Warning: Violence
Word Count: 6907
AN: I appreciate y'all being patient with the slower schedule. I haven't had much time to finish the story, but hopefully that will change starting next month.
~o0o~
Hermione saw Márcia, Quripuma, and Cássia off before stepping onto the platform with Alejandro, Blaise, Fleur, and Draco. They each touched a piece of crystal and were soon whisked away. The Portkey dropped them off closer to the entrance than the bus did last time she visited. Hermione straightened her legs and floated gracefully down.
"Where did Alejandro go?" asked Draco. "He was just here."
"He let go too soon," said Blaise. "I told him last time."
Hermione looked up and took two side-steps to the right.
"AGHHH!"
Alejandro crashed to the ground, creating a Looney-Tune-esque crater. Hermione looked into it.
"I'm okay!" he said. "Wizard travel just doesn't agree with me."
She offered her hand and he accepted her help out of the hole.
"Maybe I should get the gyrosphere up and running," he said, rubbing his head.
"What's the gyrosphere?" asked Blaise, drawing their wand and clearing the dirt off him.
"It's a device that can travel along leylines," he explained as he looked for the entrance. "It's fast. Not as fast as apparation or portkey, but you could get anywhere in fifteen minutes."
Hermione walked over to the entrance and tapped her foot against it.
"Ah, thanks Nia," he said and knelt down to open it.
There were no longer stone steps. Instead, it was a gentle, but winding ramp. No doubt to be more accessible.
"So, why are you here Blaise?" Draco asked. "I mean… you and a troll?"
"Well, flesh bags are pretty delicate, but when it's love it's love, right?" said Alejandro.
Hermione snorted. Blaise smiled calmly.
"Seems I'm not the only one being true to their feelings," they said. "It's so nice that you finally woke up and realized how in love you are with Nia."
"What a horrible thought," said Hermione, making Alejandro laugh.
"What?!" Draco squawked. "How dare you! I'm loyal to Astoria. Aside from that, I would never date the likes of Granger."
Hermione knew Draco was yearning for Astoria. They were barely dating and had supposedly agreed to a break, but she had no doubt either were interested in dating anyone else during this break. Why else would Draco cut out her annual photo and frame it? Boys could be so cute when they were in love. Of course, she wouldn't tease him about it, she didn't want him to resent her.
Though she was sure he already did. Perhaps that was because she was accessible rather than the ancestors who made it so he was obligated. Tied to her. Obligated to stay by her side and fight in a war he wanted no part in as opposed to hiding away in endless summer. To train, to follow her orders. Astoria had sent a threatening letter warning her not to torment Draco or her grandchildren would be feeling the effects of her hexes. Daphne messaged her through the IMN after the fact, apologizing for her sister.
Hermione assured her that it was fine and to pass along a note to not worry. That she would be as sensitive towards Draco's feelings as she reasonably could and that he looked hot in the little maid outfit she bought him; she could have sworn she heard Daphne scream with laughter after sending that.
"You know how to make a girl feel wanted, Duckie," she signed.
"Call me Duckie, written or signed, and I'll make you eat your pen!" he snarled.
"Careful, Duckie," said Alejandro, removing his necklace to grow to his full form. "Violence is a form of flirtation for trolls."
He opened the doorway. The Hearthstone was as bustling as ever. Draco fell silent, taking it in. Blaise moved ahead and looped their arm with Alejandro's.
"This is wonderful!" Fleur gushed, hooking her arm with Hermione's so she wouldn't get lost.
Hermione smiled. It was good to be back here.
"You can have the same room as last time, Nia," said Alejandro when they made it to his place. "I am working now, but I will have time to hang out. You're free to go wherever you wish in the Hearthstone."
"Thank you."
Draco looked around the place and wrinkled his nose. He could still be such a snob.
Biggs entered the main area, spotted Hermione, and charged her, those around her scattered. She hit him with her lightening charm and threw him over her head. He landed square on his back and laughed heartily. She helped him to his feet before cancelling the charm.
"You have grown stronger," he said, looking pleased.
Hermione took out her notebook and Alejandro tapped it with a translation spell since Biggs couldn't read surface languages. "Can I train with you and Bix while I'm here?"
Biggs squinted at her words and nodded. "Of course! It would be an honor to train with someone of your skill! What is your weapon of choice?"
She brought out both scythe and khopesh for him to look at. His four eyes widened and he took them in his four hands, examining them and waving them around.
"This is the crystal I gave you," he said, tapping the one on her scythe.
"Yes," she wrote. "I hope that's okay."
"It is an honorable use for them. They have been cut well. I believe I remember the visiting goblins discussing the use of our crystals in their crafts. Mamá, Papá, and Alejito have been working with them. Who knew the baby of the family had a future in ambassadorship?"
Alejandro grinned sheepishly. "Well, I figured this family had enough warriors."
"Speaking of," Biggs looked at Fleur. "You must be a mighty warrior to bear such scars."
Fleur blushed and Hermione nodded.
"Destroyed horcrux." She wrote. "Gouged out eye of evil wizard. She's rad."
Biggs grinned. "Then she is worthy of crystals. I shall have Papá bestow them on her before she leaves. Which reminds me, Nia, I hear war is brewing in your homeland. I have no reaction to sunlight, so should you need assistance, you have friends who will fight with you."
"Thank you, B-I-G-G-S," she signed and smiled.
"Still sweet on her, huh?" said Alejandro. "She's not gonna date you, bro."
Biggs smiled and pulled him into a headlock, giving him a double-noogie while he yelled in protest. Hermione wasn't concerned over a crush. Biggs was brash and seemed to enjoy bickering and picking fights, she expected he would charge her every time they crossed paths, but she didn't see him crossing her boundaries.
"I'm confused," said Draco. "Alejandro is half-troll, right? So… how is his brother a full troll?"
"Alejandro is adopted," said Bix. When had xe arrived? "We aren't sure how he was formed, but he crawled out of the ground half-human. No parents to claim him."
"Mamá was attached," said Biggs. "Please, select your dwellings quickly. Mamá has tasked me with feeding you as the rest of the family is busy. Are there any dietary restrictions I must be aware of?"
"I will eat anything as long as it is not bland," said Fleur.
Fleur had grown a bit more confident in her appearance after nobody made it a big deal at the Sanchez house. Not even the baby triplets reacted. After all, they may not have been personally affected by the curse, but they saw its effect on the older family members. There was a fair share of injuries.
The Hearthstone was bustling as always. Branch the tororo waved his parasol as they passed by and Nia waved back, unable to muster the excitement she once had. It seemed most of her feelings were muted these days. But it hadn't been that long. It was… what? October? November? Who knew anymore. Either way, she and Fleur would make their way to France at the beginning of December to prepare for the wedding.
Fleur was getting wistful and weepy about being apart from Bill. But she still didn't seem ready to return to Europe.
"Nia!"
Sid ran up and tackled her into a hug.
"Done with school, Obsidian?" asked Biggs.
Sid ignored him.
"I haven't seen you in forever!" thon said. "How have you been?"
Nia smiled and brought out her notebook to respond.
"What's that for?" thon asked.
"She isn't talking," said Draco.
"Oh. Why?"
"Nia can communicate just fine with her notebook or sign," said Fleur. "If she does not wish to speak, the reasons are her own."
"Okay," said Sid. "But that doesn't answer my question, Nia. How are you?"
"On the brink of madness, thanks for asking."
Thon stared at the words, then grinned. "Me too! I've been researching and compiling my case for reaching out to other communities. Alejandro has been helping, but there are still some who think that even goblins shouldn't make permanent residence in the Hearthstone. I think I might go crazy. Why can't the answer just be 'why not?' and be accepted?"
Nia sighed heavily and nodded, knowing full well the verbal battle thon was talking about. It did make it easier to point to research for reasons of doing things, but that research was difficult when there weren't experiments to point to, which probably meant thon and anyone else in the ambassador program had to create their own experiments. Which meant this was the beginning of a several year process. The hardest years in her opinion. It was difficult to get new ideas to gain traction.
"Tell me more while I'm here," she said.
"How long are you here?" Sid asked. "Please say more than a few days."
"A week or so."
"Oh, good!" Sid clapped thon hands.
Nia tucked her hair back and turned to thon so thon could discuss the work thon had been working on. Sid didn't know sign and Nia wasn't sure she could bounce back ideas on where to go next anyway. Her sign, though she had been practicing for a few years now and could speak basic BSL and would likely hold a productive conversation due to Dominican Sign being very similar to ASL, which was based off French Sign Language, there was still a lot she didn't know. She decided it was about as well as her general French. She could hold a halfway decent conversation, convey her feelings, talk about things she liked or disliked with elementary vocabulary, but anything complex… well, she'd get there one day. Especially if her voice continued to elude her. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, really, just inconvenient at times.
Biggs took them to a restaurant that was close to the edge of the gardens. Here the Sun Stone loomed large and seemed to make everything glow a little gold. It was a bit warmer here than the rest of the caverns, but not warm enough to remove sweaters. Though Alejandro, Biggs, and Sid didn't really feel temperature like the rest of them. Yes, they could tell when things were hot or cold, and depending on their foundation crystal, they might have a higher tolerance to heat (Sid, for instance, could plunge thon hands in lava and be fine but Albite could not) but they didn't really have a need for sweaters. Clothes were more for fashion and some Trolls went without, choosing only to don the crystals they earned.
It wasn't like their humanoid physique was that humanoid.
"Family of ten platter medium-size," Biggs ordered. "And drinks for the table."
Hermione imagined that the sign with rows of the Trollish language listed the menu. It did seem more like the kind of place where they served you what they wanted and you just said how much. Which made sense, they had all those crops, but they were still in cycles. Not much in the way of imports, the only exception being certain spices and honey. And with trolls coming in sizes from six inches to twelve feet tall, it wouldn't be reasonable for the small trolls to get the same amount of food as the big trolls.
They settled at a table and Biggs leaned over to chat with trolls at other tables. Hermione looked over at Blaise and Alejandro and saw the telltale signs of a couple not quite ready to admit they were a couple to the whole world. Stolen looks, excuses to brush against each other. She was a little surprised at the match. She thought Blaise as the type to look down on Alejandro for some silly reason. Perhaps they were attracted to the troll at first for the idea of being close to the producers of all these beautiful crystals, but it seemed that through letters and now spending time together, it had grown into genuine attraction.
"Can I see your hands, Nia?" asked Sid.
She held her hands out.
"Those are the crystals you won, yes?"
She nodded.
"That's really interesting. How our crystals and the goblin metal made these."
"They channel her magic," Fleur supplied. "With them, she is never unarmed. They can't be removed by anyone but her, I think."
Hermione nodded and demonstrated by transfiguring her napkin into little butterflies. They flitted away and she watched them, checking out briefly until Alejandro said her name.
"If you're tired, you can go home," he said. "We can bring you leftovers."
She shook her head. "I'm fine."
"If you're sure," he said and turned back to Blaise.
It was nice. Being with friends. The food came out and, being spring, they had different fare than at the Autumn Festival. Some things were the same. The potatoes and the meat, but the vegetables were different. Hermione took a bit of everything just to try it. She thought it would be nice to have a turntable so it'd be easier to share, but figured that would be difficult to install in a stone table and wooden ones would be broken too easy. Trolls were a rough and rowdy bunch, but she supposed if she were biologically 30-80% stone she wouldn't know her own strength or weight in relation to flesh bags either.
After dinner, they returned to the house.
"I must retire," said Biggs. "I will see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," Hermione signed.
"How about a game?" Alejandro suggested.
"Yes, a game sounds perfect," said Fleur.
~o0o~
"Here, Nia," said Bix, handing her a necklace with a crystal on it.
Hermione stared at xem and xe blinked.
"Oh! This is not to court," xe said, looking embarrassed. "This is so you can train within the Arena."
"Thank you." Hermione put it on and it expanded out, covering her in crystal armor the same color as the basilisk skin armor she was wearing. She gasped and looked down at it.
This was amazing!
"You look like a hero from a book!" said Fleur.
"I am sorry to say that you can't use it outside the Hearthstone," said Bix apologetically. "It's powered by the Sun Stone, once you get too far away, it stops drawing energy."
Pity. Hermione clicked her tongue and shrugged. It would be fine for practice.
"Fleur, do you want one?" asked Bix.
"I think I will just watch," she said. "I think your training might be too intense for me."
Hermione patted her shoulder and followed Bix and Biggs into the Arena. There were about twenty other trolls training. She recognized some of them from the Battle Royale.
"Bix and I are professional fighters," said Biggs. "Think of it as human gladiators. We train and spar and fight. There are no wars to fight, so we do it for entertainment."
Like Pro-Wrestling.
"You and Garnet are the only ones with a dragon title," said Bix. "She's one of the smaller trolls and only has two arms. She agreed to train with you and teach you our fighting style."
"I volunteered to train you," said Biggs. "But Bix thought it would be frustrating."
"You have four arms and four eyes," said Bix. "Your methods are different from hers."
Hermione nodded. Garnet spotted them and jogged over. In the stands, Fleur sat down. Blaise and Draco were hanging around Alejandro to watch him work. Troll jobs didn't seem to have a lot of hours. Lots of time for leisure activities.
Garnet was still over a head taller than her, but she did only have two arms and one eye. She studied Hermione and tipped her head. Her stone skin was purplish with little flecks of red and blue catching in the light. Like most trolls, her hair was closer to the texture of moss or lichen. Like all magical beings, her magical center was in the heart area, though rather than spread out through veins, it seemed to just send pulses throughout their bodies.
"Let's start on some drills," said Garnet. "Let's see if you can keep up flesh bag."
Was flesh bag a slur? Or just an insult? She didn't feel particularly offended by it. She was in fact a bag of flesh. A meat suit. Perhaps it was their way of reminding themselves how fragile she was.
The armor was heavy, but she was fine.
"Next level of drills," said Garnet. "Keep up."
The lever was pushed and the ground rumbled and transformed to crazy platforms, though this time there were things that swung and spat fire to try and knock them off. The logical part of her said this was crazy, but the part of her that was growing louder each day said to just roll with it.
Trolls could jump higher and farther than the average human. Higher and farther than any Olympian human, actually. The suit of armor given to Hermione made up for that. She still had to maintain control of her muscles. In fact, on her first jump to the next platform, she overshot it and fell down towards the lava pit.
The armor protected her from heat and she was able to doggy paddle to the edge of the Arena, a forcefield acted as a screen so she could see. It was like swimming in a hot bath of tapioca pudding. Not that she knew what that was like either, but she knew the consistency of tapioca pudding.
She climbed out of the pool and let the lava drip off. She backed up, got a running start, and leapt back onto the first platform. She was shoved by other trolls, smashed into the stands with a giant hammer, and fell into the lava pool about ten times.
It was fun.
After the obstacle course, they moved on to one-on-one sparring. Hermione brought out her scythe and spun it around herself.
"Interesting weapon," said Garnet. "Let's see how skilled you are."
She would never be as skilled as Garnet or any of the trolls in this Arena. She might have caught Biggs by surprise once, but all subsequent charges were done with the expectation of being flipped. Every troll in this Arena had 100 years of training under their belts at least. She would never compare.
That didn't stop her from trying her hardest, even if Garnet was going easy on her. She was glad she was going easy. If she kept getting trounced before they had even begun, how would she learn?
"How long have you been training with this weapon?" asked Garnet.
Hermione held up one finger.
"Only a year?"
She nodded and tapped Garnet's staff then held up ten fingers.
"The staff for ten years?"
Hermione nodded again.
"So you were a youngling when you began your training. I'm sure by human standards you are quite skilled."
Nod.
"I can train you," said Garnet. "Help you learn to utilize one eye on combat and make up for no depth perception. When I started training, they said my eye would be an obstacle. They were right, there is no advantage to one eye, but we shall not focus on that. I'll admit, I wasn't sure of you when Bix asked me to train you, but you have drive and skill."
"Thank you."
"What is your purpose for not speaking?" asked Garnet.
Hermione shrugged. She didn't know why she couldn't speak anymore. Maybe when she felt alive again, she would.
~o0o~
The Hearthstone was no exception. She kept her days full. She learned about crystal production, she trained with Garnet, she hung around her friends. There wasn't much research she could do, but she learned a lot about troll runes and had sat in on Sid's class once, but it didn't pan out. She didn't know Trollish and the translation spell was distracting.
Nearing the end of the trip, she was begged to take a break. So she and her friends (plus Draco) went swimming in the crystal caves. The lower they went the warmer the water got with geothermal heating. The water was clear and the bases were like interiors of geodes, each pool a different color. There were lots of trolls there soaking and hanging out.
"I would like to bring William here sometime," said Fleur. "This place is wonderful."
"You're welcome anytime," said Alejandro.
Hermione couldn't really swim well in her human form and was in otter form while they played. It was easier to play when her human emotions were suppressed by her animal ones. Still, she reverted back to her human form and rested her arms on the edge of the pool.
"What is that?"
She looked around for something strange, but saw Alejandro looking at her. He swam over and lifted her hair.
"Have you been channeling an ancient entity?" he asked, tapping the runes on her back.
"She has," said Draco. "Hogwarts, specifically."
"Huh… that should have boiled you from the inside out, channeling all that power," he commented. "Guess Hogwarts likes you."
Hermione nodded and turned around. "We have an understanding."
Alejandro tipped his head. "Maybe that's it!"
"What is?" asked Blaise.
"Nia's voice! I bet because she had been hosting Hogwarts when she left, a piece was left behind."
"Can that happen?" asked Fleur.
"I don't know. Semi-sentient structures are temperamental. They see all that happens and it's rare for them to like a person enough to accept them as a host." Alejandro scratched his chin as he thought about it. "Fully sentient beings are usually too complex to make a good lasting impression."
"How do you know so much about this?" asked Draco.
"Believe it or not, troll magic isn't that different from wix magic," said Alejandro. "We use anchor stones, same as you. They always grow on ley line crossovers, but what separates them from regular crystals is that they have personality. Troll Kings used to connect to their anchor stones in order to oversee the land. To sense when danger is coming and to see how their citizens are faring in order to best help them. However, as time went on, the anchor stones grew pickier about who they would accept as hosts. The royal families soon became ineligible, then everyone else. About five hundred years ago, they stopped accepting hosts entirely after one troll attempted a complete bond in order to take over the surface rather than a partial one like I assume Nia has done. I think the anchor stones speak to each other, because after that incident, there have been no accounts of a successful bond, even partially. Until now."
"Ah," said Blaise, floating on their back. "That must be how you were successful even from Castelobruxo."
Hermione shrugged. She felt Hogwarts' call, even from here.
"Nia!"
Sid ran down to the pool, skidding on the side and falling on thon butt.
"What's wrong, Sid?" asked Alejandro.
"There's some humans here," thon said. "They're demanding to see Nia."
"Oh?" Alejandro furrowed his brow. "Why not bring them here?"
"They claim they're here to kill her. Should Biggs toss them back out?"
"Where are they now?"
"The house," thon rested thon hands on thon hips. "We thought they were friends until they attacked us. Someone should have told them that since trolls don't have hearts like humans, we are immune to the Killing Curse."
Hermione tipped her head. She didn't know that. Regardless, it seems the Death Eaters caught up to her. She climbed out of the pool and tied her wrap around her waist before putting on her shoes.
"You're going to confront them in your bikini?" Draco squawked.
Hermione shrugged and nodded at Sid to lead the way, readying her video camera for recording. The others scrambled out and followed along. Fleur and Blaise cast warming charms around them as they hurried back to Alejandro's place.
Inside, Draal, Azra, Biggs, and Bix were discussing what to do with the intruders. There were only two of them, both with Dark Marks. Hermione recognized one. Aiden. Cedric's old roommate.
"Nia," said Azra. "Sorry to call you back from the crystal pools so soon. These two attacked and are saying they are here to kill you."
"Shall I crush their skulls?" said Biggs, clutching their heads in both of his right hands. "It would be easy. Like smushing a berry."
"What is he saying?" Aiden demanded.
Oh… right. The trolls spoke mainly Spanish as their surface language, though a few knew English. The former royal family was well-versed in many languages. They probably assumed these two intruders didn't speak Spanish and wanted to keep the conversation private.
Hermione worked her jaw. Squishing them was tempting. Perhaps there was some reason within them. She shook her head and Biggs looked disappointed, though he let them go. They were bound anyway, they couldn't use their wands. The wizard she didn't recognize, older and unknown by name snarled at her.
"You've been a real pain, you know that?! You filthy mudblood! No! You're lower than that! Scum! Do you realize how much trouble you are causing the Dark Lord?"
Hermione tipped her head and smirked, which only served to make them angry. She didn't feel bad about it. She was glad she was giving him trouble, they didn't seem to notice the camera in her hands.
"We've had to push our plans back because of you!" Aiden spat. "It was supposed to happen in the summer. The coup, the takeover. He blames you and that wolf, of course. Where is the beast, anyway?"
She stared at them and shrugged slightly. Come on. Say more. Give up more. When? When is the coup? The takeover? How much time did she have?
"Oh, but you'll be sorry!" said the first. "Once you're gone, we can build our numbers for a new year! An age of the Dark Lord!"
"More like a weekend," Blaise muttered and the gathered trolls laughed.
"Mind your tongue, traitor! I still haven't forgotten your succubus mum killing my father!"
"He was a pig, Hamish," they said, rolling their eyes. "You hated him, too."
"Yes, and he left everything to that whore and you! Well, I was promised it all back and more if I kill Granger." He looked at her. "You're the Dragon Lady everyone was talking about? You don't look like much to me. You're dressed like some common whore."
"It's a swimsuit, stupid," said Fleur.
What were they expecting anyway? They thought she was scum. They would never see her for the threat she was even if she were in the troll armor. She was the Dark Lord's bane, but they were different, they could take her down.
"You suddenly decide to shut up, then?" said Aiden. "You're such a coward. You talked big and then ran away!"
"You do not know what you're talking about!" Fleur spat.
"Ugh! What happened to you, Delacour? You're hideous!" A malicious gleam filled his eye. "Still a right sight better than Granger."
Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Mind your words," Biggs growled.
"Unlike those idiots who came before us, I know what needs to be done," said Hamish. "I'm not letting you hide behind blood traitors and monsters! I challenge you to a duel, Hermione Granger. A duel to the death!"
"He did not use your true name," Fleur murmured. "You do not have to accept."
Hermione Granger was still a part of her. She might not have recognized that version of herself anymore, but others did. Loopholes like that were for contracts and fae. No, this was a direct challenge and she would not back down.
"Troll rules," she signed. "We fight at the A-R-E-N-A. To the death."
"You can still have a champion fight in your place," said Biggs.
She appreciated the gesture, but perhaps this would stop the waves. One way or another. It was easier to have someone fight her battles and Biggs would win easily, but if he did then they would never stop coming. They might decide to launch an assault and kill her family. So she would do this one and send Aiden back to tell the tale, win or lose.
"This one lives," she said, gesturing to Aiden. "Win or lose. He sends the message."
"Very well," said Draal. "For the first time in two centuries, we have a duel to the Death. Those who wish to witness may make their way to the Arena, but younglings are not allowed to attend. The combatants are allowed two weapons. Nia, your splints count as one since they channel your magic. You both have one hour to rest and prepare."
Hermione nodded and went to climb up to her room, her friends following her so they could talk. She gathered her armor and went behind the divider to change out of her swimsuit and into it while Fleur rewound the recording.
"A summer coup," said Fleur. "That did not happen."
"Well, some of the inner circle was killed or captured when Diggory attacked the Ministry," said Blaise. They noticed Hermione look around the divider crossly. "Sorry, allegedly attacked the Ministry."
"And then there was the invasion of Hogwarts," said Draco. "Nia hurt them. And then a bunch struck out to try and attack her in D.R., which failed. A lot of them ended up arrested. Unfortunately, threatening without action isn't going to keep them imprisoned for long."
Hermione stepped out, fully dressed in armor and turned her notebook around. "The one I'm fighting seems older. More experienced."
"His name is Hamish Huntington IV," said Blaise. "My mum married his father when I was about five. Filthy rich, old money, not pureblood elite though, his grandmother was a half-blood. Knocked down their status, which was how Mother lured Hamish III in. He was a real piece of work and killed two wives. The first was deemed an accident, but he drowned her when she tried to leave him. The second wife was rumored to be having an affair with the gardener. She was beaten to death. He also… well, he preferred his mistresses young. Really young."
Fleur shuddered.
"Mother wasn't his type, but sirens have a way of luring others in," they continued. "She took his money and killed him. Hamish wasn't hurting for money, he had his own trust fund, but rumor has it that he's a gambler. He was in the professional dueling league for eight years, but was forced out when it was revealed he was taking bribes to throw matches."
Hm. A professional duelist. Could be a challenge. Hermione wrote out, "A summer coup."
"A new year," said Draco. "That's what he said. They're aiming to overthrow the Ministry of Magic on the new year or around it, anyway. I think that's what he meant."
She nodded and underlined experienced.
"If you are killed then a major threat is removed," said Alejandro. "But if you kill him then maybe he'll back off. Or look into a professional hunter."
"They exist?"
"They normally go after beings like us," said Sid. "But if you're such a big threat, then one might make an exception for the right price."
"So be it." Hermione set her wand amongst her things and looked between her khopesh and her scythe. Gryffindor's pin would flag as a weapon and she wouldn't want it to be stolen. She decided on her scythe and stashed it in the holster on her hip. She tied her hair back and sighed deeply.
"You shouldn't have to do this," said Fleur tearfully. "There has to be another way! What if you die?"
"Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you."
Fleur got up and hugged her tightly. Alejandro crashed in on her other side.
They sat together until the hour was up and they went to the common area where the Death Eaters were nowhere to be found.
"We can only do one thing to help you, Nia," said Azra. "Draal is placing runes on the Arena. This foe will not be able to use your unforgivable curses. The killing curse, the control curse, and the pain curse. However, there are other ways he can kill. We are providing him with a secondary weapon as you have two on your person, he will as well. I have Garnet explaining the laws of the Arena to him."
"Explain to me."
"As this is a duel to the death, everything is on the table," they explained. "There is no fairness. A fair fight is the Battle Royale for the Hearthstone Champion. This is your life. Rule one, never show your fear; Rule Two, always finish a fight, even if there's a mutual agreement to yield; Rule three, when in doubt, aim for the gronknuts. Rule two is especially important. The magic will contain everything you do within the arena so no one outside gets hurt. But it will not open until one of you is dead or you both agree to yield. Should you die, we will avenge you."
That was comforting to know.
"You can still back out," said Alejandro. "There's about thirty troll warriors who will fight in your place. Or Duckie could fight for you."
Nia shook her head. "My fight."
"I don't think me taking your place in a duel would count anyway," said Draco. "It has to be a true battle."
He had a point.
The horn calling them to the Arena could be heard even here. Hermione walked beside Azra and breathed slowly to keep her heart from racing. Upon arrival, she gave her video camera to Fleur.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Hermione nodded. She wanted everything well documented.
While the others went up to the royal box, she went to the fighter's entrance. Biggs was waiting there for her.
"Father will keep it still," he said. "You flesh bags tend to burn up in fire."
Yeah, that could be annoying.
"Watch your back, Nia," he continued. "I sense weakness in him. He may try to play on your heart to gain the upper hand. I don't imagine he would show mercy. You have such a kind heart. If you didn't, I doubt you would have brought Alejandro out of his shell. I have never seen him so happy. Always talking of his friends and finding a love for himself. It is good to see."
Hermione touched his hand. He looked down at her and patted it gently.
"When I offered you a crystal, I did not consider how fragile human lives were," he said. "Your life is a breath compared to mine. Even so, I hope I am not out of line when I say you will always be my first love. I thought you should know. No battle is certain."
Touched, Hermione smiled and brought him down to her level to kiss his cheek. He could be sweet when he wanted to.
"I'm fine," she said.
He copied the word, "Fine," and nodded. "I will be right here."
Hermione stepped into the Arena. It was different when the stands were filled. She felt like she was the size of a toy. Was this how the Champions felt in the Dragon Arena? She couldn't make any friendly faces out, though she could see their magical forms in the top box. The crystals above her head, jutting down like fingers lit her up and shadowed them. She could feel the heat of the lava through her boots. She was relieved that nothing would be moving around. Without the armor, she wouldn't make it.
Hamish was standing in the center with a borrowed sword, or perhaps it was a dagger of a bigger troll, in one hand and his wand in the other. He rolled his shoulders and looked much too excited to be in this situation. He had no spells on him. He was here of his own free will. As was Aiden. He was in the Arena as well, but Garnet escorted him off to where Biggs was standing. They had likely been talking on what to do after she was killed.
If she hadn't said otherwise, they would never make it out of the Hearthstone alive if she were.
"ATTENTION HEARTHSTONE!" Draal announced, silencing the crowd. "Witness this duel to the death. Your Champion, Nia the Dragon, has accepted a challenge by Hamish Huntington IV, and will defend her life, family, and honor. May the warriors of the past favor her."
The crystal eyes of the fallen warriors around the lip of the Arena, eyes that had been made out of their crystal cores upon their deaths, seemed to light up as if they truly were witnessing.
Draal roared, signaling for them to begin.
Hermione drew her scythe, bringing it to full size as she paced around Hamish. He flinched seeing the wicked blade, then sneered.
"Your fancy weapons are no match for magic, mudblood! I don't need a killing curse to destroy you!"
He had no idea what she was capable of.
Hermione inhaled deeply and belched out a jet of flames. Hamish stumbled back just before he was caught on fire.
"You can breathe fire!" he gasped and recovered. "It won't save you!"
She lunged forward, swinging her scythe. Hamish seemed ready for it. They fought. Hard. And yet the whole time he held an air of confidence like he would win. Hermione backed up into the defensive. She was tough. She was durable. She blocked and danced away, sending only a few shockwaves of spells towards him to disarm him. Mostly, she focused on protecting herself.
The battle dragged on for five minutes. Then ten. Then twenty. Hamish's breathing grew ragged. Hermione was as cool as a cucumber. Hamish roared and charged her, wielding the sword. She diverted his blade and threw him off balance before round-housing him in the face.
Hamish landed hard on the ground, his sword and wand skittering away from him. Hermione stepped on his chest. She would give him a chance to yield.
Hamish panted heavily and swatted at her boot, she leaned her weight more heavily on it, rendering him unable to move.
"You're not going to kill me," he said, grinning up at her. "You think yourself better, but any deaths so far have been circumstantial. You're weak. You don't have what it takes to be a killer."
They were not the same. They would never be the same. If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't have hesitated. She was, because taking a human life, even one like his, was still hard. She didn't want to, but she had to. Her soul was not horcrux material because she wasn't killing for satisfaction or because she viewed the victim as less than human. All he had to do was keep quiet and mind his business, all she had to do was stop existing.
They were not the same.
Hamish smirked, mistaking her contemplation for hesitation. "I knew it. You won't kill me!"
His eyes widened in shock as she spun the scythe. She wouldn't describe the sensation. Describing it. Adding technicality to it. It was cold. This was necessary, but she would never gain enjoyment from it. She wouldn't dissociate from it.
She flinched when the blood hit her face.
The trolls around her roared as the head rolled. It was different from when Biggs won the title of Champion. They were encouraging her, but it wasn't out of personal satisfaction or entertainment. They were telling her she did the right thing. Or rather, the necessary thing. She picked up his wand, stashing it into her belt, and stepped over his head as she stormed towards Aiden.
The boy she once knew was pale and shaking. She reached through the grate keeping her in the Arena, grabbed his robes, and pulled him against it.
"Please don't kill me!" he begged. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for pushing you in the lake! For speaking about you behind your back!"
"Sst!"
His jaw closed with a click. Hermione cut his cheek with her blade and shoved him back. She motioned for Biggs and Garnet to take him away. Either to let him loose or secretly throw him in an oubliette, she didn't care.
She brought her scythe close to clean the blood from the blade and watched in mild surprise as the blood bubbled and absorbed into the metal.
Interesting.
"Nia the Dragon has claimed victory," said Draal. "War is happening my friends. Our allies on the surface may need aid in the future, but we will remain vigilant and discuss the best course of action should War come to our own doorstep. For now, please return to your lives."
When Aiden was gone with Garnet, Biggs opened the gate and Nia stepped through. In the safety of darkness, she collapsed to her knees and vomited.