Duelling Daphne's Daddy

The 22nd June 1993. Greengrass Manor.

Ares would have instead been anywhere than at this dining table.

Everyone was eating silently, other than Ophelia, who would not stop asking him questions about his childhood.

Finally giving in, he started answering her in the vain hope that the silence would end.

"I attended Durmstrang until the end of this academic year before my father decided that Bulgaria was getting too restless and decided to come back to England." He replied with his cover-up of an education.

Ophelia nodded, muttering about Europeans being too violent and uncultured.

Cygnus spoke next, and Ares was incredibly grateful,

"Where are you living now if you moved from Bulgaria?"

Ares thought for a moment before replying,

"Well, technically, we are still living in Bulgaria, at least until the new Hogwarts school year starts, but we have plans to move into Peverell Manor."

Stefan sat at the head of the table, nodding as this confirmed his thoughts about the family magic of the manor protecting the Peverells from spies.

Realising this could be a prime time to pump the younger boy for any information about his father and mother, he began his offensive.

"Your father must have been very busy recently, meeting all these new people. Has he made any friends yet?" Stefan asked innocently.

'What a naughty old man. Trying to gather information from a tender young child such as myself.'

Ares looked as though he were pondering something before replying.

"Oh yes, well, I wouldn't call them friends as they don't seem to be that kind of people. He's only been meeting people like Lord Malfoy, Lord Nott as well as Mr Dumbledore and occasionally Tiberius Ogden," Ares said, not lying but holding back specific facts, like how long they had talked.

Stefan didn't like the answer, but it was better to know than not.

"Of course, he'd be willing to introduce you. I know how hard it is for those of the older generation to make friends."

Colour appeared pretty rapidly on the stern old man's face.

"Hmmmph. I'm sure it must have been a struggle for you to leave your friends and move countries, or did you perhaps not have any?"

Ares grew a little sparkle in his eyes.

"If you want, I'd be delighted to introduce you to some of my friends. Though I fear I'd have to ask my mother to introduce me to any of yours."

A look of confusion overtook Stefan's face and curiosity about the mysterious Lady Peverell.

"And your mother? Where is she?"

Grinning, Ares responded.

"Dead."

There was an awkward silence as the Greengrass Patriarch let the response wash over him.

Daphne stifled her giggling as she watched her beloved grandfather turn a deep purple before speaking up for the first time,

"Do you have any hobbies? "

Ares contemplated the question before replying,

"I enjoy duelling, spell creation and fencing."

Of course, he also enjoyed torture, decapitation, evil world domination and petty arguments, but he figured it probably best not to mention that in front of the family.

Cygnus intersected again,

"I was quite the dueller in my younger days; fancy one after lunch? But, of course, if you need to get home, that is fine."

It was a blatant challenge, and Ares was happy to comply. He nodded with a smile finishing his food and standing up with an arrogance he had gained from years of experience.

All Cygnus saw was an overconfident spoiled brat who had been given a couple of lessons and thought he could take on the world. He was going to enjoy taking him down a peg or two.

Daphne was shaking her head in disappointment yet again, she had thought he was brilliant, but he was just another Draco Malfoy.

Everyone stood up to follow them to the duelling room.

The Greengrass Manor duelling room was state-of-the-art, with a magic-retentive cube that mitigated any damage.

Ares and Cygnus took their places at opposite ends of the room,

Stefan explained the rules: no spells could cause lasting damage, and they had to be at least grey spells, preferably light.

They bowed to each other, and Ares fired off a spell immediately.

Since he was not entirely used to his current body, he decided the best thing to do would be to overpower the other man as quickly as possible.

"Levicorpus" followed by "Densaugeo, Confundus", and finally, to finish the spell chain "Expelliarmus."

Cygnus was surprised by how fast the spells had been sent, but he had seen Ares whisper the words, expected as he was only a child but still impressive.

He deflected the first spell shielded from the next two and batted the last right back at Ares.

This was his first duel in a while, and Ares loved it; he sidestepped the reflected spell and fired back a "Bombarda" followed by "Avis" and "Aguamenti."

Cygnus, once again shielded from the 'Bombarda', transfigured the birds into a sand wall which absorbed the water before he banished it.

Suddenly a see-through spell flew through the air, followed by three more identical ones.

Cygnus reflected the first one, sidestepped the next one and shielded the third one. Just as the fourth hit, his shield broke, and he was hit by a violet-coloured spell.

Cygnus fell to the ground, and nobody moved as they waited for him to get up,

For good measure, Ares disarmed him of his wand and bowed.

Daphne was amazed and was already daydreaming of sending her new fiance off to duel others for her entertainment.

Stefan was impressed at the boy's skill and understood why he had been so arrogant before.

Ophelia nodded, saying it was expected of someone with such blood purity.

Madeline was more concerned with Cygnus having run over to his side.

"Stefan, Stefan! Come here!" Madeline said, growing more frantic as time went on.

Cygnus was sitting up now, muttering,

"I can't see anything, I can't see anything! I can't see ANYTHING!" growing louder every time he said it.

Stefan suddenly grew very rigid,

"Ares Peverell, what spell did you use on my son? There was a no-lasting damage rule!" Stefan said the last part very quietly.

Ares shrugged, walking over to Cygnus,

"I don't see the problem; he's just blind."