Time Turned Back- The Prisoner of Azkaban
Chapter 9: A Duel a Discussion, Money and Quidditch
Rumours of Harry's challenge to Malfoy were all over Hogwarts by the time dinner began, and Harry was especially looking forward to it.
"I can't believe you did that" Hermione said as they walked down from Gryffindor Tower
"He asked for it" Harry growled "If Malfoy Junior can't take the heat then the bastard should stay the hell out of the fire"
"That's not exactly a reason" Hermione said
"Malfoy should learn to keep his bloody mouth shut" Neville said as he caught up to them.
"Neville's right" Harry said "Malfoy Sr saying I'll end up like my parents is one thing, I don't know him, but Junior is another matter, he said it for no reason, and THAT I will not forgive" as they entered the hall Harry said "And because of it he's going to have to pay"
"With what?" Ron asked "All the curses we've learned he can counter"
"The spells we've learned here" Harry said "I've had a month, a trunk that blocks magic detectors, and a full seven year set of Hogwarts books, as well as some Duelling and Auror training books from twenty years ago, including several nasty curses from a nastier time"
"What kind of spells are we talking about?" Hermione asked
"Basically advanced versions of the spells we'll be learning over the next few years" Harry said "Except a few of them are designed to do more than just incapacitate an opponent, There's one I've been reading about, it's essentially a hybrid of the disarming and explosion charms, it won't just disarm the opponent, it'll break every bone in their arm from the fingers up and quite possibly dislocate the shoulder"
"That's brutal" Hermione gasped as they sat down
"It was a brutal time" Harry said "And if the spells help me to defend myself then I will use them" then he began to eat.
After dinner was over and the food vanished Dumbledore stood up
"As you may or may not know by now" he said "Mr Harry Potter has challenged Mr Draco Malfoy to a duel today" then he looked at Harry as he stood up "Where would you like the duel to take place Mr Potter?"
"Right here will be fine sir" Harry replied as he stood up and walked towards the head table. Where he met Draco who glared at him.
"Take your position in the centre aisle" Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded as he walked down the aisle
"I'm going to make you wish you hadn't got up today Potter" Malfoy growled
"Only in your fantasies" Harry replied as he came to a stop twenty yards from the door and spun to face Malfoy, who stood twenty paces away.
Harry flexed his forearm and his wand shot out of the sleeve, where Harry caught it and they bowed and raised their wands.
"BEGIN" Dumbledore roared
"Expelliarmus" Malfoy snapped, making the first move and launching the disarming charm at Harry.
Harry simply spun left out of the way as the spell flew past his face and then came around with his wand up and yelled four spells in succession "Impedimentia, Expelliarmus, Stupefy, REDUCTO"
One by one the spells flew from Harry's wand, with barely a second between them.
The first spell struck Malfoy and froze him to a near standstill, the second knocked his wand from his hand, the third knocked him off his feet, and the final spell blew him clean across the great hall, sending him crashing to the floor in front of the table, a split second after Dumbledore cast a cushioning charm on the floor. Malfoy was out for the count, and Harry hoped the week.
The hall was silent as Harry holstered his wand; they had just watched a thirteen year old half-blood out duel a pureblood wizard with four fifth and sixth year curses in less than fifteen seconds.
"In the process of setting a new duelling record of twelve seconds" Dumbledore said "And placing Mr Malfoy in the Hospital wing, Harry Potter has earned Gryffindor fifty points"
Harry smiled as he turned on his heel and walked out of the great hall. His good deed for the day done.
The setting sun found Harry sitting on the Paddock fence next to Buckbeak, stroking his feathers as the hippogriff asked Why did you save that human today? He insulted me
His father is a powerful man among us Harry answered He would have caused trouble if you had harmed his son…and besides, I have already done more damaged than a physical injury
How? Buckbeak asked as he cocked his head
I fought him Harry replied with a grin And beat him quite quickly and badly
Good Buckbeak said as Harry stroked his beak
"You do not belong here Harry Potter" a familiar voice called from the trees
Without looking over his shoulder Harry spotted Firenze trotting towards him from the trees, through the reflection of Buckbeak's eyes
"I don't know what you mean Firenze" Harry said
"You know exactly what I mean" Firenze said as he approached "You do not belong in this time"
"I do now" Harry snapped as he swung his legs over the paddock fence and stood on the ground "I've come back to correct the mistakes of old"
"It is not your decision to change the flow of fate" Firenze said as they walked towards the trees.
"The hell it isn't" Harry snapped "I came back to ensure that everything went right this time, that no more lives were lost"
"Death is a part of life" Firenze said "It is not the end, merely the continuation of the journey"
"And what if the people aren't ready to continue that journey?" Harry demanded "What if they're happy where they are?" he roared "MY PARENTS WEREN'T READY TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY, BUT THAT HALF-BLOOD BASTARD SENT THEM ANYWAY. I came back to make sure that my parents are the last people Voldermort will murder. And if Fate doesn't like it then she can go and FUCK HERSELF"
Harry's roar echoed across the forbidden forest as he struggled to control his breathing. Firenze stared at him in silence.
"I came back to do a job Firenze" Harry growled "Stay the hell out of my way, because Mars is going to be bright in the sky for a very long time to come" then he stalked away.
What was that noise? Buckbeak asked as Harry approached
Nothing Harry muttered I just lost my temper Harry was about to make his way back to the castle as a cool breeze washed over the forest, and through Buckbeak's paddock
Harry stopped when he felt something brushing against his neck.
He snapped his hands up to grab the object, and his fingers touched a pair of large grey feathers.
Two of Buckbeak's wing feathers were resting in his fingers.
Harry glanced over his shoulder as Buckbeak said Keep them
With a smile Harry thanked the Hippogriff and walked back to the castle.
"Where were you mate?" Ron asked when Harry returned to the tower
"Went for a walk along the lake" Harry said as he sat down by the fire.
The next day Potions went very smoothly, aside from the fact that Malfoy was out of the Hospital Wing. Harry paired up with Neville and they managed to finish the potion without Severus breathing down their necks. And Harry was able to resist the urge to break Malfoy's jaw.
But by the time the two hour class was over he had succeeded.
The Class was about to head for DADA when Severus said "Potter, remain behind"
Harry nodded as he closed up his potions kit and handed it to Neville "Take that back to the tower for me"
"OK" Neville nodded "I'll grab your DADA book on the way out"
"It's in the first compartment" Harry replied.
Once the door closed Severus motioned for Harry to follow him.
After setting several privacy charms around his office Severus sat down and said "I've sent the skins to be done for the robes"
"What about the rest of the skin?" Harry asked as he sat down
"It's been sent as well" Severus said "I sent it to a Kingsley Shackbolt's cousin; he makes Auror equipment in Diagon Alley. He contacted me this morning and said, we can expect a minimum of 6,000,000 Galleons once the skin and scales have been authenticated"
"Have him send my half to the Weasley's vault" Harry said "I'll talk to them when Molly comes to strangle me the first chance she gets"
"Your funeral" Severus said as he stood up "I've taken all the books out of the trunk, all that's left are the weapons and robes you got your hands on, the box, and the books on duelling and combat magic. I put them in a smaller trunk" then Severus took a small box from the bookshelf and tossed it to Harry "You can unshrink it later"
"Right" Harry said as he put the box in his pocket "I've got a date with a Boggart" then Harry shouldered his bag and jogged from the office.
The Defence against the Dark Arts lesson went well. Harry had encountered the Dementor/Boggart just like before. But he didn't give Remus the chance to stop it.
Shaking off the cold feeling Harry remembered he gripped his wand and released the spell "Riddickulus"
The Dementor changed with a crack into an image of Voldermort wearing a pink tutu.
Screamed in terror at seeing the pale skinned, snake like man dancing across the room.
Harry smirked as he walked towards the facsimile and kicked it into the cupboard it had emerged from. Then he kicked the door closed. And Remus locked it.
"Ummm" Remus said after a moment's silence "What was that?"
"It was Voldermort in a tutu" Harry said "What did you think it was?"
"I'm not entirely sure" Remus replied before he snapped back to professor form "Alright class, I want a foot long essay on Boggart's and the defence against them, class dismissed"
Then the class filed out.
That night after dinner Professor McGonagall called the Gryffindor Quidditch team to her office for a team meeting.
"I have called you here this evening" the Transfiguration Professor said as she walked towards the white sheet covering the square plied behind her "To discuss the future of the House and Quidditch cups, and keeping them in my office until all seven of you have graduated five years from now"
She walked past the assembled players and said "Before the term began Captain Wood, and I were asked to join our Seeker at the Leaky Cauldron. Where Mr Potter gave me a folder with the details of a vault to fund Gryffindor's quidditch team for the next twenty seasons" at this the team clapped and cheered loudly.
"And towards the aim of keeping the trophies in this office" McGonagall said "I have purchased these" then she pulled the sheet off the rectangular pile, revealing thirteen smooth broom cases with the image of a tornado and the word 'Highwind' on twelve of the cases, and the top case had the image of a yellow and brown tornado with the word 'Desert Blade' beside it.
"These brooms are for the main team" McGonagall said "And the reserve team you will begin training this year"
"Why now?" Fred asked "I know Oliver graduates this year, but the rest of us don't graduate for another two years"
"We're training the reserve team now" Oliver said "Because I've heard rumours that the Ministry is planning something big for Hogwarts next year and we may not have time"
"Mr Wood is indeed correct" McGonagall said "Although there is nothing concrete the Ministry is considering a large event to precede the Quidditch World Cup next summer, therefore it is imperative that we have a working team in place as a precaution"
"Do we even have any plausible players in the lower years?" Katie asked
"I can think of three right off the bat for Chaser, Keeper and Beater" Harry said "Ginny, Ron and Neville"
"Neville?" Fred asked incrediousley "The last I heard he broke his arm the first time he got on a broom"
"And I nearly broke my neck the first time I did" Harry countered "And yet here I am two years later, the best Seeker we've had since your brother graduated"
Fred shut up then
"And besides" Harry said "Without that Memory charm the bloody Auror's put on him his mental focus has almost tripled. When we've trained the last two mornings Neville has been able to sustain an average power level of 253 out of 1,000 using the duelling spells we've learned over the last two years"
"Not bad" George said
"And he's got the reactions of a thunderbolt" Harry chuckled "I woke up around dawn yesterday and almost as soon as I hit to common room floor his wand was trained on me"
Fred whistled lowly as he stood up and walked towards the cases "How come there are only thirteen cases if we're gonna build two teams?" he asked as he picked up one of the Highwinds
"Because I'm not ready to part with my Nimbus 2000 just yet" Harry said "The Desert Blade is for the second Seeker and if I ever need a new broom I'll order a Firebolt or a second Desert Blade"
"I don't recognise these models" Alicia said as she examined the black wooded broom in her hands.
The broom reminded Harry a lot of the Nimbus 2000 combined with a Firebolt, except it had copper coloured foot rests and a copper brace around the twigs similar to the Firebolt in their formation. From what Harry could remember the Desert Blade was exactly the same, except that the shaft was the colour of golden sand, the twigs of the broom were a dark brown, like wet sand and the foot rest and twig brace were both made of brass.
"The broom you have in your hand is the Tornado Highwind" Harry said "It's from a broom company based in Oklahoma USA"
"Cool" Angelina said
"Remember one thing" Oliver said as he took his broom "These brooms are yours for now, but they are still TEAM brooms. If you want to keep them you will work your asses off this year and get that bloody trophy" the entire team cheered.
Authors Notes: Done.
Short I know, but I've still got a few chapters to do and the fun is only beginning.
Next time the backup team is planned.