand flew out of her hand and into his. That finished it; Honora had lost.
A resounding cheer broke out around them. Honora looked around; the entire sixth form was watching, along with students from other years. Merrythought stepped up to the platform and with a flick of her wand vanished Honora's chains. 'Oh my! Good show!' Merrythought said, nodding approvingly. 'That was fine duelling, both of you! Tom, congratulations on winning,' she said, 'and Honora, what a fight! You will both be getting top marks, don't worry about that.'
Honora broke into a smile at this; it seemed her grade was in no danger. She stepped forward towards the middle of the platform where Tom still held her wand. He held it out to her, an expression of genuine satisfaction on his face.
Merrythought stepped back down. 'Right, shake hands then, and the examination period is concluded,' she said.
Tom held out his hand and Honora clasped it. 'Well done,' she said.
'Thank you for the challenge,' he replied softly.
The air between them felt buoyant with an amiable truce. Their powerful duel had obviously cleared the air of a few frustrations. When Honora walked off across the lawn with Damaris and Kay, she glanced back to see Tom watching her, a ghost of a smile on his face.
Pleased with the end of the year, Honora packed her trunk for the summer with a sense of contemplation. She had successfully carved a place for herself in a society 150 years in the past; she was so acclimated that she felt as though she had always belonged in the 1940s. Her pride in Ravenclaw house, her enviably busy social life, her friends…even the routine of classes and studying was her idea of a dream come true. She never would have imagined that she would get to attend Hogwarts as a student in the days before it turned into the dark, evil centre of Voldemort's empire.
Furthermore, Riddle had gotten out his tremendous anger in a regulated fashion, instead of killing her in the corridors. It was enough to want to throw a huge party and celebrate.
With a wave of her wand, Honora's trunk closed. She picked up her gold family locket from her bedside table, wrapping it carefully in a little silk scarf. With a glance out of her tower window, Honora could see a gorgeous Scottish sunset painting wild purple colours across the sky. Smiling at her whim, she slipped the locket into her skirt pocket and decided to go up to the Astronomy Tower and watch the sky, unafraid to be alone for the first time in weeks.
Fortunately, the tower was deserted, although Honora was surprised. On such a beautiful twilight she had half-expected to find some couple up here snogging. Pleased with her spot, she sat on the stone rampart, leaned back, and watched the grounds of Hogwarts from her birds-eye perch.
A warm breeze grazed across her face and hair, making Honora wonder how she had lived the first seventeen years of her life without daylight and fresh air. It was miraculous that she wasn't vitamin deficient. With a sigh, she pulled out her locket and flicked it open.
At the very bottom of the gilded family tree was her own picture, with engraved words that said 'Honora Crowley. February 17, 2095 -- ?' Her eyes peered at all the names, back through the English-Egyptian Crowleys, and then back through the Weasleys. Her hand touched the picture of her great-great-grandfather Bill Weasley, bringing up his details in closer relief.
'Bill Weasley. November 29, 1970 – April 20, 2011. Curse-breaker.' Honora sighed. 'Wow. You're not even born yet,' she whispered to the picture. 'And you were a Curse-breaker. Drakkis told us about those; it sounds like a fun thing to do.' Honora realised that she was having a one-sided conversation with a picture and smiled at herself. She put the locket gently aside, on the parapet, and let her head fall back against the stone.
The sun was well beneath the horizon when Honora decided that she should probably be getting back to Ravenclaw Tower before curfew. She heaved herself up and clattered down the stairs, stopped to tell off some Slytherin first-years for dawdling (she was not a prefect, but Honora still felt that her position as a sixth-year gave her the right) and finished packing her things to leave in the morning.
It was just past eleven o'clock when Honora started to dress for bed. She put her hand in her skirt pocket and her stomach swooped in panic.
'Damn it!' she nearly shouted. She had left her gold locket up in the Astronomy Tower. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. How could I be such a bird-brain? Over and over she berated herself as she donned a black cloak and ran out of the dormitory. She could only pray that she would not be caught out of bed…although she wondered how she could possibly get detention when school was technically out. Luckily, the corridors were deserted as Honora hurried along, treading as quietly as possible.
'Hello, Crowley,' said a voice from the shadows, when Honora was nearly at the entrance to the Astronomy stairs.
She turned, peering into the shadows, and that dark-haired Slytherin, Raoul Lestrange, stepped forward.
Honora's brow furrowed. 'Lestrange,' she nodded curtly. She was very glad he was not a prefect.
'And what are you doing out of the safety of Ravenclaw Tower at—' he looked at his watch '—eleven-fifteen in the evening?'
'I could ask you the same thing about being out of the Slytherin dungeons.'
'Yes, well…' Lestrange sighed. 'Business, you know.'
Honora raised her eyebrows. She wished he would just shut up and leave her alone; she did not want to be followed up to the Astronomy Tower in the middle of the night by this creepy character.
Lestrange smiled at her, cheerlessly, thin lips stretched over large teeth. 'Well, good night then, Crowley. Have a nice summer.'
'Right, you too,' Honora said, out of politeness. She did not like the cold feeling that Raoul Lestrange engendered. It was no wonder that he was one of Riddle's original Death Eaters.
With him out of the way, Honora raced up the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower, occasionally looking behind her to be certain Lestrange was not after her. The coast was clear. Huffing, out of breath, she pushed open the door at the top and stopped short.
The moonlight illuminated the stone floor, and the low walls, to be sure. But when Honora looked to where she had been sitting before, her heart stopped.
The locket was gone.
A/N: Yeah, uh-oh! I love reviews, so please take a moment! And, a note about some of the spells in this chapter that are my creation: Glamoura Deceptio and Redimio Perchain I made up myself, using a handy little English-Latin online translator.