Draco, Crabbe and Goyle spun round sharply. Hermione stepped around the Slytherins, and at the sight of Richard, the tense lines on her face smoothed away.
"Grosvenor!" Draco spat with contempt, as though the name left a foul taste in his mouth. "Another Mudblood!"
"Mr Malfoy," Richard replied without flinching, "for insulting a lady and an aristocrat, I would challenge you to a duel, but I know perfectly well that you are a dishonourable young man. You have already disgraced the Malfoy name by failing to appear for a magical duel. Therefore, I shall simply give you a good thrashing the Muggle way, as is only fitting when dealing with dishonourable rabble."
Malfoy's face contorted, displaying a whole range of emotions: fear, anger, hatred and frustration.
Crabbe and Goyle recoiled, a flicker of fear appearing in their eyes. Apparently, the boys remembered the beating they had received from the soldiers disguised as Harry, Richie and Ron.
"Grosvenor, you've insulted me!" Draco exclaimed, clenching his fists resolutely. "A duel! A magical duel. Wands only. Right now, by the lake!"
"A duel?" Richard laughed. "With someone who disgraced himself by failing to turn up for a duel and doesn't even know the duelling code?! Malfoy, do you take me for an idiot? Just grit your teeth and bear it while I teach you lot some manners in the most straightforward way possible."
Draco ground his teeth. The muscles in his pale cheeks twitched furiously.
"We're wizards, Grosvenor, not some Muggles who settle their differences by waving their fists about."
Malfoy's entire bearing radiated contempt. Had his voice not trembled, one might even have believed that he wanted a magical duel for some reason other than his fear of getting, to put it mildly, thoroughly thrashed in a fistfight.
Richard surveyed the three Slytherins with undisguised irony.
"People are people," he remarked. "Two arms, two legs, a head. Cut them and they bleed red. Tell me, Malfoy, what makes you so different from Muggles, apart from your inborn ability to perform magic, that you can't simply be given a good hiding?"
"That's dishonourable, Grosvenor," Draco sneered. "If you refuse a magical duel, I'll tell everyone!"
Richard remained as unruffled as a rock.
"In that case, Malfoy, we must appoint seconds, and as the challenged party, I have the right to choose the time and place."
"Crabbe will be my second," Draco drawled. "Very well, Grosvenor, you may choose the time and place. But remember—this is a magical duel. Wands only!"
Looking Draco straight in the eye, Richard enunciated clearly:
"The North Tower. That first-floor classroom you know so well. Nine o'clock tonight. Mr Harry Potter will be my second. But mark my words, Malfoy: if you fail to appear for the duel and go running to the school staff to tell tales again, like the rat you are, I'll make your life a living hell!"
"I'll be there," Draco forced out through clenched teeth.
Malfoy turned sharply and headed towards the Great Hall. Crabbe and Goyle followed him.
Hermione, the time traveller, gave Grosvenor a grateful look and said with a faint note of reproach:
"Richard, you shouldn't have challenged him to a duel on my account."
"Miss Granger, I am an aristocrat. Surely you didn't think I could simply let an insult to a lady go unanswered?"
"This Malfoy is an even bigger prat than ours," Granger Two said, wrinkling her nose.
"Possibly. Strictly speaking, Mr Malfoy ought to have been brought up as an aristocrat. I'd never noticed him insulting girls before. It's entirely possible that I'm the one responsible for Draco's behaviour. So, Miss Granger, please accept my sincere apologies."
"You?" the displaced Granger asked in surprise. "Richard, you have absolutely nothing to do with this!"
"Miss, there's simply a great deal you don't know." Richard shook his head. "Mr Malfoy and I have had some serious disagreements in the past. I'm afraid Draco took my revenge against his family rather too personally and decided to take it out on you, since you're one of my least protected close acquaintances."
"Revenge?" Hermione was astonished. "You took revenge on them? What for?"
"Hmm..." Richard thoughtfully touched his chin. "It's a complicated matter, and there's a great deal I can't tell you. To put it briefly, last year Lucius Malfoy arranged an attempt on the life of one of my closest supporters. In retaliation, the Malfoys lost their sources of income and, what's more, have been forced to bear considerable losses. I struck them where it hurt most—in their wallets."
***
That evening, half an hour after dinner had ended, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Richard Grosvenor were making their way through the deserted corridors towards the North Tower. There was still half an hour until the duel and an hour and a half until curfew.
As they walked, Ron remarked:
"We should've brought Hermione along."
"Richie, how many Slytherins will there be?" Harry asked.
"Three or four," Richard replied.
"Including Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Not sure." Richard shrugged.
Ron frowned and ventured:
"So there might be five or more?"
"Quite possibly." Richard gave a calm little nod.
"We should've brought bloody Hermione!" Harry declared.
"Better yet, both of them!" Ron agreed with his friend. "Lads, I've got a brilliant idea. I want to share it while you're still well-fed and happy."
"No, thanks." Potter shook his head. "I'd like to stay happy."
"Oi, I'm serious!" Ron grabbed Potter by the shoulder and continued, "Look, Harry's the second, right?"
"Yes." Richard glanced at Weasley with interest.
"Then why don't I turn invisible and watch your backs? Who knows what those slimy gits are planning?"
"Ron, that would be dishonourable." Richard shook his head.
"I like the idea," Potter said.
"No," Grosvenor disagreed. "This is a duel."
"Well, don't say I didn't offer," Ron muttered resentfully.
To the boys' surprise, three Slytherins were already waiting for them in the classroom where the duel was to take place: Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.
Malfoy rose to his feet with an arrogant smile and positioned himself opposite the doorway.
"Well then, Grosvenor, ready for a thrashing?" he declared haughtily.
"Mr Malfoy, I'm always ready to teach you a lesson," Richard replied at once, without batting an eyelid.
"Gentlemen, just a moment," Harry interjected, having been instructed by Grosvenor. "Mr Crabbe and I must make sure that neither duellist is carrying any artefacts."
Richard began removing his belongings. He took off his glasses, wrist-mounted AI and robe, handing them to Ron. Then he gave him his cane and bag as well. The boy was left wearing a snow-white shirt with platinum cufflinks and loose black trousers that did not restrict his movements. He held his wand in his hand.
Following his opponent's example, Malfoy shrugged off his robe. He was left wearing only a black silk shirt and matching trousers, his wand gripped in his hand.
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰