Chapter 33: An Offer One Does Not Refuse
Christmas...
For our family, it had long since become strictly a family affair. Although invitations kept arriving, each hoping we might attend one evening gathering or another, we ignored every single one without exception. That suited me perfectly, because in my opinion, few things are more unpleasant than attending a string of formal engagements during a holiday when all you want is to spend time with the people you love.
My mother was equally unenthusiastic about such events. The memory of people flinching away from them in public was still too fresh, as I had learned from Valpurga, and Grandmother had long since lost all interest in that sort of thing.
So from December twenty-fourth onward, we spent our time in the warm comfort of home. We went to the movies several times, to the theater, and we had a proper ice rink set up in one of the reception rooms, where we skated to our hearts' content.
Of course, I still had to see the Greengrasses, who came regularly so I could continue the treatment, and I worked on Astoria's mother and father in turn, watching as the curse began to crumble, slowly but steadily, and, in fact, a little faster than I had expected. I kept up my studies as well and worked on the Greengrass family treatment.
In short, the time flew by, and once Christmas itself had passed, many people arrived to visit. Not for long, only a couple of days, since after Christmas there was still the New Year to come.
"Draco, we have a guest..."
Cissy came into the room where we were all gathered in a large, cheerful group. Harry was there too, something I had not entirely expected, but apparently the luxury car that had been sent for him had made a strong enough impression on the Dursleys that they had not risked objecting.
"Master..."
I rose at once and crossed the room to Professor Flitwick with a broad smile.
"I'm very glad you managed to come."
"Oh, I simply decided to combine the pleasant, a turn on the ice, with the useful..."
He looked me over from head to foot.
"And to offer you the chance to take part in an international dueling competition. It will be held just after the New Year and will run for two weeks in Moscow."
I was practically at attention before he had finished speaking.
"An international championship?"
"Yes."
Flitwick gave a nod, a slight smile on his lips. He had already understood that I was not going to say no.
"But two weeks..."
I did my best to put some hesitation into my voice, simply to draw out the moment a little and keep the Professor waiting. He could perfectly well have made me this offer at Hogwarts. Still, as a gift it was magnificent, so...
"If it begins after the New Year, that means we will miss the start of term..."
"Oh, you need not worry about that. I've already spoken to Minerva and Albus. If we are genuinely delayed, the Headmaster will take a few of the Charms lessons himself. Our lesson plans are detailed enough for that. So, what do you say?"
I closed my eyes for a moment, then let a grin spread slowly across my face.
"It is time to restore the glory of the House of Black. Time to make them all remember when people were afraid to stand against us... I shall crush every last one of them."
"Splendidly put!"
Despite my words and Flitwick's enthusiasm, I caught a quiet snort and glanced sideways at Penny with an amused look.
"A wager?"
"Hmm?"
She made a show of looking distinctly uninterested, but her eyes told a different story. There was anticipation burning in them.
"Professor, I won't be wrong in assuming the age divisions will be the standard ones? Eleven to twelve, thirteen to fourteen, fifteen to sixteen, seventeen to eighteen, and then open?"
"You won't be wrong."
"In that case... I'm putting my money on winning my age group."
"Pfff! Go and find someone gullible elsewhere."
She had clearly stopped feeling embarrassed about speaking this way in front of adults. At first she had blushed like a ripe tomato even in front of people her own age.
"Very well..."
I gave a slow nod.
"...what are your terms?"
"One spell. You win the tournament using only one spell."
"Are you serious?"
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"...though actually, four spells. Shield, Disarming, Stunning, and Lumos."
"Hmm..."
"Accept, Miss Clearwater. Believe me, there will be some very gifted competitors from all sorts of different countries. With that particular selection of spells, winning the eleven-to-twelve age group will not be quite as simple as it might seem."
I only let one corner of my mouth curl up, not wanting to show that four spells would honestly be more than enough for me. Flitwick himself ought to know that very few children there would be able to stand against me even with such a limited set. I am simply stronger than most of them, plain and simple. Although I was quite certain that at this particular championship I might encounter someone like me, either carrying memories of a past life, or simply someone whose magic had stabilized unusually early.
"All right... very well then... the stakes?"
"If I win, you start wearing cat ears. You may take them off for lessons, but in between lessons, after lessons, at all other times, you wear cat ears."
"Fine..."
She gave a slow nod. She had clearly been expecting that.
"...in that case, if I lose, I stop meowing altogether. And I stop kissing you on the cheek in the mornings too."
"Done."
I extended my hand, she shook it, and Daphne, who had appeared beside us, immediately separated our hands.
"Excellent."
I nodded.
"Would you like to try and give yourself a little more protection?"
"Hmm?"
She looked at me with suspicion.
"If I win, I will have the option to challenge the winner of the next age group. Naturally I would not accept any restriction on spells for that, but I am prepared to stake money on my winning that one too."
"Win your own group first."
She looked at me with a slight smirk.
"And if I throw in a five-visit Fortescue's voucher? Say, if I lose this particular bet and the challenge cannot take place, that would be your consolation prize?"
"All right..."
She said this in a tone of barely contained excitement.
"...your stake?"
"On my side, if I beat the winner of the next age group, then you..."
"I am not wearing a tail!"
"...we'll get to the tail in due course."
I couldn't resist commenting on that, saying it with a light smile. The adults who had drifted over, Bella and Grandmother among them, were watching our exchange with amusement. Even Flitwick was in no hurry to add his own thoughts.
"As for the stake I'm proposing, if I win, all current bets carry over into the next school year."
"What?!"
"What?"
I looked at Penny with an innocent expression.
"Fine... In that case, if I win, all bets are canceled completely. And also... and also... you have to start wearing cat ears yourself! There!"
"Agreed."
I extended my hand once more. She shook it, and Daphne separated us again.
"Wonderful..."
I smiled.
"...simply wonderful. Professor, any advice for preparation?"
"Review the dueling code. They will enforce it strictly. That said, we have covered that ground during your training. And rest properly for a day or two before the championship. Other than that, you are ready. It is simply a matter of showing up and taking the victory. Though..."
"Yes?"
I looked at my mentor.
"Do not play with your opponents. Crush them with overwhelming force. You are not going to be a professional duelist, not in the competitive sense, so there is no point trying to give the crowd a pretty fight. Simply overwhelm everyone within the bounds of the rules."
"As you say, Professor."
I grinned, and so did Flitwick. We were already savoring the prospect.
"Right then, everyone to the table!"
Grandmother called us in to eat. Afterward, the whole party, Flitwick included, trooped off to the ice rink and spent several hours there before our mentor finally took his leave.
"Are you genuinely that confident?"
Harry looked at me with a trace of doubt.
"Yes, Harry, I am..."
I nodded.
"...I've been working like a man possessed since I was very young, all to restore my House's glory. A few of my peers won't stop me. I'll flatten everyone, no matter what."
"Hmm..."
"Granny..."
I looked over at Valpurga, who was watching me with a warm smile.
"Yes, my dear?"
"Do we have a proper dueling costume?"
"We don't. But having one made is perfectly straightforward. There will be a surcharge for the rush."
"That's fine..."
I nodded.
"What about tickets to the championship?"
"Hmm? We, as your family, are already invited, but your friends..."
Grandmother looked around at everyone present.
"...are you certain they'll be interested?"
"What do you all say?"
"Yes..."
"Yes..."
The answers came almost simultaneously, so I nodded.
"Good. Then I'll arrange tickets. And now, my dear, I must steal you away from your friends for a little while. We need to call in a craftsman to measure you for your dueling costume."
"Wonderful."
I smiled and followed Grandmother away from the others.
"Buying friendship?"
I gave a slightly crooked smile.
"Precisely... that sort of friendship is not entirely sound, so..."
"Granny, you would be right if I intended to keep making gestures like this. But what I'm doing right now is simply inviting my acquaintances to my debut. Whether we become real friends remains to be seen. What is not in question is that they will watch me take apart my opponents and carry that story back to Hogwarts and beyond..."
I shook my head.
"All right. The important thing is that you understand friendship cannot be built on money. There's Sirius, for instance. He surrounded himself with men who hung on his every word, and look how that ended. One of them set him up and has been hiding from the world ever since, and the other forgot about him entirely. He didn't even come forward after the article ran saying Sirius was innocent. Or rather, that he had been imprisoned without trial..."
I gave a mild shrug.
"Speaking of which, Granny, do give some thought to arranging a meeting between Sirius and Harry. Though first we should probably find out whether Sirius even wants that meeting, or whether he has gone cold on the whole thing and simply doesn't care about his godson anymore."
"I'll get in touch with him, but from what I've been hearing..."
Walburga shook her head.
"...he is not exactly rushing to see the boy. He has gone completely off the rails. Nothing but drinking in bars and... well, a disgrace to the House..."
She sighed.
"...so it falls to you, my dear. You are our only hope. You must restore the glory of the House of Black."
"I'll do everything in my power, and more, Grandmother."
We had reached the room with the fireplace by then. Grandmother sent a Patronus to a craftsman, and no more than five minutes later a distinguished-looking older man stepped through the flames.
"Lady Black. Young Heir..."
He nodded to Grandmother first, then to me.
"...how may I be of service?"
"Mr. Thornbury, my grandson needs a dueling costume. Urgently. He was only invited today to take part in an international championship, so..."
"It will be done to the highest standard... young man, shall I take your measurements by magic, or do you prefer the traditional method?"
"By magic is fine."
I gave a brisk nod. A dozen charms were cast in quick succession, and the craftsman gave a thoughtful nod.
"Materials?"
"The very best."
"Hmm... five thousand, then."
"Very good. But the costume must be ready by the New Year. No later."
"Do not concern yourself, Lady Black. The costume will be delivered on the thirty-first at nine o'clock in the evening. I will collect payment at the same time."
With that, the man turned and stepped back through the fireplace.
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