"So... what did Greengrass want to talk about?"
Harry looked over at Susan who seemed to be engrossed in her work, an inquisitive look on his face.
"Nothing much. She only invited me to her house for Christmas," he replied and went back to reading Dolohov's tome. This one had started to take a significant portion of his studies lately.
"Wait what!?" Susan asked in shock, finally looking up from her parchment and staring at him with her eyes wide open. To her left, Hannah was also staring at him in surprise.
"What?" Harry asked, confused.
Susan shook her head. "She invited you for Christmas? Since when are you two so close?"
"I won't say we're that close," Harry frowned. "She's my friend, just like you guys are. Didn't you also invite me to your place during the summer?"
"Y-yeah b-but… Help me out here, you glutton!" Susan exclaimed, looking at her friend.
"What? What do you want me to say?"
Her friend's pleading look made Hannah sigh before she turned to look at Harry.
"I think what this one wants to say is that you'd known us for an entire year before we got so close. Meanwhile, how long have you known her? Little over a month, right? Seems a bit fast-paced, if you catch my drift," she intoned with a small smile.
"I don't catch your drift, to be honest," Harry shook his head. "Why does time matter? She's been spending so much time with us over the past month, and that's not to mention the fact that our mothers were friends when they were attending Hogwarts. Makes sense for her to invite me."
Their eyes widened at that.
"Your mum was friends with her mum?" Susan asked faintly.
"She was," a familiar voice added from behind her and she turned around to look at the blonde girl who smiled and took her seat beside Harry as usual. Her friend Tracey walked over and slid in beside Hannah.
"They were very close friends, almost like sisters," Daphne smiled. "When I told her that I'd become friends with Harry, she immediately asked me to invite him for Christmas. That reminds me," she turned to look at Harry. "There is some issue with your mail. I forgot last night, but Mum sent you a few letters this summer and they always returned back. She said there's a mail redirecting ward around you."
Harry frowned. Dobby might have been monitoring his mail, but he didn't know if the elf could cast a ward like that.
Susan, Hannah, and Neville looked surprised at the revelation. It now made sense as to why Harry was invited to Daphne's home for the Christmas holidays. As much as it didn't sit right with Susan, she had to accept it.
"I wonder why she didn't meet you before though," Susan muttered softly and looked apologetically at Daphne. "Don't get me wrong, but shouldn't she have tried to meet Harry before? He grew up in an orphanage, and I'm sure he would've liked for someone like her to meet him every so often."
A pained expression took over Daphne's face as Harry frowned. Susan was indeed right. It was the least he should expect of someone who proclaimed to be your parent's sibling in all but blood. And yet, Marlene had told him in the letter that she would explain everything when he visited them for the holidays. Harry was willing to hear her out.
"I'm sure she must have had her reasons," Harry replied and looked at Susan, who frowned but nodded with a small sigh. She looked at Daphne who gave her a small smile and shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind what she had just said. Susan gave her a small smile in return.
"What are you reading?" Daphne asked as she leaned close to look. To Harry's right, Susan also glanced at his textbook.
"Just a book I happened to pick up when I first visited Diagon Alley," Harry replied with a small smirk as he continued reading. He had charmed the book so that it looked like a normal spell book to anyone's naked eye.
However, Daphne didn't seem to be easily convinced. Leaning closer so that her breath ghosted over his ear, she whispered, "This is the one you learned those spells from?"
Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and looked into her sapphire pools. They were strikingly blue, he couldn't help but notice. Pursing his lips, he gave her a nod. Daphne leaned back with a nod in return.
"What spells?" Susan asked from his other side with a frown.
"Some advanced spells we're not taught at Hogwarts," Harry replied with a small smile and went back to reading. Frowning, Susan looked at Daphne only to see the blonde pull out her texts and start reading. With a sigh, she went back to her runework.
-Break-
Harry took his leave an hour later and walked out of the library. Professor Flitwick had asked him to come over and he climbed up the staircase toward the Charms corridor. The students were wandering the corridors at this hour, and Harry walked briskly, not paying them any mind. He ignored the usual glares Weasley directed at him whenever he was in the vicinity. The boy seriously needed to get a grip.
He was at his destination within a few minutes and rapped the door twice.
"Come in," Professor Flitwick's voice prompted him to push the door open and he entered. The door shut behind him on its own.
"You're just in time," Flitwick smiled and asked him to come forward.
"You asked to see me, Professor?"
"Indeed I did," Flitwick nodded. "Although we won't be practicing any spells today, I believe this will be a helpful task. Come here."
Harry nodded and followed Flitwick over to the small round table set near the window. It was almost nighttime, and the moonlight was striking the table through the glass window, making the surface shine. Harry took his seat when Flitwick gestured for him to take it.
"Are you familiar with what this is?" Flitwick asked, gesturing toward the large bowl of water that was suspended on the table. It was shining a strange silver and was spread evenly over the table with not a droplet of spillage to be seen. Harry shook his head in denial.
Flitwick gave him a small smile. "It is not something you will find so easily. This, Mr. Potter, is a pensieve. An enchanted artifact that can be used to view memories. I find it particularly soothing to revisit my memories from my various trips, such as the one in the Swiss Alps I undertook over a decade ago."
Harry stared at the pensieve with intrigue.
"How does it work?"
"As I said," Flitwick smiled. "It is an enchanted magical artifact. You extract the memory you want to see, pour it into this liquid, and insert your finger in the bowl. Your consciousness will be transported into the memory and you can see or relive it as if you were present there."
"Sounds fascinating," Harry replied with a smile. Flitwick nodded.
"This is what we shall be using right now. I believe before you begin to properly train for a duel, you should first see what an actual circuit duel looks like. I believe this should tell you enough," Flitwick intoned and pulled out a vial from the pocket of his robes. Harry saw a swirling mist inside the vial which Flitwick uncorked. He poured the mist inside the pensieve and the surface glowed softly.
"After you," Flitwick smiled and gestured for him to go ahead. Harry gave the man a nod and inserted a finger in the water.
The very next second, Harry was falling at a breakneck pace and a shout of surprise left his lips. The approaching ground made him flex his arm frantically and his eyes widened when he felt the lack of his wand holster. His eyes closed involuntarily as he collided with the ground.
An amused chuckle made his eyes shoot open and he looked over to see Flitwick smiling before the older wizard congratulated him for a successful arrival.
"This is nothing but a memory, Mr. Potter. Here, you can neither interact with anything nor can anything interact with you. You are a spectator and nothing else."
Harry nodded in understanding and looked around. They were in a massive arena that oddly looked like a tennis stadium. There was a dueling platform in the middle of the arena which was surrounded by stands on all four sides. Large transparent barriers were visible that were supposed to stop any spectator from interfering or to prevent any spells from passing through. To the right of the dueling platform stood another platform that was for the referee to oversee the duel.
"We're in Paris for the final of the 1957 Championship," Flitwick intoned as he walked forward. Harry followed behind him until they were at the front railing. This angle provided them with a view of the entire dueling platform.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the final of the 1957 European Dueling Championship!" The announcer roared in what Harry recognized as French, much to the excitement of the massive crowd who cheered loudly. There must be over a hundred thousand spectators in the stands around them. It was quite a spectacle.
"Must be tough, performing in front of such a crowd," Harry remarked as he looked around. Flitwick nodded.
"It is. I remember I was quite nervous in my first few matches. But then, there are a few who feel perfectly at ease even in front of such a crowd. I believe it all depends on the person."
Harry nodded and looked over as the two finalists entered from opposite ends.
"Andrej Dolohov," Flitwick intoned, looking over at the man on the left. "A formidable wizard from Bulgaria. Last I heard of him, he had been sent on an expedition by the Bulgarian ministry and vanished without a trace in the snowy desert of Siberia, leaving his wife and only son behind. A true shame, how things turned out for that family."
Harry stared, still reeling. Andrej was a tall dark-haired man clad in an intricate dueling attire walking toward his end of the platform.
"Why? What happened?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off him.
Flitwick sighed and replied in a somber voice, "The wife died a few years later. Their son Antonin was still in Durmstrang when it happened. He followed in his father's footsteps and was a formidable duelist in his time. It was poetic how a couple decades later he also defeated none other than the daughter of the woman who will face Andrej in this final duel, and in the final of the same event, no less. Alas, that was when things went downhill. Antonin got involved with He-who-must-not-be-named and resides in Azkaban to this day."
Harry nodded.
"And that is Yvonne Garnier. As you can already discern, she's the crowd favorite," Flitwick chuckled, and Harry looked over at the blonde woman dressed in a dueling attire of her own. It was not hard to understand why she was the crowd favorite, particularly of the males. However, there was something… otherworldly about her.
Flitwick looked over at Harry staring at the woman with curiosity apparent in his gaze and he chuckled.
"So you noticed it, hmm?"
Harry nodded, not taking his eyes off her.
"There's something about her… an aura… I can't exactly explain, but she doesn't seem like a normal woman," he replied.
"That's because she's a Veela," Flitwick replied, earning a small frown from Harry.
"I think I've heard the term somewhere, can't remember anything about it though."
"Veela are semi-human beings. Beautiful women, with light-colored hair and unblemished skin which appear to give them an otherworldly shine under the moonlight. They have this pull called the allure. You can read about them in any Creatures book in the library," Flitwick replied. Harry nodded, looking over at the woman once again.
"This was Yvonne's final duel ever," Flitwick replied as the duelists readied themselves. "Family took priority over her career on the circuit. A shame, I believe. She could have reached much higher."
"Life happens," Harry replied. Flitwick nodded.
Both the duelists were young, and Harry guessed they were in their mid-twenties.
The referee strode forward and pressed the tip of his wand against his throat.
"You know the rules. Let me reiterate it once again… No Unforgivables. The duel ends once either of the duelists is disarmed, stunned, or is otherwise deemed unable to continue. Please assume your positions. On my command…"
The two duelists took their positions and Harry instantly recognized the stance the Bulgarian man took. It was described in Dolohov's tome as an aggressive one that was meant to pounce on your adversary from the beginning. The French woman, on the other hand, had adopted a simple relaxed stance, as if she was going to gauge her opponent before retaliating. He watched with bated breath as the crowd quieted down until he could hear even the sounds of the birds flying outside.
"BEGIN!"
Andrej opened with the basic spell chain of a Stunner that followed a Disarming Charm, which Yvonne batted aside quickly. Harry's eyes widened at the speed with which the first encounter concluded. It was all in an instant – from the moment the spell left Andrej's wand to the moment when Yvonne batted it aside.
"This is the pace of a professional duel," Flitwick intoned as Yvonne retaliated with vicious stingers which Andrej repeatedly batted aside. "Notice that they are not using the Shield charm. That is because they don't need to."
"Preserving as much of their magical energy as they can," Harry nodded.
"And that is one of the differences between a duel and a fight," Flitwick continued. "In a duel, the level of spells is comparatively lower which gives you the option to bat the spells aside. In a fight, such an option doesn't come as often."
Harry nodded. He could not imagine batting spells like Fiendfyre or Blasting curses either. Those required dodging far away or using the shield.
Both the duelists were fast – much faster than he currently was, and both were using spell chains which meant their speed was not limited to their spellcasting either. Their speed of processing the events of a duel, assimilating every development, and coming up with solutions happened at a breakneck pace as well.
Harry still needed a little time to think of which spell should follow the previous one when he practiced. Now he realized the time it took for him to decide was enough for opponents like these to get at least fifteen of their hits in – more than enough to end any duel.
Until now, only regular charms, hexes, and jinxes were cast and Harry was wondering if there would be any variety in this duel when Yvonne suddenly conjured a massive swathe of water in the air and froze it before casting a powerful Reducto right behind it. Icicles rained down on Andrej who for the first time in this duel conjured a glowing shield to keep the sharp projectiles at bay. Harry immediately saw the opening, and it seemed Yvonne did it too, as she quickly cast several powerful Stunner-Disarmer spell chains straight at the man and all around him, taking away his mobility as well. The man was busy maintaining his shield above him where the icicles were still raining down.
"It's over," he whispered, prompting a chuckle from Flitwick.
"Not so easy," the diminutive Charms master replied, and Harry's eyes widened when Andrej whipped his wand and the shield extended, covering him from above to his front. The icicles and the spells both collided with his shield before they dissipated away into nothingness.
Andrej took down his shield and smirked at Yvonne, who smirked in return.
"What did you learn from that exchange?"
Harry frowned in deep thought as he stared at the duel in front of them. The pair was casting spells back and forth and no one seemed to have an upper hand. However, he did notice Andrej moving with more agility than Yvonne. His eyes widened.
"Yvonne used powerful magic to overwhelm Andrej. Conjuring that massive body of water, freezing all of it and keeping it suspended in the air, then casting the Reductor behind that frozen body of water so that the icicles could rain down. All required significant power to cast. However, Andrej simply used a powerful shield to take care of it all. I believe Yvonne's goal was to make Andrej busy with the icicles and take care of him with her basic spell chain. However, she didn't expect him to be able to extend that shield. I believe that required considerable power on his part as well, just not as much as that magic took out of Yvonne," Harry finished.
"Spot on," Flitwick nodded. "A lesson in both a duel and a fight is to preserve your energy as much as you can while still remaining in the best condition possible. In a battle of attrition, the side that has the energy to last longer wins more often than not."
Harry nodded.
However, it was not over in any sense, as Andrej pressed his advantage. It seemed he didn't want to be outclassed by his opponent in a battle of the elements, and quickly cast a powerful firestorm that careened toward Yvonne like an avalanche of inferno. The French woman gave a smirk and conjured another massive body of water, fully aware of the strain it would have on her magic, and created a massive wall of ice right in front of herself. The moment the firestorm collided with the ice, massive columns of steam rose high in the air and shrouded everything around them. Andrej quickly canceled the firestorm and conjured a shield as numerous icicles and large spikes of ice shot toward him at a rapid pace. A few got through the shield and struck him right in the leg or arm.
Yvonne, despite being the one more spent, was the first to draw blood in this duel.
"Andrej understood quickly that he could not keep the firestorm up and let himself be exposed to any retaliation from Yvonne," Harry noted. Flitwick smiled and kept watching.
From then on, it became a battle of curses and lethal spells, all of which could be regarded as borderline dark. However, in a duel at this level, anything short of the Unforgivables was allowed. Blasting curses shattered shields, bonebreakers, and cutting curses were either swatted aside or dodged as both duelists engaged in a dance of blood and carnage. The audience was cheering all the while, and Harry stood there, enraptured. Not at the variety of magic on display. That was not impressive. Even he could cast all those spells. What astonished him was the level of finesse these two demonstrated when they cast those spells. The power they put behind those spells was significant, and the time taken between two spells was so minuscule that four spells could be weaved in one blink of his eye.
This was the lowest level he needed to reach if he hoped to one day give Voldemort a fight, Harry thought as he watched on. The duel had gone on for barely five minutes and already it seemed like hours had passed.
"I think that should be enough," Flitwick intoned and Harry looked at him with a frown.
"How long did this duel go for?"
"Not much," Flitwick replied and gestured forward. Harry looked over and his eyes widened when he saw Andrej's cutting curse pass through Yvonne's defense and hit her right on the chest. The momentary lapse was all the Bulgarian man needed to disarm his opponent.
"And the winner of the 1957 European Dueling Championship is none other than Andrej Dolohov!"
Harry saw as the man walked over and handed the woman's wand back to her. The woman nodded at him and walked off the platform, leaving the man to take in the audience's applause.
With a blink, Harry came to the land of the living once again, sitting right opposite Flitwick who gave him a small smile.
"So how was it then? I hope you learned a few things," he remarked. Harry nodded.
"That was a different level altogether. It was slightly intimidating to think how much I still have to improve, but the fact that I'm going to be instructed by another champion does put my mind at ease somewhat," he replied with a grin.
Flitwick chuckled.
"Did you ever face him, Professor?" Harry asked. Flitwick nodded.
"I was the last opponent Andrej fought against," he replied. "It was in Rome. I barely managed to win. That man was powerful, and it's a shame what happened to him and his family."
"His son might not have turned out the way he did if Andrej had never left," Harry intoned softly. Flitwick sighed.
"We cannot say for certain, Mr. Potter. Evil has a certain way to ensnare the vulnerable," he said softly. "I remember meeting a young Antonin a few times after the duels. He was always a curious boy, and was already on his way to becoming a formidable wizard even in his early years at Durmstrang. He improvised upon his father's stance and made it his own, and it is still one of the best stances I have ever seen."
Harry nodded, fully understanding what Flitwick was saying. After all, there was no one apart from the man himself who was more proficient with that stance than him.
"I think I'll make Andrej's stance my own as well, after a few suitable modifications," Harry replied, and Flitwick looked at him with a sigh.
"I won't dissuade you from it, but I hope you realize it would come with its own scrutiny. The entire dueling community knows about Antonin," the diminutive man replied. Harry nodded.
"How much of what we just saw can I expect in the U-17s?"
"Not too much," Flitwick chuckled. "Silent casting is a given, and you might see an odd spell chain here and there. Never too much beyond that."
"Still, it would be better if I prepare for it assuming I'll be facing someone like those two when I make it there," Harry replied.
"Always being prepared for the worst. A good attitude to have," Flitwick nodded. "How is your practice going? I hope I won't regret allowing you to skip Gilderoy's lessons?"
"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me, Professor?" Harry asked with a smile. "I'm doing just fine. We could have a demonstration right now, if you like."
"That won't be necessary," Flitwick waved his hand. "The first practice session shall be this coming weekend. I'll be evaluating your current level and we will decide how to proceed."
Harry nodded in understanding and was soon allowed to leave by the Charms master.
Dinner was still an hour away and Harry decided to spend a little while in the Come and Go Room for some more practice. However as he rounded the corner, he almost collided with someone. The other person cried out and almost fell, but Harry quickly prevented it.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked the red-haired girl who suddenly looked up at him, eyes wide and mouth hung open. Harry frowned.
"Uh hello?" He waved his hand in front of her face, and the girl suddenly blinked before she blushed profusely. Harry sighed.
"I asked are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He asked again, frowning when the girl looked down and shook her head quickly.
"That's good," he nodded and suddenly looked at the book she had dropped. Sighing, he bent down to pick it up. However, the moment his hand touched it, a jolt of searing pain shot through his entire being and Harry flinched back in shock.
"What the hell!" He cried out, making the girl jump in alarm.
"W-what happened?" She asked quickly and picked up the book, putting it away in the pocket of her robe. Harry stared at the spot with wide eyes, caressing his hand.
"I touched that book and suddenly…" he trailed off. The girl looked at him with apprehension and he sighed.
"You know what? Forget it. I'm Harry, what's your name?"
The girl's eyes widened when she saw him smile at her and she looked down at the hand he held out for her. With shaking hands, she took his hand and gave a tentative smile in return.
"I'm G-Ginny," she whispered.
"Nice to meet you, Ginny," Harry smiled. His eyes darted from side to side and suddenly the redhead slumped over, unconscious. Quickly, Harry pulled her behind the alcove to their right and took his handkerchief out of his pocket. Holding the fabric over his palm, Harry tentatively touched the book inside the girl's robe. Sighing in relief when it didn't send flaring pain through his entire being once again, Harry grabbed the book and put it in the pocket of his robe. His wand was out in an instant and Harry quickly wiped the memory of the book from the girl's mind. Satisfied with his work, Harry turned around to lead her out.
However, the moment he turned around, he came face to face with none other than Susan who was staring at him with no small amount of suspicion. Her eyes were narrowed and they were darting from him to the girl leaning heavily against him. Harry immediately held her away from him.
"Hey Sue," he tried.
"Shut it," Susan hissed. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Nothing much. I just found her unconscious here," he replied easily. Susan glared at him.
"I saw you talking to her before she suddenly slumped over and you dragged her in here. Harry, please tell me the truth," the redhead begged.
Harry looked down. It pained him to see her look so pleadingly at him, and against his best judgment, he gave her a resigned nod. He had been intending to reveal a few of his secrets to his friends anyway.
"Wait a minute then," he replied with a small sigh and took Ginny out of the alcove. Susan stared as he revived the girl who walked away without a backward glance. Her face took on its stern look once again when he looked back at her.
"So? What is it?"
"Not here," Harry replied and took her hand. Despite the mood, Susan couldn't help but blush at the contact but didn't pull her hand away. She let him lead her out of the alcove and up the stairs.
"Where are we going, Harry?" Susan asked with a sigh. Harry didn't reply and they walked off the staircase on the seventh floor toward a vacant corridor. It was only when they reached a tapestry of a man with a few trolls surrounding him that Harry looked at her.
"Wait for just a few minutes here and I'll be back," he said and ran away, leaving a bewildered Susan staring at his retreating figure that got smaller and smaller until it vanished from sight.
"What the hell is going on?" She whispered to herself and leaned back against the giant stretch of the wall right opposite the tapestry. With nothing to do, she started staring at it in silence.
-Break-
After ten minutes which felt like hours to the redhead, Harry came back and Susan pushed off the wall. However, she was surprised to see that he had the entire group with him, including Daphne and Tracey. She frowned at the sight of the latter two, wondering why Harry had brought them with him.
"Are you going to tell us now?" Daphne asked in exasperation as they finally came to a stop in front of a large, vacant wall. "What was so urgent that you had to drag us all the way here?"
Harry ignored her and whipped his wand out, waving it around them. They felt the hairs on the backs of their necks stand as the magic took hold around them.
"Before we proceed, I want all of you to take an oath of secrecy that you won't reveal anything that happens within the next hour to anyone," Harry said with utmost seriousness. Five pairs of eyes widened.
"What?" Daphne asked dumbly, as if unable to believe what Harry had just uttered. Harry looked at her and repeated it, word for word. Daphne blinked.
"You know what you're asking, right?" She asked in shock. "We'll die if we break this oath."
"I know," Harry replied evenly. "You'll die if you betray me of your own free will. No compulsions, no obligations. Only your free will. I am aware of how oaths work, Daphne."
"You're asking too much of us, Harry," Hannah said softly, and for once, there was no trace of her usual joking self. She looked as serious as everyone else.
"I don't think I am," Harry replied firmly. "You'll be harmed only if you betray me. Nothing will happen if you are coerced or if you had no choice. Magic will judge you, not I."
Surprisingly, it was Neville who brandished his wand and enunciated the oath.
"I have no intention of betraying Harry, and I trust him not to ask for anything wrong from us," he replied. Harry looked at the boy and nodded, acknowledging the trust he had just placed in him.
Susan and Daphne were staring at each other for a long moment before both nodded and repeated the oath, each earning a genuine smile from Harry. Hannah and Tracey were not far behind, and they also repeated the same oath. Harry nodded in acknowledgment yet again.
"There are a few secrets I've been keeping from all of you," Harry began. "I had not intended to tell any of these secrets to anyone. But I never expected that I would ever get close to other people, nor did I ever think that I would genuinely trust others. And believe me, I do trust you all, no matter how long we've known each other for. The oath is only to protect this information. It won't do if any of it got out."
All five of his friends looked at him and nodded.
"I…" Daphne began. "I mean, we understand, Harry. Just what is it that you want to talk about?"
"I told you I've been keeping secrets, and I believe it's time I should tell you about them," Harry replied and to their surprise, started walking in front of the wall from left to right. Puzzled, they looked at each other, wondering just what he was doing when their eyes widened as a massive door materialized on the previously blank wall.
Harry stepped forward and pushed the doors open. He entered and stepped to the side. The five, surprised and curious in equal measure, walked in. They started looking around as Harry shut the door and walked to the front, willing for a full sofa set to appear in the center of the room.
His friends looked in surprise as the richly furnished set appeared out of nothing, and Harry smiled.
"Welcome to a secret room I found during the Christmas holidays last year. It's called the Come and Go Room," he announced, smiling, as his friends stared at him in silence.
-Break-
TBC.
Check out patreon.com/TheBlackEarl for more chapters and fics.