Chapter 7
"Good Morning class! In this insightful lesson taught by none other than the five time Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile award winner, an Honorary Dark Force Defense League member, Order of Merlin Third Class, your own Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart, we will be learning how to use the Disarming Charm!" Professor Lockhart stood on his podium in shining battle robes of purple, arms outstretched, his glistening smile blinding the second year class as he listed the same accomplishments they all knew by heart at this point.
Harry looked over at Ron and grinned. He already knew the Disarming charm and so did Ron. They practiced that wandlessly at the Burrow.
Everyone lined up into two separate groups, all had their wands out. The desks and chairs were cast aside the edges of the class. Lockhart beamed at them all overhead.
"Now one at a time, you will say the incantation 'Expelliarmus' and flick your wand forward. After you cast it, move to the back of the line. Okay? Now Mr. Finnegan, try it on Ms. Greengrass."
Seamus looked like he couldn't wait to disarm a Slytherin, and with a toothy grin cried out, "Expelliarmus!" and thrust out his wand. Daphne ducked out of the way of the red spell and shot her wand out.
"Expelliarmus!" She cried and Seamus was blown backward, his wand flying in an arc and into Daphne's open hand. She looked away with a face like she was trying not to laugh. Everyone else in the class had no problem laughing at Seamus's misfortune.
"Good job Ms. Greengrass, now back of the line both of you. Is Mr. Finnegan alright? Good! Back of the line. Okay, Ms. Granger and Ms. Patil please." Lockhart smiled at both girls, making them blush.
Hermione faced off with Parvati. Both of them wanted to cast first. Hermione was faster.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione called out and a red light burst from her wand. Parvati tried to move but the spell hit her back and she tripped, her wand ripped from her grip and Hermione caught it. She helped Parvati up and gave her back her wand.
"Thanks," Parvati muttered, blushing. Ron was up next against Blaise Zabini.
"Expelliarmus!" They both cried at the same time. Red beams of light clashed against each other and spun in opposite directions. One spell flew past Ron's ear and smashed into a window. A portrait version of Lockhart dived out its frame just as the other jet of red light made a fist sized scorch mark where his head was a moment before. The real Professor Lockhart cringed and tried to get everyone's attention.
"Let's try to aim correctly, everyone." He cautioned over the bedlam Ron and Blaise created. Harry stepped up next and Malfoy pushed Crabbe out of line to stand across from him. Harry shook his head at Malfoy with a grin.
"Ready," Lockhart began. Harry watched as Malfoy assumed a dueling stance. "Only the Disarming charm." The professor warned.
"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy cried before Harry could raise his wand. The jet of red light rushed toward Harry. The black haired boy spun in place and stuck out his hand. The spell that was headed straight for him whirled away harmlessly. The class collectively gasped.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted with both his hand and wand out in front of him. A large beam of crimson burst from him and struck true. Malfoy was blasted over the heads of the Slytherins and splashed against a portrait, making it slide down the wall with him. Lockhart made a little cry of distress and rushed over.
"Okay class that's it! No more spells! Sit down and get your books out. Oh, my portrait," He moaned, moving his painting away from the gathering students attempting to assist Malfoy. The painted Lockhart simpered and held out a bruised hand. The real Lockhart kissed his fingers and touched his portrait.
The Gryffindors all rushed to Harry's side and cheered him on. Harry grinned at them, missing the calculating look Lockhart shot him.
At lunch Harry couldn't take a bite out of his sandwich without someone coming up to him and either applauding his takedown of Malfoy or asking him to teach them wandless magic. His response was usually a little laugh and "Ask Hermione" who would then swat his arm and sigh exasperatedly and write down their name in her notebook.
"We're getting quite a few names, Harry. Are you going to teach them?" She asked after writing down Susan Bones' and Hannah Abbott's names. Harry shrugged.
"You'd think some of them would already know wandless magic. Isn't it well known and documented?" He commented before eating some of his chips.
"I wondered that too," Hermione answered. "Apparently it's up to the parents since Hogwarts doesn't teach it and there's the presumption that it interferes with casting wand magic so it's rare. But I still thought more people would figure it out and learn it themselves. Once you know the theory behind it, wandless magic is super easy."
"Right? Come to me." Harry said, making an apple rise out of the basket and float toward him. Some students near him gasped and whispered. "We should probably do something about this, but I'm not a teacher. I'm twelve. Half the time I don't even know what I'm doing."
"Don't I know it." Hermione muttered.
"Hey!" Harry squawked and yanked her ponytail.
"Ow! You're gonna make it come out!" She complained while smoothing her hair down.
"Maybe we can get Dumbledore to teach everybody wandless magic." Ron suggested after swallowing a mouthful of chicken. "We all know he can do it. He always lights the candles with a wave of his hand."
"He seems busy. I mean look, he's not even up there right now." Harry said with a nod toward the teacher's table where Dumbledore was absent. Professor Snape noticed them looking and glared at them. Harry hurriedly looked away.
"Well maybe we can get permission to make a club." Hermione said. Harry and Ron looked thoughtful.
"How do we even do that? The only clubs I know about are Gobstones and Quidditch, if you could even call them that." Harry said.
"I wouldn't. They're teams." Ron interjected sternly.
"Let's find out!" Hermione proposed and rushed off toward the other end of the Gryffindor table where Percy was sitting and whispering into the ear of a pretty, blushing older girl Harry didn't know. When Hermione approached them the girl giggled and pushed Percy off her. Harry couldn't hear what Percy said to Hermione, but his face showed his annoyance at being interrupted. Hermione was talking for a while before Percy put up a hand and said something that made Hermione rush back to Harry and Ron.
"Percy said we can petition for a club with Professor McGonagall!" She said excitedly. Her eyes were gleaming and some chestnut strands of hair escaped her ponytail and swirled around her beaming face. Her enthusiasm was infectious and Harry found himself smiling back at her.
"That's great Hermione!" Harry said, grinning. He stole another look at Percy who was now kissing the girl's hand and gazing into her eyes.
Later that day Hermione plopped down next to Harry and Ron in the common room while they battled over a game of Wizard's Chess.
"I only need 4 members to create a club according to Professor McGonagall. We have 15 students interested in learning wandless magic. That's more than enough." She expounded while Harry watched in dismay as his knight was beheaded by Ron's queen. He was tempted to just pick up his king and place it in front of Ron's so they could fight fair.
"Well it looks like we got ourselves a club then." Ron muttered. "Knight to E5."
"Well, there is a catch." Hermione said, making Harry look up from the game.
"What is it? We have to teach first years? That's a given isn't it?" He guessed but Hermione shook her head and her curly ponytail smacked Harry in the face.
"Professor McGonagall wants to be there for the first meeting. She said it's to prevent us from attempting wandless transfiguration."
"She came out and said it, didn't she?" Ron said with a grin. His queen sliced another one of Harry's pawns in half. Harry's left eye twitched.
"Like I'd even want to. You think she knows wandless magic?" Harry wondered, and then looked at the chess board with narrowed eyes. "All units attack." He declared suddenly.
"What?! Dammit Harry!" Ron shouted as his pieces were ambushed by Harry's. Harry stood up and stretched.
"You were winning anyway." He said flippantly. He sat back down with his body turned to face Hermione.
"So, what should we teach them first?" Harry asked, smiling at his best female friend. Hermione's face brightened as if a lightbulb turned on inside her head. She grabbed her bag hurriedly and rifled around in it, finally pulling out a notebook with different colored pages.
"I think we should start with something small like a floating object so we can sort out the ones that can learn from the ones that can't. After the first lesson, our numbers will dwindle to a more manageable level and we can move toward disarming, summoning and simple charms. I've learned quite a few jinxes and hexes wandlessly so later lessons could include those. We also should try to teach some form of defensive magic and body magic." Hermione stopped to take a breath and Harry laughed softly. He took the notebook from her and flipped through the pages. It had each week scheduled with a new mantra, some weeks had several mantras planned. Harry gave Hermione a look.
"You're not going to have them make up their own mantras?" He asked and Hermione bit her lip.
"I believe they'd learn quicker if we have pre planned phrases for the mantras. It would make things easier." She said and Harry looked thoughtful.
"Yeah I agree. When Bill taught us, none of us came up with the same mantra and Ginny ended up making hers accidentally." Harry said and Ron chuckled at the memory.
"From what I've found, mantras can be fairly short. Depending on what you're trying to do, it could even be just one word." Harry continued, while Hermione took back her notes and looked over them again. "Even my fire mantra is just 'Burn' and that works just fine."
"Do you think these mantras are too long?" Hermione asked, flipping to a page that had several mantras written for different purposes. Harry looked at them for a moment then shrugged.
"Not really. I think it'll be fine. I'd be surprised if our club is as organized as you think it'll be. I'm sure it'll just be everyone dueling eachother with wandless magic until someone gets hurt." Harry said grinning at Ron who nodded.
"I mean he's right, Hermione. I was planning to do that myself." Ron confirmed and joined in when Harry laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I can only hope everyone is a little more mature than you Ron." She replied.
"So when is the first meeting going to be?" Harry asked.
"I want to start soon so maybe, tomorrow evening after dinner?" Hermione ended in a questioning tone that made Harry realize he really would be attempting to teach his peers magic. He barely knew any magic himself! Wandless magic did seem to come to him quicker than normal, but he didn't think he was ready to teach people.
"Wait, I still have detention with Lockhart tomorrow!" Ron groused.
"So you won't be there?" Harry asked. Ron scowled and shook his head.
"Lockhart's detentions are hard work but they aren't boring. I'd still rather be doing the club thing with you two." he said.
"This is just the first meeting. There'll be more and I'm sure you won't miss much." Hermione said but Ron just shrugged
"Hermione," Harry said quietly. Hermione's eyebrows knitted together in confusion at Harry's sudden reflective mood shift.
"Hmm?"
"I don't think I can teach. I mean, I only learned wandless magic like a month ago and I only know a little bit. I'd be learning right along with everyone else." Harry said in a rush. Hermione's questioning look turned into a small knowing smile.
"Harry, I'm not trying to get you to become a teacher." She replied. Harry looked up at her.
"You're not?"
"No! I'm just trying to get everyone together who wants to know wandless magic!"
Harry sat back in his seat, relieved. "I thought you wanted me to get up and teach everyone." He said in an exhausted tone. Hermione shook her head, making her wild ponytail fly around her face.
"Of course not Harry. We'd be learning from books and trying it out together. I just set up a lesson plan so we all can stay at the same pace." She explained with a smile that Harry returned.
"Well that sounds great. I'll be there." Harry got up and stretched again. "But for now, I'm going to bed. I'm still not used to being back at Hogwarts yet."
"Goodnight Harry, Ron. I'm going to bed too, I guess." Hermione said as she picked up her things. She flashed him a quick smile that made dimples appear on her tanned cheeks, her brown eyes holding fondness for her friends. Ron finished putting away his chess set and followed Harry up the stairs to their dorm.
Harry knew he was dreaming. He looked around to see he was in a fiery place, like a volcano. The ground was black with ribbons of lava striping the surface. Pillars of flame clashed with stalagmites and beaten, dark rock in the background. There was a rocky bridge before him with sheer cliffs on both sides. Across the bridge was a dark cave opening. All around him fires raged and ashes spread, clogging his nostrils with its fetid stench of methane.
Harry knew he couldn't physically be here or he'd melt. He wondered, is this Hell? He heard cries of agony all around him and a heavy feeling of pain and despair clouded his psyche. Orange lightning struck above him in a cloudy, crimson sky that never breaks for the Sun.
Harry walked toward the rocky cave face along the path he started. He wished he would wake up but it seemed pinching himself, yelling to wake up and spinning around did nothing. He had to see the dream through.
As he entered the cave he was assaulted by the smell of burning flesh. He would've gagged if this were reality. In the dream he simply kept moving forward. Around a corner he saw a bonfire and figures huddled around it. There was something large on a spit over the fire that Harry tried not to think about. The demons looked like they were speaking to each other. The figures were misshapen and all as huge as Hagrid or bigger. Obviously they were demons like the one at King's Cross. Harry made to turn around and exit, but he felt he had to move closer to them. This was the nightmare's purpose.
Harry crouched down and prayed he wasn't noticed. Even if this was a dream he didn't want to be caught and tortured until he woke up. He sidled closer so he could hear what the demons were talking about. He didn't know why, but he knew he could understand them.
"...so that none can escape." one was saying in a gravelly voice, dirt being shoveled over a shallow grave. The others grunted in what Harry assumed was laughter.
"And the boy? Surely Mal consumed the boy." Another questioned in a quick, high speech like a cat of nine tails dragging across flesh.
"Surely he did. Say, shouldn't Mal have returned now?" The gravelly voice pondered. There was silence for a moment while Harry tried not to breathe or move.
"Mal is still summoned. That human has his claws in him. If Mal tells that human of the egg he will wish he were our dinner when I am through." The high pitched voice threatened.
"Hum, why suddenly are we speaking of Mal'kur'flesh Zhi'helfir as if he is in our presence?" Another new voice suddenly barked. That voice sent a shiver down Harry's spine and made gooseflesh pop on his arms. He hoped he wasn't making any noise lest the demon that owned that voice would find him.
"I smell human flesh." The new voice said, making Harry almost gasp in terror. The voice sent tendrils of pain into Harry's ears and scar. He had to stop himself from touching his forehead to see if his scar was bleeding. "Yes, a young boy is near. I know not how he came to be here, but I want some fun before we eat him."
Harry knew they were talking about him. He got up and ran for the cave opening. The hulking masses of demons shuddered into action. Harry didn't realize he was screaming in stark horror as he sped toward the light of the cave entrance. The demons bayed at his heels.
Then Harry tripped over a sharp stone and tumbled head over heels into a heap. His ankle was twisted and pain shot up his leg. He looked back to see the demons unsheathing several different weapons and tools of torture as they laughed wickedly. Harry stumbled backward along the sheer cliff bridge he was on.
The demon with the voice of pain reached out for him. Harry was forced to look into its eyes and it knew him. Harry was burdened with the knowledge that this demon knew who he was and would follow him into waking life to torture him until he was a gibbering waste of flesh begging to be roasted alive and eaten. Hot tears of agony bled down Harry's cheeks as he tried to move away from the approaching figure.
Then the surface beneath him crumbled, and Harry fell screaming into the fires below.
Harry woke up screaming and crying incoherently. His dorm mates were forced awake and Ron appeared at Harry's side.
"Harry! Harry it was a dream! It's not real!" Ron was saying. Harry looked around wildly at his peers unseeing. The whites of his eyes were showing as he searched for an escape, still in the nightmare.
"That demon! It's real. He's coming for me!" Harry's voice cracked and tears mixed with blood from his scar. Ron grabbed a towel and cleaned the blood off Harry's face. Dean, Seamus and Neville looked on silently as Harry slowed his breathing and became aware of his surroundings.
He got out of his sweat soaked bed and ran to the bathroom. The sound of the water running calmed him, but every time he closed his eyes that demon's monstrous face was waiting. Those burning red eyes, cracked, blistered skin pulled over a horned goat's skull. Its clawed hands reached for Harry even after he opened his eyes. His throat felt like a vice clinched it. Harry shuddered.
After he splashed water on his face and cleaned up, he left the bathroom. Seamus and Dean went back to sleep. Neville was sitting on his bed watching the bathroom door and Ron stood close, checking over Harry once the door opened.
"I can't sleep anymore. That was the worst nightmare I've ever had." Harry muttered, returning to his bed. He reached down for his bag and rifled through it while Ron and Neville watched him. Neville soon gave up his vigil and laid back down. Ron however, went to stand by Harry's bed. Harry picked The Hands of Gods out of his bag and sat down to read.
"You alright?" Ron asked apprehensively. He switched from looking at Harry concerned and gazing at his bed longingly.
"I'm fine now Ron. Go to bed. I'm just gonna read." Harry said tiredly. Ron nodded and walked back to his bed. Soon Harry was surrounded by the snores of his roommates. He wrenched his curtains closed and continued to read on about Wandless conjuration.
Even with the subject being so interesting Harry's mind kept going back to his nightmare. Until now Harry didn't think anything could scare him more than Voldemort's face on the back of Quirrell's head. The way Quirrell outclassed him magically while Voldemort taunted him about killing his parents. Looking into the Mirror of Erised while Voldemort watches him with cruel red eyes.
However, this demon of pain, it was something else entirely. Nothing turned Harry into a gibbering mess of fear, not even Voldemort. When it came down to dying Harry sprung into action. Even with the demon of fire at King's Cross Harry was able to at least fight back. Not this time. It might have been because it was a dream. But Harry knew if he ever saw that demon in real life it would have the same effect. He was a frightened little boy and the demon knew it.
Hermione knew something was wrong with Harry at first glance. His bloodshot eyes and forlorn face stood out to her instantly from the rest of the Gryfindor boys coming out of their rooms for breakfast. She walked in step with him and nudged his shoulder.
"What happened? Did you get any sleep?" She asked, looking him over. Harry frowned and shook his head.
"I had a nightmare last night. I couldn't sleep after. Just reading and zoning out until everyone woke up." He answered in a low voice as they walked. Harry looked over at one of his favorite portraits when they passed it by. A field of green grass swaying in the wind with many colored flowers. A flock of sheep grazed as an endless calming breeze made flower petals flutter in a deep blue sky. Harry almost smiled until one of the sheep looked up at him in the portrait and bleated. It had horns not unlike a goat's. Harry gasped and backed away quickly, almost bumping into Neville.
"Sorry Neville I- sorry" Harry muttered, looking frantically at the portrait and Neville. Hermione took his arm and pulled him away.
"What's going on Harry? Why are you so jumpy?" Hermione asked quietly, concerned. Harry said nothing until they were seated in the Great Hall. He loaded his plate with breakfast foods and poured himself some juice. Hermione was looking at him silently. But her eyes were filled with sympathy and not a small bit of curiosity. Harry spoke quickly and so low Hermione had to lean over to hear him.
"My nightmare was intense. It was like I was in Hell. Fire, brimstone, all that. And demons," Harry sighed, shook his head and started shoveling food in his mouth. Staying up all night made him ravenous. They ate in silence for a while. Harry basked in the ambient noise of the Great Hall. House mates talking to friends, low arguments, exclamations of triumph. Harry closed his eyes and chewed his food, wishing to be in the moment forever and never having to sleep or dream again.
"Harry," Hermione's prompting voice made him open his eyes. He owed her an explanation.
"One of the demons in my dream saw me and recognized me. I don't know how, but I could tell it knew who I was and where I was in real life. It… said things to me. Curses, threats, promises of pain. It wanted to kill me."
"It was a dream, Harry." Hermione said reassuringly. She put her arm around him in a one armed hug. Harry sighed and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment. Harry wanted to believe her, but how could he? So far, he knew more about demons than her and neither of them knew if demons could travel into the real world through dreams. His hands prickled with warmth. He studied them closely for a moment, taking in every detail of his fingers and palms before looking at Hermione.
"I want my fortune told." He said suddenly. Hermione made a face of surprise and jerked back. Ron, who was across from them and eating quietly this whole time swallowed and spoke up.
"Your fortune? Like the future? Isn't that a muggle thing?" He asked and looked at his muggleborn friend.
"Actually it isn't." She said with a shrug. "Well, not entirely. Divination is taught here in Third year if you choose it. I haven't read much about it yet,"
"Seriously?" Harry interjected with a growing smirk. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Ron caught on to Harry's line of thought and grinned.
"So if I read up on Divination right now, I'll know more about a Hogwarts subject than you!" He exclaimed and pointed his finger at her. Hermione swatted it away with a huff.
"As if! I said I didn't read much about it but I still read all of Unfogging the Future and that's the Third year class text. Divination just seems… vague. There's just not enough real magic for me." Hermione replied. Ron looked confused. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Not enough magic? At Hogwarts?" He asked incredulously. Hermione shook her head.
"That's not what I meant. Divination is a lot of cold reading people and body language. It's not like once you walk in the fortune teller knows your future. It wasn't even real magic to me. Just guesswork. I'm not going to take that class next year." She finished, making Harry and Ron look at her in disbelief.
"Why would they have a class that isn't about magic?" Harry asked.
"I thought you would end up taking every class available. Isn't that what you said before?" Ron countered, giving Hermione a look. She wrinkled her nose and looked away.
"After reading about it, I figured it would be a waste of time. And Harry, they also have Muggle Studies here. No magic in that class either."
"Muggle Studies? Why?" Harry asked and then gulped down his juice. Hermione shrugged again.
"Maybe for a wizard's perspective. I might take that class." Ron looked incredulous.
"You'd take a class about muggles, but not one about telling the future?" He asked in disbelief. Hermione just shrugged.
"Okay so anyway, who's the teacher of Divination?" Harry asked.
"Professor Trelawney. She never comes down for meals so we barely ever see her. But she was there on the first night back. Did you see the woman with the big glasses and shawl?" Hermione inquired and got a negative response from Harry.
"I was in the hospital wing, remember?" He replied and Hermione cringed.
"Right, sorry. Well I'm sure if we wanted to see her we'll find her quick enough. I don't think she'll read your fortune though." Harry sighed and agreed. That's like asking Professor McGonagall to transfigure them something just because she's the teacher. They wouldn't get out of that classroom without a stern talking to and maybe even detention.
"Why do you want to know your fortune all of a sudden?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"I wanted to get a palm reading actually. Honestly that's just one thing I wanted to do for a while. What I really want to know is more about demons-" Harry was cut off by Fred and George Weasley plopping down next to him and Ron. Ron scowled and started to eat the rest of his breakfast even quicker than before.
"If you want to know more about demons there's a whole section about them in the library," One of them, George, was Harry's guess, said next to him.
"Or," The other twin continued, "You could ask Professor Lockhart." Fred shook his head and ignored their skeptical responses. "Yesterday, Lockhart said he battled the demon of lust, and won."
"Well, he didn't exactly say battle," George corrected with a smirk. "More like they fu-"
"Okay, thank you guys!" Hermione interjected, blushing while the twins laughed. "We'll take your advice. But for now, we have Transfiguration to get to."
For the first time since starting the year, Harry couldn't focus during Transfiguration class. A Transfiguration class at that. Instead of thinking about how he was going to turn a vase into a butterfly, he was thinking about the nightmare and wondered if Hogwarts' many defenses would block demons from getting into the school. There was also the first club meeting that evening that Harry was excited about in spite of himself.
The rest of the day wasn't much better. As the hours inched closer towards supper time, Harry became more anxious about the club and less about classes. Ron seemed to be looking forward to the end of classes, but for a different reason. During Charms, Ron confided in Harry while they practiced the Freezing spell, with wands this time. Harry was throwing a pillow into the air and Ron while Ron tried to freeze it.
"Honestly, detention with Lockhart hasn't been that bad. He has loads of wicked stuff like swords and armor." He paused to say 'Immobilus!' and pointed his wand at the pillow, which froze in midair.
"I can't stand how foppish he is because otherwise he'd be really cool." Harry muttered and grabbed the pillow out of the air. He passed it to Ron and readied his wand. When Ron threw the pillow into the air Harry pointed and intoned 'Immobilus!'. His right hand throbbed with intense heat, as if his wand were an iron rod freshly plucked from a fire. Harry dropped his wand with a curse as Ron caught the pillow. Harry looked at his hands and saw nothing that showed that they burned suddenly. Even the pain was gone, just a sensation of warmth that spread to his arms and gave him goosebumps.
"What the hell?" he said and studied his wand. Harry's holly wand showed no outward changes, but he still felt a strange disconnect with it. Ever since his stay in the hospital wing after trying to fight that demon at King's Cross Harry sensed a growing divide with his wand and wandless magic. Wandless magic came easy, but every spell except Transfiguration had to be practically forced from his wand. Harry hadn't tried wandless Transfiguration yet, but he knew some time soon he would have to learn. Especially if his wand heated up like that again.
"What happened?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head and stared at his wand.
"My wand wouldn't work. And it heated up like it came off the stovetop." He answered. Ron looked thoughtful.
"Might be because of your wandless magic. You use it a lot. Maybe your magic is picking a side." He guessed with a shrug. Harry didn't like the sound of that. He liked his wand. It was a part of him. He didn't want to lose his key tool that made him feel like a real wizard.
"I should ask Professor Flitwick." Harry muttered and walked toward where the half-goblin Professor was correcting Parvati Patil's wand movements.
"Excuse me Professor," Harry said and Flitwick turned to him with a smile.
"Mr. Potter! Having trouble with the Freezing Charm?" He asked good naturedly. Harry shook his head.
"Not so much with the charm as with my wand. When I tried it, my wand heated up so much I thought it would burn me. The spell didn't work either." Harry explained and Professor Flitwick made a thoughtful frown at Harry's wand. Parvati shot Harry a concerned look.
"Try it again please. With your wand, the incantation Immobilus!" Flitwick instructed and floated a pillow into the air. Harry pointed his wand at it and readied himself.
"Immobilus!" He intoned and again a sharp heat traveled through his hands into his wand. Harry grimaced and willed the spell to work. His wand handle started to turn a white-hot and he gasped, dropping it. The pillow floated harmlessly to the floor. Professor Flitwick looked deeply troubled.
"Mr. Potter, I'm going to write you a note for the Hospital Wing. Let Madam Pomfrey check you over again. Do not attempt any more magic until she takes a look at you, understand?" He told Harry while he bustled toward his desk and scribbled a missive on some parchment. Flitwick handed the note to Harry who took a look around the class before leaving. The class was quieting down and looking at him, whispering. Hermione mouthed 'What's going on?' while she had her wand pointed at three pillows frozen in midair. Ron had a puzzled expression on his face and beckoned for Harry to explain. Harry just shook his head and walked out.