Chapter 64
Later that day, after the second task, Harry and the others went to the great hall for dinner. As soon as the students saw him, they began bombarding him with questions. Why would he go to Professor Snape for help? How much were the basilisk pieces worth? Was he going to patten the potion? What would he do if he won the prize money? Luckily, his friends were able to keep them at bay. The crowd finally dispersed after Nicole threatened to give them detentions. It was an obvious bluff as she couldn't give them all detention, but they didn't know that and grudgingly stepped out of their way. Harry flashed her a smile and mouthed 'thank you to her.
When dinner was almost over, the students ate their desserts. Several students ranging from first to fifth years in all houses approached the gang. All it took was one look out of the corner of his left eye, and he saw them with their bags and books. "I take it you lot want me to start tutoring you?"
They nodded their heads with such speed that threatened to make them fall off their shoulders.
"Alright, follow me," he was lucky to have planned for this as people have been hounding him for days. Turning to his friends. "I'll see you guys later," he then left the great hall with other students who were following close behind.
Leading them to the seventh floor, they finally arrived at the room of requirement. Not wanting to take his chances about revealing anything personal, Harry made sure that any information about Severus being his father stayed away. That included the photos that were usually on the mantle of the fireplace. He even went as far as to ensure the room of requirement obeyed only him, Emily, his dad, and Daphne. Being the proprietor of Hogwarts certainly had its advantages.
Muttering the password under his breath, the door appeared to allow them in. Opening the door, he spent the first few minutes giving them a general knowledge of how the room worked. "Grab a seat, everyone," motioning to the desks in the room. The students did what he said and took their seats, though a couple of them shot looks at each other. Mainly those in Gryffindor and Slytherin. While the level of hostility may have died down somewhat, they were frosty with each other.
"Let's rearrange things a little," Harry spoke up, getting their attention. "It's no secret that Gryffindor and Slytherin share a rivalry with each other. That's fine. However, that doesn't mean you have to hate each other. You may not have to be friends, but it won't hurt to work with each other," he began. The two houses looked at each other with skeptical expressions, judging whether or not he was telling the truth about them.
"When you get down to it, we're all people, and as soon as we leave Hogwarts to pursue our individual careers, then all the rivalry will become insignificant. I know for a fact that both houses are not free of fault as they have unprovoked attacked one another in the past on various occasions. Gryffindors," he looked at the lions, "you all need to get it through your thickheads that neither of you is the epitome of light. Stop giving the Slytherins such a hard time on being dark wizards in training." Turning to the snakes, "and Slytherins get over yourselves neither one of you are kings around here, so stop acting as if you're Merlin's gift. That actually brings me to some of the rules in here. One: There will be no bullying of any kind. That means none of that pureblood racist garbage over why your blood statuses are better. This is a school not a battlefield. Two: If you have a problem with your essays, then don't be afraid to ask for help." Harry listed out a couple more rules before telling them to change seats. "That's better," surveying the room.
Breathing a sigh of relief and pinching the bridges of his nose, he moved through the room to occasionally offer assistance to anyone who might need it. Not ten minutes later, his friends came in, and they were given a rundown of what was going on. While Harry was sitting at his desk, he jotted down some notes on improving project: Guardian. Even though it was a success, its design still had bugs. It may protect the wearer from the killing curse, but it was only good for two turns before having to recharge itself. He was, however, pulled out of his thoughts when someone called for him.
"Um, Mr. Potter, can I get your opinion on something?"
Raising his head to find the source of the voice, his eyes landed on a third-year Hufflepuff. "Of course, what would you like to know?" He noticed how quickly she became nervous when everyone turned to her. "It's alright. You may speak freely."
Taking a breath, "why are some spells harder to cast than others?" she began. "During my time here, my potions work are always good, the same with my work in herbology. But when it comes to classes like charms and transfiguration, my spells are barely average. So, my question is, why is it easier for me to perform in those two classes rather than charms and transfiguration?" Almost immediately, everyone turned to Harry, waiting for an answer.
"A very good question," a smile appeared on his face. "The most likely reason is that potions and herbology are linked together."
"But how? There's no magic in those subjects," she said.
"That is where you are wrong," he commented. "Herbology is the study of magical plants, despite what people usually think the subject is very much needed in the magical world. The different plants worldwide are essential as they help when brewing potions. As for potions, they have different properties that can be beneficial and disastrous depending on your intentions with them. When it comes to charms and transfiguration, they're as important. Do you remember what Professor McGonagall said about what is required to cast spells?"
She nodded a little confused "to properly cast a spell their needs to be power, will, and intent."
"Correct, those are the fundamentals to casting spells. Magic is all about intent as it responds to what you want the spells to do," he explained. "When it comes to casting a spell, you need to visualize the effects of the spell. I'll give you a little demonstration," rounding his desk with wand in hand. He conjured a teapot on her desk, slowly showed the incantation, and performed the wand movement. The teapot instantly transfigured into a tortoise, much to the young girl's amazement.
Then, he transfigured it back into a teapot with a wave of his wand and faced the child "now your turn. Remember visualizing it becoming a tortoise. Focus, your magic, your will, and intent."
She took her wand out and released a breath. Then, pointing her wand at the teapot, she imagined turning it into a tortoise. The teapot instantly had legs after she said the incantation and performed the wand movement. Her second attempt succeeded in her creating its head.
Harry stopped her as she was about to cast again. "Easy. You're frustrated, take a breath and clear your mind," advised her. She did as he suggested and calmed down. Then, closing her eyes, she pointed her wand at the almost tortoise and gave it another go. To her immense surprise, the teapot was now a full tortoise.
"I did it," she exclaimed.
"Yes, now try again," he vanished the tortoise and conjured a new teapot. The young Hufflepuff did as she was told and was fully able to turn the teapot into a tortoise. "Good! Very good! When frustrated, your spells will not be as good. That is why you need to remain calm." He then addressed everyone, "let this serve as an example. Whenever you're frustrated, your spells will not be as effective. Your spells come from your magical cores, and it will always be able to tell if you're frustrated."
"You talk as if our magical cores are alive," came Susan, who was seated next to Hannah and Padma. The latter beamed with interest as she wanted to know more.
"That's because it is," Harry bit back "magic is sentient and as alive as you and I. The magical core is a part of you and should be treated like any other muscle in your body. You remember what Ms. Locket said about her spells being average?"
"Mmhm," slowly nodding her head.
"The reason for that is because she is only accessing a mere fraction of what her magical core has to offer."
"And what does that mean?" Hannah asked equally as perplexed. "If people can only access a fraction of their magic, then why are the spells we cast average at best?"
"It's because wizards and witches are relatively lazy," Harry answered in a neutral voice. "This is particularly accurate with the people in Magical Britain. They may feel the power in their cores, but they don't truly understand it; that is why they only accomplish the bare minimum."
The students were completely in awe by what he said. Parvati was the next to speak. "Is that how you got so powerful? You understand what your core wants?"
A loose chuckle escaped him "well done, five points to Gryffindor." That made Parvati blush a bit. "I should also point out that there are other fundamentals to becoming stronger. For instance, I like to look beyond what is taught in school. By doing that and getting a firm grasp of the spell, I then push it to its full potential."
Deciding to give them a demonstration, he asked the room for two dummies. For the first, dummy he used only an average amount of power to make the spell soak and push the thing back. After that, though, he used all the spell's power to take the top half of the dummy off on the second dummy. "Now, can any of you tell me what spells I used on these dummies? Followed by why they affected them differently?"
"That was the aqua eructo charm," Luna said in a dreamy voice. "On the first one, you only put an average amount of power into your spell. However, the second time you unleashed the full power of the spell."
"Very good, Luna, and you're exactly correct. Although, keep in mind that not all spells require a maximum amount of magic. Some require only a minimum amount and need to be finessed."
After finishing his explanation, he continued helping the students who were struggling. Two hours later, the students left in much happier moods than when they arrived in. They learned from today's session that not everything was as black and white as they previously thought. When most of the students left, only Harry and Daphne were left sitting on the couch by the fire. Suzaku flamed Byakko inside after they finished hunting for the night. The former affectionate nuzzled against Harry's face while Byakko went to lay next to Iroh near the fire.
"Harry, that was a great session today," Daphne draped her legs across his lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You have a real talent for teaching."
"I only helped them with what they needed to know," casually shrugging his shoulders.
She gave him a knowing smile "admit it. You secretly enjoyed it," poking his cheek.
"It was pretty nice," he admitted. "Though, there is a problem?"
"What kind?"
"Emily and I are leaving soon, and they will no doubt want to continue using the room," he stated with a grin. "I'll have to find someone to take over while I'm in Japan and at the citadel."
A big smile appeared on her face "what about me," she suggested. "I mastered everything that would be on my O.W.L.s."
"You sure?" giving her a skeptical look. "Wouldn't you want to relax for a little while?"
"I seem to remember you telling me that people learn best when they teach the subject to others," she countered.
"I did say that didn't I?"
Daphne nodded her head "just leave everything to me. Come on, what do you have to lose," a pleading expression plastered on her face.
"And here I thought Emily was good at that," her beautiful eyes shined bright and eventually made him give in. "Alright, it's in your hands," kissing her head.
"Thanks, love," snuggling closer to him.
An idea soon struck Harry as he inhaled her scent "hey, I got an idea." She looked up at him. "Since I'll be leaving soon, what say we spend the rest of our time together?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Before I have to leave, I'm all yours," he replied. "We can actually act like we're an item instead of hiding it, and the best part no one will even notice when we're gone."
Daphne giggled a bit as he began kissing her neck "yeah… that… sounds… great," she said in between, laughing. "You, know I'm ticklish there."
"That's the Potter family charm," feeling as if a goal had been accomplished.
Daphne only rolled her eyes before turning her head "you're an idiot," giving him a quick peck.
"I'm your idiot, though," kissing her back.
They spent the next hour, or so either chatting about what they'd be doing together before he had to go back to Mahoutokoro or just sitting where they were enjoying each other's company. Eventually, they went upstairs to his room so they could sleep.
(0^0)
Many things happened between that night and when Harry had to leave for Mahoutokoro. The first was the trial of Olympe Maxine. The French wizengamot found her decision to use Gabrielle as Fleur's hostage was not malicious, but it was enough to have her removed as headmistress of Beauxbaton. She was forbidden from ever teaching in any profession and given twenty-four hours to collect her things. This meant that Maxine's aide was now in charge of the Academy. If she thought her punishment would end there, then she was wrong, as Sebastian and Apolline had the woman sent to prison for the next 15 years. Apolline even had the woman black-listed for endangering her children. So, if Maxine somehow survived her incarceration, she would find it hard to get a job anywhere in France.
They were even suing the British Ministry of magic. According to Amelia, the wizengamot was in a frenzy; they may have avoided any serious consequences with the French Ministry. However, the impact was still massive as Fudge spent most if not all his time barricaded in his office. The portly man was the only one suffering as Bagman was also facing the same level of ire as his boss. It became even worse when the reporters from the Daily Prophet went into a feeding frenzy about what they were thinking. Within a few days, articles after articles came in with people wondering if Fudge should step down from being Minister. Hardly anyone had seen Fudge outside of his office, as the only ones allowed to see him were Delores and his closest advisor Lucius. It still irked him to no end that the Prophet was owned by someone other than the Ministry or, more accurately himself.
Meanwhile, Alex and Jack lead a squad of agents to where the death eaters were supposed to be. To their immense surprise, the home had been abandoned. It was clear that the death eaters had a feeling they were coming to apprehend them and needed to move. However, it wasn't a total loss as the agents did find residual traces of magic belonging to Dolohov, Travers, the Lestranges, and one unknown. However, the signatures were all but nearly gone as they couldn't pick up a trail to where they might have gone. That was when Alex brought Severus in late at night to consult on the identity of the unknown signature. The moment Severus got near the magic, he instantly paled and became angry as it was indeed the Dark Lord's signature. There was no doubt about it. The Dark Lord was definitely in the house. He explained the signature may have been faint, but his power was growing, which likely meant trouble would soon follow.
On a happier note, the potion that Severus created quickly became one of the most sought potions in the international markets. Finally, he and Lucius settled on the price of splitting the profits right down the middle. Severus didn't really care that much, but Lucius was ecstatic about the increase in wealth. So much that he nearly fainted after seeing how much gold was in his vault. Over the past few days, he'd been traveling to different parts of the world negotiating how much the potion was to be worth. This proved excellent for Harry as he could sneak a couple of recording crystals into Malfoy manor and get a list of dark or illegal possessions the French goat had. Now, if Voldemort returned alive and recalled his men, Lucius would find it hard to fund the bastard's campaign.
Another good thing was that Harry got to spend time with his girlfriend in peace away from the castle. First, of course, he had to get permission from his father and Daphne's mother to leave the castle. Whenever classes were over, the two would either venture into muggle London or head towards Italy and check out the muggle attractions there. The two would often sneak away to have a little alone time at school, though they had to be careful as the walls had ears. They didn't know who would be listening. Before Harry and Emily had to leave, he put her in charge of the tutoring sessions while he was gone.
Like the previous years, someone would arrive in the morning to come and get them after breakfast. Bidding goodbye to their friends, the two were taken back to Mahoutokoro. Upon arriving, they were met by the entire student body, who were ecstatic to see Potter again. They'd seen his performances through the Tri-wizard tournament, and words could not describe how impressed they were. The level of power, skills, and strategies he employed was astonishing, to say the least.
While they walked through the crowd, Harry immediately sensed the presence of his protégé, though strange enough Miwa's had vanished. Emily was the first to react and went toward her friends. It brought a smile to his face when he saw how happy the three were to be reunited. That was when his instincts told him to be ready. A smirk replaced his smile as he drew his sword to shield himself against Miwa's attack. The two held identical smirks and continued trading blows, attacking or defending themselves. After a few minutes, they jumped away to sheathe their swords.
"How's it going, Storm?"
"Pretty well! How about yourself, Phantom?" she responded in the same tone of voice as they hugged and separated.
"A few bumps here and there," he casually replied. "Also, the headmaster wants to see me any reason why?"
"Not that I know of," Miwa said honestly though she had a theory. The times she had seen the headmaster were awkward as he seemed more tired than usual. Pushing those thoughts away. "So, you're taking some of your NEWT exams in a few days. Ooh, I wish you the best of luck as they will be more difficult than the O.W.L.s."
Harry let loose a breath. "Yeah, I've heard as much. But at least I'll be able to get a couple out of the way. That'll free up some time, so I can focus on the Tri-wizard tournament."
"True, true," she conceded as they walked through the halls. "In total, you have fourteen exams to sit. I know you'll be taking nine of them. Which ones have you decided to do?"
Thinking for a moment, "might as well get the hard ones out of the way," shrugging his shoulders. "Far as I know, my exams for this month will be in Transfiguration, Potion, Charms, Ancient runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, DADA, Curse breaking and Warding, and finally Dueling. For the last one, I hope they give me a challenge."
"That will only leave your Alchemy, Care of Magical Creatures, Magical language, Healing, and Ritual exams to be taken at the beginning of June," Miwa commented, giving him a curious look. "I still can't believe you made a suckers bet with Daphne. For someone so smart, that was a stupid move on your part," laughing a bit.
"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing," rolling his eyes as they reached the door to their headmaster's office. "Let's get this over with," knocking on the door.
Yoshi's only response was, "come in," With that, Harry opened the door for them and walked in to see both the headmaster and Master Yamamoto.
Harry waved his hand at the door, closing it, and gave a respectful bow to the pair. "Headmaster, you wished to see me? Is there a problem?"
"No, issue, Hadrian," Yoshi looked at some things pupils. "I just wanted to inform the two of you on some things. But first the timetable for your exams," passing the boy's schedule to him.
Harry quickly read over his schedule before stuffing it into the pocket of his robes. "Looks like I'll be pretty busy," he joked somewhat as his exams will take place at the I.C.W. on Monday morning.
A slight chuckle escaped Yoshi's mouth while Yamamoto was briefly amused before regaining composure. "That you do! By far, you and Miwa are perhaps the best students to have ever walked the halls. Many of the students' amount of discipline and determination the two of you have. The level of magic the two of you have are only matched by your desires to be the best." After he was done praising them, his expression became unreadable. "However, I believe that's enough ego-stroking. The other reason as to why you're here is because I felt like the two of you should know that after the academic year, I will be announcing my retirement."
Whatever Harry and Miwa were expecting was little compared to what they had just heard, as the two were completely shocked. Harry quickly used his elemental sight on him to check his health. After a quick once over, he saw that the headmaster's life force and magical core were becoming taxing.
"Sir, are you feeling alright?" Arata beamed at the child's concern.
"It astounds me to no end how well you're able to read someone's magic," he laughed. Truthfully, it always amazed him how well the boy could analyze magic, be it a person's magical signature, potions, or spells. It was truly an amazing ability. "As you have clearly realized, my magical core is beginning to weaken, and after this year I will be able to enjoy my retirement."
"But headmaster," a sad expression was on Miwa's face, "what would we do when you leave? We would all miss having you here."
He gave her a gentle smile, "and I would miss being here. But my time is soon approaching," he solemnly said. I am not as young as I once was, and I feel my grip is starting to loosen. However, I promise the two of you this. I will give everything I have to bring Voldemort and his death eaters down or die trying."
Miwa was about to speak, but Harry grabbed her arm and gave a knowing look which she grudgingly accepted. Then, turning her attention back to Yoshi, "it will be different when you leave, professor."
"That I know," the smile on his face didn't falter, "which is precisely why Hayato will be taking my place as the headmaster after my departure."
They continued talking for a while before he released the two of them. The duo respectfully bowed and left the office to head back to their dorms. "Are you sure this is the decision you want to make?" Yoshi looked at his old friend.
"I am," Arata declared, noting the sad expression on his face. "Hayato! My oldest friend, you and I know that my time is coming. It could be within a year, two, or even five before I pass away. And then I will finally be reunited with my sister."
Sucking in a breath, Hayato bowed his head "very well, old friend. You are right," but you will still come by for tea and maybe enjoy some chess matches."
His friend just laughed "of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." He motioned for him to take a seat while pulling out a chess set "fancy a game? You might even win this round."
Hayato grinned before moving a pawn forward. "Your move," he challenged.
(0^0)
Roughly a week went by at Hogwarts, with things progressing as they normally did. The professors proceeded with their duties, conducting their classes or handing out homework assignments. The tension in Gryffindor's house was still tense as a majority of the lions refused to be anywhere near Hermione and Ron. To everyone's surprise, she had started an association called the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare or S.P.E.W. for short. To say that membership was high would be an absolute lie as several students refused to participate in her little club to free the house-elves from "slavery." According to her, the elves were treated like slaves who deserved better. Granger didn't even bother approaching members from Slytherin's house as they would have likely cursed her into the next century. The people she did try to approach either threw the badges back or pretended like she didn't exist. Even the professors wouldn't give any support and told her to leave things the way they were. At the moment, the only members in her little campaign were Ron, Ginny, and the twins (grudgingly as they didn't want to but conceded after she threatened to tell their mother about their latest pranks).
Speaking of Fred and George, they were beside themselves with why Angelina and Alicia were still not talking to them. Both girls had gotten new boyfriends and were immensely enjoying themselves. However, whenever they would approach them, they would be met with frosty glares and cold voices, warning them that they better have something important to say. Their friend Jordan was fairing no differently as Katie refused to acknowledge his presence and would do everything to avoid him. Especially during classes, she would either sit with her fellow chasers or Aaron. It still annoyed him to no end that Vaisey was dating her, and he wasn't.
Ron wasn't fairing any differently as his dormmates refused to be near him. The only people willing to be near him were his siblings and Hermione, as he would constantly ask for her help when it came to doing essays. Students from both in and outside of the lions refused to talk to him. Ron tried asking others if they wanted to play chess to no avail as they would walk away. The person most annoyed with him was Padma. He would often request a match with her to see who was better, but his actions at the Yule ball had unforeseen effects. Padma refused to even look at him and often walked away. After challenging her too many times, the Indian girl finally gave in with the sole condition that he would leave her alone for the rest of the term if she won. They played for a half-hour in the great hall with a crowd of students watching them. Ron was sure that he had the game in the bag. Of course, that is what Padma wanted him to think and lured him into a trap which he obviously fell for. Shortly after he fell for the trap, she had beaten him and was about to walk away but turned around when he requested a rematch.
Padma fixed an annoying glare on him and was very tempted to tell him to shove it. Instead, she told him loud enough so everyone could hear the terms of her playing a game of chess with him. That left him red in the face as she walked out of the hall with her friends. Things were the same on the Quidditch pitch. He saw Viktor Krum and Diggory flying around on their respective brooms one day. He immediately jumped into action, grabbed one of the school's brooms, and boasted about how he would play Quidditch with a famous superstar. When the two older students came down to relax, Ron approached them and asked to join. Viktor flat out told him that he had no desire to play against someone who had no spine or skills when it came to Quidditch. Unfortunately, some of the students heard Viktor say and started laughing at Ron. To be publicly told no by a Quidditch star was very amusing, not to mention highly embarrassing. Viktor also added that he had no desire to play against someone who seeks to become the center of attention and left for the showers with Cedric in tow.
As it was Tuesday, McGonagall was currently teaching her fourth-years how to turn a guinea fowl into a guinea pig. She spent the first fifteen minutes lecturing them on what the spell entailed and why they needed to concentrate. Afterward, she set them to attempt the spell for themselves while she moved from student to student. Several of them were struggling with the spell, from what she could tell. The only ones who could accomplish the task were Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, Lilith Moon, Neville Longbottom. The latter of the bunch managed to get it the second time he cast the spell.
Minerva would have kept evaluating them, but Ms. Moon raised a hand, asking her to come over. "Yes, Ms. Moon? Do you have a problem with the spell?" she looked down at the girl's desk to see a long-haired Peruvian guinea pig. "Though, I say you already mastered the spell," giving a rare smile.
"It's not about the assignment, professor," lowering her hand. "I was wondering if you can tell us why some spells require only a minimum amount of power and a lot more finesse," pausing for a minute. "Before Harry left, he mentioned how some spells require different amounts of power. And that we're only able to access only a fraction of our magical cores. Do you know what he means by that?"
Everyone looked at McGonagall for an answer as they were wondering the same thing.
"Is this what you all want to know?" looking at the students, who all nodded in unison. "Very well, then the reason why some spells require less magic is that they respond more to the caster's intentions," she explained. "A person can have power, but if their intentions toward the spells are lacking, then they won't get the desirable outcomes. As for your second question, people can only access a fraction of their magic because they are simply not connected with their cores. An example would be when someone is trying to animate certain objects like statues. They require more focus and control rather than power."
"I don't understand, professor," Hermione spoke up "why should it matter how close we are to our cores? Magic is just a tool for us to use when we need it."
Unfortunately, her comment about magic merely being a tool didn't receive a warm welcome as some of the students glared with disdain. McGonagall saw this and intervened before anything could be said.
"That is where you are wrong, Ms. Granger," her voice was neutral as she addressed her lion. "The magical core is sentient, like yourself. It breathes and needs to be honed. While it's true that some view it as merely a tool, I can assure you that it is more. As for why we need to be connected with them, well, does anyone have a theory?"
McGonagall nodded her head at Tracey Davis after she raised her hand. "The reason why people need to be connected to their cores is that the more they understand it, the more magic they'll release," she began. "Everyone's core is different and possesses different levels of connections. So in a sense, the more connected the person is, the more powerful they are."
"Well said, Ms. Davis," McGonagall congratulated "ten points to Slytherin." Then, turning her attention back to the others, "is there anything else that you all would like to know?"
Parvati raised her hand and spoke. "Shortly before Harry's departure, he showed us the difference between the average amount of power in a spell and its fullest. However, when he did it, his own power was only average. Without a doubt, Harry is practically the most powerful student in Hogwarts and has probably surpassed many adult witches and wizards. But when he cast aqua eructo charm, I could tell there was a difference between the power of the spell and his own."
McGonagall briefly chuckled "that is because Mr. Potter used the full power of the spell rather than his own magic." She was mentally impressed that he could actually separate the power of a spell from his own magic. "Many adult wizards and witches have a difficult time separating the power of a spell from their own. I will admit that people used to do it quite often in the past, but the board and Wizengamot have decreed that teaching them was no longer necessary. As such, people try pushing as much magic they can into a spell rather than using the power of the spell itself."
Taking a moment to gather herself, she continued. "That said, it doesn't stop some people from trying to separate and then later mastering it." Then, a sudden realization appeared in her mind "this explains where the students have been disappearing to after dinner. Mr. Potter has been offering help to seek to gain a better understanding of their assignments."
"You're not mad, are you," nervousness in Parvati's voice was heard. "Harry was only trying to help us, and its' thanks to his help that I've gotten better." Several of the students nodded in agreement.
"No, certainly not," McGonagall replied "actually, I encourage it as his tutoring sessions have indeed made an impact on the other students. Especially those who are taking their O.W.L.s and NEWTs. It's a shame that he had to go back to Mahoutokoro and will only come back for a while before leaving again. The other professor and I would have liked to see how well he teaches before he left."
"Actually, he appointed Daphne to take over while he's away," Neville chimed in "she's already completed her studies for her upcoming exams and has been teaching us."
McGonagall had to blink her eyes at what he said as she was momentarily shocked to stillness. For as long as she could remember, those who taught others provided a different perspective that usually increased their understandings of the different branches of magic, from what she had seen people learn equally as much when they're outside of class. It was one of the few things that were not exclusive to Hogwarts, though it never stopped people from forming groups to better understand.
"Teaching does, in fact, bring out the best results for those who are focusing on different types of magic," she commented. "This is what you might call a win-win situation. Mr. Potter and Ms. Greengrass are teaching and gaining a better understanding of the different branches of magic. Who knew the two of them would actually be able to impart their knowledge to others? It's simply astounding!"
The students agreed with her, except for Draco, Goyle, Crabbe, Nott, Parkinson, Granger, and Weasley. The Slytherin's because Potter took a lot of money from their families, got them in trouble with their fathers, and would constantly one-up them. Their heads of houses were incensed and demanded that they leave Potter alone, or the consequences would be more severe. Weasley didn't like him because he got him trouble and wanted nothing more than to get back at Potter for all the trouble he had caused him. Ron felt that Harry Potter got everything he wanted because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. It also annoyed him to no end on how rich the git was as he could likely afford anything he wanted. One of the couple things that irked him the most was that Potter actually owned all the broom companies. The selfish git could probably get the entire Gryffindor quidditch team brand new brooms but chose to keep that information to himself.
Finally, it came to Hermione, who was scowling because Greengrass was in charge of the study sessions and not her. She severely doubted the girl's teaching ability and tried taking control, but the other students preferred Greengrass over her. Hermione could hardly wait for Professor Dumbledore to come back because she would immediately go and ask him to put her in charge. Once, she began teaching and showing how superior she was in academics and casting spells. After that, she would change their opinions of Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter. To her, Professor Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of all time, and Harry was nothing more than a cheat who used his family's position to be at the top. However, his promise was still fresh in her mind; if she continued sticking her nose in his family's business, then she and her parents would end up dead.
Hermione was brought out of her thoughts when Lavender spoke, "also professor, can you explain what the difference between power and potency is? Greengrass mentioned that the two were different, but that's impossible. Aren't they the same thing?"
"Power and Potency are indeed different," she began, "as power is the amount of energy you can supply in a spell. Like I said about separating between the power you have and the power of the spell. If you combine the two, then the energy of your spells will be greater. Potency is the amount of concentration of magic in a spell. The greater concentration, the greater the concentration of the spell. Do you understand now?"
The bubbly Gryffindor nodded her head.
"Good now without further delay, let's resume our lesson for the day," she said with a hint of finality.
Only Parvati, Draco, and Nott could somewhat accomplish the spell throughout the rest of the period. McGonagall assigned essays to those who hadn't or barely managed to complete the task before sending them off when the bell rang.
During the passing period, Alastor Moody was enroute to the dungeons. The retired Auror was in deep thought as he decided what to do. Late last week, he received a letter from Kingsley saying they were needed in Japan to evaluate Potter's progress in martial magic. Alastor smirked at this as the lad clearly had a lot of power. From what he heard from his colleagues in the Duelist Guild, the child was extremely adept when it came to battle magic, be it either in transfigurations, charms, or dark magic. To say the child's power exceeded his father was an understatement as he saw the state of Barty Crouch Jr after being freed from his trunk. It still pissed him off that some people like Pettigrew and Crouch Jr could get the drop on him even with the protections around his property. What really made his blood boil was that Albus didn't even seem to notice the difference between the two. They've known each other for years, and someone as old as Albus would have been able to tell something was out of place.
Alastor was not one of those simple-minded idiots who bowed, scrapped, and refused to see past Albus's failures and shortcomings. There were indeed times where Alastor would disagree with Albus's plans as they mostly ended being the cause of more pain and suffering. Being a high-ranking Auror and veteran of the first war taught him that not everything was as black and white as Albus believed. That's why he always chose to remain on the side of caution and made preparations in case anything should happen. The day he left the Auror corps was necessary as he wanted nothing more than a quiet retirement. It wasn't that he hated being an Auror, but all he wanted was some peace after everything. After the first war, he had hoped that things would get better, but fate was surprisingly cruel as things went upside-down. Starting with the idiots who pleaded not guilty and claimed they were under the imperious curse. Complete dragons shit, in his opinion.
The next issue came with the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Fudge was an overblown idiot and a disgrace to his profession. The portly little shit-stain was far too chummy with the "imperiused" death eaters for his liking. Add to that, it was plainly clear that he was being bought at every turn. Members from the Malfoys group were controlling them with their vast fortunes. Luckily, Potter was able to do something about it when he took most of their money at the beginning of the year. It was one of the things he liked about the boy. To say he was a child would be an insult. If anything, he was a man and a right dangerous one at that.
Another thing that angered him was the state of the Auror department, as its members were extinct and hardly had any spine save for a few individuals. They took their jobs for granted and abused their positions whenever they could. If they didn't get their way, they would always throw a tantrum and run to the Minister or Malfoy for help.
"Spineless arseholes," he muttered under his breath. Arriving at the door to Snape's classroom, he knocked on the door twice. The silk voice was his colleague was heard "enter." Alastor opened the door to find Severus sitting at his desk with Septima standing in front of him. the two seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation when he arrived.
"What is it, Moody? Septima and I were in the middle of trying to restock ingredients for my stores," he drawled. The idiots at the Ministry could be a right pain when it came to getting ingredients that weren't native to Britain. Moreover, some ingredients were frowned upon and required permission from the Ministry before they could be gathered. "What do you want?"
"Easy Snape. I'm here because I need a favor from you," to which Severus raised an eyebrow. "To clarify, I will be leaving the castle for a few days and need you to take over my classes while I'm away." He knew all too well that Severus wanted to teach DADA and would immediately jump at the chance of being able to be in his favorite subject.
"This is quite sudden Alastor," Septima gave him a stern look. "Why do you have to leave the castle?"
"Simple the Duelist Guild is sending Kingsley Shacklebolt and myself away to evaluate the skills of a student in the far east," he explained. "As members and masters of the guild, we have to see how far the next generation is progressing." He and Kingsley were indeed masters but only mid-ranking ones.
Septima already knew this as she too had colleagues and friends in the Arithmancer's guild, and they also had connections with the other guilds. "How long will you be gone?"
"Until Monday at the very least. Then, by dinner I should be back depending on what else they will require of me," was Alastor's response.
She turned back to Severus "what do you say, Severus? Do you think you can manage the responsibilities in both your regular class and cover Alastor's?"
Severus looked between the both of them, weighing the options of whether he should accept the offer or not. In between his duties of being a potion's master and having to teach his apprentice, plus other things, his schedule was pretty full. He also had to see if Ms. Vaisey was up to the task of teaching his place. After a couple of minutes, he leaned back in his chair, "though I'm loathed to assist. I believe my protégé Ms. Vaisey can handle things in my stead while I handle your class for the time." Then, narrowing his eyes at the grizzled man, "but you're going to owe me for this one."
Alastor had to resist the urge to roll his eyes and instead smirked. "You should also know that my course work for the year is based on dealing with dangerous spells. That should be right up your alley. Have a field day," turning on his heels, he left the room.
(0^0)
Harry's time at Mahoutokoro was different, to say the least. While he knew he would be taking his NEWT exams at the I.C.W. He also had to escape the questioning from his peers as they were like glue always sticking to him. Though truth to tell, he should have expected this as they watched his performances during the Tri-wizard tournament and have no doubt heard what happened with Crouch Jr. Time and time again, they wanted to know how he planned for each task. The only answer he would give was that he created different strategies and had a few contingency plans in reserve should things get ugly. Harry could tell they wanted to get more information out of them but never gave in as he would always disappear. There was a reason why his nickname was Phantom. He could disappear and reappear without anyone noticing. Being in Japan and attending a school recognized for its combat abilities, he learned to be stealthy and remain hidden in the shadows.
At the moment, Harry was currently relaxing on the roof of the dorm's building, looking up at the night sky. Earlier that day, he went to the I.C.W. accompanied by Lord Black. Arcturus figured that if Harry was going to be back in Japan, he should go to make sure everything was alright. Normally, he would not have come but given the events of what's been happening the past few months. He felt that his presence was required, despite Harry's protest saying he didn't need a babysitter. Unfortunately, though, there was hardly anything he could do about it as his uncle put his foot down on the matter. Harry was glad to now have some alone time after returning from today's exam.
On Monday morning, he got up early like he usually did and spent an hour reinforcing his occlumency shields, then went to complete his morning workout. After that grabbed a quick shower and went to the cafeteria to have breakfast with Miwa and the others. To him, the morning went by quickly because after eating his breakfast, Arcturus came to take him to the I.C.W. Surprisingly, things were pretty much what he expected as the proctors made him take two of his NEWTs, starting with Herbology and then Potions. The written parts consisted of 130 to 145 questions for both exams, and he was given three hours to do them. They had him work with some very rare and dangerous plants when it came to the practical. As for his practical in potions, he had to create several high-level potions and add ways to improve their qualities. Needless, to say they were very impressed by what he managed to accomplish in theory and practical.
Ancient Runes and Arithmancy followed the next day. When it came to the written portion of the runes, he had to decipher the origins of the runes, translate them, describe why different matrixes were needed, and write their unique properties. As for the practical, they had him create different matrixes and apply them to several objects. After that, he was asked to demonstrate how talismans worked. They were used for protection, adding different properties to enchanted objects, transfiguring things from one thing to another, or creating animate or inanimate objects. As for Arithmancy, he had to complete different formulas and show his knowledge about modifying certain spells.
Wednesday's exams were meant for Charms and DADA. In his opinion, the former was easier than the latter, as he managed to complete the exam with relative ease. That's not to say that his Defense exam was difficult. The charms exam was just easier than expected. Once the examinations for the written portions were completed, he was allowed to relax before the practical's began. Rather than do things the conventional way, he decided to have a little fun with the proctors. By that, he performed his spells either silently or do wandless magic. Harry found it amusing as their jaws hit the ground when he flawlessly performed the spells without fail. While he was still far from mastering wandless magic, the skills he did have with it were still remarkable. Practically the most entertaining portion of his Defense exam was when he had to remove the different curses from their selection of objects without damaging them in any way. Just as he was about to leave the room, one of the proctors asked him to cast the patronus charm. The moment they saw him conjure a solid Hebridean dragon was spectacular as they were moments away from fainting.
However, the biggest surprise was when he had to complete only one exam on Thursday. Not willing to complain as it meant that he would have more free time in the end, he proceeded to go along with what the proctors wanted. The writing portion of the exam was only slightly challenging, but it was the most boring as the subject came naturally to him like charms. They made him perform all the aspects of transfigurations like elemental transfiguration, human conjurations, vanishing, human transfiguration, etc.
What surprised him the most was his warding and curse-breaking exams. He didn't know why but they were held on separate days. Friday was dedicated to warding, while Monday was focused on curse breaking. Much like the other exams, there were over 130 questions that he had to complete and perform a lot of high-ranking spells designed for the two.
While looking up at the stars, an eerie sense of dread crossed the young raven-haired boy's mind and sent a cool shiver down his spine. He then remembered the written part of his dueling exam from earlier today. Harry would have liked to get both the written and actual duel done today, but after he completed his exam, the proctors sent him away. Saying that he would take the practical portion of the exam in the afternoon. Harry couldn't explain, but he caught a weird glint in their eyes when they said they had something special in mind for him. Shaking his head, he left with the hope that whoever his opponents were, they could at least provide a challenge.
Brushing those thoughts away, he continued starring at the sky, thinking about the future, only to be brought back to reality after sensing the arrival of his friend.
"Had a feeling I find you up here," walking up next to him. "You alright? You seem a little out of it," silently observing him.
"I can't shake this horrible feeling that something bad is about to happen," he explained. "Either that, or I'm just tired from the exams."
"It can't be easy having to deal with the tournament, taking some of your NEWT exams, and having to deal with that other shit, huh," she said as a matter of fact. Miwa could always tell when he was working hard. Much like Emily could. Deciding to change the conversation, "by the way, I never got to thank you for those new dueling dummies. Not only can I test my power and skills against them but can also up their levels to make them more powerful than myself." The dummies were also equipped with various battle tactics, forcing her to adapt to a new battle style. And the best part they were pushing her to the limits of her abilities and beyond. People like her and Harry needed to be pushed to their limits. Only then would they become better.
"They're just some of the things I've been working on during my free time," he proudly said, noticing the changer of conversation. "The moment they hit the market, word got spread, and people from all over the world have been buying them. Some of the first customers came from different I.C.W. military branches, then Duelist Guild, and the Auror corps," adding a smirk. "Demands and prices are soaring by the hour."
"Speaking of the Duelist Guild," a knowing smirk appeared on her face. "I heard that two of the masters are coming to personally test you. And they do happen to be from-"
"Stop right there," cutting her off before she could finish. "I don't want any inside information before the duels. The only thing I want from them is to make it a challenge and come at me with everything they got!"
Miwa immediately started laughing. "That's the Harry, I know! And I agree with you! A warrior's skills are best honed if they're in the heat of a battle. That will inspire evolution," she commented. Like him, Miwa was a warrior at heart and wanted to show how far she had come. "However, I have one request. If you get the chance, then ask them to send the same level of masters for my examination!"
Turning with a smile on his face, "consider it done," promising her. It wouldn't be fair if only he got to face a high-ranking member from the guild. They shook hands before heading back inside.
"By the way," Miwa began as they walked through the halls "how's that project of yours coming? Did you work out the bugs?"
"For the most part, yes, though I'm still working on it." He hit a couple roadblocks when it came to improving project guardian. While he managed to get the shield count to six. The time it took to recharge wasn't getting better as it took longer. There had to be a way for him to decrease the time because once all the shields were gone then the person will be at the enemy's mercy. Hopefully, he'll be able to come up with a solution soon as anything could happen should someone find themselves facing the killing curse. "I just need time. One way or another It'll be more powerful and will save lives."
Turning his head slightly "what about your project? How's that coming?"
She responded by releasing a breath "it's been a struggle," admitting the truth about her own project. "I can see why the prototype took you so long. Though, your notes were of great help." Her project belonged to the same branch of magic, though it's purpose was different. Thus she named it project: Nargravitz.
(0^0)
Over the next couple of days, Harry spent most of his time helping Sora and Emily prepare for their exams while Miwa focused on her own. His last exam was surprising, to say the least because it took place on the I.C.W training field. So, it surprised Harry when he saw that Sirius was present for the day. He explained that he wanted to see his godson in action and told him to do his best. Luckily for Harry, the exam was scheduled to take place at three-thirty later on that day. So, this provided him with enough time to show Sirius around the Okinawa village. Needless, to say Sirius enjoyed himself immensely and purchased a variety of different items from the stores.
When they got back to the field of the I.C.W building, he felt ready for the duels, almost to the point where he could barely contain himself. That was when Ichika arrived with eleven of his agents. Out of the eleven of them. Four were mid-ranked agents, while the remaining seven were high-ranking officers. Unlike the agents in Britain, they were in a different league from the moment he saw them. He could tell they had some serious power in them. However, what got him the most was seeing two unexpected individuals. Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Both were members of the Dueling Guild who held the rank of mid-masters. The sheer power emanating from them was massive, and his warrior side spoke loud and clear.
Finally, after a half-hour of waiting for the order in which he would fight them was decided by the proctors. His first opponents would be the agents that came with Ichika. It was going to be an all-out fight where he would have to duel all of them at once. Just as they were about to take their positions, Ichika told them to not hold anything back and that lethal force was authorized. The agents balked at his orders and wanted to protest, but Harry said he wanted the same. For them to take this shit seriously and not hold anything in reserve. At last, the agents agreed and took their stances, waiting for the green light to begin.
Initially, they thought it would've been an easy win for them, given their superior numbers and levels of magic. But the moment the duel began, they were immediately put on the defensive as Harry unloaded with an assortment of painful spells. The agents thought the boy would have tired after firing some powerful spells but were wrong as he didn't falter. Evidently, the rumors about Potter being a dueling prodigy were correct as he mowed them down within twenty-five minutes. How a boy so young could be so powerful, they'd never know. Despite their best efforts to beat him, they were bested by a mere fourteen-year-old. They couldn't decide what hurt the most? The power of the boy's spells? Or the humiliation of being beaten like they were nothing? While they were rolling on the ground with various injuries covering their bodies. Potter didn't even get a scratch. If anything, they were absolutely sure the boy was holding back. They wondered just how powerful was he?
The examiners gave Harry some time to recuperate while the healers came to escort the injured officers away. Fifteen minutes later, he was faced against Moody and Shacklebolt. Whatever might happen, he would do his best, conquer his opponents, and prove who he was. This duel will show the results of all his training and hard work. It'll show his resolve, knowledge, power, and skills.
Two and a half hours of dueling later, the spectators were in awe as the duelists performed different branches of magic at their highest levels, with none of them daring to look away. It would be an understatement to say this was a duel as it was more of a fight to see who would triumph. Harry understood why they held the rank of masters as the two were extremely powerful in the ways of magic and highly knowledgeable when it came to the different forms of magical combat. Their teamwork was also impressive as he had to fight like he meant it. While they may have been older and more experienced, Harry's youth, combined with all the combat experience he'd obtained and natural battle instincts, allowed him to find their weaknesses and defeat them.
To him, the battle was glorious as he refused to use his elemental abilities and sought to only use what he knew. Despite being a little tired and completely drenched in sweat Harry watched as the healers levitate the broken bodies of his opponents away for medical attention. He could tell they were holding nothing back and were actively trying to kill him. However, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody fought like true warriors and refused to give up. That earned them Harry's gratitude and respect. Even though he didn't suffer any injuries, the duel was instructive and helped him understand how he could improve his own battling styles.
(0^0)
Meanwhile, chaos and destruction raged around a settlement in Magical Ireland. What was meant to be an easy day turned into a complete nightmare as a bad storm raged around, and it didn't look like things were going to get any better, for the rain was coming hard. The settlement itself had been reduced to a warzone littered with battle scars and rubble. Many of the shops and housing complexes were destroyed. The people were desperately fighting for their lives, but their numbers rapidly declined. Among the ones fighting were Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and Rio Kawada against Dolohov, Jugson, Fenrir Greyback, his pack mates, and a couple other dangerous individuals. In the beginning, about thirty of them decided to cause as much devastation as they could. Andromeda and Cassie, of course, knew who they were fighting. The escaped death eaters, Voldemort sympathizers, werewolves, and some of the most dangerous bounty hunters in the wizarding world.
They may have been outnumbered at first, but the three adults in the front could fend off twenty of them. Though, not without sustaining a couple injuries as their opponents were anything but average. Originally, Mr. Kawada came to make some business deals with an Apothecary shop in the area. Surprisingly, he ran into Cassiopeia and Andromeda when he was about to leave. After a few minutes of talking, all hell broke loose, and the attackers bombarded them with spells. Poor Rio was in a real spot as he fought tooth and nail against Antonin Dolohov. A highly skilled and dangerous person. Ichika had told him that the bastard was one of Great Britain's most dangerous criminals. The man had a reputation for being a merciless, stone-cold killer. For that alone, the I.C.W put him under a red mark that was only for individuals who'd proven to be a threat to national security.
Rio may have been outclassed in terms of magical power, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Despite his injuries, he kept fighting and was able to land a couple hits of his own. As the two continued, Rio found himself on the defensive and could barely keep up anymore before being struck down by Dolohov's killing curse.
This didn't go unnoticed by either Cassie or Andromeda, as they were also having difficulty dealing with their opponents. So when Cassie saw Rio collapse lifeless, she sent an exploding curse at her opponents' feet and sent them flying. Then, as fast as she could, she sent a chain of dangerous spells at Dolohov, intending to kill him. But, unfortunately, Dolohov was still reeling from his duel against Kawada. His injuries were severe, and he thought it would have been curtains for him. The woman may have been in her advanced years, but she was still dangerous, much like Bellatrix. However, just as his wand went flying out of his hand, a red-purplish spell and an orange-green one hit the woman with such force that knocked her away. This provided him with the chance of escaping via portkey.
With Rio dead and Cassiopeia out of commission, Andromeda was left alone to deal with the insurgents. Andromeda didn't know if she would be able to survive this battle. The only thing she could do was hope that backup would arrive soon. Being a Black, she was stubborn and tenacious. If she was going down, then she would take them with her. After quickly dealing with two werewolves that came with Greyback, she turned her attention to their alpha and unleashed spells designed by the House of Black. Like her sisters, she was well-trained in magical combat and was a powerful and skilled duelist in her own right. Contrary to what the general population in Britain thought, Andromeda was more dangerous than her older sister Bellatrix and not one to cross lightly.
Greyback found himself reeling in absolute pain as he never thought Bellatrix's sister was capable of lasting this long against him. Her chain of spells was exceedingly dangerous, and he could tell they were from the House of Black. In all of his life, only a few people could challenge him. It severely hurt his pride that a blood-traitor like her was able to land a few hits on him. Already he had several broken bones, some internal injuries, and a handful amount of deep cuts with his blood flowing out. If he were an average person, he would have likely been dead by now, though his reflexes and healing factors were better because of his lycanthropy.
Smirking as he continued braving the bitches onslaught, his rational mind was long gone, with his bestial side now in control. He drew his senses back as four other members from his pack apparated in and entered the fray. This allowed him to get his second wind, and together they all started pressing their attacks.
Andromeda knew this wasn't going to be easy as Fenrir was a dangerous combatant, and it was taking everything she had to just stay alive. But now that some of his pack came, things began going downhill. She fought with everything she had and managed to take out three of her new opponents. But before she could catch her breath, Greyback and his last companion hit her with the confringo blast that destroyed some of her bones and sent her flying.
Seeing that his opponent was now on the ground, Fenrir dashed forward to where she was and bit her neck, sending the lycanthropy curse through her body. He would have done more but was interrupted due to the untimely arrival of others.
"Get away from her," one of them shouted before banishing him twenty feet away and began firing curses without restraints. Fenrir could barely dodge or defend as her spells set his body ablaze, making him roar in pain.
The angry expression of the dark blonde girl said it all. The wretched bitch wanted to kill him. He wanted to continue, but he was far too weak, and the bitch sent a gouging spell that took his right eye. That was all he remembered before his subordinate apparated him away.
A/N: Sorry this chapter took a while I had to deal with a couple of things. It would seem that I made an error on my part as Harry is scheduled to take 14 NEWTs not 13. I should have fixed that little issue a while back, but live and learn hahaha. Anyway to start things off I had Harry create a study session this way he could teach and help the other students further their skills and understandings. While I know he has a lot on his plate the after school sessions will be of great help. Especially, for Daphne as the more she teaches the more she will know in the end. Take this into consideration while people can learn things in a class, which is good. But learning things from a different perspective outside of classes are even greater help.
Don't worry I have no intentions of having Hermione take over as the leader as she is far too textbook oriented and let's face it Harry was always a better teacher.
As for Kingsley and Alastor let me state for the record that I like them and feel like they were never given enough credit in either the book or film. Besides they are indeed masters when it comes to dueling so why not make them members of the Dueling guild?
As for what happened to Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Rio I am sorry. Andromeda will survive but with a curse, the other two not so much! Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback, his pack mates, and the bounty hunters have no idea of the consequences of their actions as they've declared war against the House of Black, House of Potter, and House of Kawada.
All right people I need your help with something as I'm in a bind. Should I have Harry, Miwa, and Daphne perform a ritual on themselves? The decision is up to you all.
Next Chapter: Family sticks together and protecting a little bird.