Disclaimer: Harry Potter and associated characters belong to J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Chapter 13: Count Vladimir Sepet
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were eating dinner in the Great Hall later that day when the Count stood up at the teacher's table.
"May I have everyone's attention," he said in a loud voice that echoed throughout the Hall.
Immediately all the chatter in the Hall ceased and all eyes were drawn towards the Count. Apparently, he still was able to command the respect of every student in the hall. Even Malfoy, who usually scorned at any new professor, gave his full attention to the Count as he was not only impressed with the rich manner in which the Count was dressed, but also with the way the Count was able to instill fear in every Slytherin present.
"I would like to see Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Chang, Mr. Boot, Miss Abbott, Miss Zabini, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley once dinner is concluded, outside on the Qudditch Pitch," he said and he resumed his seat.
As the students in the Hall returned to eating and carrying on their conversations, Ron turned to Harry and Hermione.
"Why does he want to see you two? It looked like he called two people from every house," Ron inquired.
"I don't know," Hermione said.
"You not knowing something? That's amazing, I never th-," Ron was about to say before Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his side where she elbowed him.
"Telling you to keep your mouth shut. Harry, do you know what this is about?" said Hermione.
"Yes, it's about our dueling class," Harry replied.
"WHAT?" she said a bit loudly and a few heads at the Gryffindor table turned to look in her direction. "There is a dueling class and you didn't tell me?"
"Well, you were in the library all afternoon so I couldn't tell you," Harry said, while he felt his stomach drop. Ron spending all afternoon with Hermione was eating him up, but he didn't show it.
"You could have joined Ron and me," she said baffled at Harry's behaviour. Was there something wrong with him that he wouldn't see his two best friends?
"I know, but I didn't want to disturb you two studying," he replied, not looking at her.
"And I expect you have a good reason for that?" she said, now a bit aggravated that Harry avoided telling her something important because he didn't want to disturb them in the library.
"I was practicing some dueling," Harry replied truthfully. He had indeed been practicing some of the Elemental magic all afternoon to keep his mind from wandering to the nightmares he had almost every night and because it could come in handy if the Count decided to try something on him.
"Oh, sorry," she said with a softened expression. "I thought you were trying to avoid me for some reason."
*You don't know the half of it * Harry thought sadly, but he quickly put on a smile and faced her.
"Well, shall we go now?" Harry asked, getting up.
"Sure - Ron, I'm going with Harry to the dueling lesson. We'll see you in the common room," she said and she also got up to follow Harry out to the Quidditch Pitch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they got to the Quidditch Pitch, they saw that the Professor Sepet was waiting with Walter. It was very dark, but they could see four swords and four daggers glinting in the moonlight. They were the first ones to arrive.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter - Miss Granger," Professor Sepet said once they reached them.
"Hello Professor - Hello Walter," Harry returned.
"We'll be starting once the other six join us," Walter said, smiling. "Miss Granger, please come forward and choose a dagger. You will need it for the defense aspect of the class. Mr. Potter, you may choose a sword."
Harry went up and saw that there were four swords lying before the Count, each of a different length.
"Which one is which?" he asked the Count.
"The one on the far left, is a short sword. It dates back to the medieval era. It doesn't have much range, but it can be used easily with one hand and is rather light. Good for close quarter combat. This one is called 'The Morning Star,' " the Count explained. "The other one is a Ruby Eye Serpent sword, it's longer than your short sword, bit heavier, but it can still be used as a one-handed weapon. This one is called 'Dragon's Breath.' The one, second to the right, is a light sword, its shorter than the Ruby Eye but longer than the short sword, its somewhat light, but not ideal for close- combat quarters. This one is called 'Silver Moon' due to the bright glow it gives off in the dark."
Harry looked at the sword, and he could see that it was indeed giving off some light in the dark.
"What about the last one?" Harry asked, pointing at the fourth sword.
"Ah, that one should interest you. It's a long sword, just like the Henry V, only this one is slightly shorter. This one is called the Lion's Crest," the Count said.
"Does it do anything?" Harry said, picking up the sword and putting it in the black leather sheath.
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. Each of these swords has some type of magical ability. The 'Silver Moon' is the most obvious, but the one you picked you'll have to find out on your own."
"What about yours and what is Walter using?" Harry inquired, as he buckled the sword belt underneath his robe.
"Mine is a broadsword, it's very heavy, but it can cut through many things due to its power."
"Does it have a name?"
"Yes, it's called 'The Dragon Slayer,' and has been in my family for generations. Though now its used to protect the dragons instead of killing them," the Count said, looking at Harry. "As for Walter, he's carrying a parrying dagger called a kolombotavich stylet. It's used to parry swords and has guards pointed outward so that you can catch your opponent's sword. His is called the 'DeathBringer' since that is exactly what it does."
Harry was horrified, but in the mean time, Hermione was looking through the daggers, trying to pick one that would suit her. She eventually settled on an Elizabethan style dagger, which was small, but it could be concealed easily.
"Harry, what did you get?" Hermione asked as she put her dagger sheath underneath her robes.
"I picked a long sword called the 'Lion's Crest.' What about you?"
"It's an Elizabethan dagger called 'The Phoenix.' I don't know if it does anything though," she said, looking her dagger over.
"Same with mine."
Eventually, the other six members of the Order came and each of the boys picked a sword while the girls picked a dagger. Malfoy ended up with the 'Dragon's Breath,' Terry Boot picked the 'Morning Star,' and Justin Finch- Fletchley picked the 'Silver Moon.' For the girls, Hannah Abbot picked an Italian Stiletto called 'True Light,' Cho picked a tower dagger called 'Sentinel,' and Blaise picked a Dresden dagger called 'Shadow.'
"Now that you have your weapons, I would like you to know that only you will be able to carry these around the school. Each weapon has its own magical ability, however, those you will need to find out on your own. Whatever you do, do not allow your classmates to wield them," said the Count. "That is all, unless anyone has any questions."
Malfoy raised his hand.
"Yes Mr. Malfoy?" said the Count.
"Will we actually be learning the Dark Arts in this class?" he asked.
"No. I have explicit orders from Professor Dumbledore not to teach you any thing that could be considered the Dark Arts. I will only teach you how to defend yourselves in a duel," the Count said and Malfoy's face dropped. He was very disappointed that they weren't going to learn any of the Dark Arts, despite the fact that the Professor probably knew a few spells that could be placed in that category.
"Anything else?"
"Can we see you duel?" Malfoy piped up again. If they weren't going to learn any Dark Arts, then maybe he'd be willing to give a demonstration.
"If you really wish, I could do that, but do you want to go up against me Mr. Malfoy?" he asked, giving Malfoy a glare that caused him to cower in fear. Harry sniggered at the sight. Malfoy cowering in fear was something that he always enjoyed.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you would like to demonstrate with me since you seem so intent on laughing at Mr. Malfoy's expense. Yes I think you would be an excellent candidate. Come forward," he commanded.
Harry didn't like the idea of dueling the Count since he didn't know what he was capable of, but on the other hand, it would give him the chance to use some of the magic he was practicing earlier this afternoon. However, Hermione stood up in his defense.
"Is that really fair? He doesn't even know any advanced spells while you know enough to end the duel in a couple seconds," she said, giving the Count the best glare she could muster.
"Miss Granger, life doesn't know what fair is. If Mr. Potter were indeed to face Voldemort (everyone flinches, but Harry and Walter), he will need to be prepared. Therefore I am giving him a chance now while he's still in one piece. Now Mr. Potter STEP FORWARD!" he yelled causing everyone to draw back in fear.
Harry walked forward and faced the Count who bowed to him and drew his sword. Likewise, he bowed and drew his wand.
"You will want to use your sword Mr. Potter," the Count said, shifting into a combat stance, holding his sword in front of him with one hand.
"I won't be able to use any magic if I don't have my wand," he replied and kept his wand in front of him.
"As you wish, let us begin. Don't hold back, because I won't," he said and charged at him with frightening speed that was almost inhuman.
Harry saw this and so he attempted to move aside, but the Count was quick despite his heavy sword and as he moved aside, the Count's sword cut him on his arm. Blood splattered on the ground, but Harry couldn't see it since it was too dark. He winced in pain as the other seven members looked on in horror.
"Come, give me your best," the Count urged.
Harry turned and fired a stunning spell at the Count, however, before it even reached him, a red circle with a pentagram appeared below the Count and a shield formed, blocking the spell and sending it back towards Harry, who manage to dodge out of the way in time.
"Is that your best?" the Count taunted and charged again.
Harry moved out of the way again, this time a little faster and the Count just swung into empty air.
"Very good this time. Now show me something else."
The Count was just playing with him it seemed, however, he had to find a way to match his speed. Only the haste spell could help him there, so he pointed the wand at himself and muttered the incantation.
Immediately, he felt lighter and his movement rate increased. Now he could match the Count.
"You sure you don't want to draw your sword?" he asked again.
"Yes, I'm sure," Harry replied and this time he fired ice bolts at him.
Unprepared for such a quick attack, the Count was caught off guard. Only his inhuman speed saved him from taking the full impact of the spell, since he moved aside as the bolts cut him across his cheek and shredded some of the quilted jacked on his right arm, drawing blood.
"Finally you hit me, very good. Now, show me more," he said, laughing a cold laugh that really frightened Harry. He looked over at the other students and he could see that they were really afraid of him. However, he looked straight ahead and saw that the Count had leaned over to the left too much and was falling. Now was his chance.
Harry drew his sword while holding the wand in his left hand. He fired another ice bolt at the Count, but then something unexpected happened. The Count's falling figure started to fade and eventually he disappeared completely, but only to reappear seconds later running towards Harry as the ice bolts flew harmlessly by.
Harry held out his sword to parry the blow coming towards him, but since the Count's swing was more powerful than he could handle, Harry's sword flew out of his hand and landed near Hermione, who was digging into her cheeks with her fingernails nervously. The next thing he knew, the Count had disarmed him and had his sword across his neck, ready to slit his throat if he made one wrong move.
"I believe, Mr. Potter, the match is mine," the Count said and Harry could see him smile for the first time since he arrived at Hogwarts.
The Count withdrew his sword from Harry's neck and sheathed it again.
"Next time Mr. Potter, when I say draw your sword, I suggest you do so," the Count advised.
Harry went to sit back down by Hermione. The duel with the Count had scared him out of his wits and he was visibly shaking. Cho went over to him and sat down on the other side of him as Hermione looked at him with concern.
"I hope that this has taught you all something. Consider it my first lesson. Never lower your guard to ANYONE!" he shouted. To Harry, he was starting to sound like Mad-Eye Moody and his speech of 'CONSTANT VIGILLANCE!'
"You are all dismissed. We will continue this lesson when classes start. Mr. Potter, good match, but you need to react faster and be glad that I spared you," the Count said before turning and walking back to the school with Walter, blood from his cheek trickling down his face.
The other students likewise got up and quickly went back to the school, until only Cho, Harry, and Hermione were sitting on the Quidditch pitch. It appeared that the Count had seriously scared them out of their wits.
"Harry, are you alright?" Cho asked finally. "I don't think he should have been so hard on you."
"He's right though," Harry said sadly. "If I had reacted faster to his attacks, I probably could have won the match."
"What about the magic he was using? He didn't have a wand out, but he was able to deflect and dodge your spells just as easily," Hermione threw in thoughtfully. "I think you tried your best. That's all that matters to me, even if you lost the match."
"I don't know how he does it. Maybe it has something to do with that sword of his," Harry replied. "Thank you both for trying to cheer me up."
"No problem, that's why we're here," Cho said smiling at him.
"Let's go back to the tower, you could use some rest," Hermione suggested and she helped Harry get off the ground. He recovered his wand and his sword, sheathing it before helping Cho up, then the three walked back to the school and towards the Gryffindor tower.
Harry said 'good night' to Cho and she went towards the Ravenclaw dorms while Harry and Hermione continued on to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
They said the password when they got to the portrait and it swung open. They found Ron waiting in the common room for them to return.
"Hey you two, how did the dueling lesson go? You've been gone for two hours and everyone's already gone up," Ron said.
"I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking this time hiring him to teach this class. He could have seriously hurt Harry," Hermione said maddened at the Count's conduct on the Quidditch pitch.
"Harry, you're bleeding from the arm," Ron said, pointing at the wound. "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey.
"I'll be fine," Harry said and he drew out his wand and muttered something as he passed it over the wound.
Ron was surprised as the wounds closed up as if they weren't even there, though the robe was still torn and blood stained.
"Wow, where did you learn how to do that?" Ron asked in amazement.
"It's one of the spells Hermione was teaching me this morning," Harry lied.
"Really? Hey, you should teach that to me sometime," Ron said to Hermione.
"Maybe I would if you would pay attention to what I was saying every now and then," Hermione said in her usual bossy tone.
"I do pay attention to what you're saying," Ron said.
"Enough you two, I'm going to bed," Harry said, and he made his way towards the stairs. He wasn't in any mood to listen to the two arguing again.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked him with a look of concern of her face.
"Yes, I'm fine, now please let me go up," Harry said.
"Alright, but if you need anything, please tell me. I'll probably still be here for two hours reading up on a few books," Hermione said, placing an emphasis on books.
"Thanks Hermione - Good Night. Have fun reading," Harry called back.
"Hey Harry, I'll come with you," Ron said. "I don't wish to be stuck here with her reading. I'd be bored to death."
Hermione glared at him and she went up to get her books while Harry and Ron went up to their dorms.
"Did you duel or something?" Ron asked on the way up.
"Yes, I dueled against Professor Sepet. I lost though," Harry said solemnly.
"Hey, at least you came out in one piece, I doubt I would have lasted two seconds against him," Ron replied.
"Thank Ron, I could use the encouragement every now and then," Harry said and he opened the door to their dorm and they both walked in.
A/N: Well, I think I'll cut it off there. Hope you enjoyed it. I will be going on vacation for about two days, so the next post won't be for another 48-72 hours. However, when I get back, I hope to be able to post 2-4 chapters to make up for the time loss.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Chapter 13: Count Vladimir Sepet
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were eating dinner in the Great Hall later that day when the Count stood up at the teacher's table.
"May I have everyone's attention," he said in a loud voice that echoed throughout the Hall.
Immediately all the chatter in the Hall ceased and all eyes were drawn towards the Count. Apparently, he still was able to command the respect of every student in the hall. Even Malfoy, who usually scorned at any new professor, gave his full attention to the Count as he was not only impressed with the rich manner in which the Count was dressed, but also with the way the Count was able to instill fear in every Slytherin present.
"I would like to see Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Chang, Mr. Boot, Miss Abbott, Miss Zabini, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley once dinner is concluded, outside on the Qudditch Pitch," he said and he resumed his seat.
As the students in the Hall returned to eating and carrying on their conversations, Ron turned to Harry and Hermione.
"Why does he want to see you two? It looked like he called two people from every house," Ron inquired.
"I don't know," Hermione said.
"You not knowing something? That's amazing, I never th-," Ron was about to say before Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his side where she elbowed him.
"Telling you to keep your mouth shut. Harry, do you know what this is about?" said Hermione.
"Yes, it's about our dueling class," Harry replied.
"WHAT?" she said a bit loudly and a few heads at the Gryffindor table turned to look in her direction. "There is a dueling class and you didn't tell me?"
"Well, you were in the library all afternoon so I couldn't tell you," Harry said, while he felt his stomach drop. Ron spending all afternoon with Hermione was eating him up, but he didn't show it.
"You could have joined Ron and me," she said baffled at Harry's behaviour. Was there something wrong with him that he wouldn't see his two best friends?
"I know, but I didn't want to disturb you two studying," he replied, not looking at her.
"And I expect you have a good reason for that?" she said, now a bit aggravated that Harry avoided telling her something important because he didn't want to disturb them in the library.
"I was practicing some dueling," Harry replied truthfully. He had indeed been practicing some of the Elemental magic all afternoon to keep his mind from wandering to the nightmares he had almost every night and because it could come in handy if the Count decided to try something on him.
"Oh, sorry," she said with a softened expression. "I thought you were trying to avoid me for some reason."
*You don't know the half of it * Harry thought sadly, but he quickly put on a smile and faced her.
"Well, shall we go now?" Harry asked, getting up.
"Sure - Ron, I'm going with Harry to the dueling lesson. We'll see you in the common room," she said and she also got up to follow Harry out to the Quidditch Pitch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they got to the Quidditch Pitch, they saw that the Professor Sepet was waiting with Walter. It was very dark, but they could see four swords and four daggers glinting in the moonlight. They were the first ones to arrive.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter - Miss Granger," Professor Sepet said once they reached them.
"Hello Professor - Hello Walter," Harry returned.
"We'll be starting once the other six join us," Walter said, smiling. "Miss Granger, please come forward and choose a dagger. You will need it for the defense aspect of the class. Mr. Potter, you may choose a sword."
Harry went up and saw that there were four swords lying before the Count, each of a different length.
"Which one is which?" he asked the Count.
"The one on the far left, is a short sword. It dates back to the medieval era. It doesn't have much range, but it can be used easily with one hand and is rather light. Good for close quarter combat. This one is called 'The Morning Star,' " the Count explained. "The other one is a Ruby Eye Serpent sword, it's longer than your short sword, bit heavier, but it can still be used as a one-handed weapon. This one is called 'Dragon's Breath.' The one, second to the right, is a light sword, its shorter than the Ruby Eye but longer than the short sword, its somewhat light, but not ideal for close- combat quarters. This one is called 'Silver Moon' due to the bright glow it gives off in the dark."
Harry looked at the sword, and he could see that it was indeed giving off some light in the dark.
"What about the last one?" Harry asked, pointing at the fourth sword.
"Ah, that one should interest you. It's a long sword, just like the Henry V, only this one is slightly shorter. This one is called the Lion's Crest," the Count said.
"Does it do anything?" Harry said, picking up the sword and putting it in the black leather sheath.
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. Each of these swords has some type of magical ability. The 'Silver Moon' is the most obvious, but the one you picked you'll have to find out on your own."
"What about yours and what is Walter using?" Harry inquired, as he buckled the sword belt underneath his robe.
"Mine is a broadsword, it's very heavy, but it can cut through many things due to its power."
"Does it have a name?"
"Yes, it's called 'The Dragon Slayer,' and has been in my family for generations. Though now its used to protect the dragons instead of killing them," the Count said, looking at Harry. "As for Walter, he's carrying a parrying dagger called a kolombotavich stylet. It's used to parry swords and has guards pointed outward so that you can catch your opponent's sword. His is called the 'DeathBringer' since that is exactly what it does."
Harry was horrified, but in the mean time, Hermione was looking through the daggers, trying to pick one that would suit her. She eventually settled on an Elizabethan style dagger, which was small, but it could be concealed easily.
"Harry, what did you get?" Hermione asked as she put her dagger sheath underneath her robes.
"I picked a long sword called the 'Lion's Crest.' What about you?"
"It's an Elizabethan dagger called 'The Phoenix.' I don't know if it does anything though," she said, looking her dagger over.
"Same with mine."
Eventually, the other six members of the Order came and each of the boys picked a sword while the girls picked a dagger. Malfoy ended up with the 'Dragon's Breath,' Terry Boot picked the 'Morning Star,' and Justin Finch- Fletchley picked the 'Silver Moon.' For the girls, Hannah Abbot picked an Italian Stiletto called 'True Light,' Cho picked a tower dagger called 'Sentinel,' and Blaise picked a Dresden dagger called 'Shadow.'
"Now that you have your weapons, I would like you to know that only you will be able to carry these around the school. Each weapon has its own magical ability, however, those you will need to find out on your own. Whatever you do, do not allow your classmates to wield them," said the Count. "That is all, unless anyone has any questions."
Malfoy raised his hand.
"Yes Mr. Malfoy?" said the Count.
"Will we actually be learning the Dark Arts in this class?" he asked.
"No. I have explicit orders from Professor Dumbledore not to teach you any thing that could be considered the Dark Arts. I will only teach you how to defend yourselves in a duel," the Count said and Malfoy's face dropped. He was very disappointed that they weren't going to learn any of the Dark Arts, despite the fact that the Professor probably knew a few spells that could be placed in that category.
"Anything else?"
"Can we see you duel?" Malfoy piped up again. If they weren't going to learn any Dark Arts, then maybe he'd be willing to give a demonstration.
"If you really wish, I could do that, but do you want to go up against me Mr. Malfoy?" he asked, giving Malfoy a glare that caused him to cower in fear. Harry sniggered at the sight. Malfoy cowering in fear was something that he always enjoyed.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you would like to demonstrate with me since you seem so intent on laughing at Mr. Malfoy's expense. Yes I think you would be an excellent candidate. Come forward," he commanded.
Harry didn't like the idea of dueling the Count since he didn't know what he was capable of, but on the other hand, it would give him the chance to use some of the magic he was practicing earlier this afternoon. However, Hermione stood up in his defense.
"Is that really fair? He doesn't even know any advanced spells while you know enough to end the duel in a couple seconds," she said, giving the Count the best glare she could muster.
"Miss Granger, life doesn't know what fair is. If Mr. Potter were indeed to face Voldemort (everyone flinches, but Harry and Walter), he will need to be prepared. Therefore I am giving him a chance now while he's still in one piece. Now Mr. Potter STEP FORWARD!" he yelled causing everyone to draw back in fear.
Harry walked forward and faced the Count who bowed to him and drew his sword. Likewise, he bowed and drew his wand.
"You will want to use your sword Mr. Potter," the Count said, shifting into a combat stance, holding his sword in front of him with one hand.
"I won't be able to use any magic if I don't have my wand," he replied and kept his wand in front of him.
"As you wish, let us begin. Don't hold back, because I won't," he said and charged at him with frightening speed that was almost inhuman.
Harry saw this and so he attempted to move aside, but the Count was quick despite his heavy sword and as he moved aside, the Count's sword cut him on his arm. Blood splattered on the ground, but Harry couldn't see it since it was too dark. He winced in pain as the other seven members looked on in horror.
"Come, give me your best," the Count urged.
Harry turned and fired a stunning spell at the Count, however, before it even reached him, a red circle with a pentagram appeared below the Count and a shield formed, blocking the spell and sending it back towards Harry, who manage to dodge out of the way in time.
"Is that your best?" the Count taunted and charged again.
Harry moved out of the way again, this time a little faster and the Count just swung into empty air.
"Very good this time. Now show me something else."
The Count was just playing with him it seemed, however, he had to find a way to match his speed. Only the haste spell could help him there, so he pointed the wand at himself and muttered the incantation.
Immediately, he felt lighter and his movement rate increased. Now he could match the Count.
"You sure you don't want to draw your sword?" he asked again.
"Yes, I'm sure," Harry replied and this time he fired ice bolts at him.
Unprepared for such a quick attack, the Count was caught off guard. Only his inhuman speed saved him from taking the full impact of the spell, since he moved aside as the bolts cut him across his cheek and shredded some of the quilted jacked on his right arm, drawing blood.
"Finally you hit me, very good. Now, show me more," he said, laughing a cold laugh that really frightened Harry. He looked over at the other students and he could see that they were really afraid of him. However, he looked straight ahead and saw that the Count had leaned over to the left too much and was falling. Now was his chance.
Harry drew his sword while holding the wand in his left hand. He fired another ice bolt at the Count, but then something unexpected happened. The Count's falling figure started to fade and eventually he disappeared completely, but only to reappear seconds later running towards Harry as the ice bolts flew harmlessly by.
Harry held out his sword to parry the blow coming towards him, but since the Count's swing was more powerful than he could handle, Harry's sword flew out of his hand and landed near Hermione, who was digging into her cheeks with her fingernails nervously. The next thing he knew, the Count had disarmed him and had his sword across his neck, ready to slit his throat if he made one wrong move.
"I believe, Mr. Potter, the match is mine," the Count said and Harry could see him smile for the first time since he arrived at Hogwarts.
The Count withdrew his sword from Harry's neck and sheathed it again.
"Next time Mr. Potter, when I say draw your sword, I suggest you do so," the Count advised.
Harry went to sit back down by Hermione. The duel with the Count had scared him out of his wits and he was visibly shaking. Cho went over to him and sat down on the other side of him as Hermione looked at him with concern.
"I hope that this has taught you all something. Consider it my first lesson. Never lower your guard to ANYONE!" he shouted. To Harry, he was starting to sound like Mad-Eye Moody and his speech of 'CONSTANT VIGILLANCE!'
"You are all dismissed. We will continue this lesson when classes start. Mr. Potter, good match, but you need to react faster and be glad that I spared you," the Count said before turning and walking back to the school with Walter, blood from his cheek trickling down his face.
The other students likewise got up and quickly went back to the school, until only Cho, Harry, and Hermione were sitting on the Quidditch pitch. It appeared that the Count had seriously scared them out of their wits.
"Harry, are you alright?" Cho asked finally. "I don't think he should have been so hard on you."
"He's right though," Harry said sadly. "If I had reacted faster to his attacks, I probably could have won the match."
"What about the magic he was using? He didn't have a wand out, but he was able to deflect and dodge your spells just as easily," Hermione threw in thoughtfully. "I think you tried your best. That's all that matters to me, even if you lost the match."
"I don't know how he does it. Maybe it has something to do with that sword of his," Harry replied. "Thank you both for trying to cheer me up."
"No problem, that's why we're here," Cho said smiling at him.
"Let's go back to the tower, you could use some rest," Hermione suggested and she helped Harry get off the ground. He recovered his wand and his sword, sheathing it before helping Cho up, then the three walked back to the school and towards the Gryffindor tower.
Harry said 'good night' to Cho and she went towards the Ravenclaw dorms while Harry and Hermione continued on to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
They said the password when they got to the portrait and it swung open. They found Ron waiting in the common room for them to return.
"Hey you two, how did the dueling lesson go? You've been gone for two hours and everyone's already gone up," Ron said.
"I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking this time hiring him to teach this class. He could have seriously hurt Harry," Hermione said maddened at the Count's conduct on the Quidditch pitch.
"Harry, you're bleeding from the arm," Ron said, pointing at the wound. "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey.
"I'll be fine," Harry said and he drew out his wand and muttered something as he passed it over the wound.
Ron was surprised as the wounds closed up as if they weren't even there, though the robe was still torn and blood stained.
"Wow, where did you learn how to do that?" Ron asked in amazement.
"It's one of the spells Hermione was teaching me this morning," Harry lied.
"Really? Hey, you should teach that to me sometime," Ron said to Hermione.
"Maybe I would if you would pay attention to what I was saying every now and then," Hermione said in her usual bossy tone.
"I do pay attention to what you're saying," Ron said.
"Enough you two, I'm going to bed," Harry said, and he made his way towards the stairs. He wasn't in any mood to listen to the two arguing again.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked him with a look of concern of her face.
"Yes, I'm fine, now please let me go up," Harry said.
"Alright, but if you need anything, please tell me. I'll probably still be here for two hours reading up on a few books," Hermione said, placing an emphasis on books.
"Thanks Hermione - Good Night. Have fun reading," Harry called back.
"Hey Harry, I'll come with you," Ron said. "I don't wish to be stuck here with her reading. I'd be bored to death."
Hermione glared at him and she went up to get her books while Harry and Ron went up to their dorms.
"Did you duel or something?" Ron asked on the way up.
"Yes, I dueled against Professor Sepet. I lost though," Harry said solemnly.
"Hey, at least you came out in one piece, I doubt I would have lasted two seconds against him," Ron replied.
"Thank Ron, I could use the encouragement every now and then," Harry said and he opened the door to their dorm and they both walked in.
A/N: Well, I think I'll cut it off there. Hope you enjoyed it. I will be going on vacation for about two days, so the next post won't be for another 48-72 hours. However, when I get back, I hope to be able to post 2-4 chapters to make up for the time loss.