The Luckiest Man on Earth

The Luckiest Man on Earth 38



DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended



Chapter 38: Comeuppance



The Hogsmeade Inn:



A short silence fell in the hotel room as the Slytherins digested Billy’s words.



“Now,” said Billy as she tossed her head and smirked. “Untie me and I will not press charges.”



“Nice try, Billy,” said Alec as he leveled his wand to aim between her eyes. “But I am not as easy to scare as you think I am. You, unfortunately, are as thick as I think you are. My dear, how did you get sorted into Slytherin? Your plan is shoddy and full of holes. You do know that having ambition is no substitute for cunning. Half the witches at Hogwarts want to land a good husband.”



“So sorry that the husband you wanted is already taken,” said Adrian in a mocking tone.



“Marcus is not married to her yet!” spat out Billy.



“Honestly,” complained Terry. “I don’t know how it is possible that you just don’t get it. Marcus never loved you nor did he ever intend to marry you.”



“The same way that you will never love Adrian like he loves you,” said Billy nastily. “It’s almost funny the way he constantly forgives you, Higgs. And it makes you squirm with guilt, doesn’t it? To throw his love in his face every time you fuck some nameless witch, but you just can’t help yourself. Now, you’ve convinced yourself that you have a grand passion for one of those bloody Gryffindor chasers. And you call me clueless.”



“You have no idea what love is, Billy,” said Adrian as his jaw clenched when Terry’s face paled.



“And you,” said Billy as she turned her gaze on Alec. “You think I am a mercenary whore, but I am not the one marrying for money, am I? It’s not like you need the money. You don’t even have the excuse that you are sacrificing yourself for the good of the family estates. Your ambition won’t let you marry someone like that half blood Hufflepuff you were fucking for years. Curious, isn’t it, that you always preferred to fool around with witches that you knew you could never marry.”



“I am well aware of my choices,” said Alec evenly.



“Now, Adrian,” purred Billy as she turned her gaze to Pucey. “I see that your mother has thrown her sons into the path of some very well heeled heiresses. The family company isn’t doing as well as it did when your father was still alive, or so my father has told me in passing,” said Billy demurely as her eyes glittered with rage. “Your mother may have been keeping that a secret. Good thing that your brother is soon to marry the only child of the richest witch in Europe, or so it is rumored. And has she suggested to you, Adrian, that Daria Greengrass would be an oh-so-suitable bride? The lure of the Bole millions certainly makes Daria quite alluring. Although, I wonder if you know?”



“Dare I ask?” drawled Adrian. He gave Billy a mocking look.



“You don’t,” said Billy as she trilled with mad laughter. “You have no clue that Tarquin is madly in love with Daria. Even though they are first cousins, I know that their family hopes that those two will unite the family fortunes. Have you not noticed that he is almost pathologically jealous of anyone that goes near her?”



“You are crazy,” said Adrian flatly.



“I bet you fell for that story she told about losing her virginity to a stranger at a May revel, last year,” said Billy. “Those Roman families are quite insular and a bit mad. I will bet a million galleons that Daria’s mystery lover is not that big of a mystery.”



“Dormis,” said Alec with a flick of his wand. Billy fell back onto the sofa unconscious.



“Gods, she really is completely crackers,” said Terry. “Marcus used to say but I never took him that seriously.”



Adrian had a contemplative look on his face. Terry went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.



“Mate,” said Ter quietly. “She knows how to cut through defenses and find weak points. It is her gift. We are lucky that she isn’t smart enough to use that knowledge like a true Slytherin.”



“I have caught a few off notes about Tarquin and Daria’s relationship over the years,” said Adrian tightly.



“It’s an insular world,” said Alec seriously. “Most of us are related. Besides, I really don’t think Tarquin or Daria are anything more than cousins. Tarquin has a real distrust of women in general. I doubt it has ever occurred to him that Daria is an actual girl. Billy was just feeding on-,” Alec stopped himself from saying Adrian’s insecurities just in time. He smothered an inner twinge that told him that Adrian was right. There was something a tiny bit off about Daria and Tarquin’s relationship. Tarquin was a tad too possessive.



“She was trying to distract us,” said Terry quickly. He exchanged an expressive look with Alec. Terry could remember seeing a rather strange light in Tarquin’s bright green eyes when he had dated Daria. But still, Bole and Greengrass were first cousins. Even in the closed world of British wizards, that was a touch too closely related.



“Terry,” said Alec briskly. “You had better go get Professor Snape and the Headmaster. The silly bitch is right; we cannot truss her up and cart her off the Hogwarts. But I am almost one hundred percent sure that she was behind Katie Bell’s accident.”



“Shall I ring for tea?” asked a hesitant voice from behind Alec.



Alec turned and perused his fiancée’s choice of robes. He nodded in approval as he took in the demurely cut robe and the hair that was pulled up into a French twist. She was every inch the lady. She gave Alec a hesitant smile.



“That would be fine,” said Alec. “But please remember that the hotel staff are not your house elves.”



“That was Billy,” protested Svetlana.



Alec merely raised an eyebrow and she subsided.



“Gods,” thought Adrian as he schooled his features. “Alec is one hell of taskmaster. Glad I am not marrying him. She is rather good looking though. Her pictures do not do her justice.”



Terry winked at Svetlana as he turned to go get the Headmaster and Professor Snape. She colored and looked away.



Alec gave his fiancée a measured look then asked casually, “How is Viktor Krum?” He knew that Ter was just flirting but he had his doubts about his wife-to-be. Like Marcus said, thank Merlin for paternity charms.



“I don’t know,” said Svetlana as she blushed crimson and her voice got higher. “He never really liked me, you know. I just hoped he would. I wanted to have……a choice, that’s all. I knew my father would never let me have a choice. I just thought that….it wasn’t fair, that’s all.”



“I know,” said Alec softly as his gaze softened as he looked into her eyes. He did know what it was like not to have a choice. He was beginning to realize that Svetlana knew how it felt as well.



“Oh,” said Svetlana artlessly. “Is Billy sleeping?”



Hogwarts: the Infirmary:



Katie opened her eyes and blearily looked around the room. She wondered where she was. It did not look like her dorm room. In fact, it looked like the infirmary. What was she doing here? Katie looked at her surroundings groggily. She could hear low voices talking just out of her sight.



Then with a suddenness that almost stole her breath, she remembered. Her hands flew to her stomach. Her eyes filled with tears as she felt her swollen abdomen. Her mind raced with a jumble of incoherent thoughts and snatches of memories. She felt like her hands were moving in slow motion over her body as she licked at her dry lips.



“Katie,” breathed a familiar voice to her right. She turned to see who it was. Her heart leapt when she caught sight of Marcus’s pale face. Then she remembered something out of the hazy reaches of her mind. She flinched away from Marcus’s reaching hand.



“Gods, Katie,” said Marcus in a quick, hurried rush. “Please don’t turn away from me over a lie.”



“Was it a lie?’ asked Katie plaintively.



“Yes,” said Marcus fiercely. “I love you, Katie. You are the only woman I have ever loved. I never asked Persephone to marry me. Please believe me.”



“I do,” said Katie softly. The self doubt that plagued her when she read the article about Marcus’s previous girlfriend melted away when she saw the fierce look in his teary eyes. “What happened?” asked Katie as she licked at her lips. Her mind was clearing as her surroundings began to sharpen.



“Someone fed you a potion,” said Marcus as he hesitantly smoothed her hair away from her temples. He was relieved when she allowed him to do it. “Someone wanted to make you miscarry. But it didn’t work, love. Madame Pomfrey says that if you just keep calm and stay in bed for the next few weeks then everything will be fine. Our baby is still alive.” His voice broke on his last words.



“You promise?” asked Katie hoarsely as she reached up a hand and touched his arm.



“Yes. I don’t know what I would have done if the baby died,” confessed Marcus as he tangled his fingers around her cool hand. She squeezed his fingers as she saw the pain and anguish on his face. How could she have doubted him even for a minute?



“I’m sorry,” said Katie as her voice caught on a sob.



“It’s not your fault,” said Marcus as he soothed her brow. “Don’t cry, Katie. Please. It’s my fault. I knew that she was dangerous but I didn’t know she would go this far and try to hurt you again.”



“Again?” asked Katie thickly.



“It was Billy,” said Marcus as he closed his eyes in frustration. “If I had only taken her more seriously. She bribed and blackmailed her scheming black heart out. I should have known.”



“How could you have known?” said Katie soothingly.



“I should have,” said Marcus heavily. He opened his eyes and looked at Katie seriously.



“Where is she?” asked Katie softly.



“I don’t know yet but my father is actively looking for her,” said Marcus. “I need to go get Pomfrey. She wanted to know when you woke up. I’ll be right back, love. I’ll get your parents as well.”



“Marcus,” asked Katie with a worried frown. She touched her stomach protectively. “She can’t get in here, can she? You don’t think she would try again?”



“No,” said Marcus as his jaw tightened and his heart pounded in his chest as he thought about her question seriously. He didn’t let his expression change as she asked, “Are you sure?”



“I promise,” said Marcus grimly.



“Good,” said Katie faintly as she closed her eyes wearily.



Marcus watched her fall back asleep with his heart in his throat as he scanned the windows and entryways into the Infirmary. He was grateful when Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. He did not want to take his eyes off of her bed. Who knows who else that crazy bint had bribed or paid to hurt his Katie? He went to look for Katie’s parents when Pomfrey was examining her. He wanted to make sure that someone was with Katie at all times until they found Bletchley.



The Headmaster’s Office:



“Thank-you, Mr. Higgs,” said the Headmaster when Terry finished his story. Terry left the room after giving his account. He had strict instructions from Professor Snape to go back to the Slytherin dungeons straight away. He had every intention of obeying. Snape had that look in his black eyes, the one every Slytherin student worthy of the name knew not to cross.



“I am certainly glad Aurelius is not here,” said Professor Snape with an inward shudder as the door closed behind that scamp, Higgs. “He would be half way to Hogsmeade by now. The Flints have always had rather fiery temperaments. Should we call in the aurors, Headmaster? After all the Bletchley girl is not a student at Hogwarts.”



“She is also not a citizen of the United Kingdom, Severus,” said Dumbledore gravely.



“What is going to happen to her?” asked Snape seriously. “She cannot get away with a second attempt on Bell’s life.”



“In addition,” said Dumbledore grimly. “I want to know where Miss Stebbins is. We will go to the village and question her. Then we shall call the authorities and her father.”



The Hogsmeade Inn:



Adrian answered the knock on the door fully expecting it to be the tea that Alec’s fiancée ordered.



“Hello, Adrian,” said Aurelius Flint with a cool smile. “I see that you were not expecting me.”



“No, sir,” said Adrian as he recovered himself and opened the door for Marcus’s father.



Aurelius walked into the room taking off his gloves in a studied casual gesture. His eyes immediately went to the unconscious girl on the sofa. “I see that you have found Miss Bletchley. The polyjuice should be wearing off at any moment,” drawled Aurelius.



“How did you find out?’ asked Adrian curiously. “Terry just left.”



“I had people looking for her,” said Aurelius as he sat down beside the unconscious girl. “They tracked her to this hotel. She was not as discrete as she should have been. I was counting on that. Has she confessed?”



“What she has done is made threats,” said Alec dryly.



“I counted on that as well,” said Aurelius with an icy smile as he looked down at Billy. He looked up at the two students and said, “Well done, gentlemen. I should have been paying you lot instead of that private auror company. But I have forgotten my manners, Alec, who is this lovely lady?”



Alec gave a dry smile as he introduced a blushing Svetlana to Marcus’s father. He watched as Aurelius Flint, smoothly and without Svetlana’s being aware that he did so, maneuvered his fiancée out the door of the suite and away from the scene.



“You did not have to promise her a new robe at the dress shop in the lobby to get her out of the room, she would have went if I told her too,” said Alec evenly when the door closed behind Svetlana’s back.



“One must always sweeten the deal, so to speak,” chided Aurelius. He took out his wand and twirled it between his long, slim fingers. “Nothing softens up a witch faster than a new set of robes. Alec, I am surprised at you. Discipline is well and good when talking about schoolchildren but a wife is a very different creature. There are things one just doesn’t say to one’s wife. But I am very sure that you will come to know what I mean. Suffice it to say, I am sure that Svetlana must have known that Miss Bletchley and I were about to have words. I am sure that she did not want to be here to witness that. Without further ado – enervate.”



Billy opened her eyes with a snap. She opened her mouth to say something when she spotted Marcus’s father standing in front of her with his wand pointed between her eyes. She shivered as she saw the implacable look in his blue eyes.



Adrian’s breath caught in his throat as he could feel the tension in the room escalate. Marcus’s father, always the charming host in the past, was all business. He looked dangerous and Adrian could almost feel the anger coming off the older wizard in waves. He knew, now, from whom Marcus had inherited his fiery temper from. He watched as the polyjuice potion faded and Persephone’s face morph into Billy’s true one.



Aurelius unbound the witch with a contemptuous flick of his wand and stepped up close to trembling girl. Billy was staring at Aurelius like a doe caught in the headlights of a muggle car.



“You have tried to destroy what is mine,” said Aurelius lowly. Aurelius thought of the look in his only child’s eyes this afternoon as he sat by the bed of Katie Bell. He had felt helpless in the face of his son’s pain and despair. “You tried to destroy my family.” He stepped up to Billy and ran his gloves over her face in a menacing gesture. Billy was transfixed and staring at Aurelius like she had never seen him before. Aurelius tossed his gloves onto her lap with a lazy yet intent gesture.



“Wilhelmina Annalise Bletchley,” said Aurelius formally as he fixed her with a penetrating glare. “I challenge you to a wizards duel at sundown tonight in accordance with ancient Wizarding laws that have stood since the time of Merlin.”



A stunned Billy lurched to her feet and said in a trembling voice, “You cannot challenge me. I am too young and you have no grounds. My father will never allow it.”



Adrian and Alec exchanged incredulous looks. Wizarding duels were not exactly illegal but were very uncommon. A duel between an older wizard and a young witch was even more so.



“You are eighteen,” said Aurelius impassively, “and an adult even in the Muggle world. You knew full well that what you were doing was wrong and you must reap the reward of your actions.”



“You have no grounds,” said Billy shrilly. Her eyes darted to Adrian and Alec as if in supplication. Both Slytherins had their attention focused on the older man.



“Miss Bletchley,” said Aurelius coolly. “You knowingly and with forethought and malice tried to murder the heir to an old Wizarding family. That alone is sufficient grounds.”



“Marcus is the one who should be challenging me,” said Billy desperately.



“I am the head of the House Flint,” said Aurelius evenly. “It is my duty to protect my heirs, even those not born yet.”



“My father-,” said Billy tearfully as she looked into Aurelius’s steely eyes.



“Your father will be informed straight away,” said Aurelius. “As he is head of your family, it is his right.”



“If you can challenge me for Marcus then he could take my place,” said Billy eagerly.



“You would let your father take the penalty meant for your actions?” asked Aurelius with a raised eyebrow. “I am much younger than he is. I would best him easily.”



“Yes,” said Billy with relief. “He loves me; he would do anything for me.”



“Billy,” said Alec gently. “A challenge like this one can only be answered by the person the allegation is made against. He has the right to challenge as head of his family because it his family honor that has been disputed. You must answer his challenge.”



“I don’t have to do anything,” said Billy with a determined look on her face.



“Magically,” said Alec seriously. “You do. If you do not answer his challenge, you admit that his charges are true and you will face criminal charges.”



“Azkaban,” said Adrian with a shiver.



“No,” said Billy desperately. She looked towards the door of the suite and gave a look of complete relief. “Headmaster, please save me from these awful people.”



“Aurelius,” said Professor Snape. “What have you done?”



Aurelius looked Albus Dumbledore in the eyes and told him that he had challenged Billy to a wizard’s duel. After a short, heavy silence, Albus nodded.



“That is a solution that I had not thought of,” said Albus slowly and contemplatively.



“What!” said Billy in a high shrill voice. “He could kill me.”



“I think, Miss Bletchley, that the likelihood is that he will,” said Dumbledore gently.



Aurelius and Albus looked at each other as Billy started to have hysterics. They understood one another completely.



















Author’s Note:



I have been having a rather hard holiday season, the details I will not go into. But suffice it to say, that I am back and will be updating regularly. I don’t say it enough but the reviews are always appreciated.



Next chapter: A Wizard’s Duel