Chapter 8: Making plans for the future
The students were preparing for the new year by getting their school supplies as the summer winded down. The various shops at Diagon Alley were packed full of new and returning students, all wanting to enjoy what was left of the vacation. Several of the incoming first years needed to get their things early. The professors sent letters explaining that they would arrive three days before everyone else. So, needless to say, the streets of the magical Britain shopping district were filled with people. Luckily it didn't last longer than a couple of days, as they could get everything they needed.
One of the many shops that became most popular was Javier's Jewelry store. The owner of the store, Javier Gonzales, inherited the store from his father and business was booming. His patrons were always amazed and satisfied with their purchases. Even those who worked for him found the experience rewarding and very relaxing. Their pays were decent, with flexible hours that would work with their schedules. Javier always agreed to write recommendation letters for those in school. Truthfully he admired that as he began working during the summer after his third year. Two of the store's newest employees proved to be excellent additions to the staff as they knew what was expected of them.
Tracey was working her way through a row of different necklaces to see if they were in their proper places and had the correct price tags. A week after school ended, she began working at the store with Padma as a sales associate. Something her parents were clearly happy about as they wanted her to understand what working was like and teach her some responsibility. At the end of the row, she made a note to order new necklaces, as five had already been sold. This was actually one of the easiest parts of her job.
"Anything new?" Tracey turned her attention to the elevator, where she saw Padma approaching.
"No, we just have to restock in this area. It's good to have you back, and congrats on winning the Chess tournament." The international tournament was streamed on the wizarding feed for all to see. After two days, Padma succeeded in winning the Under 18 division. She just got back yesterday.
Padma giggled as she was indeed proud of herself as the final round exhausted her. "Thanks. So what's new with you? Anything interesting happen?"
"Nothing besides work, studying for my OWLs, spending time with Blaise and our friends, and seeing Harry put Fudge and Weasley in their place."
"Mm, I heard about what happened at the Wizengamot," Padma frowned. "It's complete rubbish what they tried to do to him. My father spent a good hour ranting about Fudge abusing his power. I'm just glad he got the dressing down he so deserved."
"Yeah, you and me both. Anyway, new topic," trying to change the discussion. "Our Heads of Houses at school sent letters to the fifth-years regarding our future careers and a list of subjects we'll be tested in."
Padma knew what she was talking about, "I've already selected the subjects I wanted to test in, but I am having trouble whether I want to be a representative or start my own business."
Tracey pats her shoulder, "don't worry, you have until the 22nd to submit them. So, how are things with you and Terry?"
Her friend immediately perked up, "things are great, actually. My father approves of him. He even took time off work to visit while I was in Germany." Terry had been working for a magical antique store since the beginning of summer. Like her, he wanted some experience in the work field before graduating and moving on to his dream job.
"We actually have a dinner date tonight."
"Any ideas on where he's taking you?" Tracey asked to which Padma shook her head.
"He only said it would be a surprise," shrugging her shoulders. "What about you and Blaise? Got any plans?"
"Things are great with us, and no, not today. He, Aaron, Harry, and the others are hanging out today," she answered. "If anything, they just want some guy time."
Padma instantly rolled her eyes and released a breath from the corner of her mouth, "boys."
The two then started laughing as if they shared the same thought process. Tracey looked at her watch to see that it was 10 a.m. "Hey, turn the crystals on. It's time for the court case."
Without wasting a breath, Padma activated the crystals and changed the setting so it would show the Wizengamot. Soon the case of Harry vs Cornelius began. "Oh, this I have got to see."
Unbeknownst to them, the others were doing the same thing; even the manager wanted to see what might happen. Forty minutes later, the wizengamot voted in favor of Harry. He seemed to take great pleasure in putting his opponent down. Together, Fudge lost 14,031,450 galleons and had to fork over his villa and its contents. But, unfortunately for him, Harry was far from done as he whispered something into his ear. Which sent chills down the man's spine.
"Well, that was interesting," Tracey admitted with a smirk.
"I'll say," Padma agreed. "Though, personally, I thought he would have taken more."
"Knowing Harry as well as I do, he is only getting started. Did you catch that last part? He said he had no interest in keeping any of the money and barred Fudge from ever rebuying his villa."
"In all honesty, Fudge should consider himself fortunate that Harry didn't take anything else. But, if it counts for anything, he, along with the members of his office, should be removed from their positions."
Tracey nodded in agreement.
(0^0)
Cruising through the air under Britain, the boys were under the invisibility field their bikes provided, with Blaise leading the pack. After the business at the Ministry, they all met at Adrian's house to make plans for the day. Once everything was decided, they left and began riding. All the while, Aaron provided them with some music until they stopped at their first destination in Knockturn Alley. Dismounting, they shut off their rides, added a resizing charm to make them smaller, put them in the storage unit of their watches, and went into Rico's tattoo parlor.
"Do you guys know what designs you want?" Blaise asked as they walked to the register.
"Not me. I already have enough markings," Harry took a seat in one of the visitor seats. Neville quickly joined him, and they began talking about the current administration.
This left only Aaron, Adrian, and Blaise at the counter as they looked through the various tattoo designs. Then, not a moment later, a man in his early thirties came from the break room. "There he is. Rico, over here," Aaron motioned for the man to come over.
"Mr. Vaisey, good to see you again." Rico greeted, then turned to the others, "and you brought friends. What can I do for you guys?"
"Today's about business," Aaron began, "The guys and I were looking to get some designs."
"Say no more. Follow me," the smiling man rounded the counter, led them to some empty chairs, and called for some of his associates. Three people arrived with a book of various tattoo designs. "Take your pick."
They each took a minute to decide on which tattoos they wanted and where they wanted them. The first to choose was Adrian, who selected a basilisk to be on the upper part of his back and a dagger on his right arm. Next, Blaise picked a dragon to go on the right side of his chest, a tribal tattoo that wrapped around the upper part of his left elbow, and a lightning bolt on the right. Then finally, Aaron wanted an ouroboros dragon on his left arm and a lion and snake yin & yang on the right side of his chest. He also requested that the lion be surrounded by flames and the snake by water.
The entire process took five hours, with Blaise taking the longest.
"Not bad guys," Neville complimented as he and Harry came over. Since they were in a magical tattoo shop, the designs, they got started moving. He turned to Adrian, "how do you think Cecelia will react when she sees you got some tattoos?"
"She might think it's sexy," Adrian replied with a big grin as he was so sure. "I also need to get her an anniversary present. But there's one problem."
"What kind of problem?" Harry asked.
"I'm terrible at picking accessories," he admitted.
Giving him an incredulous look, "you've been dating her for over four months and don't know how to pick out jewelry?" He then started laughing at his friend's embarrassment. A few minutes later, he stopped, "alright, come on, I got an idea."
"Hold on. We have to pay Rico first," Aaron reminded. "We'll meet you at the entrance."
Together Harry and Neville went to stand by the entrance while their friends paid for their tattoos. Soon they were outside.
"Where to now?" Blaise asked.
"Javier's," Harry replied, "our boy Adrian needs to get his girl something nice.
Neville then jumped in, "maybe he's right. Hopefully, the store will have something that deals with multi-dimensional creatures." He and Luna have been dating for a while now. It took a little time before he understood about creatures that weren't from their dimension. But he finally understood what she meant, as they had a knack for crossing over.
Blaise through an arm around him and gave a look of encouragement, "don't worry. Tracey said the store had different types of jewelry with several various properties. So they're bound to have something for her." Then looking at the others, "what about you guys? What are you getting your respective girlfriends?"
"That's a good question," Aaron contemplated. "Katie's birthday is on the eleventh of September. Even though I already asked her, she said she didn't want anything."
"Were you just born?" Harry chastised. "Don't you know that girls don't mean half the things they say?"
"Yeah, I have to agree with Harry on this one," Blaise commented. "Take it from someone who has dated two girls already. Whenever your girlfriend says she doesn't want anything, that usually means they want you to see things from their point of view. Learned that when I was with Eleanor."
"What happened with Eleanor?" Neville wondered.
"Her birthday was coming up, right? So I asked her what she wanted. And she said nothing. I asked her again, only to get the same response. So I didn't get her anything except for flowers.
"And?" Adrian asked.
"The girl slaps me across my face, called me a lousy boyfriend, and broke up with me," still a little irritated at the memory.
"Ooh," his friend groaned. "No wonder she sent you those death glares and started making rumors about you." Part of him did wonder why Blaise would ever want to go out with a girl like that.
Blaise frowned as the girl needed to get over it, "exactly, so we got your back. I also need to get Tracey something for her birthday." Technically she was born on the eighth of October, so it'll be better if he got an idea of what to get her.
They continued walking through the streets of Knockturn Alley until finally making it to Diagon Alley, where they were about to turn the corner, only for Harry to stop them. "Hold it, guys," slowly motioning for them to take a peak. There they saw Daphne, Padma, and Tracey inside the shop, talking amicably.
"What are they doing here? I know Tracey works part-time, but Daphne doesn't." A briefly surprised Blaise saw them coming out while Padma returned to her station.
"We have to tread carefully as they can sense magic. Specifically, Daphne," Harry warned. Stealthily they made their way to the store when the girls were out of sight and earshot.
When the door opened, a bell was heard, alerting Padma and two others. A big smile then came across Padma's face. "Hello, boys. What brings you here today?"
"Business," Adrian replied. "We're enjoying the time we still have left." Padma rolled her eyes at the response.
Blaise stepped in, "how good are you at keeping secrets?" The nervousness of his voice caused her to raise an eyebrow.
"You don't want Tracey to know you were here." He gave her a curt nod. "In that case, you only have 25 minutes before she gets back from her lunch break."
"Then we better not waste time," looking at the others who agreed with him. "Is Javier around?"
"I heard someone say my name? The man in question came from his office to see two of his best clients. "Blaise, Hadrian, you two certainly look well. And you brought friends," passing glances at each one of them.
The two walked till they were short of an inch away from the man, "indeed we did. Very deep pockets. To make a long story short, we require your expertise," looking behind his shoulder and then back at him. "Birthday and Anniversary gifts. Also, our bud Neville needs something with special properties."
Understanding the situation, he narrowed his eyes and motioned for Padma and another girl to come forward. "I will leave these men to you ladies. Please show them our best."
Padma escorted Neville and Adrian to the elevator, pressed the button for the second floor, and soon they were off. Meanwhile, the other lady stayed to help Aaron, Blaise, and Hadrian. She led them to another area of the shop, where they saw a collection of different charm bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings.
"We also do custom orders if there is nothing you like," she sweetly said. Aaron looked through the charm bracelets while Blaise went for the necklaces.
Aaron knew that Katie was not a girly girl but had seen her wear different accessories every now and then. She wasn't big on anything too extravagant, either. Having a hard time deciding, he motioned for Harry to come over.
"Having a difficult time?" Harry half-heartedly joked.
"Is it that easy to see?" asking a rhetorical question. "I'm at a loss. I've never been good at picking jewelry."
"Okay, okay," settling him down as he looked slightly panicked. "Let's put our heads together. Specifically, what does Katie like?" He only knew a little about his former quidditch teammate.
Aaron explained that Katie was into quidditch as she wanted to play professionally after leaving school. However, he let on some of the other things she was into, like the type of animals she found cute and other things she liked.
After thinking for a couple of minutes, an idea suddenly formed in Harry's head. "Looks like you're going to need two gifts. A bracelet and necklace. Probably have to be custom orders." He then turned to the lady at the register. "Excuse me, ma'am, we need your assistance."
The said lady walked over to them, "listen, my boy here likes the selection you have, but it's not what he's looking for, and I was wondering how soon you can have a custom order done?"
She answered, "that will depend on when you'll need it and how you want it designed. One second, please," turning around, she pulled out a catalog full of designs and materials, some files, ink, and parchment.
"If you, the two of you, would please follow me," leading them to an office where they can discuss the materials further. Taking their respective seats, she handed Aaron the items.
Taking his time to browse through the catalog and with some advice from Harry, he finally made a decision. Then picking up the quill and dabbing it into the bottle of ink, he wrote down his order.
"Are you sure these are what you want and by this date?" she asked him, to which he nodded. "Very well, then your total will be 29,780 galleons. Would you like to do an installment plan or pay it in full?"
Aaron had to blink twice and regain his composure, "pay it in full."
Flashing him a smile, "you must really love your girlfriend. Most boy's your age would just pick something at random. I will be back within a few minutes to get the paperwork."
When she left, Aaron leaned back into his chair, released a breath, and turned to Hadrian. "Are you she will like this?"
"Positive! Trust me, when she sees what you got her, her breath will be taken away," giving an assuring smile.
Two minutes later, the woman returned to the room with a stack of papers. "If you would please sign in the designated areas, we can begin working on your order."
Aaron dipped the quill again and signed the forms. Once done, he pulled out his wallet and paid the woman an extra fifty galleons to keep it confidential.
"We'll send an owl when your order is ready."
Taking that as their cue, the two exited the room and went back to the main area, where they saw Blaise, Neville, and Adrian. "You guys get what you needed?" The three of them nodded, with the last two showing what they had bought.
"I got my idea," Blaise said. "Now, let's get out of here before Tracey or Daphne show up."
They immediately agreed and then left. Harry, of course, decided to make a stop at one of the many shops to get some shampoo.
Seeing the incredulous looks of the others, he shrugged, "what? I have to do something to keep my hair down, and this is the only shop other than the one in Hogsmede that has it."
"He ain't wrong," came a smirking Neville. "From what I've heard, some new shops will come in this year. A few will be branches from the businesses here."
"Thank you, Neville. It still bothers me that our society hasn't evolved into something more progressive. Currently, we're behind the others."
"Got any plans for how you intend to use the money you got from Fudge?" Adrian asked.
"All part of my plan," his lips formed a dark smile. "The only thing I will say is—"
"Well, look who we found," the annoyingly arrogant voice of someone familiar caused them to turn around. Approaching them were Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe. The smug look on her face annoyed them, to say the least. "A bunch of blood traitors."
"Well, if it isn't the useless slag and the two brainless trolls. What's the matter? Did Malfoy finally dump you after finding out that you couldn't fulfill his needs anymore?" Adrian responded in kind.
Her visage then formed an angry expression, "watch yourself, Puecy, and you know nothing about Draco," defending her boyfriend. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles looking ready to start a fight. "It's disappointing that Vaisey and yourself have aligned yourselves with Potter and the Longbottom." Momentarily tensing up when she saw the cold expression on Blaise's face. What he did to her last year was still fresh in her mind.
"The three of you would rather side with a bunch of traitors than your own family is truly a shame." A superior smirk appeared on her face when she turned to Potter. "You picked the wrong side and will soon meet a sticky end, just like your parents."
Stepping forward, "by who that murdering rapist death eater you call a father? He is a pathetic excuse for a wizard who cannot fight his own battles. It would be best if you enjoyed the last few days you have with him as he will not survive. That's a promise."
"You won't have a chance," Goyle scoffed. "The day of your duel, you will die, and my father will take everything your family has left.
"Fuck me, the brainless troll can actually speak without being told by his blonde dog." The condescending tone of voice irked him. "Your father is a cowardly death eater who is nothing more than a mere lapdog. If he had not taken the dark mark or tortured me that night, he would have saved himself a lot of suffering." His voice was cold as ice that sent shivers down the boy's spine. "However, since he chose his path, he will suffer the consequences. So prepare to lose everything and say goodbye to your soon-to-be-dead father."
Byakko, Suzaku, and Genbu channeled their magic to keep him calm. Unfortunately, it didn't take as Goyle threw a sloppy punch that connected with Harry's face. The attack had no effect as Harry didn't move a muscle and just stood there. A crooked smile appeared as Goyle clutched his right hand as he assumed it was broken.
"Didn't think that through did you?" Crabbe tried to get involved but was stopped by Neville, who delivered a punch to his stomach, making him crumple to the ground. Not a second later, Goyle tried again but missed as Harry countered it with a kick to the shin and punched his neck, knocking the wind out of him.
Seeing that Pansy was about to retaliate, Adrian, Aaron, and Blaise each had their wands trained on her. "Make a single move, and your cooked," Adrian warned.
Finishing his opponent off easily, Harry delivered a front kick to the fool's face, breaking his nose and two front teeth, and him out. Then he turned around and leaned into Parkinson's right ear, "you should know by now that I always keep my word. Tell your father I'm coming for him!"
Rounding the shocked girl as Neville cleaned Crabbe's clock in no time flat. Resulting in two of her friends being unconscious. Pansy scowled as she regained herself. "Don't any of you think this is over?" That was the last thing she said before reviving Crabbe and Goyle. The two would certainly require medical attention.
Finding a secluded area, the boys pulled their bikes out, resized them to restore their original forms, and were suddenly off with the invisibility cloak activated. Traveling through the evening sky, they made it out of the magical district and crossed into a muggle area. Locating a secluded spot, they lowered themselves down and disengaged the cloaking fields. With that done, they proceeded to the main road and cruised through the streets with Blaise playing some music. The only thing on their minds was living life to the fullest while they could. No war. No Dark wizards or witches after them. No class assignments. It was just them having fun, taking a night on the town.
Spending the forty-five minutes or probably longer riding through London, Aaron made a suggestion when they came to a stop at a traffic light. "Hey, guys, let's get something to eat before we hit the club later." Looking at his watch, it read 6:50.
"All right, follow me. I know a good restaurant," Blaise said when the light turned green.
They followed him for the next fifteen minutes and arrived at a restaurant. Finding some parking spaces, they got off and went inside. Making it to the front, they were greeted by a host, "good evening, gentlemen, are the five of you together?"
"We are, indeed, my good man," Harry confirmed.
"Then please follow me," the man pulled out five menus and led them to a booth large enough to seat all of them. They each took their seat and were given a menu. "You guys have a look, and I'll send a waiter or waitress over."
"Good call," Harry said as the man walked away. "This place sure does bring back memories," looking around.
A smirk appeared on his face, "the food here is really good from what I remember. Trust me, you guys will not be disappointed," he said, glancing at Neville, Adrian, and Aaron, all of whom had hungry expressions on their faces.
"Damn, these dishes sure are expensive," Adrian commented, looking through the prices. "Shouldn't come as a surprise given the décor of this place."
A feminine voice soon approached, "hello, I'm Marissa, and I will take care of you all today." She pulled out a pen and checklist. "Are any of you ready to order, or do you require a few more minutes?"
Glancing at each other as if sharing a silent discussion, they all said, "we're ready."
One by one, she wrote down what they wanted. Then, after gathering all of what was needed, she left, but not before giving Aaron a flirtatious wink and smile. "Be back with your meals soon." She put a little sway into her hip, giving him a good view of her ass.
"Merlin save me," Aaron groaned, much to the amusement of his friends.
"I'm just glad it's not me for once," a chuckling Harry tried controlling himself. "Seems like Katie has got some competition."
"Katie does not need to know," he said in a firm voice, giving a stern look. "That girl has got some strong arms."
Adrian had the least amount of luck when trying to control his laughter, "women. Can't live with and can't live without them. But for real, we won't say anything."
They all gave an affirmative nod.
Neville sighed, "this is probably one of the best days of my life."
"Oh, don't worry, today is not even over as we haven't gotten to the main event yet," Blaise quipped.
He told them about the club they were going to after dinner and promised it would be an amazing experience. Given their physiques, they would be able to get in without any complications. Tonight was truly going to be one they'll remember. The waitress later brought them their meals, and they began eating. Adrian, Neville, and Aaron looked like they just went to food heaven after taking a bite out of their dishes, much to Harry and Blaise's satisfaction. No one was more surprised than Blaise as he stored the images of their faces in his memory.
"Did we tell them, or did we tell them?" High-fiving each other.
"Even after all these years, this place still has amazing food," replied Harry.
Continuing with dinner, they started talking about their plans for the future once they finally graduated from school. Hopefully, by then, Fudge will be removed from office and given the punishment he rightly deserves. Without a doubt, their society needed to evolve into the modern era while keeping their traditions. A clear case of creation and destruction. Order and chaos. Whatever came their way, they would deal with it in an effective manner. They will do anything to protect their loved ones and help bring the balance back. Adrian was already planning for the future as this was his final year, and preparations needed to be made. He also wanted Cecelia to be a part of it as well.
She'd already graduated from Beauxbaton and was working towards her goal of being a businesswoman. Unlike others from her class, she was neither stuck-up nor condescending. She was one of the top students in her year and worked exceedingly hard to achieve her goals. During the summer, she began looking for a place to stay in Spain. Despite taking a while, she finally managed to find a place in Valencia.
Paying the bill, they left with looks of extreme satisfaction. Aaron got lucky as he managed to get out before the waitress could start chatting with him. In two day's he would be at Katie's house for dinner. Her parents, well more her father, wanted to evaluate and see if he was a good enough match for his daughter. One of the toughest jobs a man has to accomplish when dating a woman. Getting on the father's good side.
Blaise led them to their destination; the nightclub they were going to was in a two-story building. Upon arrival, they saw two big security guards. To get into clubs like this, you get to know someone; luckily, he did. "Just let me do the talking."
Already dressed for the part, they proceeded toward the entrance. "Yo, Jefferson, my man," clapping the man's hand. "How's business? Booming?"
"Mr. Zabini," the dark-skinned man began. "Things are hot right now. You and your entourage just made it," stepping away to allow them entry. The music was blaring at a high volume, the strobe lights were flashing, and the people were dancing as the DJ started playing a new record.
Neville looked momentarily shocked, then swiftly recovered. "Tight, man," he said as Blaise led them to the bar.
"I know, right." He said through the loud music. "This is how things are on Friday nights. Sal, line them up," calling the bartender over.
Soon, a dozen exotic dancers showed up as the bartender brought over a tray of shots. Each took a glass. "A toast to the best night of our lives," Blaise held up his glass, with the others following suit.
"Here, here," Adrian agreed. They each took a waterfall in downing their drinks. "Whoop, this is almost like Firewhiskey without the flaming in our throats."
"Damn, right," Aaron wore a big smile, "time for another."
Calling the bartender over again so they could have a different set of drinks, they went to enjoy themselves as some ladies began giving them flirtatious looks. Aaron and the others began dancing like there was no tomorrow. Particularly Blaise, who was challenged to a dance-off by a street hustler. Something that he eagerly accepted as he figured it be the best way to cut loose and show off a little. The people began cheering in earnest as they squared off with the mid-thirtyish starting things. After a minute, Blaise joined the fray, executing moves that began putting the man to shame. The older man kicked it into a new gear, not wanting to be outdone by someone younger. A foolish mistake, as the dark-skinned boy was far from done.
Then responding in kind Blaise's moves became much more refined as he upped his game. This continued for a few more minutes, with Blaise ending it with a corkscrew flip. He had won.
"Yeah, that's how it's done," Adrian and the others cheered.
Bringing in another tray of glasses, they went upstairs, where they saw a bunch of people playing Poker, Texas Hold 'em, Baccarat, Craps, and Blackjack. Seeing as the Baccarat table was the most popular, Harry, Neville, and Blaise entered while Adrian and Aaron were enjoying the show of watching the ladies dance.
"Thank god you know who's not here," Neville looked through his cards. "The last time we played, I lost my shirt."
"That's my girl," Blaise said with pride. "She's a real card shark." Laughing at the memory.
After hours of playing, Neville won the final round, ending with 157,000 pounds. A little drunk, he was helped up by Harry when Blaise went to gather the other two. Meeting downstairs, they saw that both Adrian and Aaron were drunk, Adrian more than his friend. Walking out of the establishment, Blaise checked his watch to see that it read 10:50 late at night. Mentally cursing as they had to leave.
Harry motioned for them to head into a dark back alley. Making sure they were secure, Harry put up some privacy and anti-muggle wards while Blaise hit them all with a sobering charm.
"Woah, where are we?" Neville looked around.
"Long story short, we have to get home," Harry swiftly said. "Those sobering charms will not last. I say an hour max."
"What time is it?" Aaron asked.
"Five minutes till eleven."
"Shit, we got to go home," came Adrian. "Well, goodnight, guys. This was the best night of my life."
Agreeing with him as they would never forget today, they went to where their motorcycles were stationed, activated the cloaking fields, and took off. Flying through the night sky, Harry called for them to stop. He put another sobering charm around them so they wouldn't accidentally run into anything. "So long, guys. We should do this again in the future."
"Definitely," Blaise agreed.
The others all responded with affirmative nods and separated.
It took close to about twenty minutes for Harry to arrive home. Setting it down in the courtyard, he took his keys from the engine, went to the door, and unlocked it. Sitting in the dark on one of the couches was his godfather. Sirius had a big smile when he saw his godson, "looks like you had fun," he teased.
"What gave it away?"
"You're wearing the same stupid grin James did the first time we went out at the end of our sixth year. And your breath reeks of booze," laughing when Harry smelled his breath. It did smell. "Boy, do I have a story to tell you as he was a party animal. But for now, go grab a shower and get some sleep."
Following his advice, Harry raised his shirt to release his companions from their tattoo forms. He went up the stairs to his room, where he saw Daphne already fast asleep. Resisting the urge to crawl into bed with her, he shed his clothes, put his wands and watches next to the mirror nightstand, and grabbed a towel and some night clothes. Stepping into the bathroom took a good long shower, brushed his teeth, and put his night clothes on. Feeling relieved and incredibly tired, he crawled into bed, wrapped his arms around Daphne's waist then fell asleep. Unknown to him, a soft smile appeared on her face.
The next morning Daphne woke from a pleasant dream. She took notice of the pair of strong arms wrapped around her and the soft breathing of her boyfriend. Shifting her body till she faced him. She began remembering their time together from the day they first met on the Hogwarts Express and the years that followed. At first, he was antisocial, secretive, and cold, with only Blaise, who seemed to be the only person who really knew him. But turns out it was all for show, as he was actually honorable, compassionate, and very loyal. Lifting herself up slightly, she brushed some of the hair on his forehead away, then caressed his cheek.
"Harry," leaning down with her head across his shoulder. "I love you. Let's stay together forever." From underneath, he started to stir, signaling that he was about to wake up. Pulling back as he opened his eyes, a tiny smile appeared.
"There's a face I like seeing in the morning," yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"So, how was your night out yesterday?"
"One of the best night's ever," replied. But then, he saw the cheeky smile on her face, "you knew I was in Diagon Alley."
The smile on her face grew, confirming what he said to be the truth. "Shark-like senses, I can detect magic and a very strong woman's intuition."
"Here, I thought my presence was completely concealed." Rubbing the back of his head.
"You? No. Aaron, Neville, and Adrian still need to work on concealing their magic signatures. They can hide from most, but I know a strong wizard who taught me better," she teased.
"Oh, should I be worried that you might leave me for this wizard," playing along.
"Well, he is exceedingly powerful, can be very secretive, and very intelligent. He could likely give you a run for your money and is also a good teacher," her blue eyes twinkled with delight.
"Then, I guess I better step up my game," the next minute, he pounced on her and began tickling her sides. Daphne squealed in laughter under the tickle attack.
Continuing for a couple of minutes, it seemed that Harry had won the battle this time. "Guess I win," a large smile adorned his face as he held her arms to her side.
Rolling her eyes, "shut up and kiss me," she playfully demanded, mirroring his smile.
Complying, he brought his lips to hers, which she happily reciprocated. Removing his hold over her hands, he slipped them to the middle of her back. Soon their tongues began dancing, and the two moaned. Fifteen minutes later, they were utterly breathless.
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you are lately?"
"Your actions say it all," she said. Sharing a short yet sweet kiss, they went to get dressed for the day.
Meeting downstairs, Harry sat next to Emily, wearing an emerald green V-neck and a pair of black cargo shorts. Emily had her hair braided and wore a red shirt and blue jean shorts. As Harry poured himself some coffee, Daphne came in wearing a white mock-neck V-neck sleeveless shirt and some blue jeans.
"Morning all," she said, scratching behind Iroh's right ear as he ate with the gods. Then took a seat and began eating her omelet. "So, anyone got any plans for today?"
"Not me. My plan for the day is to relax," Harry drank some of his coffee.
"Can I invite Luna, Lilith, and Astoria over?" Emily asked him.
"Go ahead." He then remembered, "before you, I got you and Daphne something while I was out yesterday." Reaching his watch, he pulled out two bags for each of them, which they accepted.
"I remembered you saying that you were running out of your favorite shampoo, so I figured why not," casually shrugging his shoulders. Emily jumped out of her seat and hugged him.
"Thanks, Harry," she then left to go upstairs as Daphne kissed him on the cheek. Returning a few minutes later to finish her breakfast. "So, are you excited? Tomorrow's the big day."
Knowing what she was talking about, he released an exasperated sigh, "yes. I will finally be able to take this damn thing off," referring to the bracelet.
When breakfast was over, Emily called her friends, telling them that Harry said it was alight for them to come over. With the girls being entertained, Harry and Daphne went into the potion's lab to begin working on their project. Since the beginning, they've made substantial progress in making their potion successful. Despite multiple failures and months of research, they never stopped trying to perfect their potion, which was of great importance.
Herbology and potion books were spread everywhere, with an assortment of different and rare potion ingredients on the table next to them.
"Once we figure out the problems and how to make this successful, we'll not only be able to change lives but will also change the shape of the coming war." An excited Daphne wrote down some notes.
"I know, and trust me, no side will be able to do anything. It's long past time for something to be done. The wizarding world needs to evolve, Britain most of all. As one of the many projects we're working on, the memories of Fudge, Dumbledore, and Voldemort will become a thing of the past. If those idiots want a war, then we'll give them one. Millions of Wizards and Witches will rebel and want them gone."
"True, but our current project, even with Miwa's help, has proven to be a challenge," she added. "Say we do complete it, there is still the matter of getting the funding and having it accepted by the populace."
"Leave that to me," he said with a cryptic smile forming on his face. "I happen to know a way for us to get funding and ensure that it'll be passed by the I.C.W."
"The I.C.W? Someone's getting ambitious," sharing the same smile.
"Believe me. This will be well worth the hard work and expenses."
(0^0)
Finally, days later, the day that Harry had been preparing for arrived. He was scheduled to face off against members of the Duelist Guild and earn a spot within their ranks. The bracelet attached to his arm for two months had been removed, and his magic was finally stabilized. However, he could hardly contain his emotions when he felt his magic return to him, stronger than ever.
Apparating to the destination with his family, they arrived at the Guild's main base in a secluded area of Finland. Inside they saw a dozen or so duelists. Some with familiar faces, others not so much. Ignoring them to proceed forward, they walked up to the receptionist's desk. "Please give your name and reason for being here?" He asked in an American accent.
"Harry Potter, being tested for the rank of Master in Charms," Harry simply stated why he was present.
The man snapped his eyes forward in surprise. He heard rumors about the higher-ups wanting to elevate Potter to become a Master Duelist but never fully believed them to be true. From what he knew about the young man standing before him. He defeated four ex-Masters at only fourteen.
"If you and your guests would take a seat, I'll tell them you're here," leaving to find his bosses.
Two familiar signatures infiltrated Harry's senses as they went to find some seats. Spinning on his heels to see Professor Flitwick and his dad walking towards him. Only a small group knew about his relationship with Severus and intended to keep it that way.
"Afternoon Master Filius," giving a respectful bow to him. "Mr. Snape, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to show up today. Most appreciated."
Severus had a bland expression; however, it was for show to conceal his real emotions. Behind the mask, he was delighted to be present. Filius, though was positively giddy as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
"It's been a while since I've seen something as spectacular as someone becoming a master and even longer since they've come from Britain," Filius squeaked. "I wish you the best of luck and suggest you use caution as these two days will be very difficult."
"I certainly this will be worth my time," Severus sneered. "Should it not, then your time as my apprentice will be miserable."
A smile formed on Harry's lips, "don't worry, as I promise that with what I have planned, the two of you will be left speechless."
"From my own history, the Potters and Blacks hardly ever—if rarely disappoint," the gruff voice of Moody came from behind the two adults. Approaching them was the ex-Auror himself, along with Kingsley by his side. He greeted Arcturus first, receiving a grunt, and turned to Hadrian. "Do your best and show these people why you deserve to be amongst the ranks."
"Count on it," Harry said with determination. "Also, I'm glad the two of you are here, as I would like to pay special attention to the duel. I think you'll be able to find great value and learn something important."
Kingsley chuckled a bit, "I wouldn't expect any less. After being defeated by you and seeing your unique style, I'd say that today will be educational."
They spent the next few minutes talking until the receptionist returned with three different masters.
"Welcome, Mr. Potter. I trust you are ready for today since you apparently have the energy to speak with your companions," the female narrowed her eyes at them and then looked at the other three masters. "Normally, we do not examine those so young, but given the results of what happened last year and that you're being endorsed by some of our high-ranking members. So we decided to see how capable you truly are."
"I understand," Harry said in a neutral voice.
"Good, then that'll make things easier," her voice softened. "Today, you will be facing an assortment of randomly chosen individuals. Master-level duelists. You will restrict yourself to using spells that belong to a branch of magic for charms. Dark charms and curses are allowed as long as they do not kill your opponents. Any questions?"
Thinking for a couple of seconds, "how long do I have to prepare?"
"Forty-five minutes."
"Then let's go. Where am I dueling at?" He asked with determination in his eyes.
Seeing the fire in his eyes, she led him to the locker room in the back. "Through that door will be the dueling arena," pointing to the door. "You can use your time any way you see fit, either in the here or on the field. Remember, you have forty-five minutes to prepare yourself."
"At the sound of the bell, the official duel will begin." She continued explaining the rules to him for the next ten minutes, and after giving all the essential information, she and the others left.
Once everyone was out, he changed into some comfortable clothes consisting of a dark green Under Armour shirt and some black shorts. Then Harry left to check the area he would be dueling in. The cool breeze whistled through his hair as he surveyed the open plains; sitting on the warm grass in a meditative position, he began formulating some strategies and the type of tactics he might need to employ. From what the Dueling master said, the duel will occur in the open grassy field and the forest. Having been trained for situations like this, he was already familiar with the terrain. Utilizing his time wisely, he formulated a plan and added a couple of backups just in case things didn't go the way he wanted. This was not going to be easy, as there was no telling who he would be facing. The only thing he could do was prepare and strategize for what might occur. But first, he had to reinforce his occlumency shields and ensure his mind, body, spirit, and magic were at peace.
As time passed, formulating different strategies and not moving from his current position, the presence of someone from behind brought him out of his trance.
"Is there an issue?" Kept his eyes closed and head straightforward.
"No, I just came to tell you there are five minutes left before the duel commences," the voice was masculine.
This time Harry did open his eyes and got up from the position he was in. "Thank you," then he turned his attention to the stands where the other guild members began taking their seats. "Time to get to work."
The man himself released a gold spark from his wand, telling the others they were about to begin, and made his way to the stands.
Soon the remaining five minutes were up, and twenty-two people walked onto the field with their wands out. It did not take a genius to figure it out, but Harry could tell they were extremely powerful. All of whom were masters of Battle Charms.
Up in the stands, the guild Director applied a sonorous charm, "my fellow duelists. We are gathered today to witness a young prodigy's skills in Battle Charms. Having been endorsed by some of our Masters', we are going to see if he has what it takes to become a Master himself." She announced. The crowd started cheering as this was a spectacular event.
"Mr. Potter," she continued after releasing a cannon blast from her wand, silencing the crowd. "You will have forty-four minutes to defeat your opponents. Should you either survive or defeat them, then you will become a Master. However, the level will be decided on how well you perform. Per our traditions, you will have five minutes to prepare yourself." Laying out the terms on what can and cannot be done during the evaluation.
Flying around the stadium were six recording crystals broadcasting to the audience in the stands and inside the building.
"Begin!" Starting the timer and removing the charm. Harry immediately raced towards the forest. This would be a fantastic way to use what he was planning. They wanted to test him…so he wouldn't disappoint.
Figuring he was deep enough in the forest; he started laying traps in various places and conjured an ominous fog to cloud their visions. Stealth is the way of a ninja. Then taking his wand, he cast the disillusionment charm upon himself. With everything in place, he climbed up a tree as the presence of his opponents came closer. His advanced senses gave him an edge over most as he could see through thick smoke and, from long distances, possessed a great source of hearing to the point where even if people silenced their feet, he'd be able to hear them. These senses, along with his sense of smell, ability to read magic, detect things through the electrical fields, and other sixth senses, would make it hard for people to sneak up on him. In short, this was going to be fun.
Seeing his work done, he climbed one of the many trees to sit on one of its branches. Thankfully, he did not have to wait long as he heard the footsteps and sensed the magical signatures of four people approaching. Then he quickly expanded his senses to see that they split into groups. A smirk quickly formed on his face as he watched as they came closer.
"Where is Potter?" grunted the one in the back.
Two of them started casting the human-presence-revealing spell, attempting to locate him. But, unbeknownst to them, Harry already thought ahead and was prepared. The spell found people by searching for their magic signatures. After spending a few minutes hidden away, Harry sent a portion of his magic behind a nearby bush where the first trap had been planted.
"Gotcha," one of them smirked. "If this is your attempt at hiding, boy, you will have no hope of becoming a master. The poor fool had no idea who he was facing as he inched closer to the bush. Coming to a stop, he fired the blasting curse at the bush to reveal that nothing was behind it.
"That's impossible. The readings said he was here," briefly turning away to see the perplexed look of his colleagues, and then out of nowhere, a small candle-lit flame emerged from the ground and exploded, sending him flying against a tree.
Deciding to activate another trap, with a flick of his wand, a nearby tree brought back one of its branches and nailed another group member. The resulting impact sent him flying into one of his teammates. And then there was only one.
Jumping down from the tree with the charm still on, Harry immediately used the banishing charm against him. The man easily dodged the spell and retaliated with a confringo which the now visible Harry deflected. A grin suddenly formed, and he activated some of the other traps. Many of the trees suddenly sprung to life, either attacking his opponent or restricting the others from interfering. With his plan working, Harry started going on the offensive by debilitating the man. Then finally, he hit him with the same tagging spell Miwa created years ago and added a modified version of the suspension charm.
Six minutes later, he finally stopped after conjuring some black smoke and vanishing deeper into the forest, leaving the four to try and regain their bearings.
"What the hell was that?" The group leader asked as he was being helped to his feet by one of his colleagues. As for the other two, they limped towards them. "Damn, it appears the rumors are true."
"What rumors?" A colleague asked while the man was being tended to. He had some shattered ribs and a dislocated shoulder.
Grunting with effort, he pulled himself to his feet, "apparently, Potter somehow knows how to avoid detection from the human-revealing spell and is capable of creating fake illusions of his signature at will."
The others were positively shocked as that was a difficult technique to master. Even some of the ranking Masters struggled with it.
"We're going to have to be much more careful," the one leaning against the tree commented. "If he's capable of doing this amount of damage at only fifteen, then I wonder what he'll be able to do later on."
Dashing through the forest with incredible speed, Harry found his next set of victims and, with a dark smile, got to work.
(0^0)
Up in the stands, Alastor, Kingsley, and Filius watched the dueling through the video feed with the two Aurors were shockingly surprised. Alastor had a curious expression on his face as he found Potter's tactics difficult to comprehend. His attacks were swift, precise, creative, and somewhat aggressive. It was hard to see what he was trying to do as he would directly or indirectly engage them in battle. The traps were commendable; his ambushes were quite clever, but he would leave after engaging them for a while. In all honesty, he found the entire thing interesting as he couldn't tear his one good eye away. And he was highly suspicious of the boy's choice of spells. While this may be a duel of Battle Charms, there were some he had never seen before, and he had seen a lot of things throughout his life.
His glass eye whirled to a smiling Kingsley, "magnificent isn't he?" Not taking his eyes off the screen. His friend nodded in agreement. "Despite coming from a warrior type of family, Potter is capable of giving the higher ranks a run for their money."
"True," an interested Kingsley acknowledged. "And I doubt he's using his full power against them. But that's not what's got my attention."
Now Alastor was intrigued as he understood what his long-time friend was talking about, "indeed. The tactics he's using are unconventional—to say the least. Staying only for a brief period to engage a group, then leaving. Most unusual."
"To say that Harry is your average duelist would be nothing short of an insult," Kingsley admitted in a deep voice. "I have a feeling that this is somehow part of a strategy. Though, it's hard to comprehend what he's trying to do or what his overall objective is…"
Thinking of himself as a fellow strategist, he often admired the uniqueness of different tactics. Throughout his career as an Auror and as a Duelist, his colleagues would often approach and ask for advice on how to deal with a large number of powerful opponents. As a result, he would take some time to devise the most effective methods to deal with enemies. It was not easy, as there were many variables to consider. More often than not, the strategies he created would require some alterations; however, what he was seeing today was different.
Above the duo, a smirking Arcturus enjoyed the show his nephew was putting on. He looked with pride as he watched Hadrian take on the various duelists. From a young age, he and Severus taught him how to strategize by playing wizards chess or during their combat training sessions. In order to properly use a tactical strategy, the person would have to be creative and think several moves ahead of their opponents. This was a subject that Arcturus stressed the importance of. Always be prepared, and never jump into anything without a plan. Harry might have taken a couple of years to master or become proficient in the art, but it was well worth it as he exceeded his expectations.
A light chuckle brought him out of his train of thought, looking over his shoulder to see a giddy Filius. The Charms master leaned closer, "I never would have expected that Harry would be capable of something like this. You've certainly trained him well."
"Thank you, Filius," Arcturus nodded. "While I would claim credit, I did have some help teaching him," referring to Severus, who watched with an expressionless mask covering his face. His eyes, however, showed he was pleased.
"But all we did was teach him. What you see is the result of Hadrian's determination and hard work."
Drawing his attention to his watch, he saw that twenty-three minutes had passed. Therefore, Hadrian only had twenty-one or so minutes left.
Then, allowing his mind to drift off, he began to ponder how he would handle the Death Eaters, more notably the Lestranges, Greyback, Dolohov, and Voldemort. He, of course, knew that Hadrian desired to kill Greyback himself. That murdering bastard has had it coming for a long time, and knowing the boy as well as he did, it would most certainly be unpleasant. There was also the fact of him having to deal with his youngest granddaughter Narcissa. She may have married that swine Lucius and brought that disgraceful son of hers into this world, but she was still a part of the family. Massaging his temples, he would allow her to decide where her loyalty lies. Her birth family or the family she married into?
(0^0)
Back in the forest, Harry was moving through the trees, hopping from branch to branch. These people were much tougher than he thought they'd be, which intrigued him as they fought well. Leaping from tree to tree, he threw his senses behind him to make sure they were following him, and sure enough, they were. With the prelude done, it was time for the real performance. Seeing the open field, he hopped to the last tree and then jumped down so his feet could hit the ground. Then dashing forward to the center, he performed a triple backflip and added a corkscrew. In the end, he turned to face the forest, where he noticed the others coming. Luckily, it did not take them long enough to arrive though they were tired, sore, and drained both physically and magically from the exertions of today's duel against him.
Several duelists were exhausted and felt their bodies were about to fall apart. A handful of them more than the others. They found it hard to believe that one boy could give them this much trouble, especially some of the high-level masters. To put it bluntly, they were all spent; some were annoyed with the expression on Potter's face because while they were sweating and trying to recapture their breaths, Potter wasn't even breathing hard. Yet, despite sweating, he seemed composed as his lips formed a grin, and quirked an eyebrow.
"This is the end, Potter," one of the irritated duelists tried to intimidate. "You have no chance of victory. There are twenty-two of us, and you are no match for all of us at once." His voice was laced with arrogance began to show.
"Are you sure about that? You're by far the weakest of everyone here," Harry taunted back. "Someone of your caliber shouldn't make baseless accusations less he finds himself out of commission. Now I believe our little party has finally reached its climax. So if you are done grandstanding, I say we finish this."
"What?" The man's temper started rising with a mixture of confusion.
"I'm tired of your babbling. Let us commence with the main event. Are you ready to play?" Gearing up, he trained his wand on them and adopted a stance.
"Such arrogance," he growled. "What are you all waiting for? Let's put this kid in his place," shouting at the others. Either not caring or registering the looks they sent his way. But he had a point. Time was running out.
All at once, they bombarded Harry with different spells. Many of them would cause a significant amount of pain if they were to make contact.
Allowing a smirk to appear, Harry dodged, parried, and retaliated. Thanks to his new dueling style, which carried the strengths of its predecessors, facing a large amount of accomplished and powerful duelists became less problematic. The style also brought in additional benefits like balance and energy control, thus allowing him to fight more efficiently. As a result, he could fight longer and keep his opponents guessing by controlling his magic and not allowing it to leak out. People and duelists, in general, often use the ability to sense the magical power of others to either detect or gauge a person's magic level. Because concealing one's energy is exceedingly difficult to maintain at all times during a combat situation, learning this technique became a necessity.
If a person could keep their magic hidden or, at the very least low enough not to be detected by anyone from the opposing side, it would create the illusion that they were weak. The only thing they have to do is be patient enough until the moment they need to attack, rapidly releasing their full strength in bursts to maximize offense for a short moment, then dropping back down to avoid wasting energy. It may have been strenuously difficult, but the results were worth it as he could fight longer. Time to show those of the old generation how the ones from the new handle things.
The more Harry fought more he began to put his master plan in motion. While defending and attacking, he began laying out the final pieces; when the final barrage of spells closed in, Harry used the banishing charm to direct them toward the ground, causing a massive amount of smoke to appear. Then using that to his advantage, he used a combination of the Ventus Tria and the continuous spell to make it last longer. He quickly sent a large ball of light into the air that broke into several smaller versions. Much to the surprise of the duelists, they weren't expecting him to do something like this as they were having a difficult time defending themselves while at the same time trying to attack.
Getting them right where he wanted them, a wide area levitation charm was used to lift up many different small, medium, large, or giant rocks. Then he sent them straight toward the squad in rapid succession. Unknown to them, he activated the tagging spell so the rocks and beams of light would target the individuals he had attacked in the forest earlier. Needless to say, the duelists were having a difficult time.
The more they shot down the miniature balls of light firing at them, the more rocks came hurdling their way. That was bad enough, but a select few began handling the powerful winds. If it weren't for the continuous spell Potter added, they would have stopped by now, but he added a different variation of the spell so that it could only be canceled by him.
Then continuing his work, he sent about eight to ten different color spells in different areas. For the last part of his plan to work, he had to put them in specific areas. After ensuring his work was done, he turned his attention back to his opponents as the last bit of rocks raced toward them. The miniature balls of light were all destroyed.
"I commend you all for putting up such a great battle as it gave me a great workout, but like all gatherings, they must end." He took a knee as they tried to recover and pressed his hands on the grass. "Goodbye!"
Reaching out with his magic, he sent a tremor through the ground around them to make it collapse from underneath them. Then, group by group, they all fell deep within the earth.
Knowing this wasn't the end, he sat on the ground in a meditative position, allowing himself to fall into a trance. Everything was in place as the end was approaching. Upon hearing the pop sounds from apparition, he immediately knew they appeared above ground. Opening his eyes to see them breathing hard, were seriously injured, and absolutely drained. He could sense their magic levels dropping by the minute. Especially the people who would have proven to be a challenge. Amongst everyone in the group, they were the most injured and heavily drained.
"Consider me impressed," he began in a calm voice. "You all managed to last this long. I commend every one of you for putting up such an impressive battle," hopping to his feet to give them a slight bow.
They were exactly where he needed them to be. "So please consider this as my way of saying thanks," Harry then began to unleash a massive amount of his real power as he powered up. The winds howled as the ground started shaking, and he began releasing an unusual amount of heat. Many of the duelists could only stare as they were frozen in place, as they never expected that he was holding back so much. Even the people in the stands were frozen in place as they could feel the power coming off the fifteen-year-old.
"Unbelievable," a duelist to the far right said. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"This should not be possible. How is he generating this much power?" Another asked, unable to even lift his wand.
"His power is still climbing fast. What—who is he? If it goes any higher, then we can all be destroyed!" A person in the middle exclaimed.
Little did they know, but this was only 60% of Harry's real power. So said boy, then started firing spell after spell at them in rapid succession. Still completely fresh, his spells were like a blur as he began destroying the area around them with explosions and other high-level spells.
Attempting to counter or defend themselves proved difficult as they figured that Potter would have stopped by now. But, instead, he just kept firing at them. While a handful crumpled to the ground, others remained though they were buckling under the young lord's assault.
Deciding to finish things off cast a wide area banishing charm that sent them back and quickly followed up by a ball of silver light that broke into several little balls that hovered near them. Then with a snap of his fingers, they all exploded into a high-volume blast that ruptured their eardrums and damaged their inner ears. However, that wasn't the end of it, as different colors of energy shot up from the ground. Lines were drawn as they all connected to take the form of a magical blue crest. Before they could do anything, the thing exploded with a massive pillar of fire shooting into the air. The resulting explosion sent the duelists flying into different places of the field unconscious.
"The winner is Lord Hadrian Potter!" The director announced, and the stands erupted into applause. "For demonstrating remarkable dueling skills, creativity, strategic thinking, determination, and a massive amount of power, we hereby bestow upon you the rank of High-class Master of Battle Charms!" She then had a squad of people go down to the field so they could gather their comrades to receive medical attention.
Meanwhile, Harry teleported to the stands where his family was. Emily was the first to greet him as she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. "You were amazing."
"I concur, Hadrian. You did well," Arcturus smiled at him.
Severus sent a mental congratulation through their link as Tonks came up to offer her own congratulations to him.
"That was the best sort of dueling I have seen in a long time," Kingsley praised. "Never in a million years have I witnessed a tactical strategy like the one I've seen today."
I promised it would be an important learning experience, and I delivered."
"You did more than that," Moody grunted with a smile of acknowledgment. "You even gave me a couple of ideas on how to deal with the death eaters. Kingsley, I believe we have some planning to do if you're done taking notes."
Chuckling at his friend and partner, he put his notepad in his robes and followed him down the stairs. Swiftly turning around. "I look forward to speaking with you again, Master Potter."
"The honor will be all mine, Master Shacklebolt," he replied in a cordial voice. The dark-skinned man turned away and went on about his business. "Well, that's one goal down. Let's see what tomorrow brings."
All of this was merely practice for when he'll have to face Voldemort again. Their last battle showed that he still had a long way to go. That, though, was only one problem, as he might also have to face Dumbledore in battle. Appearances aside, the fact remains that Dumbledore is extremely powerful, with over a hundred years' worth of knowledge. He might be able to conceal the full extent of his magic, but Harry knew to be wary of him since a person's outward appearance does not measure their maximum strength. In addition to all his studies, he knew that Dumbledore was a balance-defensive type who preferred to use Battle Transfiguration and Alchemy during combat. That's not to say he didn't excel at Battle Charms either; only a fool would fail to see it. May not be a member of the Duelist Guild, but in terms of raw power and overall abilities, Dumbledore was, without a doubt, a High-class Master.
The first rule of war is to find your enemies' weakness and use it against them. In the headmaster's case, it would take precision planning and patience. Deconstruction. Already he'd lost a lot of influence in the political sphere but was still powerful enough to wield a great amount of power. However, it won't be long before the inevitable comes, and everyone will know the truth.
A/N: My fellow readers and reviewers, please understand that I just started a new job that requires a lot of physical work and is draining. Most of the time, I just want to come home and sleep. This is the reason why this chapter is late and why others might follow suit.
Anyway, the boys had a day of fun getting tattoos, clubbing, etc. Fudge lost a lot of money. I know many of you are wondering what Harry will use the money for, but rest assured, I have ideas. Something that will make Fudge and his companions look bad. Their misery has just begun.
Also, I'm going to build a villa in Italy, but I'd like to hear everyone's opinion first on where it should go. And what kind of style should it be? Your selections are:
Where:
Lake Como
Liguria
Lake Maggiore
Style:
Luxury
Charming
You will all have two weeks to decide.
Next Chapter: First night back.
