Chapter 26: Bitter Memories
"What do you think you were doing?" Severus exclaimed at Bellatrix.
After the duel the Slytherins retired back to their common room, discussing the results of what happened moments before and agreeing that it was a close call. They also kept looking at Bellatrix as she went over to the silver sofa, strutting and smirking the entire time. Severus came in behind her, positivly fuming at her display, followed by Rudolphus and members of the LAER.
Bellatrix simply smirked and lounged across the sofa's cushions, "You're so worked up, Severus. It was no big deal..."
"NO BIG DEAL! You almost got eliminated from the tournament! The first two times were from having your spells rebounded and the third time was from near disqualification!" he yelled, slamming his fist on the coffee table.
"But I didn't get eliminated. I knew what I was doing," she replied calmly. "I mean I wasn't going to waste my time and energy on a pathetic bookworm like the Ravenclaw Champion. I'm saving my energy and bigger spells for the Gryffindor Champion this coming Saturday."
Getting up from the sofa Bellatrix stretched and made her way to her room, winking suggestively at Rudolphus on the way.
Huffing Severus marched his way out of the common room, and headed up the main staircase to the library, where he was sure to get some peace and quiet.
On his way to the library Severus kept replaying the Slytherin House Duel in his head, and remembering how he lost in the first place.
Saruday, October 8, 1974:
The clock next to his bed went off at 7:45 A.M., and he sat up, looking out the charmed window across from him. It showed the sun trying to come out behind some gray clouds in the sky, signalling that today was going to be overcast. To others that would seem like the start of a day bad, but to Severus it meant that it was a good omen because he liked overcast days.
"Today is the day I keep my title as the Slytherin Champion for the fourth year in a row," he tought as he went to the bathroom to wash up and change.
After he got washed and dressed he exited the Slytherin Dungeons, an old book in his hands, and went into the Great Hall, where a few people from the other Houses were waiting for breakfast to be served.
Amoung the few were Lily, who had a thick book opened before her. Her emerald green eyes were scanning the pages of the tome at a relaxed pace, as if she was carefully reading each and every word. Every once and a while she would twirl a loose strand of hair around her finger before tucking it behind her ear.
Then her eyes looked up from her book and met Severus's as he took a seat facing her, a smile forming from her light pink lips. Severus could not help but smile back as he placed his own book in front of him and began to read a clean page. The previous ones were marked over with notes, and he was about to do the same with a quill and bottle of ink he had tucked into his robes.
Only five minutes had passed when a shadow came up from behind him as he made another note amoung the instructions of the book. Turning his head Severus saw that it was Lily, and she was gazing over his shoulder at the marked page.
"That looks like a novel idea, Sev," Lily commented as she sat down beside him. "But wouldn't the amethist crystals interfer with the gillyweed attributes if it isn't grated then dissolved into the Mermaladen?"
"Actually if the amethist crystal is diced into one by one centimeter cubes, then boiled down into a liquid by itself, it would mix in better and applify the gillyweed attributes. That would allow the drinker to breath underwater between two to three hours without the painful side effects beforehand," Severus replied.
Pondering this prospect Lily then stated, "Maybe, but what about the side effects afterwards? Will the drinker still need to breath water after the time limit is up due to the gill marks on the neck?"
"I was thinking about adding a sprig of cattail stems and crushed turtle shell for the after effects. What do you think would help?" he asked, glad that Lily knew what he was talking about.
Before Lily could give her opinion a second non-Slytherin came to the table and covered Lily's eyes from the back.
"Guess who?" the stranger chimed.
"Potter need I remind you what happened the last time you put your hands on me?" Lily said between her teeth.
She then spun around and her wand was on his throat. Severus had his pointed at Potter as well.
Holding his hands up Potter said, "Sorry Evans, but don't you think you should sit with your fellow Gryffindors? Breakfast is about to start and..."
"I can sit wherever I want, thank you very much," Lily replied. "Besides, Sev and I were in the middle of a discussion."
Stowing her wand away she concluded, "You see, Potter, some of us prefer to have real conversations with a fellow intellectual instead of an ex-Quidditch hero."
With that she turned away from him and continued her chat with Severus, who was pleased to see Potter looking crestfallen as he left to join his fellow Marauders at the red table.
While the two Prefects were continuing their debate on the effects of the Mermaladen Potion the food had appeared as many of the other students filed into the Great Hall.
Pausing their talk for the time being Lily and Severus started putting some breakfast items on their plates, and were soon joined by Bellatrix, Rudolphus, and Regulus who sat across from them, while the members of the LAER sat a few seats away from Severus. They could not believe their luck that their idol was sitting with them again.
"This makes it the fourth week in a row," Mulciber commented as he shoveled some scrambled eggs in his mouth.
"You're not complaining are you?" Avery asked with a sly smile.
Mulciber looked up at him in surprise, "Of course I'm not complaining! I just can't believe that Lily is actually sitting at our table instead of sitting with those mangy lions."
"It vould ve even vetter once our Champion vins and Lily is transferred to our House," Karkaroff interjected.
"So Lily, how did the House Duel go?" Bellatrix asked.
Shrugging Lily said, "It wasn't so bad, it was actually a bit boring, and I'm afraid that's all I can say on the matter."
When Bellatrix tried to pry further Dumbledore spoke up, "It is now time for the Slytherin House Duel. All other students please exit the Great Hall and return to your daily activities."
"Good luck all," Lily said cheerfully as she left the green table, her hand lingering on Severus's shoulder.
"I HAVE to win the match!" Severus thought as he put his book away and began walking to an empty corner of the Hall.
There he practiced a series of wand movements and memorized as many spells as he could. He also thought about his potential opponents and their own dueling styles.
"Mulciber's style is wide and sloppy; Karkaroff's style is too close and controlled; Avery and Rookwood's are lazy and loose; Lestrange's is unsure and is better suited for light or effortless magic, and Trixie's is too crazed, wild and merciless."
At that last part he thought about Lily and her dueling style. Her's was quick, direct, passionate and amazing to behold. Whatever spell she cast, whatever hex or jinx she conjured, whatever charm she summoned, it was done fluidly and looked like it hardly took any effort.
"She must have won the Gryffindor House Champion title! No one else can compete against her with so much experience. Lily would really make an excellent Death Eater," the last thought once again brought images of them as the school's most prominant couple.
Suddenly the four tables propped themselves up against the walls and two stages, one green and one silver, appeared in the middle of the Hall. The noise broke Severus of his thoughts.
As the Slytherins gathered around the tables Professor Slughorn huffed his way onto the silver stage, already looking red faced and sweaty.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the portly potioneer gasped, "today is the day we sort out the best witch and wizard from our House, and to see who will stand triumphant as our new Champion!"
"And to see who will bring Lily over to our side," Avery whispered to Severus, who nodded in agreement.
"When I call your names you will pair up and pick a card to let us know who will be dueling first. The wizards will duel on the silver stage and the witches will duel on the green stage," Slughorn explained and the names were called out.
Severus was paired up with Rookwood and was to go first; Mulciber was to face Avery second; Karkaroff was to duel Rudolphus third; and two seventh years (who Severus did not even bother remembering) were to duel last. Bellatrix was to duel a seventh year by the name of Carrow last, while three pairs of witches duelled before her.
"Sir," Bellatrix complained, "can't I go first?'
"Wha's the matter Prissy Trixie? Want ter get yer humiliation over with?" the burly witch said in a thick accent.
Everyone became deathly quiet and stepped back, pushing themselves against the walls and waiting for the duel to start before it officially began.
"I got five Galleons on the Carrow chick," Mulciber whispered to Rookwook.
"Prepare to pay up Mulc," the other boy replied.
Clearing his throat the Potion Master said, "Sorry Ms. Black and Ms. Carrow, but I'm afraid you will have to wait or be disqualified from the tournament. Everybody else to your positions and begin dueling!"
So the duels started with Severus, Rudolphus, Avery and one of the seventh years (who incidentally was the Carrow girl's brother) moved on to the second bout. The girls got their chance to duel, and three of them (whose names Severus still did not bother remembering) came out the winners. Now it time for Bellatrix's duel against the Carrow witch.
Without exchanging the usual formalities both witches went to their ends, wands at-ready and gave each other dirty looks.
Bellatrix went first and sent a Jelly Limbs Jinx on her opponent, who blocked it with a laugh and sent it back at her. The result was of Bellatrix becoming wobbly all over and her wand slipping through her shaky fingers.
"Wha' a matter Belsy? Shaking in fear?" Carrow laughed.
Five seconds later Bellatrix reclaimed her wand and sent a spell at Carrow that knocked her wand free of her grasp and on her back on the floor.
"Still want to stick with your bet?" Rookwood smirked as Mulciber grunted his displeasure.
The duel was over with in two more turns as Bellatrix performed the same magic on Carrow and disarmed her in the process.
The next bout came and went between the witches and wizards in the same manner, and, after what seemed like no time at all, Severus and Bellatrix were given a ten minute reprieve before facing each other in the qualifying round.
The LAER gathered around their leader as he took a deep draught of some water, which Rudolphus handed to him before he left to see his fiance. When he looked up from his drink Severus guestured for them to come closer so he would not be overheard.
"This is it you lot. Bellatrix is the last obsticle in our path to making our goal complete. If all goes as planned we will have a more worthy witch in our ranks, and then we will be able to say good riddence to our esteemed 'lady'," he whispered, setting the goblet down on the small table amidst the crowing of his group.
"Mr. Snape, Ms. Black are you two ready?" Slughorn asked.
The duelist got on the stage as Professor Slughorn announced their bout, "Ladies and gentlement! Representing the Slytherin witches, Ms. Bellatrix Calista Black and representing the Slytherin wizards, Mr. Severus Tobias Snape!"
There was some scattered applause when Bellatrix's name was called, while there was a warmer reception for her opponent.
"Remember, after our Champion is decided, there is to be absolutly no mention of his, or her, identity," Slughorn proclaimed. "Duelists, to your positions and on the count of thr- Mr. Snape?"
That was when Severus started feeling dizzy, then his vision became dark before he felt like he was falling into an abyss.
Later on he woke up in a white room, and was resting on something soft as some faces surrounded him.
"What happened?" Severus said in a groggy voice, looking at the face of Avery.
"You, sort of, passed out Severus," Avery replied, looking troubled.
"Passed out?" he said, sitting up in his bed. "What about the match? I couldn't have been out for more than five minutes."
"Actually you were out for five hours," Rookwood said, also troubled as Severus began to catch on as to what had happened.
"Rudolphus drugged my water, and now..."
"Trixie is the Slytherin Champion," Severus said out loud as a burning sensation crept into his stomach.
"It doesn't matter now," Severus thought as he sat down in a chair by the window, overlooking the shimmering surface of the Black Lake. "Lily will be one of us, even if I have to Imperuse Bellatrix to win the duel!"
A.N. I hope this filled in the blanks about what had happened.
The next chapter will be about the whole school getting pumped up about the upcoming match.
Will either Champion be able to cope with the pressures, or will one of them collapse under the impending weight?
R&R