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CHAPTER 8: The Duel
'You! ... I warned you Grey!' Tom hissed to Draco.
'What are you doing?' Hermione whispered in Draco's ear 'You don't have to defend my honor or something?'
Draco whispered back with a venomous undertone that was so low you almost couldn't hear it: 'Mudblood, do you really think I am defending your honor? He is an arrogant bastard and he needs to learn a lesson! I am sick of him treating me like some common idiot while I am a pureblooded, smart and high-society wizard.'
'Malfoy, mudblood! Really are you falling that low again?' Hermione whispered back in a tone that mirrored Draco's.
But Draco just simply turned away and looked at Tom Riddle expectantly. But as Riddle just stood there trying to contain his anger and clutching his wand like it was his very own lifeline. His eyes were narrowed and if looks could kill Draco would have died a very painful and long dead.
As Malfoy's patience was running out he said in a mocking tone 'Well, Riddle what are you going to do? Point your wand at me all day? And do nothing?'
Hermione looked anxious towards Tom Riddle, the future's most feared dark lord of all time. If Draco would have known he was challenging the dark lord he probably wouldn't do it.
'Do not challenge me. You will not like the outcome of your challenge.' Riddle said in a grave tone.
'I do not fear you, Tom.' Draco's simple reply came.
Hermione wondered where Malfoy got the guts from because the look in Riddle's eyes was murderous. She knew very well that he was capable of murder.
'You asked for it Grey! I challenge you to a wizarding duel!' Tom's voice echoed throughout the great hall. Hermione grasped and held her breath. This could not be happening. Draco did not just make Voldemort challenge him! He was going to die unless she prevented this ridiculous test of testosterone!
'Hello, guys, don't you think this is a bit too far stretched? I mean it is a bit silly to fight over a simple answer. Can't you just shake hands and forget about it?' Hermione tried to reason.
But both men just kept on staring at each other challenging the other one to step down.
'Draco Grey!' Hermione used her death glare at him the one neither Harry nor Ron ever tried to deny. But Draco didn't even look at her. He just kept on glaring daggers at Riddle. So she tried to convince Riddle of forbidding this ridiculous plan.
'Riddle, please, it is just ridiculous to fight over something as stupid as an answer. 'she pleaded. But no answer came so she tried again to use her death glare: 'Tom Riddle, stop this right now!' she yelled. He merely looked at her in amusement and smirked. For the first time she saw a twinkle in his eyes and she would have sworn he winked at her but the moment was too quickly over.
'Well Grey, what will it be? Do you have the balls to fight me honorably?' Tom asked his lips curling into a mischievous smile.
'Of course, I have the balls to fight you. You can pick yours up when the fight is over.' Draco answered smoothly.
'Then choose your secondant.' Tom said his eyes twinkling in mirth.
Draco turned to Hermione. 'Will you be my secondant?' Draco asked extremely nice his eyes pleading.
'You want me to fight Riddle if you all of the sudden lose your balls on the way to the duel platform?' Hermione asked dumbfounded. 'We both know you are not the hero on that area. You almost peed in your pants when I hit you in third year.' She whispered in his ear.
'Miss Grey I am glad to inform you that a lot has changed since I ended sixth year. My father wanted me to be prepared, to duel like no other and to conquer every enemy that came on my way. So he hired the best duelist in the world to teach me every possible dueling technique and spells. Hermione, I am more than qualified to take this piece of dirt on.' Draco informed her, a proud grin plastered on his face.
To say that Hermione was in shock was an understatement. She never expected that Malfoy would be as smart as hiring a professional duelist. Maybe he had a chance at defeating the future dark lord and that would teach Riddle a lesson.
'I accept to be you secondant through losing games and hard times.' Hermione said the official sentence.
'Who will be your secondant? I don't see anyone of our age around here and you know according to the rules of dueling he or she should be of your own age.' Draco stated, a teasing grin now spreading across his face.
All of the sudden the doors of the great hall swung open and a tall, thin figure with striking blond sliver hear came striding towards us. He wore a black set of robes with the Slytherin crest on it.
He walked toward Tom Riddle and stood still before the man. They just looked at one another with a blank face till all of the sudden they began to smile at each other but not yet laughing. The blond one bowed and Riddle just nodded.
It was a strange exchange like a servant was bowing to his master. Hermione realized what this meant. Her heart began beating violently in her chest and her eyes went wide in fear. 'He must already be Lord Voldemort to some people or at least the leader of their group. The bracelet was right he was far more gone than she had ever imagined.' Hermione's thoughts screamed in her head. Her palms became sweaty and all of the sudden she feared even more for Draco. Maybe he was closer to dead then she had ever imagined. She pushed the thoughts away and tried to focus on the scene that was unraveling before her.
'Abraxas Malfoy good to see you.' Tom Riddle said. Hermione heard Draco suck in a breath and he looked a lot paler then he normally was as if that was even possible. The man that stood before them was Draco's grandfather Hermione realized.
She looked closer trying to catch a glimpse of the man's face. At least he had the same striking color of blond silver hear and as far as she could tell he had the same nose as Draco. But she couldn't see more of his face as he was turned towards Riddle.
'I have a little issue' Tom continued 'this lad would like to duel me and it seems like he is serious about it too. So would you be so kind as to be my secondant, Abraxas?'
'Of course, Riddle. It would be my pleasure. I knew it would be worth to come back earlier to Hogwarts.' Abraxas smiled 'And who may this unfortunate lad be?'
'This is Draco Grey. He accepted my challenge to duel.' Tom said while gesturing towards Draco.
Finally the man turned around to see Draco. Hermione heard Draco gulp. It was as if Draco was looking into a mirror. Abraxas looked almost exactly like him: the same nose, the same lips, the same high cheekbones and the color of hair. The only differences between them was that Draco was slightly taller than Abraxas, he had is hair longer than Draco and slicked back while Draco's was shorter and fell loosely in front of his eyes but the biggest differences were the color in eyes. While Draco's were molted silver, Abraxas's were a deep dark brown.
'Now, it is almost as if I look in a mirror' Abraxas stated 'if I didn't know any better I would think you were a Malfoy. But that thought is of course ridiculous.'
Draco could merely nod. It seemed that he was frozen in place so Hermione pushed him with her elbow in his side willing him to come out of his dumbfounded state.
'Shall we begin?' Tom Riddle asked.
'Of course we shall.' Draco said in a hoarse voice.
'I suggest we put the tables aside and transfigure a platform.' Tom said in a matter of fact way.
They began to levitating the benches and tables aside and Tom transfigured one table into a big platform. Both men went to stand on one place of the platform opposite of each other. Hermione followed Draco towards his side.
'Are you okay?' she asked. 'It must be quite a shock to see your grandfather this young.'
' Am I okay? I just saw the man I never knew because he died of dragon pox at a young age and you ask me if I am okay! Is that the best you can do? ... I am sorry I shouldn't take this out on you.' Draco said.
'It's okay I understand' Hermione said in return. They arrived at their side of the platform and walked together to the middle meeting the two other men who were already standing there.
'I suggest that Hermione and Abraxas are the judges in this game. We will continue to First Drable.' Tom stated. First Drable is the first person that is looses blood because of injury.
'That is fair with me. No Unforgivable curses are used that is my first tible.' Draco said.
A tible is a request that one party can ask from the other.
'I accept your tible. My first tible is no immobilization and then injure your opponent.' Tom stated.
'I accept your tible.' Draco said.
Both Hermione and Abraxas moved towards the seats that were for the judges. Tom and Draco bowed towards each other their wand positioned in front of their face.
They began to circle around each other like they were testing the grounds waiting for the first person to strike. After two circles of dancing around each other Tom fired the first curse towards Draco who successfully blocked it with his wand. Instead of looking disappointed Tom merely smiled. They kept on circling around each other like two lions fighting for the same prey. They were still testing the grounds.
Suddenly Draco fired a curse towards Tom's legs but Tom caught it with his wand just in time and fired it straight back towards Draco who was prepared for this and easily caught it.
Now Tom looked a bit frustrated but still had a small smile on his face while Draco's face was one of enormous concentration. Tom seemed to have enough of them dancing around each other and began to fire curse after curse!
'papulae! frangere brachium! Ignis! cat transformat ab! Sanguine!'
The first curse hit Draco full in his face and immediately he was covered in pimples. But by the time the second curse came by he was recovered and send that back towards Tom. It missed Tom by an inch.
The third curse was a particularly nasty one because when he tried to dodge it, it hit the ground and the ground ignited flames. With a quick aqua curse the problem was solved. He blocked the fourth curse and send it back flying towards Tom who caught it with his wand just in time. But the last curse was one that was particularly nasty as it was a curse to withdraw blood and that would mean Tom won the duel.
But Draco was prepared and quickly blocked the curse. Now it was his turn to return the salvo Tom gave him.
He raised his wand and said 'Ignis! Cultri! Salve! Imber! Sanguine!'
Tom easily blocked the curses he threw at him or just transfigured an umbrella against the rain. It was as if he was mocking Draco.
While he was laughing Tom all of the sudden screamed Sanguine!
It was as if the curse was flying towards Draco in slow motion.
'Is he going to be able to catch the curse or not? Is this duel over or not?' Hermione thought.
A/N: OMG what is going to happen to Draco? Will he lose? Review to find out!
You get a chocolate covered Tom Riddle in his sexiest outfit from me