The legacy of the Diary

Legacy of the diary
By Luciusfan


Chapter 22 - Duel

In the hallways third year students were placing charms on giant spider webs and pumpkins, making them hover near the ceiling as decorations for Halloween. The Halloween feast was still a week away, but being something of an institution in a School for Witches and Wizards, the preparations had already begun and Hermione was finding her students less than attentive.

She passed the frolicking third years in the corridor as she headed towards the Great Hall to eat a late lunch before going back to her classroom for the afternoon’s lessons. Rounding a corner she ran into Lupin looking somewhat troubled.
“Remus, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, bloody Malfoy is back and he’s demanding to see teaching notes from all members of staff.”
“Teaching notes? What does he want them for?”
“Oh, Dumbledore says he’s demanding a more active role as a governor and wants to check that we’re teaching things correctly. Not that he would know if we were or not.”
Hermione was lost in thought. “What is he up to?”
“Oh probably just stirring up trouble, maybe he wants to have someone fired or maybe he’s just bored with deatheating!” Lupin gave a little chuckle but Hermione was not laughing.
“I suppose he’s going to be asking to meet with all the staff individually to discuss their lessons next?”
“How did you know? Dumbledore was just saying at lunch that we should be well prepared. So, anyway, that’s where I’m going – I have 6 weeks of past lesson evaluations to go and write!”

Lupin hurried off and Hermione continued on her way to the hall.

Severus’ face was as black as thunder when Hermione joined him at the top table. “I have been summoned!”
“When?”
“Tonight – Malfoy insists on meeting me in the Potions lab to go over my ‘teaching’! He can’t possibly think for a minute that I don’t realise he has other ideas – oh and you’re right after, but strangely he’s made no following appointments for tonight – seems you’re to be his last appointment for the day.” Severus spat out the last few words his voice ripe with insinuation.

“How do you know? When was all this decided?” Hermione was not sure to be puzzled or offended by Snape’s tone.

“Oh – there’s a list up – he’s seeing Lupin, then me then you and it says further appointments will be made as necessary.”

“But are governors allowed to do last minute surprise school inspections?”

“What makes you think he’s inspecting the school? He’s only seeing Lupin to keep his cover – it’s us he wants to talk to. You must say nothing Hermione – you understand me? Say. Nothing.”

With that Severus kicked back his chair and swept out of the Great Hall, his cloak billowing like a raven in flight. Hermione changed her mind about food and headed back to her Ancient Runes classroom.


~~~xx~~~

Snape paced in his potions classroom, Lucius Malfoy was late. It was just a ploy to give him the upper hand he thought. It was already working, he was getting more agitated and irritable. He decided to sit down at his desk and had just picked up his quill when the dungeon door was pushed slowly open. Cane in hand and fur collared cloak on shoulders Lucius strode into the room casting Snape an imperious glare.

“What the hell, d’you think you’re doing, Malfoy?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Professor Snape.”

“What’s that meant to mean?”

“Oh, you and your little mudblood – I’ve heard about your inquiries. Trying to get me into trouble, Severus?”

“Hypocrite! Calling her mudblood! You want her as much as I do!”

“That’s where you’re wrong my dear Severus.” His tone and smirk as well as his words caught the potions professor off guard.

Snape looked up in surprise. “I am?”

“Oh yes. I want her much more than you do. And I’ll do anything to get her.” His voice, as usual was smooth and silky and his tone superior.

“She doesn’t want you!”

“And again – you’re wrong! Oh, she wants me. But at the moment she’s got you. Distracting her. Poisoning her mind against me. But deep down, she wants me more than she’ll ever want you.”

“And why would I poison her mind against you? Feeling guilty about something Lucius? Maimed any Quidditch players lately, Lucius?!” Snape’s voice was rising in volume and pitch, as his temper slipped away from him.

In a flash Malfoy’s hand was on the head of his serpent topped cane as he pulled his wand from its sheath and trained it on Snape. “Temper, temper, professor Snape. Wouldn’t want me to lose my temper would you?”

Snape looked at Malfoy then looked at his own wand, lying out on a desk where he had set it down during his pacing only moments before. Bloody hell! How careless!

Slowly he stood up and walked towards Malfoy, it was possible that the blonde wizard hadn’t seen where his wand lay and if he could get closer to it he had a better chance of retrieving it.

“Stay where you are Severus.”

He continued to move away from his desk and towards Malfoy. “What, going to kill me here in my own classroom? Everyone knows you’re here, you won’t get away with it.”

“What makes you think I care whether I ‘get away with it’ or not? Anyway who said anything about killing you?”

At that, Snape dived for his wand as Lucius called out. “CRUCIO!”

“EXPELLIARMUS!”

Malfoy’s wand flew through the air landing, point first, in a bubbling cauldron. Snape picked himself up off the floor brushing himself down but keeping his wand firmly transfixed on Malfoy.

“Seems the shoe is on the other foot now, Lucius?”

“Indeed.” Lucius was suffused with a quiet rage. Annoyed that he hadn’t seen Snape’s wand and that he had been out done by a simple disarming spell.

“Come on then, Severus. If you’re going to cast the Criuciatus curse, get on with it.” He held his arms wide in resignation.

“I don’t want curses, I just want the truth.”

“The truth? What currency is there in the truth?” Lucius let out a nervous laugh but stopped abruptly as Snape ordered him to sit down.

“I want to know what you did to Harry and why? And I want to know what you’ve done to Hermione and how it can be reversed?”

“The sad truth, Severus, is that I’ve done nothing to either of them. You’re jumping to conclusions again. And you of all people, you should know that there’s some good even in the worst deatheater.”

“Yes, and you are the worst deatheater!” Snape lifted his wand arm as if in preparation to strike.

“Come on, Severus, be reasonable...”

“A moment ago you wanted to be cursed? Changed your mind?”

“This just seems a little one sided, after all you’re the one with the wand!”

“Very well.” Snape walked over to the bubbling pot and pulled out the ten inch mahogany wand. He tossed it over to Malfoy who skilfully caught it without touching any of the noxious liquid that now coated one end of it.
“A duel to the death? Is that what you want Lucius?”

“Good heavens no. Though you should realise that if I lose Hermione I might as well be dead.”

“Oh dear, going soft in your old age?”

“I can’t possibly make you understand.”

“I understand only too well I’m afraid. A duel for Hermione then?”

“A splendid idea, Severus. But its only fair that she should choose the winner.”

“Her, choose? I’m not following.”

“We duel for her, but not with wands and not here.”

“Where then? Pistols at dawn? How very muggle!”

Malfoy’s colour rose, “How dare you!”

“Then enlighten me!”

“The dualing arena is to be her bed.”

“What? The both of us together? You don’t care for her at all if you think that is a way to win her.”

“On the contrary, I know Miss Granger better than you think, Severus.
What – getting all coy on me? You never had a problem sharing before. In your deatheater days I remember only too well you holding down a halfblood for me or taking turns with a particularly ‘interesting’ muggle wench!”

“You’re sick, and those days are long behind me. I won’t do it.”

“Won’t or can’t?” Lucius raised an eyebrow as he stared intently at Severus.

Severus stared back at Lucius, hatred emanating from every pore. He knew Lucius was baiting him, just waiting for him to back off so he could have Hermione for himself. A thought struck him.

“I have some conditions.”

Malfoy smiled. “Excellent, name them.”

“Afterwards you are to agree to take Veritaserum, whatever the outcome and allow us to find out what really happened to Harry. And this only goes ahead with Hermione’s consent”

“Is that all?” He smiled then sniggered.

“No. When I win this puerile little contest, you are to have no further contact with Hermione. Understood?”

“Very well, you and Hermione can come to Malfoy Manor where the Veritaserum can be administered. You can find out what happened to Harry.”

“When?”

“The duel will take place at Halloween. That way we will not be interrupted by students or your fellow professors. They will be busy at the feast well into the early hours of the morning”

“You realise Hermione will not go for this idea.” Snape added.

“If you want to know what happened to Harry you’ll make sure she does ‘go for it’!”

“Very well. Now get out of here – and I don’t mean this dungeon, I mean this entire Castle.”

“I’m going. But I’ll be back in a week. Besides, I’ll have my governor’s invitation to the Halloween feast. So I’ll be here, rest assured, I’ll be here.”

With that Malfoy turned on his heel and swept out of the potions classroom. Snape stood motionless as he heard the confident footsteps fade and was once again in silence, save for the gentle bubbling of a cauldron.

What was he going to do? What was he going to say? In a week’s time Malfoy would be back to claim Hermione. He had to persuade her to go through with this ordeal.