Chapter 24: Hell Week
Harry would have laughed, if Isaac didn't carry such a hard expression on his face. "Master Sterling, as this exercise was meant to last several more days, I petition for all to be stationed at barracks for the rest of the week, until Sunday."
Master Sterling motioned for him to continue, interested in his proposal. "We are on the cusp of war, and not only were they all caught sleeping, but they cannot be bothered to work as a team. I propose I take it up a notch: students, apprentices, and masters alike. They must learn to count on one another. I propose the next three days be an intensive exercise in what they did wrong, and in collaboration. Most of them would die very quickly."
Harry saw Silverwood nod in agreement. "I will split my time between here and the barracks. As will Aeter. Fletcher, you are welcome to do the same."
As Team Three continued fighting in their woods against extremely skilled masters, the remainder of the teams, 112 people in total, were gathered at the Order's barracks, where the Guard typically trained.
Isaac stood before the assembled crowd, ignoring the bickering that he could hear among some of the teams. Harry and Silverwood stood back slightly, on either side of him. Their appearance was meant to legitimize the authority Isaac had.
Finally, when it seemed everybody had appeared, he cast a sonorous. "Welcome to hell week, everybody. Within 24 hours of beginning, every team was defeated, most of you quite literally in your sleep. Team Three will join us at the conclusion of their challenge.
"For the rest of this week, you belong to the Guard. It has become quite clear that you all will need a lesson in survival and collaboration. You will need one another to survive this week. I do not care if you dislike one another, or do not think the others here are worth your time. This is a goddamn war, and you will respect one another. That being said, you are a team. Where one of you is tardy or fails to keep up, you all ought to endeavor to help your teammates not to make those mistakes." His eyes lingered on Ron for a moment, who blushed and looked down.
"You will learn self-discipline, because that is the only way you will stay alive when Voldemort comes calling. You will not sit until you are told you may be seated, you will not dine until all are accounted for in the hall. And lights out will be at nine pm. Morning Conditioning will be at 4:30 every morning, and you better be here, ready to work. Your schedules will be waiting on your desks when you arrive in your dorms tonight."
The lawn erupted in protests, before Harry stepped forward, as planned. "How many of you have fought Voldemort or his Death Eaters," he asked quietly. At their continued silence, he spoke again, "People are dying because he is terrorizing wizarding Britain. You know what will come next? The rest of Britain, and Europe. He won't be happy with just killing and torturing us, either. He will come for our children and if he is allowed to succeed, hope will be lost. I have fought Voldemort, and I survived on sheer dumb luck. But if we work hard, and we work together, we can ensure prosperity for many years to come. Now if you don't like it, that's fine. You may leave and explain to the Board why you have elected to abandon your post. But if you want to be a part of stopping that, these are our terms."
Nobody moved.
"Excellent. Welcome to hell week. You all have 30 minutes. I suggest you use them wisely, and get into comfortable workout clothes. Report to the track at that time. Dismissed!"
The three watched their teams depart, some muttering unhappily to one another. They had elected to have each team be their own dorm, especially those teams that struggled with teamwork.
Both Snape and Saldor had arrived from Hogwarts, but Harry and Fletcher waited with Isaac as people started stumbling through the fence around the rubber track. Harry was watching faces closely, noting that Ron and Ginny wore similar mutinous expressions, each glaring at members of their team.
"So you can all tell time," Isaac scoffed. "You will continue to stick with your teams. Push-ups, to time. Up, down…" as he continued to push the pace, Harry and the others walked down the lines of people, critiquing form.
Harry was unused to being harsh, but truly felt that they needed to grow better conditioning and discipline. "All the way down, Patil," he scolded the girl. "Weasley," he was by one of the twins, "your arms should be beneath you, not way out to the side." For once, the twin corrected as Harry commanded without making any wisecracks.
He continued walking, commenting on the students' form, when he came across a group of apprentices whispering among themselves, he squatted down in front of them, lining himself up with the loudest of them, Apprentice Locke. "Care to share your information, Locke?" Harry asked quietly.
"No." Harry knew the boy to be one whose master had required him to join the guard, as he felt him to be disobedient and insolent. The Guard was his last opportunity before an appeal was made to remove his apprenticeship.
"You will address me by my title," Harry's voice was quiet. The others around them dare not break Isaac's count but were keenly listening to this exchange as they continued to work.
"Oh, come off it, Potter! You're just the Order's little pet—" He had stopped doing his own push-ups, and was scowling at Harry, though he still was lying on his stomach.
A resounding slap echoed through the group, as Harry left a handprint on the other boy's face. "You will address me as Junior Commander."
"And if I don't? You're no better than the rest of us."
Harry grabbed the boy's clothes. "Up! You're coming with me." He yanked the boy, hard, so he had no choice but to climb to his knees and then his feet. He cast a spell, conjuring a short rope tying his waist to Locke's. "You best keep up," he announced, taking off at a quick pace down the track. While he was reluctant, the boy had no choice but to run. And despite his protests, Harry was both the faster and stronger person.
Harry felt the tension on the rope pull, as he rounded the corner of their second lap, so he pushed the pace a tiny bit more. "See, Locke, the problem is that I actually am better than you: this is not my threshold pace at all. Your problem is that you are lazy, and unwilling to work. You will amount to nothing without discipline. You will do as I say, and respect me, or I will release you to Master Silverwood over there." The boy gasped for breath, breathing heavily, but Harry was not yet finished. "If you continue down the path you are on, you will not be able to protect yourself or those you care about from the Death Eaters. The Mastery, and the Guard, offer your best chance at finding a passion from which to build your life."
After three laps, each a small bit faster than the last, Harry allowed the boy to stop. "Do we have an understanding?"
The boy nodded. "Excuse me?" Harry asked quietly.
"Yes, Junior Commander," Locke agreed finally, his breath still coming unevenly.
"Very good. Resume your place," he gestured to the group, who were now holding extended squats. "You will need to complete your push-ups later."
The boy looked unhappy, but did as he was told nonetheless.
Harry turned to Snape, who had been waiting for him. "I don't know if he'll make it," Harry admitted quietly.
Snape shook his head. "Not all of them will, and some of them will need to be broken first." Quietly, he added, "As uncomfortable as that was, you did well. You'll have to be just as firm with the masters, as difficult as it seems. You have Sterling's blessing with no retribution. In fact, I believe Sterling has issued the Guard a memorandum that you are to be treated as Silverwood's second-in-command. The only masters eligible to issue orders or punishments to you are the Hogwarts Masters, and the Board."
Harry stared. He hadn't realized that. "I never wanted-"
Snape stopped him. "This is the way it is, Aeter. You are Junior Commander, and you are granted some privileges that other apprentices do not get. Do not abuse them, else you will answer to me directly." Harry nodded in appreciation.
Isaac kept the troops moving until lunch time. When he allowed them to break for lunch, Harry was impressed to see, as slow as many of them were moving, not a single person had quit. Silverwood and Saldor had determined they would be returning to the castle.
After lunch, Atwater, Sterling, Varneck, Nestor, and Eran were due to arrive and allow the students to focus on their strengths.
Atwater was the first to arrive. "How is the team in the forest doing?" Harry asked him anxiously.
Atwater laughed. "They're fine. I healed Hopkins and let him rest in the Hospital Wing before leaving. Was struck with a nasty hex. Lavender and Montag were also indisposed as they fought off Master Jubal. Took him a fair bit of time to beat them though-they did well together. Last I saw Smythe, Robin, Winston, Terran, and Bell were doing great. Bell is much stronger than any of us realized, I think. How are things here?"
Harry glanced at Isaac, seated across the table. "Master Isaac's promotion was much deserved. He's already broken some of them, I think."
Master Isaac looked up and smirked. "You aren't so bad yourself, Aeter. Locke was nothing but obedient after your jaunt around the track."
After lunch, as the students went to their mini-courses, Isaac and Harry remained at their table in the mess hall. "What's next?" Harry asked the other man. "I planned to stay here and check-in at Hogwarts at dinner time."
Isaac nodded. "If you can spare the time here, I am grateful for your presence, especially with the students. Also, I believe I need my own sparring partner, at times."
Harry laughed. "Your wish is my command."
"After the students' intensive study sessions, I had planned a run," Isaac admitted. "It's pretty clear to me that not all Masters have the same focus on endurance and physical stamina."
Harry nodded. "I had wondered that, during the trials. It seemed that Terran and I spent a great deal more time in the Training Hall than many others."
Isaac laughed. "You certainly did. Your masters are both extremely terrifying to other apprentices, and some masters. I think, when it was announced that both Saldor and Silverwood were going to be at Hogwarts this year, there was a collective sigh of relief at Headquarters. Both had spent large amounts of time at Headquarters, and were not shy about issuing punishments to anybody who acted without proper decorum, or crossed their paths in an unfortunate way."
Harry nodded, hardly surprised, and the two spent a few minutes comparing life at Hogwarts versus Headquarters. "How long of a run?" Harry asked, moving the topic back to plans.
Isaac shook his head. "At least ten kilometers, though I'm not convinced they'll all manage."
Harry nodded. "That would do."
Harry paused in thought. "Does this place have an obstacle course like Headquarters? You know, after I finished my first day of testing, Master Shadowman ran me through that twice, because I was so bloody exhausted that I neglected to call him 'sir' in front of Master Neco. He said it didn't matter if I was tired for testing the next day, that I would show proper respect in front of members of the Board."
Isaac laughed. "There's a couple. I thought we would do one tomorrow morning- it's supposed to rain. How did your second day of testing go after that?"
"I was sore, but the next day I was set to duel Apprentice Ford, who had pissed me off the night before. He had been present and smirking as Master Shadowman took me to task, and had known that I'd been out doing the obstacle course. He was sure that I would be in no condition to offer a challenge. I wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face. I beat him within the first few minutes of the duel, but let him keep his wand, so I could prove how long I could go, even on tired legs."
Isaac laughed at his story. "Ah, remind me not to piss you off, Aeternus."
As Harry and Isaac continued to plan exercises and training plans for the next week, Harry realized how much he had come to like Isaac. The Master was only about five or six years older than Harry, so he felt that there was a familiarity beyond his relationship with Snape. Isaac, like Terran was coming to be held in esteem not dissimilar to an older brother or close cousin.
Harry could do with that, he decided. He liked Isaac, and knew the man was far more disciplined than he could ever be.
"Right! Attention!" Isaac's voice rang across the grounds. "Welcome, Brown, Hopkins, and Montag, to hell week. Ladies and gents, I give you three of the team that destroyed you. I hope your time in the Hospital Wing gave you enough rest, because you joined us just in time: Junior Commander Aeternus and I will be taking you all on a little tour of the countryside. Unless you want to be scrubbing the mess hall floor with a toothbrush tonight, I suggest that you do not fall behind."
Harry and Isaac, once more, donned their drill sergeant caps as they began the tempo run. Atwater had returned to Hogwarts, though Snape, Varneck, and Fletcher were more than happy to join the run, alternating between running at the back of the pack and yelling at stragglers, and running along to taunt those who looked like they might be struggling.
As it was, Harry was disappointed to see that, despite all of the training the three groups had been doing since September, nearly three full months ago, a sizeable number struggled. Six students and three apprentices failed to keep up. Harry was sure there were a handful of masters that would have failed too, had the run been any longer.
As everybody dispersed for dinner, Harry said goodbye to Isaac as he and Snape both left, admitting that he needed to make an appearance at Hogwarts, as there were still the fourth year Junior Guard members that he also had to attend to.
Arriving at Hogwarts, Harry made his way toward the Great Hall. Sitting at a round table, Snape beside him, Harry was surprised to be joined by none other than Professor Dumbledore.
"Good evening, Headmaster," Harry nodded his head in greeting. "I trust you are doing well."
Dumbledore nodded. "Good evening, Aeternus, Severus," he paused for a moment, "I have already spoken to Masters Sterling and Silverwood, but I do believe I owe you an apology for not listening to your expertise."
Snape stared at the man for a moment, as though trying to discern his true intentions. "Headmaster, I have never known you to apologize. What brings this on?"
Dumbledore frowned for a moment, then sighed, "I stopped in the conference room this morning, and watched Lavender and Montag work together in a long, drawn out duel against a much more experienced master. Sterling has expressed how disappointed you all are in the others, but their hard work is certainly paying off. There is hope. Whatever you all need, I promise to try to keep an open mind from now on."
Snape was silent for a moment. "Yes, well, it is appreciated Headmaster. At present, we are in and out as, it turns out, Apprentice Aeternus is a terrifying drill sergeant, but the fourth years here still need to have his leadership."
Dumbledore smiled. "Aeter, I am sure you are terrifying. I am glad to see you coming into your own, m'boy. I know Minerva feels very strongly about protecting the students and keeping them out of the fight, but you do have Hogwarts' support from now on."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Harry nodded as Dumbledore took his leave.
As dinner ended, Harry popped his head into the conference room. "Masters," he bowed, "just stopping by before I head back to the barracks. Anything you all need?"
Silverwood looked up. "What are you all planning?"
Harry looked at him innocently. "Whatever could you mean, Master Silverwood? Just making sure things are running smoothly."
The older man stared. "They all lost so handily because they were asleep. I hardly think Isaac's is going to let everybody sleep the night through tonight. He's going to teach them a lesson, and you seem only to happy to help him."
Harry smiled widely. "Well, I think you just told me exactly what we're going to do tonight. Even the simplest of wards could have helped some of them."
"Have fun," Silverwood nodded, as both he and Harry turned to watch the action on the screen, where Katie Bell and Winston were crawling along a ditch, glancing behind them. "Terran and Smythe just barely escaped themselves. They decided that the best way to escape was to split up. They've realized that we've sent a group of five senior masters in there."
"What happened to Robin?" Harry quirked an eyebrow.
"Disarmed. But managed to survive the fight throwing some good punches for several minutes before he was caught in the back with a stunner. We'll be sending him out by you tomorrow."
Harry nodded. "You're okay that I'm spending most of my time out there?"
"You're needed there. It's clear that there's not much to do with this team. I'll share my observations with you. The students and apprentices alike respect you, and are only taking it serious because you have demanded it of them."
Harry thanked the man, said his goodbyes to the other masters in the room, and returned to the barracks.
