Chapter 18: Proving Grounds

Hamershal Estate, Wizarding World...

Jarvis Hamershal sat alone inside his bedroom. He had concluded the little tour of the manor and left the group of heroes to themselves. The young wizard had been positively seething. His embarrassment back in the study hall had been one thing but he had not like the familiar way his mother had conducted herself with the likes of Sebastian Prince. The raven haired wizard had been nothing more than a poor and not to mention filthy half-blood. He had not see what was so outwardly impressive that would be the reason for his mother going on and on about his brilliance and how much he had been like the heroic Hogwarts Professor Severus Snape.

"I don't see what's so special about him." grumbled Jarvis. "She hardly even looks at me and he gets some sort of reception."

The younger wizard got to his feet pacing in a brisk fashion.

He had not liked Sebastian Prince the moment his name had been circulated within the circles of elegant society. His mother had been a recluse for the last couple of years and now suddenly she had decided to resurface because of this one wizard. Jarvis just couldn't understand it. Sebastian Prince being the son of a war hero was one thing but then to find out that the bloke had been blood related to him.

There was never going to be any getting rid of him.

Jarvis took a deep breath.

There had to be some way to show his mother that there was nothing special about Sebastian Prince that would warrant her attention. His dark eyes fell on the extensive trophy case in his wall. It had been filled with various trophies praising his wizard dueling prowess for as long as he could remember. An idea came to him that seemed to lift his spirits immensely. There had still been plenty of time to show the raven haired wizard up. Not only would he make Sebastian look like a fool in front of his mother, but he could also make him look like a fool in front of his famous friends.

Jarvis smiled pleasantly at his reflection in a nearby mirror. This was going to be quite an entertaining night after all.

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Vacant Bedroom, Hamershal Estate, Wizarding World...

Hermione lied down rather lazily on the enormous plush bed with white bedding filled with equally plush white pillows. Sebastian had taken the room across the hall from her unsure how Lady Hamershal would feel about the two of them sharing a bed in her home when they had separate beds back Hogwarts. Despite keeping up appearances, he had slipped inside the room when everyone else was preoccupied and closed the door behind him.

"Well aren't you a sight to be hold." he purred in a smooth tone.

Hermione sat up with a wide smile filing across her face.

"Couldn't stay away?" she asked.

Sebastian smirked and launched himself onto the bed in a playful manner. He grabbed Hermione and pulled her into his arms and silenced any potential form of protest with a passionate kiss. This had only served to bring her into a giggling fit as she wrestled with him playfully on the bed. He laughed amused by her futile attempts to get him down on the mattress.

"Is this the best you can do?" he asked. "Gryffindor?"

Hermione tried her best to wiggle out from under him as the raven haired wizard towered over her. Her attempts had only served to initiate inadvertent contact with him and he looked down at her with a flash of heat in his obsidian eyes. An idea come to her and she made sure to capitalize on the weakness he had displayed.

"How very Slytherin of you witch." he said knowing full well what she had intended.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him.

"I've been told repeatedly that I may have been sorted into the wrong house." she said batting her eyelashes.

Sebastian laughed then lied back on the bed releasing her.

"And who might I ask made such an astute observation?" he asked playfully.

Hermione took the opportunity to get the upper hand. She climbed over the raven haired Slytherin and pinned his hands to the mattress. His obsidian eyes had darkened some with the heat that filled them. He had been quite amused at her attempt to take an initiative.

"How do you like it Slytherin?" she asked in a mocking tone.

Sebastian smirked.

"I like it just fine thank you." he replied in a bored tone.

He had been clearly aroused by the contact with her slender body. Hermione smiled and captured his pale lips with her soft pink ones. He let out a contented groan as the illusions of power faded between them and he wrapped his arms around her. They had been caught up in the rather heated moment when the door to Hermione's room opened and the head of a dark haired wizard with green eyes and reflective glasses entered.

"Mione, have you seen Sebastian, Jarvis is looking..." he stopped when he happened upon the wizard in question in a rather complex entanglement.

"Harry don't you ever knock?" asked Hermione annoyed and slightly embarrassed.

Harry had been red as well trying not to meet her eyes.

"S-Sorry." he said. "I was only trying to find Sebastian...I didn't realize that you were...in bed."

Sebastian shook his head. Harry Potter had been a bit more modest than he originally gave the boy credit for.

"Well, you've found me." said the raven haired Slytherin climbing off the bed and straitening his attire. "What matter of crisis needs my undivided attention?"

Harry shifted his gaze to Sebastian.

"Jarvis was looking for you." he said.

"Whatever for?" asked Sebastian not hiding his annoyance.

"He says he wants to challenge you to a friendly duel." replied Harry. "Apparently, he was apart of the junior wizarding championship team for Drumstrag and wants to see if the instruction of dueling differs between his school and Hogwarts."

"Harry you and Ron have spent more time dueling at Hogwarts than Sebastian." said Hermione not liking the sound of this. "Why does he want to duel Sebastian."

Harry shrugged his shoulders.

Hermione studied Sebastian for a moment.

"Are you familiar with Drumstrag's style of dueling?" she asked.

"Not particularly." replied Sebastian in his usual manner.

"I don't like the looks of this." said Hermione with unmistakable concern in her tone. "You're not thinking of accepting this."

Sebastian looked at her with a smirk.

"Possibly." he replied. The urge to take that little pompous twit down a peg had been alluring.

"What do you know about dueling?" asked Harry.

"Nothing at all." replied Sebastian.

"How do you expect to win a duel when you know nothing about it?" asked Hermione annoyed.

Sebastian looked at them both with a semi-blank expression. He shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands in a nonchalant manner that reminded Harry of the time Umbridge had taken him into The Headmasters office to interrogate him. Professor Snape had stood at the door shrugging his shoulders when Umbridge asked him what Padfoot had meant.

'No idea." replied Sebastian in the same manner as Professor Snape.

He walked out of the room in search of Javis Hamershal. Hermione looked at Harry for a moment and they both followed after him. This was only going to end badly.

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The Ballroom, Hamershal Manor, Wizarding World...

Jarvis Hamershal had lead everyone into a vacant ballroom in the manor that had not been used in quite a few years. He waved his wand around casting cleansing spells to get the place ready for his up coming duel with Sebastian. Draco had not been worried at all about the up coming match eager to see his God-brother wipe the floor with the pompous twit. Harry had been excited at the prospect of witnessing a duel but he had a bad feeling about the up coming events. Hermione had not liked any part of this, but she felt it was her duty as Sebastian's girlfriend to cheer for him even when she believed he was being thick-headed about this.

Ginny had not been at Hogwarts when Professor Snape had dueled Lockhart during the infamous dueling club days. She had heard so much about wizarding duels from both Ron and Harry that she wanted to see one for herself. Ron had been excited by the prospect of witnessing a wizarding duel as well. It had been quite some time since he just got to enjoy some action instead of being thrown right smack in the middle of it. Sebastian had been indifferent as he looked around the large room. Hermione had saw fit to brief him on the rules before they reached their destination. He had not known what she had been so afraid of. Everything had seemed simple enough. It wasn't as if they were going to be casting unforgivable curses.

"Well." said Jarvis rather smugly when the room had been in order. "Shall we get started?"

Sebastian walked over to the center of the room. Jarvis did the same leaving everyone else off to one side and a safe distance from the action.

Both wizards made the necessary paces and bowed respectfully drawing their wands. Then they each turned walking the same number of paces apart. Sebastian's obsidian eyes had been focused intently on Jarvis' dark eyes. Both had expressionless masks on their face signifying the depth of their concentration.

Sebastian took his stance, Harry noted how similar it had been to Professor Snape's with his right arm bent at a rather stiff angle at the elbow above his head, wand gripped expertly between his long pale fingers. His left hand had been stuck out straight in front of him with his long fingers pointing away from his body and his palm flat in mid hair. His lengthy raven locks fell loosely at his shoulders. His posture had been stiff with an air of elegance that allowed his graceful but swift movements.

In contrast, Jarvis had been posing in a fashion that made both Harry and Ron roll their eyes as they thought of Lockhart. Draco had evidently been thinking the same thing as he stood with his arms folded across his chest and his lip curled up in disgust. Hamershal had been oozing confidence it had been evident in the manner in which he held his wand as if it had been a blade in a Muggle fencing competition. His grip had been relaxed to a degree and his overall approach cocky to say the least. He seemed to believe that Sebastian posed no threat to him.

"Ready when ever you are." he said in an almost mocking tone of indifference.

"Start the count down." said Sebastian still focused.

"Three..." counted both wizards in unison. "Two..."

Jarvis smiled believing he had this in the bag.

"Three!" shouted both wizards.

Jarvis had been in the middle of his chosen hex when the quick and nearly hard to hear tone of Sebastian's voice rang out.

"Expeliamus!" was all the younger wizard could register before he found himself immediately sent flying across the room by a powerful blast that knocked him off his feet.

Jarvis looked back at Sebastian totally taken by surprise. He had not expected a simple disarming spell to have that much of a kick. The group that had not been participating had seemed amused by the outcome of the first wave. Determined not to be out done in his own home, the younger wizard got to his feet and marched back to his original place.

"Volans Ropa!" shouted Jarvis as a roped net flew out of his magical energy and hurled itself at Sebastian.

"Surrexit Dromonem!" shouted Sebastian as the rope fell to the floor in pieces.

Hermione looked at Harry who had looked back at her confused. It seemed as if Sebastian had been a fast learner when it came to new challenges but he carried himself with the poise of someone with expert experience. Draco smiled proudly as the match continued. Both Ginny and Ron had not taken their eyes off the action. It was becoming so intense that Ron wished he had a bowl of popcorn.

"Flagellum Vitis!" shouted Jarvis.

Sebastian dodged the reach of a vicious green vine as it whipped at him. He smiled pointing his wand at the greenery.

"Serpens Pila!" he shouted as the vines started to hiss and grow eyes.

The ball of serpents turned their aggression on Jarvis who had tried his best to dodge their numerous strikes. Hermione and Ginny had instantly become both disgusted and fearful of the tangled creatures as they hissed and flicked their tongues at the younger wizard.

"Sebastian, those better not be poisonous snakes!" said Hermione voicing her un-approval.

Sebastian smirked and turned his attention to the ball of snakes. Hermione had not seemed too comfortable with them. Ginny had not been comfortable at all clinging to a nearby Harry as if he had been a life raft.

"Igitur evanescunt." he said pointing his wand at the slithering ball on the floor.

The snakes had disappeared and the girls seemed to be at ease once more.

Jarvis took the time to cast another hex.

"Spuma Maris!" he shouted.

Sea foam had started to fly out of the tip of his wand and in Sebastian's direction. The raven haired wizard had been in no mood to get wet and moved rather quickly to cast his hex.

"Frigidus in tempore!" shouted Sebastian.

Everything and everyone in the room had been frozen in time. He stepped to the side letting the foam fall harmlessly to the ground and pointed his wand at Jarvis. The hex wore off and Jarvis had only a blink before he heard the words leave Sebastian's mouth that bested him.

"Levicorpus!" he shouted.

Jarvis found himself hanging in mid air with his wand slipping loosely from his hand. Draco had a full on smile filed across his face. Harry had been utterly stunned. He had no idea that Sebastian knew Snape's spell. Hermione shook her head. This was really not going to end very well. Both Ginny and Ron's mouths were agape in the excitement. The young red haired witch caught herself and elbowed Ron to make him straighten up.

Sebastian had been of the mind to finish the duel.

"Do you concede?" he asked with his obsidian eyes gleaming as he took in the sight of Jarvis helplessly dangling.

"No." replied Jarvis clinging to the stubborn notion that he could still somehow best Sebastian.

"Very well." replied Sebastian emotionless.

He had hoped the young fool would be less incline to listen to reason. He had been saving this last hex for such a special occasion. It appeared that a message needed to be sent to the younger wizard. A message that he had no doubt been delighted to deliver. Jarvis went to raise his wand to send out another hex but he had been too slow. Sebastian's quick reflexes had been too much for him.

"Langlock!" shouted Sebastian.

Harry had been utterly stunned as another of Professor Severus Snape's hexes put an end to the duel entirely. Jarvis could not continue unable to speak any incantation to defend himself while hanging upside down. He dropped his wand in defeat. Sebastian released the younger wizard and restored him to normal though it had been painstakingly. He had much preferred the young man as he was but, Hermione had seemed to sense his train of thought and narrowed her eyes at him. Needless to say, the pompous twit had been extremely lucky.

Having won the duel in earnest, Sebastian walked over to his friends who had congratulated him.

"Where did you learn how to do all that?" asked Ron in awe.

"No idea." replied Sebastian.

"You dueled like a professional." said Ginny in admiration.

"I guess." said Sebastian not at all sure how that was.

"A match well worth the price of admission." said Draco in approval. "Nice work showing that pompous twit who's boss."

He smiled happy for the first time since their arrival.

"Indeed." replied Sebastian returning his smile.

Hermione sighed. She had been afraid that things would get out of hand but she had been pleased at the outcome none the less.

"Congratulations." she said evenly.

"Of course." replied Sebastian pleased that she approved.

While the group had discussed the finer points of the duel Jarvis climbed up off the floor. He had been defeated in his own home by the son of a half blood. It had been a complete insult to everything he stood for. He had been a wizarding world champion but this bloke had treated this duel as if it had been merely child's play. He could not let this stand. He could not let this bloke further achieve success at his expense. He picked up his wand seething with rage and shouted the incantation that had not been heard through the congratulatory speeches.

"Sectumsempra!"

Sebastian had not been expecting an honorable duel to end with a cowardly attack and so he had not been prepared the hex that hit him square in the back as he spoke to his friends. Hermione had been the first to notice the blood pooling in the front of his long sleeve crisp white shirt. A feeling of terror filled her as she watched confusion file across Sebastian's face and then pain make its way afterward.

The raven haired Slytherin collapsed on the floor. He had been in a great deal of pain as more blood began to pool around him. Draco looked up at Jarvis who had still been standing with his wand pointed at where Sebastian stood. The albino wizard took off at a run and grabbed the younger wizard by the collar.

"What did you do!?" he asked in a gruff tone.

Jarvis had been so stunned by the effects of the hex he did not speak.

"Tell me what you did to my brother you little Pureblood shit!" demanded Draco.

Hermione had dropped to her knee beside Sebastian who had been in terrible pain. Harry had looked him over trying to recall where he had seen the effects of that spell before. His mind flashed back to when he had gone after Draco in sixth year and cast a hex from Professor Snape's potions book. Harry's green eyes studied Sebastian. He could not talk or move. It had been as if his body had been trapped behind a wall of excruciating agony.

"It's Sectumsempra!" he said realizing which hex it had been. "Draco, he used Sectumsempra!"

The junior Malfoy took it upon himself to punch Jarvis square in the nose with as much force and rage as Hermione had shown when she hit him back in third year. He had maintained that he had done nothing to deserve her harsh treatment up until he met Jarvis. It had been only now did he see what a truly pompous twit he use to be. Ron glared at Jarvis. Even he had not been this much of a prat when he attacked Sebastian. Ginny had looked back n forth between a terrified Hermione and the boys.

Draco made his way over toward Sebastian, dropped down to his knees and drew his wand. The young wizard's blood had made quite an impressive pool around his now deathly pale body. Draco took a breath and recalled the spell Professor Snape had used to reverse the painful spell. He looked up at Harry who had drawn his wand as well.

"Follow my lead Potter." said Draco ready at last. "Vulnera Sanentur."

Harry watched as Draco chanted and waved his wand slowly over the body of Sebastian. Slowly the blood seemed to collect back into his body.

"Vulnera Sanentur." chanted Draco while waving his wand.

"Vulnera Sanentur." repeated Harry doing the same.

Hermione watched as the two boys, former enemies from rival houses at Hogwarts come together once more in defense of their mutual friend.

"Vulnera Sanentur." chanted Draco.

"Vulnera Sanentur." chanted Harry.

All the blood Sebastian had lost seemed to return to his body. He took on a more healthy hue and the pain had subsided. Both Draco and Harry had successfully restored him. Hermione had never been more grateful to the two boys. Jarvis had simply stared in amazement. He had never used the spell before and never knew it's effects but he had seen it written in his mother's notes. It had been equally amazing to see how his friends had rallied around him and had been hell bent on protecting him.

Sebastian had been left quite weak from his ordeal. Hermione asked Draco, Harry, and Ron to help her get him into his bedroom. The boys lifted The raven haired Slytherin up off the floor and carried him back toward the bedrooms. Hermione led the way and Ginny followed still very much in shock about everything. Jarvis was left alone to stew in his shame. It had not been his intention to kill his own cousin. He just wanted him to not be so successful. The young wizard had no words for how terrible he felt about all this, but one thing was for sure, he had just ruined any chance of the others liking him.