The past week had been a hectic yet enjoyable affair. He had proven his spot as easily the top of class practically and tied for the theoretical top with Granger. In transfiguration he had managed to quell his wish to feed the cat and instead focused on the lesson.
Transfiguration in short is the practice of temporarily -can be many years- changing a material or object into another object. The original 'template' lies dormant inside the magic of the new object ready to be reverted.
From his own books on the subject, he learnt that transmutation is the permanent version where it is completely turned with no original magical footprint left. That was considerably harder, but he managed slightly.
His friendship with Neville had gotten better and he had reached a tentative alliance with Daphne and Tracey. Tracey because she was fun to be around and material for a proper friend, Daphne because she wants to play the political game and thinks he can be 'useful'.
He snorted and walked outside to where the others were waiting. Flying lessons would be enjoyable, hopefully.
"Line up! Hold your hand above the broom. Yes! Like that. Now say UP!" She demonstrated and the broom shot into her hand. He had sensed a slight pulse of magic as she said that, and he figured the trick. It's all magic in the end.
"Up." He commanded evenly. The broom leapt into his hand ready to be used. He surveyed the others and caught sight of Ron get hit by his own broom. He had trouble keeping his laughter down. He wouldn't call it a friendship, but he had managed a slight truce with the not yet Golden Trio still missing Hermione.
Good. Now mount it like this." She prowled up the line and stopped at Malfoy. "No no, you're holding it incorrectly, here let me demonstrate." Madam Hooch continued until everyone had at least a decent grip. "Now on the count of-" She was halted by Neville losing control of his broom. He soared higher and higher shrieking all the way.
Then as if the broom lost all will to live it and he fell down hand first and a sickening crunch. "Oh my. Stay on the ground whilst I take him to hospital wing!" She commanded and left the scene. "Oh look! It's the squib's Remembrall!" Malfoy shouted in malicious glee prancing back to his groupies as if he had won the cup.
"Give it here Malfoy!" Harry commanded showing his Gryffindor side. Charles moved to stand beside Potter. Something that sparked a rection from Malfoy. "Siding with the enemy? Filthy traitor!" With an angry shout Malfoy threw the Remembrall across the entire arena. It soared through one of the hoops and on its way to the ground.
Sharing a glance Potter and Ambrose mounted their brooms and sped for the orb. Harry reached it first and caught it easily before seeing Draco coming to probably take it once more. Panicking Harry threw it to Charles who caught it easily.
Charles flew leisurely back to the students with Harry running interference on Draco who got more and more annoyed until he got past and came to float beside Charles. "Truce?" "Truce." With it temporarily settled they flew down.
"Harry! Take this to Neville, give him my regards!" Harry grinned and started to walk away. "NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS! EVEN WORSE THAN YOUR FATHER!" McGonagall screamed-half shouted at harry who stood there still as a log looking terrified. "Come with me Mr. Potter!" She commanded.
Breathing a sigh of relief Charles grinned at Draco. "You'd make a good chaser." He commented. Draco looked back at him the disgust melting away. "You're not bad either. If only you help me next time."
"Of course." Charles drawled. They intended to walk to the next class but were interrupted. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" McGonagall shouted once more bearing down on them like a predator. "That'll be a week of detention starting today at 9."
"Not. So. Fast." Professor Snape drawled emerging from a particular shady corner. "I will take their detentions personally." "Very well Severus."
"Do you have any idea what you did today?" The Dungeon Bat himself asked once they were in the office. Draco neglected to speak so Charles did it for him. "He stole from the heir to an Ancient and Noble House whilst I worked together with another heir of an Ancient and Noble house to recover what the first heir of an Ancient and Noble house stole." He said pointing at Draco who promptly flushed and looked flustered.
"But you opposed a Slytherin to work with a Gryffindor! That will not go well in the house!" Draco responded. "No, I opposed a small-time bully to help my friend by working with an acquaintance."
"Oh, don't bullshit me, we all know you're the next Slughorn."
"Excuse me!? I do not collect people like trophies."
"You fixed Potter's relationship with Severus and got them both indebted to you. Then you go and make another heir indebted to you. We can all see it."
"Not intentionally!"
"Both of you, Silence!" Severus Snape had been growing more and more annoyed at their bickering. "You will both make potions for the Hospital wing. Every day for a week you will come here and brew perfect Cures for Boils."
Draco spluttered obviously angry at the punishment. "That'll take hours! I won't have any free time!"
"Then you will not have any free time. Simple as that, now leave."
"Look at your 'acquaintance'." Draco nodded towards Harry. Charles turned in the direction and spotted something infuriating. "WHAT!?" He half-shouted. "He gets a broom when we get a detention! I even helped him!?"
Draco scoffed. "Professor McGonagall only sees your green tie and decided to punish you even if you didn't deserve it." Charles smirked slightly. "You deserved it." "Oh, for the love of morgana. I apologized to heir Longbottom just like you suggested! Stop annoying me already!"
"No matter, we need revenge on Potter." "Agreed." Draco said then walked over to Gryffindor table. "Pottah! I challenge you to a wizarding duel." "Merlins ballsack! Draco stop being Gryffindorish!" Charles shouted across the hall. "Revenge is supposed to be subtle not a duel!"
"I accept but my second is Charles Ambrose is my seconds." "WHAT?" "WAHT!" Both Draco and Charles said in sync. "Oh fine, lose on purpose Potter, then I can battle Drake here." "It's Draco not Drake you git." "If you say so Drake."
In the Slytherin common room an interrogation of sorts was taking place. "Why did you challenge him so openly Malfoy?" One of the Slytherin leaders. Helen Nott, cousin of Theodore Nott. "It was a trick; I was going to pick a place and tip Filch about it." "Was?" Helen asked coldly.
"Yes, but then Pottah picked Charles as his seconds and my plan went out the window!" Charles looked up startled. "You blame me for your plan failing!? It was Potter who picked me!" Helen had her head in her hands and sighed tiredly. "Its only the first month and you're proving yourself to be the Weasley twins of Slytherin."
"We're not TWINS!" They said simultaneously. She laughed lightly. "Agh." Charles sighed. "Draco, we need to leave for the duel that you set up in front of the entire school! In front of Flitwick a duelling champion who would love a duel to take place!"
"You should have been my second." "Probably, but I'm not. Who're you choosing? Crabbe, Goyle?"
"No, you buffoon, Blaise." "Ah, good choice, Italian Assassin in the making." Blaise walked in calmly his trademark smile on full show. "Indeed."
It was after dinner and the Great Hall had been arranged to have a raised oblong platform. Flitwick was standing there grinning widely, probably not having seen a duel in many years. "Up you go Drake, I have to stand with Potter."
When Malfoy climbed up the platform the crowd settled down and both he and potter were sweating profusely and looking terrified. "Get yourself together Potter, you forced me here and I'll damn well make sure you win. Be light on your feet and only cast a spell when you're ready. Do not stay still. Got it?" Charles said seriously. "Y-yeah." Harry answered with a nervous chuckle.
Filius put on a sonorous charm and spoke. "This wizarding duel is overseen by me Filius Flitwick former Duelling Champion. It is between Draco Malfoy, son of Lucious Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy neé Black and Harry Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Potter neé Evans."
"Begin!"
Draco moved first sending a stinging hex then "Petrificus Totalus!" Following Charles advice Harry dodged the two spell and fired back his own stinging hex. Draco got hit and bent over in pain. He got up just in time to see the blue light of a Petrificus Totalus coming for him.
Having no way to evade he made it a draw by casting "Flippendo." A wave of pressurized air shot forward and slammed Harry into the border slumping over in defeat. Filius waited for 10 seconds then spoke. "It's a draw, the seconds may step up."
"On one side we have Blaise Zabini, Italian wizard and son of a hit-witch. On the other side, Charles Ambrose, grandson of Annabeth Ambrose, the Duelling Champion before me."
"Begin."
"Obscuro!" Blaise shouted. In an instant Charles was blind. Instead of panicking he delved into his magic senses and found Blaise advancing towards him at surprising speed a nasty red hex already on his lips. "Avis!" Charles shouted, a flock of birds flew out of his wand and obstructed Blaise and Charles had time to cast a "Finite!" on himself clearing the blindness.
"Langlock!" Blaise responded when he got free from the flock of birds. Instead of panicking Charles smirked and cast a wordless Relashio. Blaise involuntarily dropped his wand. Finite. Finally able to speak Charles casted his last spell. "Ferula."
Bandages appeared across Blaise covering him up and locking down his limbs. "Ah wonderful use of the Ferula spell Mr. Ambrose. The winner is Potter!" He announced, an announcement which was met with applause and cheering.
The next day Slytherin House had been justifiably angry, and half the house glared him to death. Charles decided to sit down at another table instead of Slytherin. He sat down at the table of yellow and made himself a plate.
"So, congratulations on the win yesterday but why are you sitting here?" He glanced over to the one who spoke, a girl with sand blonde hair and blue eyes. She cleared her throat and spoke quickly. "Not that there's anything wrong with that! I was just wondering."
"No, its fine, they didn't like that I supported a Gryffindor and have 'temporarily' expelled me from the table." "What why?" Charles sighed then straightened up. "that's Slytherin for you, you're not supposed to oppose your own and you get punished if you do, even if you didn't have a choice."
"I kind of understand that Hufflepuff is the house of loyalty after all."
"Loyalty to your friends or the house?"
"I- I don't know." She said looking pensive. "Which one do you think is most important?" She eventually asked him. "Friends last a lifetime, Houses only 7 years." "Huh, when you say it like that it makes sense."
She held out her hand. "Susan Bones." He took her hand and shook it smiling. "And I'm Charles Ambrose." "I have to ask, why not sit with your friend Longbottom in Gryffindor?" She asked. He shook his head ruefully, "Sitting with gryffindor's will just extend the 'expulsion'."
"Ah, right sorry." "It's fine, that's why I have friends outside of my own house so I'm never lonely." "Yet you sat with me?" "Well, you seemed lonely too and I decided we had to share our loneliness." "My friend Hannah got hit with a Weasley prank and I have no other friends so why not. Let's wallow in our loneliness together." She decided.
