FADE TO BLACK

NB: I own nothing but the plot and a few spells.

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Chapter One: And so it begins…

"Nox Octavius!"

The words had barely left Draco's mouth before a thin bolt of what resembled black fire exploded from his wand and hit his opponent, Pansy Parkinson, directly in the face. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Pansy emitted a blood-curdling scream of pain and collapsed to the ground, clawing frantically at her face, particularly around her eyes. Several people immediately rushed to her aid, but were unable to silence her screams of pain.

Draco merely stood there, arms folded over his chest, his face cool and indifferent to the commotion unfurling before him. His expression only altered at the feeling of a hand clamping onto his left shoulder, and he swivelled his head around to meet a grim-faced Professor Snape.

"Mr. Malfoy! My office, immediately!" He pointed towards the office's general direction while he moved towards Pansy, who was still screaming those blood-curdling screams. Snape's face was etched with concern as he scooped the petite girl into his arms and carried her out of the common room in a flurry of black.

Draco, meanwhile, waited somewhat sulkily in Professor Snape's office, picking idly at a loose thread on the lapel of his white school shirt until a gentle 'click' told him that the office door had been opened. He shifted his vision sideways to see the raven-haired teacher enter the room, a dark expression on his face.

"I believe you know why I have sent you here." It was a statement, not a question. Draco shrugged.

"Duelling in the common room." He answered, only to receive an irritable snort in reply.

"Honestly, Mr. Malfoy! You know as well as I do that I have no problem with Slytherin students duelling in the common room, and if I did send people to my office every time I stumbled upon a duel in the common room, you would be waiting in line for punishment until the beginning of your seventh year." He paused to stare hard at the blonde youth before him. "Now, why don't you tell me why you think I really sent you here."

The air hung heavy with silence.

"Am I right in assuming that it was because I made that Parkinson bitch scream?" Draco asked slyly, a smirk spreading across his face. If possible, Professor Snape's expression seemed to darken even more from this comment.

"Are you not aware of the actual amount of trouble you have caused, Malfoy?" He demanded. Draco just shrugged nonchalantly, his smirk never leaving his face.

"She's blind and in pain, I won the duel. I really can't see what the prob-"

"YOU CAST NOX OCTAVIUS!" Professor Snape roared, an unnatural action towards a Slytherin. "DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, OR EVEN CARE JUST HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU HAVE CAUSED?" A fine line cut between Draco's pale brows.

"She'll just be in pain and have eye problems for a bit. It'll probably wear off after awhile. Why are you making such a big deal over it?" The teacher took a deep breath, trying to control his anger and frustration as he sat down again.

"You have no idea what you've done, have you?" He demanded with a hint of poison in his voice. "Just answer a few questions for me, Mr. Malfoy. How did you learn to cast 'Nox Octavius'?" Draco shrugged.

"Same way I learn nearly all of my curses and hexes. From my Father. I saw him use this particular one on a young house-elf during the holidays because it was disobedient. The next day, the house-elf got clothes, so I have no idea what happened to it." Professor Snape groaned in exasperation and anger.

"Didn't he ever tell you that its results were permanent?" He demanded, glaring at Draco. "Miss Parkinson will no longer be in any pain after awhile, but the blindness does not go away. Ever. You have permanently blinded her with a spell, that, may I add, is illegal for use unless you are either fully qualified in the area of Dark Arts or you can claim extenuating circumstances such as an attack from a Death Eater, and you have neither one!" Finally, Draco had the decency to stop smirking.

"How much trouble am I really in?" He asked, his earlier confidence fading from his voice. The raven-haired professor took a deep breath, his obsidian eyes boring into Draco's silvery ones.

"Honestly? You are facing expulsion from Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy, unless you can come up with an extremely convincing argument for your actions or your Father is willing to use his connections to help you out."