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Chapter 14



Severus vs. Anna





"Excuse me, Professor, could I ask you a personal question?" Draco addressed Professor Twigg-Jones.



"I imagine you can, Mister Malfoy. What do you want to know?" Anna smiled at him.



"When was the last time you were in a duel?"



"Humm...are you asking as a student or as an Auror?"



"As an Auror."



"Ah, well, that would be the last week of October, 1981," answered Anna, casting a swift glance at Snape. "I survived, but was in St. Mungo's for about 10 days. My opponent escaped, only because I failed to realize someone was behind me. I forgot a basic rule: always check your six. In other words, know what or who is behind you, especially if you are alone. Too late I realized I was in a crossfire and almost paid for that error with my life."



"So, you're not that fast after all," Draco smirked.



"Not then I wasn't. As you've seen, the last fifteen years of practice have sharpened my skills. You must remember, I was just out of Auror schooling, barely three years after leaving Hogwarts. /And/, I was in as extremely dangerous situation .. alone. But, that was ages ago and this is today."



"We're lucky to have you with us, then, sharing your experience and knowledge," intoned Snape, looking at Draco, "aren't we?"



"Indeed," Draco reluctantly conceded. "I bet you're a sight to see - in action, that is."



"Especially if her temper has flared up," Snape sneered. Turning away from the students to face Anna, he winked. "Isn't that correct, little girl?"



"What did you call me/?" She tilted her head and stared at him. "Are you /sure you want to go there, /again/?"



"It would be my pleasure." Turning to Professor Flitwick he inquired, "Could you help us by setting up an appropriate scenario for a demonstration?"



"Certainly! I've always wanted to see Anna .. I mean Professor Twigg-Jones in action. Her reputation is quite, well, shall we say .. impressive."



Snape looked over to the students. "Let's see if it's deserved, shall we?" He lifted an eyebrow, and they snickered.



The Slytherin students ranged themselves along the benches and watched with interest as Professor Flitwick conjured large and small crates and low walls at various points across the open floor space, providing not only hiding places but obstacles for the duelists, to use as needed. Then he produced a thick, ground hugging fog, about two feet deep, which drifted and curled around the crates and almost but not quite covered the walls, the tops just showing.



"You really are cruising for a bruising, aren't you?" Anna hissed as she strolled past him.



"Be gentle," he whispered back. Anna smothered a laugh and looked at him, her eyes twinkling.



"I think that should be enough to be getting on with, don't you," Professor Flitwick asked.



"Looks good to me." Anna turned to Snape. "Ready?"



"Yes...always."



"Ditto"



"Take your positions, please," Professor Flitwick instructed, as Anna and Snape walked to opposite ends of the dueling course. "Two minutes .. /GO/!"



Professor Snape immediately shouted 'Infalgari Magnus' and a huge fireball erupted from his wand, streaking toward Anna.



" 'Prestor Grandis'," she calmly responded and stood her ground, aiming the water spouting from her wand to meet the fireball at about the midway point between them. A steam cloud exploded and the students instinctively ducked. Looking up, Anna and Snape were gone. Then they saw that he had moved to his left, behind the first crate. She had moved to her right, but up to the second crate, keeping out of sight. Snape leaned around the side of the crate and took a quick look around.



"She's moved up one - on your side!" Draco yelled.



" 'Silencio.' " Anna jinxed him with flick of her wand, chuckling at the look of disbelief on his face.



"Serves you right, Mister Malfoy," said Professor Flitwick over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of the two duelists.



Anna ducked beneath the fog and slithered over to the nearest wall, just as Severus stepped from behind the crate and blew off the top half of the crate Anna had been behind. Bits and pieces of wood rained down. Under cover of the noise and smoke, Anna slithered halfway across the course and then shot a stream of bubbles back at the base of the semi-demolished crate, disturbing the surface just enough to make it look as if she was still there. She continued forward and circled the crate at the other end of the wall, standing up on the side away from Severus. Sneaking a peek across the room, she smiled and flattened herself against the crate, waiting.



Professor Snape started to stalk toward the smoldering crate, behind which he thought Anna was still hiding.



Pansy Parkinson yelled, "She's over here!"



Anna whipped around the crate. " 'Expelliramus!'"



" 'Protego'," countered Snape as he stepped behind the crate in front of him, the spell harmlessly deflected, knocking over a suit of armor standing against the wall.



"Really, Pansy, Severus is a big boy; he doesn't need your help. Let him get on with it!" Anna shook her finger at Pansy, but with a smile on her face.



Taking a deep breath, Anna turned and sprinting down the room, dove behind the third crate, skidding to a halt at the end of the middle wall. She aimed back toward the middle of the floor and whispered," 'Glaciere'."



"All's fair in love and war, Professor, and this certainly isn't love!" Pansy shouted back, with a wicked grin.



"Well said, Miss Parkinson." Snape emerged from behind his crate and started to walk toward Anna, wand out.



Anna popped her head up out of the fog for a quick peek and then threw herself forward, behind the wall, crawling ahead, but after a few feet, rolled to her left, away from the wall's dubious cover, toward another crate. But she froze and shot another stream of bubbles in the direction she had been going.



Snape smiled grimly as he neared the wall. Then he unknowingly stepped on the sheet of ice Anna had formed from the puddle of water lying unseen on the floor. His feet flew out from under him and /BLAM/, he landed flat on his back, momentarily stunned, the wind knocked out of him.



Anna popped up. " 'Accio wand'," she barked. Severus just barely kept hold, his fingers having clutched his wand, instinctively, as he fell. "Damn!" breathed Anna, as she ducked down under the fog again and giggling, quickly doubled back to the shelter of the crate at the opposite end of the next wall.



Turning over, Severus crawled forward and lay next to the wall, listening, trying to get an idea of her position. Taking a deep breath, he stood and calmly walked to the end of the wall and started to circle around the crate positioned there.



Hearing his footsteps, Anna emerged on the near side of her crate and ran half the length of the wall before jumping up onto it, running two more steps and launching herself through the air, just as Severus came into view. Anna sailed through the air, straight into the arms of a thoroughly startled Potions Master. They crashed to the floor and rolled over and over through the fog, disappearing from view behind the last crate on the far side of the Hall.



"/TIME/!" Professor Flitwick yelled. " 'Evanesco fog.' "



The fog vanished and then the students and Professor Flitwick ran across the room to find Anna and Severus sprawled on the floor, each holding their wand to the other's throat, grim expressions on their faces.



"Oh my, I'd have to call this duel a draw," Professor Flitwick exclaimed, having pushed his way to the front of the group. "Are you two alright?"



"We're none the worse for wear, thank you," Anna answered, smiling but without taking her eyes off of Snape. Then, smile fading quickly, she focused all of her attention on Severus. "Truce .. agreed?"



"Truce? Yes." Snape replied, removing his wand slowly from under her chin.



"Ditto." Anna lifted her wand away from his jugular vein. Rolling away from him, she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. "How'd we do, Filius, show them a thing or two?"



"Oh, yes!" Flitwick nodded. "Some very good and quite powerful spells from Professor Snape and good use of the course and defensive moves on your part showed both sides of dueling to the students, I think."



"Yes, but why didn't you throw more spells at Professor Snape? All you did was run and hide," Millicent asked, stepping forward.



"Well, I'll tell you." Anna put out her hand and Millicent pulled her to her feet. "I prefer to take my time, if possible, watch for my opportunities and try to stay a step or two ahead. Like the ice bit. I figured that Professor Snape, knowing I was just behind the wall, couldn't resist walking straight at me. So, zip, bam, right on his duff!" Looking at Severus, she smiled, sweetly. "Sorry about that."



"No, you most certainly are not/." He held out his hand and Anna pulled him to his feet. Facing her, he continued, "In all the years I've know you, you've only done one /very /stupid/, spontaneous thing. Your every move has always been deliberate and well thought out, no matter how it appears to others."



"Was that a compliment?" Anna looked up at him, wide eyed, hand over her heart.



"No. I was merely acknowledging the fact that you are a calculating, devious, opportunistic wench."



The Slytherins snickered and laughed.



"Oh .. Well." Anna tilted her head, smiling at him "From /you/, that's a compliment."



"/Oh, my/, it's nearly tea time!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, looking at his pocket watch. "I would like to thank you all for inviting me to your Dueling Society. It was great fun for me and I hope, instructive for all of you. I'd be delighted to attend another session, should you need a referee.



"I'm sure I speak for the members of Slytherin House when I thank you for lending your expert eye to the proceedings and we will, indeed, avail ourselves of your kind offer in the future," Professor Snape replied, as he put his wand away and straightened his frock coat.



Turning to Anna, he bowed slightly. "And, of course, our thanks to Professor Twigg-Jones for sharing her skills with us. Hopefully, the members of the Dueling Society acquired a few hints that they can put to use in the future."



"I had a GRAND time. Haven't had such a workout in quite a while. And you were a worthy opponent, Professor Snape." She bowed to him.



"Shall we, my dear?" Professor Flitwick swept his arm to lead Anna to the door.



"Delighted .. See you at tea, Professor Snape?"



"Probably not; we'll be here for a while, analyzing this session."



"At dinner, then; we three can put our heads together afterward, for a discussion."



"Certainly."



Anna turned and left with Flitwick as the students gathered around Snape.



"I loved the 'wench' comment, Professor. She's such a show-off," sniffed Pansy, as soon as the door closed.



"Show-off? Hardly, Miss Parkinson. That was her idea of fun. I tried to provoke her into losing her temper and showing what she's truly capable of doing, but my calling her little girl/, which usually does the trick, failed to get much of a reaction from her. /That's a disturbing thought; she might actually be learning to control her temper."



"So what?" Draco crossed his arms. "Why would that make a difference?"



"Mister Malfoy .. think. If she is able to keep her temper under control, she won't do anything foolish that could be potentially fatal, such as focusing only on the target of her anger and disregarding everything else around her. She has learned from her mistake, which makes her the most potentially dangerous witch the Auror office has at their disposal."



"You're exaggerating," Draco laughed. "Her? Dangerous? Millie's right; all she does is run and hide."



"Leaving traps in her wake and being quick enough to use anything to her advantage, including those few seconds she gains when you run into, or slip on, one of them."



"Like you did?" Draco sneered.



"Exactly .. more embarrassing than painful .. /but/, used by her, none the less, to stop me, momentarily, so she could move and re-position herself."



"So, what was that one 'stupid' mistake that /almost/, but, unfortunately, did /not /quite, get her killed?"



Snape gave Draco a long, silent look. "You should ask your father about that little incident, Mister Malfoy. He would be startled by my assessment of how dangerous and formidable an enemy Professor Twigg-Jones has become in the intervening years."



Professor Snape turned away and began vanishing the remaining crates and walls and the smoldering ruins of the other crate. Draco stared as Snape's words sank into his brain and their meaning became clear. The others students were watching the emotions flashing across his face: shock, wonder, disbelief, thoughtfulness, anger and finally understanding. Professor Anna Twigg-Jones was the one witch in the world Draco now hated /and /feared above all others. Even Granger.