Outside the castle, Harry spies the headmistress approaching. "How can we help you, Professor?" he asks kindly.
"I understand that yourself and Miss Bones collapsed when confronted with the dementor, and then Miss Greengrass cast some spell to alert the professor?"
Harry and Susan grinned. They had no doubt what that 'spell' was. Daphne blushed slightly but nodded, "Yes Professor."
"Good. Ten points to Slytherin. Potter, Bones, come with me. You need to be checked by madam Pompfrey."
"Damn, and here I was hoping I'd last at least a week before going to the hospital wing." Harry jokes and even the elderly woman couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"Then you'll be happy to know that she is waiting in my office. You won't be going to the hospital wing unless she says otherwise." McGonagall chuckles, leading them into the school.
Daphne kisses him on the cheek and leaves them to go to the great hall, while also reminding him for the first time in a month that they're engaged. McGonagall chuckles but remains silent.
At the gargoyle, it jumped aside without needing the password. At the top of the stairs. Even through the door they could hear Madam Pompfrey on one of her rants. This time the subject was dementors and the ministry.
"Loosing those things! And on a train full of children! Damn lucky no one was killed!" she says exasperatingly. Harry couldn't help but smile. These things were pretty funny when he wasn't the subject.
"Poppy." McGonagall says, drawing the attention of the matron, "these are two that collapsed."
Looking at them, she sighed, "Mr. Potter, why am I not surprised?"
"In my defense, I didn't go looking for them!" Harry said with his hands raised in surrender.
"Well, I can't exactly fault you for fainting." she says sadly, "Either of you. You've seen things that no one should have to. All the more reason that these things can't be allowed to stay!" she shouts at McGonagall, "They claim that they're here for porters protection, but he's the worse affected!"
"My protection?" Harry asks, thoroughly confused.
"Peter Pettigrew." she answers simply, still glaring at McGonagall, "I can understand that he's a danger, but that's no reason to traumatize an entire generation of wizards! Muggleborns parents might not send their children back next year because of these things!"
"I know that." McGonagall snaps, "But it isn't my choice! With Dumbledore gone, the ministry's passing laws to limit my power. Laws that Dumbledore would never have allowed."
"Professor, I agree with madam Pompfrey." Harry says, "The other students need to be protected. I'll handle Pettigrew if he shows himself. Azkaban was too good for him. My dad might not have wanted him killed, but I'm not my father. If he comes after me, he'll die."
Susan nodded in agreement, involuntarily fingering the knife on her back.
"I'm sure you believe that, Mr. Potter." McGonagall says sadly, "But he isn't as weak as you seem to think. He may even be stronger than me."
"I've spent the last month in training with Reiji Asuma." Harry flares, and both women look at him incredulously, "And while I might not be up to his level yet, I'm confident that I can handle a rat."
"Be that as it may, it is out of my hands." McGonagall sighs, "Poppy, I leave them to you. I'll be needed at the start of term feast."
Pompfrey nods and McGonagall walks towards the door. Pompfrey immediately starts examining them, making sure that there was no lasting damage.
"We're fine." they insist, and she looks at him venomously.
"Coming from you, that isn't any comfort." she says with her arms folded, "You were fine after you killed a basilisk, so don't try that with me. You should at least have some chocolate before you go."
"Professor Lupin already gave us some." Susan smiles, and Pompfrey nods approvingly.
"Good. Merlin knows that we need teachers who know their remedies." she says with a glare to a suddenly sheepish McGonagall, "Well, you seem fine. You may accompany the headmistress back to the feast."
"Yea madam Pompfrey." they smirk at the same time and quickly follow her out of the office.
_
The feast was the same as always. They got four new snakes, and we're pleasantly surprised that Remus, being the only professor sorted in Gryffindor while he was at school, had been name head of Gryffindor house. Oddly, he seemed more surprised than any of them.
Hagrid became the new care of magical creatures teacher, which explained a lot. Who else would assign a book the bites? Luckily all you had to do was stroke the spine and it would say still. Harry and friends had chosen care, arithmancy and runes. Harry lived with muggles all his life, do muggle studies was useless, and none of them had the least bit of interest in pretending to see into the future.
His other friends had been pretty worried about them, since none of them had responded to any letters in the last month. The most popular theory among them was that Harry has lost it and begun hunting down everyone involved in Tori's kidnapping. By next summer, that might not be far off.
They weren't at all surprised that he was training. In fact, Neville had been as well, hiring tutors while he was setting the Longbottom affairs in order. Both agreed to share what they'd learned. Longbottoms and potters stick together.
As he'd expected, Hogsmeade weekends would be much more heavily supervised. A small detachment of aurors would be stationed around the village, ensuring everything was in order. Thankfully, Cyrus and Amelia had signed for Susan and Daphne. Harry didn't need to sign one.
As usual, the food was fantastic. After gorging on shepherd pie, tracks tarts, and any number of other delectable creations, it was off to bed following a stern warning not to venture out after dark. Unlike previous years, given the presence of dementors, they probably wouldn't.
For some reason, sleep was difficult to find. He'd constantly wake every hour in a cold sweat and clutching the knife Reiji had drilled him to always keep on hand. Something seemed off, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what.
_
The boy was good, Really good. He couldn't even get close without him waking. In his rat form, he has no chance of killing him, but turning to human form while he's got that knife would be just plain stupid.
It could wait. While he stayed in the castle, no one could find him. Potter would let down his guard eventually, and when he does, the dark Lord would reward him greatly for finally put an end to him.
With his thoughts trained to the future, Peter Pettigrew crept underneath Blaise Zabini's bed. While he doubted that anyone but Potter or Remus would recognize him, he couldn't take the chance that someone had the map. So he would hide. Hide until it was time to make his move.
_
Harry was mentally drained at breakfast the next morning, hardly able to keep his eyes open to eat. Daphne and Susan noticed and were concerned, but he waved it off, telling them it was just a bad night's sleep.
The conversation didn't get any further as the morning mail arrived, and an unknown black owl landed in front of Daphne, behind it landed three more carrying a large box.
"What's up?" Harry asks, as Daphne gets a sad look on her face while reading the letter carried by the first owl. She silently handed it to him and be read:
Dear Mrs. Greengrass,
It is with great sorrow that we must inform you that Mr. Nicolas Flamel and His wife, Perenelle, passed away two nights ago. Following their passing, and the reading of their wills, Gringotts was instructed to send this box, prepackaged by the Flamels, to you.
Yours in Sorrow,
Gashrok
Manager of the Flamel estate.
"I'd completely forgotten about them." Daphne cried slightly, "I was supposed to go back this summer!"
"It's alright." Harry says, pulling her into a hug, "I'm sure they would understand if they knew the reason."
Nodding sadly, she unhooked the large box from the team of Gringotts delivery owls, who took off without waiting for anything. Inside the box was a dozen hand bound books and journals, as well as a letter.
Tearfully, she opened the letter, which read:
Daphne,
While we were a little put off when you didn't return, after reading the prophet, which for once was completely correct in its facts, we both feel that you made the right decision.
You've further proved that we were correct in our assessment of you. Your sister is far more important than anything we had to teach you. Because this tragedy has cost you several months of training, let us make it up to you with the complete, unabridged notes we have compiled in the six hundred years.
We know that you'll use them well, and keep them safe.
Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel
Daphne was Holding back her tears, while Susan was looking stunned. There was an untold amount of knowledge in that box; something no one would expect to be owned by a third year student.
Once she'd calmed down, Daphne slammed the box shut and took it back to the common room. Once there, she called one of her family elves to take it to the family vault, except for one book, which she began reading.
Classes were as dull as ever, but by some stroke of luck, their first class was history of magic. Susan and Harry used the opportunity to get some sleep, as neither had completely recovered from the night before. Daphne was intently studying the notes shed received, commuting every word to memory.
Following that was potions, always wonderful. Unless you're in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, but who cares about them? Even better, Snape seemed to have noticed that Harry was tired, and had the class prepare a simple invigoration draft as a review, and slipped Harry a cup.
Lunch was uneventful, aside from flint gathering all the former quidditch team members for a group fly later to make sure they were ready for tryouts.
Renewed by the potion, Charms was a breeze. Granted, they didn't actually do anything new, but he was able to stay awake, and that was an improvement.
The fly went better than expected. Susan opted to join them since Amelia packed her broom, and already she was the favorite to replace Adulson, who graduated the year before.
Dinner had an unwelcome surprise, however. As soon as he sat down, a house elf appeared behind him and handed him a note.
Potter,
Please meet me in my office after dinner. The password is Maine Coon.
Professor McGonagall
"McGonagall needs me." he sighs, handing the note to the others.
"What did you do this time?" Flint said in mock anger before cracking up.
"You think she noticed I dive-bombed Weasley with dungbombs during practice?" Harry mutters softly. He didn't see anyone else around, but maybe...
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Hermione smirks. She was just as guilty as he was. She'd given them to him.
"Yeah." Montague says confidently, "If she expels you, she's next on our list."
"Ours too!" the twins add happily, and all of them wince. Even teachers feared getting the twins bad side for good reason. The last one was when professor Flitwick had given them detention at the start of Harry's first year for planning pranks in class. He looked like a mini Dumbledore for the next two years. Needless to say, never again.
_
Cal and Ein stood atop a large building in what is generally called magical London. A section of the city where you almost couldn't walk without being in front of some old family's house. To the passing muggles, they're just destoryed buildings or hotels with no vacancy.
"What do you think?" Cal asks, handing Ein the telescope.
"I count eighteen guards." she answers, "That's not even factoring in the wards, and the target isn't a weakling either. It'll take us a week to break in even after we have a plan."
"True." Cal concedes, "But the security's lax given that they haven't noticed us. We might be able to sneak in if we can memorize the guard's movements, but that'll take time. I don't see use getting this done until the beginning of December at the earliest."
"Luckily we have time." Ein smiles, "Shall we get back to the room and plan?"
"Yeah. No point in staying now. I'll come back tomorrow and see what we'd need to break these things down. It's really too bad Reiji's not here. He'd have them down in ten minutes." Cal sighs sadly.
"That good?" Ein smirks.
"Better."
_
"Maine Coon!" Harry said at the gargoyle, which jumped aside to allow him passage. Knocking at the door, she called, "Enter, Mr. Potter."
Stepping inside, he saw it was rather different than her old office. Dumbledore's table of instruments was gone, but the massive library remained. Fawkes perch was still there, though the bird was nowhere in sight. There was a portrait labeled Dumbledore, but it was empty, likely because the old man was unfortunately still alive, though he might have just been out.
"I supposed you are wondering why you're year?" she smiles, handing him a cup of tea.
"I figured you probably noticed I was pelting Weasley with dung bombs." he says honestly.
"I did, but even what professors Lupin and Giuseppe said in their reports, I think I won't punish you for that." she chuckles, but her expression grows harder, "No, I wish to discuss something far more troubling."
"What would that be?" he asks, genuinely interested.
"I'm sure you noticed that I never sent you a message regarding the chamber of secrets?" she says grimly, "The ministry was unable to put together a team skilled enough to kill a beast so old and powerful, even if it's greatest weapon was lost. While the chamber remains sealed, that won't be an issue, but I felt it would be a good idea to make sure you don't venture down there exploring. If the basilisk were to get loose..."
"Yeah." Harry Nods, "Not a good idea. So, just let me know when it's safe. Might want to make some money giving tours."
"I will have to, since you're the only one who can open it." she smiles, "And I know a few teachers who might be just as interested in that tour, myself included."
"Great. So is that all?" he sighs, "The teams and the twins are already plotting pranks for me getting expelled for the dung bombs."
"Well, I certainly don't want those two after me twenty four hours into the first school year." she chuckles, "Off you go. And please call off the hounds."
"Yes professor." he grins, leaving the office behind. That message was never delivered
_
The next night was the first meeting of the dueling club. Daphne had spent the whole day reading the meticulous notes of Nicolas Flamel, particularly on the subject of combat. While he'd never been much of a fighter, he was responsible for training some of the greatest wizards in history. Most recently, Albus Dumbledore defeated the dark lord Grindelwald using the spells and tactics detailed in these notes.
Ron had apparently spent the whole day asking every older Gryffindor to be his second, but after someone let slip what he'd said, everyone kept their distance. Inter school rivalries are one thing, but everyone knew where to draw the line, and Ron crossed by leaps and bounds.
Those same students proceeded to go to the twins to place bets against Ron, whose odds of winning stood at five hundred to one. When word reached them that Harry Potter was the second, those odds plummeted.
At the club meeting, the whole school turned up to see a major league beatdown. Even teachers couldn't be proclaimed innocent, as George informed Harry that Professor Sprout placed thirty galleons on Daphne's victory.
Giuseppe loudly cleared his throat, and the talking was silenced, "Thank you. Now, as many of you no doubt already know, Ronald Weasley felt that it was alright to poke fun at the tragedy that occurred at the end of last year, and to the young woman who's sister was taken no less." here the entire hall cast a glare at the pale red head, "At her request, in lieu of punishment, he cannot refuse this duel or I will see him expelled."
One look at Ron told harry that he was seriously considering it, but eventually nodded.
"This duel will be a full wizard duel. No restrictions are in place so long as no lethal spells are used. Incapacitate your opponent and his second to be victorious. Miss Greengrass, have you selected your second?" Giuseppe asks the girl to his left.
"Harry." she smirks.
"Harry Potter!" he calls, and Harry steps forward, thoroughly enjoying the terror on Ron's face. Standing behind Daphne, Giuseppe turns to Ron, "And yours?"
"Percy Weasley!" he grins, and the students booed as his older brother, head boy of the school walked up to the stage, smirking like the result was already decided.
"Both sides, bow!" Giuseppe says, stepping back and out of the line of fire. Daphne bows, but Ron stands there, and the booing continued, "Begin!"
"Stupefy!" Ron shouts, and the scarlet jet roars towards Daphne, who runs towards him, dodging the jet and, after clearly resisting the urge to pull her concealed gun, kicks Ron in the crotch. The males in the audience and Harry wince as he lets out a small scream. Shoring no mercy, Daphne kicks him again, multiple times to the ribs.
Percy shouts and demands that the professors break it up, but none of them are so inclined. After several more kicks, she points her wand at him and starts muttering. Over the cheering crowd, Harry couldn't hear the words, but a moment layer, a black ball of light smashed into Ron's face, causing him to cry out in pain before fainting.
Giuseppe claps with the rest, levitating Ron over to Madam Pompfrey while Percy stepped up, looking murderous. Harry was more than a little concerned. He did have four more years of magic experience then she did, but he couldn't get involved yet.
"Second, forward!" Giuseppe calls, and Percy stepped up, "You're dead!" he shouts, raising his wand threateningly.
"Try me." she answers, hand at her waist.
"Begin!"
"Diffindo!" he roars, and the white stream leaves a gash in her arm before she could dodge. He follows up with a blasting curse, which she avoids narrowly. Daphne struggles to keep up with the rapid string of curses, completely unable to get off an attack.
The crowd was thoroughly annoyed, but none more so than Harry. He was keeping track of every wound she took, determined to repay the favor. Finally, with Daphne out of breath, Percy shouts triumphantly, "Stupefy."
Leaning to the side, it appeared that she dodged it until a spell hits her from the side, knocking her back into the path of the stunner, which collides. She crumbles to the floor unconscious.
Harry follows the path of the second spell, and sees Ron sitting smirking with his wand right next to him.
Now that was it. A cheap shot like that was the final straw. While Giuseppe moved Daphne off the stage, Harry stepped forward. For the first time since his first year, he was angry. Really angry.
Percy had been laughing over the victory until he turned back to Harry and gulped. His eyes were glowing green. The air around him cooled, almost icy. The entire crowd and several teachers took a step back. This had gone far beyond a duel to allow Daphne some manner of revenge. Someone could die.
Despite silent pleas from the teachers, Giuseppe, as referee, smiled as he said, "Second, forward."
Without wasting a moment, Harry bolted forward, dodging a myriad of spells from the older wizard. While Percy wasn't looking, Harry slipped his hand behind his back, grabbed his knife, and threw it past the teachers, breaking Ron Weasleys wand in two.
"Oi!" he shouted in protest, as did a few students who'd only just realized what Harry'd done.
"You're not beating me with a cheap spell like you did Daphne!" Harry shouted back, delivering an uppercut to the head boy, "And just do you know, a broken wand is going to be the least of your problems by the time I'm done with you. Both of you."
Percy struggled to his feet, only to find his face less than SN inch from Harry's wand, "Eighteen times." Harry said in the silent hall, "Eighteen times you hurt needlessly Daphne. We both know that she couldn't fight against your experience. You could've ended that fight in the first minutes, but you didn't." Percy was stuttering, pleading, but Harry keep going, "Eighteen times you hurt my love, and you are going to regret." holding his wand firmly, he grinned evilly, "This is for Daphne you bastard. Acus Aeterni Supplicio!"
Waving his wand above his head, a cloud of silver formed overhead. With an upward flick, it split apart into hundreds of thousands of needles. Percy's eyes widened as the needles flew towards him. Unable to do anything more than scream. He braced himself for the impact.
Nothing could have compared to the pain inflicted on him. Every nerve ending on his body was on fire, after a few seconds, it became too painful to even scream, and he lay there, unmoving.
The crowd watched in terror as Harry Potter mercilessly crushed the head boy. None of them recognized the spell, but neither did any professor but Giuseppe, who was fighting back the overwhelming urge to laugh.
It was too perfect. Only one person knew that spell. The man who created it, Reiji Asuma. A torture spell so powerful, yet so unknown that it isn't even classified as dark magic. Each needle targets exactly where it will inflict maximum pain, yet the target cannot lose consciousness or even lose their minds. The only way to stop the pain is to obey the intent behind the curse. To submit to the caster.
Created by combining the imperious curse with the curciatus curse, it becomes impossible to resist the command, as the pain lasts until the casters will is satisfied. The longest anyone's lasted is a minute. An untrained student has no chance against such a spell. Even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to stop it.
Watching Harry look grimly at the wretch on the floor and coldly walk to the hospital bed where his friend was sitting only increased his desire to claim him. Inferno would be unstoppable with his young man.
"The winner is Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass!" he announced, quickly rushing to the head boys aid, even though he alone knew that the boy was already fine aside from some residual pain. Potters curse ended the moment he turned his back on him. The only true weakness of the curse is the need to maintain a visual of the target.
"That was overkill." Susan says from Daphne's bedside while Madam Pompfrey tended to her remaining injuries.
Harry could feel the eyes drilling into the back of his head and sighed, "I know. But he hurt Daphne. If it had been Weasley I might have beaten him painlessly. But Percy's more skilled then she is. That battle was over before it began and he still went out of his way to torture her. I just returned the favor ten thousand fold."
Potter!" Ron held, grabbing the knife Harry had thrown at him, "What did you do to my brother!?"
"Nothing." Harry glares, "Unless you'd care for a demonstration?"
"And then why'd you break his wand?" a Gryffindor second year called from the crowd, and the others muttered in agreement.
"Shut up Creevey." Harry snapped, "Don't pretend you lot didn't see. Daphne dodged Percy's stunner until Ron cast Flipendo and knock her back into its path. Given that was an illegal intervention of a duel involving a lord, he's damn lucky I aimed at his wand instead of his heart!"
"He'd hit too." Susan grins, "Boy's not up to my level, but he can still kill you from a hundred hit with a knife, and Ron was well within a hundred feet."
That sacred the shit out of most of the Gryffindor, expect the twins, Neville, Hermione, and surprisingly Micaiah, who proceeded to applaud.
Ron's face turned the infamous Weasley red, and he tightened his grip in the knife.
"Before you do anything stupid-" Susan says calmly, "Or stupider, you did piss off Daphne, Take into account that either of us could kill you long before you got anywhere near us. Are you going to try?"
His face flushed even worse and he lunged at them, Susan was ready to stop him, but Harry shook his head and flicked his wrist, calling his wand. Weasley was less than two feet away when he pointed and said, "Flamma de subiectione."
Giuseppe turned in astonishment as black flames erupted from the tip of Harry's wand. Within seconds, he was engulfed in the inferno, crying in agony. Only the knife in his hand was untouched, flickering lightly by the firelight. The other teachers started conjuring water in a vain attempt to put out the blaze. Absolutely useless.
Those flames are his to command. He alone can decide whether the Weasley boy gets only a few minor burns, or leaves nothing but ashes. To think that such a young boy could master his first daughter's greatest spell...
After another agonizing minute, the flames disappeared, leaving a naked, charred boy lying in the hall. Harry stood but and knelt next to the boys head, "Remember who you're fucking with. If I'd wanted to kill you, you'd still be burning, and if I'd wanted to kill Percy, he'd be a bloody stain on the stage. The next time either if you hurt my friends or my family, I won't be so lenient. Be grateful. It's your last chance." turning to madam Pompfrey, he adds, "The burns only scratched the surface. You won't have any trouble healing it. And Percy should be back to his annoying self by tomorrow if this incident hasn't humbled him."
"Revenerate." he mutters, and Daphne wakes suddenly, "What happened? How'd I lose?"
"Ron got involved and pushed you back in the way of the stunner." Harry smiles "Don't worry. I made him and his brother pay."
She took one look at the blackened, crying boy next to her bed and the pale, unconscious boy still on the stage and looked at him with concern, and possibly happiness, "You didn't?"
"I did. I was only going to humiliate Percy and make him scream like a little girl, but Ron came at me with a knife so..." he shrugs, and her eyes are drawn back to the charred body, "Speaking of-" kicking the pristine knife out of Ron's fingers, "I'd like this back."
Offering his arm to Daphne, and his other to Susan, he smiles, "Shall we go?" together, they left the hall without a further word while the teachers struggled to undo the damage caused by Harry Potter. His friends in Gryffindor as well as Slytherin followed after him and the other just stared at him in amazement and fear. None of them noticed a rat running from the hall in fright, and out the door.
