AN: So, last chapter was kind of the punch line for a joke that won't be told for a while. It's kind of hard to talk about without ruining but those of you who are re-reading from some point after, say, Sept. 1st 1995 should know what I am talking about. And to everyone who is ready for the pace to pick up, I don't have much happening after christmas this year so the spring will go by quickly.
"Settle down!" Lockhart called jovially as he walked into the Great Hall. "Thank you all for coming to the first meeting of this dueling club. Obviously you already know myself and my assistants, Professors Snape and Flitwick, so I won't waste time on introductions.
"We've put a great deal of thought into how tonight should flow. You all are starting from different skill levels and as such we can't just throw everyone together and expect things to work out correctly. We've come up with a way to work around this." Lockhart smiled broadly. "Professor Flitwick, if you would explain?"
"Yes, well first we're going to ask everyone to arrange themselves by year, then, starting with the first years and working up we're going to have everyone participate in a series of test duels to gauge everyone's strengths and weaknesses." Flitwick said. "This will probably take three meetings but with that information we will sort you into smaller groups to practice one thing or another."
"So why don't we get started!" Lockhart clapped his hands together. "First years please make your way to the dueling platforms, everyone else stand back."
"He's very organized tonight." Hermione observed as a small group of nervous first years made their way towards the front.
"Yea, I suspect that Flitwick was more involved with this than they've said." Harry nodded.
"There sure aren't very many of them." Tonks commented as she counted heads.
"They've only just started. They probably don't know what dueling is yet." Susan added from behind them. "Poor little things."
"You're not that much bigger." George quipped nonchalantly.
"I am too." Susan huffed indignantly.
"Of course, had I wanted to block that it would only have been too easy!" Lockhart boasted as he picked himself up off the floor after Snape successfully demonstrated the disarming hex. "Now we don't expect any of you to get this spell right tonight, we're just looking at how well you do."
"I hope they expect a little more from us." Blaise winced as the first of the first years managed to successfully cast the spell at his unsuspecting opponent.
A few minutes later the first years were sent off to one part of the hall, with a large number of pillows, to keep practicing. The second years were called up after that. Harry pointedly ignored Lockhart's attempts to get him to stand front and center. Once they were all in place a slightly put out but still smiling Lockhart turned to address them. "Alright, we're going to assume that by this point you know at least a few spells." He paused for laughter that didn't come as he walked down the line towards Harry. "Right, so we're going to pick you out in pairs and your year will be the first to have actual test duels. Rules are simple, first to lose their wand, leave the platform, bleed, get knocked out or quit loses. Anyone who uses a potentially lethal application of a spell will be disqualified, so no levitating opponents and dropping them on their heads. Finally, no weapons. Why don't you show us how it is done Harry?" Lockhart suddenly grabbed Harry by the shoulder and dragged him towards the stage. "Would anyone like to be Harry's opponent?"
The response was underwhelming. Finally Snape caught Nott's eye and they shared a small nod. Nott sauntered forward arrogantly to where Snape was standing, who then bent down and whispered in Nott's ear. Harry took his place with a soft sigh and waited for Nott to get ready. "You sure you want to do this Nott?"
"Scared Potter?" Nott spat as he took his place.
"You're joking right?" Harry cocked and eyebrow and shook his head.
"In a couple minutes you'll wish I had been joking!" Nott retorted, lamely, Snape quietly shook his head sadly behind him.
"Right." Harry shrugged and turned to Lockhart. "So can I beat him already or is there something else we're waiting for?"
"Nope, not waiting for anything." Lockhart smiled and hopped off the stage. "First spell on three. One, Two -"
"Serpentsortia!" Nott cast a second early.
Of course. Harry thought with a quiet sigh and a glance into the audience. And Justin just happens to be standing right where he was before too. Not going to talk the snake down this time.
"I'll get rid of it for you Potter, if you forfeit." Snape offered sneering.
"Please allow me!" Harry said at the same time that Lockhart did and sent a vanishing charm at the snake a second behind Lockhart's spell, which hit it and launched the snake skyward, causing Harry's to miss and vanish a patch of the stage instead.
With a mental smirk Harry dashed forward when the snake landed and started heading towards Justin. Harry sheathed his wand as he ran and just as he was almost on it he dove forward. The snake just started striking when Harry's hand darted out and caught it just behind the head.
"Yoink!" Harry shouted as his momentum kept him moving forward. He broke his fall with his left hand and continued into a roll over his left shoulder. Bringing his feet back under himself he stood seamlessly and tossed the snake at Nott, who shrieked and jumped off the stage to avoid being bitten.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck as Snape vanished the snake. "Um, I think I won."
"Yes, well, not exactly the traditional way to win, but this round goes to Harry Potter." Lockhart announced. "How about a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff next?"
Most of the second years had shown up and the duels progressed slowly, each professor picking the opponents and adjudicating the duel for their own individual platforms. It didn't come as much of a surprise a few minutes later when Snape called out "Parkinson, Granger, you're up!"
"Harry! What am I going to do?" Hermione asked suddenly panicked.
"Don't worry, your shield will hold off anything she can throw at you right now." Harry put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Just let her wear herself out and hit her with a stunner or something."
"Just give up now Granger!" Pansy taunted from on stage.
Hermione made a face at her and smiled nervously at Harry before climbing onto the stage herself. She stood at her end and re-settled her robes, then looked Pansy in the eye and smirked. "Ready to be embarrassed?"
"Like a mudblood could ever beat me." Pansy sneered.
"Now now, settle down." Snape smirked sarcastically. "One, Two, Three!"
"Expelliarmus!" Pansy shouted.
"Protego!" Hermione answered, the court had only been training for a little over a week but Hermione's shields were already the strongest of anyone's, except Harry's. Needless to say Pansy's spell hit it harmlessly. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Come on Pansy! Show this mudblood what a pure-blood is really made of!"
Pansy took up the challenge and started casting spell after spell as fast as she could. Stunners and disarmers rained on Hermione for a few minutes until the strain got to be too much for Pansy, when she slowed down to tripping and tickling jinxes. A few minutes after that Pansy was panting and reduced to throwing insults. "Is that all you can do Granger? Sit behind a shield like a coward? Rictumsempra! At least I'm casting things."
"Stupefy!" Hermione shouted as she dropped her shield.
Pansy, shocked at the suddenness of the attack, almost didn't react. "Protego!"
Exhausted and marginally capable, Pansy barely managed to get a thin shield up. Hermione, still being relatively well rested, had put some effort into her spell and blasted right through Pansy's shield, dropping the other girl like a sack of potatoes.
"You should be ashamed to call that a duel Granger." Snape sneered as Hermione turned to exit the stage.
"Thank you sir." Hermione shrugged and walked casually off the stage, then hustled over to Harry and Tonks.
"Davis." Snape walked over to Tracey. "You're up next against Tonks, do better than your other halves."
"Yes sir." Tracey said and glanced over to the celebrating group. "Any advice?"
"Hope her shield isn't as strong as the mudblood's, and if it is don't waste energy on it." Snape scoffed. "Davis, Tonks, go!"
Both girls climbed onto the stage showing equal amounts of trepidation. Tonks knew her shield couldn't withstand the barrage that Hermione's did and Tracey was trying to remember all the ways to mitigate a shield. Snape counted down and let them go at it.
Tracey started with a tripping hex that Tonks jumped over as she fired a tickling jinx back her way. Tracey countered the jinx with just enough time to get her shield up to stop Tonks' stunner. Tracey skipped to the left around a tripping hex and hit Tonks with the slug vomiting hex. Tonks put up a shield between slugs and tried to remember the counter curse.
Tracey fired off a stunner that hit Tonks' shield and caused it to flicker drastically. Tracey smirked and sent another at Tonks. The third stunner dropped Tonks' shield and forced her to jump to the side and roll. Tonks fired a stunner as she found her feet but got hit with a tickling jinx at the same time. Between the tickling and the slugs there was nothing Tonks could do about the next spell and was quickly disarmed.
"Very good Ms. Davis. Finally someone showing us what a duel should look like." Snape smiled. "It's just a shame you couldn't be matched with a worthwhile opponent."
"I think Tonks did very well sir." Tracey shook her head and turned to Tonks. "You almost had me a few times and I would very much like to have a rematch sometime."
"I'd like that." Tonks smiled and picked up her wand. "I'll win next time though."
"Anytime." Tracey smiled and skipped over to Pansy and Nott to brag.
Hannah and Daphne barely lost their duels, while Susan barely scrapped out a win. Blaise got taken by a lucky stunner early on and lost by the greatest margin of all of them. The Twins didn't get to fight because the evening drew to a close with the last of the third years, at the next meeting the two of them would each win with an impressive display of lateral thinking.
HPCOC
Dear Professor Gilderoy Lockhart,
I understand that you have a very busy social calendar but I am hoping that you will find yourself free to join myself and my wife for dinner this Boxing Day. I have a very influential friend who has been dying to meet you and I am sure that the two of you will do great things if you give a partnership a chance. He mentioned something about Salazar's Secret but wouldn't go into details.
Sincerely,
Lord Lucius Malfoy
Gilderoy wondered at first why the words 'Salazar's Secret' appeared to be written over several times. With a shrug he dismissed it, assuming he would understand when he got there. November was already almost over so Lockhart sent an affirmative response immediately and started day dreaming about what the Malfoys would serve. In a quiet corner of Lockhart's soul Tom Riddle had taken hold and understood the importance of the stressed words, he was looking forward to boxing day for an entirely different reason.
HPCOC
"Good morning Harry." George yawned and joined Harry and the girls at the Ravenclaw table on the first Friday of December. "What'd you want us down here this early for?"
"Is it time for your prank?" Fred asked.
"Yes, watch the Head Table." Harry smiled and nodded over his coffee.
The twins turned their attention to the table and found it completely empty except for a tall candle burning in the center. "A candle?"
"Not very inspiring." George commented as Fred shook his head. "So what's it do?"
"On its own nothing." Harry smiled. "But right now it is a timer. There is a rune carved at the bottom and when it melts my spell will end, that is if the professors haven't undone it yet."
"What does your spell do?" Hermione asked as Hagrid walked into the hall.
"Just watch." Harry nodded to Hagrid and smiled as the others turned their silent attention to the half-giant.
"It isn't mean is it?" Hermione asked nervously.
"I wouldn't call it mean so much as annoying." Harry reassured. "It isn't like one of Draco's pranks after all."
"That's good." Hermione said as Hagrid stepped up onto the platform. As Hagrid walked towards the table a slightly shimmering transparent film appeared and stretched as he exerted force on it. A few steps in the film pulled Hagrid to a stop and sent him backwards, causing the big man to stumble slightly.
Not one to be deterred so easily, Hagrid pressed a hand into the film with an amused expression and waited a few seconds and chuckled when his arm bounced back. Hagrid looked around and spotted Harry, smiling like that cat that got the canary, then decided that that was enough to deter him. Hagrid sighed in amusement and walked over to sit with the kids. "That's a' interestin' prank 'Arry."
"Thanks Hagrid." Harry smiled. "But officially I have nothing to do with it."
"Oh, right." Hagrid smiled and thumbed his nose. "Nothing to do with it, gotcha."
"Glad you see it our way!" Tonks grinned and dished up some friend potatoes for Hagrid.
"What the?" Professor Sinistra muttered as she got shoved back a step up on the platform. Not missing a beat she pulled out her wand and started casting charms on the bubble.
"How long do you think that will last?" George asked.
"Depends on when Dumbledore or Flitwick show up." Harry shrugged. "Although McGonagall might be able to bring it down too."
Professors Babbling and Vector had shown up and were conferring with Sinistra when Lockhart came rushing in. Without a glance at anyone he practically ran towards the table. Only one thing came to Hermione's mind when she spotted him. "Oh, merlin."
"Stop Gilderoy!" Babbling called as he approached.
"Sorry, no time to talk." Lockhart replied as he hit the edge of the bubble. "Big lesson to prep for, just need a bite and—AAAHHHH!"
With a sound resembling a huge rubber band snapping Lockhart was launched backwards and off the platform. He landed on his side and rolled across the floor several times before coming to an embarrassing stop under the Slytherin table. Slowly he stood up and dusted himself off, looking around wildly. "What happened?"
"Someone," Babbling said looking pointedly at Harry. "set up a reversed age line around the table. No one over the age of eighteen can cross."
"It's really rather fantastic." Vector admitted with and excited smile and cast another analysis spell. "I wasn't even aware that age lines could be reversed in this way. Albus is going to love seeing this."
"Just bring it down will you?" Lockhart demanded.
"Unless we can prove who put it up or get them to admit it, I don't think we can." Sinistra laughed. "The prankster did good work."
"Fine!" Lockhart snapped. "I'll just take my breakfast in my office."
As the morning went on the Great Hall filled up and more and more professors gathered around the bubble. Snape was there for all of two seconds before he stormed off and brought Dumbledore and Flitwick back with them. The entire student body was eating when Dumbledore arrived and they all watched on eagerly as the greatest wizard of their time got to work pulling apart Harry's prank.
From the moment Dumbledore got started Harry's age line lasted just over ten seconds. Harry felt proud of that time as the bubble burst into a swarm of blue and bronze glitter that swirled through the air. Altogether it formed the words 'Good Luck Tomorrow Ravenclaws!' before reshaping into a giant eagle and flying out of the hall as thunderous applause arose from the Ravenclaw table.
"Excuse me! Could whichever one of you who pulled that please come forward, I'd really like to talk about the theory behind your modification." Dumbledore shouted to Harry over the applause and waited a moment. "I guess not, oh well. On a related note I would like to inform the student body that from now on you will need authorization from a professor before being allowed to cast an age line on Hogwart's grounds. Thank you."
Some day Harry is going to leave a trace. Albus thought ruefully as he sat down. He can't get away so cleanly every time after all. His thoughts quickly moved on when Babbling recounted the story of Lockhart's mistake.
HPCOC
"WELCOME QUIDDITCH FANS, TO THE SECOND GAME OF THE SEASON!" Lee Jordan yelled the next day. "Today's match is between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff!"
Lee introduced all of the players as they came onto the field and took up their positions. Harry glanced up and found his friends in the stands and managed to salute them with his bat before Madam Hooch released the balls. From the announcer's booth Lee's voice rang out again. "AND THEY'RE OFF!"
"You're sure they'll be okay?" Hermione asked the twins nervously. "It is their first game."
"They'll be fine Hermione." Fred whined. "Just watch, you'll see."
"Yea." Susan nodded. "Even though I want Hufflepuff to win I'm still sure that Harry and Tonks will be the best on the field."
"Hufflepuff isn't going to win." Blaise observed.
"Shut it Zabini!" Hannah scolded.
The day was bright and sunny but very cold, as it tended to be in early December. The chill had seeped though Harry's whole body and within twenty minutes of starting the match his arms were numb all the way through. The force of every strike reverberated painfully through his arm. He could tell that Tonks wasn't doing much better as he watched her almost fumble an easy catch.
Ravenclaw was in a slight lead of 50-30 when Harry spotted the snitch. His first impulse was to dive after it but he stopped himself in time and glanced around until he spotted Cho. He waved his bat to get her attention and nodded towards the snitch.
Hufflepuff took possession as Cho started off after the snitch. Cedric spotted it a moment later, having also noticed Harry's hint and angled down into a dive. They were about equidistant from the little gold ball but Cho was climbing and Cedric would beat her there. The Hufflepuff chasers didn't seem to notice a thing and were flying rapidly towards the Ravenclaw goals, their path would take them very close to Cedric's.
Harry approached a bludger in a moment of clarity and hit it as hard as he could at the chasers. Like magic Cedric, the chasers and the bludger all came together at once. The chasers broke rank and the one with the quaffle rolled right into Cedric, who wasn't able to pull up in time, knocking him off his broom.
Cedric plunged passed Cho just as she caught the snitch, ending the game. As Cedric fell Harry dove and cast a cushioning charm where Cedric would land. Harry stretched out and grabbed Cedric's arm as they approached the ground and slowed him down just enough to be gently dropped ten meters onto the soft spot. "Sorry about that Ceddy, wasn't my intent."
"It's fine Potter. Just part of the game." Cedric shouted up as he stood up. "And I really don't like Ceddy."
"Understood." Harry smirked and flew up to join his celebrating team.
HPCOC
"Hello Ms. Lovegood." Lockhart smiled as he walked into the library during the last week of classes before break. "What are you working on?"
"Christmas present." Luna said looking up from the dolls she was carving. "For Harry."
"I see." Lockhart said and picked up one that was shaped like Harry, except with a duck bill. "Are you doing all of his friends too?"
"Oh yes, Hermione and Tonks are already done, the twins and the Slytherins just need to be painted, the rest will probably take me until the end of the night." Luna smiled and shaved a tiny sliver off of Susan's nose.
"Oh, they look nice." Lockhart said and set the Harry doll back down. "Good luck with them."
"Thank you sir." Luna focused on her work again while Lockhart meandered deeper into the library.
HPCOC
"Stupid portrait." Tom Riddle grumbled as he entered the Ravenclaw common room the last night of term. "A silly riddle isn't going to stop anyone. Whatever, now where is that box?"
Tom was pleased that the Ravenclaws, like the other houses, followed the tradition of putting their presents to each other under the tree before leaving for break. It made it really easy for him to find Luna's gift to Harry. It only took him a few minutes to make his addition and conceal the evidence and slip back out of the tower.
"Happy Christmas Potter!" Tom giggled.