Of Monsters, Of Men

Chapter 10

Second Term

"We have a week before house duels begin," Tom said, eyes narrowing at the bulletin board in the common room.

Harry took a copy of one of the information flyers from the scattered pile, and he walked with Tom back into the dorm.

Once inside, Harry frowned at the gleam in Tom's eyes. "Don't tell me you're thinking about scheduling a house duel."

"It's the only way for us to prove our worth to Slytherin."

"We're not ready. We don't even know how to duel."

Tom sneered, "Avery and Selwyn don't know how to duel either."

"I agree," Harry said, "but even if we scheduled a house duel, publicly declaring that we have a feud with Avery and Selwyn won't help 'prove our worth.'"

"We will once we win."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "You think we'll win?"

Tom's nose scrunched up at Harry's doubt.

"I know that we'll win."

Harry drummed his fingers against the crumpled flyer.

"Even so, Avery and Selwyn won't agree to a duel. They may be idiots, but they aren't stupid."

Tom waved his hand dismissively. "We have something special to offer them. They won't be able to say no."

"What?" Harry narrowed his eyes at Tom. "Don't say it's the—"

"The cloak."

Harry immediately shook his head. "No. We can't afford to lose it. We need it." As he spoke, he felt something tug at him from across the room. Walking over, he saw that it was the cloak. He unfolded it and placed it in his lap, feeling a low, pleasant warmth settle over him.

Tom scoffed. "And we won't lose it."

"You don't know that for certain," Harry said, curling the cloak closer.

"I do."

"But why do you need to win so badly?" He caressed the cloak, reveling in the low heat that emanated across his lap. Tom leveled a flat stare at him. Harry stilled his hand, sighing internally.

"I refuse to be treated like a pathetic lowlife any longer!" Tom spat. "I thought you wanted revenge."

"I do, but there are better ways of getting revenge," Harry sighed.

"Like what?"

"Ways that don't require us to risk the cloak."

"Like?"

Harry wracked his brain, letting the silence build. Tom raised his eyebrows at him, to which Harry said tentatively, "Like publicly humiliating them."

"Winning a house duel is the best way to do exactly that."

Harry chewed on his lip, throwing part of the cloak over his arm. He avoided Tom's eyes, watching his arm disappear as he spoke. "I still don't think this is a good idea."

"The cloak won't be in danger, I promise."

Harry slumped down onto his bed and closed his eyes. His grip on the cloak tightened for a brief moment, the urge to keep it close to him still strong. He forced his hands to relax. "Fine. But don't blame me if something goes wrong."

As much as Harry hated to admit it, Tom was right. He agreed that winning a house duel would drastically improve their standing on the hierarchy. But he wasn't willing to barter the invisibility cloak, their only possession that would possibly convince Avery and Selwyn into dueling them; it was their most treasured item.