MoD - Master of Defense
Ch.7
It was the first week of October, classes were going well and Professor Fleamont, once the novelty and hero-worship had calmed down, was quickly becoming one of the most liked.
He was a fun guy, as demonstrated by how he graciously accepted the pranks he was subjected to, and even retaliated! The Weasley Twins had by now a healthy fear of the colour ochre. They never got around to explaining why.
Harry had worked tirelessly in the month since the Start of Term; he may still have that habit to try to solve everything as he did in his youth, which is why everyone from second year up was practising the basics spells of Defense again. The first year had to work on mundane dangers and general awareness, even if he did teach them a couple of spells every fortnight. It was a travesty that OWL and NEWT students couldn't cast the basic four (Protect Stun Disarm Distance).
He was honestly appalled. There were a few students that were convinced that magical power was determined from birth thanks to some kind of magical core, an absurd notion if there was ever one. He had berated Flitwick and McGonagall, as the teachers of the core wand-subject, for that: leaving such credences to go uncorrected was what ended up giving life to Pureblood Supremacism.
Harry made sure to have a lesson with every single class to explain how magic interacted with humans and what magical prowess actually was.
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"It has come to my attention that there are many misconceptions between the students about the nature of magic. I have decided to take it upon myself to clear as many of them as possible" Harry spoke softly, his voice smooth.
This was his sixth year NEWT class, what should have comprised only the most talented. Of course, because of the discontinuous teaching of Defense the grades had to be adjusted and therefore many students could barely produce a solid shield.
Harry walked between the desks, the enchantments in the classroom making sure he was heard regardless of his position "I won't start a philosophical debate with you today" he continued, to the relief of a few "I shall explain to you all what little we understand of the reality changing force that is magic thanks to observation, trial and error for thousands of years. Magic is, quite simply, the exception to every rule of nature; it is one of the primordial energies that composed the universe at his birth".
As he said this, Harry drew his wand, and thanks to a bit of fancy spell-work the walls, floor and ceiling of the classroom resembled the outer space "The universe is vast and unexplored by the likes of us humans. We should not be arrogant enough to believe it to be an open book: many are the mysteries that humanity cannot hope to comprehend"
With another practised flick, the scenery changed back to the classroom, leaving awed students. Before they could regain their senses, Harry flooded the room with pure unaltered magic, making everyone feel dazed by the sheer amount. It was a bit of a dirty trick, as he merely guided the natural magic of Hogwarts to condense in the room, but he was a bit of a showman. He let go of it, allowing it to return to its mysterious patterns.
"Then why, you may ask, are we able to wield this immense power as if it was natural? Unfortunately, the specifics of such are still unknown, but many speculations have a few humans that had lived near a particularly strong source of natural magic to have developed a 'sense' for it. It would have, with time, changed in what we know today as the ability to wield magic".
There were many nods, but a few looked confused.
"Professor, why are there a few wizards of such power then?" Asked Matilda Smith, a Hufflepuff. Her classmates made murmurs of agreement, thinking about Dumbledore and Voldemort, a few even of their Professor.
Harry's lips stretched wide, like a cat who ate a canary "Now that is the burning question, isn't it? Why do a few gifted manage to become so powerful. To understand this, we have to take a step back. Basically, magicals interact with the omnipresent magic, as it's a figment of the universe's reality, and use it for numerous purposes. Magical 'power' is in reality the ability to manipulate this primordial force. The more one understands it, the more one uses it, the more one's body is capable of sustaining the effort, the more one is 'powerful'".
The Professor gave his students a few moments to process it all, and was rewarded when everyone started to get it. Harry smiled and decided to simplify it even further, for the sake of the few hard-headed ones "In the end, it all comes down to how much you know about how the spell works, how much in tune with magic you are, how fit you are and how much practice you have. Think of your magical ability as a muscle. It is the brain which gives you the order to move, and the more you have exercised it, the more strength it will produce; if you know how to do the task at hand well, you'll be able to minimize the effort. It's as simple as that" he continued, staring in the distance and thinking about how much easier his life would have been if he had a proper magical education.
Harry shook his head and decided to wrap things up "It is true that a few are born either more in tune with magic, or more talented in a determined field, but it is the same with physical constitution. Muscles can be built, and so can magical skill, one has only to have the dedication for it".
His students smiled, happy to be told for once that they could actually reach what would have been a fool's dream before. Harry had even made sure not to stomp too much on the pureblood's feet. That was a battle of cunning which must be fought in the shadows, to slowly acclimate those students to a more moderate view without them noticing.
The Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin after all.
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Headmaster Dumbledore greeted his Staff with a smile as they trailed inside the Teachers' Hall for the monthly Staff Meeting.
Once Professor Sinistra had arrived from her tower, Albus gestured with his hand and the door closed itself, the privacy enchantments going up.
He smiled genially to his friends and colleagues, hoping to hear only good news but not hoping too much. It was, after all, the first meeting since the Summer, and many a problem emerged in this month.
Dumbledore motioned for Minerva McGonagall to proceed, and the Transfiguration Professor cleared her throat "Good afternoon to you all, we are here for the first Staff Meeting of the year". Her eyes swept disapprovingly over the empty spot of Sybill Trelawney and on the faint smirks of Filius and Harrison' s faces.
"We shall address the more pushing problems first, as always, and then review any irregularity form seventh year downwards for each house" the stern professor began.
"I believe it is time to obtain a new set of brooms for the flying classes. I wouldn't be surprised if the next year someone broke his neck! This is the third year consecutively that at least a student's broom goes haywire!" Hooch's heated protest was met with agreeing nods and noises. Everyone knew that it was indecent to have equipment that run-down, but the Board of Governors was the one to control the money, and they had refused time and again to spend any money for it.
"Rolanda, I shall try to make your point with the Board, but we both know that it would be best not to raise your expectations" explained kindly the Headmaster, fully aware that something should have been done years ago, but unable to help too much. Both he and Flitwick had tinkered a bit with the school's brooms, but they were truly at their end nowadays.
Snape was too dignified to roll his eyes at the age-old argument, but he too, felt that the issue had to find a solution.
The smooth voice of Professor Fleamont interrupted everyone thoughts "Perhaps, a sponsorship could be organized" the man said.
Harry could already see the gears in their mind starting to work at full force, and the indignation rising in a few of them.
"I'm not denouncing the famed independence of the school, but I seem to understand that we are faced with a choice. A choice between pride and duty, between technicalities and the safety of students".
That stilted any opposition. It was obvious that every teacher present wanted the students to be safe, even the dungeon's bat, and such a proposition, while hard on the pride, would mean the lowering of flying-related accidents.
Madam Pomfrey nodded approvingly, being the one to patch up the injured teens "It seems a very sensible proposition, I approve".
The diminutive Charm's Professor took a resolute look, evidently having come to a definitive position "The idea has its merits, and should not be dismissed even if we decide not to go through with it. We could use it as leverage with the Board".
McGonagall took a shocked look, before she grinned a smile full of teeth. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly and his moustache twitched, signalling his great amusement "I believe that with a bit of refinement, the idea will have its merit" the old man chuckled.
Harry decided to be truthful about his talks with the students and his beliefs on teaching "I have something of note to discuss too".
He took notice of the glances the Head of Houses and the Headmaster gave each other while trying to be subtle. Honestly, it was like watching twelve years old play at spies.
"I have started a program in all my classes to make up for the lost time of the past years. Almost every student, ranging between the years, lacks basic understanding of the nature of magic, and such a thing, if left alone, will cause no small problems. Because of such, I will need to cut off a few minor things in the program I prepared" Harry explained gravely.
A few of the professors looked confused, but the Masters had understood his meaning. Dumbledore steeped his fingers together in front of his face, and hummed thoughtfully.
It was, surprisingly, Snape who answered his subtle accuse "It is unfortunate that we are unable to teach the more subtle and fundamental theories regarding magic to our students, but the school does not impart knowledge for its sake, but for its usefulness in later life. Many students do not continue their education post-Hogwarts, and we need to make sure that they know how to react to every situation".
Harry inclined his head, making his agreement known. He hadn't considered that many witches and wizards contented themselves with being mediocre, and the teachers could only do so much to stimulate them.
The meeting then continued as was normal, with talks of unruly students and personal digs. All in all, Harry thought that it was a fruitful one.
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In front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, Harry scolded himself for not taking care of the Room of Requirement earlier. He had been swept by the novelty of teaching, and he got excited when he noticed that his methods were already having fruits.
He really needed to get his head straight: the Room of Hidden Things would be first, and Ginny an immediate second.
His friend Arsenius Jigger had written him a gloating letter detailing a fantastic discovery of the Head of the Peong family' tomb in China, which contained several scrolls on Battle Magicks. Apparently the man had been a natural at Animation and Transfiguration, and his earth golems were still active two thousands years after his death.
Harry felt a pang of jealousy for having missed such a thrilling adventure, but contented himself with the knowledge the Curse-Breaker had managed to send to him via Gringotts.
I need the Room of Hidden things. I need the Room of Hidden things. I need the Room of Hidden things.
As the door materialized, Harry smiled. Hermione and him had many times spent hours theorizing what secrets had been lost when Crabbe lighted it on a cursed fire. How much knowledge had been lost because of a foolish idiot. Well, at least now he could explore it at leisure.
The cathedral-looking hall extended itself over piles of junk and stuff. How many had lost their valuables? How much forbidden knowledge was hidden in this chamber?
With a grin, Harry started walking through the piles, after making sure that no one could enter. It took him only a couple of minutes to find the old mannequin bust where the Diadem of Ravenclaw was placed. An obscure and esoteric Detection Charm was enough to tell him that the Founder's relic was indeed cursed. He would need time to crack through the many Dark enchantments Tom Riddle had placed upon it, but Harry was confident that he would crack the thing, leaving it clear of all but the Horcrux. He could easily destroy it immediately, but the things he could learn from it were immense.
Donning his Dragon Hide gloves, the young traveler took it in hand, feeling the revolting taint, and hurriedly put it in an enchanted chest that would keep it sealed away. He shrunk the chest and put it in his pouch.
Strolling through the mountains of stuff, Harry noticed a few ancient looking books, but paid them no heed for the moment. He exited the Room of requirement, waiting for it to be closed. Once it had melted back into the wall, he walked three times in front of it with a clear thought in mind.
I need a Room with all the monies, the pouches containing any kind of currency and chests with precious stones and materials inside.
I need a Room with all the monies, the pouches containing any kind of currency and chests with precious stones and materials inside.
I need a Room with all the monies, the pouches containing any kind of currency and chests with precious stones and materials inside.
Harry checked with a wide-area revealing charm for anyone nearby and once satisfied, opened the ornate marble door and found himself in a treasury. A happy grin on his lips, the man set to empty it all.
Harry's findings were composed of a little more than six hundred thousands galleons in various coin's types divided between various pouches, two chests full of precious gems and a trunk full of gold bars.
He honestly didn't need this amount of gold, but leaving there would be a crime. He had decided early in his plotting that should he find anything (there was always the danger of the Room having been raided by a young Tom Riddle, but he guessed the young Dark Lord either hadn't thought that it could hold such a treasure, or hadn't discovered all the features of the room and had contented himself with what he could find via Summoning Charm) Harry would invest it in making this reality a better place. He would take everything else with him once he returned home, but this much he could do.
There was most likely even more, hidden somewhere in the Castle, but he still hadn't found it. Hogwarts predated Gringotts by more or less five hundred years, and they had to keep their galleons safe somehow. He would need to charm an empty chamber somewhere with a few ancient wards to simulate what could have been the Founders' Treasury.
Harry would then 'stumble' upon it once he felt the powerful wards leaking out of a fading concealment array and discover it. If he was lucky, he could make his contribute pass unnoticed thanks to the uproar that was sure to happen. Fortunately, the Founders' Treasury was under the Headmaster's rule, and nothing the Board of Governors could do would change that, seeing as that particular Institution was established about four hundred years ago, alongside the changes spurred by the Statute of Secrecy's introduction.
After he collected everything, Harry exited the Room once again, and paced in front of its entrance for a third time.
I need a Room with all the books, scrolls, diaries, grimoires and journals found in the RoHT. I need a Room with all the books, scrolls, diaries, grimoires and journals found in the RoHT. I need a Room with all the books, scrolls, diaries, grimoires and journals found in the RoHT.
As he visited the RoR for the final time that day, Harry smiled upon seeing the neat stacks.
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"Headmaster, I require your presence and that of the Senior Staff at once! I am in front of the seventh classroom of the sixth floor from the staircase in the east side".
As the Thestral Patronus of the Defense Professor faded into nothingness, Dumbledore and the Four Head of Houses looked at each other for a moment, before springing into motion.
It must have been something of the utmost importance for the perpetually calm Professor Fleamont to sound so agitated. Albus only hoped that he wouldn't need to find a new Teacher so early in the year.
The scene that greeted the five magicals was a bit underwhelming. The DADA Professor was leaning with his back on a wall, grinning madly.
With a flourish of his hand, Harry gestured towards the totally normal-looking abandoned classroom "Welcome Headmaster and Head of Houses. I present you the Founders' Treasury!".
Gasps erupted from the two witches and Flitwick squeaked. Snape merely raised an eyebrow, before snorting.
The Headmaster, instead, had closed his eyes and raised his right hand, as if feeling for something. Out of nowhere, he sucked a breath, his eyes opening wide; he too could feel the faint echo of ancient wards.
"We need to start working on this at once!" exclaimed the old man, his eyes twinkling with possibilities of real independence.
"Is it true? The Founders' Treasury? How in the name of Avalon did you fin it?!" asked a rather faint Sprout.
"The Castle is old and full of magical artefacts, many could pose a danger to the students. It is my duty as Defense Master of Hogwarts to make the place as safe as I can. I also wanted to find a few examples of old curses to dissect in my NEWT classes as a Curse-Breaking exercise" Harry replied with a faint smile.
"And that explains how you felt the whisper of ancient magic leaking from the Wards" continued Flitwick, having regained his composure.
Harry, Dumbledore and Flitwick got to work on the protections the DADA Professor had erected only a few hours before, and with a few bumps and twists managed to get through.
The treasure hidden in the chamber was gasp-worthy indeed, and with a couple of Goblin-made artefacts the Charms Professor had it was all estimated to amount to one million galleons. A truly enormous figure, that would serve to maintain excellent standards at Hogwarts for a couple of centuries by itself, if managed wisely.
Harry slyly suggested they hire a couple of muggle-borns that had returned to the Non-Magical World to study Management and Finance to govern the found and help the Headmaster with his spendings. Perhaps a clause to make sure that the only way to access the found would be to sign a magical contract to only use it for the good of the school and the student body.
The young Master garnered himself a few amused looks, but his 'suggestions' were quickly accepted, as they all could see the wisdom in it, even if the Professors had to haggle a bit with Snape to allow two muggle-borns alone to have all that influence.
Harry smiled secretly, his plans were only starting to shape and many pieces had still to fall in place, but in the chessboard now stood out a clear picture.
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A few days before Halloween Harry finally managed to get his hands on the Diary of Tom Riddle. The First Year Gryffindor - Ravenclaw class was trailing inside the room when the intent-based wards he erected every morning to specifically target malicious artefacts called his attention to one Ginevra Weasley.
Harry could admit to himself that he was starting to get very nervous when he couldn't find a way to remove the Horcrux from the littlest red-head, and a wave of relief swept through him.
He made sure nothing was out of normal during the lesson, an hour on the usefulness of school yard jinxes in actual duels, as they could rob the opponent of many appendages or even just distract him/her a bit, and one hour of practice of the Tongue-Tying Curse.
As the last minutes approached, Harry started giving back the essays he had the students write about Imps, keeping Ginny's in his hands.
The poor girl looked a bit confused, but when he asked her to stay back for a few questions he had on her work she nodded and remained sat as her class-mates trailed away.
Once Harry was sure that no one was near, he struck with lightning speed with a modified stunner, to impede anything but him to be able to wake her. He didn't want Tom Riddle to use her body as she was down, now did he.
The young Professor levitated the Cursed Diary and snapped a complex Japanese Sealing Spell, called the Seven-Trigram Seal, something he had learned for Kyoto's Onmyouji.
He then sent a hasty Patronus to the Headmaster and to Professor McGonagall, calling them for an emergency with one of the lions.
With a silent Mobilicorpus Harry levitated the young girl and book encased in a silver light. He moved swiftly through the corridors, reaching in only a few minutes the Headmaster's Office.
The stone Gargoyle jumped to the side when he muttered the password, as usual a muggle candy a Tronky.
"Come in Professor Fleamont" called Dumbledore's aged voice from the other side of the door. As he opened it, the two occupants drew a gasp at the sight of the young Master levitating the youngest Weasley and holding a book in some magical restraint.
"What has happened?!" exclaimed McGonagall, already moving toward her young charge.
Harry forestalled any action the two may have taken holding up a halting hand and started to explain.
"I always keep a few Detection Wards at the entrance of my Classroom, just to see if anything untoward is happening. Today, my spells told me that young Miss Weasley was being slowly possessed by this tainted artefact. I have immediately decided to isolate her from her year-mates while trying not to stir the object and have sealed the offending diary" Harry hastily explained, not wanting to get between The Lioness and one of her cubs.
Dumbledore nodded, face unusually grave, and called for McGonagall to take the Weasley to the Infirmary and alert her family. Once the two female were out of sight, the old man turned to him and motioned to continue.
Harry gave a faint smile before he too took a serious look and started explaining his 'findings' "I have only managed to get a superfluous read, as the artefact is protected quite thoroughly, but I suspect it to be one of Herpo's follies".
The Headmaster frowned a bit, before a look of horror and understanding appeared on his face. He whispered in disgust "A Horcrux".
"Yes, one of those vile things. I have contained with the strongest wanded seal I could put, but I fear that it won't be enough. Things like this have to be destroyed as the abominations that they are".
Dumbledore nodded, now examining the still floating Diary. Sorrow and pity welled up in his eyes once his suspicions were confirmed about its maker, and Harry pretended not to notice the way a few tears fell at the thought of what a most promising student, that could have been the future of the WIzarding World had reduced himself to.
With heavy thoughts in mind, the two men started discussing about how to destroy it and contain it until the moment they could find a way to annihilate it without risk.
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It was Halloween and Harry felt finally a bit relaxed. His work as a teacher was going very well, his plan to prepare the students and young Harry's friend in particular for what was to come too was at full steam ahead.
His happiness crashed all down when, once the Feats finished, screams of fear were heard from the second floor. There was no writing on the wall, but Mrs. Norris was still petrified.
A Basilisk was on the loose.
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FINALLY FINISHED!
I'm sorry it took so much to post, but this chapter would just let itself be written. Honestly.
Yeaah, sorry bout that.
Molly screeches and the Halloween day will be in flashbacks in the sequent chapters, don't worry.
I'll try to post the next one in a couple of days, so don't fret, my friends.
As always, thanks for Reviews, Favorites and Follows
See ya next time
J