Chapter Nine-The Dueling Club
Dozens of students were crowded around the table, as Harry and Severus stood in the center talking to one another.
"Okay, can you guys hear us?" Harry asked, he waited for the students to nod and smiled.
"Great, okay, would someone mind closing the doors, thanks, Okay, welcome to the Dueling Club. You are here for three reasons, to learn how to defend yourselves to learn how to stop curses, and to have some fun. One thing I don't want in here is arguing, and no house rivalry. From the moment you enter those doors you are Hogwarts students, you're not Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. Now seeing as this should be interesting will begin with something fun. Feel free to get comfortable, take notes, whatever will help you remember this," Harry said smiling.
"First a disarming charm, I'm going to fire a simple disarming charm at Professor Snape, and he is going to disarm it," Harry said. Snape smiled slightly and nodded.
"All right, ready?" Harry asked smiling.
"Nothing bad Harry, this feeble old man doesn't feel like blowing your knee cap away," Harry smiled slightly as he faced his father and bowed. Severus did the same. They then drew their wands in front of them. They walked to either end of the table away from one another, and then prepared position to fire.
"Okay, one Three," Snape said, looking at his son, who he pitied in the next few moments, as the boy was about to get thrown against the nearest wall.
"One…" Harry said.
"Two…" Snape said. Harry nodded. And began to mutter a spell.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Snape yelled, a dazzling light and Harry was thrown off the table into the nearest wall with a thud. Harry looked at his father and shook his head.
"All right, as you can see that is the disarming spell. Throwing those often don't work to your advantage, because…Rictusempra!" Harry yelled, throwing the curse at his father.
"Tarantallegra!" Snape yelled before doubling over in laughter from the tickling charm Harry had hit him with.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled again, throwing his father against the wall. Snape, quickly got up, now feeling a little better and faced his son. He fired something, hitting Harry.
"Finite Incabtatem!" Harry yelled, and everything went silent. Both men stopped, on the floor, breathing deeply. Severus looked at his son, shaking his head.
"You've gotten much better at that," Severus said as he headed over to his son and helped him off the floor.
"Last time I did that was with Malfoy," Harry said smiling.
"Don't remind me. Okay students, we are now going to pair you off. Whoever you get paired with, that's your partner for the rest of the year," Severus said.
"Alex and Jamie," Harry called out.
"Yes sir," they both said.
"Up on the table, let's go," he said. The two brothers looked at one another.
"This should be familiar."
"If one starts speaking Parseltounge I'm running for the hills," Harry whispered to his father.
"You are to disarm only," Severus said standing behind his grandchildren.
"Okay, bow," Harry said. He watched as the twins prepared. Severus looked at Harry.
"Go," Harry said. Within moments curses and spells were flying. Both boys began with disarming spells, but soon it turned into a war. Alex was thrown against the wall with an 'oof' his father looked at Jamie. Alex got up, grabbing his ribs and fired another spell at his brother.
Jamie fired for all he was worth, until he raised his arm, with hate and anger etched in his eyes. Harry nodded towards his father who gripped his grandson's arm.
"I think you two are finished."
"Alex, Jamie, you're done," Harry said warningly. Both boys glared at one another.
The Duels continued for another hour before finally Severus and Harry shoved everyone out of the room, suddenly Harry grabbed both his sons. While Snape closed the door.
"What the hell was that?!" Harry demanded glaring at his sons.
"Harry," Severus warned.
"No one asked you," Harry bit and looked back at them.
"I was dueling," Jamie said matter-of-factly.
"I was defending myself from this arse," Alex said.
"Arse! Come here you," the two headed instantly for one another, Severus could tell this would get bad and grabbed Jamie from Alex, as Harry restrained Alex.
"Fifty Points from each of you!" Harry yelled.
"Git!" Jamie yelled.
"Twit!" Alex responded.
"Seventy-five, and another word out of either of you, we'll raise it to a hundred," Harry said.
"Get off me," Jamie said shaking his grandfather's protective hold.
"Jamie, don't let me catch you in trouble again, I may be your father, but I'm also your Professor!" Harry bit.
"Who cares!" Jamie said as he stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned trio. Alex relaxed in his father's arms and cursed under his breath.
"Alex are you all right?" Harry asked, tensely.
"I'm fine, why in the hell did you put us together anyway! Did you want us to finish one another off! Some father!" Alex spit and hurried out of the room. Severus walked towards his son.
"You all right?"
"Shit," Harry whispered.
"Yeah, that's one general term for it," he said softly.
"So now what?" Harry asked.
"We wait. The next meeting is Saturday… after the game," Severus whispered.
"Yeah and my sons are going against each other again," Harry moaned.
"It was bound to happen, I'm sorry to say they've got yours and Hermione's stubborn steak," Severus said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I have the feeling this is all about to get much worse, don't you?" Harry asked.
"Worse before it gets better, that's for sure," Severus said as they made their way towards their chambers.
"Dad, you're behind me right?"
"Harry, I'm always behind you, you know that. Why?"
"I don't know, I just… I'm afraid of losing everyone in this."
"For awhile they may seem gone, but no one will ever really leave you Harry."
"I guess so," Harry said.
"Harry, Jamie loves you, so does Alex."
"I know, night," Harry said.
~~~~~~
Harry sat in front of the fire, a glass of wine in his hand, thinking about what was going on. Saturday his son's were going head to head in their first Quidditch Match. Both seekers, and something about that made Harry very worried. Later that night, would be a full meeting of Aurors and Order of the Phoenix. It was being held somewhere no one would be able to find.
A fire of anger and self loathing amassed inside his soul. To quench a spontaneous desire, the Harry hurled his glass at the far wall. Not even the cracking sound of shattered crystal could satisfy his demons. He would not scream, nor would he run any longer. It was all so useless, so futile, he finally realized. It always had been. Voldemort was back, and within a few months at most, he would be forced to relive all his horrible memories from seventeen years ago. It was time to prepare, but he didn't want to, he wanted to remain happy.
Hermione had been walking down the long, hallway. She made it to the open door of their chamber in just enough time to watch a passionately irate Harry crash his wine glass at the back wall.
"Harry!" Her scream fled from her lips faster than her legs pushed her into the room. His broad back faced her, motionless except for the rising and falling of his shoulders, silent save his violent heaves. "Harry? . ."
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry started, his breath catching in his throat, preventing his words.
"Harry. . ." Hermione repeated and set foot into the room where a toasty fire stirred some warmth into her shivers. Her husband sat on the floor in tears, sobbing.
"Harry," she said softly as she walked over to him and gripped his shoulders, turning him slightly she watched him shake his head. He slowly got up to pick up the glass. Wandering over carefully he began to pick it up. She noticed how shaky his hands here.
"Harry stop, look at me," she whispered. His green orbs met her hazel brown.
"You're going to cut yourself," she whispered. Before she could speak he hissed as the pain of a piece of glass embedding itself in his palm claimed his tired lips.
"Come here," she said. Helping him get up she led him over to the chair. Sitting down she tended to his hand. He looked at it for a few moments.
"Talk to me."
"Am I a bad father?" He asked in such a quiet tone she almost had to ask him to repeat himself.
"No, Harry, what would you ever think such a thing?" She asked looking into his eyes.
"Jamie and Alex nearly killed one another in Dueling tonight, and now they are both pissed at me." He whispered.
"They both have a short fuse, and while I admit it's something we need to help them work on, I don't think it's really you they're mad at. Harry you need sleep."
"I can't." He said quietly.
"Why?"
"Every time I close my eyes I see the whole thing before me again. The death of my mother and James, dad nearly dying, the whole thing." She sighed and kissed his forehead. Pressing her's to his she shook her head.
"I love you with everything inside of me. Come on, we're going to get some sleep tonight. I'm here with you Harry. Don't be afraid," she whispered. He nodded and slowly the two headed into the bedroom.
Hermione began to sing to her handsome husband until he was fast asleep in her arms. She sighed, part of her knew it would be a long night, but she was here. Kissing the top of his head she smiled.
"I'm here my handsome lover," she said, and snuggled close to him.