A.N.: Hello, lovely people!
Again, I'm sorry for the long wait... Thank you @Theinzmann111, for your comment, I think I kinda got back on track now. For now, I have one more chapter planned until the meeting I, and I hope you all have waited for;) Maybe one more if I have more ideas and I plan to write it right away. But again, I'm open for suggestions if you have any:)
-Chapter 5-
For what felt like the millionth time, Harry found himself pinned to the ground by Steve.
The supersoldier had agreed to teach him some self-defence after Harry had pestered him for a while. He had really started getting comfortable with everyone and with basically all of his responsibilities from his world gone, boredom had quickly taken over. Additionally, Harry thought it might be a good idea to pay more attention to his physical fitness, since he didn't have his wand to defend himself anymore and he also wasn't able to control his magic at all without it. He'd had a few more accidental outbursts of magic in his sleep, but Harry was severely struggling to get it under any conscious control.
To his surprise, Steve's grasp on him suddenly loosened and the next thing he heard was a thud and then a groan from the other side of the training room.
Harry sat up, surprised and he felt his magic slowly recoiling and settling back into his core, like a wild animal withdrawing into its cave.
Steve sat leaning on the wall opposite of Harry, rubbing his head with an utterly confused look on his face.
At this moment, the teenager noticed Tony, who was standing near the door and had seemingly just entered moments ago.
"Wow Cap, he really sent you flying, huh?" Following that sentence, he seemed unable to compose himself anymore and fell into a hysterical fit of laughter.
"Jarvis, you got that footage saved? Send it to my phone. No, in the group chat right away. Oh, Capsicle, I won't forget this. Like, ever."
Tony then turned to Harry, who was just starting to realize what had happened and now gathered himself off the floor.
"Great job, kiddo. I just wanted to check on you, didn't expect you to fling good old supersoldier through the room. Even though I have always said he has gotten old..."
With that, he left the room, excitedly tapping on his phone and by the sound of it, already replaying the scene over and over on it.
They had decided to end the lesson for today after Harry had apologized several times, but the supersoldier was feeling fine. He wouldn't hear any of it and just told him to stop worrying.
When he was in his room again, Harry was reminiscing about what had happened today.
For the first time since he had landed here, his magic had shown itself while he was awake. It hadn't really been under control, but maybe he should start trying wandless magic once more. His attempts before had all been proven futile, but perhaps now he could give it another go.
The fear of hurting someone had constantly stuck with him for the last few weeks. Since the first time when his magic had lashed out in his sleep. Back in his old world, his magic had never been so violent. Before he had come to Hogwarts, it sometimes did react to his wishes and fears, but never had it hurt anyone or mindlessly destroyed things like it did now.
That it had lashed out today scared Harry, because it felt like the incidents altogether just became more and more frequent, but it also gave him some hope to maybe regain control over it some day.
Stop contemplating now, just try it.
Merlin, he would soon become worse than Hermione-
Well, that didn't lift his mood. Harry took a deep breath and banned the upcoming thoughts from his mind. He had become pretty good at it. Suppressing thoughts, that is. He didn't know if it was what Snape had wanted him to do in their occlumentic lessons, but at least he somehow managed it when he was awake now.
Just that as soon as he closed his eyes, everything he had so desperately tried to push back would start gushing through the dam he had built in his mind at once and drown him.
Drawing another deep breath, he finally composed himself and focused on the empty glass on his bedside table.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Nothing happened.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" This time, he even did the swish-and-flick motion using his finger, but the glass didn't budge.
He tried again, slowly getting impatient and this time something happened, but not what he had intended.
Instead of levitating, the glass just cracked unceremoniously, like in protest.
Harry sighed. He guessed it would have been naive to think it would work out right away.
But it was still progress. A slight smile was forming on his lips. He would stay optimistic in this now and keep working until he succeeded.
