Chapter Six: The Dueling Club:
It was barely a week into the term that Alvin started the defense club, as he was expecting a lot of students he held it in the great hall. Before he tested the students to see what level they were at he was going to give them a treat. Severus had been a right pain taunting him and staying he could take him down as he was far more powerful than him. This was true, Alvin could feel the power off the man. Yet while Alvin was not as powerful he was quick and very, very talented. He knew spells that Severus did not and knew surprise and flexibility could carry him in a duel, at least that was the plan. It was this reason he agreed to duel Severus to show him what an American could do, even without great reserves of power. So it was he strode onto the dais (no pompous stage for him, he was not Lockhart after all) and faced the majority of the student body.
"Welcome to the defense club, I will warn you this is a privilege, one that can and will be taken away if I find you using any dark arts or trying to hurt each other on purpose." Alvin said, "it will be hard, very hard but if you can handle it you will go far. Some training will be done with everyone, but some will be too advanced for the first and second years, your magic has not built to a level yet to deal with some of the magic done here. That is normal and nothing to worry about, you will practice yes but I do not expect you to be able to fully do the spells I teach. The older years can handle it though it will be hard. Now for a treat, who wants to see me take down professor Snape?"
"Yes sir!" Ron said a bit too loudly getting Snape to glare at him and the boy to gulp and nearly hide.
"I will tell you now professor Snape is more powerful than me." Alvin said getting murmurs, "yes it is true, but I have things I can use that well, he will find why Americans are the best!"
"As if you annoying Yank, your wife will be trying to put you back together when I am done with you." Severus shot at him.
"And my wife will make sure to let you know what she thinks of that." Alvin said.
"I will make sure you do not do anything deadly, maiming or humiliating." Flitwick said stepping up.
"His face is humiliating." Severus said.
"Look in the mirror." Alvin said getting the students to do their best not to laugh, "oh that was rude, I really should not take after you professor Snape."
The look on Severus's face was priceless and with a word the duel was underway. To the students it was terrifying, to most. Yet most of the Slytherins were smirking, it was so clear to them these two were friends, they may be able to fool the other houses but Slytherin could see that they really did like each other. They too did respect professor Stone, he was real, nothing fake about him and you knew where you stood with him. Who cared if he liked to lead the other students along? He was nice to their head of house and in fact had a lot of qualities that Salazar would have liked, if there was not the problem with his blood status, or lack of it as Americans had no blood status.
The duel was hot, and yet the two men were not trying to kill each other, yes they were trying to win but not at the cost of the other's life. That did not mean they did not give as good as they got, far from it. They were fast and fought hard and well and it was very clear that Alvin used a style never seen in England before. It was a clear blend, and only Su Li could see the blend of east and west in the style. It was throwing Severus for a loop and he was no slouch at defense either. Spells flew all over the dais, splashing against a shield set up by Dumbledore to protect the students. Alvin had been hit and blood gushed from a wound to his forehead, he laughed, healed it and returned fire in his blended style. Severus was very good but he used purely western spells and could not predict what Alvin was going to do, or use, and he was impressed. He poured on power, and that was what Alvin wanted, though he was weaving spells he was not exerting much energy. The very powerful had a weakness and it was to rely on their vast reserves, it would take a patient duelist to wear one down and that is what Alvin was going to do. Harry saw what he was doing and was impressed, professor Stone was on the defense and was not really offering much offense, he was going to wear Snape down.
"You will not win you American annoyance!" Severus said refusing to recognize he was getting a bit tired, "I am the best here."
"No that would be my wife." Alvin said getting an outraged look from McGonagall and snickers from the students.
"How are you feeling?" Alvin taunted, "I am still standing."
"I loathe you." Severus snarled black eyes hard as flint.
"Hmm, still ugly as ever." Alvin said. "Missed again, and what were you saying about being the best?"
"I will show you!" Severus snarled.
This is what Alvin was counting on, it was an old American defense trick, get the enemy to throw everything they have at you, when they are done you go after them with most everything you got keeping a small reserve. Severus had thrown all he had at Alvin and after half an hour dueling he was getting frustrated, and he did something those with great power do, he threw his full power into the duel. Alvin just started to weave shields and stay behind them focusing only on those. When he saw Severus starting to tire he went in for the kill and after an hour of fighting the less powerful but more cunning Alvin Stone took one Severus Snape down. Well Severus went down first and stayed down out cold, but Alvin had used everything he had in the duel himself and so soon joined him. Poppy who was here hurried forward very upset, both men woke at the same time to find an irate woman over them. Alvin just grinned and sat up, dizzy but if he did not use magic for the next half hour he would be fine.
"Man but that was fun!" Alvin said, "I won!"
"I hate you." Severus said.
"Do not worry Severus," Flitwick said, "I lost a few duels to the Americans due to forgetting they tend to lead one into using their reserves."
"I was not thinking, I know how powerful I am." Severus said, "I can easily last several hours in a duel."
"Not when you have someone playing defense." Alvin replied, "that was fun."
"You lasted an hour, much longer than I ever did." Flitwick said, "and I was a dueling champion, always hated going against the Americans, none were all that powerful but they played the game Alvin just did."
"He did something to me!" Severus said.
"Sir he used Mandarin magic." Su Li said, "he used a un-focusing hex, that is the best translation for it."
"Hmm that is what it is called, never knew anyone who could blend styles like the Americans, I thought it impossible until I saw it the first time." Flitwick said, "blood status is so overrated."
"Still you are the most powerful I have ever dueled, I thought I was a goner a few times." Alvin replied, "that was still fun, oh and professor Flitwick could you do the tests on the students pleased? I have a migraine."
"No wonder you depleted your magic!" Poppy scolded, "you men always having to prove yourselves and show off!"
Both men watched Flitwick run the test on the students with Poppy writing the results, half a hour later she was done. Everyone thought the day was over for the dueling club, until Draco Malfoy challenged Harry Potter to a duel. Harry accepted and everyone backed up, they had to fight, it was mage code as Alvin knew it. Oh here they could do nothing deadly as it was a school but these two hated each other and were going to see who was better than the other. It was clear Draco had training, and though Harry's stance was anything but graceful he had power and there was cunning in his eyes. Alvin took a small talisman out of his robes, it was emerald green in the shape of a snake, Severus looked at him oddly.
"Heard Harry is a Parselmouth, just want to understand what he is saying." Alvin replied, "this does the trick, I never needed to learn the language but there are times people need to know what a snake is saying."
"I see, why is that?" Severus asked.
"Rattlesnakes are deadly sure, but they are dead useful, not all of us have talent to learn Parseltongue after all. I can't even understand it no matter how hard I try, I am one of those few that just can't get it, hence the talisman."
"I see, you expect trouble from Potter." Severus said.
"No, he is a Potter, he is going to something unpredictable, that is how Potters stay out of trouble for the most part, well until these past twenty years that is."
"Yes and his father was a bullying git." Severus said.
"Said to hear a Potter stoop so low." Alvin said, "they are known the world over, surely you know of what they have done?"
"No can't say I ever wanted to learn." Severus replied.
In the meantime the boys were circling each other testing each other. It was Draco who struck first and the duel was on. It was a boy's duel, meaning that they were clumsy and awkward at times but still could fight very well. Yet neither could get one on the other and Alvin was wondering if the Potter way was dead and Harry was the end of a noble breed of an insane but powerful and wacky family who got by on pure luck (or providence your choice) more often than not. They always seemed to do what was right and the last Potter dark lord was the first and last as he had been killed by his own family. Finally Harry did do something and Alvin was relieved. Harry called forward three snakes, and Alvin smirked as he asked them to dance, and they did just that. Draco was confused and Harry went in for the "kill", he called forward his Patronus and that along with the snakes was enough of a distraction for him to disarm his foe. The Patronus trotted up and licked Draco, right on the forehead.
"Potter get your stupid Patronus away from me!" Draco snapped.
"Sorry, oh here is your wand back." Harry said with mock politeness, "good duel."
"I hate you, you stupid son of a mudblood whore!" Draco said.
"Mr. Malfoy detention and ten points from Slytherin!" Severus snapped eyes blazing, the whole hall went quiet and stared at Severus as if he had grown another head, "I will not tolerate any using such language, especially from my own house and you Mr. Malfoy know that well."
"My father…"
"Would have no choice but to agree with me, such terms show you are in league with the dark lord, are you?"
"What? Of course not!" Draco snapped.
Alvin saw this as a clever move, to state the dark lord, but not which one. If Severus was a spy (and how could he prove that, it was just a feeling Mary had) than he could freely state he did not serve the dark lord and sell to the dark lord Voldemort he did not mean him. Still he was staying out of the politics and going to teach, he could not help students if he became involved in the politics of this land, created an international incident and have headmistress Red-Deer turn him into a nice pincushion after all. Still to see Severus not favor his house and what amounted to his godson proved he had a good heart. Then again insulting a woman who had died for her son was stupid and even Severus could not let that slide.
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So as stated Alvin is not super-powerful at all. In fact on paper Severus should win, he is a very, very powerful wizard. Yet what Alvin has, and many people have found out the hard way (England, Mexico, Japan, Germany, the USSR, our own government) is that Americans always fight best with the odds stacked against us. In fact if the odds are in our favor, we loose and loose badly (think Vietnam), it's just the way it is. Alvin here though won because he was patient and used what magic he has (he is slightly above average, Severus is a sorcerer) to wear down his opponent.
Alvin has a lot of magical tradition to use, not just western but eastern, far more than what the founders probably knew about (and you can bet they traveled over the known world before they founded Hogwarts) even. The trick to blending these two is a lost art outside certain places, and America here is famous for that blended style. Most other nations view blending as beneath them and refuse to do so in this story. So Alvin has shown what can be done here and done it very well.
As for the case of the Potters, I like to think Harry got his luck from somewhere, and his family history is as good a place to start as any. I am going on Potter luck and Potters traveling over the world getting into all kinds of stuff and getting out of dire straights over and over again. I think this along with modest wealth and very doting parents would turn James Potter the way he was, an arrogant toe-rag who finally grew up after life dealt him a few shocks. I do not have the Potters as super-rich at all, just adventure seekers who love to travel and get into all sorts of things.
Anyway, do review please!