Chapter Twenty Eight: Duel in the Halls of Hogwarts
"Harry, you have got to do it today!"
"I know, Hermione, I know! But knowing doesn't make it any easier, and you know it!" Harry countered. "You can picture it, can't you? 'Oh, Professor Snape, by the way... sorry about trying to blast you apart in my rage - I misheard you...' Just how is that supposed to help matters?"
Harry had convinced Hermione to double back to the common room with him after a quick breakfast that Friday. The rest of the week had gone fine - in fact, there hadn't been sight nor sound of Snape at all, and there had been word that Talisien would be returning to class the following week - following Hermione's prediction completely.
The problem was, however, that that meant that that day was the first time Harry would have seen Snape since the holidays... and the unfortunate accident of hammering the Potion's Master into the wall and yelling in his face. After speaking with Rozan and Hermione, and thinking about it himself, he knew what he had to do, and apparently, Hermione agreed wholeheartedly.
"Well... just wait until the end of class, and until everyone else has filed out. That should make it a little easier, right?" He could tell that she was nervous about seeing him again too - she was biting her lower lip in thought and twirling a strand of her honey brown hair around on one finger - a sure sign of the current state of her nerves.
"I'd rather get it over with right away, rather than give him all class to sit there seething at me. That way, we can get back to the normal hatred, instead of the I-completely-humilated-him hatred. But I'd be much happier just skivving off..."
"Harry! Hermione!" Both turned in surprise to find Ron stepping through the portrait hole and into the common room. "I thought you both had potions this morning. What's up? Not skivving, are you?"
"Ron, good, maybe you can help me," Hermione said urgently, standing up to pull him over to the couch with them. "Tell Harry that he really can't put this off any longer, and he's got to deal with it today!"
"What's this about, mate?" Ron asked instead, looking at Harry with a bemused expression on his face. "I haven't seen her acting this mental for quite some time."
"He's got to apologise to Snape!"
"What the bloody hell for?"
Harry stood up quite suddenly, stopping their argument before it could even really become one in the first place. "Look, I know I've got to do it... it's just that I can't guarantee that it'll go well." He then turned to Ron. "Forgot to mention it over the holidays, I guess. Snape said something to Hermione and me..."
"- Hermione and I - "
"Right, whatever. Anyway, I misheard him, and got angry. Remember what happened before third year to my Aunt Marge when I got angry, Ron?"
"You blew up Snape and didn't tell me about it?" Ron shouted in laughter, rolling back on the couch. "Mate, I'd've paid all the galleons I ever make in my lifetime to see that!"
"I didn't blow him up!" Harry shouted in return, not at all pleased with his friend's reaction - though he should have expected it, he supposed. "No, I don't know what happened, really, but I plastered him to a wall and ordered him out of my house - and told him that he was never allowed to return to it."
"And all this because you misheard him?" Ron asked, calming down quickly as Harry fell silent.
"Basically."
Ron stood up and nodded, then just as quickly sat back down again, shaking his head. "As much as I might rather agree with Harry on this one and not say anything to the greasy git about it, Hermione's right, mate. You've got to apologise - and skivving the first class of the new term isn't really the way to go about it."
"I know that, both of you," Harry snapped, turning to start towards the exit briskly, picking up his bag on the way. "I was just hoping for a bit of advice for how to go about doing that without making him even madder."
"Harry!" Hermione called after him, picking up her own bag to follow quickly. "We know that, it's just that..."
"Let it drop, Hermione," Ron suggested in a quiet voice as she passed him. "He'll deal with it when he gets there, but not if we bug him about it."
Although Harry didn't say another word on his way to class, he did accept the hand that Hermione offered him. She took his queue and kept quiet as well. She'd apologise later. Just before they turned down the final corridor, she released his hand, remembering Snape's actual words about public displays of affection that started the whole affair in the first place.
The class was surprisingly quiet when the two entered and took their seats near the back. Several vials were sitting on each table, as well as the caldrons that the students had prepared in the previous term that held the Drought of Stability. Although the potion had been finished near the end of November, it was usually stored someplace cold for a little over a month before bottling.
To say they were the only ones in the class would be wrong, though. All the normal students who took the Advanced Potions were there - including, to Harry's dismay, Draco Malfoy, who was looking as smug as ever. It had been the first time he had really seen the Slytherin student - or at least, the first time he had noticed - since the duel after the November Ball.
"Chin up, Harry," Terry said softly as he turned to look to the door. "It's only Potions. Not like anything too bad'll happen - Snape'll yell at you for something and take off house points, but that's about it."
"I know, Terry," he replied with a shrug as Hermione sat down. "But this is a little more complicated than that." Unlike his girlfriend, he didn't take a seat. He had noticed Snape entering the classroom, and waited for their Professor to pass them before he started to follow.
"Back to your seat, Potter. This is my classroom, and what I say here goes, am I clear?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Harry said the moment Snape turned back to the class. He was speaking quietly, so as not to draw more attention that absolutely necessary to the situation. "I was out of line. Please accept my apologises."
"No, Mr. Potter," Snape said firmly, sitting down at his desk and looking down his large nose at the sixth year student. "This is my classroom - what gives you the right to come crawling to me here and demand an acceptance for acting like a child?"
"But sir, I..."
"Fifty points from Gryffindor, Potter," he said, standing up again. "Return to your seat or I will make it more." He then leaned a little closer to him. "If, on the other hand, you will agree - in front of the class - to perform no public displays with Granger, then I will reconsider on the matter."
"You will accept my apology?" When Snape nodded almost imperceivably, Harry took a deep breath and turned back to the class. "Very well, Professor. I promise you not to partake in any displays of affection for my Hermione in front of others." He then looked back. "Is that what you wanted?"
"As usual, Potter, that is hardly acceptable... but I will allow it to pass on this one occasion. Return to your seat now, and let me teach my class!" Harry nodded firmly and walked back to his seat briskly, not wanting to risk saying anything for fear of yelling. "And Miss Granger, that promise goes for you, too," Snape added coldly, looking to them both now that they were sitting down. "In fact, it may be a good idea to separate you as partners to ensure it..."
"Do you take pleasure in picking on us, Professor, simply because we have something you never did?" Harry demanded before he could go any further. He felt Hermione's hand on the back of his robes, trying to pull him back down to his seat, but he shook her off. He had no problem when his least favourite Professor insulted him in front of the class - he was used to that by now, as Terry had so kindly pointed out - but he wasn't about to let him insult Hermione as well.
"Sit down, Potter!"
"I think it would be best if I left class, actually, Professor Snape," Harry replied as evenly as possible, though he was sure it came out as more of a snarl than anything else. "Lest I risk destroying a very valuable potion. That, and this way, my presence will not remind you of your own failure in life."
He turned to leave before giving any time for a reaction. It was only Hermione and Terry's shout that brought his mind back to the front of the class, where he saw at once that Snape had his wand out, pointing directly at him.
"Attingo Tactum!" Harry leapt to the side - thankful again for the lessons he had gotten from Kailyn thus far - and watched as the bludgeoning spell struck the large wooden door, blasting it off its hinges.
He pulled his own wand out to defend himself, and saw an immediate problem. If he used a Protego charm now, then the reflected spell could hit any number of students or caldrons. While he wouldn't be that upset seeing Malfoy get pummelled by a spell from his own Head of House, he didn't want to see it happen to anyone else, either.
So he did the only thing he could think of, and darted out of the classroom. He heard a couple of shouts follow him, but he only really registered two of them - Terry's and Hermione's. Terry's was more what he would have expected from Ron, though.
"You can't get in trouble for attacking him now, mate! He started it!"
Hermione, on the other hand, was suggesting a completely defensive stance. "Don't make things worse when it's over, Harry! Just keep yourself safe!"
Instinctively, he leapt into the air, and managed to avoid the leg-locking curse that Snape must have sent his way as he ran down the corridors towards the Great Hall. He figured that the Potion's Master would stop trying to hit him with any spells if there was a large crowd around, so that was his best bet.
Damn, he's just as good as I thought... Harry thought to himself as he shot down a hallway, just narrowly avoiding a jet of red light that knocked a painting off the wall. He was a Death Eater at one stage, after all, not to mention someone had said in second year that he had been an expert at dueling before...
"Protego!" Harry shouted quickly as he came to a dead end - the staircase had just turned, which cut off his route completely, and left him with only one exit - the way Snape was coming now, followed by the entire Potion's class, as well as a few other students. The jelly-jegs curse glanced off the railing harmlessly after it bounced from his shielding spell. "Expelliarmus!" he said quickly, hoping to catch his teacher off guard.
By the flip backwards that the professor did, Harry knew that the stories about his abilities weren't exaggerated. "Nowhere to run now, is there, Potter?" Snape sneered at him, leveling his wand at the boy again. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
If there was one spell that he hadn't been expecting, that would have to have been it. Caught off guard, Harry found himself lifted into the air by the spell in an instant, and floating backwards just a little bit, so he was hovering over the drop off caused by the moved staircase.
"Not so high and mighty now, are you, Potter!"
"Stop it!" Hermione shouted from behind him. "Put him down, Professor!"
"Keep your nose out of it, girl!" Snape bit back, looking over his head for a moment at her.
Unable to really think of much to counter the charm, Harry did the best he could as the equivalent of pushing against the power of the spell. If he had been on the ground, it would have been like trying to push down a brick wall, but in the air, it looked somehow different, and definitely out of place.
Snape looked back to Harry quickly, however, when his spell failed and Harry started to fall. Reaching out with his free hand, Harry managed to catch the edge of the floor before falling down. "You can't do anything right, can you, Potter?" Snape demanded, pointing his wand at him again to cast the same spell a second time.
To Harry's amazement, he found himself being put down on solid ground moments later as Snape lowered his wand a bit again. "Thanks," he breathed, lowering his own wand.
"Don't thank me yet, boy!" the Professor said harshly, leveling his wand again. "I owe you one of these from several years ago, not to mention from today as well! Expelliarmus!"
Caught unaware for the second time in the same duel, Harry was not happy with his performance at all - though this wasn't exactly on his mind at the time. He managed to spin aside of the attack by a bit, but his shoulder was struck by the spell, sending him into a flying spin backwards, where he landed hard on the just returned staircase, his wand skittering out of his grasp.
"Accio wand!" Harry said instantly. His wand back in his hand, he stood up and pointed it at Snape. "Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!"
This time, his own spell rebounded directly at him, catching him in the stomach and lifting him off his feet. He landed hard on the landing at the top of the steps, and before he could even think of recovering, found his wand in Snape's hand.
"Admit your defeat, Potter."
"No," Harry said fiercely. It was one thing to lose in front of such a crowd, it was another to give up entirely. He felt the sheath to his dagger digging into his side slightly, which reminded him of the other wand - the one Hermione had given him. "I'm not done yet." With a flourish, he managed to get to his feet despite the pain and drew his second wand. "Expelliarmus!" He could have used a different spell, but didn't want to make things more dangerous or brutal than they already were.
Time seemed to slow down around them as the pinpoint of white light left his wand, aimed directly at Snape. He heard Snape speaking in slow motion as his wand lifted into the air in an almost comically slow action. "P... r... o... t... e... g... o..."
The white struck the invisible shield, but didn't rebound. Instead, there was an intense crack that rippled through the air, knocking Harry off his feet and into the wall behind him again - as well as knocking most of the students behind Snape to the ground as well. The next thing he knew was Snape looking down with a surprised 'Oh,' on his lips as the spell struck him in the stomach. The Professor was slammed into the wall so hard it knocked the wind out of him, and he fell to the ground on his face, struggling to regain his breath. Both his wand and Harry's normal wand flew from his grasp.
It was Dumbledore who caught both of them, which was probably the only reason everyone watching didn't start shouting or screaming in panic at what had just happened.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked in what could almost be called a calm voice, though his facial features were a little tighter than usual.
"Professor, it wasn't..." Hermione started, on her feet first and already moving to Harry's side to make sure he was alright.
"I'd rather," Dumbledore cut her off gently. "Hear the reasoning from the two directly involved, Miss Granger," he said, looking from Harry to Snape and back again.
Once Harry was on his feet - though leaning heavily on Hermione, thanks to an injury to his leg that happened when he struck the wall the last time - he started down the steps. "I'm sorry, sir. It shouldn't have happened."
"Aha!" Snape said, getting his breath back. "You see, Albus! You see that! Potter is admitting that this is his fault! He was trying to..."
"You forget, Severus, that I see most of what goes on in this school despite rumours to the contrary," Dumbledore said firmly before Snape could get any further. "So I am well aware who started what and just what happened. I had hoped to hear an explanation for those events." He then stopped and looked around at the other students who had gathered. "Away from prying ears."
The hallway was empty save for Dumbledore, Snape, Harry, and Hermione the next moment. Before anyone else could say anything, Hermione looked to the Headmaster firmly. "I'm not leaving him like this, Professor."
To her surprise, Dumbledore actually chuckled lightly at this. "I do not believe I could remove you from him with... what is that muggle contraption called... a 'crowply.' "
"Crowbar, sir," Harry said automatically.
"Right, a crowbar. I haven't had to use one for quite some time, so I'm sure you'll excuse the mistake," he said with a soft smile. "I will permit you to stay for now, Miss. Granger. I imagine you know what happened already anyway."
"It is my fault, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said softly. "I tried to apologise to Sna... sorry... Professor Snape about what happened at home over the holidays, and ended up insulting him afterwards. He shouldn't be punished for this."
*Harry, are you sure about that? He attacked you when you had your back turned!* Hermione purred softly so it would be hard for anyone else to even hear that sound, let alone question where it was coming from.
*He also saved my life in the middle of the duel,* Harry reminded her.
"He attacked you first, Harry?"
Harry looked to Snape quickly before looking back to Dumbledore. Their Potion's Master did not look pleased with how things had turned out, but was also looking a little worried.
"Could we just say that we both had a hand in it, and call that even, sir?"
Dumbledore looked over his half moon spectacles at Harry for a moment, his blue eyes unusually still for once. He then turned to Snape. "Is there anything you wish to add, Severus?"
"I'm..." he stopped suddenly, and then his shoulders dropped slightly, taking away the defiant look he had tried to hold for the entire conversation. "I'm sorry, Headmaster. It was wrong of me to act as I did."
"Are you willing to accept Harry's terms?" It was barely perceivable, but it was indeed a nod. "Very well. In that case, I suggest you return to the Potion's dungeon. I would ask for you to stopper all of the vials filled with the Drought."
"Yes sir," Snape said, well aware that, on his own, it would possibly take all day to manage such a feat, which was why the class was going to do it collectively. It would only take the one class that way. "Right away."
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly, nodding to him before turning to Harry and Hermione again. "And Harry... you should get to the hospital wing, I believe. Your leg appears to be bent at an odd angle."
Harry looked down in surprise. He was certainly aware of the pain that had resulted from catching the leg on the railing, but he didn't think it was that bad. When he looked, however, he saw that it was, indeed, as bad as it sounded. "Right away, sir."
"You will probably have to stay the night, Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, handing Harry's wand back to him. "And, as you are well aware, there is a no animal policy in the hospital wing for sanitation purposes. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Wonderful. On your way, then."
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As soon as Madame Pomfrey finished giving Harry the potions and casting the spells on his leg to mend him - she had
refused to let Hermione give it a try, despite Harry's acceptance of what would happen if she made a mistake - she
told Hermione that she would give them five minutes before Harry was to be left alone for the night. Headmaster's
orders as well as her own.
"Before you start, 'Mione," Harry said as soon as the curtain stopped moving, saying that they were, indeed, in private now. "I know I shouldn't have attacked in return, and I know I really shouldn't have said what I did in class."
Hermione sat up and blinked once in surprise. "I should be saying something about that, shouldn't I?" she asked. Harry couldn't help but grin at the genuine surprise in her voice at not having been thinking about it. "I was going to ask how you were, and talk about tonight, but..."
"Really, 'Mione... skip the lecture. We can have it later... right now, we don't have much time," he reminded her, hoping that she would stick to her apparent original idea. "I'm going to miss sleeping in the same bed as you tonight."
"And I'll miss you, too," Hermione said softly. "This is as much a punishment for me as it is for you, Harry!" she pointed out, crossing her arms and letting out a small huff. "And I didn't even do anything."
"Then consider this punishment for any of the other rules that we broke this year so far," he suggested with a grin. "Now, we don't have a lot of time... if you want, that book you gave me for my birthday is on our nightstand. You could probably read that if you can't sleep - it's got loads of good stuff in it."
Hermione leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "I didn't know you were reading it yet..."
"Well, it is one of the books I'm using for Defense Against the Dark Arts, not to mention that I need to have something to look through when you are in the library studying Arithmancy with Julia," he said. At her surprised look, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Terry asked me at the end of last term if there was any way I could convince you to cut back on study time for that class - apparently, he thinks that Julia is taking too much time on it, and not enough with him."
"That's not true at all, honestly!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "Those two are together almost as often as we are - and we sleep in the same bed! I think she'd go spare if she didn't take a bit of time away from him. A girl needs her space sometimes, you know..."
"Then tonight won't be a problem?"
*I want you tonight, Harry,* Hermione growled in response, probably completely unaware that she had switched to talking in kneazle. *I don't know if I can sleep if I can't curl up with you at night...* When Harry didn't respond right away but did go bright red, she stopped for a moment, thinking about what she had said before going bright red herself. "I... I just meant that..."
"I know," Harry said quickly. "Try to get some sleep tonight, alright?" he suggested. "I'll be down for breakfast tomorrow morning, that sound okay?"
Hermione sighed and leaned down to give him a hug. "I'll be fine. I just won't be happy about it," she replied. "I love you."
Harry smiled and kissed her softly despite the fact that the curtain was being pulled aside. "I know," he
whispered into her ear as she pulled away.
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It was about three in the morning that Hermione stole into Harry's dorm as Willow and sought out the book that
Harry had told her would be there. Ron, who was just coming back from a trip to the bathroom, seemed a bit surprised to
see her pulling a book downstairs, but said nothing.
After giving it about five minutes, he went downstairs himself to find Hermione sitting in a chair next to the fire, reading through the ancient tome carefully. "So, can I hear the full version now?" he asked dryly. "I've heard the rumours and all, they're going through the whole school, but they wouldn't let me up to speak to Harry. What's going on?"
Hermione stuck a finger in the book to mark her place and looked up to Ron. "What are you still doing up?" Apparently, she hadn't noticed him when she was getting the book.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I couldn't sleep."
"I thought I might find you down here, and since Harry didn't come up tonight, I thought you could at least tell me why not," Ron finally answered. "As to why I'm up, I had to go to the loo... want to know why, or is that enough information already?"
"That's enough!" Hermione said quickly, biting back a giggle. "Really, that's enough," she repeated before Ron sat down across from her. She was pleased to see that he was at least wearing a set of robes over his pajamas, which were just boxers like Harry's.
"Alright then, spill."
"Harry and Snape got into an argument in class today, and Snape ended up attacking Harry when he tried to leave the class," Hermione explained. "Long story short, Snape nearly killed Harry when Harry broke free of a spell, but then saved his life, only to keep attacking. In the end, Snape disarmed Harry, only for him to call his wand back to him. He then tried to disarm Snape, but the git used a Protego charm, and Harry's own spell broke his leg. He then used his new wand and shattered Snape's shield. That's when Dumbledore showed up."
"Back up a tick..."
"Snape now has to finish bottling the Drought of Stability, and Harry has to spend the night in the Hospital Wing, and under no circumstances can I go visit him. Dumbledore made that very clear," she explained.
"No, back up, Hermione!" Ron said again. "Snape nearly killed Harry how?"
"He cast a Wingardium Leviosa spell, and Harry broke free, nearly falling down about four floors. Snape caught him in another spell, and then set him down on the floor again. Once he was back on balance, he attacked again."
"Snape did what?"
"Ron, I'm not going to repeat myself again at three bloody thirty in the morning," Hermione said firmly, opening the book again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to read."
"Shouldn't you be trying to sleep?" Ron asked, a hint of humour in his voice as he stood up again to go up to his own bed. "Like you said, it's three bloody thirty in the morning. I think I've finally managed to corrupt you at least partially."
"Good night, Ron."
"But you didn't..."
"Good night Ron."
Ron sighed and turned around to go upstairs. "Good night, Hermione." Once on the stairs, he looked back to her, but didn't say anything loudly - instead, he just muttered it under his breath. "You know, if you'd just tell me, I might be able to get back to sleep myself... or at least relax a little."
"I said good night Ron!"
"How the bloody hell did you hear that?" He was not surprised in the slightest when she didn't reply. When the only sound he heard in the next few minutes was the crackling of wood in the fireplace and the turning of pages, he yawned and decided to go up to bed after all.
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Author's Note:
Thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter - especially given that the Chapter/Author Alerts weren't
working properly, and no one received an email about it (that I'm aware of).
Now, as for the issue of updates, currently, I am planning on updating once a week from here on in. I do have a couple of chapters written now, but they still need editting, so I'll be dealing with that, as well as working on future chapters at the same time. The plan right now is to update on Thursdays. Why then? It happened to be the date that I pointed to at random...
Up next: The Quidditch match of Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Aside from being an interesting match - given how many Hufflepuff students were killed in the attacks and all, Harry can't fly in it. This chapter will answer the questions as to why not, however, so you'll all finally know the answer to that...
Until the sun sets upon a broken world...
The Shadows