I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Extended Family
Chapter 86 – Long Over-Duel
Takes place during the summer before Harry's sixth year, during chapter 111 of Family.
"Is there any chance I can talk you out of this?" Remus sighed, already knowing the answer.
"There's always a chance," Sirius said shortly. "In this case though, it's very low."
"I might as well save my strength for other responsibilities then," Remus snarked.
"This has been a long time coming," Sirius said, his voice low and heavy. "You can't tell me that you don't want a piece of him for what he's done."
"I can tell you and no I'm not saying it to be contrary," Remus said, ignoring Sirius' wounded look. "Will I forgive him for it? No, not ever. However, he has changed much since then, genuinely changed, and there are better things to do than wallow in hate and resentment."
"And what I'm doing is to get rid of my wallowing hate and resentment," Sirius retorted.
"And that is why I haven't stunned you and left you tied up somewhere to get over it," Remus sighed deeply.
A very identical conversation was being had on the other side of the room.
"I do not suppose that you can be made to see reason," Pomfrey asked.
"Answering a challenge is reasonable," Snape said quietly.
Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "Not answering a challenge is also reasonable. Saying no to a challenge is also answering a challenge."
"Quite," Snape said, teeth pressed together.
"Do not think to treat me like one of your students," Pomfrey said shortly. "Especially since the vast majority of your students would pay gold to witness this."
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," Snape said, the words barely dripping with sarcasm.
"Purely selfish, I assure you. I finally have you trained in making the potions and creams I need. Not to mention I am trying to spare myself work in healing the both of you."
"I will keep that in mind," Snape said tonelessly and Pomfrey snorted.
They were at Hogwarts. During the summer, usually only the instructors and the House Elves were the only ones there with the occasional visit from those with appointments. Sirius had made good on his promise to make Snape answer for his past crimes and challenged him to a duel. Snape had agreed readily, just like he said he would during the Horcrux affair.
Dumbledore, after catching word of the duel and finding himself unable to convince either man to refuse the duel, offered Hogwarts as the grounds for the duel. He and McGonagall and Flitwick made a dueling arena out of one of the larger classrooms, casting many protective spells and wards into the space.
A small group had assembled there. Sirius stood on one side with Remus beside him. Snape stood on the other, alone and unbothered by it. Pomfrey, McGonagall, Flitwick, Dumbledore, and Moody stood against the wall.
"Is there such a need for this?" Dumbledore asked. "The time for conflict is over. We all have made mistakes and work to atone for them. Can we not let the past go?"
"No," Sirius said, glaring at Snape.
"Evidently not," Snape sniffed. "Do not blame the mongrel solely in this desire. I too have my own grievances to put to rest."
Sirius grinned savagely. "Oh yeah? This'll be good."
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. Then we will be watching and I will intervene if either of you try to kill the other. Do not think I will not. This duel will go until the other capitulates or is incapacitated or if we feel the need to intervene."
"And I'll put you down if you throw out anything really dark," Moody growled, staring at Snape.
"Make sure he knows that too," Snape said silkily, looking at Sirius. "Or have you all forgotten that he is a Black?"
"I've never forgotten," Sirius growled. "And what are you?"
Snape's smile was thinner than the finest parchment. "No name of consequence."
Remus met the others at the edge of the room. "I guess we can only let them fight it out."
Moody conjured a chair and sat down heavily. "Hopefully it'll be entertaining."
"Two grown wizards looking to grievously injure the other and you are concerned if it will be entertaining?" McGonagall glared down at Moody.
"Yeah," Moody replied. "Snape had this coming for a long time and we all know that Sirius ain't no saint either. From what Remus tells me, Sirius gave as good as he got and then some."
"You are not wrong," McGonagall sighed.
Flitwick held up his wand. "Duelists, report ready."
"Ready," Sirius said eagerly, wand pointed down and out at an angle.
"Ready," Snape said coolly, wand pointed straight down.
Flitwick nodded. "Then, begin." He gestured at a large rune stone at his feet. It flared brilliantly and other runes etched into the stones glowed with it. A faint line separated the watchers from the duelists.
Sirius immediately attacked. He spun his wand in a tight circle several times, each rotation creating a sphere of fire. After creating seven of them, he threw his arm out and the seven fireballs flew straight for Snape.
Snape drew a large circle with his wand, creating a cyclone. The fireballs were sucked into it, running into each other and creating a larger sphere before being launched back at Sirius.
"Glacius!" Sirius drew a complicated pattern with his wand and the fireball became an iceball, and Sirius ducked, letting it fly over his head. He pointed with his wand and swung the tip down, catching the iceball midair and slamming it into the ground. The ice shattered into thousands of glittering shards and they went flying at Snape with another wave of Sirius' wand.
Snape summoned a large shield before him. The ice shards hammered into the metallic surface, filling the room with a riot of noise. He dodged out from behind the shield and threw Severing Charms at Sirius with economical flicks of his wrist, bouncing from either side of the shield at different angles.
Sirius slapped each charm into the ground or the ceiling with an almost dismissive sneer. "That's the best you can do?" he taunted. The words had barely left his lips when he slipped, the stone beneath him becoming slick with a slippery substance. He hissed in pain when a Severing Charm cut into his shoulder, cutting through his robes and into his skin.
"Clearly not," Snape smiled. He followed up with several overpowered Bludgeoning Hexes, making Sirius dodge. Each impact cracked the stone they struck, making the runes shimmer and writhe.
"This will end well," McGonagall sighed.
"If they were not obviously trying to severely maim each other, this would be a very educational duel," Flitwick remarked.
"At least they aren't trying to kill each other," Remus grunted. "Not yet anyways."
Sirius rolled, dodging the last of the Bludgeoners, and came up to one knee. He muttered under his breath and a cloud of ink-black shadows collected at the wand tip. He slashed his wand left to right and the cloud became a wave that enveloped one side of the room, the side Snape was on. He then conjured several metal spikes and shot them into the shadows.
"Sirius!" Dumbledore shouted. "What did I say?!"
Sirius looked sour. "What, he dodged them." He listened to the sound of metal striking stone and he looked disappointed when he heard all of them be accounted for. "I guess I should have guessed the greasy bat could see in the dark."
Snape appeared after dispelling the shadows, unscathed. "Is that the best you can do?" he asked oily. He grunted and fell to his knees when one of the metal spikes came flying towards him, piercing his shoulder from behind.
"Clearly not." Sirius' smile was all teeth. "Being stabbed in the back hurts, doesn't it? Now you know how James and Lily felt!"
"Oh dammit Sirius," Remus groaned.
Snape's head came up and his eyes burned. Ignoring the spike for the moment, he flicked his wand and Sirius yelped as he was dragged into the air by his leg. Before he could dispel the jinx, he was slammed into the unyielding stone at another gesture from Snape. The watchers winced at the bone-rattling impact and Sirius groaned in pain.
Snape yanked the spike from his shoulder and tossed it aside. "And that was for trying to get me killed that night! Thick head, meet thick stone!"
"What does that mean?" Moody asked.
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sirius tricked Snape into going into the shack one night during a full moon."
"Oh dear," Flitwick muttered.
"What a fuckwit, the both of them," Moody grumbled.
"I wasn't pleased with either of them," Remus sighed.
Sirius snarled as he climbed to his feet. He shook his hand and hissed an incantation. Fire spilled from his wand tip, coiling about itself until it formed a large wheel and at a gesture, it rolled towards Snape, leaving a trail of embers and flame in its wake.
"You are such a hothead, all you can think of is fire!" Snape dodged left and right, leaping over the burning wheel. It continued to chase him until Snape jumped to one side and the wheel slammed into the wall, sending gouts of fire everywhere. Snape then turned towards Sirius and shouted. A wave of serpents came into being and flung themselves at Sirius.
"You think this will scare me?!" Sirius howled with laughter and he cast a wide spread Impediment Jinx, stopping the snakes cold. "I'm a bloody Black! I woke up to snakes!" A large glittering sword appeared, slicing the snakes in half and making them writhe before they dissolved. The sword turned into a black whip and Sirius snapped it, cracking the lash at Snape again and again.
After dodging the lash for several strikes, Snape rushed towards Sirius, blasting the whip aside. However, Sirius jumped to one side and snapped it once more and the lash caught Snape on the wrist. He roared in pain and reflexively dropped his wand. Sirius grinned as he summoned it to him. "Gotcha Snivvy, you going to-"
Snape had followed his wand and punched Sirius hard in the face, sending the other man sprawling, cutting off his words. "I am going to beat you and enjoy it!" Snape shouted savagely and jumped onto Sirius, punching him for all he was worth.
"Huh. I never knew Severus enjoyed Muggle dueling," Flitwick remarked, his eyebrows high and eyes wide.
"Shouldn't you be stopping this?" McGonagall asked Moody.
Moody grinned, munching on a snack he pulled out of his robes. "I said I'd stop dark magic, not a fist fight."
Sirius took several more punches before he was able to kick Snape off. He had dropped both wands in the tumble and he leapt at Snape without grabbing either. He transformed in mid air and tackled Snape to the ground. Man and dog rolled over the stones, grunting and growling and shouting and barking at one another while the man punched and kicked and the dog bit and scratched.
"This has gone on long enough!" Pomfrey said loudly.
"Agreed." Dumbledore slashed with his wand and Snape and Sirius were separated, flung to opposite sides of the room. At another gesture, long ropes shot from his wand, entangling the man and the dog, restraining them securely. He summoned both of them to him and he looked down severely at them. "Enough is enough. I trust either of you are now satiated."
Snape and Sirius looked away, looking like chastised students instead of adults. "Yes Sir," Snape said at last.
Sirius whined. He transformed back into a person after another stern look from Dumbledore. "Yeah, I'm fine with it," he whined again.
Pomfrey snorted and set to healing them of their injuries. Besides the wound in his shoulder, Snape was covered in scratches and claw marks as well as a very deep bite to his forearm. "I hope you had your shots, mongrel," Snape sniped, wincing when Pomfrey glared at him and prodded a wound with her wand with a bit more force than necessary.
"I should be worried about catching something from you," Sirius retorted. One eye was swollen shut and turning black and he spat again and again, trying to rid his mouth of a taste. "You taste awful."
"Another word out of you and I'll let Andromeda do the rest of the healing," Pomfrey scolded.
Sirius immediately went quiet and looked the picture of innocence, which given his current state of injury and the ropes around him, failed utterly.
"Let this be the end of the hostility," Dumbledore said to the two men. "I do not ask you to be the best of friends but I expect courtesy becoming a British gentleman and civility. Am I clear in this?"
"Crystal," Sirius said.
"Yes Sir," Snape said.
"And do not think I do not hear the silent 'you won't catch me" from you," McGonagall said to Sirius. "I have heard all of your excuses and the ways you do not say things out loud."
Sirius held his hands up. "Alright alright, I hear you. It's done. We got our fight and he didn't win and I didn't win. It's done." He crossed his arms. "Just to be clear, I would've won eventually."
"You wouldn't have enjoyed the victory for long," Snape hissed.
"Enough," Dumbledore said severely and they immediately went quiet. "I am not above shoving the both of you into a small sealed room and forcing you to interact without your wands or anything to resolve this to my satisfaction. Do not test me."
"Why didn't you do that when we were students?" Remus asked.
"I was told it would be cruel at the time."
"I had no desire to deal with the fallout," McGonagall sniffed. "At least now I can walk away from it entirely."
-0-
"Enter." Snape nodded cordially to Pomfrey as she walked into his office.
"And how's the arm?" Pomfrey asked.
He held it out for her to inspect. "Healing well, thank you. Slowly, but well."
"Good. If it was a normal dog bite, it would be much easier to fix. Animagus forms are inherently magical however and they can do some strange things." She daubed a bit more ointment on and rewrapped it. "Should be healed up in a day or two however. Also I was asked to deliver this. Do not worry, it has been inspected for magical tampering."
Snape took the package from her and opened it, snorting at the contents.
"Wood polish and cleaning cloth?" Pomfrey asked, confused.
"Because I am a bat," Snape said dryly.
"Ah, that's not even the same kind of bat," Pomfrey sighed. "Though I suppose he could have sent insects for you to eat. Are you going to respond in kind?"
"I already have."
"Have you now? That is a surprise." Pomfrey raised an eyebrow. "What have you sent?"
"A muzzle and a leash."
She smiled. "Well done. I never knew you had this side to you."
Snape shrugged. "It is oddly satisfying if I must admit."
"I will not tell anyone that you have," she said and smiled at his sigh.
-0-0-0-
Ghostwriter - Thank you. I knew I wanted to make it feel extra absurd with the colors and I don't think anyone is surprised that Luna would join them.
tainted1992 - Thank you for the kind words. I don't expect for everyone to like all I write and don't mind constructive critiques and comments. However, the last few days I got some really nasty remarks on some of my other works and it left me feeling sour. As you might have seen, I never expected Hedwig to play as big of a role as she has but I certainly don't mind. Some of my favorites have been her chapters and she's fun to write for.
Imaginer.012 - Always good to see you, hope you are doing well and things have improved. I'm grateful for your kindness. I was feeling a bit rough and was glad for the kind words. Thank you for joining me on the journey and wish you the best. You are a gem.
bdwilliams3 - Thank you. It's hard sometimes. As people do, it's hard to ignore the negatives despite all the positives.
Mad-92 - I don't know if there will be a specific part 2 per se, but I always make references and callbacks when applicable. Thank you.
Guest - It was probably a group idea, showing how smart they are together.
alix33 - Thank you. Luna would make them their colors because it is only proper for them to have something proper to rally about.
Urgwaew - Thank you so much. I always had the idea of Dahlia wanting to play Chaser and feeling conflicted about it, and I knew it wouldn't turn into something bad from it. Luna would be the best at those conversations and it felt right for her. Then to turn things on its head in spectacular Potter fashion and make it delightfully absurd at the end. And of course Luna would join them. Thank you for the kindness. Good wishes to you as well and hope things have improved on your end.
guest - Run the colors of civil disobedience.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Glad you enjoyed.
EbonPurlight - I'm glad, thank you.
odonnellzoo99 - Luna may not start trouble, at least all the time, but she will definitely join it and make things all the better. Thank you for the kind words.
The Lunar 9 Tailed Fox - I am pretty happy with the personalities of the second generation. I never thought I would flesh them out as much, much like other characters, but I find myself enjoying developing them as well and seeing the antics that they get into.
