The Family Name

The Family Name

By Slytherin Tattoo

Chapter 9: The Duel

Artemis met Granger, Weasley, and Potter behind a statue outside the Great Hall. "Well?"

"We're putting a lot of trust in you, Fowl." Potter stared into his eyes, as if trying to see into his soul. "Against some of our better judgments, I might add. You may be nicer than most, but you're still as Slytherin as they come."

Artemis raised his eyebrows. "Indeed."

"But we've come this far." Granger sighed. "So we'll tell you that we talked to Hagrid."

"Yes. Your note said."

"He was the scapegoat," Weasley blurted. "He was expelled for opening the Chamber--but it wasn't him!"

"One of the Prefects found him with a monster in his possession," Potter explained. "But it wasn't from the Chamber. And it wasn't the monster that was killing people. But he was blamed for it all, and they expelled him."

"What kind of creature?"

"A giant spider."

"Back to spiders. . ."

"It escaped. It's still alive in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid thinks the other, everyday spiders are running to it. But he doesn't know why they're--abandoning ship, so to speak."

"You believe he's innocent?"

"Yes. And so does Dumbledore. Which is why he lets him work here."

Artemis drummed his fingers against his leg, thinking. "Who turned him in?"

Weasley shrugged. "He just said a prefect."

"Find out the name--and what sort of monster are spiders afraid of?"

"I've been trying to figure that out since the beginning," Granger said, "but no ideas yet."

"We'll both keep looking. At any rate, I believe you. I don't think it was Hagrid."

"Why don't you?" They looked pleased but confused.

"I think Dumbledore's assessments of people are usually pretty accurate. If he thinks Hagrid's innocent, well, he probably is."

"I didn't think you liked Dumbledore," Potter frowned.

"I don't. What does that have to do with it?"

"Oh, never mind. I think we've spent enough time together."

Artemis smirked. "Gryffindors. So little patience. That's why Slytherins always eventually beat you."

"Oh, do they? How?" Weasley sneered.

"Because. Long after you've given up, we're still plotting our revenge. And long after you've forgotten to be wary, we're still waiting to strike." He leaned in just a little closer, and involuntarily, they all stepped backward. "And when we finally do, you never see it coming."

"You know, if you're trying to be reassuring, you're failing," Granger managed after a moment.

Artemis laughed. "Forget it. Just run along. But get me that prefect's name--and his House."

They nodded and walked away. Artemis waited a minute, then started to leave as well. But before he could move, his path was blocked by Draco Malfoy. Artemis's eyes narrowed as his anger re-sparked. "Malfoy."

Draco knew from the look and the tone that Artemis was seriously angry but wasn't sure why. Had he just not wanted to get caught? "Conspiring with Mudbloods and Gryffindors again, are we?"

"I told you I'd have to find out what they learned from Hagrid."

"You said you'd have to talk them into it. That implies a certain amount of manipulation over inferiors--but to me, it looked like you were one big happy, friendly family."

"I do what I have to, and I don't have to explain myself to you, Malfoy. Now get out of my way." Artemis stalked forward and shoved Draco aside.

Draco scowled and caught his arm. "What is your problem?"

"Maybe I just don't like you."

Now Draco was angry. "You think that's supposed to bother me? I'm a Malfoy; I don't need. . ."

"Ah yes, a Malfoy. I know. Everybody knows, and no one cares, because we all know what being a Malfoy is actually worth."

They were in each other's faces now, voices low and dangerous, eyes glittering with fury. "What do you mean by that?" Draco asked, enunciating each word clearly.

"What do you think?" Artemis returned.

"Malfoys are certainly worth more than Fowls. . ."

"Don't you dare insult my father again!" Artemis's hand was in his pocket, clenched around his wand.

But Draco, suddenly, was calm. "Is that what this is all about? Because I made that crack about your criminal father?"

"Just go away and leave me alone!"

Draco straightened, stepped back, face clear and ingenuous, voice reasonable. "But you haven't told me about Hagrid yet."

"Why should I? You only want to know about the Chamber so you can let loose whatever's in there to kill people." Artemis pushed past him and hurried down the hall.

Draco stayed where he was, staring after him, thoughts racing. His stomach was uneasy, and he bit his lip. He had to admit that he did not want some monster killing Fowl. Granger was another story, but. . .

Ugh! Could Fowl be right? Was this whole idea of cleansing and killing people wrong? Was his father wrong? Did he really allow himself to believe whatever Lucius Malfoy thought? Could he stop, even if he tried?

Should he? Should he try to reclaim the soul no one even believed he had?

He didn't dare. He couldn't let his father know that he disagreed with him--because his father would find out. He always found out.

Why did his father keep such careful track of his transgressions and ignore everything else? The owl Snape sent saying his Potions grades were the best of anyone in the last five years. His victory at Quidditch. His last letter home. None of it answered or remarked on.

He smiled, a bitter, bleeding smile. Yes. He knew what being a Malfoy was worth.

____________ ___________

Artemis was so busy muttering about Malfoy that he came very near to colliding with someone as he rounded a corner. The someone yelped and sidestepped and he stopped abruptly.

"Sorry--oh, hey, Weasley."

The Weasley looked at him with wide, frightened eyes and nodded. "Fowl."

Artemis frowned at her. True, he'd only talked to her a couple times, but she seemed pale and tired. "Are you doing all right?"

She assumed a false, brittle smile. "Fine."

He shook his head. "No, you're not."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"Is that Zabini's hawk on your shoulder?"

She untensed a little, sighed, and nodded. "He's always trying to eat my hair. Does he have a name, by the way?"

"Mostly, we just call him hawk, but I think his real name is Bon."

"Bon? What kind of name is that?"

"Don't ask me, blame Zabini." He smiled.

She smiled back, a real smile this time.

Artemis wasn't very good at making trivial conversation. He tried to think of something else to say. 'I hear you're all purebloods, but you got Sorted into Gryffindor and you like Muggles' didn't seem appropriate. Nor did anything else that came to mind. There was an awkward silence. The girl was starting to fidget and edge away when Artemis asked, "Do you play Quidditch like your brothers?"

She blinked. "Oh, um, yeah. We play at home all the time. I'm the littlest, of course, but I'm light and pretty fast."

He nodded solemnly. "You should try out next year."

She blushed. "Oh, I don't think so. I better go." She would no longer meet his gaze.

"All right. Bye."

"Bye!" She scurried away. He stared after her.

__________ ___________

Draco tossed and turned in bed that night. He had to stop trying to second guess all his beliefs. He couldn't turn his world upside down so thoroughly. He would lose his friends, his family, and his status in Slytherin House, and he would gain nothing for it except pain. His father. . . his father would. . .

No! This was ridiculous. There was nothing wrong with what he believed. It was all Fowl's fault. He was playing mind games. He was doing it deliberately. Draco had almost forgotten his intense anger at Artemis Fowl of the other day, his vow for revenge. But now it all came back to him.

That Fowl boy was nothing, not worth thinking about. And he would make sure that everyone knew it.

___________ __________

"They're starting a dueling club," Crabbe and Goyle announced to the table at large at dinner two days later. "There was a notice on the board."

"Cassandra Kroell read it to us."

Everyone was instantly intrigued. Draco and Pansy began whispering on one side. Zabini turned to Artemis on the other end of the table. "What do you think?"

"I think Malfoy will be in it," Artemis replied. "So it behooves us to go as well. Looking out for own interests and all that."

Zabini nodded. "Too true, mate." He grinned. "Besides, it sounds fun."

At 8:00 they headed to the Great Hall with Bole and Chevalier. A stage had been set up along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The place was crowded with excited students, all wanting to perform hexes.

"Most of the school must be here," Zabini said in wonder.

"There's Malfoy, glaring at Potter." They edged closer to him.

"It's Professor Snape," Bole pointed to the stage, where Snape and Lockhart were entering.

"And Lockhart." Zabini's lip curled. "He's wearing purple."

"Gather round!" Lockhart called. "Now, Prof. Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this dueling club to train you to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions--for full details, see my published works."

Artemis rolled his eyes. "This guy is such a fraud," he whispered to Zabini.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Prof. Snape," Lockhart continued, smiling. "He knows a tiny bit about dueling himself and has agreed to help me with a demonstration. Don't worry, though--you'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him!"

Artemis heard Draco snort, and hiss to Goyle, "Snape's gonna kick his beauty-charmed teeth in!" Artemis smiled.

Lockhart and Snape faced each other. Lockhart bowed; Snape jerked his head irritably. They raised their wands like swords in front of them. "This is the accepted combative position," Lockhart informed them. "On the count of 3, we cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

Artemis and Zabini looked at Snape, then at each other, and smirked.

"1--2--3. . ."

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried, "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet, off the stage, and into the wall. Most of the Slytherins cheered. "What'd I tell you?" Draco said, grinning.

Lockhart got unsteadily to his feet and tottered back onto the platform. "Well there you have it! A Disarming Charm--as you can see, I've lost my wand--ah, thank you, Miss Brown--yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Prof. Snape, but it was obvious what you were about to do. If I'd wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy--but I felt it would be instructive to let them see. . ."

"Slippery, isn't he?" Zabini commented.

Snape gave him a look that clearly threatened his impending demise. Lockhart gulped. "Enough demonstrating! We'll put you all in pairs." The two professors moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Snape split up Potter and Company, and put him with Malfoy, and Granger with Bulstrode.

"That'll be interesting," Bole said, eyebrows raised. She paired up with Marie, and Artemis with Blaise.

"Face your partners!" Lockhart called, "and bow!"

Artemis and Zabini (sort of) did so, but they kept half an eye on Malfoy and Potter.

"Wands at the ready! Disarm only--we don't want any accidents. When I count 3. . . 1--2--3. . ."

Artemis was a little bit quicker, and Blaise was disarmed. As he was retrieving his wand, Artemis moved to stand by Malfoy and Potter, whose duel was escalating out of control.

Potter had hit Malfoy with a Tickling Charm, and though Draco could hardly breathe for laughing, he hit Potter with "Tarantallegre!" causing Potter to dance around. Lockhart was unable to stop them, but Snape strode in. "Finite Incantatem!" he shouted, restoring order.

Artemis looked around. Chaos. Students were lying on the floor, in dazed heaps, and Bulstrode had Granger in a headlock. Potter pulled her off with effort.

"Not bad, Malfoy," Artemis said to him. Draco tensed. "You stayed focused long enough to hex him--on the other hand, you're still getting too emotional."

Draco took a deep breath and glared at him, but remained silent.

"Dear, dear," fretted Lockhart, as he attempted to undo some of the damage. "Up you go, careful there, it'll stop bleeding in a second. . . um. . . I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells. Let's have a volunteer pair--Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you. . ."

"Bad idea, Professor," Snape cut him off, gliding over, eyes glittering dangerously. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and Potter?"

"Fame and glory again," Artemis murmured.

"Excellent idea!" Lockhart gestured the two boys into the middle of the hall. The crowd backed away to give them room, except for Artemis, who moved closer.

"Now, Harry," said Lockhart, "when Draco points his wand at you, do this." He waved his wand around and dropped it. The Slytherins smirked.

So did Snape, who bent down and whispered something in Malfoy's ear.

"Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?" Potter asked Lockhart nervously.

"Scared?" muttered Malfoy.

"You wish," Potter retorted.

Lockhart clapped Potter on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry."

"What, drop my wand?"

"3--2--1--go!"

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and shouted, "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. Potter watched, looking a bit sickly, as a long black snake fell out of it and raised itself to strike. People in the crowd screamed and backed away.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Potter standing frozen, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it."

"Allow me!" Lockhart exclaimed. Artemis winced.

Lockhart brandished his wand at the snake; there was a loud bang. The snake flew 10 feet into the air, then slammed back down, hard. It was not happy. It moved for Justin Finch-Fletchley, poised to strike.

And then Potter strode forward and said--something. A creepy sort of hissing, as if he was speaking Snake. And the snake calmly slithered away from Finch-Fletchley to look docilely at Potter.

Potter seemed quite happy with this achievement, but Justin was scared and angry. "What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and stormed out of the hall.

Potter looked blank and confused. The students all around had started muttering to each other, staring at him with threat and suspicion. Snape stepped forward and caused the snake to disappear. Then Weasley and Granger pulled Potter out of the hall.

"I don't believe it," Zabini said. "Potter's a Parselmouth!"

"A what?"

Zabini and the girls turned to stare at him. "Don't you know what a Parselmouth is? It means you can talk to snakes. Salazar Slytherin was famous for it. It's why our symbol is a serpent."

Chevalier's forehead wrinkled with apprehension. "Do you suppose Potter really is Slytherin's Heir?"

"The Dark Lord could talk to snakes, too," Goyle murmured to them, as he and Crabbe came to stand next to them.

Then Malfoy's voice cut through the din. "What do you mean over? Potter didn't display a blocking charm at all; that was hardly an adequate demonstration. I want to duel Fowl."

They all turned to see Malfoy ordering Lockhart around. He was still standing in the middle of the room, wand out, confident smirk on his face.

Artemis didn't know whether to feel amused, annoyed--or even worried. "It would appear that I've been challenged."

"I bet he has something tricky planned. . ."

But Malfoy was looking at him now, he couldn't back down. "Come on, Fowl, let's go."

"All right," Artemis said nonchalantly, and strode casually over, with a confidence and arrogance fully matching Draco's own.

Neither of them bowed, they just moved their wands to the ready position. They never dropped each other's eyes, or let their superior smiles fade.

Against Lockhart's better judgment, he started counting. "1--2--3."

They were both moving their wands on 2, and saying their spells by 3. Artemis was suddenly covered by a foul-smelling, oozing slime. It ran into his eyes and clogged his nose. Draco managed to dodge whatever Artemis had sent him. Artemis choked a bit, wiping his face. Draco cast "Ardentis Scipio!" causing Artemis's wand to burn his hands. But Artemis gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and snapped, "Flavi!"

There was a blinding light. Draco cried out and clapped a hand over his eyes. Artemis opened his as soon as the light died and said calmly, "Expelliarmus."

Draco was propelled backwards, losing his wand.

Artemis wiped at his face again and walked over and picked up Draco's wand. "And so the Malfoy goes down to Artemis Fowl," he taunted.

Draco still had spots in front of his eyes, and his body ached from hitting the floor, but he launched himself up from the ground, threw himself on Fowl, and punched him in the stomach and the jaw. Crabbe and Goyle ran over and pulled him off.

Artemis sat up, rubbing his jaw, eyes glinting. "Sore loser, are you, Malfoy?"

"Fowls are not better than Malfoys," he spit out.

"What evidence do you have that supports that?"

"Ten Galleons on Fowl!" a loud voice cried out. One of the Weasley twins.

Both boys blushed. Snape hurried over and stepped in between them. "Remember our little discussion about not dishonoring Slytherin House and behaving civilly to each other?"

Malfoy went still so Crabbe and Goyle let him go and backed away. They didn't want to be under Snape's gaze. "Fowl, back to your dormitory," Snape ordered. "Malfoy, go to my office. I'll be along in a minute."

"Why isn't he going to your office?"

"He didn't just attack his dueling partner," Snape replied dryly.

Malfoy scowled, but went. Artemis shrugged and left, too. Zabini and the girls went with him; Crabbe and Goyle and Parkinson and Bulstrode trailed along behind. They could hear Lockhart saying, "I think that's enough for today's meeting," as the door closed after them.