Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I really, really, really appreciate it! It lets me know you like it (or don't). To the guest reviewer that says this fic is really,really, really short-I initially wanted to write this fic of their Hogwarts years, start to finish...so think of it as me getting started, and this plot arc taking for REALLY fast-but it is no where near done. Trust me. And to the reason why the 'brats' have not gotten in trouble... It is not something that is done with adults around, and maybe a Prefect or Head Boy sees it...maybe they don't.
It's a prison yard silence, driven on by the fear that their parents warned them about almost on a daily basis, by a fear that if by just breathing the same air as the children of the death eaters, and their associates (Hermione), they'll die. It is a mob-like fear and is very primal, and inacted quickly because of the sudden escape from prison. Imagine if the Goblet of Fire was the first book in the series, if Voldemort's return was the FIRST thing that happened- I'm not saying that is what happened (it isn't), but I am just trying to establish how scared and unprepared everyone was about this breakout. No on feels safe-especially the students.
Or maybe not, but that is how I am trying to angle it. I am thankful of your review!
J.K Rowling is our Queen, and I own nothing.
It was Christmas Day.
Snow had blanketed all of Hogwarts overnight and when the students woke, to the presents at the foot of their beds, sleepily smiles painted their faces.
Hermione was alone in her room as she sat at the foot of the bed and looked at the respectable pile of presents. She recognized a few from her parents and opened them first. The card at the top was so sentimental it brought tears to her eyes. She opened the presents to find her parents had gotten her a few more advanced books about spells, from Flourish and Blotts that she had written them about. She sat them in a neat stack to her right and fondly looked at them. Extreme Incantations by Violeta Stitch was on the bottom, Achievements in Charming was next, A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions was above that, Self-Defensive Spellwork was next, Most Potente Potions by Phineas Bourne was second to last, and at the top of her new collection of books was An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms.
The next present she opened was from Malfoy-surprisingly. It was a gift bag of sorts, of different magical candies and chocolates from Hogsmeade-she recognized some from the train ride. She saw that Longbottom had sent her some candy-Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans, and Chocolate Frogs- as well, with a card that said, "Thank you for all your help! I owe you! Happy Christmas!" She smiled faintly at it. She had a few 'muggle' presents from her grandparents, as well. A dark red sweater, sunglasses and cold weather gloves. She picked one of her new books, deciding upon A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions, and then got ready for the day. She wore the dark red sweater her grandmother had gotten her and then went down to breakfast.
Malfoy, Boot, and Corner decided to take turns opening their presents. Boot got small Quidditch player figures that flew around on brooms, with tiny game piece replicas, it was his favorite team as well; the Chudley Cannons. Corner opened up a bag that was full of candy, both magical and muggle. Draco opened one and was surprised to see it was from Hermione. It was a muggle...puzzle set. It had a 1000 pieces to it and was of the English country side. He opened the box to find that she had transfigured the pieces to change pictures, the inside of box had a series of pictures it cycled through, and he was intrigued on how she expected him to solve a puzzle where the pictures were constantly changing.
Boot's next present was a player's jersey to the Chudley Cannons from his father. Corner received a family album that was charmed like all of the other wizarding pictures, and each pictured moved for a few seconds. Draco received a parcel from Sirius Black, his second cousin? Well he was his mother's cousin. Draco could never get straight what that made him. It was a picture of his mother, smiling at him next to a fire place. Draco recognized the fireplace as his aunts winter home in Spain, where he had only been a few times before. That must be where she was being hidden. Draco's sigh of relief at seeing the picture caused the other two boys to raise their eyebrows at him. He possessively hid the picture against his chest. The boys shrugged and didn't press him for information.
Boot's next present was from one of his relatives, and was tickets to the next World Cup. His shouts of approval startled the two boys. His family must have all talked about what to get him for Christmas. Corner received a knit sweater from an aunt of his, it was a dark blue with a lighter colored Ravenclaw on the chest, he pulled it on over his pajama shirt with a smile. Draco's next present was from his aunt, Andromeda, the note with the present praised him for being placed in Ravenclaw, and was a few different clothing items with the Ravenclaw blue and bronze colors. All were expensive and all were from Twillfitt and Tattings. He received a cashmere scarf, a pair of fur lined gloves, socks, a jumper, a muggle-style cardigan, and a black leather belt with a blue raven that flew along the belt.
If his family was one thing, it was dramatically rich.
Boot had a few more gifts from his family, that involved Quidditch, Corner got a few more sentimental things from both his wizard relatives, and his muggle ones-Corner's father was muggleborn. Draco didn't have any other presents, and he didn't need any. He treasured the picture from his uncle-just knowing where she was, helped tremendously- the clothes from his aunt, and Hermione's puzzle. She had clearly spent a lot of time on his gift. Draco gathered his things and put them into his trunk-though he discreetly put the photo of his mother underneath his pillow-and got ready for breakfast. By the time he was ready to leave, Boot and Corner were just putting their things away. He decided to wait for them before he left, though, and instead went down to the common room. No one was there, so he went to the window and gazed out happily at the snow-covered grounds. It was still snowing. He had a mind to ask everyone if they wouldn't fancy a snowball fight, but he decided to ask after breakfast.
He kept himself busy by going over the things that Snape had them working on in Dueling club. So far, it was still just the four of them-as they hadn't told anyone else about it yet. Snape had told them he was going to put up posters after the break, so they were getting more practice in before older and more practiced people would join in. Hermione had liked the idea of more competition, but Draco didn't want to see everyone's sneers towards him. He had a feeling that if he dueled anyone but Hermione, Boot, or Corner, they would try to do nasty things to him. Of course, that was why he was practicing so hard.
Boot and Corner came down the stairs in a stampede and the three boys spoke about the Quidditch World Cup, that Boot would be going to next year-he had two extra tickets so he was going to take Corner (obviously, those two were best mates) and Goldstein, who also loved Quidditch. Draco had promised he wasn't upset by that, and he could simply buy his own ticket easily. His mother often took him, if he asked to go. They teased him for his family's wealth, and by that time, they entered into the Great Hall.
It was snowing from the enchanted ceiling, and the snow had collected on the twelve trees around the room, transforming it into a very festive winter wonderland. None of the boys commented on the 'pretty' or 'beautiful' sight before them, and instead said things like: 'that's wicked,' or ,'amazing!'
Hermione was sitting a little off to herself, at the Ravenclaw table (as she usually did), with her nose deep into a book. The three sat down around her and started serving themselves with food without notifying her of their presence. Draco had just poured himself some eggnog, when Hermione had looked up to check her plate for food, when she noticed them.
"How long have you been here?!" She demanded, eyes wide. Draco shrugged.
"A few minutes?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" She glared at Draco first, but then sent the same look to Boot and Corner, who both laughed.
"And risk getting yelled at for interrupting you? No thanks," Corner sent her a toothy grin before he started to nibble away at his bacon.
"I did that one time..." She trailed off with an eye roll and put a bookmark into her book and shut it. She put it away before Draco could read the title. "Anyway, how were your Christmas'?" She looked between then. Boot immediately launched into an excited speech about what he received-he had worn the CC jersey to breakfast-and enthusiastically waved the tickets in her face. Granger didn't like to talk about it, but after the cursed broom incident, she refused to get back on one. Madame Hooch, instead, has her write papers about the history and evolution of the flying broom. Granger smiled politely at his enthusiasm, but had no interest in Quidditch what so ever. It was hard enough getting her to go to the Hogwarts Quidditch Games, and if she did, she had a book and muggle ear plugs with her.
Corner explained the things he had received from both sides of his family. Often, Granger and Corner would talk about the Muggle world and about things that Draco or Boot (both purebloods) had never heard of before. Like muggles didn't light their houses by fire light, they used 'light bulbs' that ran off of 'electricity'. "Thank you for the puzzle, Granger." Draco said with a smile in her direction, she blushed faintly.
"You are welcome, and thank you for all of the candy. I'll be eating it well into the summer," she replied with a grin, and Draco blushed a little-she hadn't looked inside the bag and seen the charm bracelet he had gotten her, he had only gotten her a few charms at first, but she could add more to it if she wanted to. The charms he got her were: a Gryffindor Lion, the Sorting Hat, an owl, a book, and a wand. He self consciously looked at his food as he imagined her finding it randomly later, because it was at the bottom of the bag. Somehow, he had thought she would have taken all the candy out to look at it.
They delved into their food then, and didn't stop to talk until they were finished. Draco was the first to break the silence.
"How about a snow ball fight?" He asked. The other two boys were enthusiastic about it, but Hermione simply nodded faintly.
Christmas morning at Grimmuald Place was a different and more chaotic story than the well organized and pleasant Christmas at Hogwarts. The youngest children stampeded down the stairs waking all of the inhabitants at dawn. Several pairs of sleepy adults gathered around the sitting room that held the tree and all the presents. The Black, Potter, Longbottom, Lupin and Weasley adults shared the couches and chairs still in their bed clothes as the young ones all divided out the presents and sat with them, after Molly had made them all a pot of tea.
Ginny went first, for being the youngest, followed by Rose, then Ron, then Harry, then Neville (they shared a birthday, so they played a match of rock, paper, scissors), and then Fred and George. Tonks had been brought down after the presents were opened and cleared away, so she could join the family for breakfast, which was an elaborate meal that was planned out and prepared all by Molly. It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it tremendously.
The parents all had a heaviness on weighing on their hearts, because they knew what was going to happen after the students went back to school-with the exception of Ginny and Rose, who would stay at Grimmuald Place with their 'aunt' Sybil. They were going to launch into their attack plan that had been developed with a great help and sacrifice by Narcissa Malfoy.
Sirius in particular was still bothered by what she had pulled him aside to say after the meeting with the Aurors and the Order. If I die, I name you Draco's godfather. Take care of him, for me, cousin. He never has had a father before...raise him well, okay? He had been too moved to say anything at the time, and Narcissa hadn't stuck around long enough for him to think of something to say. He hadn't mentioned anything to Sybil, or even James about this, he still didn't know what to say to it. Sirius had been named Godfather to Harry back in the first war, by James in case Voldemort had found them, but even back then, James and Lily were hidden so well, they were out of danger. Narcissa, on the other hand...had put everything onto the line, for Draco, and for the rest of the Wizarding World.
James nudged his best friend at the morbid look on his face, "Something the matter Padfoot?" The mischievous-boy-turned-man asked. Sirius took a drink of his morning tea, that had a stronger something-something added to it, and shook his head.
"Why nothing, Prongs. Happy Christmas," he said, but James was no fool, the look in his eyes said they would speak about it later.
The children, Harry, Neville, and Ron, in particular, were gushing over the Quidditch World Cup tickets they had all received by their favorite uncle Sirius-who had inherited the substantial Black family fortune. Harry and Neville had been before, when they were a little younger, but next year would be Ron's first time, and they were excitedly telling him all about what they could remember, and how fantastic it was.
Rose and Ginny were playing with two witch dolls that Molly had made them, that were bewitched to move on their own. The two girls watched as the dolls got into a wizard duel with tiny wands that shot sparkling light. Fred and George were making fun of each other and how they looked in their mother' new knit sweaters, each with their initial on them, though of course Fred was wearing George's, and they looked identical.
It was while they were all enjoying their time together, the owl with the day's Daily Prophet arrived at the kitchen window. Sybil retrieved it, her slight belly hidden behind a bulky sweater. She took the prophet to her husband after she had read the cover, to show him the story. The disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Flume had been reported, and Rita Skeeter blamed the Death Eaters for the disappearance. She reported that the front door was blown in and the place obviously ransacked, but nothing really appeared missing, except for the inhabitants.
While that was true, the real story was much worse. Mrs. Flume had been murdered in her bed and Mr. Flume had been tortured and was kidnapped for information that only Sirius, James, and Remus knew about. James had realized the morning after Honeydukes had been attacked, the reason why the death eaters had bothered with the candy shop-the secret passage way. The only way they could have known about that, would be if they had witnessed James leaving Honeydukes before the students had left Hogwarts. Prongs had been laden with guilt from then on, because if he had been more careful about concealing himself, or not going all together, then Mr. and Mrs. Flume would be healthy and well. James had gone in the first place to tell Harry where they were going for the holidays, because they didn't trust the owls. The ministry hadn't shown signs of being infiltrated, but that didn't mean anything. While James was an Auror and worked for the ministry, he considered his role in the Order of the Phoenix more important. He still didn't trust most people in the other ministry departments-Arthor Weasley the exception.
The children had already been told about the break in to Hogsmeade, and the resulting extra security measures the Ministry were implanting for the students of Hogwarts as well as the townspeople of Hogsmeade. Nothing official had been reported, but the extra security would be added upon the return of the students. Fred and George in particular reacted the most a hearing the news about Mr. and Mrs. Flume-the adults had all chalked it up to them being old enough to visit Hogsmeade...James and Sirius, however, suspected something a little more complex.
Tonks took the paper from Sirius when he offered it to her, and read through the report quickly, and then looked at all of the other articles. Of course, she knew the real fate of Mrs. and Mr. Flume, but the Prophet reported a few other missing people as well. "This is how it started before? Isn't it? People going missing?" Tonks had been very young during the Wizarding War, and only remembered spending a lot of time in their second home in Spain-she had been too young to understand the concept of evil, and Voldemort's rise to power. Sirius nodded as he sat on the couch and placed his niece's feet in his lap.
"I'm afraid it is, and it can only get worse before things improve." The Aurors plan was only going to be acted upon when the children were safely out of harms way, at Hogwarts. Tonks had not been included in all of this, because she wasn't an Auror yet and was injured. Sirius (by adamant demands on Andromeda's part) wasn't going to allow her to be involved. Instead, he had sent a correspondence to Alastor Moody, to see if he wouldn't mind continuing his pupil's Auror training at Hogwarts. Sirius had yet to get the letter back, but he hoped the old man could understand what Sirius was trying to do, which was protect Tonks, as well as continue her training. It wouldn't hurt to have another pair of Order eyes at Hogwarts, either.
"You've got a plotful look in your eye," his niece spoke up, causing him to give a start and look at her. She held his gaze for a while and was about to unleash a torrent of questions, so Sirius tickled her feet instead. She shrieked and pulled them away, wincing when the act hurt her stomach. It was healing nicely, and if Tonks didn't irritate it too much in the next few days, she should be all healed before the new year-and be ready to go to Hogwarts. Molly snapped at Tonks for her movements, and reminded her of the week she had left of resting, and a threat to put her back into bed.
...
The knocker at the door sounded loudly through the hallway, a little before lunch time. Thankfully the knock wasn't loud enough to wake Walburga, and Sirius went to the door quickly. The parents had been in the back yard, watching a very intense game of a magicless snowball fight, while Siruis and Sybil shared a private conversation about her womb in the kitchen.
Sirius looked through the peep hole to see Mad-Eye staring at him with his magical eye. The curly haired man opened the door and smiled to his friend. "Happy Christmas, Alastor," Sirius greeted him, and stood aside for him to enter. The man hobbled in with his cane and let out a derisive snort.
"Only just, Sirius. Only just." Alastor went straight to the sitting room, and nodded his head at Sybil, who was seated now in the arm chair and was reading a book. Alastor took a seat like he owned the place and stretched his wooden leg out.
"Would you like some tea?" Sirius asked, Alastor nodded faintly and Sirius left to the kitchen before Sybil argued about getting some for the both of them. Sybil's family had been old fashioned-strangely old fashioned for a muggle family-and Sirius constantly tried to remind her of his competency of doing 'household things,' like getting tea, making food, or cleaning. Sirius came back in with a tray, with a fresh pot, and three cups with some sugar and cream.
Alastor took his cup immediately, and Sirius prepared Sybil's how she liked it, with two sugars and just a bit of cream. He sat back with his own cup and took a sit. "How is the little lass doing?" Alastor asked.
"Third floor, Molly has her on strict bed rest." Sirius grinned and Alastor's eye rolled upwards and scoped the place, he let out a grunt and looked back at Sirius."
"Molly would be an asset to St. Mungos," Alastor said distractedly.
"You try to convince her to go there." Sirius smiled and nodded though he pondered why Alastor's attention seemed split, "Molly has said Tonks should be healed by the New Year, if she doesn't push herself too hard. Of course Tonks does anyway."
"Yes, she's a stubborn lass." Alastor laughed a little and then he gave Tonks her privacy and looked elsewhere.
"Determined, I'd say," Sybil spoke up, her eyes glanced between Sirius and Alastor with a smile before she was absorbed by her book again. Sirius smiled at his wife before he looked back at Alastor.
"What do you think about my suggestion?" Sirius asked him curiously. Alastor's expression rarely gave anything he was thinking away, and now was no exception. Sirius saw, from the corner of his eye that Sybil had looked up curiously.
"Getting Dumbledore to allow a teacher's assistant was simple. Tonks better have no qualms of grading papers, or we'll have a row. Dumbledore's set her up with a room in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower, and she'll take over any detentions I am forced to sit through." It was made clear that Alastor hated being a professor-he was one of the best Aurors that ever lived, and an excellent auror trainer, but a terrible professor. Dumbledore thought it a good idea that Alastor had an assistant.
Sirius laughed faintly. "Would you like to go up and tell her, or shall I bring her down?" Alastor's eye wandered the room for a moment before he let out a barking laugh.
"What do you think, Sybil? Should I go and fetch her?" Alastor was still laughing, and Sybil's expression turned sour as she shut her book.
"How did you know?!" She demanded, and like having water poured over her, her features and hair changed to that of Nymphadora Tonks, purple hair and all.
Sirius gapped at her for a moment-especially because he didn't notice anything off. Sybil was naturally quiet and spoke up when she wanted to. She liked to read, and was sitting with her feet crossed at the ankles like always. Sirius then noticed her untouched tea next to her, and he could have slapped himself. Of course.
"Sybil's outside watching the snowball fight, and your room was empty. I'd give it an Acceptable." Alastor was still grinning however. Sirius let out a breath to calm himself-though honestly that never should have fooled him-and glared faintly at Tonks.
"What would Molly say, Tonks? About you being out of bed?"
"What would Sybil say, Sirius? About you not noticing it wasn't her?" Sirius scowled at the truth she pointed out and took a drink of his tea.
"Tonks?" Alastor asked, expectantly. She smiled at her mentor, and nodded.
"I'll be your mentor, but only if we seriously continue my Auror training, because you didn't mention that." She pointed a warning finger at him, which he shoved out of the way with his cane.
"Of course, you daft girl." Alastor stood to leave, and shook both of their hands. "Give my congratulations to Sybil. I've heard fish helps." Alastor left, leaving Sirius an interesting look on his face.
"What was he talking about, Uncle?"
"If you don't mention it, I won't mention anything to Molly?" Sirius asked, he glanced down the hallway to see if anyone was there. Alastor was already gone through the front door.
Tonks nodded enthusiastically-she didn't like it when the red haired woman yelled at her. "What is it?" She asked.
Sirius sat down and picked his tea back up. "Sybil is pregnant." A smile erupted on Tonk's face, as did Sirius'. He should have known that Alastor would have been able to tell from his magical eye. Tonks made her way-slightly crouched and she used the coffee table as a support-and hugged her uncle. Sirius hugged her back and they two chatted about her going back to Hogwarts as Sirius took her back up the stairs.
"For today's spell, I want everyone to think of their best spell-one that you know, and are confident in your ability to use it. Not something you have read about, but aren't yet sure where your control lies." Snape was speaking directly to Hermione with his last sentence, she had attempted to use the Oppugno Jinx in a practicing exercise against Boot. She had envisioned that the spell would have sent the few stacks of papers that Snape had been grading towards Boot, in an effort to distract him. Instead, the spell lifted any small loose object in the room and everyone was bombarded by them. By the time that Snape got everything to settle down, Hermione had perhaps a dozen things caught in her hair. Hermione got a few lines to write as punishment for trying such an advanced spell, and while she was writing the lines, Draco stood behind her, picking the things from her hair like a monkey.
Hermione blushed sheepishly, as he called her out, and looked at the floor. "Instead of pushing the boundaries of control, I want everyone to use spells with the utmost confidence. However," he cast his eyes to the four of them individually, "I want no defense, it is all attack. If a spell will hit, you an attacking spell to defend, to hit the spell to diffuse it."
Corner and Hermione were paired off first, the spells they sent back at each other were simple; Stupify, Expelliarmus, Incendio, that sort of thing. Michael had sent an Expelliarmus that she was unable do get out of the way of, so like Snape directed, she hit the spell with one of her own, causing Michael's spell to bounce and hit the wall. She took a moment to grin at Michael, who was grinning as well.
"No grinning, Granger! There is no pause in a real duel!"
"Yes sir!" Hermione pushed away the happiness of succeeding, and crouched. As quick as she could enunciate the spells, she shot three Stunning spells towards Michael, who was able to redirect the first two, but caught the third. Snape revived him and gave the victory to Granger. She smiled and the two sat down as Draco and Terry stepped up to duel.
It was the Monday before New Years, and the rest of the Hogwarts student population would be returning to school on Thursday, just after the New Year. Hermione was excited for their little dueling family to widen. She had a feeling three Gryffindors would be the first on the list, though she wasn't pleased with the idea of sharing more space with Ronald Weasely. He was a crude git, and she knew his performances in their classes were lacking, but she supposed everyone had an equal right to the Dueling Club. (She maybe also wanted the chance to duel him.)
The day after Christmas, the Daily Prophet revealed the Death Eater attack upon Hogsmeade, and the disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Flume to the people of Hogwarts. An attack so close to them was hard to understand, and many of the students had fled to the safety of their beds for the rest of that day, crying and cowering. The four little Duelists, however, had met with Snape, as usual, and practiced from before lunch time, well into the night. The tension only rose in the next few days. Headmaster Dumbledore announced to everyone over a lunch meal, that the Ministry would be sending security reinforcements to Hogwarts, to ease the 'troubled minds.' Alastor Moody took up a walk around the entire grounds every day, checking things with his magical roaming eye.
The manner of the 'security reinforcements' had not been passed along to Dumbledore, or he refrained from letting the students know. Either way, Dumbledore remained vague about it, even when Hermione went to his office to ask. Later, she realized how out of place she was, and sent him an apology owl. In reply at Dinner time, he smiled and winked at her.
In their daily Dueling Club, Snape had upped the anti, as it were, and they were constantly pushing their boundaries and comfort zones to become better duelists. Snape, in particular, felt it was a little unnecessary as these students were first years, but he also admired their fierce determination, and thirst for improvement. Snape did not know the Death Eaters plans, and that attack on Honeydukes was strange, but Snape didn't really believe Hogwarts was under any threat. There wasn't anything in Hogwarts that the death eaters could want-at least not why they all broke out of Azkaban for.
Snape knew very well the danger he had put himself into the moment he stepped between the Dark Lord, and Lily Evans (he refuses to think of her as a Potter) but yet he was in no position to back away when he sent the killing curse. He had invoked the wrath of all of the Death Eaters, and the rest of the Dark Lord's followers that night. The ones that were arrested, he paid no other thought, but he knew of the ones that also evaided arrest. The ones that stayed hidden, or went back to their 'normal' lives. He knew who they were, yet he understood the only protection he had was keeping their identities a secret. If he alerted the Ministry those who had escaped conviction, they would come after him immediately. They gave him a wide berth but that didn't stop all of the attacks, the poisons, the attempted break ins.
Snape had been approached by Dumbledore every year consecutively after the Wizarding War, for Snape to join the staff at Hogwarts but he had refused every year. He didn't want to go back to that place, he was fine in isolation, where he had nothing but his childhood memories to keep him company. Snape honestly could think of why it took so many propositions from Dumbledore for Snape to finally accept, he didn't know why this year, but his little Dueling Club was actually something he was beginning to be...proud of.
When Dumbledore had summoned Snape to his office, he dreaded it. He imagined it would involve some sort of plan by the old man, and he had been ready to settle in for the night. Instead of waiting until morning, he went to his office, where he spotted the bushy head of Granger, sitting in one of Dumbledore's office chairs. With an arched eyebrow, Snape entered.
Dumbledore smiled between the two and had offered Snape the privilege and opportunity to heading the Dueling club. When Snape brought up the fact that that position should go to the Defense Against the Dart Arts teacher, Dumbledore confessed he did not think that Alastor Moody would be a 'safe choice.' Snape had to hide a smile, and thought it over. He still wasn't entirely sure why Granger was there, but he knew deep down he would enjoy it.
He accepted with feign indifference. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, as if he saw through him, and then reintroduced him to Granger, admitting it was her idea in the first place. With initial distaste, Snape listened as she rabbited on about the need for the students to have a productive and safe way to practice defensive magic, especially after the escaped Death Eaters. And how that could not really happen unless a teacher sponsored them. Snape had to refrain from rolling his eyes, because all of that was obvious, and that all she had said was unnecessary, yet he stayed quiet and nodded faintly.
"Then we will meet in my classroom after breakfast tomorrow, I suppose you have others interested in this as well?" Snape said, to which she nodded several times too many.
"Yes, Professor Snape!" He, again, had to stop himself from smiling. Dumbledore thanked the girl and dismissed her. As she left, Dumbledore confided in Snape his high expectations he had for that girl.
Now that they had been practicing in the Dueling club, Snape knew what Dumbledore had been talking about. Granger had been able on that first day of practice to move and perform her spells exceptionally—Malfoy as well. The two pushed each other in a way that so many other people had, yet often turned to enemies because of the competitiveness. Snape was painfully reminded of his friendship with Lily Evans, and refused to think any more on it. She through in her lot with Potter and hadn't spoken to him since the night he killed Voldemort for her.
Bitterly, Snape returned his attention to the duel between Draco and Boot just as Draco used the Levicorpus spell, to which Boot was unable to block or dispel. As the boy was hoisted by his ankle, Snape was once again reminded of his past. He let the boy down with the counter-curse, Libracorpus and declared Draco the winner. He shook off the memories of creating the spell and having it being used against him indiscriminately. He was slightly surprised the spell was still in circulation.
Snape signaled for Granger to take up Boot's position and duel Malfoy. The two friends bowed to each other with grins, and stood. They both seemed to use stunning spells only, so the room was constantly lit up by the red light. Snape was reminded of muggle fireworks. Boot and Corner watched with interest.
They didn't seem to gain the upper hand on each other, no matter how fast the two shot their spells. Snape decided that if neither one gained the upper hand in the next five minutes, he would call it a draw. Almost as if his mental decision was spoken aloud, the two students circled each other and started using other spells as well, causing the room to erupt in different blasts of light.
Malfoy had just unleashed a very powerful Incendio, when he was tripped up into his shoelaces and fell. He smashed into the ground on his side and cringed faintly. Granger stowed her wand away and immediately went to check on her friend, as if they hadn't just been flinging dangerous spells at each other in an attempt to beat the other, and helped him to his feet. He was embarrassed more than injured, but took her questions in stride. He tied his shoes with a flick of his wrist and then glared faintly at Granger.
"Did you untie my shoes?" He accused her, one side of his mouth tipped in a smile. "Because you knew you couldn't beat me by playing fairly?"
"As if, Malfoy," she rolled her eyes at him and took up her previous position and the two bowed again. Snape was once again impressed by their abilities to be friends and yet be so competitive.
True to his mental cap at five minutes, he called for a cease-fire, "the duel may continue at our next meeting, which will be January the 2nd." Granger began to protest.
"You all have been working very hard over the break, but take these next two days to rest; I'll hear nothing else about it." Truthfully, Snape wouldn't mind meeting the next two days, but Dumbledore had requested his assistance during a Ministry meeting, and would not be on the grounds to oversee the club. "I should hope not to hear about any club activity going on during these next two days." It was a thinly veiled threat, and the four students were clever enough to hear it. He waved them dismissed and they wished him a good New Year. He sighed internally and sat behind his desk, and hoped he had one as well. Dumbledore had already relayed the plan that was going to happen in the next few days.
I apologize for the time it took me to post this chapter. I had just started editing it, and I added on a bit at the end when my computer shut down and all my updates went away. I was pretty mad at my computer so I said ,"to heck with it!" and kind of ignored it for a while. I didn't want to punish anyone so I forced myself to rewrite it. Originally, during the duel between Hermione and Draco, a spell was going to head straight for Boot and before anyone could deflect it, Snape used nonverbal magic it dispel it-which they hadn't seem him do before. They were all uber impressed but Snape refused to teach them it, saying 'that is the responsibility for your sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and I will hear no more about it.' Which of course is funny, but I also liked the way this version turned out as well.
So again, I apologize for the lateness, and I will try to make this next chapter supermegacrazyawesome good. (note to the reference to AVMP. I've made a few throughout the whole fic.)
Thank you for reading!