A/N: Bet you all missed me! Here's another chapter. Now I am back to
where I was before that little removal thing. My updates after this are
going to be a little erratic because I am going back to school. But I'll
keep updating at long as you continue sending reviews. I love them. For
everyone who asked what was going to happen, just wait and see! ~Sylvia
Two Weeks Later.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Matthew, who had just easily dodged his way away from the hex. Harry rolled his eyes and readied himself to do it again. They had been at it for almost three hours, and Harry was starting to get winded. He had been able to do this easily with Draco, and had dueled with Voldemort. Why couldn't he do this now? Perhaps there was something to do with fear and the instinct to survive. He could do it then, but now he was having the worst time. What was wrong? He tried it again and groaned in frustration. What was he doing wrong?
"Harry, calm down. You need to almost throw the curse at him, not giving him time to track your wands movement." Tom counseled from a nearby chair. Harry sighed again and took a breath, drew up his wand, and said the hex. Matthew easily got out of the way and threw his own back at Harry. Harry flew backwards and was stopped by Tom's arms. "Are you okay?" he asked. Harry regained his feet and nodded. Harry looked around for his wand, finding it in Matthew's hand. Matthew was grinning. Harry glared and retrieved his wand. "Take a break, Harry." Tom said, seeing Matthew's hand signal for a private chat. Harry left the room, re- holstering his wand up his sleeve as he wandered out into the hallway.
"It's time." Matthew said to Tom. "He's a free speller, instinctively. Teach him how to use it consciously. He needs to know how to use it." Tom seemed thoughtful to the suggestion. "He won't last long with that wand hindering his abilities." Matthew told him.
"All right, Matthew." He said. "Go get Harry, and we'll start." Matthew smiled and disappeared out the door. He returned a few minutes later with an exhausted looking Harry. "Harry, are you all right?" The teenager nodded. "Let's try it again." Harry turned to face Matthew standing at the other end of the room. Harry pulled out his wand and set up. Tom stepped forward and took hold of Harry's wand. Harry jerked it out of Tom's grasp. Tom smiled and slowly removed Harry's wand from the boy's hand. "Try it again without the wand." Tom said, holding the wand and stepping away.
"That's impossible." Harry answered, keeping a firm watch on Tom's movements.
"That is what they want you to think." He answered. "Act like you have a wand. It takes the same amount of concentration and focus. Instead of focusing the spell out the end of a wand, you need to do it at the end of your hand." Harry looked doubtful. Tom sighed and shook his head. "Just try it, Harry." Harry took a deep breath and faced Matthew, He raised his hand and took a breath.
"Expelliarmus." He said. Matthew didn't even bother to duck. "It didn't work." He said, exasperated, turning back to Tom. Tom smiled. "It helps if you make a small hand movement while saying the spell, Harry. Again." Harry sighed, turned back, and raised his hand again. "Expelliarmus." He said, waving his hand. Matthew's wand flew out of his hand as he fell backwards. Harry's mouth opened in shock as he caught the wand. Tom smiled. "I did it." Harry said in a light whisper.
"Yes, you did. Well done, Harry." Tom said, returning Harry's wand to him as Matthew retrieved his own. Harry grinned and looked around the room.
"Does it work with other spells?" Harry asked, handing Matthew's wand back to him. Tom nodded.
"Almost any spell you care to try." Tom said.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Harry said, lifting a nearby chair. Matthew chuckled as Harry levitated the chair for a few seconds, putting it back down.
"Well done!" Matthew crowed. Harry smiled, suddenly showing his wear. Tom noticed this.
"That's enough practice for now, Harry. I think you should head up to bed." Harry nodded.
"Thanks for the lesson. Good night." The two men said good night as Harry left the room.
"Well, he certainly picked up on that faster than I would have thought possible." Tom said as he moved to the window. Matthew smiled as he poured himself something to drink. Tom stood at the window, looking down to the Muggle town far below. Something flickering in the yard caught his eye. Several Death Eaters Apparated into the yard. "Matthew, lock Harry's door. We have company." Matthew put down the glass and glanced out the window. Death Eaters. Matthew raised a hand and muttered a spell. He felt Harry's door lock upstairs. Tom placed himself in a chair and Matthew stood behind him.
The two men tracked the Death Eaters down the hallway to the drawing room. Several robed figures burst into the drawing room. They all dropped to one knee and froze in front of their lord. One of them came forward and dropped to his knee again.
"My lord, we came to inquire about your health." Malfoy said, groveling at Voldemort's feet.
"Weak, but recovering, Malfoy. Though I doubt that you are here just to inquire about my well-being." Malfoy nodded.
"My lord, I wish to take charge of an operation against the Muggles. They have been left alone too long." He said. Voldemort sat up straight and glared at Malfoy.
"You dare!" Tom hissed at the man. "You dare!" Tom stood and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Malfoy while uttering a curse. "Crucio!" he said. From behind him, the whisper of the same spell came from Matthew, along with a wave of his hand. The curse from Matthew hit Malfoy while Voldemort dropped back into his chair. "Feel grateful that I am too weak to do more right now, Malfoy." He hissed. Malfoy crawled back to the friends standing behind him. "Get out of my sight." Malfoy was carried out of the house and back onto the grounds.
"This is not over yet." Malfoy growled out to his friends as they prepared to Apparate. They disappeared from the lawn. None of them noticed that a pair of green eyes had been watching them from an upstairs window.
Two Weeks Later.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Matthew, who had just easily dodged his way away from the hex. Harry rolled his eyes and readied himself to do it again. They had been at it for almost three hours, and Harry was starting to get winded. He had been able to do this easily with Draco, and had dueled with Voldemort. Why couldn't he do this now? Perhaps there was something to do with fear and the instinct to survive. He could do it then, but now he was having the worst time. What was wrong? He tried it again and groaned in frustration. What was he doing wrong?
"Harry, calm down. You need to almost throw the curse at him, not giving him time to track your wands movement." Tom counseled from a nearby chair. Harry sighed again and took a breath, drew up his wand, and said the hex. Matthew easily got out of the way and threw his own back at Harry. Harry flew backwards and was stopped by Tom's arms. "Are you okay?" he asked. Harry regained his feet and nodded. Harry looked around for his wand, finding it in Matthew's hand. Matthew was grinning. Harry glared and retrieved his wand. "Take a break, Harry." Tom said, seeing Matthew's hand signal for a private chat. Harry left the room, re- holstering his wand up his sleeve as he wandered out into the hallway.
"It's time." Matthew said to Tom. "He's a free speller, instinctively. Teach him how to use it consciously. He needs to know how to use it." Tom seemed thoughtful to the suggestion. "He won't last long with that wand hindering his abilities." Matthew told him.
"All right, Matthew." He said. "Go get Harry, and we'll start." Matthew smiled and disappeared out the door. He returned a few minutes later with an exhausted looking Harry. "Harry, are you all right?" The teenager nodded. "Let's try it again." Harry turned to face Matthew standing at the other end of the room. Harry pulled out his wand and set up. Tom stepped forward and took hold of Harry's wand. Harry jerked it out of Tom's grasp. Tom smiled and slowly removed Harry's wand from the boy's hand. "Try it again without the wand." Tom said, holding the wand and stepping away.
"That's impossible." Harry answered, keeping a firm watch on Tom's movements.
"That is what they want you to think." He answered. "Act like you have a wand. It takes the same amount of concentration and focus. Instead of focusing the spell out the end of a wand, you need to do it at the end of your hand." Harry looked doubtful. Tom sighed and shook his head. "Just try it, Harry." Harry took a deep breath and faced Matthew, He raised his hand and took a breath.
"Expelliarmus." He said. Matthew didn't even bother to duck. "It didn't work." He said, exasperated, turning back to Tom. Tom smiled. "It helps if you make a small hand movement while saying the spell, Harry. Again." Harry sighed, turned back, and raised his hand again. "Expelliarmus." He said, waving his hand. Matthew's wand flew out of his hand as he fell backwards. Harry's mouth opened in shock as he caught the wand. Tom smiled. "I did it." Harry said in a light whisper.
"Yes, you did. Well done, Harry." Tom said, returning Harry's wand to him as Matthew retrieved his own. Harry grinned and looked around the room.
"Does it work with other spells?" Harry asked, handing Matthew's wand back to him. Tom nodded.
"Almost any spell you care to try." Tom said.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Harry said, lifting a nearby chair. Matthew chuckled as Harry levitated the chair for a few seconds, putting it back down.
"Well done!" Matthew crowed. Harry smiled, suddenly showing his wear. Tom noticed this.
"That's enough practice for now, Harry. I think you should head up to bed." Harry nodded.
"Thanks for the lesson. Good night." The two men said good night as Harry left the room.
"Well, he certainly picked up on that faster than I would have thought possible." Tom said as he moved to the window. Matthew smiled as he poured himself something to drink. Tom stood at the window, looking down to the Muggle town far below. Something flickering in the yard caught his eye. Several Death Eaters Apparated into the yard. "Matthew, lock Harry's door. We have company." Matthew put down the glass and glanced out the window. Death Eaters. Matthew raised a hand and muttered a spell. He felt Harry's door lock upstairs. Tom placed himself in a chair and Matthew stood behind him.
The two men tracked the Death Eaters down the hallway to the drawing room. Several robed figures burst into the drawing room. They all dropped to one knee and froze in front of their lord. One of them came forward and dropped to his knee again.
"My lord, we came to inquire about your health." Malfoy said, groveling at Voldemort's feet.
"Weak, but recovering, Malfoy. Though I doubt that you are here just to inquire about my well-being." Malfoy nodded.
"My lord, I wish to take charge of an operation against the Muggles. They have been left alone too long." He said. Voldemort sat up straight and glared at Malfoy.
"You dare!" Tom hissed at the man. "You dare!" Tom stood and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Malfoy while uttering a curse. "Crucio!" he said. From behind him, the whisper of the same spell came from Matthew, along with a wave of his hand. The curse from Matthew hit Malfoy while Voldemort dropped back into his chair. "Feel grateful that I am too weak to do more right now, Malfoy." He hissed. Malfoy crawled back to the friends standing behind him. "Get out of my sight." Malfoy was carried out of the house and back onto the grounds.
"This is not over yet." Malfoy growled out to his friends as they prepared to Apparate. They disappeared from the lawn. None of them noticed that a pair of green eyes had been watching them from an upstairs window.