As they approached the door of the Slytherin common room, Snape looked at Harry with a challenging expression that clearly said, "What are you gonna do now, huh?"
One thing Harry had learned from living in Darkness academy was how to run. This was probably the only reason Harry managed to get away with this.
"Hey, Bellatrix," he asked with a blasé tone that belied how terrified he was, "Do you know what fear stands for?"
"No. What-"
Harry interrupted her. He was probably the first one ever to do so, by the expression on her face, "Yes. I see. You wouldn't know what fear stood for since you've never felt it. But for the rest of us, it stands for Frick Everything And Run."
Harry took advantage of Bellatrix's moment of shock and grabbed Draco's wrist. But before he could do exactly that (FEAR), Bellatrix snapped out of it and pulled out her wand.
"Cru-"
Draco kicked Snape weakly on the side of his knee, and for a moment, Harry was confused as to why Draco was kicking Snape of all people. But then Snape toppled onto Bellatrix, disrupting her spell and sending it zipping towards the dungeon walls.
"Oops," Snape said with a bored expression. Harry had a fleeting thought that Snape had toppled on Bellatrix on purpose, and that Draco's kick was only an act. But that thought vanished as soon as it came when he and Draco turned on their heels and ran as fast as they possibly could, tearing down hallways, they felt as if Hogwarts was on their side, for once, as the castle twisted and morphed into halls most familiar to them.
"Where do we go?" Draco said, between pants.
"I don't know-Wait. How about the Hufflepuff common room. It's the closest."
"Good idea."
They turned past the kitchen, to the grand wooden doors of the Hufflepuff common room.
Draco looked at Harry expectantly, but Harry just crossed his arms, leaning against the door.
"I forgot the password," he stated, his face blank, "Looks like you're going to have to remind me. After all, you just got in a while ago."
Draco flushed, "We don't have time for this, Harry-"
"Well, you better start telling me how you got in, or else we're going to be in trouble." Harry smiled stubbornly.
"Fine! I'll show you!" Draco threw his hands up. Then he reached towards the ground where the black and yellow mat they stood under was. He flipped it over, revealing a carving of a badger.
"I am loyal to Harry." He said firmly, and the door slammed open.
"What-"
"Every house common room has a quirk. There is the usual password, but there's a system designed for emergencies. The Ravenclaws are the only ones who've figured theirs out. Answering riddles. As you saw, the Hufflepuff quirk is declaring who you're loyal to. The Slytherin Common room opens by speaking Parseltongue, so no one can enter. The Gryffindors are the ones no one figured out yet. I'm guessing they have no secret method. They're too straightforward for that."
Draco raised his eyebrows at Harry's surprised look.
"What? We're Slytherins. Obviously, we know everyone else's secrets,"
Of course, you do..." Harry's mind was racing to think of all the ways he could take advantage of it, but he put the thought aside. After all, he had a duel to prepare for. And he had no intention of losing.
By twelve, no one came to look for them, so Harry and Draco were relieved. But they knew they would one day face the consequences of turning against Bellatrix, but today was not the day.
So, when the clock struck 12, the three Hufflepuffs and a Slytherin stumbled into the secluded Hufflepuff common room. The tension in the air was almost tangible, yet beyond that, lay nervous excitement.
"Our side is ready. Are you?"
"We're ready," Draco replied, biting down a snarky retort.
Zacharias and Draco turned to face each other as Harry and Justin stayed back. They stood, circling each other carefully, avoiding the many chairs and desks that filled the common room.
Just as they both raised their wands, a sharp voice pierced the air.
"STOP. Hold on,"
Harry knew the strong voice before he saw her. It was Susan.
"I'm not letting the four of you duel in the middle of the common room alone. You need an impartial judge,"
She sat down on one of the tables, with her arms folded.
"But it's supposed to-"
"Do you have any objections, Justin?" Susan raised her voice in warning.
"Okay! Fine, you can stay Susan," Zach said hastily when he realized they couldn't convince her otherwise without waking half the school. Susan instantly lowered her voice.
"Provetium circulem," she flicked her wand, and a gold-tinted ring formed around Draco and Zach.
"This is your ring. You may not leave it, but can use anything that's inside it." At their blank expressions, she sighed, "You know, the furniture? To shield you?"
"Ohh. That's smart," commented Justin. Susan turned slightly pink at that.
"Never mind, shake hands," she dictated, and the two in the ring did so albeit hesitantly with a good dose of sneering at each other,
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
"Stupefy!" shouted Draco, immediately getting into a side stance.
"Protego," Draco's stupefy bounced off Zach's shield harmlessly.
"Incendio," Draco put up a shield, but Zach's incendio had been aimed somewhere else- the legs of the chair to Draco's right. One leg burned up, the now unbalanced weight forcing the chair tumbling into Draco.
"Incendio," Zach said again, at the perfect moment when the chair met Draco. The chair caught on fire an instant before it hit Draco's skin.
"Stop," Susan said. And all magic inside the ring froze, leaving Draco unharmed. In bright gold lettering, the words "Draco Lucien Malfoy loses, Zacharias Damien Smith wins," were spells into the air.
"Merlin, what was in the spell you used for the ring?" Harry asked, in awe. Susan shrugged.
"Just an ancient spell used for modified duels. Keeps people from getting injured," once again, they stared at her in disbelief, "Come on guys. No need to be that surprised. I may not be book smart like Hermione, but I'm good with law and order. I've been reading about duels since I was five-anyway, we got off topic. Harry, you need to take Draco's place, since you're his second."
"Wow," commented Justin, as Harry approached the ring, and Draco exited, "Zach, you beat him in less than a minute,"
Draco flushed, and Harry gave him an intense stare as he passed him, "Draco, we'll win this. Just you watch. 'Tonight we are victorious'" Draco couldn't help but smile at the P!ATD reference.
"Good luck," Now Harry just had to win it. This duel could change things. It wasn't merely a childish duel. It was a battle for the sake of political views. Treading carefully was key.
Stepping into the ring, Harry faced Zach. Gazing carefully at his friend, he wondered how to take him down. If even Draco, who grew up dueling, couldn't win against Zach, then how could Harry?
An idea struck Harry, a crazy one, for sure, but a legal one. The main rule in duels was that only wands may be used. And the ring Susan cast ended the duel when one's life is in danger. Harry could use that loophole to his advantage. He could use it in the way only he could. The way only one from Darkness academy could.
"Ready?" asked Susan.
Harry raised his wand. "Ready,"
"Begin!"
Zach, who had seen the determined look on Harry's face, started off with the stunning spell.
"Stupefy," Harry dodged the spell narrowly, and responded with one of his own, "Lumos," he said, putting all his power into it.
The overpowered Lumos caught Zach off guard. Actually, it's sheer brightness caught all of them off guard. They couldn't see.
By the time Zach casted a Nox to cancel out the spell, Harry was in front of him. Right in front of him. Harry shoved his wand into the base of Zach's neck. The pressure point that could drop even a grown man. Before his wand could meet Zach's skin, however, the ring's magic kicked in and threw the two apart.
"Harry James Potter wins, Zacharias Smith loses," showed up in the same glowing letters.
"What in the world was that?" Draco said, but he couldn't hide his glee at winning.
"I just exploited a loophole," Harry grinned.
"Hey! That's not fair!" cried Justin.
"No, he stuck to the rules. Though I have to say, Harry, that was rather Slytherin of you. Nothing like the noble, chivalrous Hufflepuff everyone thinks you are," Zach said, before he stepped out of the ring. Harry just smirked. Some days were more Slytherin than others.
"Well, then Justin. Your turn," Susan says, at last.
Justin steps into the ring, and Harry gazes at him warily. Justin was the one who had been most affected by Harry's declaration. Even though Justin was the weakest and least smart of the bunch, he was a true Hufflepuff. He could work through all the odds and WIN.
They both raised their wands.
"BEGIN!"
A/N: *Cackles evilly* how'd you like the cliffhanger? Who do you think is going to win? AND I HAVE FINALLY MET MY GOAL OF 10000 VIEWS. Review to congratulate me, maybe? 😊 War out!