Chapter 12
The class was intense, that was for sure. Harry had felt like he'd walked in on a cult. Everyone was standing kicking and punching at each other. After getting his first glimpse of self-defense Harry second thought even making himself known. Instead, walking out the front door and pretending he never made it in time. But he was recognized by one of the trainers. Her name was Madame Pookel. She was a tall muscular woman that seemed to contain more male traits than of female. Her hair was gray from the top of her head down to the ends.
While she taught him the basics of everything he felt very uncomfortable in the spacious gym like room. Except this gym was made out of cold brick, making the environment like the ones from a really bad movie. She smiled at him a lot, staring at his scar half the time. He hated it when people stared at his scar, it seemed it was the only thing he's known for still. As she showed him the foot movement she kept leaning forward and looking at his scar with an amazed face, completely fascinated by it.
Finally Harry had become so irritated he asked, "Could you please stop examining me?!" Rather demandingly.
She looked at him and smiled, "I'm sorry."
He felt a little bad after snapping at his instructor, but decided that she shouldn't have been putting him in a situation like that in the first place. She continued to the show him the basic moves and then set him up with another person supposedly his size, to try his new discovered techniques out. Unfortunately it didn't go over all to well.
His partner was twice his size, with twice the muscle mass. He looked completely harmless when they were introduced with his dazzling smile playing on his face. Harry thought he was completely safe.
As Harry tried to use the defense move that Madam Pookel showed him, the mans face changed completely, suddenly he looked enraged and crazy as his face twisted and Harry felt his feet lifting off the ground. Not remembering how exactly he got there. Harry opened his eyes a moment later and found himself lying on the brick floor with the back of his head pounding.
"Oh!" He wheezed as he held the back of his head.
"C'mon now! Get up! No time to be wasting lying on the floor." Madame Pookel shouted from across the room.
Harry looked up at her with a dazed face. "Madame! I hit my head!"
"Yeah? Do you think the person your fighting is going to stop coming after you, JUST because you hit your poor head? No! So be a big boy. Get up. And suck it up!" Madame yelled back at him.
He watched her for a minute not believing what he was hearing. But soon after Madame gave him a few more threatening looks from the other side of the room, he slowly stood to his feet to face his partner again, this time feeling much more terrified than he had when he got himself into this mess.
After hitting the hard floor several times after the his first encounter. His partner was actually a very nice man, he just happened to be really big and really frightening when counter attacking. Or attacking in any manner what so ever, did Harry find him terrifying.
Once Harry had returned to school he was steaming with anger. Hermione nor Ron had showed up at the Three Broomsticks like they had planned to do, and they didn't show up to get in a carriage with him. So there he was sitting lonely in a empty carriage all by himself with nothing to do by stare ahead of him hoping for the school to come in view soon. He leapt from the carriage feeling every muscle in his body ache, but not nearly as much as the back of his head, which not only had been pounding from his extra Lessons with Occlumency, but now because he got his head hammered by the floor because of a huge giant attacking him time after time again. Later that day he decided against doing anything in the Common Room, and really didn't want to sit around waiting for Hermione and Ron to show. So he grabbed a jacket and strolled down to Hagrids hut. Hagrid greeted him with a jolly laugh and rubbed his hand over his belly as he always did. They walked through the edge of the woods and talked about everything especially Hagrids brother.
"Dumbledore say me brother dun belong here at Hogwarts. Say's he should go back to the mountains." Hagrid blurted out, afterwards quickly wiping his nose.
Harry stopped in his footsteps and turned to him, "That's awful Hagrid. How could Dumbledore send him back to a place where the chief wanted him killed?"
"Ah Harry. it's something people like you and I will never understand, I guess. Dumbledore says that being here will only kill my brother because he's so lonesome out in these woods. Hasn't got any giants to be around." Hagrid explained as he nose began to stuff up a bit.
Harry looked down at his feet and continued side by side with Hagrid. He looked around the forest, watching the leaves fall heavily like a winter storm, though deep in the heart of woods, the trees seemed to be as green and fresh as they were in the spring.
"Hagrid? How come the leaves on the tree's aren't aging?" Harry asked curiously as he pointed to the woods core.
Hagrid chuckled, "You should know by now Harry. These woods are filled with un told magic. Its not the kind you can learn and teach. It's magic not even the centaurs can teach you. It's the magic of life. And life never tell' s its secrets."
"Never thought you were so poetic, Hagrid." Harry said sarcastically shaking his head.
Later on that day before night over came the grounds, Harry headed back to the Gryffindor tower, feeling sleep struggling to take over his body with each step his foot made. He passed Peeves more than once on his way, ducking ink bottles and furnishing. Cussing at Peeves with every intention to hit him in the head, he dove into the portrait hole hearing Peeves laughs behind him.
The common room was dark and empty except for two figures in the center of it bickering loudly at each other. One voice was strained and shaking, the other had a tone of defense. Harry stood in the frame of the doorway watching as the match came to it's peak.
"But your with me! Why are you going around flirting with a bunch of girls while I'm just sitting there!" Hermione shrieked as her face burned even brighter with anger
"I wasn't flirting! Bloody hell we were just talking!" Ron defended as he lifted his hands up in irritation, whipping them back down and rubbing his face.
"Oh yeah! Rubbish! Like that Ravenclaw girl really asked you to compliment her on her well toned legs and her nice round bottom!" she said as she spun around and started walking towards the girls dormitories.
"You are one hell of a firecracker! You know that?" Ron shouted at her, while she walked up the stairs.
"Oh Really!" she puffed and darted up the stairs to the girls dormitory, slamming the large oak door behind her, which was rather incredible since it was rather heavy for Harry to even open.
Ron cursed at the floor and grabbed a box of Bernie Bots and chucked it into the fire . Pacing slowly back and forth rubbing his hands over his face again and again.
"Rough mate, real rough." Harry spoke as he walked into the Common Room slowly.
Ron turned towards him and chuckled a bit sadly and took a seat in the large tall backed chair and rested his face in his hands. He looked up as Harry took a seat across from him on the floor, resting his aching back on the chair. Suddenly Harry wasn't even thinking about how Hermione and Ron had left him at the Three Broomsticks all alone. Since they had probably been bickering the entire time.
"What did I do?" Ron uttered miserably as he stared down at his feet, resting his chin in his hands, looking around the room distressed beyond any ones knowledge.
"well, starting with number one, you probably shouldn't be flirting with another lady when your dating the one you fancy. And number two, because you did, you shouldn't have done it smack dap right in front of her." Harry guessed after shrugging his shoulders and looking into the fire.
"I didn't mean to do any harm though," he stressed standing up on his feet. He walked towards the fire and shoved a hand in his pocket while rubbing his face with the other.
Ron didn't turn towards Harry as his face turned grave and he spoke coldly, "Wish I could be as loyal as you mate."
Harry looked up at Ron blankly, not understanding what he was saying, "What?"
"Maybe I should have never sent her that letter!" Ron snapped as he turned towards Harry with the speed of lightening. "I saw the way you two were always looking at each other. I saw the smile on her face! It was the kind of smile I can't get her to do for me!"
Harry stood to his feet, "Ron, she's with you! Not me!" he said to Ron desperately. "Don't mess this up!"
"I already did." he said solemnly walking passed Harry making a complete stop at the center of the room and looked directly at him, and shook his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, how could I poor man Weasley actually be better than the famous Harry Potter?"
"Ron, please. Stop talking like this. You don't understand." Harry begged as he watched Ron a approaching edge of a subject Harry did not want brought up. It was a subject he'd tried to bury deep inside himself. And he was so close.
"I'm just a guy. Just another guy in her life. Until she gets the one person she truly wants. It's an inevitable force I could never defeat Harry." Ron sadly told Harry as he looked off in the direction Hermione had run off to.
"She wants you Ron." Harry pleaded with him as he walked closer to Ron, "She kissed YOU right here. She chose YOU. Not me."
"Do you love her?" Ron spat out as he turned his head towards Harry. Harry stopped in his foot steps and stared at Ron. Not knowing how to answer his question. "Because I do. And I swear if you hurt her I will hunt you down."
"I don't want her Ron!" Harry shouted at his best friend who stood right in front of him now. "I don't want her in the mess that I'm in! She deserves better than me! She deserves you!"
Ron looked at him in shock because of his outburst. He stood frozen without a single emotion sweeping across his face. But he could see Harry. He could see the agony that tore him apart, that pulled his stomach down to his feet, and the knife inside his heart that was digging at him day by day.
"Why would you want to be with, someone when you might die tomorrow! Why would you want to put someone through that kind of pain! I want her to be happy Damn it!" Harry screamed and he ripped a table over on its side.
Ron jumped as Harry flew over the edge of a sane man. He watched in horror as he saw his friend slipping into the deep end.
"Now how about YOU treat her right. And YOU be good to her. Not ME. Never ME. I will be sure that the man that makes her happy. Will NEVER be ME." he sourly said his eyes weld up, and his body shook with fury. "I don't give a damn if its you she's with for the rest of her days or whether your just another guy in her life until she meets that guy who will make her day's shine so brightly. But damn it cherish what you have with her. Don't fill it with suspicion and angst. Take it and make the best of it. Do something I can never do. Make her happy." He paused for a minute and looked at his feet, "Because if you aren't lucky enough, and by god I do mean bloody lucky, to be with her and for her to be happy to be with you. You had better remember that girl, is more special, intelligent and genuine than any other girl out there. Don't mess up the time you have with her. Because it might not always be there."
Ron stared him still trying to let his words soak into him. Harry looked down at his shoes and took in a deep breath. When it seemed like he was the only person left in the world he looked up and saw just about everyone from the Gruffindor tower standing up against the banister of the balcony looking down at him. His jaw hung low until he felt the embarrassment ride over and anger stroll in.
"I hope you enjoyed the damn show." He snarled as he violently brushed passed Ron and exited through the portrait hole.
Ron didn't watch him as he went he just looked up at the balcony and caught the eyes of Hermione who was dressed in her pajama's staring down at him sadly, until she turned and walked back into her dormitory. He looked down at his feet in defeat and went to the boys dormitory everyone staring at him, whispering.
"What about Harry?"
The class was intense, that was for sure. Harry had felt like he'd walked in on a cult. Everyone was standing kicking and punching at each other. After getting his first glimpse of self-defense Harry second thought even making himself known. Instead, walking out the front door and pretending he never made it in time. But he was recognized by one of the trainers. Her name was Madame Pookel. She was a tall muscular woman that seemed to contain more male traits than of female. Her hair was gray from the top of her head down to the ends.
While she taught him the basics of everything he felt very uncomfortable in the spacious gym like room. Except this gym was made out of cold brick, making the environment like the ones from a really bad movie. She smiled at him a lot, staring at his scar half the time. He hated it when people stared at his scar, it seemed it was the only thing he's known for still. As she showed him the foot movement she kept leaning forward and looking at his scar with an amazed face, completely fascinated by it.
Finally Harry had become so irritated he asked, "Could you please stop examining me?!" Rather demandingly.
She looked at him and smiled, "I'm sorry."
He felt a little bad after snapping at his instructor, but decided that she shouldn't have been putting him in a situation like that in the first place. She continued to the show him the basic moves and then set him up with another person supposedly his size, to try his new discovered techniques out. Unfortunately it didn't go over all to well.
His partner was twice his size, with twice the muscle mass. He looked completely harmless when they were introduced with his dazzling smile playing on his face. Harry thought he was completely safe.
As Harry tried to use the defense move that Madam Pookel showed him, the mans face changed completely, suddenly he looked enraged and crazy as his face twisted and Harry felt his feet lifting off the ground. Not remembering how exactly he got there. Harry opened his eyes a moment later and found himself lying on the brick floor with the back of his head pounding.
"Oh!" He wheezed as he held the back of his head.
"C'mon now! Get up! No time to be wasting lying on the floor." Madame Pookel shouted from across the room.
Harry looked up at her with a dazed face. "Madame! I hit my head!"
"Yeah? Do you think the person your fighting is going to stop coming after you, JUST because you hit your poor head? No! So be a big boy. Get up. And suck it up!" Madame yelled back at him.
He watched her for a minute not believing what he was hearing. But soon after Madame gave him a few more threatening looks from the other side of the room, he slowly stood to his feet to face his partner again, this time feeling much more terrified than he had when he got himself into this mess.
After hitting the hard floor several times after the his first encounter. His partner was actually a very nice man, he just happened to be really big and really frightening when counter attacking. Or attacking in any manner what so ever, did Harry find him terrifying.
Once Harry had returned to school he was steaming with anger. Hermione nor Ron had showed up at the Three Broomsticks like they had planned to do, and they didn't show up to get in a carriage with him. So there he was sitting lonely in a empty carriage all by himself with nothing to do by stare ahead of him hoping for the school to come in view soon. He leapt from the carriage feeling every muscle in his body ache, but not nearly as much as the back of his head, which not only had been pounding from his extra Lessons with Occlumency, but now because he got his head hammered by the floor because of a huge giant attacking him time after time again. Later that day he decided against doing anything in the Common Room, and really didn't want to sit around waiting for Hermione and Ron to show. So he grabbed a jacket and strolled down to Hagrids hut. Hagrid greeted him with a jolly laugh and rubbed his hand over his belly as he always did. They walked through the edge of the woods and talked about everything especially Hagrids brother.
"Dumbledore say me brother dun belong here at Hogwarts. Say's he should go back to the mountains." Hagrid blurted out, afterwards quickly wiping his nose.
Harry stopped in his footsteps and turned to him, "That's awful Hagrid. How could Dumbledore send him back to a place where the chief wanted him killed?"
"Ah Harry. it's something people like you and I will never understand, I guess. Dumbledore says that being here will only kill my brother because he's so lonesome out in these woods. Hasn't got any giants to be around." Hagrid explained as he nose began to stuff up a bit.
Harry looked down at his feet and continued side by side with Hagrid. He looked around the forest, watching the leaves fall heavily like a winter storm, though deep in the heart of woods, the trees seemed to be as green and fresh as they were in the spring.
"Hagrid? How come the leaves on the tree's aren't aging?" Harry asked curiously as he pointed to the woods core.
Hagrid chuckled, "You should know by now Harry. These woods are filled with un told magic. Its not the kind you can learn and teach. It's magic not even the centaurs can teach you. It's the magic of life. And life never tell' s its secrets."
"Never thought you were so poetic, Hagrid." Harry said sarcastically shaking his head.
Later on that day before night over came the grounds, Harry headed back to the Gryffindor tower, feeling sleep struggling to take over his body with each step his foot made. He passed Peeves more than once on his way, ducking ink bottles and furnishing. Cussing at Peeves with every intention to hit him in the head, he dove into the portrait hole hearing Peeves laughs behind him.
The common room was dark and empty except for two figures in the center of it bickering loudly at each other. One voice was strained and shaking, the other had a tone of defense. Harry stood in the frame of the doorway watching as the match came to it's peak.
"But your with me! Why are you going around flirting with a bunch of girls while I'm just sitting there!" Hermione shrieked as her face burned even brighter with anger
"I wasn't flirting! Bloody hell we were just talking!" Ron defended as he lifted his hands up in irritation, whipping them back down and rubbing his face.
"Oh yeah! Rubbish! Like that Ravenclaw girl really asked you to compliment her on her well toned legs and her nice round bottom!" she said as she spun around and started walking towards the girls dormitories.
"You are one hell of a firecracker! You know that?" Ron shouted at her, while she walked up the stairs.
"Oh Really!" she puffed and darted up the stairs to the girls dormitory, slamming the large oak door behind her, which was rather incredible since it was rather heavy for Harry to even open.
Ron cursed at the floor and grabbed a box of Bernie Bots and chucked it into the fire . Pacing slowly back and forth rubbing his hands over his face again and again.
"Rough mate, real rough." Harry spoke as he walked into the Common Room slowly.
Ron turned towards him and chuckled a bit sadly and took a seat in the large tall backed chair and rested his face in his hands. He looked up as Harry took a seat across from him on the floor, resting his aching back on the chair. Suddenly Harry wasn't even thinking about how Hermione and Ron had left him at the Three Broomsticks all alone. Since they had probably been bickering the entire time.
"What did I do?" Ron uttered miserably as he stared down at his feet, resting his chin in his hands, looking around the room distressed beyond any ones knowledge.
"well, starting with number one, you probably shouldn't be flirting with another lady when your dating the one you fancy. And number two, because you did, you shouldn't have done it smack dap right in front of her." Harry guessed after shrugging his shoulders and looking into the fire.
"I didn't mean to do any harm though," he stressed standing up on his feet. He walked towards the fire and shoved a hand in his pocket while rubbing his face with the other.
Ron didn't turn towards Harry as his face turned grave and he spoke coldly, "Wish I could be as loyal as you mate."
Harry looked up at Ron blankly, not understanding what he was saying, "What?"
"Maybe I should have never sent her that letter!" Ron snapped as he turned towards Harry with the speed of lightening. "I saw the way you two were always looking at each other. I saw the smile on her face! It was the kind of smile I can't get her to do for me!"
Harry stood to his feet, "Ron, she's with you! Not me!" he said to Ron desperately. "Don't mess this up!"
"I already did." he said solemnly walking passed Harry making a complete stop at the center of the room and looked directly at him, and shook his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, how could I poor man Weasley actually be better than the famous Harry Potter?"
"Ron, please. Stop talking like this. You don't understand." Harry begged as he watched Ron a approaching edge of a subject Harry did not want brought up. It was a subject he'd tried to bury deep inside himself. And he was so close.
"I'm just a guy. Just another guy in her life. Until she gets the one person she truly wants. It's an inevitable force I could never defeat Harry." Ron sadly told Harry as he looked off in the direction Hermione had run off to.
"She wants you Ron." Harry pleaded with him as he walked closer to Ron, "She kissed YOU right here. She chose YOU. Not me."
"Do you love her?" Ron spat out as he turned his head towards Harry. Harry stopped in his foot steps and stared at Ron. Not knowing how to answer his question. "Because I do. And I swear if you hurt her I will hunt you down."
"I don't want her Ron!" Harry shouted at his best friend who stood right in front of him now. "I don't want her in the mess that I'm in! She deserves better than me! She deserves you!"
Ron looked at him in shock because of his outburst. He stood frozen without a single emotion sweeping across his face. But he could see Harry. He could see the agony that tore him apart, that pulled his stomach down to his feet, and the knife inside his heart that was digging at him day by day.
"Why would you want to be with, someone when you might die tomorrow! Why would you want to put someone through that kind of pain! I want her to be happy Damn it!" Harry screamed and he ripped a table over on its side.
Ron jumped as Harry flew over the edge of a sane man. He watched in horror as he saw his friend slipping into the deep end.
"Now how about YOU treat her right. And YOU be good to her. Not ME. Never ME. I will be sure that the man that makes her happy. Will NEVER be ME." he sourly said his eyes weld up, and his body shook with fury. "I don't give a damn if its you she's with for the rest of her days or whether your just another guy in her life until she meets that guy who will make her day's shine so brightly. But damn it cherish what you have with her. Don't fill it with suspicion and angst. Take it and make the best of it. Do something I can never do. Make her happy." He paused for a minute and looked at his feet, "Because if you aren't lucky enough, and by god I do mean bloody lucky, to be with her and for her to be happy to be with you. You had better remember that girl, is more special, intelligent and genuine than any other girl out there. Don't mess up the time you have with her. Because it might not always be there."
Ron stared him still trying to let his words soak into him. Harry looked down at his shoes and took in a deep breath. When it seemed like he was the only person left in the world he looked up and saw just about everyone from the Gruffindor tower standing up against the banister of the balcony looking down at him. His jaw hung low until he felt the embarrassment ride over and anger stroll in.
"I hope you enjoyed the damn show." He snarled as he violently brushed passed Ron and exited through the portrait hole.
Ron didn't watch him as he went he just looked up at the balcony and caught the eyes of Hermione who was dressed in her pajama's staring down at him sadly, until she turned and walked back into her dormitory. He looked down at his feet in defeat and went to the boys dormitory everyone staring at him, whispering.
"What about Harry?"