Midnight Duel
AN: I've spent a good amount of time on this one over the past month. I recently went on holiday and finished it there, but didn't have the capacity to upload it. Do try and enjoy it, and make sure and send me a nice private message if you have any questions or leave a review.
Follow for marvelously missed deadlines and to get an update.
Italics represents thoughts/Tom thinkings
Bold represents parseltongue
This represents Harry's thoughts
Harry woke on the first morning of term classes bright and early. The boy's dormitory was beautiful. Although dark and lacking natural light, the room felt new but traditional – certainly not tacky. The green canopy beds with curtains took a moment to get used to, but Harry quickly learnt to fall in love with the silver and green look. It just worked.
The only person of the new male cohort he had a hard time getting friendly with was Blaise Zabini. His mother, seven times a widow, was made wealthy from the various men she married who had unfortunately died over the years. They left her vast sums of money in their death, all dying under mysterious circumstances. Blaise, the son of the first who died from an assumed explosion, perhaps from a Cauldron, was her only child. In full, he didn't get along with any of the other Slytherin students. Not yet. Harry supposed he needed some time to open up to the best of the group.
They were told the evening before to make sure and arrive in the Slytherin common room for eight in the morning for a introduction to Slytherin house by their Head of House, and would be provided with their class schedules for the year. Harry wanted to ensure he made the best first impressions. As cousin Narcissa always said, first impressions last a lifetime – especially with the potions master.
"Another eleven Slytherin students join the rank of our proud house." Snape began with a drawl. "Slytherin is the house of cunning, resourcefulness, and power. For those of you worthy enough to live up to those expectations and those that seek it, you will find a wealth of opportunities. Don't waste this opportunity.
"Here are your timetables for the week, right up until Christmas." Snape continued, and walked across the line of students. "You'll be with me for double potions on Friday, with the Gryffindors. Don't be late, and ensure you read up on your textbooks before coming to class. You have a week, and you might find it opportunistic."
He stepped in front of Harry next, and said. "Potter, our new celebrity. Don't let me catch you involved in any rule breaking, or otherwise, I'll make sure your punishment is all that little bit more spirited, shall we say? Simply looking at you and I know that you are one to attract punishment." Before handing him his timetable.
"Professor–" Harry began
"Don't interrupt," he continued his drawl. "Already living up to my expectation of you – with conviction"
He finished handing out the rest of the timetables, before stepping back in front of them all. "Any questions?" There was silence. "No? Good. That's how I like it. Now head up for breakfast. I don't want to find any of you in my office, unless you've developed a new potion to cure the headache one would give me…"
The eleven Slytherins looked at each other slightly confused when the potions professor stopped talking. "Dismissed." He simply said before each of the grouped up and headed to the Great Hall.
"Well that was weird." Draco said to Harry, as they climbed the stairs, far out of earshot from Snape.
"You can say that again," Harry agreed immediately.
"I heard the only reason he survived that night was because he was much darker than You-Know-Who, so much stronger and eviller that he couldn't kill him." He overheard Hannah Abbot in the Hufflepuff house gossiping with her fellow first years, as they took their seats at the Slytherin table.
Harry always preferred the seat against the wall, so he could look at everyone else. His simple solution to the gossiping was to stare at the girl, until someone slowly pointed it out that he was looking at her. He stared at her with a cold hard face, without losing an ounce of focus. When he went to grab toast and jam at the table, she could still feel the chill on her back.
Until Pansy interrupted it. She was sitting beside him. "Don't bother with her, the Hufflepuffs will learn their place Harry. They all will."
Pansy might be having Harry's back, but she too had her suspicions about Harry being darker and more powerful than Voldemort. That's why she became friends with him. If he was the man to defeat the Dark Lord, then she wanted to be by his side as he pressed forward with his path to power. You don't defeat a Dark Lord as great as Voldemort by chance or accident, there was more to Harry than he let on.
"Anyway," Theodore spoke. "Transfiguration first"
This time Millicent spoke up. "I actually like the idea of Transfiguration. Certainly beats Herbology"
"Not exactly a good measure of success, is it?" Draco laughed. "Father says that History of Magic is the most useless of the core. It's useful to know the past, but it's taught by a boring ghost."
"A ghost?" Tracy Davis, Harry believed her name was, spoke up with an incredulous voice. Harry thought better than to ask the name of the genius who thought that was a good idea – it was simply written on the walls. The place was decorated in that Headmaster's foolishness, painted like a crime scene where the antagonist wants to be found out. What kind of an idiot hires a ghost to teach children, or a killer to mind the castle that protects them?
"Imogen Stretton," a stunning dark-haired girl sitting beside Harry spoke, and shook his hand. Harry almost speechless shook her hand. "I've had Binn's class, and I can confirm that he is the worst. I'd rather snog a frog than sit in his classroom again. When do you have him?"
Pansy eyed her up and down, but Harry could barely stammer out, "Wednesday morning. Harry Potter by the way."
"I know…" she replied. "Word of advice: don't drink coffee before that class and sit near the back. You'll get a good sleep."
"Thanks." Harry acknowledged and smiled before Imogen departed for class.
"We better be leaving as well, Harry." Pansy spoke up. "We have transfiguration with McGonagall, and I bet she favours Gryffindors"
Harry nodded and the cohort of first year Slytherins left together as one large pact. Draco, Pansy, and Harry walked together at the front of the group, taking up most of the hallway. Pansy had her arm lazily on Harry's shoulder, as they climbed the steps to the courtyard near McGonagall's class. They arrived with five minutes to spare grabbing seats near the centre of the room. They realised that if they sat at the back they might be asked to move forward, being the first students there.
As the rest of the students started to scuttle in, the emerald Professor waltzed in from the back of the room slamming the door shut with her wand behind her. She noted that all but three desks at the front had been filled
"Transfiguration, a deadly subject." Professor McGonagall from the back of the room. She was loud but not shouting. "The most dangerous subject you will be fortunate enough to learn at this school, the very art of turning one object into another. It is beautiful; it is an art form. In the wrong hands it can be dangerous. That is why you'll sit here and make notes on chapter one from the textbook – because I know no one here will have read it."
A hand shot up from the very front of the classroom.
"Yes, Miss… Granger?" The Professor spoke with the tiniest hint of annoyance from having been interrupted on her most important lecture of the year.
"I have Professor." Hermione said proudly, "in fact I've read the whole book."
Harry could see from the corner of his eye Pansy rolling her eyes, and she turned toward him. "Typical know-it-all mudblood". Harry didn't really react to it, apart from a neutral and reserved muted response.
"Very good, Miss Granger." The Professor smiled from the front. "Nevertheless, the class today shall be taking notes on chapter one. It's unfortunate that the rest of your cohort didn't display the same enthusiasm for my subject. Before I do, can anyone tell me what an animagus is?"
A solitary hand shot up, and Harry didn't even need to bother to look to know who had raised it. "An animagus is a rare ability for a witch or wizard to transform into a particular animal at will."
"Indeed. Well done, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor!"
Pansy puffed the air in front of her.
"There are but a handful of registered animagus' with the Ministry of Magic, I am one of them. I'm going to demonstrate my transformation in front of you, and then you will begin your note taking. Am I clear?"
"Yes Professor" the class repeated in a lazy fashion.
The lazy boredom quickly changed as the tall emerald witches transformed into a brown and gold cat in front of them. Harry's eyebrows widened with surprise, as he couldn't have thought such a thing were possible had he not seen it for himself. There was a brief minute of shock from the rest of the students, before everyone opened up their copy of the textbook.
Thirty minutes later the class turned their eyes to see Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas running into the transfiguration class late. The students took various glances at the two boys before looking forward again and making notes. Harry smiled to Draco, who grinned back.
"Blimey! Lucky us, McGonagall still hasn't arrived yet. What's the time?" Ron said panting before heading towards the front of the room to find a seat.
Stopping him in his path, the cat strolled up to meet him and quickly morphed into a fully-fledged witch.
"Perhaps if I transfigured Mr Finnegan into a watch, perhaps the rest of you two would be on time?" The Professor raised her eyebrows to the two boys.
"Sorry Professor," Seamus spoke up on behalf of the group. "It won't happen again."
"Fine, but I require twenty minutes of your time at the end of today at five so I can brief you on today's lecture. Perhaps the most important of the term. Don't be late." The professor compromised, before heading back to her desk. "Now, take your seats at the front – the seats that you all take today are your seats for the year. Take notes on chapter one of the textbook."
After transfiguration, at eleven they had charms class with the half-goblin Professor Flitwick. A world-renowned dueller turned Professor, apparently it appeared that in the wizarding community the "if you can do it, teach it" rule applied – rather than "if you can't do it, teach it". Thankfully the charms class was with the Ravenclaw students. Harry got talking to Stephen Cornfoot before the class start, and had a good laugh with the chap. Harry didn't mention to Stephen, but he found his name funny. It reminded him of his Aunt Petunia, when he would have to help remove the corns from her feet. That didn't best please him. Fortunately, Stephen was a pureblood, and a smart one at that. Charms class primarily focused on theory, much like transfiguration.
"Don't forget, same charm time, same charm place, every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday." The Professor said before they left.
"Saturday?" Harry groaned as the stepped out of the classroom. "Even the muggles aren't that barbaric."
"It's not too bad, we get Friday afternoons off, and we don't have class on Saturday after lunch or Sunday at all." Stephen tried to compromise.
"I suppose. It's been a total of four hours of lessons today and we still haven't done a single spell." Harry huffed as they stepped through the Great Hall after charms class.
"Dreadful, isn't it." Pansy moaned stepping through with him.
"Both of you lack any sort of imagination, don't you? You don't need magic to have fun around here – you just need a gullible idiot. Oh! Speak of the ginger troll, and he appears." Draco tried perking the two up.
Ron gave Draco a sharp looked as he walked through the doors with Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. "What tripe are you talking these days Malfoy?"
"Harry and I were just discussing the little bet we had with Father, actually." Draco smirked. "You see, Father and I think Longbottom would be the first to be expelled for being a squib in disguise. Harry on the other hand disagree, he thinks it's going to be you."
Ron almost jerked before scrunching up his face, staring at face. If looks could kill, not even a ferret would die. Neville, on the other hand, looked timid.
"I bet the wand is also a hand me down," Harry met Ron with a smug glare, before brushing his hair with his hand ensuring it stuck up. He had spent long enough on it that morning. "Not because you couldn't afford a new wand, but Ollivander wouldn't let him have one."
"That's just rude." Hermione protested from behind the pair.
"No one asked you, mudblood." Pansy retorted.
"A duel, then." Draco looked Ron up and down. "Midnight, tonight."
"Done." Ron agreed instantly. "Neville is my second."
"Harry, mine." Draco replied. "Midnight in the trophy room, don't be late."
"You can't be serious?" Harry spoke lowly as they got away from the Gryffindors and closer to the table, while Draco was still laughing. He was impressed with himself. "We don't know proper magic yet"
"I told you, we don't need magic to have some fun around here." Draco repeated himself rather best pleased with himself.
"You're not going to go." Harry quickly realised.
"Exactly, but we will have our fun." Draco smiled deviously. "All we need is a certain squib named Filch and they'll be hung out to dry."
An owl Harry and Draco recognised flew into the room. It dropped a small brown package on the table in front of them, and a single envelope addressed to the pair and containing a letter.
"It's Father" Draco smiled reading the letter. "And mother. She brought us sweets. Congratulations to the both of us for getting sorted into Slytherin, and was impressed by how quickly I was sorted into Slytherin."
"You were speaking to them?" Harry asked confused.
"I sent a quick letter before going to sleep." Draco answered. "He wanted to know how the sorting went on, so I let him know." Draco continued reading the letter before stopping near the end. "Father wants to know what you'll write about in your column in the Daily Prophet, we should write back."
"I don't know what to say" Harry answered honestly.
"I have an idea." Draco baited Harry very subtly. His face looked as honest and open as ever, despite hiding a scheme. "How about father writes something and you give the green light?"
"I suppose that's true." Harry replied naively. "Although I'm very disappointed about the Hagrid situation."
"You don't want to talk about that right away," Draco quickly questioned. "You want to give the readers a sense of 'you thought he was bad and then you found this out'. Cement your place in this school and then discredit it."
"True. Let's write to Lucius when we are back in the Slytherin common room," Harry looked to the Hufflepuff table who were suspiciously quiet, and realised how loud he was speaking. "Too many ears here."
Draco stood up. "Sure thing, you can have the sweets. I've got an errand to run, and a certain squib to see. I'll see you at Defence." He winked before walking out of the Great Hall.
"Draco is up to something." Theodore said bluntly as soon as he walked out the door.
"Indeed." Harry mused, and, besides talking to Filch, he didn't have the faintest idea what it might be.
Imogen sat down across from Harry. "How were the first classes, Harry?"
"We didn't cast a single spell today, Imogen." Harry replied glumly.
"Transfiguration then." Imogen picked up quickly, "you'll soon be turning matches into needles."
"How was your day?" Harry asked.
"We had potions with Snape, which never goes too badly." Imogen laughed to herself. "You'll see what I mean when you have him. He favours the Slytherins which means it can be quite entertaining – but don't laugh too obviously in his class."
"Good to know." Harry laughed with her. He turned to Pansy, Theo, and the rest of the group before standing up. "We should head to Defence Against the Dark Arts. See you later Imogen."
"You too, Harry." She smiled before turning to the rest of the second years.
Tracy decided to walk beside Harry as they made their way to defence class. "Where is this place again? She asked, faking niavety.
"Near the middle courtyard, apparently. I think I heard someone say it's usually up on the third floor – but not there for the obvious reason." Harry answered with a smile.
"Potions, Transfiguration, and Defence with the Gryffindors?" Pansy moaned from the back.
"It's only bad when you fail to see the silver lining," Theo spoke up beside her. "It's never bad to have someone make you look good."
"I don't need someone to make me look good," Harry joked sarcastically. "But I suppose it wouldn't be bad for you guys."
"We will see about that Potter." Millicent laughed beside him before shoving him playfully into Tracey
"Hey!" She protested as he knocked into her. "Actions have consequences, Millicent"
"Oh shut up"
They arrived at the classroom before taking their seats. Draco was already sitting down in the middle of the classroom and gestured for Harry to take the seat beside him.
"It's done." Draco said continuing to look forward.
"Great," Harry continued looking forward as the Professor entered the room from behind.
"Good Afternoon class!" The Professor bellowed throughout the classroom, crisp and clearly.
"Good afternoon, Professor Quirrell" They replier rather faintly.
"So you're here for Defence Against the Dark Arts." He raises his right eyebrows. "Well, let us start with lesson one. The affinity of magic is in the eye of the beholder and there's a large grey area. There is good and evil magic, there are only powerful spells and those too weak to use them.
We will of course in our lessons come across subject matters where we want to tackle so-called dark creatures, say for example a troll or a magic. But what I am here to teach you is about all sorts of magic, light, grey, and dark. The best way to defend against a dark wizard is to learn the weapons that one might utilise.
You will learn every defensive and offensive spell I see fit. But of course, you're first years. So first we have some note taking to do–" There was an audible groan in the direction of Harry Potter. He didn't expect the bold eyes of an entire classroom piercing his skin. "Something to add, Potter?"
"No, sir." Harry paused. "Well, actually, we've been doing theory all day sir. It's our first day of Hogwarts and we haven't done any spells yet." He made sure and give a snare to Ron, almost like a look of warning. Foreboding.
"Fair." The Professor replied before the excitement of the classroom. "But you will be do the theory with me tomorrow without the moaning. Clear?"
"Yes Professor." The entire class agreed with an elevated voice.
"Okay, stand up classroom. Wand in your pockets for the first part. Today, we will be learning the Knockback Jinx. The spell does exactly what it says it does, it knocks your opponent back. Now, Mr. Potter I was wondering if you would be able to tell me the incantation for it?"
"Flipendo Professor"
"Fantastic job. Repeat after me class. Make sure your wands are away! Now, Flipendo!"
"Flipendo!" The entire class exclaimed with the greatest enthusiasm they've had all day.
"Again!" He beamed.
"Flipendo!" The repeated with greater enthusiasm.
"Fantastic! Now, as those of you who read the assigned reading you would know the peculiar wand movements. Take your wands out. It's that v and curled u shape flick. Just repeat after me, without the incantation!"
Harry tried for several attempts, before really getting the knack of it. Yet it was Hermione who, having devoted her time to getting ahead of her class, got the wand movements correctly first.
"Well done Miss…?"
"Granger, Professor." She beamed up at him.
"A muggleborn as well," he began before finishing. "Not that I'm prejudice! Not at all dear girl, keep practising."
After a couple more attempts, Professor Quirrell approached Harry. "Aah. You see here Potter; your mistake is that you are slowing down between the v and u shape. You need to make it a quick transition into it, one smooth quick motion – just as the book says."
Harry tried again, and received a firm pat on the back by the Professor, indicating he had done well, before he moved onto the next student.
The class wrapped up after another half an hour, with many of the students being exhausted. Draco and Harry tested against each other, making correcting each other on their wand movements. While Hermione was still trying to show Ron the correct way of doing it.
"Right class! I've got a special treat for you. Hermione, as the first student to master the wand movement I was wondering if you would come up here and join me?" The Professor in an authoritative manner, it wasn't much of a question but a request. Hermione rather timidly and with hesitation joined him. "As a reward for your skill, you may cast the spell on me to demonstrate the spell to the rest of the class."
Hermione stood there rather nervous before murmuring, "I don't want to do that sir."
"You don't want to cast a spell on your teacher? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity." He spoke confused. Yet Hermione remained silent. "If you're unwilling to cast the spell… 10 points from Gryffindor! Magical theory is one thing, but utility is another. Harry! Come up and join me, the second student to master the wand movement."
With a spring in his step, Harry walked up to the top of the classroom. "Now, I don't suppose I could guess what you would like me to do?"
"Not so quickly. I want you to cast it, but with a twist. Cast the spell on your classmate who was too weak to cast it."
Harry took the wand out from his pocket, and with great hesitation pointed it at the bushy haired girl. She squirmed a little as it came to meet her, but putting on a bold face and straightened her back.
"Flipendo!" Harry cast with confidence in his voice. A twisting blue and yellow spark emerged from his wand and with punched Hermione in the chest. She flew back hitting the front row desk. Harry took a step towards her, but he felt some sort of urge and energy to do nothing – and so he did nothing. Hermione slowly got back onto her feet from the floor, before, with a entirely embarrassed red face, moved swiftly back to her seat in the deadly silent classroom.
"Very nice cast Potter." The Professor applauded breaking the silence. "Ten points to Slytherin and ten points to Hermione Granger in Gryffindor for being so brave and taking the hit well. And that's it for today's class folks, indeed we ran over the clock a little bit."
"Potter, can you stay back for a moment?" The Professor spoke as everyone began packing up their books.
"Yes, Professor?" Harry said as the last student left the classroom.
"I admire your eagerness to learn new spells Harry, I too didn't very much appreciate the finer details of theory magic when I was your age. Yet I came to learn that is marks the difference between a good wizard, and a great one. I found it interesting that you didn't check up on your classmate, although I could see that you wanted to.
"You embody much of the qualities I myself had when I was a young boy. That same slithering drive and ambition. That cunning and resourceful attitude, and the willingness to do whatever it takes."
"Professor Quirrell, I thought you were in Ravenclaw?"
Harry could feel a sharp burn in his forehead for the slightest moment, but it subsided. "Yes of course. Very inquisitive. Now, classes are over for the day. Go see your friends."
That was weird. Tom spoke as he stepped out of the classroom and was down the hallway a little bit.
What's weird, Tom?
I had a blackout there. That has never happened before.
What do you mean?
For the briefest of moments, at once, I didn't exist. That's either one strange coincidence, or somethings up with Quirrell.
That's strange, I had a terribly sharp pain head. Maybe I just had a sore head, or a migraine?
Maybe, maybe… Tom didn't sound convinced.
"Students out of bed! STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Filch's shout echoed through the staircase.
Harry and Draco sniggered, listening just slightly outside of their dormitories. They would have gone further up, knowing Filch was pre-occupied, but a further view wasn't required.
"Potter and Malfoy, they'll be round here somewhere!" They heard the sound of Ron's voice pleading.
"I've heard it all before. If you like Trophy Rooms so much, how about you spend the next week in detention cleaning them?"
"Malfoy, you coward!" Ron strode up to Draco and Harry as they were having breakfast that very next morning.
"Weasel? We were wondering when you were ever going to show up." Draco hissed back, while the rest of the Slytherin table began to snigger between themselves. "Everyone, Weasley here was a no show at a duel we had last night." The spoke to the group of Slytherins while a couple of first year Hufflepuffs turned their heads to listen in.
"We were there! Filch found us as we were in the Trophy Room." He almost shouted back.
"Well then you missed the first step," Harry smiled back. "The duelling part. It's not our fault you weren't smart enough to get past Filch. If you can't handle a squib, you wouldn't stand a chance against us."
"You set us up," Neville replied.
"No. You lack that little bit of cunning." Imogen had turned to face them, before looking back at her breakfast. "Now move along. After a while, poverty starts to smell."
"That wasn't cunning, that was pathetic and cowardly." Ron snarled at the group before bringing Neville back to the Gryffindor table.
AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm attempting to introduce new characters into the story, while building up the Gryffindor cohort. Quirrell is also introduced in rather spectacular fashion, as intended. Perhaps he has his attention on new sights?
Enjoy the chapter? Leave a like/follow/review please! Every notification encourages me to write more! I have some great ideas for this story, it was lacking a plot at first, but I have thought of something now :D
I strongly recommend that you follow it to receive updates and notifications for when the next chapter is released.