Clay Pinions By Lochar

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Move along.

A/N: All questions about Harry's continued training will eventually be answered. Just not right now. Also of note. This story is on 16 story alerts. Could I have reviews from 1/4th of you?

Thoughts

"Speak"

Chapter 6

"Practice."

That was the answer given to Harry and Dudley when they asked how to hold what Sensei Uzuki termed, 'The Flame and the Void'.

"You must get used to it, so that you don't get excited knowing you've managed it."

So they practiced. For the whole week left of their punishment, they practiced. Of course, this wasn't without its bad side. Harry and Dudley also learned to stay out of Vernon's way because his face turned purple after watching his 'Dudders' doing "freaky, unnatural things."

By the end of the week, Harry had managed to keep himself in the Void for almost five minutes. Dudley had managed a good three.

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August 30th, The Dojo

"After you get to the point where it starts to feel natural, you should be able to hold the Void for as long as you need to. You are already able to open your eyes and move around. But you should not try to live in it though; your emotions are helpful, just not particularly when you're using your Chi." Sensei Uzuki told the class. "Let's start again with your basic forms. Focus on the movements while trying to keep a hold on the Void."

Everyone in the class started back at their first forms, Tai Chi, Judo, Karate, whichever they knew best.

Harry got into his Tai Chi form, and slowly started working through it. Halfway through, he lost his concentration and lost the Void. "Dang it. Sensei Uzuki? Should we keep going through with the form, or start over?"

Uzuki walked over to him. "Start over. You need to be able to hold onto the Void from beginning to end."

Harry nodded. "Alright Sensei." He closed his eyes and surrounded himself with the Void, making sure to feed any new emotions through it, into his flame.

Uzuki's eyes narrowed as he watched.

Harry's aura of Chi dimmed considerably as he started through the form. The aura stayed the same throughout the form except at the final punch to end it, when his aura shrunk to almost nothing, although no energy was pushed from the punch.

Harry collapsed onto the floor, sweat drenching his shirt. Uzuki sat down next to him.

"Very good Harry. But why are you so tired?"

"'Cause… 'cause…" Harry panted, then took a deep breath and swallowed. "The form seemed to…" Harry paused for a moment, apparently looking for the correct word, "It was like a wave. It just went and went and went. Then at the end, it wanted to crash like a wave on a beach, but I wouldn't let it. But it was really, really hard to stop it. It was like trying to put a wall down the whole beach to stop the wave."

Uzuki nodded. Clearly, this boy is going to drive me nuts. I am having to keep jumping lessons, or stopping certain ones just because of him or his cousin. At this thought, Uzuki looked over towards Dudley.

Dudley had been doing a Karate form, but Uzuki could see his Chi wasn't being controlled.

"Dudley. Use the Void, please. It makes no sense for me to teach you something, only to not have you do it."

Dudley looked at him and almost whined. "But Sensei, it's so hard."

Uzuki shook his head. "You're not going to get any farther in this class if you don't. And remember my rule: My word is law. You don't like it, fight. So use the Void."

Dudley glared. "Fine." He started through the form, and Uzuki had to take a few steps back.

Good Lord. It's control, but chaotic. Dudley's Chi aura had dimmed, but every punch, every block, every kick had a finite amount of energy coming from him. Uzuki motioned the class back, including Harry. He's channeling his Chi into every move, but it's very ill-controlled. "Dudley! Enough!"

Dudley shook his head. "No, I'm using the Void like you wanted me to." He continued going through each form, nothing graceful at all about it. Each one of Dudley's movements was about force, and how much he could put into each one.

A short moment later, he collapsed like Harry had.

"Are you feeling any better now?" Uzuki walked up and asked Dudley. "Did you burn enough of your Chi?"

"Sorry… Sensei…" Dudley wheezed out.

He chuckled. "I take it you burned your anger out as well." He turned to the class. "And that class, is why using the Void is interesting. Dudley managed to use some of his Chi while in the Void. It's why he's wiped out. He doesn't have enough to keep going, and he wasn't using it correctly."

Uzuki looked to Dudley again. "I'm tempted to give you another week or so punishment, but you were following what I said to the letter, so I can't blame you." He chuckled. "Maybe next time when I say enough is enough, you'll listen though." He faced the class. "Alright everyone. Now that those two are worn out, I'll start showing you how to bring your Chi into the Void. Harry, Dudley, if you can't follow along, you'll have to stay late to get the lesson."

Harry managed to get up into a sitting position at this, while Dudley just stayed lying on his back.

"I'm going to listen Sensei." Harry said with a grin. Dudley didn't say anything.

"How about you?" Uzuki asked Dudley. "Will you follow the lesson as well?"

"No promises Sensei. I'm really tired."

At this, Uzuki smiled again. "Maybe Harry can help you with it then."

Harry's eyes lit up. "I could teach him?"

"Only if you learn the lesson well enough, and Dudley doesn't. Anyway… Class, I want you to sit again, like the meditation for the Void. Surround yourself with the Void once more."

Everyone was able to easily do this. Uzuki watched the auras of the class die down, as they shielded themselves from their emotions.

"Good. Now, remember when I taught you to find your Chi?" Nods from various parts of the class. "Find it again, and bring it inside the Void with you.

He was not surprised to find that no auras flared after a few minutes. "The problem with this is your emotions made your Chi stand out more. Separated from your emotions for the moment, it is much harder to find. Take all the time you need. If you need to move around, change positions or whatnot, you may."

At this, several students got up and started walking around. Harry just changed to sitting cross-legged, and Dudley didn't do anything.

After ten minutes of trying to find his Chi, Harry started to get frustrated. After fifteen, he started getting angry with himself. Dang it, can't lose the Void. Taking his anger, he pushed it at the flame, calming himself down a bit so that he didn't lose the Void again.

Uzuki's head turned towards Harry. I know his aura just flared slightly… He frowned. Maybe not.

Harry shook his head. "This isn't doing anything." He stood up. "Maybe if I moved around a bit." He started walking around, concentrating on finding his Chi, just barely dodging his classmates, trying everything he had been taught to bring his Chi up to where he could see it in his mind.

A loud yell broke his concentration and the Void disappeared, along with the flame. He looked up and scowled at the guy who had yelled, then slightly smiled as he saw Sensei congratulating him on finding his Chi in the Void.

"Yeah, but can you not yell? You made me lose my Void." Harry said.

"If you lost it that easily, then you won't be able to hold it when you find your Chi." Uzuki said. "Your Chi will put a strain on your Void, as it will not be completely empty. You have to be able to balance your Chi within the Void so it doesn't break it, but you can't lose your hold on your Chi either."

At this, the other student nodded. "Yeah, soon as I got it, a second later they were both gone." He laughed. "At least I got it for a moment."

"How'd you manage to find it?" Another student asked.

Before he could answer, Uzuki stopped him. "It is for you to find. The first time you find it is the way you'll always be able to find it easiest. If you did it his way, you'd have to work harder to control it."

Harry nodded, and walked over to Dudley. "So, how're you doing at finding it?"

Dudley grinned up at him. "What makes you think I'm not just trying to sleep?"

"The fact that Sensei would probably be mad if you did?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get me on the easy ones. I'm just floating around in my Void looking for it. Still haven't found anything yet." Dudley said.

Harry nodded. "Neither have I." He wandered off, leaving Dudley staring at the ceiling. He thought of the form he had done earlier. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't tried to stop that wave? Could that have been my Chi? Determined to find out, Harry concentrated on the Void. He started through the form, slowly going from one move to another.

Uzuki felt the dimming of Harry's Chi before he saw it. He turned around as Harry was halfway through the form. "Harry." No response. "Harry!" Again, Harry was concentrating too hard on the form and holding onto the Void to notice. Uzuki sighed. I'm really going to be hated for this one. He let go of his own Chi, and shouted as loud as he could. "HARRY!" The word boomed around the room.

Startled by the immense feeling of his Sensei's Chi, and the booming voice yelling at him, Harry stumbled and lost the Void and the motions of the form. As he was in the middle of a kick, he fell down onto his back.

He quickly stood back up and faced his Sensei. "Y-y-yes Sensei?"

Uzuki winced at the scared tone coming from his student. The rest of the room seemed to have been bowled over as well by the amount of Chi his aura had held. Dudley was sitting now, trying to hold himself straight up. "Harry, if you're going to do that looking for your Chi, please don't do it near anyone else."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry Sensei. I didn't know, and I'm really, really, really sorry about making you mad."

He shook his head. "I'm not mad at you; but if that had worked for you, it might have ended up hurting someone if they were near you."

Harry looked around him and nodded. "I'm sorry Sensei. May I try again on the other side of the room?"

Uzuki waved him off. "You may."

Harry grinned at him and started over to the other side of the room. But not before stopping at Dudley. "Try it." He whispered to him. "Pick your favorite form and push everything you can at the Void."

Dudley grinned at him as he walked off. "Maybe, but not right now. I am SO tired." He fell back onto his back. "Sensei was right, that did take a lot out of me."

Harry got over to the other side of the room, and wrapped himself tightly in his Void. Maybe a different form. With a strong punch at the end. He decided. Starting from the beginning of the form, he worked his way through.

Punch to the stomach.

Trip the person.

Turn and block high.

The movements starting flowing together, and Harry felt the wave beginning.

Block a low kick.

Side kick.

Block a punch to the side.

The wave was getting bigger.

Turn and block again.

Roundhouse at them.

Punch to the center when the kick stops.

The wave was getting much bigger; his Void was resonating with the feel of it.

Quick turn to block high.

Uzuki stopped, and turned towards Harry. The students who were better at sensing Chi did as well. Dudley sat up again, frowning. This feels kinda like what happened right before we got in trouble…

Turn the block into a grab, throw them away.

Turn towards the last person.

Now most of the class had stopped, and Uzuki motioned everyone to stay behind him, well away from Harry.

Side block the punch.

Block the kick it was turned into.

The wave was reaching its crescendo. Harry's mind seemed to hum inside the Void.

Block the punch, open them up for an attack.

The wave was at its highest point.

Open palm strike.

The wave broke. A surge of Chi flew through Harry. He could feel where it had started from in the Void, it felt like a huge hole into his Chi. With the amount of energy he was channeling, he was guaranteed to never forget. His aura fell completely into him, and then flared out at his hand.

The air seemed to ripple to the students' eyes, while to Uzuki… A strong amount of pure Chi rocketed out of Harry's open palm, straight at where he had moved to. Holding his own hand up, he blocked the Chi attack Harry had inadvertently created. His own Chi flared as he met and matched it, nullifying the attack.

Uzuki looked to Harry, just in time to see him smile vacantly. "I managed it, right?" Uzuki nodded. "Good." Harry dropped like a stone to the ground.

Don't you hate me for leaving it at a cliffhanger like that?

I'll see you all in the next chapter…

NOT.

Uzuki rushed to Harry as he hit the ground hard. He looked around. "Bring some mats. He's going to be out of it for awhile."

The students were just standing there, stunned. "NOW!" They started, and a couple students rushed to where the mats were kept and brought him a few.

Uzuki unfolded one and put Harry on it. He left one halfway folded to use as a pillow.

After Harry was settled, he stood up and faced the class. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is an example of what can happen when you release a large amount of Chi at one time. Not something I suggest trying, as you can see what happened to Harry." He ruefully shook his head. "Not to mention I don't think any of you would have the Chi necessary." He looked up to them at this. "And I don't know how he did either. And no one is to tell him exactly how much energy he has. And that is something you will follow. Or you will fight. Understood?" He looked at Dudley at this.

Everyone in the class nodded. Almost in synchronization, they all said, "Yes, Sensei!"

Uzuki nodded and accepted it. "Alright. Everyone get back to practicing."

Even Dudley got up and leaned against a wall with his eyes closed, trying to find his Chi in the Void. Everyone would occasionally turn and look at Harry, who was still lying on the mat, looking to be sleeping somewhat peacefully.

With a deep sigh, Uzuki looked around at the class. No one seemed able to keep their concentration long enough to find their Chi. Auras in the class flickered as Voids broke and then the student reformed them, but no flares that signified them finding their Chi.

Several students seemed to be doing forms, either the one Harry had done or variations on it. "I told you all. Following someone else's way of finding their Chi isn't going to work as well for any of you."

Dudley looked around. Everyone else was trying forms now, seeing as how his cousin had managed it with a form. But they were all trying different Tai Chi forms. Just because Harry was doing a Tai Chi form. That's his favorite. He thought back to how he had used the Void earlier, when he was mad at Sensei. He said I used some of my Chi and that's why I'm so tired… Wonder if I did it again if I'd be able to do it?

Noting where Sensei Uzuki was, Dudley moved to where he was in front of most of the rest of his classmates before trying.

Harry's was a movement form. Maybe a powerful form for me? Dudley started working through his forms, using strong punches and kicks. He could feel a warm glow in the Void. Maybe… He kept pushing through the moves, throwing out hard punches and kicks that were supposed to stop an opponent in a single shot.

The glow in the Void started shrinking and Dudley, thinking he was losing the Chi, started focusing even harder on each move.

He sank into his own mind, wasting no energy on extra movements. And yet the glow in his Void kept getting smaller.

Uzuki was helping another student who had just about found their own Chi when he felt Dudley's Chi changing. Frowning, he looked over at him. His aura was shrinking into him, and then flaring out at random times. He's going to get it, but he wasted so much Chi earlier he's not going to have a huge outbreak like Harry did. Good. I didn't want everyone to know there are two kids in this class that could take them all on, based on Chi.

The glow kept getting smaller, no matter how much he tried. Dudley pushed again at it, trying to get it to come back. Every punch and kick seemed to make it smaller. No! Sensei said I was using it wrong earlier and now I can't use it! He timed his next punch at the same time he pushed at the glow, which was now more like a pinpoint of gold light.

The light burst, and Dudley could feel the energy going with the punch. He immediately stopped, but the Chi didn't stop flowing.

Uzuki ran over to him. "Dudley!" He looked up at him blankly. "Dudley! You managed it! What's the matter?"

"It just keeps going and going and going." Dudley was starting to space out.

Damn it! These two are going to be the death of me! "Dudley, put a bubble around it!"

"But if I do that, I can't use it." He replied vacantly.

"It's only a bubble! You can pop it whenever you want to get the Chi."

Dudley tilted his head sideways. "Oh, ok." He imagined a soap bubble with the energy inside. Immediately, the flow stopped. Dudley looked up at his Sensei. "I got it too, right?"

Uzuki laughed. "Yes, but don't you fall down on me too."

With a grin, Dudley replied, "Nah, I wanna watch the rest of the class. Is that ok?"

"Yes, go ahead." He turned to the rest of the class. "Alright, as you manage to find your Chi in your Void, you may stop if you think you'll be able to do it again. Just rest after that."

Several hours later, at the end of class

"Mr. Dursley, they're both extremely tired. I would suggest feeding them well and then sending them to bed. They'll be fine by tomorrow afternoon." Uzuki said when Vernon came to pick them up.

Harry and Dudley were both sitting in the car, with slightly vacant looks to their eyes. Dudley hadn't fallen asleep, but Harry had only woken up about thirty minutes before.

"What'd they do today that's made them so tired?" Vernon asked suspiciously.

"They learned to combine their life energy with their attacks today." Vernon scowled at the mention of the 'life energy'. "I'd like you to know, it was those two that pushed the lesson along so quickly. I don't think I've ever had students that young, that adept, at what I teach here."

Vernon seemed to puff up at this. "That's my Dudders." He proclaimed.

Uzuki seemed to notice Harry's missing name, but said nothing. "They've got what I'm going to teach the next class, so they don't have to come. Just tell them for me that they need to practice what they learned today."

Another scowl at this. "Not more of that spacing out garbage, is it?"

"No, they're to practice using their life energy, Chi, with their forms. They're not allowed to spar yet while practicing this. They can spar regularly though."

Vernon nodded, apparently satisfied. "Alright then." He got into the car and drove off, heading for home.

Uzuki stood outside, watching them leave. "Those two are really going to be the death of me." He shook his hand, still feeling the tingle of Harry's attack from earlier, and then walked back inside.

Thanks to all my readers. Leave me feedback!

And this is actually the end this time.

Baka Shinobi: Yes, I'm a Wheel of Time fan. It's an interesting meditation technique though.

Tiny Tiny Hermit: Yes, the Ministry can tell Harry is using Chi, but they're picking it up as accidental magic. Magic and Chi are both energy in the body, so right now, before Harry's magic is developed his Chi looks like magic to them.

As for the questions about Harry in Hogwarts versus Dudley in training, you'll just have to wait and find out.

Next time: More fun with the Dept. of Underage magic, a friend of Sensei Uzuki's, and maybe I'll even get to Harry's danged letter!

Beta by Dr. Gero. Fun to bounce ideas off this guy.