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Chapter 19: Old Man Throwing Hands
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27 October 1991 - Hogwarts Duelling Room
Jonathan Grey
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The last couple of weeks had gone by quickly. I'm surprised not many people made that much of a fuss about me missing Defence class, aside from Ron because he was jealous and a few Slytherin students who were still trying to get me to 'learn my place'.
They asked Snape about it in the middle of Potions Class, probably as a way to get me in the most amount of trouble as they could. That's when he let slip that I would be taking advancement tests and that someone was trying to… tamper with my education during the class, purposely leaving out the fact that it was Quirrell. That reduced Slytherin annoyance significantly, it was one of the only classes I had with them, so they started to believe they were being watched.
I had fallen into a good routine, exercising in the morning, showering, having breakfast and then heading to class. When I had completed the advancement exams, I started to notice a few Slytherin students eying me a little more. They didn't approach though, which had me guessing they were waiting for the result so they could either make fun of me or get me to join whatever group they were a part of.
During the week I spent most of the time abusing the Observe ability to point out all the books with actual spells in them to learn, racking up points by helping the group with studying and homework. On weekends, I had duels with Tonks, studied and refined spells in the ROR and even helped the twins with some prank potions a few times after returning the map. I may or may not be responsible for turning a few students' hair bright Purple.
Spending time refining spells was especially useful in reducing the magic cost for each spell and making spells significantly more durable, even without adding more magic to them. Something Tonks found out the hard way when she cast spells she had used previously to get rid of the spectral wolf that didn't seem to disappear the time around.
"Can you please get this wolf off me?" Tonks said pitifully from the other end of the duelling platform, as she was held down by the paw of my [Spectral Wolf] with her wand hand lightly in its jaws, her wand, a few inches from her grasp. The wolf was less… ghost-looking and more realistic. Still a shade of blue but now darker and more dense.
"Your senses are a lot better now, but you started to get used to my way of duelling," I said, cancelling the spell and allowing Tonks to retrieve her wand and stand. "So, I adapted and brought something new today—more durable conjurations."
"Don't assume the counter is enough to deal with the problem, got it." Tonks stretched her shoulders as she took a few deep breaths to centre herself, and then she sighed. "Do you think I'm ready?"
"Honestly, yes. You just need to remember what you've already learned and will learn, don't get distracted, and don't let your nerves get the better of you."
"I don't beat you a single time we duelled," Tonks deadpanned"
"I'm just built different, you shouldn't compare yourself to me."
"You're eleven." She pointed out.
"And I can still beat you in a duel, that should be even more reason not to compare yourself to me."
Tonks will be leaving on Monday along with the other students who are part of the Ministry programme. Each to their respective departments. She was paired with another and assigned to Alastor Moody, which is why she has been nervous the last few days.
I was brought out of my thoughts as I sensed Dumbledore's magical signature heading to the entrance. Tonks seemed to sense someone too, much later than myself, she turned to the entrance. Wand pointed downward, but ready. While I just casually stood there waiting for him to enter, not bothered in the slightest.
Even though there weren't any portraits in the room, there were several on the way here. I didn't sense any house elves during our spars, so there was almost no doubt Dumbledore used them to find out where we were. Or he could pinpoint our location using the wards, but if that were the case, it brings into question other events that keep happening each year.
After taking a moment to take down to the wards I had set up on the door, Dumbledore gave it a few soft knocks to announce his presence.
"Come in," I exclaimed. As the door opened, we were met by the man himself, dressed in bright blue-purple robes and his usual half-moon glasses.
"Oh, morning, Head Master," Tonks chirped, her demeanour relaxing as she went to put her wand away.
"Good morning, Professor," I greeted. "How goes the day."
"The day goes well, my boy. Apologies for the intrusion." He gave me a nod, looking at the room, now full of puddles, before turning to Tonks. "And good morning to you as well, Ms Tonks. Ready for the Ministry programme, I hope?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, sir," Tonks replied. "I just hope it'll be enough, to be honest."
"Ah, worry not, young lady. I know Aurror Moody personally. He is as fair as they come. If you try to learn as much as you can from him, you will be just fine." Dumbledore assured with a sagely nod, trying to uplift her spirits. It seemed to have worked, at least much better than when I tried the same, as shown by her bright smile and more confident stature.
"Thank you, sir."
"You're very welcome, my dear," turning to me, Dumbledore continued, this time with a knowing and mischievous glint in his eye. "I actually came here to converse with… Doctor Grey, over there."
"Doctor?" Tonks' face twisted in confusion as she muttered the word under her breath.
"You're actually the first to refer to me as such in the magical world." I blinked, "It wasn't even on the acceptance letter, so I just assumed it wasn't as highly regarded in the magical world."
"Ah," Dumbledore nodded, "Though respected for their knowledge, you might find that doctors are not as respected for their accomplishments in some areas of the magical world. They tend to have to…prove themselves, as it were, by getting a Mastery in their chosen subject."
Well, that explains why it wasn't in the Acceptance letter.
"Or, in the case of medical Doctors, it would be becoming a recognised Healer," Dumbledore continued. "Titles like those can take years to accomplish. But considering how quickly you obtained your doctorate, I do not believe it will take you long, my boy."
"Thank you, sir."
"And I must say, I do like what you've done with your hair." Dumbledore said, after taking a glance at my hair. "I could have done the same, but I believe I may be long past the age at which it would have suited me."
If anyone ever wondered how students' hair stayed relatively the same length throughout the school year, then it was either because they got it done during the term holiday or they learned the relevant spells.
I noticed they didn't have many spells to cut hair though, most students had to buy enchanted items, like scissors and razors, to do that for them. Something to do with safety and how the spells went wrong or whatever. So, I had to make the spells myself. Now, I'll be rocking dreadlocks with a nice shape-up without having to use my metamorph-magus abilities.
"Thank you, sir, I always wanted to have my hair flowing in the wind as I look down upon the world or city in a cool manner," I responded, completely ignoring the strange look Tonks was giving us as we spoke. "I even thought about investing in a cape, but I discarded the idea. I'm a firm believer in 'no capes'."
I wasn't sure if he caught the comic-book superhero reference or if he just didn't know how to respond to that. Either way, Dumbledore smiled before turning his attention back to Tonks and changing the subject. "Might I ask the reason for such Wards on the door? Nothing untoward, I hope."
"Oh, er," Tonks sent me a look as she seemed to fumble on her words as she tried to think of an excuse for us not to get in trouble.
"We were just practising magic, sir," I said, coming to her rescue, not that she needed it. We wouldn't get in trouble for duelling. There was no actual rule against it, I checked. The only rule was that it was 'strictly forbidden unless conducted in the designated duelling room'. Which is where we are now, having changed rooms a few days after she had mentioned it. People just assumed they weren't allowed because there hadn't been a duelling club in a while.
"Considering where Tonks will be going, we thought it would be useful for her to practise some duelling." I elaborated with a shrug. "Good learning experience and all that. Hopefully that won't be a problem."
"Not at all, my boy, duelling is what the duelling room is for, after all." Dumbledore nodded, his words releasing the tension in Tonks' shoulders. "Though it is good to have an adult facilitating, just in case of injuries."
"We will keep that in mind, sir."
"So, would anyone care to humour me with a duel? It has been a while since I indulged in the art myself." Dumbledore asked, his gaze directed to Tonks.
"Oh, er, I just need to catch my breath." Despite her training and the confidence she had built up while sparring with me, Tonks seemed a bit nervous at the prospect of sparring with the old man.
Sensing her hesitation, I took a step forward, "I'll take that challenge, Professor,"
Dumbledore nodded appreciatively and moved to his starting position where Tonks stood, as she stepped down from the platform. "Very well, Dr. Grey. What are the rules of engagement?" he inquired, his posture relaxed but clearly ready.
"The scenario is that we're facing dark wizards," he began, outlining the context. "But the key rule is that we don't aim to cause real harm. Instead of fire spells, we use water spells. Any spell that directly impacts the body, such as a Cheering Charm, will count as a 'killing curse'—that's an instant win for the caster. The Shielding Charm can be used but is frowned upon when used against the Cheering Charm because the 'Killing Curse' disregards it, lowering the value of a win."
"An excellent set of rules, my boy," Dumbledore responded, while retrieving his wand from his robes. "That would explain discarded puddles on the floor. Very well, shall we begin?"
[The Elder Wand - Magical Artifact]
[Description - Also known as "The Deathstick" and "The Wand of Destiny". One of three Deathly Hallows, along with the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility. The Elder Wand, the first Hallow, was created by Death and given to the Peverell brothers after they completed a ritual for magical artefacts to defeat Herpo the Foul.]
[- Decrease the cost of magic by 90%]
[- Increase magic control by 90%]
[- Loyal to the victor]
[- Allows the user to become 'Master of Death' when in possession of the other Hallows]
Well, would you look at that, being 'Master of Death' is actually a thing, and now I have another reason to keep the stone once I've gotten rid of the mouldy soul attached to the ring. Now that I think about it, it's weird that Tom didn't keep it to use as a way to continuously gain lost magic from old magical societies, or just use it as a way to gain information from people he killed. It would have been a win-win. Instead, he decided to hide it under floor boards in an old house.
After doing the customary duelling bow, the duel commenced with Dumbledore casting a series of small water spells, which I deftly countered with water spells of my own. I knew he was testing how far he should go, not wanting to hurt me, but the duel would take too long at this rate, so I decided to kick it up a notch.
With a gesture with my off-hand, I conjured a [Spectral Wolf] and sent it after the professor, just like I did with Tonks. The wolf materialised with a low grown before lunging towards Dumbledore with quick and fluid strides.
Dumbledore, taken aback by the unexpected spell—a spell he hadn't witnessed before—paused briefly to appreciate the conjured creature before responding. His eyes twinkled with curiosity as he watched the spectral wolf approach.
"Do I have to worry about Professor Quirrel giving me detention for not attending his classes, sir?" I asked, while simultaneously raising my wand towards the high ceiling, working on another spell. A large orb of water began to form, as I summoned droplets of water from the floor as a source, swirling and coalescing into a six-foot-wide sphere directly above him. With a deft flick of my wand, I propelled it towards Dumbledore, aiming to coordinate my attack with the spectral wolf to split his focus.
Dumbledore acted swiftly, first by manoeuvring around a few charms I sent his way for good measure, then with a commanding wave of his wand, he summoned three of the ancient suits of armour that stood guard around the room instead of trying to blast the wolf away as Tonks did. The armours clanked to life, sword and shield ready, as they moved to intercept the spectral wolf. The three animated pieces of armour engaged the wolf, their sword movements precise, parrying and thrusting as they managed to keep the ghostly creature at bay.
"Ah, we are still looking into that, I'm afraid." Dumbledore casually answered back, even as turned his attention to the massive water ball hurtling towards him.
With a calculated motion and a sharp incantation, he split the sphere into two equal halves, diverting their paths so they swooshed harmlessly past him on either side, only to redirect them with a swirling motion of his hands, sending them back crashing towards me.
Seeing the twin torrents of water coming back at me, I quickly cast a shielding charm. The water smashed against the invisible barrier, cascading down around me in a torrential downpour, but leaving me untouched.
"After I had a conversation with Professor Quirrell, he said as long as you keep up with your education during that lesson time and do the homework provided each week to a respectable degree. There shouldn't be a problem."
"Oh, that's good," I said, noticing my spectral wolf had been dealt with at the cost of the two broken and disfigured pieces of armour, with the third severely damaged and making its way towards me. After placing a lightning rune in its path, I sidestepped the [Cheering Charm] heading my way. I couldn't help but grin as I went to replicate the water spell Dumbledore used in the Department Atrium, gathering the water around me and moving it towards Dumbledore, completely ignoring the suit of armour even as it was fried in a bright flash of lightning and brought to a stop by the [Lightning Rune].
Instead of focusing too much on the water heading towards him, Dumbledore decided to transfigure the two suits of armour that the [Spectral Wolf] destroyed into two giant human-sized metal hands, which he animated to capture me for good measure. Then, he simply used a transfiguration wall that continuously split the water that passed through it into separate droplets to make it significantly more difficult to control than in its combined state.
I decided to momentarily discard my control over the water I planned to trap Dumbledore with. I could have continued to exert my control over each droplet with my frankly insane level of control granted to me by my essences, but this wasn't really about winning. I can wait until later to get the wand. Throwing the [Chain Lightning], I watched as the lightning jumped from one giang hand to another, cancelling the animation and reverting the transfiguration to several pieces of armour.
"You duel pretty well, professor," I gave the aged Professor a nod as I moved out of my stance to a more relaxed one, indicating an end to the duel.
Tonks, watching the entire exchange, clapped her hands, her earlier nervousness replaced by awe and a beaming smile. "That was brilliant!" she said, genuinely impressed.
"I thank you for the praise," Dumbledore said, with an amused twinkle in his eye. "Although, based on the skill you just demonstrated, I'm surprised you only opted to take the advancement tests for only 2 years, and not your NEWTs as well. I'm sure there would have been many, myself included, that would have relished the thought of teaching you for your Mastery."
That would be the best way to keep me close, at least for a while. By teaching me for my Mastery, he would be able to not only better gauge my abilities, but also keep me away from the likes of any death eater that will want me on their side.
"I might just take you up on that offer, honestly. I already planned on completing my NEWTs within the next 2 years or the year after at the latest." I smiled, "I did want to learn alchemy from Nicolas Flamel, but if that's not possible, then learning from his student would be just as good."
"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm 'as good' as he is in his art. Not even close, for that matter." Dumbledore shook his head. "But I can definitely put in a good word for you when the time comes. If he is unavailable, I see no reason not to teach you myself."
"Thank you, sir." I nodded. "I have a spell to gain your stamina back."
Yet another reason to be happy about getting the AU version of the Dragonborn, he went out of his way to learn the spells and techniques used in other Elder Scrolls games. [Major Respite] being one of them, a restoration spell from the Oblivion game that restores a person's fatigue.
"Oh?"
"Yes, sir," I said, as I cast [Major Respite] on him. Straight away, I noticed he brightened up. He spent a few seconds just moving his limbs and checking his body before casting diagnosis spells on his body.
"Wonderful, my boy! This…" Dumbledore blinked in surprise at how well the spell worked as he walked around a little, looking himself over once more. "I dare say, I much rather this, than the Invigoration Draught. Much quicker this way."
I shrugged, "I exercise multiple times a week, always good to have a way to get your energy back. Not exactly cost-effective if I resorted to using potions every morning before first class."
"Indeed. I take it you have found a love for arithmancy then. Would you say it's your favourite?" Dumbledore inquired. He didn't ask how the spell was done, or even for me to teach him. That would have been 'improper'. But I could tell those were the real Questions He wanted answered.
"Honestly, I like all magic. But it is rather useful having a way to make your own spell for any situation. Magic is supposed to be versatile, so…" I tailed off, only to have Tonks jump in from the side, incensed, having now come out of her stupor from the duel.
"Wait, you had a spell to get a person's energy back and you didn't think to use it during our bouts?!"
"You need to get used to combat without the aid of quickly getting your energy back," I shook my head, "Your opponents aren't just going to wait for you to get some rest, take a potion or use a spell that puts them at any disadvantage."
"OK! But what about after we're done!"
"Not even I use that spell after every workout, it isn't good to be too reliant on a spell."
"Ugh."
Having enjoyed our little back and forth, Dumbledore chose then to interject. "I do believe it would be unfair of me not to give you an opportunity to practise your skill against myself."
"Oh, er, I don't-" Tonks fidgeted with her words.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," I answered for her with a grin, already hopping off the platform. "Up you get!" I gestured towards my previous position, "You wouldn't want to miss a chance to learn from Professor Dumbledore now, would you?"
She glared at me for a moment before turning her attention to the Professor, who was patiently waiting with a smile. "That would be great, Professor, thank you."
"Ah, that reminds me, here," Dumbledore retrieved an envelope from his pocket and levitated it towards me wandlessly. "The results of your tests arrived this morning. It would seem you need to decide with O.W.L subjects you would like to study. Professor Flitwick will be meeting you at some point tomorrow as for your decision and give you a timetable that fits said choices."
"Thank you, sir," I grabbed the envelope from the air, "I'll have an answer for him by then."
When she got into position, they did the customary bow. Then Tonks proceeded to receive an ass whoopin'... it was hilarious.
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"I've always wanted to use that spell."
― Minerva McGonagall."
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Author Here
The fandom keeps saying Dumbledore keeps an eye on the school using ghosts and portraits, and honestly, It makes a lot of sense. Maybe not for small things but big things, I don't see why he would ignore them as a source of information.
Also, John gets his results after he and Dumbledore have a little duel. Nothing grandiose or anything, just a light duel.
Question: What do you think it means to be Master of Death if there even was one? Was Death the actual creator of the Hallows, or was it just the Peverell brothers?
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Thank you for reading.
Stay awesome.
Until next time.