Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything of JK Rowling's.
Author's Note: This is my first fan fic, so I greatly appreciate reviews, if you readers have time. Also, thank you to my reviewers. You make me happy!
LAST OF THE BLOODTHIRSTY – you were my first reviewer ever! Very exciting - Thank you, thank you.
Besatt – I'm glad you love it.
Yaeko – updated soon for you!
3
Harry and Ron ran outside the great wooden doors and down the lawn towards their classmates. They had forgotten that Snape wanted to have a hands-on DADA class outside today.
"Twenty points each from Gryffindor for tardiness," snapped Snape as they arrived.
"Sorry sir" mumbled Harry, panting.
"As I was saying, today you will practice dueling. Do not use curses that are too painful. Try to be creative at least once in your inane little lives. Be alert. Form pairs," commanded Snape.
Ron looked at Harry, but Harry shook his head. He wasn't going to duel his friends. What if he hurt them? He hadn't slept at all last night. He was in no state to control his temper, his power… his mind.
"Potter and Longbottom, of course you two would be the last ones left without partners. You will be paired together," said Snape.
"I don't think I will do this exercise, sir" said Harry quietly, not looking at Snape.
"Pardon? Potter, you think you can just excuse yourself from my class?" said Snape feigning cruel disbelief. "Oh of course, why you killed the Dark Lord, you don't need any training, you are better than all the rest of the students combined!"
"No, sir. I didn't mean it like that" said Harry quickly.
"Such arrogance, Potter! Unbelievable that you could be any more arrogant than last year, but I stand corrected."
Harry stood staring at a small patch of clover next to his left foot. He kept telling himself not to get upset. Not to react. Someone could get hurt. He needed stay calm. Calm. Stay calm.
"Well then, if your peers are not enough of a challenge, let's do a demonstration. Shall we, Potter? That's what you want, to show off? And it is my job as Professor to cater to the Great Potter's every whim?" asked Snape, spitting out Harry's name. Harry looked at his professor in disbelief. Snape smirked and walked ten paces away from him and turned. "On three, Potter. One, Two, Three!" On 'three', Snape flashed his wand out of his pocket and cried expellarimus.
Harry felt the magic, the hatred and the magic emanating from Snape. Without moving a muscle, or touching his wand, which sat comfortably in his back pocket of his trousers, he thought protego and the spell hit his shield.
Students gasped in disbelief. "Wandless magic…" "Of course… it is Harry…" "I thought it was impossible…" murmured classmates. Snape looked aghast.
"A wonder" he said loudly. "Wandless magic is a rare gift, but not much of an obstacle!" Snape shouted another spell that Harry didn't know. He blocked it easily. He didn't need to be looking at Snape. He felt the spell coming towards him. He felt the vibrations it made in the magic that pervaded everything, that was always humming around him.
Snape strode towards him shooting spell after spell. Harry blocked them, but made no attempt to return fire. This was making Snape increasingly irate.
"Arrogance!" He shouted. "Fight like a Wizard!"
Hermione and Ron watched the scene, thinking similar thoughts. This was not good. Before this summer, Snape had been a greasy, ex-deatheater, potions professor who you'd never want to meet in a dark alley. But now, Ron and Hermione viewed Snape in a much more respectful light. They had seen Snape in action on the battlefield. He was more agile, effective, brutal and powerful than most of the Ministry aurors. It was Snape who had kept Voldemort at bay as Harry and Remus destroyed the sixth Horcux.
"Professor, maybe it would be best if-" pleaded Hermione, but Snape cut her off. He was enraged at being made a fool.
"I did not ask for your opinion Miss Granger!" Snape kept walking towards Harry. Harry was backing up, but with each curse flung at him, he felt Snape's anger grow, and his own vision started to blur. Snape's outline transformed into a dark figure. Visions of faceless deatheaters flashed before his eyes. Scenes including cruel torture, drowning, death. Harry turned to face Snape, but could no longer recognize the man. He just felt the hatred, and the strong magic being flung at him. This man wanted to hurt him, harm him. His back hit the castle wall. He was stuck. His mind raced, panic set in, and rage began to swell in his chest at being cornered, at being mocked. He would not be laughed at! How dare this man attack him! He was all-powerful. He was the most powerful wizard in the world. All bowed before him or they were killed! Harry's eyes turned black and he said his first attacking spell.
"Acastifreza!"
A five-foot high line of fire, beginning at Harry's feet sprung to life and spread rapidly towards Snape. It was quickly blocked by the professor's magic.
"Finally Potter, we may begin!" said Snape in a frenzied voice.
Harry no longer knew it was Snape he was fighting. He blocked his enemy's spells, and began moving towards him, shooting curses at him. He hurtled volleys of them, five at a time. Snape began to retreat.
The sky, which had been clear and sunny, darkened with black clouds. The wind picked up, howling. With each step towards his enemy, with each spell cast, Harry felt his power increase. As he toyed with his enemy, and wore him out, he was simultaneously creating a vacuum. His attacker would no longer be able to escape the confines of the space he was enclosing him in, and no one could pass through the invisible walls. The man was unaware and would not realize his fate until it was too late.
Harry uprooted a cedar with a whisper and flung it towards Snape. The professor transfigured it into a leaf and pointed his wand to the ground in return. The ground became a red quicksand that climbed up Harry's legs. Harry smirked undid the curse with ease and then murmured a spell, thunder erupted, rain began and Harry transfigured the droplets into mirrors that reflected Snape's curses right back at him.
The darkness was silent and deep as the students watched and felt Harry's awesome power cover the grounds at Hogwarts like a thick smog, bending trees, raising enormous waves on the lake, and quaking the earth. Lightening struck in the sky and then came down upon Snape who only avoided it by inches. Hermione tried to raise her wand, but Harry's magic was everywhere and wouldn't let her. McGonagall had rushed outside followed by other professors, but was unable to pass Harry's hidden wall he had created by sheer raw magic. Snape had to battle Harry alone.
Hermione looked back at Harry. He was shouting off ten spells at once. His robes were whirling around him and his hair was on end. Hermione had never heard about any power so extreme. Harry was out of control. He was more powerful than anyone had ever imagined and he was going to murder Snape, while the whole school watched, powerless to stop him.
Harry aimed his fire spell at the man, for one final blow. Incineration. Maybe even cremation. This pathetic man was scared. Harry could feel it, and it made him want to laugh. He shouted Acastifreza! And the flames shot across the lawn towards the man, who barely deflected it. Instead, the Womping Willow caught fire. The flames became enormous and Harry paused a second, distracted.
Snape used this small moment to send a confusion curse at him, but it was easily stopped. Harry smiled. This man does not know when his time is up! Harry approached the man and muttered an ancient spell. The man's wand exploded. Snape stood swaying, defenseless, and completely demoralized, with fearful eyes. Harry brought him to his knees with a whisper.
"You should kneel before greatness," Harry said. The man looked stunned. Speechless, robes torn, nose bleeding. It is time to end this wretched life. Harry whispered another command and invisible hands grabbed the man by the neck. Snape dangled in the air, feet flailing and grabbing at the hands that choked him. A distant voice pierced the night air.
"HARRY! Harry don't do it!"
Who is Harry?
"Harry!"
He dropped Snape to the ground and fell to his knees next to him. The dark magic surrounding Hogwarts disappeared.
"I'm Harry… what have I done?" he asked in a whisper. "What have I become?" He looked at Snape as the professor pushed himself off the ground. Harry attempted to whisper an apology, but his voice cracked, and he began to cry. To everyone's surprise, Snape took Harry in his arms, and tried to calm him.
"It's alright Potter. You're back. Nobody's hurt."
5