The oval practice room was enormous; Basically a massive empty dome with various rune symbols etched in the walls. Bella vanished the Doll and took her stance a dozen meters away from him. She stood sideways, holding her wand low and forward like a sword.
'Basic Duelling stance', his mind supplied, 'taught in 3rd year Dueling classes in this Hogwarts.' He imitated the position with the help of his memories.
"Ready?" Bella asked casually, her wand held loose.
She wasn't taking this seriously.
With a nod, Harry started the duel. A quick silent stunner headed her way the next instant and he could see physical shock in her body even as she batted it away to the side.
"Well that was... surprising." She said, both eyebrows raised.
She definitely wasn't casual anymore.
And then they began Dueling in Ernst.
Even as spells leapt at each other, it soon became clear to Harry that his opponent was definitely holding back still. And she was more than able to hold her own even then.
Bella's choice of spell ranged from disarming charms and stunners to blasting charms and hexes. But none of them had the capacity to injure Harry. Even those blasting charms were aimed more towards the ground in front of him rather than at him, and were definitely lacking in power.
But even with this type of limitation, It took every bit of Harry's focus to dodge or block his opponents spells. While he was happy at his ability to move again after half a year of being an invalid, he had definitely grown rusty. This small and unfit body didn't help either.
There was a time he could dodge spells by a simple sidestep and keep attacking the opponents, maintaining pressure. But against Bella, he had to use shield charm most of the time because he just wasn't fast enough to get away. This meant that he was mostly on the defensive.
Turning on the spot, he dodged another red stunner before he finally got his chance in her brief moment of relapse (which was on purpose, no doubt). He answered by launching his own onslaught of spells– Overpowered bombardas, quick disarming charms, and flashing stunners leaped from his wand. His opponent didn't struggle as much to defend herself though. She dodged his spells with expert ease, and simply raised a massive blue shield in front of her to block aside those she couldn't with amazing speed, before taking back the charge.
He was definitely slower, he realised. His spells weren't as fast as they used to be, and using non-lethal spells hampered his options. Neither could he apparate mid-fight cause that was one thing that he definitely intended to keep a secret.
Another limitation that he currently faced was the lack of natural obstacles. He'd learned early on in his life that he was particularly good at using the environment to his advantage. In a closed and contained room like this though, Harry couldn't see anything to exploit. He'd become so used to fighting in complicated surroundings that the room made him feel naked in comparison.
But on the other hand, his magic was even stronger. Perhaps it was due to two souls merging together, but his magic was definitely stronger than before. Bella no longer tried to casually smack away his spells after one of his banishing charms launched her in the air.
Plus, while her Protego Maxima managed to block his onslaught of spells, the shield was left weak and flickering in the aftermath, putting extreme pressure on his very much shocked opponent who quickly let go of the shield to attack.
He recognised that they weren't actually fighting though. They were simply exchanging spells.
The only moment in their duel when Harry felt they were truly fighting was at the very end when Bella Transfigured the floor under him to jawed traps. He had to shoot two Reductos, reducing them to ashes to escape before doing, what he thought, was an impressive side roll to avoid getting stunned.
Unfortunately his body just wasn't as dexterous and athletic as it used to be (even one-legged he was quicker than this), and he couldn't put up a shield quick enough to block the next disarming spell.
His wand leapt out of his hand and to the side before he even managed to straighten up.
"Bullocks. Absolute bloody bullocks." He cursed silently, falling on his back as he took deep breaths to regain some functioning. This body was so woefully out of shape that he wasn't even disappointed in himself for losing so easily.
But Harry recognised that he wasn't ready. Had the current him faught Voldemort back in the old world, he wouldn't even survive the first few exchanges let alone cause any serious trouble.
"Tell me the truth Harry, were you holding back on me last winter? Or did...something happen over the summer?" Bella asked, her heels (Yes, heels) clicking audibly in the empty dome as she approached him. "I'm having trouble believing how smooth and practiced your spells are, and how powerful your magic has become."
She came to a stop next to him as he sat up with crossed legs, passing a bottle of water to him out of nowhere.
He didn't care. He just drank it down like a desperate man.
"I may have only known you for less than a year, but magic never changes so drastically. Unless of course, you go through some life-changing experience." She continued. "And your recent changes indicate something did happen over the summer. Something more serious than you losing your virginity."
Done quenching his thirst, Harry finally looked up at the woman.
"So let me ask you this one last time." She said, sounding grim and serious. "What happened?"
While there was some curiousity and suspicions, her eyes mostly just looked worried. She was geniunly worried that something bad happened to him. The care and worry in her eyes almost made him want to speak out the truth, and hope that he could gain a true ally in his quest against Voldemort...
'No. That's foolish.' He quickly occluded away his moment of weakness. There was too much resting on this mission for him to take a decision out of momentary sentimentality.
So he lied instead. Something the Slytherin!Harry was quite good at.
"I just found out the truth." He pushed himself up as he began lying his way through this situation. "I was curious if what you were telling last year was real. About aunt Petunia poisoning my mind. So I used legilimency on her. It turns out everything I believed really was a lie, huh?"
There was pity in her eyes now, but she kept quiet.
"That's about it really." Harry shrugged. "I've been pushing myself something fierce, the last couple of weeks. When I said I broke through to next level, I didnt mean lvl 3 in occlumency. I meant lvl 4."
Her eyebrows climbed to her forehead as she took in his words. He could almost see gears turning in her head as she realised what it meant. Lvl 4 meant he was able to create fake mind prints in his own mind.
"Have I been talking to a fake Harry all this time? That makes a scary amount of sense." She asked, stunned and incredulous. "Tell me that's not true."
"Of course not." He denied with a frown. "I may have used my old...personality, as a defense for my mind, but I'm very much me. But like I've been telling..."
Harry smirked. "I'm a changed man now."
Bella stared at him for a few long seconds, before bursting out in merry laughter. "Oh that was smooth, you charmer. Just remember though, this house is always open for you. If you want to, I can arrange for you to be here on permanent basis. You don't have to go back to the Dursleys."
"Hmm, you know what? I might take you up on that offer." Harry mused. "This house is so much more cooler, and as a bonus, Kreacher never fails to lighten my mood. Oh, and there's you too I guess."
"Haha, very funny." She muttered, bumping him with her elbow. "Anyway, I don't know how exactly you achieved it, but I agree that you could breeze through your class right now. If I had to guess, I'll ping you as a lvl 4 dueller. A very strong lvl 4 dueller. Your Silent casting is so smooth that even I couldn't guess what spells you were about to launch until you actually cast them."
She began walking for the door and waved at him to follow. "But your spells moved slow enough that I had more than enough time to prepare the most efficient response. Second, you should know when to dodge and when to block. You did well to neutralize the traps but were too slow with that roll to the side. Your body is just not ready for that type of maneuvers."
They went through a lowly lit hallway and climbed down a set of stairs that led to an underground corridor.
"If you work on these two issues, I actually believe you could be a lvl 5 duelist. Which seems completely bonkers for a 13, almost 14 year old. But then again, Lvl 4 occlumency should've been impossible for you too, but here you are anyway."
Harry hummed before asking, "Whats your Dueling Lvl?"
She turned to him, surprised. "You didn't know? I'm one of the only ten lvl 6 Duellers in the entire country, one of whom is rotting in Askaban. Though I'm sure there are more, they just haven't taken any official test. Your mother, for instance. Three times I've duelled her, but never managed to get an upper hand. Terrifying opponent, that fiery redhead."
They walked through another corridor, this one was lit by burning torches.
"Is everything divided in levels in wizarding world?" He asked as Bella cut her finger to drop a bit of blood on the black door's handle.
"I don't know about the Wizarding world, but in Magical Britain? Yes. Grindelwald's presence in the last two decades have changed things here. Anything that could help the ministry separate exceptional wizards from common ones is divided through levels. Usually in 7 levels. If word got out about your achievements, I have no doubt the ministry would try to recruit you, no matter what it takes. Don't worry though, I'm pretty high in the ministry so your secret shall be safe, until you wish to reveal it."
"That seems... desperate." He commented as the door finally clicked, mechanical gears slowly shifting to reveal a small slit in the door, which opened painfully slow.
"We are desperate. You have to understand Harry; we need help. Voldemort and Grindelwald had almost completely conquered the country last time, the only bit of resistance being Dumbledore and the order. And even when we got free, no one wished to live here any longer, that's how terrified people were. The ministry doesn't want to repeat it's mistakes. Especially Minister Bones. This is why dueling and fighting has become such a major subject in Hogwarts, and most of the school around europe. Anyway, we are here."
The door they entered through led to a library. A small library with only two shelves in place, which were divided according to subjects.
"This, my dear Godson," Bella spread her arms wide grandly, though her eyes held a bit of contempt as she stared around. "is the Black family library. There's just one rule in here: Don't touch the family magic section. Anyone not of black blood would be cursed with some of the most vile and darkest magic you're likely to find in Europe. And while you may have some Black blood in you through your grandmother, I would rather you not risk it."
"Of course."
She then led him towards the shelves, picking and discarding books before finally latching onto one. "'Practical guide for Perfect spells' by Li Shimin, one of the most infamous Asian Dark Lords who dominated the entirety of magical china for 3 decades while masquerading as a muggle Emperor. Anything you need to know about spell power and speed, this book has your back."
He tucked the book under his arm and followed after Bella as she began searching again. She soon began to pile books after books in his hands that he had to balance delicately.
"The Art of Magical Battle' by Sun Tzu, one of the greatest generals to ever grace the world; Magical or muggle. 'Memoires of Ptolemy, another great wizard, though this one specialised in combining muggle martial arts with magic with shockingly effective results. Spell power and efficiency by Vandor Grischuk..."
She finally came to a stop after Harry had a bundle of 7 books levitating next to him. He had given up midway through the collection and just took out his wand to hold the books.
"Well, that's about it for now. This should keep you busy for the rest of your summer so you don't do anything stupid...like skipping levels of occlumency."
"Hey, that's not fair." Harry protested half-hearted.
Bella yawned tiredly and he had to resist the urge to pat her on the head. She just looked soo-o-o cute...
"Today's been a tiring day, hasn't it? C'mon we need some rest for tomorrow's busy day."
"Why? What's so special tomorrow?"
"Did you forget? The start of the Quidditch World Cup knockout stage. Magicals from all around the globe will start gathering here tomorrow. And will stay for a whole damned month."
---------------------------
Amelia Bones, the current minister of magic, was nervous. She didn't show it of course, cause that's one way to instantly demoralise your people. But simply thinking about the events about to take place today were giving her some fierce jitters.
Today, she was not willing to make any mistakes. Normally she was quite lenient with ministry workers, but this time she won't be giving an inch. If she even felt a hint that bagman, or Merlin forbid Malfoy, did something stupid behind her back...blood will be spilt.
Butterflies flickered around her stomach as the portkey under her hand twisted in, taking her along for a ride.
When the chasm spat her out, she quickly balanced her body to land on her feets, touching the soft ground under her boots.
"Minister Bones." Bellatrix Black greeted her with a nod.
Dressed in Auror robes that matched well with her fierce purple eyes, the head of department of Magical law enforcement looked like a force to be reckoned with. Her cold calculating gaze flickered around, reminding Amelia how touch the woman was in public.
Amelia looked around them, taking in the pavilion under which she'd just landed. There were 6 visible people that she could count, vigilantly keeping an eye on things.
"Was that all?" Amelia asked her long time friend as they began walking to the stadium.
"No, Scirmgeour wants to put another team to greet the guests. Six more lvl 5s, hidden under invisibility cloaks or disillusionment wards." She answered with a disgruntled sniff. "I don't agree. Our Aurors will be wasted on that job. No one is foolish enough to start trouble in the welcome hall, might as well use our strength where they are needed."
Amelia nodded slowly, working through the situation in her head. She didn't want Bella and Rufus to be against each other's throat on a day like this. That, was a disaster waiting to happen.
"Tell Rufus to use the foreign forces and create a team out of them. Perhaps the Chinese ones. They didn't look as keen to provide wizards in yesterday's meeting. I doubt they will send their best. Or anyone competent really."
"That might work..." Bella mused as they walked through the stadium. "I have a better idea. Let's put the entire brazillian force in the front."
Surprised, she turned to her friend and most trusted advisor. "Didn't they reject Dumbledore's proposal?"
"Indeed they did. But apparently they had a change of heart." Bella scoffed. "They contacted the ministry half past four in the morning, apologizing for their 'rudeness' and 'insensitiveness'. So now we can expect a battalion of their best force by the evening, quite suspicious if you ask me."
"Agreed, but we cannot reject them. We need more help if we want to get through these two months without any major incident."
They quietened as they picked up a couple of brooms stationed aside for ministry use and flew their way through the massive stadium. Her eyes shone with pride as she took in the place said to be able to fit more than a hundred thousand people. They'd built the entire thing in a year with a task force of 500 wizards and witches, taking inspiration from muggle stadiums and architectures. This could very possibly be the greatest creation of the last decade, in her opinion.
"Seems ridiculous, doesn't it?" Bella said over the whooshing winds. "So much time, effort, and risk for a simple sport. An year of hardwork from our people, and the stadium's going to be dismantled after a month anyway."
"That's wizards for you. Too impassioned about things that doesn't matter in the end. Though as a point to them, quidditch does brings in a hefty percentage of our country's income. And if all went well, I believe we might make a ridiculous profit by the end of this."
"I sure hope so." Bella snorted. "After all the trouble we've went through this past year, I expect a big bonus waiting for me."
Chuckling, the women finally landed upon the enormous campsite grounds, just behind the stadium. The entire place was reserved for spectators and players to make their living arrangements. The biggest pieces of lands were already claimed by powerful families, and Amelia could see the colours of potters and Malfoys flying on the two biggest tents that she had no doubt were even more bigger from the inside. There were elves and people all around, working various jobs hastily as they prepared the camps.
"Will you be making a camp for Blacks too?" Amelia asked as they dropped their brooms and began inspecting the grounds.
"No, I have no intention of staying around. Unless Harry changes his mind for some reason and doesn't want to stay with the Potters. In which case you can expect a massive tent to pop out of the ground one random day."
They took notes of the camps that were being built, looking for suitable spots to station an Auror team.
"Oh I forgot to ask, how is he?" Amelia asked, absently nodding in response to ministry workers' greetings.
"Quite well. Why?"
"Nothing. I just found out that Susan fancies him."
"Aww, really? That poor girl. She missed the chance to be his first. My little bee's been working hard over the summer, going after those muggle birdies."
"Bella!" Amelia exclaimed, scandalized, looking around to see anyone eavesdropping. "You need to put a stopper on that mouth."
"Relax, Minister. Do you honestly think anyone listening will have understood my words? You really shouldn't get stressed so early in the day, considering what's about to come."
Amelia gave her the stink eye before sighing. "I know. Barty says we can expect an audience of atleast a thousand for today's match. I want you to assign a team to divide everyone in levels. Only lvl 7 camps shall be given access to create a Floo network."
"Alright, got it "
"And Bella, please refrain from antagonising the Malfoys."
"...Of course." Bella sniffed haughtily. "Who do you take me for?"
"Please Bella, we really don't need any–"
"Minister Bones!" Their conversation came to an end when a ministry worked came running towards them, panic and shock covering his face. "Head Auror wishes to meet with you urgently! Black...Sirius Black...he's escaped!"
"What." The women asked, uncomprehending.
Sirius Black was in Askaban...how in Morgana's name could he escape that?
"He was an animagus all along! A guard saw him waddling through the waters as a black grim!"
Amelia groaned in annoyance, rubbing her forehead to calm the headache that was sure to come.
"Fuck." Bella cursed at her side and she didn't even have it in her to reprimand her. "This is such a bad timing."
"Yeah. I knew something bad was going to happen today." Amelia sighed, making a U-turn. "Come, let's see how bad the situation is."
"Sure. Though I'll need to leave early to empty the manor, Sirius is still the Black heir afterall..." Bella stopped in her place, her eyes widening in fearful realisation. "Oh shit. Harry! I have to go. Now."