Chapter 20- Subpar Opposition.

Being brought out of his thoughts as he sees Ludo leave, Rigel signed the application and waited for the fun day out to begin.

~~~

Underneath the somewhat formal jacket, Rigel looked dressed for a high-society function with his slim-fitting dress shirt and slacks that made the young boy look taller than he was. And that was exactly what he would be wearing as he fought, not wanting the jacket to limit his movement while remaining the representative of the Black household. "Your persona can be a deadly weapon," Arcturus had told him last night," and an incredible tool if you use it right. People fear us not because of our wealth, or lineage but because in every Black they see a rabid dark magic user, restrained only by decorum. Therefore, they act polite and try their best not to release it upon themselves."

And so, with a warm smile and the urge to electrify some of the lower-positioned members of the ministry as a reward for their 'delightful,' conversation and less than subtle attempts to ask for economic or political support with projects and such, Rigel sat as time ticked by.

"Oh, there he is. Rigel, Jasmine." Hermione's voice was calm as she waved them down, but the last few steps in her approach were closer to skips as she hugged the two of them tightly. Dressed in a light grey blouse that paired with her blue jeans nicely in a way wizard clothes could never, Hermione was excited beyond measure as she hugged her best friends after a month and a bit apart.

Jasmine, dressed in her charcoal grey dress that only emphasised the brightness of her eyes, as Rigel's silvery shirt and black jacket did to him, was almost as clingy as Hermione, though she was noticeably less so at home, squeezing the bushy-haired girl into herself. "It's so good to see you. You take too long to send messages Hermione. If you want, I can ask for a small owl for you to use, rather than hiring one." Rigel put his hand on her back, bringing her out of her tangent.

"Jaz, you know taking care of an owl is a hassle, and besides, you won't need an owl next holidays." Hermione was confused but said nothing since Jasmine gave her a stern look. "And you and your family are welcome in our home whenever you need."

"Kreacher won't like that," Jasmine said.

Rigel rolled his eyes at the thought of the movie Kreacher, whining constantly of foul blood and blood traitors. "He'll do what is instructed. He didn't like that I'm a half-blood either but he came around."

Mr and Mrs Granger, who'd been chatting politely with Sirius, came to greet the two of their daughter's friends and were glad to see that Hermione had finally, after years of ostracisation, made friends for the first time.

"So how did you go with your grades?" Jasmine asked in front of her friend's parents, knowing Hermione was always ever so proud of her academic performance which was no doubt fostered by her parents. The brunette's chest puffed out as she went on to explain she'd scored O's in all of her subjects, breaking a record in History of Magic and Astronomy. Rigel knew that he should have spent more time studying Astronomy, but there was little need for it besides ritual work, which was banned and potion making, where he could just buy the ingredients rather than harvest them himself. Not to mention the exam was more about symbolism than the physical stars themselves.

"Really? Rigel did the same for the physical courses. DADA, Transfiguration and Charms." Not only were Mr and Mrs Granger impressed, understanding their daughter broke the theoretical study records, while the boy in front of them, her friend, had broken over 1200 years of student achievements in the use of magic itself. 'Knowing the right people and forming connections is half of the battle,' they thought as they considered their daughter's future. "Between the two of you, I don't think I'll be breaking any records. Especially with Neville in Herbology and Snape teaching potions."

"Probably true," Rigel said rubbing her back gently.

"But neither of us are on the Quidditch team. And you're just as good at potions as Rigel," Hermione offered. "Plus, you know, you're the-girl-who-lived." Rigel tensed at her last words and although Jasmine felt it, she didn't turn to look at him, keeping her smile on Hermione and her parents.

"All competitors please make your way to the waiting room."

Rigel moved to his father, passing him the jacket he wore as he started rolling up the sleeves to avoid the base of the wand catching on his sleeves as he fought. "Time to earn a trip to Switzerland."

All competitors in the under 13's would compete first, then move to the under 15's, then under 17's, followed by the open division. Looking around at the other competitors, he could tell that most were from magical families and the majority were older than him. While they were obviously no more than a year older, as they had to be under the age of 13, they all looked about 14. Taller and with some showing signs of puberty they would have been a daunting presence for many first-years. 'Unfortunately, there seems to be only me, a boy from Durmstrang and a girl from Ilvermorny that look confident in our abilities,' Rigel perceived. '68 competitors with only 7 making it to the finals. Why they picked seven as the number is beyond me. Yes, seven is a powerful number, but it's not a particularly useful one in this scenario.'

While Rigel sat complaining to himself about the sheer stupidity of the Ministry with their ridiculous traditionalism, he felt two sets of eyes on him. One from the Durmstrang boy and another from a blonde he had overlooked as he sought confident fighters. The older boy snorted in derision, turning away while the blonde's sapphire blue eyes remained locked on him. 'Is she just going to stare? Whatever, I should meditate.'

With her slight nervousness hidden behind some relaxing breaths and an occlumency barrier, the soon-to-be ice queen of Hogwarts was caught staring at the boy from her year. She knew him. Well of him, as they talked once, shared some classes and he was rather famous amongst their year for his talent and looks, which both overshadowed the occasional blemish of character like stabbing a peer or fraternising with a muggle-born witch. With his intentionally chaotic hair and his gorgeous, if somewhat terrifying blue eyes, he was the absolute undisputed hotty in our year. The fact he was heir to one of the most wealthy and affluent families and smart himself only bolstered this fact. And as Daphne looked at the boy she had talked to at Christmas, she wondered if she should go talk to him, intimidated by the casual confidence and surrounding people.

Outside there were muffled voices echoing through the walls and while everyone had already been told to come when called there was an anxious tension in the air. Just as the Greengrass heir rose to go reacquaint herself with the boy, a staff member ran into the room, calling for her and another Hogwarts student to come up to the stage. Unlike the finals tomorrow, there was more than one single platform. With 4 smaller stages set up, the preliminaries could be progressed through much quicker so as to allow the other age divisions time to perform.

Rigel was not one of the first 8 called, much to his disappointment. The advantage of going sooner is that the body's built-up tension and adrenaline settle earlier, rather than snowballing as one waits nervously over time. Luckily, however, he was in the second batch. Paired with a blonde girl he vaguely remembers being from Ravenclaw.

Looking across, he spotted the Grangers who were looking both nervous and excited as they watched, while Sirius, forever a disturber of tradition had made a banner that flashed between things like 'Ruthless Rigel, Regal Rigal and Rip them Apart,' causing the heir's face to twitch despite the occlumency.

"I'm going to kill that fucker," he muttered, causing his opponent to flinch during the bow as he said it.

"On three," the referee said. "One. Two. THREE!"

The girl in front, Claire Dunbarr, sent a binding spell his way, deflected with a wave of his wand before Rigel countered with a rather simple tactic. Silent casting a Lumos Solem, generally used against dark creatures with light sensitivity, the room was temporarily filled with a blinding flash of light, causing the girl to shield her eyes with her hands, as he followed with another silently cast spell. 'Everte Statum,' he willed blasting the girl through the air, spinning and flipping through the air as the force sent her far from the stage.

"And Rigel Black has progressed to the second stage, demonstrating two expertly cast spells. While many in the later age groups could perform similarly, for an 11-year old to so easily use silent magic makes him someone to watch out for."

Ignoring the commentator, he waved to his family, who stood cheering or waving the atrocious banner before he returned to the waiting room. With each round taking approximately a minute, with a two-minute interlude for commentary and discussions, he had a while before he'd be called again. Focusing on his meditation to calm his built-up adrenaline, he waited for the next round.

"He's rather incredible," Hermione said proud of her friend's skill. "Hogwarts only teaches non-verbal casting in the sixth year. For him to have the ability to use them in a duel is impressive." Jasmine, listening, didn't know what to think anymore. Over the break, she had seen the training Rigel had gone through even before being put under the Cruciatus and Imperious curses. And he had the skill to use even transfiguration spells silently. 'Even I've learnt some of the first-year charms non-verbally,' she acknowledged. While Sirius was proud of his son, Jasmine could spot the signs of concern in his eyes hidden behind his smile. 'He's probably worried that Rigel's pushing himself too hard,' she reasoned, turning back to watch some of the other duels.

They watched as beams of red, yellow and blue shot across platforms, dodged or taken as competitors were defeated and removed from the competition. When the second round started, Jasmine pointed out Daphne to her friend, describing her as one of the only Slytherins with a decent personality based on the Christmas party. While she had talked with her friends about the party, she had never discussed two topics in front of the others. Daphne…and Lyra.

"Daphne was polite when she was distanced from the other nobles and when Rigel is nearby she can be friendlier due to his family's position," she explained as Mr and Mrs Granger looked inquisitively. "The heirs represent the future of their families, so alliances are made when they are young. I say they, but technically both Rigel and I are too." Getting sidetracked she looked back to her bookish friend. "She's pretty smart from what I know, so maybe you two could get along if she spends more time studying with us."

The group watched as the girl sent a barrage of basic casts. Not enough to do damage, but enough to interrupt a spell. With a twirl of her wrist, she stabbed at the opponent, casting an incendio towards her opponent, who panicked and conceded. That's not to say her opponent was easy or a coward, just that she lost the initiative and instinctively panicked when confronted with a large plume of fire shot at her.

In the next few rounds, the group watched as people fought, showcasing varying levels of skill from basic to rather advanced. Particularly the brunette girl from Ilvermorny and the sandy blonde boy with a serious attitude problem. While the girl had a wide variety of spells and excellent footwork that allowed her to dodge incoming spells, the boy was surprisingly talented at spell combos. Using a combination of balance-breaking attacks that left the opponent exposed and continuous casting, where the wizard chose spell movements that flowed directly from one spell to the other without pausing the wand movement, allowing for rapid speed, he ended his rounds in seconds rather than minutes. These two were the ones to look out for in this competition and yet Jasmine was left to wonder, 'why're they so weak?'

Having spent time training only with Rigel, a fellow blessed one, and her guardians, one of which was an auror during a time of war while the other was an experienced man with dangerous knowledge and the atmosphere of a man that had survived two wizarding wars, Jasmine had lost her sense of normality. Rigel was apparently a genius in wielding magic and while she never caught him, she was training to try and keep up, desperate not to lose her male best friend. She was skilled in curses and hexes, and not exactly shabby with potions and duelling herself, having trained every single day alongside her befriended monster. In a sense, she craved his presence. The feeling of comfort and safety it provided. In the wizarding world, she gathered the eyes of almost everyone in the room and the pressure sometimes left her feeling sick, but with Rigel, who shone so brightly, she could find solace in his shadow and she was thankful for that.

"I should find a way to thank him properly," she said quietly, though her cheeks quickly reddened.

Hermione, who stood beside her asked in curiosity, "Thank who for what?"

"Rigel, for making me feel normal." Hermione, despite her rather lacking social skills completely understood her green-eyed friend. She'd been isolated and bullied before she came to Hogwarts fore being smarter than others, and after seeing Hogwarts for the first time, she felt things would be different but she was quickly proven wrong. While she had made friends with Jasmine she was being called names almost constantly due to her blood or her intelligence. It was Rigel's presence that forced that to stop. She's seen him redirect the focus of the Malfoy gang to himself when they began calling her names. He'd been willing to explain anything to her so long as she asked and he encouraged her to study, pushing her to become better than she was before, calling her out on her poor social skills. 'Morganna, I've even heard a rumour he transfigured Crabbe and Goyle's uniforms into pink ballerina costumes and Draco's into a Gryffindor set, just because they were talking about me after one of our classes,' she thought.

When Rigel came out to compete again, the two cheered wildly, managing to be louder even than Sirius. Pale, but not in a sickly way, and with such contrasting black hair and eyes, the developing boy the sole focus of many young witches and a few wizards attending the nationals for entertainment.

Again, he allowed his opponent to cast the first spell, turning to dodge the incoming Rictusempra. What followed was a quick series of prank spells that left the boy silenced, dancing and tickled in return, unable to concede as his body spasmed and twitched. Rigel stood only watching for a moment as tears formed in the boy's helpless eyes before using a seize and pull spell, Carpe Retractum to disarm his downed opponent, thus ending the bout.

"An excellent display of spell-chaining by Rigel Black on stage three. A potent combination that leaves his opponent utterly helpless and unable to resist, all with the use of first-year prank spells. It should be known, however, that tickling was used as a form of torture by muggles centuries ago, and this just demonstrated why. Dominating the fight without taking a single step, the Black heir shows no mercy."

"He didn't need to hold him under the spell for so long, did he?" Mrs Granger asked.

Sirius shrugged though, stating with a mischievous grin, "Compared to what he CAN do, this was incredibly gentle. A little embarrassing, but nothing harmful. And while true that kids often use the spells for pranks, I can assure you that none will be capable of using such basic spells to the extremes he can. Jasmine is getting better, but they're usually harmless."

Neither Mrs Granger nor her husband seemed particularly pleased by the idea of students using such spells on one another, but they could admit they felt somewhat better knowing Hermione had such skilled friends to protect her.

The wait got shorter as people were kicked from the events, and Rigel moved through his opponents with ease, his face never moving from the calm smile he held as he skilfully tore through his opponents, whether through speed or quick and simple transfiguration.

With his last fight of the day, which would put him in the top six, the chosen best of the losers taking the seventh position, Rigel stood facing his soon-to-be opponent.

"Heir Black, I'm glad to see you again. I would have come over and talked to you but you seemed rather…focused." With a chuckle, Rigel waved it off.

"No worries, heir Greengrass. How've you been?" She rambled slightly, telling him of her sister and the holiday to Greece she had been on. When their names were called, she grew quiet. Rigel could sense she was nervous, wanting to represent her family in the same way he did, and thus wanting to make it to the finals, only to be paired with him.

Pulling her into a hug that surprised the girl he offered the only advice he could. "If you want to get into the finals, just make sure you put on a good show. I'll give you some time to perform." She wanted to deny it, thinking it pity or condescension, but looking into his eyes as she pulled back, she saw only one thing. Understanding. 'He knows the benefits of performing well, especially for a witch. He wasn't looking down on me, but choosing to help me in the only way he could."

"Fine, but I'll be returning the favour soon, Rigel. Debts between wizards only grow more influential over time, you know." 'Actually, I didn't. But that's excellent information probably worth more than my favour in the first place,' he thought as he turned to the door and walked beside her. "And since you're beating me, make sure you win. That would also help protect my image in losing."

With a casual shrug, the blue-eyed boy teased with a smile that made her cheeks lose their pale palate, "Sure, helping out pretty or charming women is one of my favourite hobbies. And from what I know about you, this ticks both boxes…Now, let's put on a show."