Chapter seven

\\/

"...All I'm saying is that she doesn't act like a pureblood!"

Hermione prowled down the narrow stairwell towards the Slytherin common room, her ears pricking up at the voices ahead.

"You're a fine one to talk Avery," another voice drawled. "When was the last time your family followed any pureblood traditions?"

Hermione paused by the entrance to the common room to listen, but there was silence. She stepped in, and a group of faces turned towards her, some registering amusement and others dismay. Avery sat at the centre of the melee on one of the leather sofas. He was surrounded by a group of students including his usual companions; Marcus Mulciber and of course, Severus Snape.

Hermione was mildly surprised. She had not had much cause to mix with Avery since the year began, although she knew who he was - and his later deeds merited his own section in her little blue notebook. Nonetheless she hadn't realised he had quietly been building his own opinion on her.

"Is there a problem?" Hermione asked icily. Most students were avoiding her eyes. When nobody spoke after a moment she raised one eyebrow, a move that had taken years to perfect.

It was Snape who spoke up after a few moments.

"Avery wasn't certain about your parentage," he sneered. "We were just setting him right."

"Thanks Snape," Hermione said carelessly, stalking forwards. "Appreciate it. But Avery is welcome to bring any concerns he might have to me directly."

"You're all talk Black," Avery scowled. "You're full of stories, but can you back any of it up? I say you're just another talentless mudblood masquerading under a fake name."

Hermione bit back a laugh at how close to the truth Avery had unknowingly strayed. She stepped closer until she was amongst the students, all of whom parted before her until she was almost opposite Avery.

"You are insulting me, my family name, and my blood," Hermione said softly. The room had quietened and everybody could hear the words she spoke.

"Don't force me to challenge you."

"Ha! You?" Avery was brimful of confidence, and leaned back further into the sofa. His blonde hair fell into his eyes and he looked handsome and unconcerned. Mulciber grinned, and clapped him on the shoulder. Snape was frowning though, and leaned forward to murmur something into Avery's ear.

"Not now Severus," Avery brushed it off. "As for you Black, I'll take you any day of the week."

The surrounding students were grinning now, taking their lead from Avery. One or two nodded approval, and Avery preened under the attention.

"Any day of the week?" Hermione asked silkily.

"Scared, Black?"

"Of you?" Hermione bit back a chuckle. "Friday night, quidditch pitch. Don't get caught. And it's the Hogsmeade Valentine's trip on the Saturday, so if I were you I'd use the week to get some practice in - or Mulciber here might be disappointed when his boyfriend shows up with bruises."

Avery spluttered, turning bright red as the students around him whooped and laughed. Snape cracked a smile, although it quickly vanished when Avery shot him a furious look.

"You'll see, you ugly little bitch," Avery snarled, leaning forwards as though attempting to intimidate Hermione with his height and size.

"We'll see," Hermione said idly, sauntering away. "I do believe actions speak louder than words."

\\/

"Is it true you challenged Avery to a duel?" Arabel hissed.

"It is."

"Are you mad? He's the best at defense in his year! And they say that he's on good terms with - with - with him."

"Connection with the Dark Lord won't help Avery with our Lady Black here," Rabastan said, smiling proudly at Hermione. "Didn't you see her with the Gryffindors? She could have torn them apart single-handed. Avery won't know what's hit him until it's too late."

"You shouldn't call me Lady Black," Hermione said serenely, applying clear gloss to her nails. "Regulus's mother would be most upset."

"She would," Regulus agreed. He didn't sound at all displeased about that fact. "And I think Hermione will be fine. We've seen her in action. Personally I'm rather anticipating it."

"Snacks then," Rabastan said. "Snacks and comfy chairs, and don't let me forget the pumpkin juice."

\\/

By Friday the whole school knew that Hermione Black had challenged Fastius Avery to a duel. But by some miracle - or more likely the inner workings of Slytherin house - nobody had let it slip to the Professors. Hermione was well aware that bets were taking place and galleons were changing hands, particularly between the Slytherins.

Friday dawned clear and bright, and everywhere she went Hermione felt like people were shooting knowing looks at her. It made her irritable, and she skipped dinner to spend time in the library.

"You don't have to do this," Arabel coaxed.

"Yes she does," Alecto whispered fiercely. The dumpy girl had been a vocal advocate of the duel, much to Hermione's surprise.

"It's important to stand up for yourself," Alecto continued. "I wish I was as brave as you."

"You are brave, Alex," Arabel said soothingly, patting Alecto on the arm.

"I'm not," Alecto said, frowning. "I let people walk all over me."

"Not forever," Hermione said firmly. "Not forever Alecto."

\\/

The quidditch pitch was cold in the February wind, but the skies were clear and bright like promised, and pale moonlight bathed the grass. Although Hermione had argued that she could go alone, her friends would not hear of it. So she was accompanied by Regulus and Rabastan, and Arabel and Alecto. Both boys had one of Hermione's arms each, and they all but marched her into the pitch. Hermione found it quite diverting that they appeared to have adopted her as their little sister, and subsequently become much more protective.

There were at least a couple of dozen onlookers, sitting in the stands and staring eagerly down at the pitch. Not as many as Hermione had feared, and most from Slytherin. Curiously enough, Sirius Black was sitting alone at one end of the stands, his arms folded defiantly

"Where is he," Rabastan growled, scanning the grounds.

"There," Regulus pointed.

Approaching from the opposite side of the pitch were three figures. Hermione sighed. She had almost hoped that Snape wouldn't be there. They had become friends, and although she didn't acknowledge it too publicly, it would be difficult watching him stand on the opposing side.

"Avery," Hermione said loudly as the three figures approached. "You actually showed up."

"I could say the same to you," Avery growled at Hermione. "Let's get on with it. Who's your second?"

"Rabastan," Hermione said. She hadn't asked him.

"Mines Snape," Avery grunted. Hermione sighed. Naturally it would be him.

"Alright," Rabastan said, dropping Hermione's arm and moving between the two duellists. "Ten steps apart, usual rules apply. First to either concede, lose their wand or be incapacitated loses. No unforgivables."

"That's it?" Snape interrupted harshly. "No unforgivables? What about life altering curses?"

"No, we'll keep them in," Avery said with a nasty grin. Snape nodded acquiescence, but shot Hermione a worried look.

Avery and Hermione took up back to back positions, and then each carefully stepped ten steps away. They turned, and Hermione grinned when Avery didn't perform the requisite bow.

"Ready," Rabastan shouted. "Fight!"

Avery was fast, Hermione had to concede. He whipped his wand so fast it was a blur, and produced a flurry of quick hexes designed to be difficult to block. But she was faster.

Hermione raised a shield, confident that it could deflect all but unforgivables, and allowed it to take the hits while she put all her energy into conjuring a thick chain that twisted towards Avery's neck until -

In seconds Avery had vanished the chain, and sent a blood boiling curse at Hermione. She blocked it lazily, and sent back an entrail expelling curse. Her opponent smirked at her as he shielded, as though their opening strikes had been nothing more than exchanging polite formalities.

There was noise coming from the stands, the Slytherins cheering and shouting for both fighters. Hermione shut the noise out, and focussed on the routine exchange of spells while her mind worked. She wanted to put on a show - to make a point, to prove she was dangerous. Finish quickly but spectacularly, and seize some information while she was at it.

As Hermione duelled in a pattern that had become so familiar over the years - curse, duck, shield, return fire - she analysed Avery's movement's and began to detect a rhythm. Wizards had their weaknesses, and his was a tendency to layer his offensive spells in an attempt to overwhelm her, concealing that his shields were not as complex nor as strong as they might be.

It was an well thought out strategy, Hermione mused. She risked a glance towards the stands, and regretted it when a slicing curse caught her in the right arm.

"First blood, Black!" Avery crowed. "Careful you don't drop your wand."

His grin faltered when Hermione swapped to her left hand, and began casting with increasing viciousness. It was extremely difficult to be equally dextrous with the left and the right hand, particularly with delicate wand movements. Hermione barely took note of his alarm - she was beginning to build a plan.

Two yellow jets of light shot towards Hermione's chest, and she dropped to the ground to avoid them, before casting the strongest starburst charm she could. Even with her face pressed to the dirt she saw the blinding flash of light, but there wasn't a second to waste.

Hermione disillusioned herself, and then ran headlong towards the other wizard, freezing less than a few feet away from him as he regained his vision. Avery was roaring obscenities, and casting wildly.

"Where are you?" he shouted at the empty pitch, as Hermione held her breath and crept ever closer, until she was so close she could smell his aftershave, and had to hold her breath. This part depended on whether or not Avery could hold his nerve.

"Hiding like a coward, Black?"

"Not hiding," Hermione whispered into the shell of his ear, making him start with alarm as she dropped the concealment charm. "Sectumsempra!"

Avery screamed, his blond head whipping this way and that with disbelief as his wand dropped to the quidditch pitch. Along with all five of his fingers. Blood spurted from the stumps, and Hermione grabbed his head, forcing Avery to look at her. There was nothing but panic and agony in his eyes, and Hermione hoped any occlumency shields he might possess would shatter in the face of this pain.

She was right. It was beyond easy to tear into his mind, and she forced her way through with all the subtlety of a hippogriff. Memories assailed her, but she searched on for anything that pertained to Voldemort.

A dark room…"You may one day join me along with your father, young Avery…" a group of masked men smiling and nodding….Avery's father hanging up a mask and robes in his wardrobe, while Avery looked on with awe... Avery's mother beaming with pride as his father told tales of muggles, tortured and killed….Avery pleading to go too, and being told he was too young...Still too young...Until…

Avery was sixteen….a birthday cake with candles, and his mother singing... Avery's father handing him a mask with great solemness, and then they disapparated together. A muggle house lit up for Christmas, a tree in the window and a child...Blonde, maybe seven or eight, playing with toys on the rug... Avery's pleasure. The muggle man screaming, his blood painting the halls….Avery's father bending the woman over the kitchen table and raping her..Avery wishing he could join in. The blonde child screaming, irritating...And Avery just wanted to make her shut up. Then he was pinning her to the carpet, and pulling up her dress, and forcing himself into…

Hermione pulled from Avery's mind so fast she almost reeled. There was no way she could watch the rest of that memory. She felt sick to her stomach, but forced it all away into a tiny box to deal with later, because she had to finish this.

Avery's screams had fallen into whimpering sobs, and she doubted he had even noticed her intrusion through his pain. In the seconds it had taken Hermione to search his mind, Rabastan and Snape had run across the pitch towards the pair.

"Hermione wins," Rabastan said with awe. "Avery, you're fucked mate."

"Hospital wing now," Snape said, levitating the bloody fingers off the grass and shooting Hermine an indecipherable look.

Avery howled as Mulciber wrapped a scarf tightly around his fingers to try and stop the blood loss, and shot Hermione a look of hate so murderous that it made her shudder. She knew now, for certain, what depravity Avery was capable of.

"Amazing!" Regulus exclaimed as he joined them, watching the losing group hobble off the pitch in an awkward triangle. "Genius move with the starburst Hermione, you almost blinded me though. Wish you'd warned us."

Hermione smiled as the students from the stands all rushed to join them, talking in excited voices. There was no time to dwell on what she had seen - now was the moment to take advantage of the success, and capitalise on what she could achieve with it. Certainly she would have more respect from the other students now.

But Avery would not go unpunished for what he had done. It was simply a matter of waiting.

\\/

Sorry for the delay. An unpublished WIP has been keeping me away from this, (so has longs days at university and my rambunctious two year old son for that matter,) but recently this has started speaking to me again. I've a few chapters written up, and I hope the inspiration will keep flowing.

Thanks for reading,

Cas