Chapter 55 - A Good Defense
"Wait!"
Remus laughed at his reaction. "You really expect someone who may attack you to give you a fair warning? Life doesn't happen that way. Especially when you're dealing with Deatheaters! Understand that first practical lesson?"
"Yes sir!" 'Ginny, we've gone on to sparring down here. Don't worry!'
"Let's take this at a slower pace then." Remus waved his wand and the chairs separated and moved to the walls leaving a clear space in the classroom. "The easiest way to not lose a fight is to avoid it - run away. There is no disgrace in admitting you are outclassed or outnumbered. Live to fight another day and all that." Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"The second lesson is to avoid the spell - that's what we're going to work on now." Remus held his wand up and a spark jumped out of it. "A simple stinging spell. Not deadly but very annoying. You're the target Harry." Remus then shot a spark at Harry. Harry dove out of the way but Remus quickly launched another shot that hit Harry when he was lying on the floor.
"Lesson two and a half Harry. Always know where your opponent is and be ready to dodge again or fight back. We are going to just work on avoidance this morning. Ready?"
Harry nodded and the session began again. Harry dodged, rolled and leaped for almost a half hour as Remus ran him ragged. Remus called a halt when Harry lay on the floor exhausted. Harry rolled over on his back gasping for air as Remus came over to him.
"Conditioning?"
"Understood now. Very ineffective if I can't keep up" Harry managed to gasp as he got to his feet.
"Most attacks or duels never last as long as what I just put you through Harry. But we learned in the last war that anything may happen anytime." Remus pulled a couple of the chairs out from against the wall. "Let's take a breather then and we'll get back to talking. Catch your breath, Harry."
Harry sat on the chair and waited for his breathing to get back to normal. Looking at his professor, Harry realized that Remus had pushed himself also to keep up the pace on Harry! Harry smiled at that thought.
"Patchum" Harry said loudly. The house elf appeared with a small pop and began smiling when he saw who had called him. "Master Harry, welcome back to Hogwarts. What can I do for you today?"
"Can we get a jug of cold water or pumpkin juice and a couple of glasses Patchum? I'm afraid the professor here has been running me around and we're both a little thirsty."
"Of course. Hello, Professor Lupin. Would you desire any food also?"
"No Patchum, the liquids will suffice" Remus said with a smile. 'It's amazing how quickly Harry found friends anywhere he went' he thought.
Patchum bowed to Harry and Remus and disappeared. He returned almost instantly carrying a tray with a jug and a couple of glasses. Harry noticed a couple of small pastries on one side of the platter and smiled.
Harry took the tray and thanked the house elf. Patchum smiled at the two and disappeared in the middle of his bow. While Remus poured the pumpkin juice, Harry reached for one of the pastries and began eating it.
"Any questions there Harry?" Remus asked quietly. He watched Harry quickly gulp down one glass of juice and pour himself another.
"I was told by Mr. Weasley that there is a Shield spell. Is it difficult to learn?"
"It isn't usually taught at Hogwarts until the sixth or seventh year. It takes a lot of magic to create and even more to sustain it for any time. If you want to stay after lunch, we'll talk about it and I'll show you the wand movement. Don't expect too much out of it right off the bat, ok?"
"OK, Remus, I just want to do well. I think it's not just about me but protecting my friends also."
"That's an admirable thought Harry. I was very impressed by what you handled when I was trying to sting you. Your reflexes are very good; better than I think your fathers were and he was an Auror."
"Am I going to practice some of those spells you showed me?"
Professor Lupin smiled at his young pupil. "I believe there may be time to practice some after lunch as long as you promise to take it easy on an older wizard. I have a question for you now. What in this room could you have used defensively if I let you?"
Harry looked around at the classroom and started listing off the items. "Well, the desks could have been used as a shield to hide behind or throw in the way of a spell. Same for the books and the shelves from that side of the room. That tapestry could have been thrown at or over you to distract or blind you momentarily. Depending on where you were standing I might have dropped a chandelier on you like what happened at Ollivander's."
"That would have been a good distraction also Harry" said Remus, "even if I hadn't been under it. What else?"
Harry named two or three other things in the classroom that he had thought of and whistled in amazement as Remus picked out a dozen others. "It's just experience Harry. There will probably be things you think of that nobody else will. Try to keep a clear head about you in the midst of all the confusion."
Just as Harry was about to ask another question, they both heard a large noise coming from the corridor and Fawkes appeared in the center of the chamber with a burst of flames. It flew around the room once singing loudly and came down to land on Harry's shoulder.
"I guess that's our call to lunch, Harry. Bring along the tray and the house elves will pick it up in the Great Hall."
Harry and Remus walked out of the classroom with Harry carrying the tray and Fawkes flying slowly around their heads. They arrived at the Great Hall to find a circular table instead of the long one at the front of the room. Headmaster Dumbledore as well as Professors McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick were currently sitting there quietly talking amongst themselves. When Snape saw Harry and Professor Lupin enter the hall, he stood up and strode out of the hall with his robes flapping angrily about him. Remus smiled down at Harry as if to say 'his loss'. Harry returned a chuckle, which graduated, into a full smile when he saw Madame Pomfrey and Ginny enter the room.
Harry went down to meet Ginny and said hello to Madame Pomfrey. She passed him and smiled and then Harry was caught up in a brief hug by Ginny.
'You ok? I heard you were dueling!'
"Just being used as target practice was more like it" Harry said this aloud and mentally warned Ginny that they were being observed. They both turned around and sure enough, all the staff was smiling at them. Ginny joined Harry in blushing but he just patted her shoulder for a bit to calm her down.
Harry turned to head back to the main table where the professors were seated but Ginny grabbed his hand and stopped him. "I don't think I'm quite ready to go up there yet. All those professors and Dumbledore!" Harry saw that Dumbledore was still looking at them so he pointed questionably at the nearest table. Dumbledore just nodded his head slightly so Harry went and sat at the nearest table with Ginny settling down across from him. They started talking about the separate experiences during the morning and Harry listened raptly as Ginny talked about the things that Madame Pomfrey expected of her.
A few minutes later, another couple entered the hall and sat down. Harry saw a very skinny witch wearing huge glasses. She had a variety of jewelry around her neck and wrists that jingled as she walked. Harry was surprised to see that she was talking animatedly with a ghost who walked beside her.
"I think I know about those two," Ginny said. "The twins have told me all about the professors here. The tall one is Professor Trelawney- she teaches Divination. George told me that she usually predicts nothing but gloom and doom for everyone. The ghost is Professor Binns and he teaches the History of Magic. Both the twins have told me that his class is a good place to take a nap or do your other assignments."
Evidently, the seating of those two professors was the signal for the food to arrive. The main table simply had the food appear while Patchum popped in next to Ginny startling her. Patchum was carrying a tray full of sandwiches and cheese and another jug of juice. He set the tray on table while Harry did the introductions.
"Ginny, this is Patchum. He is one of the house elves here and he helps take care of the Gryffindor dorms. Patchum, this is Ginny Weasley. She'll be here learning from Madame Pomfrey and attending classes part time when school starts."
Patchum stood back and bowed to Ginny. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Weasley. You and Master Harry will do very important things here at Hogwarts."
Ginny, surprised at the statement, stammered out her thanks for the meal and watched as Patchum disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. She turned back to face Harry. "What was that about?"
"I'm not sure, Ginny. He has the impression somehow that I am still going to do something impressive in the future. I don't know why he thinks that way."
"Probably something he heard somewhere about the fate of a previous dark lord Harry." Ginny was holding in her giggles as she said this so Harry just shook his head back at her.
The two youngsters ate the meal with relish and talked some more about their mornings. Ginny had some homework to do before she came back for the start of classes and had been taught some minor healing spells that she could practice the wand motions to. Ginny said that Madame Pomfrey jokingly told her she should not hurt anybody deliberately just to practice her healing, but she would understand it if one of the twins might start school in a cast! Harry laughed at the joke and told Ginny she would probably have a good time learning from Madame Pomfrey.
Harry told Ginny about all the spells that Professor Lupin had shown him in that classroom. And let her see through his memory how the exercise with the stinging hex had gone. She told Harry she couldn't have lasted even a couple of minutes at the pace that they had been going at. She was asking Harry how long the stinging lasted after he had been hit when they heard a clearing of a throat besides them.
Ginny and Harry had been so engrossed with their own conversation that they never noticed the Headmaster approaching their table. They both started standing up but Dumbledore waved them down and indicated that they should remain seated.
"Miss Weasley, Poppy tells me that you were a very attentive student this morning but she has no need for you to remain here for the afternoon. Likewise Harry, Professor Lupin said you made excellent progress in your session this morning."
Harry and Ginny both nodded their heads in understanding and sadly thought that they were being sent back to the Burrow. The next words from Headmaster Dumbledore however caused them both to smile broadly.
"I think Miss Weasley might appreciate a tour of the school and grounds Harry. Miss Weasley, would you be interested in helping test Harry about his lesson this morning? It would involve using your wand a bit."
