Chapter 28: Duel and Unusual Punishment
Because god damn it I wanted a pun for the title!
Disclaimer: I don't own them, you guys know that by now, I know that as well, time to move on!
The search, while thorough would turn up nothing in the end.
At least related to the attack, they found several dark artefacts in the Slytherin Dorm, but they were not related to the incident. They were still confiscated, and warnings were given out, but the cause of the attack still remained a mystery. Due to this, tensions were high, students were relieved to find out that I was not one of their own that had done the attack, many outsides of Slytherin house were bemused that the first victim of Slytherin's heir would be a Slytherin pureblood.
Elizabeth had spoken to Harry; she had explained what they had found and just what was going on in the rest of the school during the lock down. He now knew that friends of his parents from their school days were still alive, he knew that they were innocent and that one of them had been in prison for twelve years.
He felt numb about that, on one hand he could understand the fear that must have gripped Peter Pettigrew, on the other hand. He hid as a rat for twelve years and never once tried to communicate with him. Sirius Black was another mystery. Until today, he didn't even know the name of the man, or that he even existed. Now to find out the man was his Godfather. that had been a shock. And then to find out that Peter had left his godfather in prison for twelve years due to his own fear. Part of Harry didn't want to forgive the man. So much could have been different if he had just shown some of that Gryffindor courage that he was meant to have.
He sat in the Great Hall, deep in thought as the Students were talking about the current excitement around him, Elizabeth had left after the conversation, said she had to find someone and that she'd be back as soon as possible. That had been a week ago.
People started talking after two days.
They had moved to open suspicion after four. The Slytherins were of course the loudest, specifically Pansy and her entourage. They accused her of attacking Blaise and then fleeing while the search had been taking place. The fact that the Heads of House had searched her first was not a concern to them, never mind little things like facts in the grand scheme of things.
Day five and the rumours had changed, this one amused Harry more than anything, apparently, he was now responsible for the attack and Elizabeth had fled in disgust over what he had done. That he had been witnessed by several people pretty much throughout the night. Of course, no one gave an answer as to what Blaise had been doing on that evening. Why he was so far away from the Slytherin Common Room.
But none of that concerned Harry, they could talk as much as they wanted, it didn't make any difference, the truth was something else, something currently undetected, he had promised not to go investigate any other versions of Hogwarts to find out what was happening because he knew Elizabeth was correct.
Just because it was happening there, didn't mean that it was happening here. But again, that was not what was causing him issues at the moment. He was thinking back to the Boggart. When Bathsheda and he had broken into the room, it had shaken Harry. Elizabeth had always seemed so confident, so sure of herself, to see her like that towards the man was disturbing. Just who was he? why did he have such an effect on Elizabeth? He barely listened to the conversations happening around him. Even to those talking to him he just gave non-committal answers. Idly he realised that his distracted attitude was probably helping fuel the rumours that were being spread. Which rumours was up for debate though.
Rapture
It always came back to that with Elizabeth. It had shaped her; it had twisted her and then it had broken her. He wanted to know what happened, he wanted to see it all. He wanted to understand the pain which she felt so he could help her with the issues that she was dealing with, so they could find the person who had manipulated the events. How much had he been responsible for? Harry wanted to leave, to just go find out the answers that she wouldn't tell. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he could tell that it was a struggle for her to give details.
"She'll tell you eventually, she just has to deal with a few things." A voice spoke beside Harry, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked around and saw the Blonde first year Luna Lovegood, she smiled at him before pouring herself a drink.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked confused by the sudden turn of events. He looked at Luna who looked back at him with a small smile before she started to speak again.
"The boggart has thrown her, she had to face things she wasn't ready to face." She explained and again Harry found himself confused; how did she know that? how did she know what had happened to Elizabeth? The portraits had only seen her in the state after the effect, but they didn't actually see what caused that. "The portraits speak, and Lockhart isn't exactly subtle. He bragged about the boggart. People put two and two together." She explained his unasked question.
'Well... that sucks.' Harry thought, realising that with the news of the Boggart getting around, people may be more inclined to talk because after all, what better gossip is there than the suffering of others? "Thank you... Luna?" He asked and she just nodded her head. "How are you enjoying the school so far."
"It's fun, though the Nargles seem to be creeping around. But it is coming up to that time of year." She explained with her continued smile. Harry went to respond but was unsure of what to say, the more he interacted with the girl the more. And this was only their second meeting.
"That's slightly worrying, what are nargles?" Harry asked out of curiosity.
"They're similar to pixies, they tend to infest mistletoe, but they wander around. They like to hide other people's things, but they return it in the end." Luna described, it sounded like nothing Harry had heard of before, but he still knew very little about the rest of the Wizarding World. Being given the comparison to Cornish Pixies though felt apt. "With it coming up to Christmas and the Winter Holidays, they'll be buzzing around for a while now."
"I guess I'll have to keep a closer eye on my things then, if any of yours go missing, let me know and I'll help you look for it." Harry offered kindly and Luna just turned back to her breakfast as the first bell went for the day's lessons. "But for now, I have class, so I'll see you around."
"Perhaps, but will it be me that you see, or someone like me?" Luna questioned and Harry was left without an answer to that question, he smiled, shook his head in disbelief then walked away. Whatever her initial intentions had been, it had got Harry out of the little funk that he had felt himself falling into over the situation. But it made him wonder just what she knew and how she knew it. Sometimes he thought that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be more suitably named Hogwarts School of Mystery and Half Answers, because every time he thought something had fallen into place, it turned around and changed the question on him. He entered the Dungeons, falling into place besides Draco as they made their way towards the Potions classroom and Professor Snape waiting inside.
"Harry." Draco greeted quietly; they had not spoken as much as the first year. Busier schedules and their own social groups had kept them from continuing their talks, but potions seemed to be one of the places that they could interact without everyone trying to create a new house rivalry. Outside of Blaise but that problem had been dealt with temporarily. "Petrified any other students recently?" Draco drawled out, getting a laugh of amusement from Harry.
"Alas, my schedule has been too busy. Though if I do, I'll make sure you're the first to know." Harry responded in a sarcastic tone, it was good to know that although the rumour mill was going strong, those who had taken the time to get to know him had seen that he was innocent.
Draco, not one to miss a quick comeback was ready with the response almost as fast as Harry had finished his. "As long as I'm not learning about it by being the victim, I can give you that." they entered the classroom, taking seats nearer to the front. Snape was there but Elizabeth was still missing. Inwardly Harry felt like something was missing, even though it had been five days, and everyone had adapted to the fact that she wasn't there, to him it felt slightly wrong. Like there was a piece of the puzzle missing. "It's been five days; do you know what she's up to?" Draco asked and Harry shook his head.
"All I know is that she had some business to take care of, she wouldn't tell me what though." Harry replied quietly as Snape stood up and the door to his classroom closed as the last student took their seat.
"Today, we will be working on a set of Anti Venom potions, the instructions are on the board," Snape ordered as the Blackboard swivelled around to show a set of instructions. Harry and Draco shared a look. They were originally meant to be working on a Hair Growth potion today. Why the sudden change?
"Sir," Anthony Goldstein called, raising his hand and drawing Snape's attention.
"Yes Mr Goldstein?" Snape's voice carried across the room.
"In first year, you explained about Bezoar stone, why do we have Anti Venom potions when the stones would work?" He asked quietly, the look of Snape making him nervous as he asked the question.
"Would anyone like to answer this question?" Snape asked looking across the classroom, specifically at the Slytherin section. Pansy raised her hand, "Miss Parkinson."
"Bezoars alone will nullify most venoms and poisons however their effectiveness is limited in its natural state. Refinement of the stone along with other ingredients allow for a much stronger and stable counter." She explained getting a nod from her Head of House.
"Correct, Five points to Slytherin." Snape said before turning back to Anthony. "Any further questions?" He asked and Anthony shook his head with a small mumble of 'no sir' and started writing down the instructions. "You have until the end of the lesson to complete the required potions."
Harry and Draco begun preparing their ingredients, each set out on the workstation, separate to prevent cross contamination, cleaning down the surface after each set. "Draco, can I ask you something?" He whispered, acutely aware of Snape's presence and knowing that although Draco had some protection from Snape's wrath, with being a member of Slytherin and his family being friends with Snape, Harry lacked that, doubly so with Elizabeth gone to prevent undue punishment.
"What?" Draco whispered back as he placed the bezoar that he would be using in his mortar to break it down.
"Do you have any idea behind the attack?" Harry questioned and Draco shook his head.
"No clue, both Mother and Father were concerned when I wrote to them about it. Neither told me anything though." Draco hastily whispered as he started to add the first few ingredients. "Which reminds me, their hosting another Yuletide Ball and I was to invite both yourself and Elizabeth again."
"I'll have to speak to her about it, but I think she's planning something at least for herself. I don't have any plans... but we'll have to see."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to avoid meeting the rest of your family." He joked and Harry looked at him in bemusement.
"I'd just rather not say I'm going to do something then the plan fall through because of something else, when do you need to know by?" Harry asked and Draco shrugged slightly.
"In all honesty, she's hoping you turn up but not actively organising it as if you're there, I know you've some hesitation due to some of fathers connections and I think she knows as well. Part of this is familial obligation but part of it is her wanting to know and try and repair some of the holes in the Black family."
"End of the week, hopefully I have an answer then."
"End of the week it is, now... are you planning on heading to the duelling club? Lockhart is meant to be grabbing several of the professors to help him out, show different things related to spell casting and how to use them in combat." Draco sounded eager for the club, was it the duelling or the magic that interested him?
"Most likely, something still feels off with him, he knows what he's talking about but his actions..." Harry trailed off as he took his potion of the flame to let it cool. "I mean, I could just be over thinking it after Quirrell but." He stopped himself, Lockhart had proven good for the students so far, he had taught, he had shown them stuff and they had studied a variety of basic pests and problems that they were likely to run into in life and how to cope with them, but something to Harry had felt strange with it.
When he spoke, a lot of it felt more like second-hand information rather than that of experience.
"He's vain and loves himself more than anything else, but he's taught so far. At least the lessons don't stink of Garlic." That brought laughter to Harry, remembering the classroom odour and the memories of Garlic and the rumours that the garlic was in his turban to protect him from vampires.
'Kind of makes you wonder if it was there when Voldemort was in the back of his head.' The thought drew more laughter and he could see Snape glaring at him, but the mental image just wouldn't leave.
He was so getting in trouble for this.
HPCVHPCVHPCV
Walking along the wooden planks of the pier, she watched as the water moved around, the sea of lighthouses a gateway to worlds innumerable. "I wonder if everyone sees it like this, or would it be their own views?" She asked herself to look up at the familiar lighthouse, one that so long ago started a journey for Booker and saw so much suffering. She didn't know how long she had been walking, the time here was strange, but she needed to find one of the twins, either would do for the questions she had to ask. "Robert! Rosalind! I need to speak with you." She called out again, having done so at regular intervals on her trip, she so far had no response, but she was confident they'd appear. They always did when she had needed them. The planks continued to rise out of the water as she walked, building a bridge that would lead her to wherever she wanted to go through the doors around here were all shut and sealed.
No one could access them. Columbia was sealed to all. At least they were meant to be. There were still pockets, through Rapture but even they were extremely limited and the areas that could be seen even more limited. Without essentially destroying Rapture and wiping it out in a paradox, Columbia would still be connected in some shape or form.
"Of course, a Paradox like that wouldn't truly seal it now would it." The voice of Robert spoke behind Elizabeth. She jumped, spinning around hand over her chest to calm herself.
"You need a warning bell!" Elizabeth joked as she took a calming breath. "What do you mean? That's what we did to seal Columbia."
"Columbia is sealed and yet not, there's still pockets open to those with the knowhow, as you know." Robert explained as he walked past her and for a moment she was surprised, she had only ever seen him in the brown suit, now he was in beach attire, a fishing rod resting on his shoulder and a box in his other hand. "You'll have to forgive us, we felt with things as they were it was time to relax, we were curious as to whether there were any fish in this ocean."
"I... I don't think I've ever seen you wear anything other than the brown suit... I didn't think you could change your attire with how you were." She said in reference to them being spread across the infinite by their own machine.
"Just when we think we know the rules, things change. A little experiment if you will, our ability to interact with items changed with this new world and new way of life." Robert explained as he kept walking.
"Okay, that's kind of interesting." Elizabeth muttered and followed after him. "So, Rapture will exist even if it was sealed off?"
"Rapture exists because you exist," Robert explained patiently, "Columbia is still connected through the tears that were formed by our machine and yourself. However, limited it may be, there is still a window. Young Mr Potter found that out himself when he called through the Patriot and the Handyman. Ordinarily, that breach would only be between his and Columbia, however you have created a connection to Rapture and the boy through your actions."
"Because I took him there?" She questioned slowly and he nodded.
"Because you take him there." He agreed. "With that connection, however tenuous it may be, it's enough for a window into Rapture so that even if Rapture were to be locked away here, bits of it would still be accessible by yourself and Harry or anyone who was able to recreate our machine. Though at least the Rapture he visited was one that held no threats, at least not yet." Robert finished and Elizabeth turned, looking across the water as she tried to process the information that she had received. Rapture was now connected to Harry's time through her actions, even if she was to sever the link, there would still be that doorway into a pocket of it. She turned back to Robert, a question on the tip of her tongue and cursed.
In that moment he had chosen to vanish.
"Enjoy your fishing trip." Elizabeth muttered before continuing her walk, she hadn't even asked the questions that she wanted to get answers for, and she had missed the window with Robert. She turned as she heard the sound of a reel whirring.
Rosalind stood on the edge of the pier, fishing rod in hand, humming to herself as if she didn't even know that Elizabeth was there but a small smirk on her face showed she knew that she was there. "I have a couple of questions and you and your brother are the only people I know who would have the answers that I need." Elizabeth spoke as she walked forwards to stand next to Rosalind.
"Ask then, I shall do my best to answer."
"When we travelled between the tears, Booker was affected by them, he would receive memories that were not his own but of the Booker that had been there and died."
"That is correct." Rosalind Lutece said as she slowly started reeling in the line of her fishing rod. "His mind could not cope with the strain of two sets of memories. If it wasn't for the fact the Booker of that world was dead, the pain would have been a lot worse."
"Because there would be two Bookers? But we already had that issue with Comstock, He was Booker." Elizabeth stated in confusion, she hadn't even asked her question and already she was at a loss.
"And when he first arrived, the issues were there. Loss of Memory, disorientation, in time he overcame them all but the first of those issues. But whether that was due to wanting to forget what he had done and change his own issues or not is a different matter."
"And correct me if I'm wrong, the reason Harry and I aren't affected is because of what has happened." She stated, pausing for a moment to see Rosalind nod. "Theoretically, what would happen if I brought someone to a world that they never existed in?"
There was a silence for several moments and Elizabeth could see the calculations working their way through the mind of Rosalind before she started to talk. "Other than the initial shock of entering a different dimension, they should theoretically be fine. At least for a time." She stopped again, looking at the empty fishing line and frowning slightly. She shrugged, throwing the line back in.
"A time?" Elizabeth asked, the pause being almost unbearable to her.
"Every timeline has its own rhythm, a phase of existence unique to itself, until the body can adjust it will not feel right." Rosalind explained, continuing to work with the fishing line. "Though how your friends magic will react is a question that I can't answer."
"Do you think they'll lose the ability while there?" Elizabeth asked, it had been her follow up question and as always seemed to be the case, Rosalind was one step ahead.
"It depends on where the magic they use comes from, if they draw it from outside sources then they would be cut off from it. If, however the magic comes from inside themselves, then their abilities would be affected in ways I could not guess, though it would be interesting to study."
"I'm amazed you have such an easy time to call it magic, I figured you'd be against such a nebulous term for it." Elizabeth observed drawing a slight laugh from the otherwise calm and collected scientist.
"Normally I would, but it is their name for it, to do so otherwise would just be rude," Elizabeth snorted in amusement at this, The Lutece twins, specifically Rosalind had never had any problems about being rude if it got their point across. "My criticism if anything would be their stagnation and their unwillingness to evolve and adapt as time continues, the energy manipulation they use has an abundance of possibilities that they choose not to look at." Rosalind commented on the notion with a look of disdain at the situation that the Wizarding world found themselves in. Elizabeth, not really knowing how to comment on that decided to hold her tongue.
"Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions." Elizabeth said as a tear opened behind her back to where she had come from, she turned preparing to leave but Rosalind's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Remember Elizabeth, the more you chase something, the higher the chance that it will slip through your grasp." Rosalind warned.
Elizabeth spun around sharply to look at the scientist, but she was already gone, the fishing rod falling to the pier with a dull clunk. "She knows." Elizabeth muttered before turning and walking through the tear.
Still, she had the information she needed; she could take Bathsheda with her for short periods of time at least. It was more than what she needed.
HPCVHPCVHPCV
Elizabeth had returned to see a week had passed. There were numerous notes left for her but none that needed focus or action to deal with. Thankfully the professors had taken the homework to mark so there was no backlog of that either.
No, the only thing that was left was the Duelling Club, Lockhart's stage to perform to the masses. She smiled as she looked at the note that Bathsheda had left her, promising an entertaining turn of events. She walked to her door to the Common Room, she wondered if Harry was in there at the moment but then turned away, heading towards the main exit. Making her way to the Great Hall, she passed several students, well aware of the whispers that followed her. Children weren't exactly subtle. She ignored them; it was going to happen with who the victim of the attack was. Walking down the stairway into the Great Hall she looked to see that the room had been set up in preparation for the incoming class, the staff and student tables had been pushed to the side, against the walls and in the centre now sat a large raised platform. She walked over to where the Ravenclaw Table rested and leant against it, she was early, a few students were here but most were still yet to arrive.
She checked the time, ten minutes until the club would begin.
Ten minutes until whatever Bathsheda had planned for her little move in toying with Lockhart and demonstrating her runestones would begin. More students arrived, some saw her and greeted her with small waves or nods, but the majority just started slipping into their groups, talking amongst themselves. She saw Harry and his group enter, they locked eyes for the briefest of moments. A relieved smile crossing on Harry's features as he saw her. they made their way over and Harry leant against the table next to her. "You've been gone longer than I thought you would be." Harry muttered quietly, "everything okay?"
"It should be, felt like I was only gone for a few hours." She responded quietly, "time has a way of getting away from you there."
"Did you get the answers you wanted?" Harry questioned and he got a nod. "Draco said his mother is giving us another invite to the Yuletide ball that they're hosting. I didn't say we were going, but that I'd think about it. Didn't know if you had any plans for us again."
"No plans so far, I plan to do something at the beginning, but I should be done by Christmas. With any luck I'll return just as I'm leaving." She paused, a frown on her features, "though with my luck, I'll probably turn up a year next Tuesday." She muttered getting a bit of laughter from Harry.
"Anything I can help you with?" Harry asked in concern.
"No, where I'm going, I'm not taking you, though I'm not going alone."
"Hello my students!" The voice of Lockhart called out as he entered the room clad in bright blue robes, he walked up onto the stage twisting around to look over the collected students. "Can you all hear me? Can you all see me?" He asked and got murmurs of response. "Good, good, welcome to the first of hopefully many duelling classes. I am your Professor and trainer, all of my exploits you can read about in my books. Today is just a demonstration, perhaps a bit of practice, but I have guests who have agreed to come help me from time to time. First, your teacher of Ancient Runes, Professor Babbling." Lockhart said with a flair as he gestured towards the door. Bathsheda entered from the staff area, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation at the way he had decided to start this whole situation.
She stepped up onto the stage opposite Lockhart who drew his wand with a flourish. He walked up to her standing opposite in the centre of the room and they bowed to each other. "Now there are rules to duelling, first we bow, etiquette should never be forgotten in times like this, after all, it is not only disrespectful to your opponent, but it is also dishonourable for you to ignore the procedure." They turned around so their back was to each other. "One of the common settings used in duels like this has us start with our backs to each other, don't worry, we'll be using non-lethal spells, no harm shall befall your Runes Teacher." He said confidently as they stood back to back, Lockhart with his wand up at the ready, Bathsheda had her hands in her pockets. She glanced over towards Elizabeth and winked, a very obvious sign to any on that side of the stage. "Now we walk, ten paces, so that we're a distance away from each other, turn and the duel begins, first to be disarmed or rendered defenceless." They walked, ten measured steps and stopped. Lockhart spun around, words on his lips to fire off a spell. Bathsheda was faster, her hands slipping out of her pockets, three stones rolling across the floor towards Lockhart.
He paused mid spell, looking at them in confusion. A light flashed from them, engulfing the room in a bright glow and Lockhart staggered back rubbing at his eyes, spots dancing in his vision. "Lockhart, CATCH!" Bathsheda shouted as she chucked another one towards him. Lockhart reacted instantly to the command, his hand coming up and grabbing the object just before it hit him in the face.
He dropped to the floor unconscious.
"Not everyone is going to rely on a wand in their duels, while you learn the magic and customs, remember, everyone has their own skills and talents. Runestones like those can be crafted with relative ease." Bathsheda started explaining as she walked across the room to Lockhart. She drew her wand and pointed it at him. "Ennervate." She called and his eyes opened.
"What... what happened?" Lockhart asked in confusion as Bathsheda held out her hand to him.
"You took orders from your opponent, it cost you the match." She said with a small smile as she helped him to his feet.
"I did? I mean, yes, I will admit it caught me a little off guard, I assumed you would introduce your runestones at a later date. Well Done Professor Babbling." He complimented as the students started to applaud, "of course, there were several ways that could have been stopped." He said trying to save face and Bathsheda shrugged.
"Perhaps, but I've completed my goal, I think I may see an increase in my classes in the future." She joked and Lockhart nodded his head.
"Yes of course... of course, though you've derailed my plans just a little bit."
"It's why you brought Snape here as well wasn't it?" She questioned as the door opened and Snape stepped out, currently with a book in his hand looking bored. "I'll leave this for you." She said and jumped down off the stage into the crowd. Looking around she spotted Elizabeth, making her way over to her with a smile. "Not too bad?" She questioned getting an eye roll in response.
"I thought he'd be a bit more prepared." Elizabeth replied as she watched Snape and Lockhart take positions to duel, this time a slightly different set up as they both took position opposite each other on the stage. "This looks like it's going to be..."
"Expelliarmus!" Snape snapped off and before Lockhart could even start casting a spell he was hit by a red blast of light, catapulted off the stage onto the hard floor with quite a thud, his wand flicking off into the crowd.
"Interesting." Elizabeth finished as several students walked over to help Lockhart back to his feet, the man groaning in pain before trying to laugh it off.
"Yes!" Lockhart cried out happily, "The disarming spell, a great idea to start off with the students, though of course, I could have blocked it... kind of regret not blocking it." Lockhart said as he climbed back up on to the stage. "Has anyone seen my wand?" He lifted a hand pointing into the crowd to see it being held up to him, "ah, thank you Ms Patil." He said to the second year Gryffindor as he took his wand back. "So yes, pair up amongst yourselves and practice the disarming spell, the motion itself is simple, a flick of the wrist with the spell name called out and if you hit, you should disarm." The students started to pair off and Harry looked at Elizabeth, but she shook her head with a slight gesture to Bathsheda. Harry nodded and wandered off into the crowd to find someone to work with.
"I still have that perception of providing too much help to Harry, besides, he has other friends that he can work with." She looked towards where he had teamed up with Draco. a surprising turn of events to many but one that made Elizabeth smile.
"So, shall we practice then?" Bathsheda asked, drawing her own wand. All those involved took positions, spread out throughout the room, it was a little tight, the room was large but with the students more spread out it left little room.
"Remember, disarm only, if the spell works correctly and is aimed right then your partners wand will come straight to you." Lockhart spoke as Snape stepped off the stage, moving to the back of the room to oversee the events and more than likely avoid the calamity of errant spells. "Begin." He called.
Immediately there was a cacophony of spell shouts and students were disarmed left and right, wands and sometimes the odd student sent flying around the room. Elizabeth and Bathsheda watched for a moment. "I wonder how many wands may accidentally get damaged today." She commented in bemusement as she saw a wand land and roll behind the table. "Do you want to go first or shall I?" Bathsheda asked with a small smirk and Elizabeth shook her head.
"Considering you already know the spell; I think it's safe to say me first." Elizabeth replied with a smirk. "So, simple flick and the spell. Is it better to aim for the wand or the person?" She questioned and Bathsheda shrugged.
"Depends on your goal, the spell works two ways, against a person it's going to send them flying and the object they held gets thrown out of their hand, at the object itself, only it gets knocked out and brought towards the caster. Accuracy and effect." Bathsheda explained and Elizabeth nodded, going through the motion and firing off the spell, aiming at Bathsheda's wand hand. It hit, the wand flying through the air towards her and she reached out to grab it.
'Booker, Catch.'
The thought crossed her mind and she couldn't help but smile as she held on to the wand, so many times she had thrown things to Booker during their escape from Comstock, normally with a few words of encouragement or something along those lines. She walked forwards and handed it back to Bathsheda. "Not too bad, not bad at all."
"Thanks, I've had reason to work on my aim before." She said vaguely and then looked towards the stage as Lockhart called for everyone to stop, quite frantically as he moved into the Gryffindor that had been off to one side. The practice had been a lot less polite than this side of the stage. Elizabeth glanced at the chaos and saw that Ron currently had Crabbe in a headlock. Goyle looked ready to tackle the red head but Neville and Dean were standing in the way. She'd leave it to Lockhart to deal with, as she had said to him, she was just here as a student.
"I should probably get involved and help him out... but he looks to be having fun at the centre of attention." Bathsheda mused and a glance to the side showed her that Snape was in the same situation, watching with bemusement. He walked forwards as Lockhart separated the group.
"I think, we should move on, don't you?" Lockhart asked as he stepped back onto the stage. "Students, I'm going to select two of you to come up here and we'll do a slight mock duel, go through the steps to start the duel and then you will try to defeat the other with Disarming spells only." Lockhart said with a hint of steel in his voice. "Mr Nott, you can come up here first and..." He trailed off looking around the room before his eyes rested on Harry. "Mr Potter, you can do, come now, up on to the stage." He said and Harry groaned quietly.
"I really am beginning to think some higher power just wants me to be at war with half of Slytherin." He muttered quietly to Draco as he walked onto the stage.
"Take your positions at the centre." Lockhart ordered and they both walked forwards, Harry didn't know what to make of Theodore Nott, so far he had done little to antagonise, sure there was the odd comment or two thrown in with the rest but as a whole he had been quite quiet on anything to do with Harry.
Though whether or not that quietness was a good thing had yet to be seen. "Ready to lose standing with the crowd Potter?" Nott asked in a slightly bored tone.
"Haven't lost yet, don't plan to start now, especially with you." Harry responded with confidence. He wasn't feeling as confident
"Bow." Lockhart called and the two did so after a moment pause, though it could barely have been called one by how little they moved. Still, it had been enough to appease Lockhart. "Take your positions at the end of the platform." He called out and they turned, walking back the way they came to opposite end of the stage. "Now, on three. Disarm only, one... two..." Before Lockhart had even finished saying three, Nott was in action a spell that was not the disarming spell shot at Harry. Caught off guard even though he had been expecting something he was knocked off his feet, skidding to the edge of the platform as he winced in pain, quickly pulling himself back to his feet. Harry fired the disarming spell, but Nott moved out the way at the last second. "I said Disarm only!" Lockhart snapped but it was ignored by Nott again as he shouted something that caused many students to gasp.
"Serpensortia!" He called out and a snake flew from the end of his wand, hitting the stage roughly halfway between them.
Harry looked at the snake, glanced at the panicked students near the front of the crowd and how they were backing away, he looked at Lockhart who was fumbling for his own wand and Snape who had started to move forward, wand in hand.
"Stand still Potter, I shall deal with this." Snape said in a bored tone, but Lockhart moved quicker.
"Have no fear, I shall deal with this." Lockhart called out as he fired a spell at the snake.
Instead of vanishing it or transfiguring it or stunning it or anything that could have taken care of the snake, it instead shot up into the air and landed roughly back on the stage hissing angrily. The snake looked around, the nearest target of its rage being a student, it reared up, ready to strike. Harry looked at it once more, he had to act to stop it, not that he expected it to act.
"Stop right there." He shouted and everything froze.
The snake.
The Professors.
The Students.
Harry looked around the room and realised something had gone horribly wrong, the snake had stopped, and Snape silently sent a spell at it, the snake disappearing in a flash as the students almost mechanically looked at him.
To the side of the room, Elizabeth watched what happened and found herself with her head in her hands letting out a small groan of frustration.
Why was Harry's luck so extraordinarily bad!?
TBC
This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write, after several chapters from Elizabeth's view on things I wanted to bring it back towards Harry a little bit because it's meant to be both their stories, but to be honest the early years for Harry with things changing around have been a lot less interesting to focus on. With Harry it's the same but slightly different at the moment, things have started to change but not big enough to rock everything to its foundation.
With Elizabeth, it's all new, it's all fresh to work with. So, I've kind of gravitated more towards her as the focal point of the story instead of splitting it. That should shift more back towards an even split as we get to later years, even the end of this year. Still, I may come back and toy around with this chapter at some point but for now. The unknown secret has been revealed.
Also, there probably won't be too much Luna appearing, at first I had a couple of idea but I find myself really struggling to write her in a way that fits her character. She'll still pop up a little bit here and there but she's not going to be a major focus going forwards.
Next Chapter: Rise Rapture Rise!
