A/N: Not my sandbox, just my sand castle. I don't own anything from Harry Potter. Additionally, no one has permission to bind and sell my works, fandom or otherwise. I can't believe in this day and age we have to go back to making this disclaimer. Shame on you for exploiting other people's works!

This QLFC round's prompts are Marvel characters. I was given the choice of Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) or Deadpool, and the only thing those two have in common (because I don't keep up with everything) is that they're vigilantes…so, I guess I'm writing about a vigilante anti-hero! I hope you enjoy Theodore Nott taking things into his own hands when the Dark Lord's regime gets too out of hand.

And yes, I use a liberal amount of cutaways and scene breaks because QLFC and THC don't allow M content, and the things Theo does in this fic would DEFINITELY count as M content XD

This one is also for Challenge Round 1 of The Houses Competition, where I'm in Gryffindor House and writing for Potions. This competition, we have to write a drabble (500-1000 words) as well as a standard (1000-3000 words). This round, however, is a special challenge with specific restrictions. This round's restriction is "keeping it between 500 and 2000 words. Prompts are listed below.

Thanks to Mari, Dora, Queenie, Lily, Sky, BeaWrites, and Rose for the Beta!

Summary: Theo is discontent with the Dark Lord's regime. With both their leader and his soldiers oozing insanity, is it any wonder that Theo wants to prune the ranks a bit?

War continues past graduation

Triggers/Warnings: mentions of off-screen death, Death Eaters being gross

Word Count: 1768

Prompts:

QLFC Beater 2 Prompt:

Matt Murdock/Deadpool

Additional Prompts:

7. [plot point] interrupting someone that's talking to someone else

16. [dialogue] "With great power comes great responsibility."

Assignment 5 - Due 5th July

Survival Studies With Professor Angel

TASK: Write about murder. Please.

The Houses Competition Y11 CR1

[Restriction] within 500-2000 words

[Character] Theodore Nott

"Taking Matters"

Death Eater meetings always left a bad taste in Theodore Nott's mouth, especially after he graduated from Hogwarts. At one time, the ranks of the Dark Lord had exemplified brilliance and cunning; true Slytherins flocking to the Lord of them all. But now the Dark Lord's followers were mere shadows of themselves. New recruits were only used as meat shields and bodies, most certainly not recruited for their magical strength or intelligence. A good chunk of them continued to drip insanity on the carpets, encouraged by the also insane Lord Voldemort.

Their side was winning, and Theo hated it.

Once upon a time, his father had recounted tales of the old days of glory, when they were looked up at with reverence and admiration–for their skills, their looks, their money, their power…Theo saw none of that.

He saw the general public shy away from him in Diagon Alley. He saw his classmates avert their eyes to avoid catching his. Theo knew it was supposed to make him feel powerful, but it didn't; all because of the rabid dogs that the Dark Lord kept on long leashes.

Seeing one of the Dark Lord's said dogs accosting an unaccompanied witch in a corner of Diagon Alley scant steps away from Knockturn Alley merely convinced Theo of his decision.

"–but don't you worry little witch, I'll–"

"TRAVERS!" Theo boomed with a grin, interrupting the other man from hissing words into the clearly uncomfortable witch's ear. Her eyes darted to him in fear, and Theo narrowed his eyes. Travers jumped at the intrusion and whirled around, withdrawing his arm from where he had pinned the woman against a wall. "How are you doing, mate?" Theo slapped Travers roughly on the shoulder, grinning widely at how disgruntled the other man looked.

"Nott. What a delight to see you here," Travers stated through gritted teeth.

Theo's grin widened. "If you're going to accost someone in the middle of the Alley, at least don't do it where anyone can see it." Theo maneuvered himself between the two, wrapping his arm around Travers' shoulders and turning him away. The woman's hurried footsteps darting away reached his ears moments before Theo landed a solid punch into Travers' gut. The other man doubled over, wheezing in surprise as he tried to catch his breath.

"In fact, perhaps you should stop accosting people altogether. You're not very good at it," Theo pointed out. With his arm still around Travers' shoulders, Theo maneuvered him the last few steps into Knockturn Alley. Once in a more secluded corner, Theo released the man and took a few steps back.

"The Dark Lord will hear of this!" Travers hissed. Theo felt no fear, just a mild acceptance as his plan of action firmed up in his mind. His wand appeared in his hand at the mere thought of it, and Theo stalked closer again, Travers pressing himself up against the wall at the lack of fear in Theo's eyes that the threat of the Dark Lord should have quelled.

"We'll see about that." Theo raised his wand, and the rest of Knockturn Alley ignored them as screams filled the air.

Days later, after the thrill of taking care of Travers faded, Theo felt a little bit jittery. He had no fear of the repercussions–what were they going to do to him, kill him? Torture him? Kill his friends and family? Theo hated his father, and his friends had turned into people he didn't know anymore. The Dark Lord had no leverage on him–but there was just something in the air that made Theo want to go out and do something.

Travers' body had been found in the Thames River yesterday, and Theo had to hide his smile behind his dinner fork as the report came in while the rabble of the Dark Lord were being entertained in Malfoy Manor's largest dining room. Their ranks had swelled in the last fortnight, and with Potter and his friends still on the run, the Dark Lord had outsourced labor from the Continent.

Theo was content to stay in the shadows and observe as the Dark Lord pontificated to the masses of idle worshippers. He was unimpressed by his so-called coworkers and already had plans for taking out the worst of them. His eyes lingered on the leader of the werewolf packs, the feral Fenrir Greyback.

"With great power comes great responsibility," the Dark Lord declared. "And we, as a collective, are powerful. We, as purebloods, are powerful. It is our duty to show those lesser than us who is in power! Who deserves to be in power!" The crowd cheered heartily at the conclusion of his speech. Theo kept up appearances and juggled his dinner plate to add his own applause to the raucous assembly before letting his eyes wander again.

Walden Macnair looked to be a little too gleeful at the thought of subjugating others. Theo always knew that man had a bit of a sadistic streak. He had heard stories of Macnair power-tripping in his position in the Ministry. Perhaps there was a way Theo could trip Macnair one last time…

His opportunity to confront Macnair arose a week later. Diagon Alley was even more deserted than usual, the general populace like frightened mice as the posturing Death Eaters stalked the Alley.

Theo missed the liveliness of his past. He missed the colorful window displays, the talkative shopkeepers, and the mothers dragging their unwilling children from store to store. He missed the safety the Auror presence brought when they patrolled the Alley.

"Theo."

"Draco," Theo greeted as Draco Malfoy approached him. The blond looked exhausted, a scowl on his face as he paused next to Theo.

"I bet you're enjoying this," Draco stated.

"Enjoying what?" Theo feigned innocence. The only thing that came to mind was his interaction with Travers the other day.

"So it wasn't you that pushed a Hippogriff through my personal Floo at three in the morning?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Theo couldn't help but laugh at the image. Many didn't know it, but Draco had been traumatized by the Hippogriff incident in their third year at Hogwarts. Draco had absolutely started it, but Buckbeak had ended it.

"It wasn't me," Theo swore. "But you have to admit, whoever did it knows you enough to use a Hippogriff, instead of something more annoying like a Niffler," he then pointed out. Draco's scowl deepened.

"Well, whoever it is–"

"Malfoy! There you are!" Macnair called out, causing both Draco and Theo to turn towards him. "I took care of that pest you called me about." Walden Macnair had let himself go since his position as the Ministry Executioner in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Theo inwardly grinned as he took in Macnair's rounded figure. Through mandatory drills in the dueling rooms at Malfoy Manor, Theo knew that Macnair was slowing down. His reflexes were worse now than they were a decade ago, and, judging by the wrapped-up gash on his arm that was slowly bleeding through the bandages, he could easily be taken out. "There's an additional fee for the bugger. Got me good, see?"

"WHAT?! You can't be serious! I paid you twenty galleons to get rid of the animal, and you've done your job! I'm not paying you hazard pay!" Draco exploded before whirling around and stalking away.

"Now listen here, you–"

"Macnair, you look a little pale. Here, let me get you to a healer. You can shake down Draco for your additional fee afterwards," Theo stated. He gripped Macnair's injured arm tightly, the man's cry of pain cut short as Theo jerked him forward.

Theo grinned brightly before twisting on the spot, a struggling Macnair firmly in his grasp.

Macnair splinched himself; it really wasn't Theo's fault. Everyone knows you're not supposed to move during Apparition, especially when someone is Side-Apparating you. It had been drilled into them during their lessons. But Theo supposed that Macnair was just old enough to have started forgetting that out of the three D's of Apparition—Destination, Determination, and Deliberation—the most important one was Determination.

And Theo was determined enough to cause Macnair bodily harm.

Normally, splinching could be easily healed at St Mungo's, if the injured party was taken there in time. So it was no wonder why Theo would wait an hour or two before taking him into the hospital.

"I found him like this, please tell me that you can help him!" Theo had stated, playing up his concern. With Macnair now in the healer's capable hands, Theo knew that he had waited just long enough for Macnair to die from his wounds.

There would be paperwork, of course, but Theo was old hat at that. This would be a first, however, to fill out paperwork for someone he'd murdered.

Another day, another meeting in Malfoy Manor's largest dining room. Theo's eyes scanned the assembly of Death Eaters, most of them unmarked. Their numbers were down since the last time they had gathered, and Theo narrowed his eyes at how agitated the Dark Lord was.

Theo only had two or three deaths under his belt. Powdered silver in the seasoning of food killed off Fenrir nicely after he had threatened Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister Astoria in Hogsmeade the other day during a Hogsmeade visit. Astoria was still in school, and Fenrir thought it would be a brilliant idea to be menacing near the school.

Theo had taken offense to that.

But there were notable people missing that Theo had on his list but hadn't had a chance to take out: Avery, Jugson, Travers Jr–who had gotten rather jumpy since his father had been found dead in the street–and even Rabastan Lestrange. They couldn't have been on a secret mission. Bellatrix would have crowed her pride at the top of her lungs for her brother-in-law getting special instructions from the Dark Lord.

"Theo."

"Draco," Theo greeted. He leaned further into the wall, crossing his arms as Draco settled in next to him.

"Make sure you never look the Dark Lord in the eyes."

Theo turned to stare at Draco, who scanned the room once, twice, and then a third time before meeting Theo's gaze.

Draco smirked.

And instantly, Theo knew. Grinning back at his oldest friend, Theo couldn't help but huff out a laugh.

"With great power comes great responsibility," Theo said with a grin, echoing the Dark Lord's words from earlier. Theo was glad he wasn't the only one discontent with how this new regime was running. Perhaps now something could actually get done.