Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Serpentine Series	By : HarmonyB Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 12060 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO THE HARRY POTTER FANDOM NOR DO I MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY.

Chapter List
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- 61
Harmony joined the others as they stood at the edge of the stage, close enough she could smell the sweat pouring from the dueler's brows. Next it was Mag's time to go on. Marek found Harmony in the crowd and stood at her elbow. Harmony imagined he and Mag made an agreement not to leave her side the whole night. She faced forward, not giving Marek the satisfaction that she was very much aware of his overbearing presence.
Mag was a skilled dueler, which was expected from one who spent their life fighting beside the most feared and powerful wizard in the world. When he walked towards his opponent to bow, he found Harmony in the crowd and winked down at her. He didn't wait for the other dueler to cast the first spell; he pummeled them with a torrent of curses until his opponent collapsed to their knees, holding their hands over their head for protection. Mag laughed at their easy submission. Harmony could tell he was the kind to serve quick and long bouts of pain, and enjoyed watching the aftereffects. He was going to be a challenge to duel, as well.
Snape encouraged Harmony and Draco to stick together throughout the night. She wasn't sure why, perhaps for protection in case they ran into trouble with other wizards, but she loathingly accepted. Draco followed her around, sulking, with Narcissa stuck close to his side.
Harmony had to duel a few others until she had a chance to take a much needed break. Each dueler was as different as the last. A few people in the massive crowd cheered when she made her way back on stage. Her next dueler was a middle-aged woman, well past her prime, and she trembled as she was pushed up the short flight of stairs to the stage. Her shoulders were hunched, as though hoping to protect herself by letting her body fold in on itself. The small woman glanced up at Harmony like she thought she was looking into the eyes of Voldemort himself.
In a way, she is, Harmony mused.
The woman tripped when she had to walk towards Harmony to bow. Her behavior was almost unbearable to watch, and Harmony cringed when the middle-aged witch whimpered in fear as they took their dueling stances.
Like before, Harmony held back from being the first to cast. But the woman wasn't quick to act. She tried very hard to flick her wrist to conjure, but it looked more like her body was convulsing into spasms. Harmony's eyes glanced around. What should she do? This witch was so out of her mind in fear; she could hardly make herself conjure a simple spell. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but her breath was raspy and useless. Harmony's cheeks actually felt warm with embarrassment. The two of them had already stood on stage, doing nothing to satisfy the crowd for the past minute. She had to do something, so she slowly stepped out of her attack stance, and very calmly—as though facing a quivering baby rabbit—she whispered a small spell.
"Expelliarmus," the weak red light flew down at the woman and shot her wand out of her trembling hand.
This little bit of magic sent the woman into a fit of tears. She spun around and scuttled down the stairs, pushing her way past the people blocking her at the bottom. Harmony shrugged with uncertainty when her name appeared in the sky and some onlookers laughed at the spectacle.
Her next opponent substantially paralleled the middle-aged woman. He was a tall, broad shouldered man and bald with fierce green eyes that were full of contempt. Trouble was written in every crease on his stern face. Harmony regarded him with unease, and she didn't let her eyes leave his. He clenched and unclenched his fists, a sign that told her he was rash and quick to act without thinking. When they walked towards each other, he reached her in four strides and nearly bowled her over. His tall form blocked out the light above.
Harmony swallowed anxiously. She bowed, as usual, but he hardly nodded his head, showing her little respect. That got him a few boos from her "fans."
"Traitor," he hissed.
Harmony said nothing as they spun away to take their ten steps. She twirled around on her heel, moving into stance.
"Avada Kadavra!" the wizard shouted while she was in mid-turn.
As one, she and everyone in the crowd gasped, and the deep green light soared down to her as though in slow motion. Harmony didn't see her life flash before her eyes. There was no guiding tunnel of light. She stared transfixed into the flashing of the green, growing larger as it neared, and saw Voldemort's cold blue eyes staring back at her. As quick as a bolt of lightning, Harmony thought how what a pity it was that she was never going to see him again. In her mind, she saw an image; it was so faint, like a whisper of colors, and she could see him and herself walking hand in hand in a field like they didn't have a care in the world. The image became clearer, the colors more vibrant, and Harmony somehow knew that that was where she would go if this killing curse hit her. She wasn't seeing her life before her eyes, like usual, but what she wished her life would be.
As though being served a brutal punch to the chest, she dropped from the haze and was forced back to reality. Her wand hand moved without thinking, like being pulled by puppet strings, and waved in front of her body to deflect the blow of green light. The killing curse dispersed into the air like fog zapped by sunlight. After a moment of heavy silence, angry titters started among the Death Eaters. They didn't like this wizard who would dare threaten the life of their Dark Lord's heir. The man himself glared down the stage at her, focusing on her body movements and expressions to register whether she was infuriated by his actions. His fists were clenched, and his shoulders shrugged tight up to his ears; he was in survival mode.
Harmony was unsure. She wasn't angry; his desire to harm her was understandable, but what should she do in return. No doubt her Death Eaters expected her to curse this man to oblivion; use the Cruciatus curse, make him scream, or use the Imperius curse and make him Bombarda his own head off, or perhaps just go for the gold and take his life with a flash of green. The possibilities were endless, but she had no desire do such things.
Her opponent watched her warily. It was now her turn and she racked her brain for a spell that wouldn't cause too much harm, nor make her appear weak. So she sent a Stinging hex and it blasted on the man's right shoulder. The hex was relatively soft but the sting was just enough to make him call out, more in surprise than pain. He faltered back a step grasping his shoulder and he flashed his fierce green eyes at her like daggers. His face grew red with fury and Harmony almost expected him to cast another Unforgivable curse. This time she was ready. But when he wove his wand and flicked his wrist, only a scarlet Stupify cast down at her. She deflected the spell with ease and from then on their dueling was smooth sailing. It was like the man knew he was losing, that fighting the Ministry's Most Wanted was a hopeless cause. But he didn't want to give up; he wanted to leave the battle scarred. After the duel had crescendo and reached its peak, Harmony decided to end it with the full body-bind curse. His limbs slapped to his sides, straight as a board, and he fell defenselessly forward. Every watcher flinched when his face slammed onto the stone top of the stage.
Her supporters burst into cheers as her large opponent was carried off.
I can do this, Harmony thought, grinning. I could actually win!
Before she had a break in her dueling schedule, Harmony battled her first real Death Eater of the night. He had greasy black hair, much like Snape, only he was smaller in build. His eyes were shiny and narrow like he had a secret; a horrible, dark secret that could make blood stop cold in the veins. He bowed so deeply to her that the ends of his hair nearly grazed the floor.
When they turned around to step into dueling stance, the Death Eater surprised her when he swooped down into another deep bow, hanging his head and holding arms open. Harmony waited, but he didn't step out of it. He was going to let her win. He was only waiting to let her cast the spell that would put him out of the competition.
She stood there, hesitating. He was just giving up? She looked around and spotted her group; she raised her eyebrows at Snape questioningly. He nodded slightly. Before she could think any further, she faced the Death Eater and cast a simple disarming spell. He stepped out of his bow and left the stage without a word. Her name appeared above in gold letters.
Technically she had won, but it didn't feel that way. She felt like a cheat. The Death Eater didn't even try to win. A part of her smoldered beneath, but she knew she should be grateful for anything that can help her win this tournament.
Harmony had time to spare before her next duel and she was absolutely parched. When she left the stage, Snape met her at the bottom of the stairs.
"You looked like a fool standing there, wand pointed, doing nothing," he hissed. "That Death Eater was letting you attack him and you just stood there. I thought we agreed we were going to win this tournament!"
"I," she sighed angrily. "We agreed Iwas going to win this tournament. I don't see you risking your life, sir." She looked at him hard. "This is my battle. Let me win it my own way."
"Oh Merlin's beard," he growled under his breath and turned to walk away.
Harmony glowered at his back. She followed a group of people making their way to the large bar on one side of the room. People cast glances at her, but thankfully didn't bother.
"Excuse me," she said politely, wedging herself between witches and wizards socializing in front of the bar.
She felt small while the people stared, like she was an ant being speculated beneath a magnifying glass. When she reached the bar—a high standing counter made of black stone like the dueling stage—she looked up at the hovering menu.
"Firewhiskey, wine, mead," she muttered as she read. One of the bartenders holding a clear bottle of gold liquid passed and she stopped him. "Excuse me? Do you have anything that isn't alcoholic?"
"We're out of butterbeer," he replied.
"Oh, that's too bad," she said and was about to ask for water when the bartender quickly replied.
"You got a problem with my drinks?" his said in irritation. "How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen, almost eighteen." Then she quickly added, "But I don't drink."
He laughed and gave her a tight smile. "Well," he reached one hand under the bar and came out with a small shot glass. "It's never too late to start." He uncapped the bottle of gold liquid and began to pour.
"Oh, no thank you," she said quickly, waving her hands and shaking her head. "I shouldn't."
"Why not?" He slid the glass closer to her.
"Er…" She needed to be fully alert while she dueled, but her next fight wasn't for a while now. The alcohol would have time to settle and it wasn't a whole lot; it might even calm her nerves. So she smiled sheepishly and picked up the small glass with her inexperienced fingers. She brought the brim to her lips and sipped as though it were a cup of tea, but then the bartender reached over and tipped the glass up so she gulped it down entirely. She coughed and sputtered as the liquid seared down her throat, setting it aflame. The scent and taste of the strong alcohol tickled her nose and she sneezed.
"Cheers," the bartender said as he poured his own shot and gulped it down at once.
"Oh, that was awful."
He nodded thoughtfully and looked down at the bottle in his hand. "Hm, yes, 1935. Not a good year…Another?" he asked, holding the bottle over her glass, ready to pour.
She shot her hand over the brim. "Heavens no, but thanks."
Harmony turned away before the bartender could offer her anything else. There were people pushing in on her from all sides, calling out drink orders, or leaning in to be heard amongst their friends. The edge of her vision was slightly blurred, making the colors swirl. She shut her eyes tight and shook her head, but when she opened them again the impairment was still there. She never had strong liquor before—only sips of wine with Mum and Dad at dinner, and even then she never finished a glass.
Energy suddenly surged through her body; she needed to move around, do something besides stand here with people staring at her from all around.
She pushed her way back out of the bar crowd. Off to the side, between the dance floor and the bar were a group of tables. At one of them Harmony saw Snape and Mag seated, and by the way they were waving their hands about she knew they were in a heated conversation. The two Malfoy's stood next to them leaning against the wall, casting cautionary glances at the witches and wizards around them. Harmony looked at every face around them, but couldn't find Marek. She had a feeling he was somewhere close, keeping an eye on her.
Not wanting to return to her group just yet, she wandered around and kept an eye out for anyone familiar. When a couple moved, she spotted the witch she dueled after Draco, the one that was out of her mind in fear of her. Harmony made her way over to her. The witch sat in a corner, sitting down with a couple other witches with their arms around her for comfort. When the witch looked up and saw Harmony, she squeaked like a mouse and buried her head in one of her friend's shoulders. Her couple of friends glared at her in reproach.
"What do you want?" one of the other witches snapped at Harmony.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Harmony said, suddenly feeling shy. "You seemed a bit frightened when we dueled. I hope you weren't harmed…You don't really seem to be enjoying yourself; from what I hear, this event can become pretty intense."
"What? You think she wantedto come here?" one of the friends said. "You think she came here just for the enjoyment?" She laughed harshly. "No, she came here for the money."
"You and everyone else," Harmony muttered. "Look, I just wanted you to know I don't mean any harm. Okay?"
The witch pursed her lips and tears shimmered in her soft eyes. She stared at the ground, and after a minute she slowly nodded.
Harmony let out a breath of relief. "Okay. So is there anything I can do? Anything I can get you? A drink?"
"Leaving us alone would be nice," one of the witches said scornfully.
Harmony held back a scoff. "I was just trying to help."
"You've done enough, traitor," a man's deep voice said behind her.
She turned and her eyes met silver cloak clasps. Tilting her head back, she looked up into the face of the man that cast the Killing curse on her while they dueled. His height allowed him to tower over her, blocking out the lights from the dance floor.
"Excuse me?" Harmony asked.
He leaned forward and spat on the ground near her boots. "You heard me," he growled.
She tried to smile innocently up at him. "Look, you don't know me and I don't know you, so let's just keep tonight clean. I don't want to start a fight."
"I may not know you," he said angrily, "but my son did. He was a second year at Hogwarts. Charlie Kingston. He may have been young and weak, but Merlin's beard, he was brave." His lips quivered with emotion. "I was one of many responsible in cleaning up your mess after the Battle of Hogwarts. I found my own son's body among the hundreds dead." He growled down at her with his eyes flaming in fury, "After that day, I swore I would hunt the ones responsible down and murder them with my bare hands. When I heard about this Underground dueling tournament, I saw my chance."
Harmony's eyes swelled with tears. How horrible!She held up her hands and backed away from him slowly. "I'm so terribly sorry about your son. Truly. But I wasn't responsible for the Battle of Hogwarts. I had only just arrived when it was halfway over."
"It doesn't matter when you arrived. All I care about is that my twelve-year-old son was brutally killed by grown men in battle. Yourmen."
"Mine?" she exclaimed. "Don't be ridiculous. The Death Eaters didn't follow me. They were following Voldemort's orders that night."
The wizard cringed, along with everyone else in earshot.
"I'm sorry," she said, swallowing back her tears. "I never wanted anyone to come to harm. When I helped the Dark Lord escape, I was ensuring no one else died that night. Please understand."
The wizard looked away from the water welling in her eyes and he crossed his beefy arms over his chest stubbornly. "You can beg all you want, but your repulsive little snake charm says it all. You are not one of the good guys. You've broken the law and you're going to pay for it." He looked back at her. "Just know that the moment you step off grounds, I'll be there—along with everyone else."
With one last fierce look, he turned his back on her and strode away. His words left Harmony cold. She looked around at the countless faces surrounding her. "Everyone else" was staring back at her, and in their eyes she could see his words rang true; behind every hateful glare she knew they were thinking the same idea. She realized now that even after this tournament is finished and won, the battle will be far from over.
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Serpentine Series