He had also spent a fair amount of time looking up offensive and defensive spells, as the subject just seemed to draw him in. Plus he figured it wouldn't hurt to have a wide selection to use, seeing as how he seemed to regularly fight Lord Voldemort variants. It was during one of these learning binges that Harry ran across a bizarre little spell that was only briefly mentioned. It seemed, ages ago when travel by train was more often used, that railway worker wizards had developed many techniques to make their lives easier. It was designed to conjure spikes and sling them into the saddles to hold the rails together.
For whatever reason, Harry had taken a liking to this spell. He thought it had more to do with the spell's name rather than what it did, but explaining it that way made him feel rather stupid. He had given Tonks and Solieyu a demonstration of this spell a few days after Halloween, when they had gone off high alert.
"I still can't believe nothing happened." Tonks said, shaking her head slowly.
"I know. I suppose whatever incarnation of Voldemort was scared off by Black and the Dementors." Harry said. "Believe me, I don't mind the break, but still."
"So what was this meeting called for?" Solieyu asked, leaning back on his arms.
"Found a cool new spell and wanted to give it a try. I wish we could find a bigger place than this sometimes. Somewhere we can practice spells and stuff without worrying that they'd get away from us." Harry explained. "...Anyway, check it out."
Harry held out a book to Tonks, then said, "I found it in there. Page 394."
"...The Bolt Thrower spell?" Tonks read, glancing up at him. "You thinking about workin' on the rails when you graduate, then?"
"Of course not." Harry said, rolling his eyes. "I thought it would be interesting to test its possibilities in a duel, actually. The last thing Malfoy would expect is a dirty great spike flying at his head. I managed to shrink a pillow from the common room into a more portable size to use as a dummy."
Harry pulled the miniature, blue pillow from his robes, enlarged it, and tossed it across the Nest. "Now watch." He said, grinning. And, pointing his wand at the pillow, he cried, "Telum Conicio!"
A large, spike-shaped burst of grey energy shot forth from the tip of Harry's wand, crossed the short distance across the tower, and embedded itself into the pillow. There was a burst of steam and, when it cleared, the trio saw that the magical spike had turned quite real.
"See?" Harry said, walking over and, after making sure the bolt wasn't hot, yanking it from the pillow. "It conjures after impact. But the magical bolt is really, really hot. Helped to drive it into rails, I suppose. So even if it doesn't hit and solidify directly, it'll leave you with a nasty burn."
"Oh, please say we can try strategically aiming one so it burns the arse offa Malfoy's robes." Tonks said, grinning.
"You two need less free time." Solieyu said, lounging back and closing his eyes.
"Oh, shut up." Harry said. He vanished the bolt and sat down, aiming at the destroyed pillow and fixing it up again. "We need less time. Who's been napping regularly up here?"
"Potion's making me sleepier than normal." Solieyu said, biting back a yawn. "I'm doing good to be up and coherent at the moment."
"So tell us," Tonks said, prodding Solieyu in the leg. "Does changing into a wolf drain your energy? Does holding the form?"
Solieyu opened his eyes again and looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "The initial transformation requires a small amount of energy... but holding it doesn't. I just need to have a bit of concentration on it. Of course, if I'm up and moving about, I get tired more easily. I did good to hold off those blasted spiders last year. I was completely worn out by the time I made it back to the castle."
Tonks nodded. Then, after a moment of silence, asked, "So what about other forms? I know you said you can't change into a bat yet..."
"Yes, I suppose my vampiric growth can be related to my magical growth. As I grow older, my powers get naturally stronger. I simply don't have the power to change into anything more than a wolf." Solieyu said, shrugging. "I think it has something to do with the shape of the form. The wolf is relatively the same size. But a bat is much smaller and has the capability of flight."
"And after that?" Harry asked.
"Mist, if all I've read is true." Solieyu said. "Which is, of course, as difficult as it gets for vampires. You more or less force your body to dissolve entirely. As mist can change its size and shape at will, I'd be surprised if I learned it before graduating here at Hogwarts."
"That tough, huh? Can't imagine how changing into mist would be useful, though." Harry said. "Unless you happen to lock yourself out of your house and left your wand inside."
"Or if you wanted to peep on people taking a sauna." Tonks said, causing Solieyu to give her a withering glare.
"Hey, Harry, have you talked to Lupin yet?" Tonks then asked.
"About anti-Dementor training? Not yet. Our next Quidditch match isn't for awhile, so I think I'm good until a bit before the game starts." Harry said, staring up at the ceiling. "Maybe after the Christmas holiday..."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
The weeks came and went and before Harry knew it, the Christmas holidays were rolling around. It felt weird to him, as it had been quite possibly been the single longest uneventful period at Hogwarts yet. At the very least, he had a tough time remembering having a good two months of being a normal student.
Unfortunately, this meant that Harry was seriously pushing his luck with fate. And fate had a tendency of swerving around and biting him in the ass when he least expected it. Harry was at breakfast one morning, a week before the holiday vacation officially began, muttering darkly about Dementors and Slytherins and every other evil thing he could think of. Ravenclaw's next Quidditch match wasn't for a good while, but the fact remained - Harry had lost his precious Nimbus to the blasted Whomping Willow. It hadn't even occured to him to ask about his broom, so it came as a complete shock when Fred and George told him about what had happened. No one had even seen fit to bring him his broom's 'remains,' either.
But Harry's luck worked on some sort of sadistic see-saw - when something really bad happened, it usually meant that something really good was going to. It worked in reverse, of course, but the bad luck usually led the way.
The morning owl post came in its usual way, causing students to cover their food up to prevent anything from getting in it. Harry, whose owl tended to do a lot of nothing, had no reason to ever pay much attention to the morning post. Because of this, he was doused in milk and egg bits as a frighteningly large owl dropped a package on the table in front of him.
Harry scowled and spelled himself clean again, then glared up, trying to catch sight of the infernal beast that had ruined his breakfast. But when Tonks let out a gasp, he looked back down. Her gasp was quickly followed by several others, not all of them Ravenclaws. Tonks had opened the already torn-looking brown paper the package was wrapped in. Harry goggled when he saw it, his gasp lost in all the others.
Harry reached out, running his fingers along the handle of what was apparently an early Christmas gift from someone. A Firebolt, the newest model of broom on the market, was laying amidst spilled goblets and splattered ham. Immediately, Harry lifted his head to find Fred and George. He was surprised to see them gaping at the broom as well. When their eyes met, the twins' eyebrows raised even higher and they shook their heads in unison.
"Who the hell would send me one of these?" Harry whispered, reaching out and touching the Firebolt again. "These things are ridiculously expensive..."
"Maybe you have some rich relative alive somewhere?" Tonks suggested.
"Doubt it." Harry replied, pulling the Firebolt from its wrapping and holding it properly. "Otherwise, why would Dumbledore toss me back to my aunt and uncle's house?"
"You're gonna let me have a go on it, right?" Tonks asked quickly.
"Didn't know you liked flying that much." Harry said, looking aside at the girl.
Tonks shrugged. "It's nothing special to me is all. But still... to get to ride a real Firebolt?"
"Sure." Harry said, offering a shrug of his own.
"What seems to be going on here?" Came a squeaky voice. It came from just behind Harry, who jumped at it. Turning, he saw little Professor Flitwick standing there, looking up in curiosity.
"Someone sent me a replacement..." Was all Harry could say, nodding sideways at the Firebolt.
Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up. "Ooh, wonderful, wonderful!" He said, bouncing slightly. "Who's it from, Mr. Potter?"
"No idea." Harry said. "Tonks, was there a card or anything?"
Rummaging, Tonks nodded, handing a wrinkled-up sheet of parchment out. "Kinda landed in some juice, but it's still legible."
Harry glanced at the note, which simply read 'Saw what happened to your last. Try and keep hold of this one better.' - it was written in a sort of shaky scrawl, as if the writer hadn't written anything in a long time. Harry held the note out to Professor Flitwick, whose eyes darted across the parchment quickly. A strange look crossed his face and he looked up at the Firebolt.
"Professor?" Harry asked.
"Mr. Potter, would it be alright if I run some tests on that broom?" Asked Flitwick.
"Uh... sure, Professor, but... what for?" Harry asked.
"Well," Flitwick said, looking around nervously and motioning for Harry to lean in closer. Harry did so, though he had to bend over rather low at a weird angle. "You know how Sirius Black is out, right?"
"...You think he sent me this?" Harry asked, trying hard to keep his voice low. "But... why?"
"He might be trying to get to you, m'boy." Flitwick said, placing a hand on Harry's arm. "We're all a bit worried about that... I can have the staff inspect it, give it a good testing, make sure it isn't jinxed or cursed in any way. I promise to get it back to you by the next Quidditch match."
Harry looked hesitant, sitting back up and looking at his new broom. Sighing, he nodded, holding the Firebolt over to Flitwick, who looked decidedly odd holding something that was taller than he was. "Alright. Just... keep me updated, yeah? Kinda hard to let go of something like that..."
"Oh, I understand entirely, Mr. Potter." Said Flitwick, his voice back to its usual upbeat tones. "You'll need to get it back in time to get used to it, I'm sure! Don't worry, don't worry. I'll personally see to it that it isn't handled improperly!"
And with that, Flitwick was quick to get to the staff table, where he had a conference of sorts with Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Snape. Each shot Harry a different look - Snape's was naturally furious - as the conversation went on. Harry just groaned and let his head thump against the table. "That sucked."
Tonks gave Harry a comforting pat on the back. "He does have a point, I guess. But that's just cruel, taking it away like that."
"No, no, he's right, I know that... but damn it all, I was really hoping to get in the air again on that thing." Harry muttered.
"I'm going to just sit here and pretend like I have the slightest clue as to what I've just sat here and watched." Solieyu said, raising an eyebrow.
Harry snorted. "It's the newest model broom, Leon. Best out there now. Professional Quidditch teams'll be using those. They're insanely high-priced. Makes me wonder who did send it..."
"You think it might have been Black?" Asked Tonks. "I mean... me and mum are pretty well off, but she's never mentioned anything about a family fortune."
"I honestly don't know." Harry said. "I don't know anyone rich enough to afford one of those... Well, except Malfoy and his family. And let's be honest - what're the chances of him sending me a Firebolt? Even if he were to curse it, it's still a lot of money to blow."
"It's a shame you both missed the look on Malfoy's face." Solieyu commented. He was sitting opposite Harry and Tonks and had had a clear look at the blonde. "He looked like someone just told him he was going to be executed."
Harry chuckled. "Well, even if the Firebolt is hexed, I suppose something like that would make it alright."
"Here's to hopin' it isn't, eh?" Tonks said, glancing over her shoulder at the Slytherin table. "Pfft. Look at 'em. They're all huddled in and whispering. Not like it takes a detective to figure out why. Dunno why they're bothering."
"Malfoy's probably gonna try getting daddy dearest to get the whole Slytherin team Firebolts. That won't fly at all." Harry said. "So to speak."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
It took nearly a month, but two things had made Harry's life a lot happier. First, he had gotten the Firebolt back at lunch one day. Professor Dumbledore himself had delivered it on his way in, declaring (in a voice he surely had known would carry to the Slytherin table) that it was a perfectly normal, uncursed broom.
The second was that Harry had all but perfected sneaking into Hogsmeade. It was pretty easy getting in and out of Honeydukes' cellar, since the back room that lead down to it wasn't near the cashier counter. On his first trip in, he had nearly run into the owner, who had chosen the worst possible moment to come down for resupplying merchandise. After that, Harry acted a bit more carefully.
Sneaking after Solieyu for so long had only helped his stealth. Combined with his cloak and the Marauder's Map, Harry was confident that he would never get caught again. The only way it would be possible if someone was able to see through his invisibility cloak. And, a sneaking suspicion of Dumbledore aside, Harry severely doubted he'd run into someone who could do that kind of thing.
Harry, who had developed a severe sweet tooth in a very short time, had a bad tendency to make emergency Sugar Quill runs. He would leave money in place of the sweets and hurry back to Hogwarts before he was missed. He had pondered writing a note that explained why he was swiping the Quills in such a manner, but he hadn't learned of any charms to prevent someone from tracing a letter back to him, so he decided against it.
Unfortunately, too much sugar in his system led Harry to becoming hyper and overactive. The up side to this was that the Nest finally had proper furnishings. For whatever reason,Harry's magic seemed to ebb and flow strangely when he was hyper, which had led to some odd happenings during the decoration process. Harry had brought various, easily replacable objects up to transfigure. A pair of old socks from the Dursleys had turned into a rather nice, curved soda. But then, in an attempt to make a matching chair, Harry had formed a mutant of sorts. The back of the chair still looked like a sock, and the seat was lumpy and deformed. None of the legs were the same length, and the thing had an armrest sticking up from the center.
With some help from Tonks and Solieyu, they were able to fix the poor chair and get the rest of the Nest spruced up. It wasn't fancy, but it was better than sitting on cold stones all the time - especially in winter. A simple, round rug with a charm on it that kept it warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. A set of charms over the door leading out onto the circular balcony prevented wind from getting in. And, with a few trips to the library and some tests involving stones later, they had added a spell to prevent anyone from falling over the balcony's railing.
"I still say we did pretty well, considering I was on a sugar high at the time." Harry said, flopping down into the chair.
Tonks sat down on the arm of the chair, which was modelled slightly after the one Harry always sat in in the common room, and nodded. "I'm just glad we fixed that elephant-man chair you made. Else it would've been all 'nurrrr I am not a sock nurrrr' and stuff."
Harry pouted slightly. "It wasn't that bad."
As Tonks patted Harry on the head, (to which he scowled) Solieyu was standing in the doorway and glancing out over the ground.
"I don't think the Dementors are happy." He said, turning back to look at his friends.
"Dementors can be happy?" Tonks asked. "Great. Thanks, Leon. Mental image of a conga line of soul suckers in my head. That's pleasant."
"I'm serious." Solieyu said. "They just seem...uneasy. They've been gathering around the lake an awful lot. I don't think they can go underwater..."
"I'd love seeing the giant squid fight off a platoon of Dementors." Harry said, smirking.
"I'd be placing my bets on the squid." Tonks said.
"Speaking of fighting Dementors, Harry..." Solieyu said, walking over and sitting on the sofa. "Have you talked to Professor Lupin about how to do that yet?"
"Mm, no. Tell you what, I'll go down and do it now while it's on my mind, alright? Might needs to glance at your notes for Charms homework if it takes too long, though."
"No problem." Tonks said. "Now get outta here and lemme sit in this chair properly!"
Snorting, Harry got to his feet and gestured snobbily to the seat, which Tonks happily slid down onto. "I'll be back later, guys. Have fun studying!"
"Says the guy going to do something a lot harder than working out Charms work." Solieyu said dryly.
"Yes yes, I know what I'm getting myself into. I think. Anyway, stop distracting me!" Harry said, sticking out his tongue as he hefted the trap door open and descended the stairs.
Tonks drew her wand and closed the trap door, rolling her eyes. After a few minutes, she glanced up. "Hey, Leon?"
"Hm?"
"Whatcha think Harry's chances are?"
"At learning to repel the Dementors? Mm, I'm not sure. It can't be easy. Some part of me says we should be down there learning it with him, but..."
"Yeah..." Tonks said. "Best to let him go it alone. He works better that way, despite our best efforts..."
"His upbringing imprinted that on him, I'd wager." Solieyu said. "He's not had to count on others before. He's definitely getting better at it, but this is still a fairly large thing to learn. I'm sure he'll pass on how to do it to us once he has it down."
Tonks nodded. "Yeah..." And, while she tried to take her friend's words to heart, she couldn't concentrate on her homework. Her thoughts kept turning to Harry and what he might have to go through. After struggling with her thoughts for awhile, she sighed and shut her Charms book, setting it and a barely-written-on piece of parchment on the floor next to the chair.
"Go to him." Was all Solieyu said as she stood.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: No one egg me for the title! And yes, the description and execution was kinda bad. Things work out better in my head than in text form. But I do have some reasons for introducing the spell here, aside from the fact that I just like the term 'Bolt Thrower.' It may TAKE awhile, but JKR loves to throw in random crap early that comes back later on.
Now... onto what I'm sure some people might be thinking. What do I think of the actress cast as Tonks for the movies? Well, the only pics I've found are from some play she's in, and it was pretty tough to tell from those. Mugglenet didn't exactly help, what with that ittybitty mugshot and all. I'm hoping to see some in-costume pics in the future, so I'll reserve judgement until then. I try not to let the movies mold what I do, despite the movie's version of Lockhart being the basis for how I wrote him in Chamber Reopened. So I doubt it'll have any impact.
Next chapter, the fun finally sets in. Patronus learning time! Plus an unexpected fight will break out over someone's honor! Not a whole lot of forward momentum, per se, but the two major events I have planned will hopefully interest people enough. As I said awhile ago in my profile, I'm planning 19 chapters. Whether or not it gets to 19 is anyone's guess. Me, I'm a little worried the story will be too short, like Chamber was. I'm glad Goblet's got a ton of crap to deal with. Goblet's gonna be fun to write.
Until next time, folks!