I own nothing. If the spell is not from the books, it's Latin.
Chapter VI
December 1989
It was early morning in mid-December and a healthy layer of snow covered Hogwarts. The grounds were mostly untouched except for a few paths for the student to get to and from their classes. For this reason, Harry and Adrian had the tedious extra task of covering their tracks back and forth from the forest. Adrian especially disliked it because he naively thought that Harry would forgo their morning routine in favor of the warmth of the castle. Harry, though, was not going to lighten up just because of a "little snow." Their sessions had progressed from physical training to magical. Harry almost had a natural proficiency for spells but he had to nurture his core to increase his stamina. Adrian used the time to hone in his dueling and really took to Harry's style and tutelage.
After a particularly cold morning session, the two made their way back to the castle. Harry led the way to melt them a path while Adrian followed behind to replace the snow. It wasn't perfect but unless someone was specifically looking for it then it was enough.
"So, what have you got today?" asked Adrian in an effort for some small talk.
"Double Potions," said Harry with distain.
"O! Your favorite," said Adrian with a smile. "Say, has Slughorn finally convinced you to join his beloved Slug Club?"
Harry ignored him. Slughorn had quickly become Harry's least favorite teacher because of his constant badgering to join his collection of important people. The most recent attempt was to attend his annual Christmas party where many of Slughorn's former trophies would be in attendance. Harry couldn't stand the triviality of it all. Lily didn't appreciate the sentiment, she had been a member of the Slug Club as a student and thought very highly of her former professor. But Slughorn wasn't the biggest reason he disliked Potions…
"Are you still in second?" Adrian continued to smile.
The fact that Harry was second in the class was a very touchy subject. Harry excelled in every class and was ranked first in all of them, except Potions and it bugged the hell out of him.
Harry had been brewing potions since he could read and his mother would have easily earned her mastery if she wanted but it wasn't enough for first place. That honor went to one of Harry's housemates, Daphne Greengrass, the quiet girl who avoided everyone and stayed in her room all the time. Those that had been able to catch a glimpse into her room reported that it was filled with cauldrons and vials of various potions. Harry knew that the Greengrasses came from a long line of Potion Masters so it wasn't strange that she would be good: just not better than him. He never came in second: ever.
Adrian realized he wasn't going to get a rise out of Harry, as usual, and changed the subject.
"So, looking forward to going home?"
Harry actually smiled. "Yeah, it'll be good to see everyone. I know Danny…" He stopped himself. He still didn't like to talk about his brother. "I'm sure they'll want to see how much I've learned."
Adrian's expression fell a little and shook his head. "The way you talk sometimes, I swear."
"What?"
"It's just…" Adrian searched for the right words. "Don't you ever want to have fun?"
Harry went to respond but was interrupted. "Fun that doesn't involve training."
"I like Quidditch," said Harry.
"You went to one game and thought that everyone was rubbish."
"Well they were," mumbled Harry under his breath.
"And why was that, oh yeah, because they don't train enough."
"They don't."
"That's not the point. I mean, you told me about your father and his friends and what they had done while at school, their reputation. Don't you want to continue their legacy?"
Harry had never told Adrian about his deal with the Weasley twins. "Of course I do but..."
"…But what? You could make everyone that has bullied us never want to touch us again but you don't because you don't enjoy anything other than training."
Adrian was clearly upset that he couldn't use any of his training on his bullies because Harry wouldn't let him. Every time he asked why, Harry would say that it wasn't time yet but wouldn't say what he meant by that. It really frustrated Adrian that he still had to work to gain Harry's complete trust.
"I enjoy other things," said Harry back firmly.
Adrian was about to retort but…
"Tell me, gentlemen, do you enjoy detention?"
Harry and Adrian looked up at Professor McGonagall who looked extremely displeased at the pair and their trail from the forest.
Harry went into his room and slammed the door shut. He was not having a very good day. He was very displeased that his trips to the forest had been discovered, especially since there weren't any other locations that provided the level of privacy he desired for his training. He and Adrian lost 50 points each and were assigned detention with Hagrid as he tended to the thestrals inside the forest. Harry thought it was hypocritical to punish them for entering the forest by working inside it but McGonagall explained that it would serve as a lesson. She also expressed how disappointed she was and warned that any future excursions into the forest could lead to their expulsion.
Harry couldn't recall the rules on the forest being so strict but apparently there had been an increase of infighting as the centaur clans battled the emerging acromantula contingent. Their territory war hadn't yet interfered with Hogwarts but Dumbledore wasn't going to take any chances and thus the stricter 'no trespassing' rule.
When McGonagall explained this, Adrian looked noticeable upset and stared accusingly at Harry for forcing him into the forest. Harry shrugged off the stare. Hagrid had hinted at the conflict between the centaurs and spiders during their walkabouts and he had planned around it accordingly. Their meeting concluded with McGonagall's assurance that Hagrid would be sufficient protection since he's considered friend to both the centaur and spiders and that they wouldn't be near any dangerous territory.
Another unfortunate consequence of getting caught was that their cover had been blown. Just as they were about to leave McGonagall's office, a group of Slytherins were making their way to breakfast and overheard McGonagall assign their detention. Some of the group immediately headed back to the dungeon to tell everyone that Harry and Adrian had been assigned detention. For the rest of the day, whispers and shocked faces followed Harry. From what he could overhear, they couldn't believe that Harry Potter was friends with Adrian Grey.
Harry just wanted some peace and quiet before he had to meet Hagrid at the Entrance Hall. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes for what he hoped to be a relaxing nap but after a few minutes he heard a soft buzzing sound coming from his desk. Harry instantly got up and went over to his desk. He opened his drawer and retrieved his mirror to see his brother's face.
Danny had a huge smile on his face and Harry couldn't help but return it.
"Hey, Danny."
"Hi, Harry!"
Every day, the two would call each other to talk about their day and catch up on what was going on at home. Sometimes, Harry's parents and uncles would also join their conversations. They were all very pleased that Harry had decided to give Danny the mirrors.
"How was your day?" Harry started as he settled back down on his bed.
"Just more of the same, Uncle Moony isn't here right now so I didn't have any mediation today so I had some Ancient Families history lessons with Dad and then more potions with Mum."
"Where's Moony?"
"He got sent off to Germany to speak with a werewolf pack that possibly has word on what happened to Uncle Peter."
Harry took a mental note of that. The mystery of their Uncle Peter's disappearance was a constant topic with his family. Harry could barely remember his Uncle Peter and never really gave him much thought. From what he understood, Peter was the runt of the Marauders and had very little magically ability compared to his friends but he was still considered family. Harry hoped that Moony would find something so, at the very least, his family could move on.
"How's your control been?"
"It's better but I'm still having a problem staying in control after a few spells."
Danny looked a little disappointed. Danny's training had evolved more towards controlling his magic so he could cast spells but not activate the bracelet. It was difficult for Danny because he was still cautious of his power. It also didn't help that he was constantly reminded of what he did to his father and Harry knew that Danny still hadn't forgiven himself for what happened.
"Hey, just remember that you are in control and just relax and stay positive, it'll come." Danny just nodded his head and kept his head down. Harry didn't say anything else, Danny was already frustrated enough.
After a moment, Danny looked up. "So, how it's going with you?" he asked, looking for a change in the conversation.
"It's going."
"That's specific." Danny was used to the vague way Harry liked to talk. Harry never did like to say more then he had to but Danny was one of the few people that he would open up to.
"Sorry, just not having the best day."
"What happened?"
Harry sighed heavily. "Adrian and I got caught coming out of the forest so we got detention tonight."
"You got detention, I can't believe it." Danny had a huge smile on face. "Dad's going to be so proud." His smile grew even bigger. "And Mum's going to kill you."
Harry didn't respond, he knew he would receive some kind of reprimand from his parents but he didn't feel guilty for what he did. Besides, his Dad and the Marauders had done much worse. His Mum, though, had been the perfect student and rarely ever got into trouble. Harry was sure that she would give him a stern talking to while his Dad would probably praise him and tell him stories of times he and the others had gone into the forest and the things they discovered. The whole thing could be very confusing but Harry had learned long ago how to recognize the lessons his parents were trying to teach him about following the rules. He understood that it was important to follow them but that it was also okay to break them now and again.
They continued to talk for a while longer before it was time for Harry to leave. When he opened his door, Adrian was already waiting for him to warn him that they had company in the common room. Harry wasn't surprised; he figured that there would be some consequences for their actions. Harry led the way up the stairs into the crowded common room and immediately focused on the wizard standing in middle of the room.
Radbert Rosier was very imposing and easily commanded the room's attention. Harry knew Rosier hadn't been impressed with his peers' treatment of Harry but didn't care to stop any of it either.
Rosier folded his arms across the chest and waited for them to enter the room and explain themselves. No one but Harry, Adrian, and the staff knew that the detention was because they were caught coming out of the forest. Rosier (and everyone else) wanted to know what they did to make McGonagall so angry and lose them 100 points. Harry led the way into the common room and didn't bate an eye at all the nasty glares from his housemates. It wasn't a secret that they all hated him and were probably glad to see Rosier finally put his foot down.
Harry didn't care, though, and wasn't about to let someone lecture him so he raised his hand to stop Rosier from speaking and simply said.
"I don't care. We have to go."
Harry could feel the tension in the room as everyone held their breath. No one disrespected Rosier. Rosier stayed composed and didn't say anything. He simply stepped aside and let the two pass which was met with even more shocked expressions. Before anyone could say anything, though, Harry and Adrian were already out the door.
"Are you mental," Adrian berated. "I can't believe you just did that."
"It worked didn't it. Now come on, we don't want to be late."
"Who cares if we're late. You just signed our death warrants."
"You're being over dramatic."
"No I'm not. I've heard stories of people who disrespected Rosier and they never turned out great."
Harry just waved him off and picked up the pace. He wanted to get this detention over with but Adrian wasn't done and he grabbed Harry's arm and spun him around.
"You don't get it, do you? When we get back, Rosier is going to crucify us and it's because of you. You and your stupid attitude about everything."
Harry ripped his arm for Adrian's grasp.
"Why are you blaming me, this friendship was your idea, it was your idea to follow me into the forest and it was you that wanted to work out with me. I never forced you to do anything."
Adrian went silent but still looked very angry. Instead of arguing back, he brushed against Harry's shoulder as he walked past him. Harry could have easily retaliated but figured it wasn't worth it and Adrian was just upset, but still, he couldn't help but feel that there was maybe more behind Adrian's anger. But Harry didn't have time to dwell on it as they reached the Entrance Hall where Hagrid and Professor McGonagall were waiting for them.
Harry and Adrian stood together as McGonagall reminded them of their task and the lesson they should learn from it. Hagrid then lead the way to the grounds and the forest. No one talked, Adrian was still angry at Harry and Hagrid was disappointed that Harry had used him to break the rules. Harry felt particularly guilty for betraying Hagrid's trust and hoped he could find a way to make it up to him. They made a quick stop at Hagrid's hut to get his crossbow, Fang, and a couple of bundles of supplies before they walked about fifty yards from where Harry and Adrian usually entered the forest. Harry recognized it as the path to the thestral herd.
Fang lead the way while Hagrid explained further what they were going to be doing. "Since yeh can' see 'em, I wan' the two o' yeh to set up troughs fer their food an' water."
Hagrid handed them the bundles and showed them where to set up. The two set to work filling a few troughs with raw meat and the other with water. Meanwhile, Hagrid moved around and tended to the herd. For Harry and Adrian, it was certainly a strange sight. Hagrid looked like he was grooming the air but they knew they weren't alone as they watched the meat float and disappear.
As time went on, Hagrid lectured them on thestrals and their tendencies while also downplaying the negative perceptions placed upon them. People believed thestrals to be bad omens simply because they're only visible to those that have seen death but Hagrid told them that it was all superstition. He then told them about their amazing sense of direction and their dependability once they had been trained. Hagrid spoke with tremendous pride when he told them that Hogwarts had the finest herd of thestrals in the world.
Their detention was proving to be remarkably uneventful and dull. This only caused Adrian to resent Harry more for getting him into this situation. Harry didn't really feel the need to comment but he was getting tired of the extra pushes and shoves whenever they crossed paths.
All of a sudden, Hagrid let out a cry and started to run off deeper into the forest. Just before he reached the outside of the clearing, he turned around.
"One o' the fawns ran off, stay here while I get 'im."
"I can help," offered Harry.
"No," replied Hagrid quickly. "Stay here an' keep an eye on the rest o' 'em."
Harry tried to remind him that neither of them could see the thestrals but Hagrid had already disappeared.
Now that they were alone, Adrian felt it time to continue their conversation. "I can't believe we have to do that neanderthal's chores." He picked up a sack of meat and dumped it in a trough. "And all because of you."
"Don't call Hagrid that, he's a good man," defended Harry while he ignored the personal jab. Harry walked to where Hagrid disappeared and tried to see where Hagrid had gone.
"Please, he's not even a man, he's half-giant. We're just lucky he only inherited their stupidity and not their tempers."
Harry was really starting to get tired of Adrian's attitude. Sure they weren't in the most ideal situation, especially when they saw Rosier again, but it wasn't helping to keep attacking each other.
"Listen, I understand you're upset with how I handled things but you have to understand I'm going to do what I need to and what I think is right. I don't care about getting detentions and I don't care if people like me, so can you please drop this."
Before Harry could hear Adrian's response, a loud cry came from deep within the forest in the direction that Hagrid had disappeared.
"Wha…?" started Adrian.
"Quiet," silenced Harry as he strained to hear exactly where the cry came from. Harry pulled his wand and motioned for Adrian to do the same.
After a few moments, they heard another loud cry and the unmistakable sound of Hagrid's voice. It definitely sounded like Hagrid was in trouble. Harry's mind raced over what could have happened; the most likely explanation was that either the centaurs or the spiders got to him. Harry shook his head.
'But Hagrid is friends with both sides…unless…he got in the way of a battle,' he thought.
Harry gripped his wand tighter and turned to Adrian. "Come on, Hagrid needs help."
"Are you crazy? What if whatever got him gets us too?" There was a slight tremor in Adrian's voice.
"Well, I'm going. Feel free to stay here…" Harry started walking into the forest. "…by yourself."
As far as ultimatums go, it wasn't that hard for Adrian to decide. He dropped his bundle and followed after Harry down the trail Hagrid had left behind. They walked in silence, both trying to hear for any sign of Hagrid. Harry had the lead since he was the only one with any tracking experience, which wasn't that much. In fact, Harry made a mental note to talk to Remus and Sirius about adding it to their training regiments. He did know that they were getting dangerously close to acromantula territory which meant they needed to find Hagrid fast.
They walked for a few minutes but Harry was finding it difficult to keep track of Hagrid's trail. He wasn't going to say anything to Adrian; it would only exasperate the situation. But still, it wasn't good to be wandering aimlessly in this particular part of the forest. Harry tried to focus as much of his senses on their surroundings but it didn't help his peace of mind at the complete and utter silence of the forest. They must be deeper than he thought in spider territory. The only thing he could hear was Adrian's heavy breathing, no doubt he could sense the dangerous position they were in.
"We should head back," hissed Adrian.
Harry agreed but when he turned around he saw a scurry of legs disappear behind a tree. Harry used as much of his periphery as possible and noticed many more movements coming from the trees: the spiders had surrounded them. Harry went to warn Adrian but he could tell that it wasn't necessary by the way Adrian's eyes were as wide as tennis balls.
"Harry…?"
"Quiet, I'm thinking."
Harry missed Adrian's glare as he racked his brain for everything Hagrid had said about acromantulas. He could remember that they build their webs in the treetops so they can quietly descend upon their prey, their venom was high poisonous, they're very fast, they're vision is based on sound and light…that's it!
"When I say, cast the best Lumos Maxima you can."
"You think someone will see and come for us?" said Adrian skeptically.
"No, but hopefully it'll stun them enough so we can escape." Harry scanned around them. More and more spiders were coming down the trees in all directions. They must have noticed that Harry had seen them and had begun to click their pincers in anticipation. If Harry and Adrian didn't move soon, they would be completely surrounded
"That won't work," said Adrian as he gripped his wand tighter.
"You got a better idea? We'd never outrun them, eight legs beat two," said Harry as he tracked the largest spider he could see. If he had been paying more attention, then he would have noticed the change of tone in Adrian's voice.
"What if we distracted them?" Adrian took a few steps closer to Harry's turned back.
"We will when we blind them." Harry scanned the area and found what looked to be the weakest section of the spider's advancement.
"We need something better than that." Adrian raised his wand and pointed it directly into Harry's back.
"Like what?" It was then that Harry finally noticed the odd tone in Adrian's voice but it was too late…
"Petrificus Totalus."
Harry went stiff as a board and fell flat on his face. Adrian knelt down and turned him over.
"I'm sorry Harry but it's the only way." Harry stared as menacingly as he could while he tried to will his body to move.
Adrian stood up. "I don't want to die."
He then looked around at the approaching hoard. He backed away slowly and just before he reached the first spider.
"Lumos Maxima!" The bright light caused the spiders to scurry and created a hole that Adrian quickly ran through.
Harry watched him flee as much as he could through his periphery. He continued to struggle to move but there was nothing he could do. Even the most powerful wizards couldn't shake off the effects of the binding spell for at least ten minutes. Even if Harry was that powerful, he doubted he had ten minutes. He knew he only had a few moments before the spiders collected themselves and notice that they were down one victim. They wouldn't hesitate and quickly pounce on him, sink their poisonous fangs into his skin, and tear him apart.
Tears escaped him as he heard their clicking steadily become closer. He couldn't yet see them which only made things worse as Harry waited for his fate. His thoughts went to his family and all the things he wished he could have done or said.
He wished he could have lived and be there to help his brother, there still so many things he wished they could experience together.
He wished he could hug his parents and tell them he loved them.
He wished he could tell them he was sorry for failing them.
He wished he could say thank you to Sirius and Moony and hoped they were proud of him.
He wished he could have just one moment to exact vengeance on the person he thought was his friend.
With that last thought, Harry felt the ground begin to shake. Harry strained his eyes to see around him but all he could see was the scurry of spider legs. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound came from his left. The spiders clicked furiously and Harry felt a tug at his feet. One of the spiders was trying to drag him away but was stopped by an arrow in the head. For a brief moment, Harry thought that Hagrid had come to his rescue him but the last time Harry checked, Hagrid didn't have four legs. Battled cries and arrows filled the air as the centaurs forced the spiders to scatter.
One centaur appeared next to Harry, raised his bow, and shoot down an advancing spider in mid air. The centaur lowered his weapon and gazed down at Harry.
"Come, young one."
The centaur quickly bent down and lifted Harry into his arms. The movement allowed Harry to catch a little of his surroundings. All around them, centaurs and spiders were engaged in battle. The centaurs' battle plan seemed to use their best fighters to physically engage the spiders while the rest used their exceptionally archery skills in support. Whenever a centaur looked like they may be overwhelmed, a well placed arrow would even the odds. It was clear from Harry's perceptive that the centaurs were the superior force but the acromantula had the numbers.
The centaur holding him finished securing him in his arms and didn't hesitate to take off. Harry was helpless as they ran through the battlefield. He caught sight of a group of spiders take down a centaur who was valiantly struggling to take as many spiders with him.
It didn't take long for the spiders to realize what happened to their initial prey and many of them chased after Harry and his rescuer. A few of them managed to catch them and jumped to try and reclaim Harry. Their sharpen talons tore into his legs but Harry wasn't able to cry out. He could feel blood seep down his leg and he hoped their poison wasn't transferable through their talons as well. The centaur readjusted Harry to one arm and used the other to beat away the spiders. Harry's new position, though, made him vulnerable to the dense plant life. Harry felt branch after branch tear into his face and arms. The stinging pain caused tears to well up in Harry's eyes but it was nothing compared to pain in his legs. The amount of blood he was losing was really starting to make Harry lightheaded. Thankfully, they cleared the battlefield and the centaur repositioned Harry in his arms.
"Be strong, young one, we are close." Harry didn't know where they were going but he hoped the centaurs knew how to heal humans.
Just as Harry lost consciousness, they cleared some brush and entered a small clearing. A few centaurs were already there tending to their wounds, one of them immediately noticed Harry.
"Bane! Quickly, place him here." Bane placed Harry on the makeshift cot and the other centaur proceeded to wave his arms around Harry's body and mutter some words.
"The acromantulas pierced him with their talons but failed with their pincers," said Bane.
"He's lucky then, he is still not beyond my skills to heal," said the centaur as he closed the wounds on Harry's legs. With one final sweep over his body, the centaur freed Harry from the binding spell. Harry's body fell limp on the cot and he remained unconscious. The centaur placed his hand over Harry's eyes and muttered a few words. When he took his hand away, Harry's eyes fluttered open and immediately widen.
"Do not worry, young one, you are safe now."
"Thank you," crocked Harry.
"Your welcome, young one."
Harry prompted himself up as much as he could. "My name is Harry."
"I am Firenze, this is Bane," Firenze gestured to Bane who bowed his head in greeting. "Hagrid told us where we could find you and we followed your trail. It was not smart to wander so deep into the acromantulas' territory," said Firenze with extra disdain for his enemy.
"We heard a scream and thought Hagrid needed help," explained Harry. He was glad to hear that the centaurs got to Hagrid and not the acromantulas.
"We? Yes, Hagrid said there were two. Where is the other?" asked Bane.
The question caused Harry to remember just how he almost ended up as spider food.
"I have to go." Harry attempted to reach his feet but stopped at the shooting pain in his legs.
Firenze held Harry down. "Be still, Harry, your wounds still need time to heal."
"Where's Hagrid?"
Firenze moved to the side to allow Harry to see behind him. Hagrid was laid out on the ground as a few centaurs tended to him.
"He wandered into our kill zone and one of our younger warriors shot him before he realized what he was shooting." There was clear disappointment in Bane's voice that one his warriors had acted so impulsively.
"The arrow pierced his lung and we were forced to move him here to heal." Firenze noticed Harry's worried expression. "Don't worry, he will be fine."
Harry tried again to get to his feet and was able to shakily stand with the help of Firenze.
"I have to get back to the castle and tell them what happened?" Harry hoped that they would allow him to leave. He needed to get Pomfrey to help Hagrid and then pay someone a visit.
"Very well," said Firenze, he did not wish to get in the way of Harry's determination. "Bane shall show you the way."
Bane motioned Harry to follow him. Harry limped along but the more he moved the easier it was for him to ignore the pain and keep up with Bane. He didn't dare ask if you could ride him: centaurs were very proud and hated being compared to horses.
Just before they reached the reached the edge of the clearing, Firenze called after them.
"Be careful, Mr. Potter, there is much that you still must do."
Harry didn't have time dwell on what Firenze meant or how he knew his last name; he had a friend to see.
Bane walked as far as the edge of the forest before he bid Harry farewell and disappeared back into the forest. Harry's legs were extremely sour which forced to walk with a slight limp. He made his way as quickly as he could, though, to the Hospital Wing. He looked around and eventually found Madam Pomfrey in her office.
"Madam Pomfrey, I need your help."
Pomfrey immediately took in Harry's appearance: his clothes were ripped, his face was ghastly pale, and his exposed legs were violently red.
"Merlin! What happened?"
She rose to her feet and forced Harry to sit on a bed. She immediately started scanning his body and had to repeatedly hold Harry down. She grabbed some Blood Replenishing potion and had to shove it down Harry's throat. Harry stopped struggling for a moment as he began to feel the effects of the potion. Once he felt the color return to his face, he ripped away the vial and continued his struggle to be heard.
"Hagrid accidentally got shot by a centaur arrow, he needs help," said Harry as he struggled to get Pomfrey's attention.
"How did you get these?" Pomfrey examined his legs and face. His wounds were closed but threatened to reopen if Harry didn't sit still; something he was desperately trying not to do.
"Didn't you hear me, Hagrid has been shot in the chest by an arrow." Pomfrey finally paid attention. "The arrow pierced his lungs, he needs your help."
Pomfrey's eyes widen. "Pierced lung, how long ago?"
"About an hour," replied Harry quickly.
"Dear me, where is he? And where is Mr. Grey, shouldn't he be with you?"
Harry's voice got really low. "We got separated." If Pomfrey didn't know about Adrian, then he either didn't make it back or didn't even tell anyone what happened.
His anger rose.
The look on Harry's face slightly frightened the old matron but someone was hurt and she needed to act. "Stay here and stay off that leg, I must inform the Headmaster and find Hagrid."
"He'll be with the centaurs," said Harry as he lay back in the bed. He had no intention of staying but Pomfrey wouldn't leave until he complied with her order.
"Dumbledore will know." Pomfrey collected some supplies in a bag. "Try to get some sleep, you need to rest."
Harry nodded and she quickly made her way out of the ward, muttering how stupid and dangerous it was to have detentions in the forest. As soon as Harry couldn't hear her foot steps, he got back on his feet and headed towards the dungeons.
Harry practically ran to his common room, unconscious of the fact that his wounds had reopened and started seeping blood. When he reached the entrance and said his name, he stilled his nerves and calmly stepped through the wall. The sight that greeted him was a full common room whose attention was focused at its center. Fortunately for Harry, no one noticed his entrance and he was able to hear what was going on.
"Bollocks! You're telling us that you killed Potter."
"Yeah, I thought you two were friends."
"You stabbed your only friend in the back, eh?"
Harry recognized the three voices; Harvey Hunt, Arnold Sullivan, and Marcus King. They were all in their sixth year and were all vying to replace Rosier, who was mysteriously absent, as top dog in Slytherin. For that reason, they were also the three that tormented Harry the most. Hunt was large and muscular and had black hair that went to his shoulders. He was the brute of the group and wasn't useful for much beyond bullying the younger years. Sullivan was extremely handsome with flowing blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He was the smartest of the three and very resourceful. Rounding out the group was King, the ringleader. He looked a lot like an ancient Roman; he had Caesar style black hair and a strong brow and jaw structure. He was the perfect combination of the other two: enough strength and brains to be the one most likely to take over after Rosier graduated. The next voice he heard, though, was the one he was looking for.
"I didn't kill him." Adrian could barely be heard. "We were trapped and I got away, he didn't."
"And how did you manage that?" Sullivan egged Adrian to confess.
"I hexed him in the back and left him." Adrian was even quieter this time. Harry was glad Adrian at least felt guilty for his betrayal but that wasn't going to save him from Harry's judgment.
Hunt grabbed Adrian around the shoulder and patted him in the chest. "Who knew you had it in you, Grey?"
The room laughed along with Hunt. Harry watched the room, a few of them looked liked they were merely going along with the crowd but a majority didn't look distressed that Harry was killed.
King stood in front of Adrian with his arms crossed. "What are you going to tell the Headmaster? And what of the half-breed?"
That silenced the room.
"I'll say we got separated while we were looking for Hag…the half breed. I'll say I heard a scream and ran back to the castle." Adrian stuttered through most of it and hoped that King thought it was good enough.
King got right in Adrian's face. "Good but you better say it better than that when you talk to Dumbledore. And when you do, don't look him in the eyes, that old fool will know you're lying."
"We better hurry up with this, Marcus, Rosier will be back from patrol soon," said Sullivan.
King squared up and stared menacingly down at Adrian. "You understand what you got to do?"
Adrian quietly nodded his head.
"Say it!" threatened Hunt.
"I understand," said Adrian meekly.
Harry had had enough of listening to them explain Adrian's alibi. "I'm sorry to disappoint!" Harry took a step forward as the crowd parted to reveal him. "But I'm afraid that the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!"
Everyone was shocked at what they saw, the supposed dead Harry Potter had returned but was covered in blood and dirt. He looked like he was about to collapse and yet here he stood.
"Well, well, well, looks like Grey told us a tall tale." Sullivan grabbed Adrian hard around the neck. "Though, by the looks of it you were not far off." Sullivan then looked up at Harry. "Hey Potter, run into a little problem in the forest."
Harry didn't respond, he just reached into his robes and pulled out his wand.
Hunt moved to the front and mirrored Harry's action. "What're you going to do with that, huh Potter? You want us to finish the job?"
Harry returned Hunt's glare. "All I want is Grey, that's my right."
King stepped forward. "I don't know, I think Grey has earned his place among us." King started circling around Harry. "Did you know, Potter, that Grey is a leech? That he'll latch onto anyone with strength, brains, or even…fame?"
Harry squared his eyes on Adrian. 'So that's the real reason he befriended me.'
"I, personally, don't have much respect for leeches: they're a cancer to those of us with position," King said as he grabbed the front of his robes. He continued to circle Harry until he once again stood next to Adrian. He then grabbed Adrian's chin and forced his head up.
"Tell me, Grey, how often have told your pitiful life story." King forced Adrian to look at Harry. "Did you talk about the orphanage and your foster parents enough so he'd start feeling sorry for you?"
Adrian didn't say anything and refused to meet Harry's eye.
"How soon did you go after what Potter knew? How soon before you realized that he wasn't going to give you a damn thing?"
King roughly released Adrian's head and went back to circling Harry. "But you didn't know that, did you Potter? You didn't know that if you didn't give him everything he wanted then he would turn on you faster than a werewolf on a full moon."
Every word cut deep into Harry and forced him to recall all the times Adrian would get upset if Harry didn't open up and share his thoughts or techniques. Harry just thought it was because he was passionate about learning.
"Of course you didn't, how else could a sniveling little shit like Grey get the drop on the brother of the famous Daniel Potter." King chuckled at little at the noticeable effects of his words on Harry and Adrian. Adrian looked absolutely pitiful and Harry looked more and more angry as their friendship was dissected.
King took another moment to enjoy the situation before he decided to finish it.
"So why should I give him to you? He may be useless, but you're not even relevant." With that, King and Sullivan pulled their wands and surrounded Harry along with Hunt. The students in the room pushed back as far as they could and many of them pulled their wands to protect themselves in case of a stray spell.
Harry only had a moment so he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
'Control your emotions: they will defeat you faster than your opponent.'
Harry focused on Sirius's words. He had three opponents with more advance magical training, half his strength was focused on remaining upright, and he still had the unpredictability of Adrian to consider. He wasn't going to fall for the guilty, weak persona Adrian had adopted through all this. But he had to push his anger and fatigue aside or else he'll truly fall. He quickly analyzed his opponents and tried to see how it would play out. Hunt would try to use his physical strength and probably be the first to act, Sullivan would wait for Harry to get distracted before he stepped in, and King would wait until the end.
Harry still had his eyes closed and Hunt couldn't stand waiting against an obviously wounded opponent. The temptation was too much and he lunged forward.
"Pugnus!" Hunt cast the Punch spell to precede his actual fist.
Harry quickly side-stepped the spell, parried Hunt's fist, and pushed him in the back to force him to trip over himself. Unfortunately, that left him open to Sullivan's Cutting curse that grazed his back. Harry took the moment as Hunt stumbled to fire his own Cutting curse back at Sullivan who easily countered it. But it did allow Harry the second he needed to strike the back of Hunt's legs. The blow caused Hunt to cry out in pain and fall to his knees. Harry quickly chopped down on the back of Hunt's neck which caused him to fall on his face and Harry swiftly stunned him. Once again, though, he left himself open and Sullivan landed another Cutting curse to his back. Harry bit his lip hard to hold back the pain. He already had lost a lot of blood and he didn't need anymore open wounds.
With Hunt down for good, he now had to focus on Sullivan. King continued to remain back and waited to see if he was needed. Harry squared up against Sullivan but kept King in his periphery. Harry was going to have to rely more on his magic instead of his physical training to take out Sullivan. Sullivan was an exceptional duelist and probably wouldn't allow Harry to invade his personal space. Harry didn't know nearly enough spells and didn't have the strength to outlast his uninjured opponent. That left only one option: he had to outsmart him.
From what he knew of Sullivan, Harry knew that he favored his wand side, his right, and stood much like an American cowboy in a pistol duel. It left him open on his left and would seem like the obvious point of attack but Harry didn't think like that. If, instead, he could force Sullivan to switch his wand to his left hand then it wouldn't take much to finish him. It would take a lot of his remaining strength but he thought he had an idea.
Unfortunately, Sullivan acted first and forced Harry to continuously block and dodge spell after spell and it sapped a significant portion of his remaining strength. After dodging another one of Sullivan's Cutting curses, Harry caught a quick glimpse of a member of the crowd. Standing in the front was short girl with similar blonde hair and blue eyes as Sullivan. She was Arletta Sullivan, Arnold's younger sister, and she looked very nervous as she watched her brother duel. Harry hated himself for thinking it but he didn't really have a choice at the moment; he just hoped Arnold had the same amount of concern for his younger sibling as Harry had for his.
Harry tried his best to discretely move himself towards her so that he would block Sullivan's view of his sister. Harry then cast his best shield and withstood spell after spell. Sullivan noticed Harry weakening and started to advance closer and closer. When he was as close as Harry needed him, he dropped his shield and quickly dodged right. Sullivan quickly noticed that his spells were now aimed at his little sister and immediately stopped and yelled for her to get down. The spells, though, were stopped short by a shield cast by King from across the room. It was King's first actions but he still looked like he was waiting to see who would come out of duel.
Harry utilized Sullivan's hesitation to cast Banishing spell after Banishing spell at Sullivan's right hand. Sullivan quickly recovered from almost hitting his sister and repeatedly countered Harry's spells: exactly what Harry wanted him to do. The counter for the Banishing spell was a strong flick of the wrist; it also put a lot of whiplash on the wrist depending on the power behind the spell. Harry pumped as much of his remaining strength behind each spell to force a more violent whiplash on Sullivan's wrist. After a few minutes, Harry began to notice a strain in Sullivan's face as his wrist weakened from continuous counters. Harry dug deep and cast an even stronger Banishing spell. Sullivan countered again but the whiplash finally forced his wrist back further than it could naturally. Sullivan cried out in pain but was forced to quickly switch to his left hand as he gingerly held his right hand to his chest.
Harry continued to cast Banishing spells aimed now at the chest. Sullivan wasn't nearly as proficient with his left hand and his counters weren't as effective. With each spell, Sullivan's feet were pushed back further and further until; finally, Harry managed to land solid contact. The spell picked Sullivan off the ground and tossed him twenty feet and landed violently into the crowd behind him.
Harry stopped his onslaught of spells and noticeably swayed with exhaustion. He turned to King and did his best to collect himself for what was easily his toughest opponent. Unlike the other two, King wasn't impulsive or had any obvious flaw in his dueling stance. He also wasn't bleeding from multiple wounds and hadn't exhausted himself with consecutive spell work. To win this fight, Harry would have to rely on the factor Sirius would say was part of every duel: luck.
Harry was going to need luck just to stay upright. He tried to assume his dueling stance but the pain in his back had him hunched forward slightly. Blood seeped down his arms and legs and a small pool of blood had already accumulated at his feet. There was also a mixture of blood and sweet streamed down his face and his glasses. All in all, it was amazing that Harry was still on his feet and prepared to fight.
King just smirked and crossed his arms. "That was very impressive, Potter." He started circling again but didn't take his eyes off Harry. "I can't help but wonder why you'd let us punish you all this time, were you, by chance, holding back on us?" Harry didn't respond to the rhetorical question. King stopped circling and assumed his dueling stance. "But have you left enough for me?"
Harry didn't have much strength left and had to choose to either move around a lot or rely on his magic. If he'd been a hundred percent then he would probably have gone with an aggressive combination of both. Based, though, on King's stance, Harry wouldn't gain much of an advantage with a physical attack. King's had his dominant foot in front but kept his weight on his back leg to allow him the ability to pivot and follow his foe's movements. Harry raked his brain for spells and dug deep for the strength to use them.
Meanwhile, the crowd was still and silent. Most couldn't believe that Harry had lasted this long.
'How could a first year last so long against three sixth years, especially in the condition he was in?'
A few even had to begrudgingly respect, if not fear, Harry's abilities. Adrian still hadn't moved and wasn't as shocked by what had transpired. He'd been waiting for the day that Harry would finally stand up against the three six years: he just didn't expect his actions would be the cause. They all watched with bated breath for the final duel.
Harry couldn't afford to wait any longer; he raised his wand and cast a Disarming spell. King countered easily but didn't retaliate. Harry immediately followed with the Cutting curse and Banishing spell. King blocked the Cutter but was pushed back slightly by the Banishment spell. Harry didn't hesitate and quickly cast a Leg Locking spell followed by a Fallback jinx. Once again, King countered the first but couldn't stop all the effects of the second. King fell on his rear but quickly got back up and stared murderously at Harry.
Harry smirked back and continued to fire different combinations of spells. To Harry, it started to seem like King was all talk and lacked in actual fighting skills. In fact, Harry couldn't recall a time that King actually fought, he usually deferred to Hunt and Sullivan. His confidence grew as more and more of his spells landed on King. If only Harry was at a hundred percent then this duel might have finished already.
King, though, didn't appear too worried and even looked pleased at the proceedings: that made Harry very nervous. Harry's mind raced and came to a sudden epiphany.
'Why wasn't he fighting back?'
Sure enough, King dropped his charade after he allowed a Cutting curse to clip his left shoulder. He instantly started firing back Reducto's and Confringo's at Harry's head. Harry's trained instincts were all that saved him from suffering direct hits of King's spells. Harry was forced to switch to the defensive but there was little he could do given his physical condition. Eventually, Harry's exhaustion overcame him and his shield shattered under King's spells. King smiled superiorly as he landed a Confringo to Harry's chest. Harry was forced to the ground hard and before he could get to his feet he was wrapped in ropes and laid immobile on the floor.
King sashayed over and pointed his wand in Harry's face.
"You really thought you could win?" King kicked Harry's wand out of his hand and grabbed Harry by the shirt. "You thought you could beat me?" screamed King and blasted Harry in the chest with another Confringo.
Harry was rocked back into the ground and coughed up blood. Hae struggled to breathe and clear his airway from all the blood in his lungs. King lifted Harry up again.
"You are nothing." King punched Harry in the face and threw him back down to the ground.
Harry's eyes started to roll in the back of his head as he started to lose consciousness. King grabbed Harry again but dropped him when he noticed that Harry had passed out. King straightened up, turned to the crowd and started laughing. The crowd nervously laughed with him but suddenly stopped and stared behind him. King stopped laughing too and turned around.
Adrian stood with his wand raised directly at King's chest. King didn't have a chance to defend before he was hit in the chest by a stunner. After King fell, Adrian rushed to Harry and freed him from the ropes.
"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"
Slowly, Harry's eyes opened and became aware of his surroundings. He stared into Adrian's eyes and tried to speak but couldn't find his voice. He mouthed as best he could for his wand. Adrian shuffled around and picked up Harry's wand and placed it in his hand. Harry grasped his wand and pointed it directly in Adrian's face.
"Get-" Harry coughed some blood. "Get away from me."
Adrian was shocked by Harry's threat but did as he said. He had hoped that Harry would forgive him since he helped but it appeared not. Harry struggled to his feet but didn't take his wand off Adrian. Harry took a glance at King and the crowd. Fear resonated in the room over what Harry might do next. Harry brought his eyes back to Adrian.
"Don't ever come near me again."
"Harry-" started Adrian.
"Save it!" interrupted Harry. "We're through."
Adrian didn't say anything and hanged his head. Harry turned to address the room.
"If any of you ever come after me again, I will not hesitate, I will not hold back, and you will end up like these three." He then pointed again at Adrian, "And that goes for you, too. Got it?"
Adrian didn't say anything but hung his head in defeat. Harry lowered his wand and stared menacingly at the crowd. Everyone, including Adrian, slowly made their out of the common room. A few hung back to pick up Hunt, Sullivan, and King to drag them away but no one attempted to come near Harry.
Soon, Harry was the only person in the room. Harry looked around for a moment before he promptly passed out and crumbled to the floor. A second later, a figure emerged from the hallway and walked over to Harry and kneeled next to him. The person looked over Harry's wounds and then grabbed his feet and slowly dragged him away.
