AN: Hello, fanfiction and Harry Potter fans. I do not own Harry Potter, but feel free to enjoy this or hate it. If you enjoy it, please leave a lovely comment, if you hate it, then leave some constructive criticism, thanks!

Can You Take the Jump?

Chapter 24

"MOONYYYY!" Sirius Black barged into his dormitory and threw himself on his friend's bed so hard that he bounced off and landed with a hard thud on the floor.

Despite feeling feverish and sore from the oncoming full moon, Remus Lupin couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous friend.

When Remus first entered Hogwarts, he could have never imagined he'd make an acquaintance, let alone 3 best friends. He still remembered the day when they found out about his lycanthropy back in 2nd year.

"Oh my god, do you turn really scary?" Peter asked, his voice trembling slightly near the end.

Sirius hit him in the arm, "No doofus, he's a wolf, which is basically like a big dog." Sirius scoffed. "This is great!" Sirius turned to Remus excitedly. "I've always wanted a pet, but Walburga never allowed one, and honestly, I'm scared what she'd do to it."

"W-What? No! No! I'm not some pet, I'm a wolf! A werewolf! A monster! Doesn't that scare you?"

The boys exchanged glances at each other but shrugged.

"No offense, Moony, but you organize your socks by thickness and you organize your books in alphabetical order of the author's last name. You are literally the least terrifying human in existence." James deadpanned.

"Oh, Moony, I like that." Sirius patted James for an excellent nickname.

"Guys! I'm not human during the full moon!"

"Yeah, for one night of the month! The rest of the time, you're the dude who color coordinates his underwear with his socks!" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Wait!" James turned serious suddenly and turned to Remus. "Does that mean you're some kind of undercover human?"

The dread that filled Remus's heart disappeared as he let out of snort of laughter from the ridiculous question. He could feel his face come alive with color once more, feeling embarrassed for James at the question he'd just asked.

Now with his secret out for nearly 3 years, the Marauders were now in their 5th year. They'd worked tirelessly for over a year to become Animagi in order to stay with him through the full moon.

Tonight was going to be the first full moon where his friends would join him.

He could finally introduce them to his friend, a little red fox he'd named Amber because of the color of its fur. The little thing seemed to have taken up residence in the Shrieking Shack. Intelligent enough to take advantage of the Whomping Willow's violent tendencies as it brought in rabbits and other little creatures to feast in peace. Amber would share her food with Moony whenever he was there. Although he couldn't remember the events of a full moon properly, he knew the fox kept him company during his transformations for the past year and a half, drastically declining his incessant need to self-harm.

Anticipation and nervousness clouded Remus's mind about the upcoming nightfall but leave it to Sirius to part the clouds with some good-old slapstick comedy.

Although he'd just faceplanted into the carpeted floor after catapulting onto Remus's bed like an 8-year-old, Sirius Black looked like a bloody model doing it. At age 15, Sirius had grown unfairly more handsome with age and had a body to boot. Remus didn't understand how flying on a broom could ever result in the type of body that Sirius or James had, but neither of their fans seemed to complain.

As Sirius climbed on top of Remus's bed, he noticed a letter with feminine handwriting on his bed. Sirius quickly grabbed the letter before Remus realized he'd seen it.

"Who's this from? Looks like a bird's writing."

"A bird?" James popped his head up from organizing his quidditch equipment. "Who?!"

As the tallest of the Marauders, Remus was quickly able to steal the letter back from his friend with his long arms, but it was too late, Sirius had read everything.

"It's the chocolate girl, isn't it?" Sirius asked excitedly and Peter let out a squeal of delight. "Brilliant! We were just about to run out too!" Sirius jumped off the bed and threw the sheet off, searching for a basket of Honeyduke's finest.

"Ah, Remus's secret admirer has blessed this dormitory with her chocolate generosity again, hasn't she?" James smirked as he easily caught the chocolate bar Sirius threw his way.

"Oi! Those aren't for you!" Remus cried out as he intercepted another flying chocolate bar, this time flying to Peter. "Stop handing them out like they're yours, you rich, stingy bastard! You get plenty from your own admirers!"

"Yeah, but mine never taste as good as yours for some reason. Plus, I never have to worry if these are spiked with a love potion or something." Sirius replied cheekily as he passed another one to Peter. This time, Remus didn't bother to block him. "Whoever she is, the bird never asks for anything back. Think about it, mate. We're in our fifth year and she's never once given you a hint about her identity. Even the note says the same thing every time; 'I hope this makes your day', but she never leaves an initial, her handwriting is never the same, so I assume she's got an enchanted quill." Sirius's eyes waved a chocolate bar in the air before taking a huge bite. "Maybe she's not an admirer, but a stalker, mate."

Remus replied by kicking Sirius off the bed again and throwing a pillow at a snickering Peter. Truth be told, he was starting to get some wild thoughts on who might be sending him his chocolate. For over four years, whether it was the holidays at home or during school, the chocolate girl always managed to send him a basket one way or another. He was flattered, to say the least. The first few times he received the gift, he slaved over her notes, trying to find similarities to track her down through her handwriting. He even stayed up all night after finishing the basket of sweets to see if someone had dropped another off to no avail. Now, he simply respected the fact that she wanted to remain anonymous.

"Or maybe, she's really a bloke!" James suggested.

Remus couldn't deny that he had hopes that it was a pretty girl, but after 5 years of only receiving the gifts, Remus just wanted a way to say thanks, no matter their attractiveness or gender.

"How was quidditch tryouts?" Remus asked trying to change the conversation. Suddenly a sharp stabbing pain to his side caused him to grimace at the end of his sentence, but he tried to cover it up as much as possible.

The boys cast a critical eye on their friend, catching the slight hiccup in his otherwise normal tone. The sandy blonde was nearly as pale as his sheets as he licked his chapped dry lips. Despite the concern they shared, Sirius produced an easy-going smile. "You know how Prongs is, tryouts were madness."

"Oi! It's what makes me a great captain! What you call madness is what I call genius. Besides, the training hasn't killed me yet, so why would it kill anyone else?" James cried out from the loo. "If it wasn't for me, would we be winning the Quidditch Cup for the last 3 years in a row with a high probability of winning again this year?"

"Just because it's not killing you doesn't mean it's not killing everyone else; you exercise freak! What's even the point of making everybody on the team last year re-tryout."

"I needed to make sure no one slacked during the summer!" He shouted as he stepped out of the loo half-naked, showing off his lean and muscular upper body.

"Why do I have to re-tryout? You know I didn't slack in the summer!"

"If I made everyone re-tryout, but not you, that'd be blatant favoritism Pads. I don't want my captainship removed less than a month in."

Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered something along the lines of "crazy captain".

Peter and Remus laughed at Sirius's childishness, but couldn't deny the truth behind his words. James's approach to being Quidditch Captain was comparable to a drill sergeant. There were only two things James took more seriously than Quidditch: his friends and his girlfriend.

"Sirius, why are you even complaining? It's not like you need nepotism to get into the team, you're a good flyer." Peter pointed out.

This was true, Sirius was a good flyer, he also had great arms strength as well as control making him a fabulous beater, but he wasn't James Potter good. There were very few who were. James was outright demonic when it came to the broom.

"Don't worry Wormtail, Padfoot kept his beater position." James explained.

"Oh good," Remus rolled his eyes "because everyone knows there's nothing as important as Quidditch in the world."

"Oi Prongs! I think Moony's finally getting it!" Sirius shouted, blatantly ignoring the sarcasm dripping from Remus's voice.

…

"I can't believe that idiot got quidditch captain. I don't understand how Dumbledore thinks he can even hold a position with even the slightest bit of responsibility." Severus grumbled.

Living at Hogwarts and then going home to his mother and Alphard's at Diagonalley, had done wonders to Snape's growth. At least a head taller than Hermione, the child who ran away from his home in fear of his father was now a young man, although he was stomping around like a child in the Slytherin common room as he vented his irritation about James Potter.

"What's the big deal Sev?" Hermione asked, removing a speck of dirt beneath her nails. She lounged on one of the overly expensive, yet shocking comfortable sofas in the Slytherin Common room. "The only privilege prefects and quidditch captains share is the Prefects' bathroom. Are you worried that he's going to barge in while you're having a soak? Because I can guarantee you're the last person he wants to see in there."

Hermione was sure that the vein popping out of Severus's forehead might really burst from the mere thought. "Exactly! How can such an imbecile be in charge of anything?" He demanded. "What is Dumbledore thinking?"

"That, maybe some responsibility might make him smarten up?" Hermione shrugged. "Who cares Snape? I thought you said the Giant Squid could coach a quidditch team."

Severus glared. "You know, for someone who doesn't even look like they're listening 90% of the time, you sure have an annoying tendency to use my words against me."

"Glad to be of service." Hermione mock bowed at the boy still pacing in front of her. "Now come on, are we going to dinner or not?"

When the Slytherin duo slid into their usual spot at the Slytherin table for dinner, they ignored the jeers from their peers. She was never going to be a welcomed figure at the Slytherin table, but with Malfoy, Selwyn, Rosier, Dolohov, the Carrows and Bellatrix Black graduated, the hostility Hermione faced was nothing she couldn't handle.

Sure, she was still stuck with doofuses like Mulciber or Travers, and entitled girls like Narcissa Black who took every opportunity to flaunt the latest courting jewelry she received from Malfoy, she at least didn't need to be worried about being ambushed in dark corners anymore.

Severus's attitude towards his friendship with Hermione changed after the graduation of the big names in Slytherin. It was a cowardly move, but she also avoided the Slytherin table until the most influential students graduated, so she couldn't judge him. If there was anyone who understood the desire to attend school without any hardships, it was Hermione.

"So, are you going to join Lily and me for Potion's review in the library tonight?" Severus casually asked as they sat down for dinner.

Hermione gave him a pointed look. "As if you want me to join." She scoffed, knowing Severus would want that time alone with Lily.

"Jamieeee!"

The whole Great Hall flinched at the high-pitched voice.

Sofia López, a 5th year Hufflepuff ran towards James Potter and flung her arms around his neck giving him a quick peck on the lips. She was arguably one of the most attractive girls in the school with dark long locks, milk chocolate skin, and brown eyes. Her curvy figure grabbed the attention of many young males in the school as she strutted the halls.

Hermione thought there was nothing wrong with Sofia. She was kind and beautiful, she obviously liked James and he obviously liked her, but there was something about her that was just…so bloody annoying. As if they shared the same thoughts, the Marauders frowned at the arrival of James's girlfriend. They apparently weren't entirely supportive of their best friend's relationship either.

"What is she, half banshee?" Severus glared, rubbing his ear. "Isn't she his fourth girlfriend in 2 years?"

"I didn't know you counted."

"The entire school knows it. I wouldn't know if he didn't make them so bloody public."

James's relationships burned hot, loud, and fast. The first few months they would be inseparable, but in the later months, the entire castle would hear their arguments. The fights always seemed to be about 2 things: the Marauders and/or Lily Evans.

The Marauders were a given; the boys were inseparable and friends for life. There was no way a girl could ever come in between that.

Lily, on the other hand, was a surprise to most. Despite James's persistence in following Lily around two years ago, a great change occurred after Hermione's talk with James near the end of their 3rd year. There was a real change in the messy-haired Gryffindor. He stopped showing off his magic and walking around the castle with the aura of self-importance. He was still amazingly confident, but it was much humbler than before. He helped Hagrid out with Ground-keeping duties, he volunteered to help clean up the Quidditch storage room every month, he even peer-tutored, just like Lily. He still played pranks and joked around in class, but he always made sure the targets were alright afterward, helping them if they fell or covered in whatever crap he'd thrown on them.

The two Gryffindors naturally became friends, close friends. They both had their own core group, but they enjoyed each other's company frequently. They ate sitting next to each other and had talks in the Gryffindor Common room in the evenings. Their debates could get heated and with their short tempers, it often led to shouting matches in the common room, but it was never malicious and always a source of entertainment for the Gryffindors that were watching.

Apparently, James's only wish for his girlfriends was that they respected his friendship with his mates and Lily. If it became a problem, they were done and that was that. This was why López was smart to try and insert herself into the Marauders and into Lily's circle of friends. If she became a part of their group, James wouldn't have to split his time between them.

On the other hand, Lily and her long-time boyfriend, Amos Diggory, had the opposite looks toward each other when they entered the Great Hall soon after Sofia. Lily had her arms crossed as she briskly walked behind Diggory, they were arguing about something, but Lily's argument was cut short when she noticed everyone's eyes.

The two have been having problems lately, but Hermione didn't know of what. Lily didn't like talking about her relationship with Diggory with others, but there were a few incidences when she would meet her and Severus with red and swollen eyes.

"They're fighting again." Lily pushed past her boyfriend to sit with her friends. Severus's eyes weren't the only ones that followed the upset redhead as Lyana and Marlene shifted in their seats to make room for the upset girl.

"When aren't they fighting these days."

Severus glared daggers at the Hufflepuff. "Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Hermione hesitated, "Let's see if Lily does something about it first. It's her first love. She believes that they'll get through it. If she realizes they can't, she'll break it off."

"If?"

"When," Hermione fixed. "Either way, she won't accept that it's over unless she breaks it off. It's better that we don't get too directly involved."

Severus sighed and shook her head. Hermione studied the boy in front of her. She knew he still loved Lily but was impressed at how well he was able to control it now. Perhaps it was because he knew Lily was unhappy in her current relationship that made him feel at ease, but she wondered what will happen if Lily and James truly do get together. Will this boy still be as easy-going about Lily's relationship then?

…

"Crap, I'm going to be late!"

Despite not having any source of light, Sirius ran through the dark corridors with astonishing ease. His footsteps were light as if his dragonhide shoes were padded. He looked down at his custom platinum wristwatch that probably cost more than 3 years of Hogwarts tuition fees put together. It was his father's reward to him when he finally managed to imperio one of the house-elves when he was 10, the platinum band was charmed to lengthen to his perfect fit as he grew up.

"I can't believe I'm going to bloody late!" Sirius thought to himself as he quickly approached the corner which would lead to a secret passageway to the courtyard where he promised he would meet James and Peter. Today was the Marauder's first animagi transformation with Moony and he was going to be fucking late.

Just as he turned around the corner, a smaller frame crashed into him. He quickly reached out to grab the body before the person fell on their ass.

"Sirius?"

He would never admit it to her, but his heart skipped a beat hearing her voice. It always did when she spoke, since it was so very rare for her to do so. Her voice rang clear and sharp, much like her personality, but whenever she said his name—maybe he was imagining it—it grew softer. He loved that.

Hermione Evans was fit.

She had always been pretty, but now she was fit. It was especially hard to ignore while her body was pressed against his. He quickly let go. She was thin, but her small breasts had grown over the years to fit her small frame and she had a fantastic arse. Her wavy red hair reached the middle of her back framing her heart-shaped face. Her fair skin was blemish-free, her almond-shaped eyes were framed by long lashes coated with mascara to give them volume, and her small pouty lips were enhanced by some kind of gloss.

He was proud that he looked, but he was even more ashamed of how much it affected him, even after years of being just friends.

"Hey, Hermione." He greeted as he quickly let go of the girl. He should have just left; he was already bloody fucking late, but she was Hermione Evans. "What are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same question, Sirius."

"Ah, you can. But you see, I'm a Marauder, breaking the rules is part of my repertoire." He puffed out his chest.

The macho façade didn't faze her. The round moon was starting to rise in the sky. Tonight was going to be the first night the Marauders had finally completed their animagi transformations.

"A Marauder thing would imply the rest of the boys. I'm guessing tonight's rule-breaking is much more of a Sirius Black thing instead." She smirked. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Everyone knew of Sirius's reputation when it came to girls, but he wasn't as wild as the rumors made him look. He enjoyed a date and a snog from girls when they were willing, but he didn't think it was out of the ordinary for a guy his age and his looks, but the cumulative rumors had snowballed into something much bigger than he'd anticipated.

However, he never stopped the rumors. In fact, he purposely perpetuated them for the sake of the girl in front of him. Their 3rd year was a mess for Hermione because of him, so he intentionally pulled the attention and talk away from her and to himself, but it didn't mean he wanted to talk to her about it.

"It's really not like that." He denied it honestly. He couldn't tell her what he was really going to do tonight, but he didn't want her to think he was going to snog some random girl in a broom cupboard.

"Okay," and just like that, she believed him.

Although their friendship was often strained due to her friendship with Snape, Sirius felt at times like these, she was the only one who truly got him. Hermione clearly saw Snape's good side, even if Sirius wasn't sure he even had one.

"Okay." She nodded, "Go do what you need to do."

…

If someone, for some random reason, decided to stay up until the break of dawn and look out the window, they would have seen the strangest group of animals prancing around the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A wolf, a deer, a big black dog, and a rat (if one squinted really hard) were running and frolicking in the field, having the time of their lives. What no one noticed, not even the pack itself, was a pair of glowing hazel eyes carefully watching them from the trees.

…

Hermione Evans was more often than not, a stone. A terrifyingly brilliant, polished stone. Her brain turned faster than anyone while maintaining calm, logical, and emotionless to the point where you questioned if she was even human. There was only one time in five years he'd seen her openly laugh.

However, the Hermione Evans in front of Fredrick Avery today was different; she seemed… happier? He wasn't sure what made him come to that conclusion. She wasn't exactly displaying any of the regular signs of pleasure, such as smiling or laughing, not so much as a twinkle in her eyes, but there was definitely something much lighter about her presence today.

"What's up with you today?"

After over 4 years of her brooding presence, her lightness made him uneasy.

"Nothing."

Even her trademark monotone voice had a ring to it.

He glanced at her uneasily but didn't question her further; they may be long-time Potions partners, but they were not friends.

Their class continued on, soon, a thick musk clouded the classroom as the potions started to brew. Slughorn assigned them more challenging potions nowadays in preparations for their OWLS, not that it really concerned Avery. A Potions prodigy was his partner, and she never took the credit.

"Coming along perfectly, as always, Mr. Avery," Slughorn said delightfully, he gave him a brilliant smile while barely giving Evans a spare glance. It was no secret that Evans was hated by the staff ever since their first year. He was pretty sure no one knew her brilliance except their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"We have an assignment on the uses of moonstone due in two days."

"I'll work on it."

"And about OWLS, how are you going to help me—"

"It's months away, Avery. Stop worrying."

He couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. For their final exams, Evans always his exams for him using special quills, but OWLS had a brewing component and they were individually tested. He was useless by himself.

"If you could just tell me a plan—" He started, but she cut him off with a glare. "Right, stop worrying."

Never mind, she was still a cold-hearted stone bitch.

…

"What's up with you today?" Severus asked as they descended the stairs and made their way down to the Great Hall where they had their DADA class today. Although the professors were trying to keep it hush-hush, most of the students had guessed what today's class would be: dueling.

Hermione didn't respond immediately but instead stared up at Severus with her calculating eyes.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing," she spoke quietly as she looked away, "you're just the second one to ask me that today."

"Really? Who asked?

"Avery. Do I really seem off today?"

Severus nodded. "I don't know, you seem… brighter? Something good happen?"

"Don't project your emotions onto me, Sev. I know you're ecstatic because you might get to throw hexes at Potter without consequences."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Severus said coolly, but there was an undeniable smirk on his face as they entered the Great Hall.

"Good afternoon fifth years!" Their DADA professor stood in the center of the Great Hall with all the tables magicked away.

"Good afternoon, Professor Black!" The class responded obediently.

Alphard Black stood tall and handsome as he scanned the hall with his grey eyes. They fell on Hermione and Severus, bringing out a smile in him.

September 1st, 1975

Severus watched Hermione stroke an invisible beast at the head of the carriage that brought all the students from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. According to her, there was something there. Although Severus accepted her words as truth, from an outsider's point of view, she seemed a little loose in the head as she pet the invisible creature. She approached 'it' with a soft smile on her face, a smile he'd only ever seen her wear in front of her ugly pet kitten, Crookshanks.

The two of them entered the Great Hall with the rest of their classmates. They could hear their Housemates' jeers and taunts—someone even tried to trip her—but they walked on, minding their own business.

"Alphard?" Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at the professors' table.

"What?" Severus turned to see what she was looking at, only to see his mother's boyfriend sitting amongst their professors. "What the fuck?"

The man that had disappeared nearly all summer sat at the Professor's table acting like he'd sat there all his life.

"I thought you said he was in Germany until winter?" He muttered to her.

"I thought he was."

The first years were Sorted, but neither of them paid any attention, both trying to catch the eyes of the handsome man chatting with their Arithmancy professor.

"Welcome those who are joining us for the first time, and welcome to those who have joined us once again." Dumbledore stood on his podium as he greeted his students, like always. "I am excited for what will surely be another brilliant year at Hogwarts. Before I list the boring rules and expectations, I would like to introduce a new member of the staff." He turned to the only new face at the table. "Professor Black. Please stand up so the students can see you."

When Alphard stood up, the Slytherins went wild, whooping and cheering the Slytherin alumni. He turned to smile at the enthusiastic house, only to finally meet Hermione's questioning look.

He smiled and nodded his head as if to reassure her, and sat back down.

"Seriously, what the fuck?" Severus asked, echoing her thoughts.

…

Present

"As I'm sure you've heard all your professors say over a hundred times just this week, your OWLS are this year," Alphard magnified his voice as he turned to speak to the entire group. "I have asked your Headmaster for specific permission to conduct class here so that we have room to… drum roll please…"

Most of the students started stomping their feet on the floor, but a Ravenclaw on the other side of the circle flicked her wand and a real drumroll rang in the Hall.

"Thank you, Julianne. We have the room to… DUEL!"

Although it was what many students predicted, everyone still whooped and cried with excitement.

The Fifth year Dueling Championships were a custom that was abandoned by the late 80s due to several near-fatal accidents, but it was obviously something everyone anticipated. The winner received an award and recognition from the Minister. If they had any plans to work in the Ministry, it would be a stellar line to put in one's resume. However, the main reason anyone wanted to win was bragging rights. Who wouldn't want to be known as the best dueler in their year?

"The duels will be done in partners which will be randomly assigned. The winners will continue to rise the ranks until we have a winner. I would like you to give a special warm welcome to Headmaster Dumbledore, some members from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and some Aurors who have agreed to take time out of their busy schedule to make sure everyone always remains safe. They will observe and be your referees."

Professor Dumbledore stood tall in the center with forest green robes on while behind him trailed the others. Of them, Hermione recognized Alastor Moody, who was the newly appointed Head Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt, his right-hand man, and Frank Longbottom, a previous victor of this dueling championship and a new Auror trainee.

Everyone else gave them an enthusiastic welcome, but Hermione didn't even up. She could feel Dumbledore and Moody's eyes on her like two cops in an interrogation room.

"Professor, if we lose the first round, does that mean we won't have any more opportunities to practice dueling?" A Hufflepuff asked with obvious concern in her voice.

Mulciber's idiotic group of friends snickered. "Typical 'Puffs." One of them muttered.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents, Travers." Lily challenged as she stood up for the Hufflepuff. "I bet you wouldn't even be able to pull your wand out of your holster before someone knocks you off your feet."

"What'd you say, Mud—"

"Enough!" Alphard interrupted Travers before the slur was uttered, but the entire crowd knew which derogatory term that was about to leave his mouth. In an instant, James Potter was in an uproar causing a cascade of angry Gryffindors to shout their own profanities making the situation instantly escalate.

Suddenly a red jet of light flew in the air from the Slytherin side. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand to deflect the spell, but before her wrist had made the proper movements. A translucent blue shield appeared in the center.

"That is quite enough." Dumbledore's soft, yet warning voice rang across the large room. "40 points from Slytherin."

"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore." Alphard nodded in his direction. "The next person to interrupt will automatically be disqualified from this competition. No exceptions." Alphard warned. He paused to make sure everyone in the Hall got the clear message: fuckery will not be tolerated. He turned back to the Hufflepuff who'd asked the question. "To answer your question Miss Keys, although you won't have a chance to stand at the finals, we will make sure you have the chance to duel amongst the other students. Did that answer your question?"

The 'Puff blushed at Alphard's kind smile and nodded.

"I guess all Blacks are players." Severus muttered into her ear, implying Sirius's Casanova ways.

Hermione replied by nudging him in the gut. Sirius was a bit of a floozy, but Alphard was loyal, especially to Mrs. Snape.

"I'd now like to invite Head Auror, Alastor Moody, to come here and introduce the rules."

A much less scarred Alastor Moody walked to the center. He still had both legs, and his eye wasn't replaced with a swirling magical eyeball, but he still looked angry about life and suspicious of everyone. With his usual gruff voice and intensity, he started to list out the many rules associated with this competition, most of which Hermione droned out.

Instead, Hermione spent most of her time looking at Frank Longbottom, who looked smart in his Auror trainee uniform. He was tall and his dark hair was neatly combed to the side. His outside appearance reflected the person he was inside, a person who would live lawfully, even if there were no laws. He also looked like a 'lovable-doofus' smiling goofily at Alice Dearborn, who blushed back.

"Neville's a good mix of them, isn't he? He didn't get too much of one parent and not enough of the other. Like me."

Harry stood next to her, watching the two lovers make googly eyes at each other. It was impossible not to know that the two were in a relationship. Love was practically dripping out of their gazes.

"You're fine Harry."

"What?" Severus asked when he heard her mumble.

"Hm?" Hermione turned to him and realized she'd spoken out loud. "Oh, just talking to myself."

Harry chuckled, "You know you actually used to do that a lot. Back when Ron didn't know how to express his feelings, you used to mutter things like 'idiot' or 'numbskull', trying to get Ron to understand that you were mad. Never worked though. It's amazing that you guys even got married."

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." Severus replied.

"I was talking to that Auror guy. Don't seriously maim or kill, we get it." Hermione lied easily while glaring at Harry.

"I know right? I just want to get started." Severus rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

When his long list of rules had finally come to an end, Moody cleared his throat catching everyone's fading attention. "There is one rule that rules them all. No Unforgiveables. Not only will you be disqualified and expelled, but you will also be put on trial for criminal actions where you will be found guilty and you will be sent to Azkaban. So, under no circumstances are any of you allowed to use Unforgiveables."

"Thank you, Auror Moody." Alphard subtly ushered the grouchy man out of the spotlight. "Now, let the 784th Dueling Championships begin!"

A giant playboard appeared on the side of their room listing out everyone's names and who they will be against in the first round. Everyone crowded around the large board to find their names. 8 duels were to occur at once with one supervisor/referee per duel.

Hermione scanned for her name to find her opponent.

Hermione Evans—Julianne Vinnes

She had no idea who that was, but she wasn't too worried.

"Who'd you get?" Hermione asked Severus. A cheshire grin spread on his face. Hermione turned to search for his name to see: Severus Snape—James Potter.

Her eyes traveled to the boisterous and confident boy standing at the opposite side of the hall. His eyes were also trailed on them, grinning like mad.

Although her friend wasn't heavily bullied like he had been by the Marauders in the original timeline, the group of boys still despised each other. Names and glares were exchanged as they passed the halls, their random duels cost both houses lots of points over the years and plenty of detentions served. In retrospect, their hatred has nothing to do with Lily Evans, but everything to do with their clashing personalities. Even if Lily never existed, as long as James and his group were socially accepted in Hogwarts and as long as Severus had an inferiority complex, there was no way those two could ever be friends or even friendly.

"I'll be back." Severus told her as he walked off, after double-checking his duel wouldn't be for another 25 minutes.

"Hey," Lily greeted as walked up to stand next to her. "Where's Sev going? I saw the list…him and James."

"Yeah," Hermione nodded, agreeing with the unsaid sentiment. "I'm not sure where he's going though. He just walked off after telling me he'd be back."

Lily sucked in a nervous breath, "It'll certainly be a duel to watch."

Hermione agreed. It would probably be the most eventful, one that everyone will want to watch, especially by the supervising committee.

She looked over to her sister, wondering who Lily would cheer for. Hermione was obviously going to cheer for Severus, but Lily was in a tough spot. Being friends with both boys, Lily will have to remain neutral during the whole duel, but that wasn't exactly Lily's strong suit.

"Who are you dueling against?"

"Julianne Vinesse? I'm not sure who she is though."

"Hermione," Lily scolded. "She's been in your Herbology classes since 1st year." She motioned toward a brunette chatting and laughing with her group of friends over by a corner. She was the same girl that made the drumming noise charm at the beginning of class.

Hermione looked over, "Oh yeah, she looks familiar. Should I be offended that she doesn't look nervous at all?"

Lily laughed. "No, let her underestimate you. You'll win quickly."

"How can you be so sure? You've never seen me duel before, maybe I'm shit."

Lily frowned at her choice of words, "You hang out with Sirius too much."

"Severus swears just as much, just not around you." Hermione explained. "And you're avoiding the question."

Lily smiled, "I know you'll be good. Just like you're good with all aspects of magic. You just don't care about marks."

"You aren't mad that I don't try in school?"

"No, do you want me to be?"

Hermione shook her head. "I just assumed you would be. You're always off yelling at Potter for his laziness."

Lily sighed as she watched their classmates fire spells at their opponents. Most of them were quite tentative at first, scared to hurt their friends. "I'm jealous of people like you and Potter." Lily admitted. "I'm better at dealing with it now, but I had quite a terrible green monster hanging off my back for quite some time."

Hermione nodded at the admission.

Lily gave Hermione a playful glare at the nod. She had tried to hide it so much, but apparently, it had been obvious to Hermione. How typical.

"Although I'm glad he's better about it now, I hated how arrogant James was about his talent and prowess. All I could think was, 'If I could use magic like that…'" Lily trailed off. "With you, it's more personal. You're my twin sister, but you wield your magic with a level of assurance that I don't think I'll ever have."

"Lily, you're a—"

"Brilliant witch. I know." Lily sat up straight, refusing to look at her sister, worried there would be pity in her eyes. "But I certainly have to try a lot harder than either of you, don't I? I have no issues with working hard, it's a sign that I'm making an effort for self-improvement."

She paused.

"I don't think I'll ever be not jealous of you, but don't worry, I know I'm a damn good witch."

Hermione smiled at Lily's soft curse. It was rare to hear her speak like that, which made it all the funnier. "You're the best damn witch."

Lily laughed. "Besides, your horrible grades are going to make it so much easier for me to be Head Girl in seventh year." She flicked her long hair over her shoulder while flashing her a playful grin.

"Markham Travers and Lily Evans!" Alphard's magnified rang in the entire hall.

"You're going against Travers?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yup, should be fun. Have any words of advice?"

Hermione scoffed. "Like you're going to need any help."

Lily winked as she walked up to her dueling podium.

…

Lily won. In 3 minutes.

…

Hermione bowed to her opponent, like dueling etiquette dictated. The fact that Vinnes didn't bow as deeply as she did, didn't escape her notice, but she didn't make a big deal of it. Instead of posing in a uselessly fancy dueling stance like her opponent, she simply turned her body to the side to decrease her targetable surface area and raised her wand.

"Keep it clean." Moody growled. She could feel his eyes on her. If she didn't know Alastor like she did, she would have assumed that he didn't remember her as the child he picked up from an exploded hospital floor 15 years ago, but the smallest tremble of his hand told her he remembered. He knew exactly who she was and what she was capable of.

"Keep it safe." He warned one more time before letting out the red spark on the end of his wand signaling the start of their duel.

Hermione could tell Vinnes was a decent student. Probably got plenty of good grades and strived for knowledge like any good Ravenclaw. That was the problem with a lot of Ravenclaws, they enjoyed acquiring knowledge, but they didn't know how to use it, at least not as a Slytherin could.

Hermione studied the girl in front of her. Her fancy dueling stance was useless for her figure. Vinnes was a top-heavy girl, her center of mass was completely imbalanced with her dueling stance and a flipendo would knock her off her feet.

"Immobulus!" She cried.

A Ravenclaw attacking first without assessing their opponent was quite rare, but Vinnes must have been very sure she was going to win. Evident by her surprised face when her spell bounced harmlessly off Hermione's blue shield.

Hermione thought for a moment if she should drag her duel on, but quickly decided against it when she threw a simple knockback jinx to the brunette who fell on her ass.

"Ah!" She cried.

"Accio Vinnes's wand." The decorative wand flew to Hermione's hand, and the match was over.

Hermione could hear Vinnes sputter in shock, but she stepped off the podium as Moody called the game.

"Hermione Evans, win."

…

At the same time, but somewhere in Wizarding England.

Lucius Malfoy walked into the grand dining room and gulped when he realized he was the last to arrive.

"Ah, Lucius, pleased to have you." A soft and gentle voice spoke.

"My deepest apologies, my lord." Lucius deeply bowed at the man sitting at the head of the table on a throne-like chair.

Such an ostentatious piece of furniture usually swallowed an average person whole, making them seem insignificant compared to the grandiose designs and carvings, but Lord Voldemort was no average person. He was handsome with his jet-black hair was styled back, away from his face. His bone structure reminded Lucius of Greek statues he saw in his grandparents' garden. He had a chiseled jaw and deep-set eyes. His dark brows framed his dark eyes which gleamed when he smiled. If his looks weren't enough to charm you, his voice was sure to do the trick. Deep, calm, and almost seductive, he spoke with confidence and assurance as he spewed his ideology to his followers with charisma and leadership. He acted like a gentleman, engaging one in light conversations, but somehow ended up pulling out your deepest desires to light.

"Don't be fooled by his looks or his charm. Just because you drown shit in cologne doesn't mean it's not shit." The famous last words from Hermione Evans echoed in his mind.

She'd been right.

Voldemort's visual appeal, his charm, and charisma fooled people into a false sense of safety and security, but Lucius had seen what that man could do. He was capable of the darkest acts without a blink of an eye. Human beings were no better than flies to him, and Purebloods were no exception. The only difference was that had more use in this society than those that were not pure of blood.

The Dark Lord ushered Lucius over, directing him to his father's empty seat.

"Abraxas should have never sacrificed his only son to a demon-like that."

Another thing that he and Hermione Evans agreed upon. He could feel the revolting tattoo on his forearm slither around, making him want to vomit.

Lucius took barely a second to compose himself before taking large strides to sit down at the seat his father used to sit, close to the head of the table. Lucius could feel the stares of jealousy from the other younger generation Death Eaters.

"How was the meeting with the Board of Governors?"

"It went well, my lord." Responded without missing a beat. Though he never told him that he had been to a meeting with the Board of Governors, Voldemort apparently kept track of his whereabouts during the day. "Hogwarts has just started its 5th years' Dueling Championships."

"Ah, yes." Voldemort smiled, recollecting the memories of his own time at the Dueling Championships. "It is one of my favorite memories from Hogwarts. Did you come in first, Lucius?"

At this question, Lucius looked away in shame.

There was a peal of crackling laughter just a little further down the table. "No, my lord. I was." Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black, spoke up.

"Oh," Voldemort sounded intrigued. He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands.

Lucius stared intently at his elbows on the table. Every Pureblood took etiquette classes, even the Weasleys. Voldemort should have had it engraved into his brain as a young child that elbows on the table were practically sin.

"Isn't your sister graduating this year, Bella?" Voldemort smiled a greasy smile. "And isn't she to be your wife, Lucius?"

Lucius froze at where this conversation was heading.

"She comes from the talented Black family and she's marrying one of my devoted followers. She will make the perfect addition to our forces. It is time to recruit some more…friends."

"Oh, Cissy will be so please, my lord!" Bellatrix gushed.

Lucius watched maddened glint in her eye as she cackled, talking to herself about the wonders of being a part of the "New Age" for Purebloods. The Blacks always had madness in their family. There was a reason why people flipped a coin to guess the sanity when a baby was born into that family. However, Bella was never this bad until she met the Dark Lord.

The idea that Narcissa might go mad like her sister sent chills down Lucius's mind. His fiancée needed to stay as far away from this snake and his poison as possible.

"My lord, I'm afraid Narcissa does not have the talents that you require to serve you. She is a fair wielder of magic, but cannot stomach the sight of blood." Lucius sighed, feigning disappointment. "However, I am told by the recent graduates that there are several students in Slytherin this year that will be an incredible asset to your cause."

"They're useless 5th years." Bellatrix argued.

"Start them young. Mark them, integrate them into our group, so that when they become of age, they can start right away without needing an adjustment period." Lucius encouraged.

"You will be at the Championship finals?" Voldemort's voice was calm, but there was a look of lust in his eyes. Lucius's idea was attractive, very attractive indeed.

"Yes, my lord."

"Good." A slimy smile crept along the Dard Lord's face, ruining its good looks, and making it sinister instead. "You are in charge. Bring me my soldiers."

…