Chapter 81 - Fist Fight

Silvia, Bethanie, and Rowan were sitting on their beds studying without the need of a blanket as finally the bitter chills of the dungeon had gone away. Oh, one still most certainly had to sleep with a blanket, but just a light one would do. Tiffany excitedly bursts through the doorway and says, "Did you hear?"

Silvia points at the room and lamely says, "We're in the dorm room, Tiffany. We can't hear anything in here."

Ignoring the sarcasm in Silvia's voice, Tiffany says, "Apparently Potter and Evan Avery almost got into a fight! However, according to everyone present, Avery challenged Potter to a midnight duel. Do you think they'll show?"

"Well, that's just terrible," Bethanie said with a sigh. "It's foolish confrontations like these that make tensions between the two houses that much worse."

"What exactly was the fight about?" Rowan quietly asked.

Tiffany falters and hesitantly replies, "Err, Avery called Lily a Mudblood."

"That bastard!" Silvia swore as for once Bethanie did not correct her on her language.

"Did he hear?" Rowan said in a dangerously low voice.

The three girls flinch at the ivy gaze in her eyes as she rises to her feet. "Err, where are you going?" Tiffany squeaked.

"Does Severus know?" Rowan growled.

"If he didn't, he probably knows by now," Tiffany squeaked. "Terry was present."

"Then I best be going," Rowan said as she hurried out the door. The three girls' glance at each other, before scrambling after Rowan. Something must have been rather off-putting about Rowan because more than one Slytherin glanced up from their studying to see her march past them. Sensing something afoot the Slytherin's eyed each other before one brave soul ran off to find Prefect Wilkes or Head Boy Malfoy.

Stomping up the stairs, Rowan hurries as she hears the sounds of scuffling. Bursting into Severus's dorm room, Rowan sees Severus on the floor with Avery on top of him as Terry is lying on his side from a kick of Rosier. Rosier, bulky figure nastily hovers over the limp form of Terry and raises his foot viciously to stomp on the still form of Terry as the puffed figure of Alchemy hisses at Rosier and tries to attack.

"Oi, Rosier, pick on someone your own size!" Rowan icily said. Rosier doesn't lower his foot as he snickers and instead lowers his foot. Before he can react, a figure flies across the room and lands a solar plex kick.

Rosier cringes as he falters forward only for Rowan's knee to slam into his face. With a pained grunt, Rosier whimpers and falls to the floor with a bleeding, possibly broken nose. Not fully satisfied, Rowan raises her foot and slams her foot into his crown jewels for good measure. A high-pitched scream escapes from Rosier even causing Avery to pause and look back.

From the doorway, the onlookers including Silvia, Bethanie, and Tiffany, all winced at the kick. "Get off my brother, now!" Rowan dangerously said as she took a step towards Avery.

"And who's going to make me?" Avery snarled as he tightened his grip on Severus's collar and raised his fist in the air while Alchemy clawed Rosier in the face.

"ME!" Severus snarled as he spat a wad of blood into Avery's face and kicked him off. With a loud cry, Avery falls onto his back as their positions are reversed with Severus climbing onto him and pummeling in the face.

Rowan doesn't move one finger to stop him as she lets Severus beat Avery up good. Glancing at her fingernails, she neatly flicks off a fleck of blood, before finally saying, "That should be enough, Severus. I'll take it from here."

"But he called, Lily, a Mudblood!" Severus growled.

"Yes, well, beating him up won't fully put the fear of the devil into him," Rowan calmly said as she walked over to kneel on her toes. Rather reluctantly Severus climbs off of Avery and wipes the blood off his face. Sporting a brilliant black eye and a rather bloody nose and torn lip, Severus doesn't look as bad as it could be.

Rowan studies the panda eyes of Avery and the wonderful pig sized face of his and bleeding nose. For being so scrawny, Severus had certainly not pulled his punches. Perhaps, an inherited talent from their father of knowing exactly where and how to hit to increase physical damage.

"I know you can hear me," Rowan said as Avery moaned in reply. Leaning over to whisper, Rowan says, "I don't care what you do or say, but if I ever catch you doing something like this again to one of my friends or Severus. I will personally write to my grandfather and let him know. I know your family has heard the rumors and even if only half of them are true, my grandfather is not to be trifled with.

And that is not ignoring the fact that next time I will be the one who will be personally beating you. And unlike my innocent younger brother, I know how to break bones and permanently make one lame, is that clear?"

With tears in his eyes, Avery trembling sniffs in understanding as Rowan climbs back to her feet. By this point, Terry is already on his feet and weakly kicking the flinching form of Rosier, that has Alchemy proudly sitting on Rosier's scratched-up face. "How do you like it now, you bloody bastard!" Terry growled.

"Huh, you look worse for the wear, Sev," Rowan said with a gentle smile as she clapped Severus on the shoulders.

"I'm out of practice," Severus grimly said as he wiped his nose again.

"Mm, well, we best bet you down to the infirmary," Rowan said. "That nose of yours looks rather nasty."

"You should have seen the other guy," Severus grinned and winced at his bleeding lip.

Rowan snorts and says, "You can stop now, Terry, I crushed his family jewels pretty well. I doubt he can even feel your kicks." The males in particular wince at her words as Terry kicks Rosier one last time for good measure.

Cradling his rib cage, Terry says, "I think I have a cracked rib. Bloody bastards came in just to gloat and thought we'd take it hands down."

"Just what is going!" The cold voice of Lucius Malfoy can be heard as everyone hastily makes way for the Head Boy. Swift on his feet, Alchemy most innocently climbs off of Rosier's face, before weakly falling on his side and letting out a pitiful meow.

Lucius enters the dorm room and furrows his brow as he sees the two figures of Avery and Rosier on the floor and the bleeding, bruised figures of Severus Prince and Greenwood. "An explanation, now!" Lucius coldly ordered, but not before gently bending down to pick up the pitiful figure of Alchemy.

Seeing his cue, Terry indignantly says, "We were just minding our own business, Malfoy." Pointing at the two figures of Avery and Rosier on the floor, "When these two bastards attacked us."

"Language Greenwood!" Lucius growled.

"My pardon, Malfoy," Terry said. "What I meant to say is that our fellow 1st-year dormmates came into our room to brag and we did not take it well. T'was Avery who swung first at Severus and I couldn't very well let that happen to my mate. And so, I went to help, but Rosier got in the way. We were getting pretty beat up when Rowan here came and got Rosier off of me. Severus than changed the fate of tide and beat Avery on his own. You can ask anyone!"

"Yes, I can tell," Lucius drily said as he eyed the watching crowd. Everyone hastily departs before Lucius starts on them, but not before Silvia gives them a thumbs up and rushes away. The girls would get the details out of Rowan later when she got back to the dorm.

"I'm amazed to find that you are the only one that came out unscathed, Rowan Prince," Lucius flatly said.

"Well, I did arrive rather late," Rowan cheekily answered.

Frowning, Lucius is about to speak when Professor Slughorn's round figure appears. "Goodness gracious, what were you all thinking!?" Professor Slughorn snapped. "Who started it all?" His gooseberry colored eyes narrow as his jowls shake in anger.

Without hesitation, Terry, Rowan, and Severus point at the figures of Avery and Rosier on the floor. Professor Slughorn raises an eyebrow and says, "I find that rather hard to believe given that they are the ones the floor."

"Who says that the winner is always the one who starts it," Rowan interjected.

Professor Slughorn frowns and says, "I don't care, who started it, but I shan't have Slytherins attacking each other! Detention for a week!" Huffing, Professor Slughorn turns way, but not before saying, "And off to the infirmary with all of you!" His bulky figure turns away muttering things under his breath.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone chimed as his round figure waddled out.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Rowan thought to herself. Which was true as they weren't docked any points given that they were in a fight and were only sentenced to a week worth of detention.

Lucius furrows his brows and snaps, "You heard Professor Slughorn, off to the infirmary with all of you!" Casting a spell on the forms of Rosier and Avery, Lucius floats them away to Madam Pomfrey while gently carrying away Alchemy in his arms to be checked as well.

At a much slower pace, the three of them follow as Rowan slips an arm under Terry help support him, while Severus holds his sleeve to his bleeding nose. As they slowly make their way to the infirmary, Terry proudly says, "Well, at least we got them good that will teach them! And best of all, we won!"

"Yes, well, given your fighting style, I don't think you should make a career out of it," Rowan drily commented.

"Still it was a glorious fight was it not?" Terry said with sparkles in his eyes.

"Yes, glorious," Rowan muttered as Severus huffed in reply.

Madam Pomfrey was already attending Rosier and Avery and lets out a cry at seeing Severus and Terry. Putting her hands on her hips, Madam Pomfrey says, "Let me guess it was the Whomping Tree?"

"Right on cue, Madam Pomfrey," Terry ruefully said to only painfully wince.

"Come here dears," Madam Pomfrey said. "Just have a seat, I'll have you good as news in just a jiff." With care, Rowan helps Terry onto the white linen bed as Severus climbs onto the other.

"By the way, Rowan, where did you learn to fight like that?" Terry asked with gleaming eyes.

"Instinct," Rowan lied with a straight face.

Terry wilts as Severus shakes his head and murmurs, "Rowan may not look it, but back in muggle elementary school, she would take on those from two grades higher than us."

"Really, a fighter, eh?" Terry said in delight. "Why'd you never say anything?"

"It's not something I like to recall," Rowan said as she took a seat in a soft cushioned chair.

Hearing Rowan's tone of voice, Terry changes the subject and grins. "But we won."

"That we did," Rowan replied with a small smile on her lips. Not long after Madam Pomfrey billowing skirts were heard as she carried a tray full of bitter looking potions. Even if there were plenty of sweets to eat afterward, no amount of sweets could ever wash away the bitter taste.