Disclaimer: same as in previous chapters.

A lesson in creativity

Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone, Harry stood up… he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort.

Voldemort was ready. As Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"

The beams met midair to merge into a single golden one. However, it didn't last longer than a few seconds, as Harry nearly instantly broke the connection.

"Are you serious?" he yelled. Before Voldemort could make use of that immortal pun, Harry continued. "You are supposed to be the most evil, cruel, terrifying Dark wizard of the century. And yet you stick to just three curses, which makes you kind of a shitty Dark Lord. It's like sooo boring, all the time the same stuff. Where's your creativity?"

"I've used Fiendfyre once in OotP," Voldemort pointed out, completely ignoring the timeline. "That giant fiery snake during the battle in the Department of Mysteries."

"Once. And it was against Dumbledore, so that doesn't count. Besides, you still were mostly just firing Avada Kedavra at him."

"I put a curse on the Gaunt Ring, too."

Harry shrugged. "Of which we know almost nothing, besides the fact it was lethal and slow-working."

"I suppose you're right," the Dark Lord said quietly. There was something in his voice that didn't fit the usual crackish air of this fanfic. "Perhaps indeed I should get more creative when dueling you..."

"Great," Harry grinned. "Finally - do your worst, Voldemort! Expelliarmus!"

"...or maybe I won't need to." Voldemort deflected the red jet with a wave of his hand. The spell hit Harry and sent his wand into the air; Voldemort snatched it easily.

"Now, are you serious, Harry Potter?" he mocked. "One would think fighting you might be a more interesting challenge. I have heard you are exceptionally talented in Defence against Dark Arts, after all... Why are you using a second-year spell against me?"

"It's the only dueling spell I know," Harry said, somewhat unsure.

"That's utter nonsense. Didn't that Mudblood friend of yours practice jinxes and hexes with you to help you prepare for the Third Task?"

Hermione did indeed find him some useful books about battle magic; Harry suddenly felt like an idiot. Come to think of it, he could cast quite a few offensive and defensive spells: Full Body-Bind Curse, Stunning Spell, Reductor Curse, Blasting Curse, Knockback Jinx, Incendio, Shield Charm, and there were probably many, many more... Why couldn't he use them more often, especially when facing a dangerous Dark wizard?

"You know, if you give me back my wand..." he started.

Voldemort laughed. "I'm afraid you had your chance. After all, you were the one complaining on how shitty Dark Lord I am... Now I really don't have much choice but to prove you wrong, do I?"

Postscriptum: Harry survived.

Before killing him, Voldemort recognized his Horcrux and took Harry with himself. Three weeks later the Dark Lord showed up at Hogwarts, threw the unconscius boy in front of utterly astonished Dumbledore, and promptly fled. Even Voldemort's patience had limits.

AN: I've promised myself that I would update HUT and Magic is Eternal (for which I have absolutely no time to write) as soon as I pass my driving license exam. Shouldn't have done that... *glances at the notes for ME chapter 6, then remembers how much studying she has*