Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All I own is my CD collection, my copies of the five HP books, and my imagination. Do not sue.
Terrible Lie By Saerry Snape Chapter 6 – Discovering Things"Here he comes."
"And there's Trish."
"Hey, he has the invisibility cloak! Maybe they are snogging… Ow!"
"Shut up."
"Sorry. Are we going to follow them or not?"
"Yes," replied Hermione as Harry and Trish covered themselves with the invisibility cloak. She pulled out the Marauder's Map and tapped it with her wand, causing Ron's eyes to widen.
"The Map! How'd you get it?"
"Stole it from Harry's trunk."
Ron blinked at the girl beside him for a few moment before he said, "We are a bad influence on you."
"Thanks. I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"
The map sprawled out across the yellowed parchment in its green ink and the two of them watched two dots that were labeled Trish duMornè and Harry Potter walk down the corridor. Hermione suddenly noticed something and said, "Hey, look…"
"What?"
"At Harry's name. Its…smudged."
Ron blinked and leaned forward to peer at the map. Indeed Harry's name on the map looked smudged. Like the map was confused on what his name was. Trish's looked slightly smudged as well.
"Weird." The two dots then turned a corner and he exclaimed, "Let's go before we lose them!"
Hermione nodded and the two of them ran out of the common room, leaving the Fat Lady muttering about children charging back and forth.
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione and Ron tracked Harry and Trish to the Room of Requirement. They looked at each other then each pictured Harry in their minds. The door to the room appeared and Hermione rushed forward to throw it open.
Both of their jaws dropped at what they saw inside the room.
Metal flashed as Trish slashed a curved katana at Harry's midriff. The older Gryffindor jumped backwards and slashed his own katana at her head. She ducked away from it, jabbing her sword at him again.
Ron's jaw dropped as he watched the fighting. He thought they were fighting for real.
But Hermione could see that they were practicing. Their ducks and dodges were so smooth and fluid that it had to be practice. And none of their slashes or jabs drew blood.
What Hermione really noticed was the fact that Harry wasn't wearing a shirt. He wasn't built but he had enough muscle to catch the eye. Muscle that had obviously been developed over three months of nightly spares with Trish as well as Quidditch practices.
"What is she?" gasped Ron as Trish leapt into the air and seemed to hang there for a moment before she dropped, her foot lashing out at Harry's head. The dark-haired boy ducked and rolled to his left, katana flashing as he came up in a crouch.
Trish landed cat-like and stood, stretching. She then laughed and said, "That was a great warm-up!"
Harry grinned and rose to his feet as well, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Definitely," he agreed. He then noticed that there were being watched and turned towards the door.
"Hi, Ron, Mione. How are you two?"
"What are you doing keeping this from us?" demanded Hermione, suddenly regaining her composure. She stormed forward and glared up at Harry, her fists planted firmly on her hips.
Harry's grin faltered and he replied, "You didn't need to know."
"Harry!"
"He's right," said Trish. "We made a deal. I teach him to fight, he teaches me to duel. Now, if you'll excuse us…"
"Waitaminute!" said Ron. "What do you mean your teaching him to fight. You're only twelve!"
Trish scowled and snapped, "I may be twelve but my mother taught me well! I'm a better fighter than most Aurors!"
Ron gaped and Hermione looked impressed at these words.
Harry just shook his head and sheathed his katana, setting it down on the table where his shirt lay. He picked it up and shook it out before pulling it over his head.
"Anything else you two wanted?"
"No," said Ron.
"Can we watch?" asked Hermione.
Harry looked questioningly at Trish, who shrugged and sheathed her katana. He then nodded and drew his wand before stepping into a bronze circle set into the floor. Trish stepped into a similar one across the room and lifted her wand.
"Ready?" called Harry.
"Aye," replied Trish. "What are we doing today?"
"How about…no rules? Excepting anything illegal."
A glint came into Trish's eyes and she said, "Just what I've been wanting to hear for three months. You, my friend, are dead."
Harry smiled a cat's smile and purred, "Oh really… Let's see, then, shall we?"
"As you will."
"I do."
"What's with the circles?" whispered Ron to Hermione as Trish and Harry fired off their first spells. When Trish's spell bounced off what appeared to be barrier, he got his answer. "Oh."
"Yes," said Hermione, watching as Trish threw a Leg-Locked Curse at Harry. It was deflected by the shield, followed by a hex from the dark-haired wizard. The hex ripped through Trish's shield and hit her full on. Immediately her legs began to move uncontrollably.
"Not funny!" she cried.
"Actually its quite amusing," shot Harry back, tilting his head to the side. Hermione frowned at him as a part of her mind noted that he looked oddly like someone. She just couldn't place who.
Trish muttered the counter spell and exclaimed, "How'd you get that through the shield?"
Harry grinned in an annoying way and replied, "Magic."
"Prat," growled Trish.
"Bint," shot Harry back.
"You are the most annoying person I have ever met."
Harry smirked and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, m'lady duMornè," he purred.
Trish laughed and said, "Shut up and duel, you nut!"
"Fine! But my humor shall return for revenge!"
Trish laughed again and fired a hex that was blue in color at Harry. It went through the shield but Harry ducked – although his wand arm went up. The hex swooshed past the tip of his wand and he yelled, "Remitto!"
The hex came to a halt on the end of Harry's wand and he spun about, slinging the hex back at Trish. She threw up a shield within the regular shield but was thrown out of the circle as the hex shot through both. Coming up hard against the far wall, she gasped for breath, dark green eyes wide.
Harry rushed over to her and muttered something before he helped her to her feet. The shorter girl scowled at him and snapped, "How come you haven't taught me that!"
The sixteen-year-old tilted his head to the side and smiled.
"Because I just made it up."
Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione gasped, "I beg your pardon?"
Harry turned towards her and said, "I made it up just now."
"But you can't have, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione. "Spells can't be created that fast! They take months!"
"Well, then I just broke that rule. You ready to call it a night, Trish? I've got Quidditch trials in the morning."
"Oh no!" moaned Ron. He sprinted from the room, looking rather silly with his long arms out in front of him and his legs pin-wheeling slightly.
Trish chuckled and said, "Just like a cartoon." She then smiled up at Harry and chirped, "Sure, Harry. I've got a Potions essay to write anyway. Is Snape always a bastard?"
"To Gryffindors," chorused Harry and Hermione as one.
"Right. Well, I'm off to chain myself to a table in the library. Ta!"
"Bai," said Harry. As he turned towards Hermione, the grin that had been on his face dropped. The bushy-haired girl was frowning up at him, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Uh…"
"Explain."
"What?"
"How does she know so much about fighting?"
Harry shrugged and replied, "Her mother's a demon slayer."
Hermione's jaw dropped. She then regained her composure and asked, "And why didn't you tell us about this?'
"As I said earlier, you didn't need to know."
"We could have learned too!"
"You don't need to know how to sword-fight, Mione."
"And you do?"
"Maybe," said Harry. "Or maybe not. I just…I just need something to do. To keep my mind off…things."
He fell silent and Hermione felt a swoop of shame. She should have known.
He was trying to keep Sirius off his mind.
"Harry…"
"Gotta go," interrupted Harry. "Quidditch trials in the morning."
Hermione frowned and watched him as he left hurriedly, leaving her alone in the Requirement Room.