"You should tell Dumbledore!" Hermione said after they introduced Luke and told her about the night before.
"What do you think Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yea, he needs to know" Harry groaned.
"You feel okay Harry?" Luke asked concernedly.
"Just a bit weak other than that I'm okay, thanks" Harry smiled weakly.
"Okay, I can help with that; gran showed me some healing spells over the summer." Neville jumped in.
"Saryus" he said quietly and a wisp a cloud like smoke rose over Harry and fell upon him swirling around and around until it ceased and disappeared.
"How do you feel now?" Neville asked hopefully.
"Much better, that was incredible Neville!" Harry said happily.
"We better hurry or we'll miss Dueling" Hermione said worriedly. They all nodded .
"Dueling, is very important. It is the culmination of your work here at Hogwarts. Being able to duel will keep you alive, lack of this ability, will not be kind to you. I understand professor Lockhart started a dueling club a few years ago, this will be much different, this is not gentlemen's dueling, this class will give you practice of the dueling that you will use if ever in need. You will learn how to anticipate your opponents spells, you will learn to anticipate your opponents reactions to your spells, and you will learn some helpful spells and hexes and jinxes and curses for dueling, and the counters, everyone is as important as the other." Sirius said sagely.
"And hopefully, at the end of this year, you will learn to, if needed, keep those death eaters right in the crotch, everyone understand?" He gave a gaunt smile and began.
"Today, we will see what you know, let's have ummm Hermione and...Mr. Macmillan." Hermione stepped up a bit nervously and Ernie did the same.
"Only use spells you've learnt in school, that way I know what spells everyone knows. At some point I'll call on people and they will have to present a spell we haven't gone over, use 8 and a half inches of parchment. Oh and one more thing, no sissy spells" He laughed.
"Bring in something that would serve some use, you must be able to perform this successfully" He finished.
"Now, this will be a 10 spell duel, both of you will use 5 different spells, you can't repeat a spell that your opponent has cast, for safety, I will put a barrier up which will only allow about half or less of the damage to come upon either of you, all right, let the fun begin" Sirius smiled, which in turn made Ron and Harry smile knowing Sirius was the happiest he had been since Harry's parents were alive.
Ernie had won the coin toss yet allowed Hermione to cast from against her will. The went back and forth pretty quickly but by the time Ernie finished his 3 cast, the duel slowed down quite a but minute by painfully dull minute they reached an end.
"That was quite good, you see, while dueling, it is best not to cluster the same spells. With every different spell you cast, you give some sign of it; whether it be a movement of lips or eyes, after a few times, and experienced opponent will be able to recognize the spell your casting, if you've cast it not so long ago, but if you cast around 5 spells at least between it, he will not remember. Any questions?" Sirius asked, not realizing how impressive that what he just said was quite impressive to the class.
Dean put his hand up looking rather eager.
"Yes Dean?" Sirius grinned, thinking to himself, damn who saw this coming?
"Actually I have two questions." Sirius nodded.
"How the hell are you this cool and a teacher, and can we learn how to find out what the dude we're dueling' is gonna cast?" Dean asked.
"Well.." Sirius winced, he remembered as a teacher, he wasn't supposed to allow students to swear, e shrugged t off.
"I don't know about your first question but, I will try and show you how to see these signs of you opponent." Sirius smiled, feeling great. On their way out at the end of class, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were all talking.
"This year is going to be the best, I mean no Snape, double Marauders, Tonks? How could thi year go bad?" Ron said happily.
"I don't know Ron but in our past 5 years here, have we had one with out something extremely bad happening, I mean just one?" Hermione said quietly.
"Well you Miss Optimist today aren't you?" Ron said sarcastically. With that Hermione stormed off with out another word.
"I think she's really upset" Neville said bluntly. Ron shrugged, Harry wanted to scold Ron for upsetting Hermione but he feared causing a riff between them like the third year.
"What have we got next anyway Ron?" Harry asked .
"Uh, let's see, oh defense against Dark arts, Neville are you in Advance-," Ron was cut off by Neville's proud nodding.
"Stupid git" Ron snorted. Neville looked some what hurt by this but let it go.
"I bet the entire DA got in, I mean, that's the only reason I got in , last year, with my old wand I could barely perform the stunner with out messing it up, but after the DA, even with that wand I wasn't as bad as I was by a long shot." Neville complimented Harry.
"Thanks Neville but-,"
"Will you three hurry up, we'll be late in a few minutes Hermione said up in front.
"She seems to have recovered," Ron muttered. They took their seats, Neville was correct, about 95% of the DA was their, Ginny was there and as she had said before, Luna was as well, head stuck in the Quibbler as usual.
Moments later the entire class began shrieking, in front of the class was a foul and hideous monster, and then, the walls seemed like they were moving but when they looked closer, it was spiders, all over. Ron passed out at this point, and then the worst of it; their seemed to be a river of blood on the ceiling, and the monster began shrieking like the students, then as subtly as it started it stopped, everything, the spiders, the monsters, the blood, all gone. Then, Professor Lupin trotted n, he smiled at all the pale, sweaty faces, something wrong class" He smiled innocently. Just then Ron came too.
"AHHH! SPIDERS! THE WALL! AHH!" he screamed hen looked around and saw it was all gone and sulked back on to his seat feeling shame of his fear.
"I am sorry if anyone was frightened by that but that was a very impressive display of illusionism. We will be working on this art this year, but I would never have been able to produce the illusion you all saw, the illusionist who created that is quite practiced and talented, he used to scare the hell out of his friends during his own stay at Hogwarts. He is also your very own Dueling teacher Professor Black. I know the basics of illusionary magic, after the first month, you will have learnt all that I can teach you, after that, the good professor will join us for a few weeks, and that will make up our first and part of our second quarter. For the remainder of your second quarter I had planed on teaching you all patronuses, but my sources inform me you have learnt it already." He grinned at Harry when he said this.
"In replacement , we will delve into the basics of dark magic, that is as far as we go though, the basics. The Dark Arts are not bad magic, it is the magic of people who have had pain in there lives that turn to it, it was killed by those who changed it's core.. We are not learning the basics to use it; even as I said; it isn't evil used correctly, but there is such a temptation to delve deeper and deeper into the dark arts that I hope not one person has to bare it; for it can drive you mad. If you allow yourself to get drawn in, after awhile all you can see is darkness, and you can't see the light anymore, it's truly tragic for those whom ever used it without intent to harm anyone unjustly" Lupin said darkly.
"We are learning it for understanding." He finished wistfully.
"But back to illusionism, did anyone not believe it to be real, honestly?" Lupin inquired. Hermione raised her hand.
"I thought at first it was quite frightening, but then I squinted at the walls, I could see through the spiders, I looked at the monster in the front, and could see through it, and also I thought it didn't make sense for thi all to appear out of no where, and then I realized it must have been an illusion." Hermione said proudly.
"Very good, and amazing too, there are very few who are able to keep their senses when under the impression of an illusion, the illusion doesn't only make your eyes see the illusion, it makes the brain think it real, the forgotten art of illusions is making a return. 25 points to Gryffindor." Remus chortled very impressed by Hermione's initiative. After 3 years of Sirius playing tricks on him with illusions, Remus had began to see the way Hermione saw. Every time Sirius put the illusion of some beautiful woman grabbling for him, he would concentrate on his position and everything would go away and he'd usually crack Sirius for it.
As they walked out Ron hung his head.
"What's wrong Ron? You okay man?" Like asked.
"Yea Ron, you don't look well." Harry agreed,
"I'm ashamed of my self, I can't believe it, how can I be so weak and be the supposed great heir of Merlin" Ron spat acidly.
"Ron it's not your fault, remember Bellatrix, Sirius can pull strings in our minds and eyes that make us react differently, if you had seen the spiders in real life, you wouldn't of fainted." Hermione encouraged him.
"Yea, yea your right." Ron said a bit cheerier. Then they saw Syrus, who's head was hung low and was extremely depressed by the looks of it.
"Are you okay?" Hermione cried.
"I'm the last one here. All of my friends were expelled today." He said gloomily.
"Why what happened??" Ron inquired.
"A few of those Slytherins insulted in of the princes who died, and cast spells at them and they lost it, they started throwing them around, Dumbledore told them they'd study back at the mountain." He said dismally.
"They almost killed some kid named Draco something." He added.
"We're really sorry about your friends Syrus, but if it makes you feel any better, almost killing a Malfoy should earn them medals." Ron said, trying to make Syrus feel better. Syrus forced a laugh.
"Yea that kid's a prick." He said happier.
"Well, time for potions." Harry said, the first time he'd ever been Anxious to go to that particular class.
"See you at lunch Sy" Neville bade. When they walked in, Neville nearly hit the floor, Snape was standing their, in the front,
"I'm sorry if you were lead to believe I wouldn't be here, I was counted absent on account of getting my eyebrows dyed" He said his tone unwavering, then they face reconfigured to Tonks.
"I'm just kidding, the Professor is busy and will not be here for this year." She explained. Hermione considered asking if he was hurt; and then remembered, she didn't care; so she let it go.
That class was pure bliss for the entire class, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs alike. Even Neville didn't destroy his cauldron, he made a pretty ok potion. All in all it was great to have Tonks around, and to Harry and everyone else's surprise, both Luke and Syrus were in the class, Syrus was amazing at the potions, according to Tonks, it was flawless. Syrus had no idea he would be so good at potions, he told Harry that Dumbledore had told him to attend the class and he did.
Finally lunch arrived, and not too soon, they were all starving.
"I'm just going to grab a few things and head down to Dumbledore's" Harry explained. On his way down he received several scowls by the portraits and lectures on eating in the halls. Harry ignored them agitatedly, he was still a bit sore from the previous night. But after about 15 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of guessing Harry finallys got through to the head masters stairway. When he arrived at the top step, he knocked on one of the bricks so not to surprise Dumbledore.
"Ah, Harry, come in, I was just telling Remus, Sirius, and Nymphadora of the prophecy." Dumbledore said quietly. Harry greeted the three of them, Harry felt bad telling Dumbledore the news in front of Sirius, who was still wearing the grin Harry was sure he'd been wearing since he last saw him.
"Professor, last night, me and Ron ran into a bit of trouble, we were, attacked." Harry finished painfully, seeing the look of happiness leave
Sirius, and get replaced with worry, yet he remained silent, Tonks did not.
"Jesus, are you alright? By who? Where?" This was the first time Harry had ever seen Tonks serious.
"Harry, I believe it would be best if you started at the beginning." Dumbledore said, trying to hide all worry from his voice. Then Harry told them everything, except about training to be an animagus, he felt this was unnecessary. He proceeded to tell them that Luke had came in and helped scare off their attackers, and saved Harry's life.
"That is a very bad curse, it does not stop the heart, it slows it down slower and slower and after a period of time it does stop, but it is easy to heal, but still very dangerous. Death eaters never showed much interest after discovering there was a cure and the avada kedavra did not. I am proud to say that Luke is my great grandson, this means that he too is involved in the prophecy." Dumbledore said with a sense of pride.
"The what did you call them 'Basilisks of the Dark Lord?' Well, I think it's quite obvious that the Malfoy boy is in charge wouldn't you say Harry?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded, and he truly believed it.
"Now Sirius, we have no evidence, not all boys turn out to be like their fathers, you of all people should know that" Dumbledore eyed Sirius. He was of course referring to Sirius' mudblood pureblood obsessions. Sirius nodded defeated.
"Harry, I've been considering something for a while, and I believe with this new finding, I think we should put it to action. I think that you and the rest of the people of the prophecy, I believe that you should start having meetings much like the DA, and learn these subjects." Dumbledore handed him a list.
AnimagusWandless Magic
Creating Magic
Private Illusions(with help from Sirius)
Legilmency and Occulemency
Advanced Transfiguration