Chapter 28
Dueling and Durselys
AN:
Sorry that I didn't update yesterday...
I was kidnapped by my family, who happen not to have the internet...
But to make up for it... this chapter is the longest one yet!
I don't own Harry Potter.
You should know that by now...
I
I
I
V
Harry shook himself after flinching for the third time that day; clearly lack of sleep and his nightmares were destroying the restraints he had placed on his reflexes throughout the years.
"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked him apparently seeing his reaction when Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to keep from falling, after slipping in the soup Neville had dropped just before the trio arrived.
"Sorry about that Ron," Neville said to the redhead.
"I'm fine," Harry said to Hermione.
"Are you sure? You seem jumpy today," Hermione persisted.
"Snape's frayed my nerves is all," Harry said quietly. "By the way, thanks for siccing Dumbledore on him."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked loftily.
"Dumbledore miraculously showed up before Snape could take off too many points from Gryffindor after you were forced out of the room by Snape," Harry replied.
"I wanted to keep sanity in the school is all… It looked as if you couldn't stand to be in Snape's presence for much longer, not that I could blame you," Hermione said.
"So you think I would have broken down or something?" Harry demanded.
"No," Hermione answered swiftly. "I was afraid you'd curse Snape and end up expelled."
Harry stared at Hermione for a moment trying to figure out if she was lying and finally uttered, "Sorry."
Hermione nodded her head, acknowledging the apology and continued to eat her shepherd's pie in silence.
Harry stared at his food pushing it around with his fork, not hungry at all, and suppressed a yawn. He was starting to wish they severed coffee with meals so he could wake up enough to get through Neville's tutoring session and his Occlumency torture.
He stood up a few minutes later without eating anything and started off.
"Hey Harry, where are you going?" Ron asked as he walked away from the Gryffindor Table.
"Kitchens," Harry replied shortly.
"Why are you going to the kitchens now?" Ron asked confused.
"I've got to ask the House-elves something," Harry told his friend and started to walk away again.
"Now I'd expect that form you Hermione, but what is he going to ask the House-elves?" Harry heard Ron say before he was out of earshot.
Harry walked through the halls to the kitchen corridor, cursing himself for not thinking of getting coffee sooner. He tickled the pear and entered the kitchen, full of busy House-elves scrubbing dishes, refilling pumpkin juice jugs, and taking deserts out of the ovens and cooling boxes.
A House-elf that was washing dishes rushed over to him and asked, "Does sir wants something?"
"May I have some coffee?" Harry asked.
"Certainlies sir!" the small creature squeaked and ran off to a corner where sever coffee machines were lined up and full of coffee. The elf poured a large coffee and rushed it back to Harry. "Woulds sir like cream and sugar withs his coffee?"
Harry took a sip of the black coffee and nodded, wincing at the bitter taste.
The house-elf quickly produced some cream and sugar to sweeten Harry's coffee, and Harry put liberal amounts of sugar and cream into the steaming liquid.
Harry took another sip and said, "Thanks," after being able to stand the bitter drink.
"You is being most welcome sir!" the house-elf said excitingly. "Woulds you be needing anything else sir?"
"No thanks, I'll just drink this and be on my way," Harry told the elf after taking another sip of the vitalizing drink.
He glanced at his watch and drank the hot liquid as fast as possible so he could get to the Room of Requirement before Neville showed up, otherwise it would be more difficult to manipulate the room into a good dueling environment.
Harry rushed to the room and managed to open the door just as Neville walked around the corner.
"What are we doing today?" Neville asked as he looked around and noticed that the room was vastly more cushioned that day than previous tutoring sessions.
"You've improved your aim a lot so I think we should try to duel with each other and see how you fair," Harry said walking into the middle of the padded floor.
"Wha… what?" Neville stuttered starring at Harry.
"Dueling, you, me," Harry said. "We're having our Dueling exams in tow weeks. So you have to actually try to duel someone besides Seamus before then. Seamus wasn't in D.A. last year and doesn't know a lot of spells that you do. It will be good for you to duel with someone who knows at least as many curses as you."
"But does it have to be with you?" Neville asked miserably walking into the center of the room facing Harry.
"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked grinning, slightly wired from the caffeine starting to send blessed energy through his veins.
"You have top marks in N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts," Neville replied.
"Well at least we know you won't be able to do any worse," Harry said.
"That's reassuring," Neville grumbled.
"Stop stalling and bow," Harry said bowing to his friend.
Neville bowed and the two boys straightened and stared at each other, wands aimed at the other's chest.
"Explimarimus!" Neville finally shouted.
Harry dodged the beam of light which hurtled towards him and called out to Neville, "Use your force of mind to send the spell! Whisper or say the spell quietly. It might not have as much impact but your opponent won't know how to counter it!" He demonstrated his point by whispering the curse he shot at Neville who frantically ran out of the way.
They continued like that for a half an hour, exchanging curses and Harry spouting out pointers to Neville while aiming curse towards the boy that would distract him but not force his wand from his hand.
They finally stopped, both panting and sitting on the cushioned floor in exhaustion.
"Next time I'll send some more violent curses at you," Harry warned the round-faced-boy. "I think you can handle it."
"Thanks… I think…" Neville said uncertainly.
Harry looked at his watch and cursed.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked.
"I have to go, I have extra lessons with Snape in ten minutes," Harry said standing up.
Neville shuddered at the idea and only said, "Better you than me, mate."
"Gee… thanks," Harry said sardonically walking out of the room and towards the dungeons. He knocked on the door where his Occlumency lessons took place.
"Enter Potter," Snape's could voice penetrated the sound barrier of the thick wooden door.
Harry walked into the room feeling highly more apprehensive than usual. He looked at Snape who was examining him coldly from his seat at his desk where stacks of essays were apparently being graded. He stood up and stalked in front of his desk where he barked, "Wand out Potter. I don't have time for you to waste by standing there like the idiot you are. I, unlike you, would like to get my work done properly and on time so that I don't have to worry about it ten minutes before its due."
Harry bit back a retort he dearly wanted to say as he took out his wand.
"Legimens!" Snape shouted no sooner than he saw Harry's wand out of his cloak.
Images of the Chamber of Secrets started to flash through both Snape's and Harry's mind, the large statues of snakes, Salazar Slytherin and the stone floor where Ginny was not moving and Riddle's taunts floated in and out of their heads, "Silly girl," "My new target has been YOU." "You'll be with your Mudblood mother soon enough…"
"SCUTUM!" Harry shouted creating a simple shield around him, but one strong enough to break the connection the Legimens curse had produced.
"Potter, you cannot always rely on your wand!" Snape snapped at the boy. "What if you are disarmed? Or what if you drop your wand somewhere? I believe that has happened before… Put it away now."
"You were the one who told me to take it out in the first place," Harry muttered under his breath putting his wand back into his cloak.
"What was that Potter?" Snape asked dangerously peering at his student through narrowed eyes.
"Nothing sir," Harry replied coldly.
"Legimens!" Snape returned.
Harry was being led by McGonagall to meet Wood…
Then he was being waiting in line to be sorted, terrified that he was not a wizard and it was just a mistake and the hat would tell him to get back on the train and back to the Dursley's….
He was then meeting Malfoy for the first time in Madam Milkin's shop…
"STOP!" Harry shouted breaking the connection. He realized that the coffee had worn off and left him more tired than before, making it harder than usual to keep Snape in the limits Harry had set. He definitely didn't want Snape to see his memories before Hogwarts... Maybe he shouldn't have dueled with Neville and gotten so tired.
"What's the matter Potter? Don't want me to see a civilized conversation between you and Mr. Malfoy do you?" Snape mocked asked. "I'm only putting in the minimum amount of power into this curse and as sure as hell the Dark Lord is going to put in everything he has into searching your memories. Lets see what's been going on in your brain in the past couple of months shall we? With a bit more power…"
"Shit…" Harry muttered putting as many blocks on the past three months as he could but not reinforcing the ones that led to his childhood memories.
"Legimens!" Snape said somewhat vindictively.
Harry saw Sirius fall through the veil once again and he repelled Snape away from the most recent parts of his memory. However he pushed Snape too far back and they ended up in Harry's childhood memories, another place Harry didn't want Snape to be but he was too exhausted to push him out of his head.
"No!! Not Harry! Please!" a woman's cry was heard in the dark.
Then the memories skipped a year and a half ahead where a three-year-old Harry was sitting on his mattress in the cupboard holding his left harm close to his chest and sniffling.
The memories skimmed through days in the cupboard and several slaps here and there before a memory containing a six-year-old Harry was played out in its entirety. Young Harry was standing quietly by the kitchen table where his aunt and uncle were sitting, reading the note his teacher sent home saying that he had turned his teacher's hair blue after the teacher said he would have lunch detention because he was throwing paper around the room… (it was in fact Dudley who threw paper about the room and blamed Harry for it.)
Uncle Vernon stood up, face purple with rage, "SO! SO!" he breathed angrily. "You're doing your freak stuff in public now!??"
"N… No… Uncle Vernon," young Harry whispered.
Vernon hit Harry across the mouth, "Don't you lie to me boy!" He then went on a rant about how good he was to keep a freak like Harry under his roof, accenting his points with punches to Harry's torso, and lasting at least a half an hour. Finally Vernon stopped, picked Harry up by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the cupboard.
"You're not to leave that cupboard unless Petunia has some chores for you! AND not a word to anyone about this or your life will be even more miserable! Can't let the neighbors seeing your bruised face… the least your freakiness could do is hide them," Vernon bellowed at Harry through the locked door.
Young Harry cried softly, cradling his ribs and touching his bruising jaw softly. Uncle Vernon had never been that bad before… he could barely move…
Present Harry was on his hands and knees whispering, "No… no… please stop… I can't stop it…"
Snape was too shocked to hear him.
They continued their journey through Harry's childhood, more beatings, being locked in the cupboard without food, and lies to neighbors about where Harry had disappeared to… all the while Harry was becoming more and more panicked until finally, after a memory of a particularly bad beating he had enough adrenaline to kick Snape out of his head.
Snape stared at Harry in shocked silence.
I
I
I
V
AN:
Review please!
Dueling and Durselys
AN:
Sorry that I didn't update yesterday...
I was kidnapped by my family, who happen not to have the internet...
But to make up for it... this chapter is the longest one yet!
I don't own Harry Potter.
You should know that by now...
I
I
I
V
Harry shook himself after flinching for the third time that day; clearly lack of sleep and his nightmares were destroying the restraints he had placed on his reflexes throughout the years.
"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked him apparently seeing his reaction when Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to keep from falling, after slipping in the soup Neville had dropped just before the trio arrived.
"Sorry about that Ron," Neville said to the redhead.
"I'm fine," Harry said to Hermione.
"Are you sure? You seem jumpy today," Hermione persisted.
"Snape's frayed my nerves is all," Harry said quietly. "By the way, thanks for siccing Dumbledore on him."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked loftily.
"Dumbledore miraculously showed up before Snape could take off too many points from Gryffindor after you were forced out of the room by Snape," Harry replied.
"I wanted to keep sanity in the school is all… It looked as if you couldn't stand to be in Snape's presence for much longer, not that I could blame you," Hermione said.
"So you think I would have broken down or something?" Harry demanded.
"No," Hermione answered swiftly. "I was afraid you'd curse Snape and end up expelled."
Harry stared at Hermione for a moment trying to figure out if she was lying and finally uttered, "Sorry."
Hermione nodded her head, acknowledging the apology and continued to eat her shepherd's pie in silence.
Harry stared at his food pushing it around with his fork, not hungry at all, and suppressed a yawn. He was starting to wish they severed coffee with meals so he could wake up enough to get through Neville's tutoring session and his Occlumency torture.
He stood up a few minutes later without eating anything and started off.
"Hey Harry, where are you going?" Ron asked as he walked away from the Gryffindor Table.
"Kitchens," Harry replied shortly.
"Why are you going to the kitchens now?" Ron asked confused.
"I've got to ask the House-elves something," Harry told his friend and started to walk away again.
"Now I'd expect that form you Hermione, but what is he going to ask the House-elves?" Harry heard Ron say before he was out of earshot.
Harry walked through the halls to the kitchen corridor, cursing himself for not thinking of getting coffee sooner. He tickled the pear and entered the kitchen, full of busy House-elves scrubbing dishes, refilling pumpkin juice jugs, and taking deserts out of the ovens and cooling boxes.
A House-elf that was washing dishes rushed over to him and asked, "Does sir wants something?"
"May I have some coffee?" Harry asked.
"Certainlies sir!" the small creature squeaked and ran off to a corner where sever coffee machines were lined up and full of coffee. The elf poured a large coffee and rushed it back to Harry. "Woulds sir like cream and sugar withs his coffee?"
Harry took a sip of the black coffee and nodded, wincing at the bitter taste.
The house-elf quickly produced some cream and sugar to sweeten Harry's coffee, and Harry put liberal amounts of sugar and cream into the steaming liquid.
Harry took another sip and said, "Thanks," after being able to stand the bitter drink.
"You is being most welcome sir!" the house-elf said excitingly. "Woulds you be needing anything else sir?"
"No thanks, I'll just drink this and be on my way," Harry told the elf after taking another sip of the vitalizing drink.
He glanced at his watch and drank the hot liquid as fast as possible so he could get to the Room of Requirement before Neville showed up, otherwise it would be more difficult to manipulate the room into a good dueling environment.
Harry rushed to the room and managed to open the door just as Neville walked around the corner.
"What are we doing today?" Neville asked as he looked around and noticed that the room was vastly more cushioned that day than previous tutoring sessions.
"You've improved your aim a lot so I think we should try to duel with each other and see how you fair," Harry said walking into the middle of the padded floor.
"Wha… what?" Neville stuttered starring at Harry.
"Dueling, you, me," Harry said. "We're having our Dueling exams in tow weeks. So you have to actually try to duel someone besides Seamus before then. Seamus wasn't in D.A. last year and doesn't know a lot of spells that you do. It will be good for you to duel with someone who knows at least as many curses as you."
"But does it have to be with you?" Neville asked miserably walking into the center of the room facing Harry.
"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked grinning, slightly wired from the caffeine starting to send blessed energy through his veins.
"You have top marks in N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts," Neville replied.
"Well at least we know you won't be able to do any worse," Harry said.
"That's reassuring," Neville grumbled.
"Stop stalling and bow," Harry said bowing to his friend.
Neville bowed and the two boys straightened and stared at each other, wands aimed at the other's chest.
"Explimarimus!" Neville finally shouted.
Harry dodged the beam of light which hurtled towards him and called out to Neville, "Use your force of mind to send the spell! Whisper or say the spell quietly. It might not have as much impact but your opponent won't know how to counter it!" He demonstrated his point by whispering the curse he shot at Neville who frantically ran out of the way.
They continued like that for a half an hour, exchanging curses and Harry spouting out pointers to Neville while aiming curse towards the boy that would distract him but not force his wand from his hand.
They finally stopped, both panting and sitting on the cushioned floor in exhaustion.
"Next time I'll send some more violent curses at you," Harry warned the round-faced-boy. "I think you can handle it."
"Thanks… I think…" Neville said uncertainly.
Harry looked at his watch and cursed.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked.
"I have to go, I have extra lessons with Snape in ten minutes," Harry said standing up.
Neville shuddered at the idea and only said, "Better you than me, mate."
"Gee… thanks," Harry said sardonically walking out of the room and towards the dungeons. He knocked on the door where his Occlumency lessons took place.
"Enter Potter," Snape's could voice penetrated the sound barrier of the thick wooden door.
Harry walked into the room feeling highly more apprehensive than usual. He looked at Snape who was examining him coldly from his seat at his desk where stacks of essays were apparently being graded. He stood up and stalked in front of his desk where he barked, "Wand out Potter. I don't have time for you to waste by standing there like the idiot you are. I, unlike you, would like to get my work done properly and on time so that I don't have to worry about it ten minutes before its due."
Harry bit back a retort he dearly wanted to say as he took out his wand.
"Legimens!" Snape shouted no sooner than he saw Harry's wand out of his cloak.
Images of the Chamber of Secrets started to flash through both Snape's and Harry's mind, the large statues of snakes, Salazar Slytherin and the stone floor where Ginny was not moving and Riddle's taunts floated in and out of their heads, "Silly girl," "My new target has been YOU." "You'll be with your Mudblood mother soon enough…"
"SCUTUM!" Harry shouted creating a simple shield around him, but one strong enough to break the connection the Legimens curse had produced.
"Potter, you cannot always rely on your wand!" Snape snapped at the boy. "What if you are disarmed? Or what if you drop your wand somewhere? I believe that has happened before… Put it away now."
"You were the one who told me to take it out in the first place," Harry muttered under his breath putting his wand back into his cloak.
"What was that Potter?" Snape asked dangerously peering at his student through narrowed eyes.
"Nothing sir," Harry replied coldly.
"Legimens!" Snape returned.
Harry was being led by McGonagall to meet Wood…
Then he was being waiting in line to be sorted, terrified that he was not a wizard and it was just a mistake and the hat would tell him to get back on the train and back to the Dursley's….
He was then meeting Malfoy for the first time in Madam Milkin's shop…
"STOP!" Harry shouted breaking the connection. He realized that the coffee had worn off and left him more tired than before, making it harder than usual to keep Snape in the limits Harry had set. He definitely didn't want Snape to see his memories before Hogwarts... Maybe he shouldn't have dueled with Neville and gotten so tired.
"What's the matter Potter? Don't want me to see a civilized conversation between you and Mr. Malfoy do you?" Snape mocked asked. "I'm only putting in the minimum amount of power into this curse and as sure as hell the Dark Lord is going to put in everything he has into searching your memories. Lets see what's been going on in your brain in the past couple of months shall we? With a bit more power…"
"Shit…" Harry muttered putting as many blocks on the past three months as he could but not reinforcing the ones that led to his childhood memories.
"Legimens!" Snape said somewhat vindictively.
Harry saw Sirius fall through the veil once again and he repelled Snape away from the most recent parts of his memory. However he pushed Snape too far back and they ended up in Harry's childhood memories, another place Harry didn't want Snape to be but he was too exhausted to push him out of his head.
"No!! Not Harry! Please!" a woman's cry was heard in the dark.
Then the memories skipped a year and a half ahead where a three-year-old Harry was sitting on his mattress in the cupboard holding his left harm close to his chest and sniffling.
The memories skimmed through days in the cupboard and several slaps here and there before a memory containing a six-year-old Harry was played out in its entirety. Young Harry was standing quietly by the kitchen table where his aunt and uncle were sitting, reading the note his teacher sent home saying that he had turned his teacher's hair blue after the teacher said he would have lunch detention because he was throwing paper around the room… (it was in fact Dudley who threw paper about the room and blamed Harry for it.)
Uncle Vernon stood up, face purple with rage, "SO! SO!" he breathed angrily. "You're doing your freak stuff in public now!??"
"N… No… Uncle Vernon," young Harry whispered.
Vernon hit Harry across the mouth, "Don't you lie to me boy!" He then went on a rant about how good he was to keep a freak like Harry under his roof, accenting his points with punches to Harry's torso, and lasting at least a half an hour. Finally Vernon stopped, picked Harry up by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the cupboard.
"You're not to leave that cupboard unless Petunia has some chores for you! AND not a word to anyone about this or your life will be even more miserable! Can't let the neighbors seeing your bruised face… the least your freakiness could do is hide them," Vernon bellowed at Harry through the locked door.
Young Harry cried softly, cradling his ribs and touching his bruising jaw softly. Uncle Vernon had never been that bad before… he could barely move…
Present Harry was on his hands and knees whispering, "No… no… please stop… I can't stop it…"
Snape was too shocked to hear him.
They continued their journey through Harry's childhood, more beatings, being locked in the cupboard without food, and lies to neighbors about where Harry had disappeared to… all the while Harry was becoming more and more panicked until finally, after a memory of a particularly bad beating he had enough adrenaline to kick Snape out of his head.
Snape stared at Harry in shocked silence.
I
I
I
V
AN:
Review please!