Note: Please look to prologue for disclaimer and additional notes about the story.

A Dance With Fate

Canopus Carina

Chapter 7 of 20

He didn't know why Slytherins liked dark corridors, but the Riddle House was filled with them. It gave him an uneasy feeling actually walking the halls in his own body and not during some vision, but he figured if anyone had the remaining artifacts belonging to the founders it would be Voldemort. The search after the Final Battle didn't turn up with anything, but he was sure he knew where to find some interesting items.

In a vision he had seen flashes of a corridor must like the one he was in where a hidden cubbyhole was hidden with a parseltongue password. Sure enough when he found Tom Riddle's only records of nonmagical birth, his original wand (as he had ordered a new one when he decided to become the Dark Lord of Great Britain), and a few writing books.

The book he held with great relevance was a rather small black book with canary yellow border.

Thursday: 15 September 1977

It was amazing how long it could take them to take down the numerous spells that the Marauders had put in place on the first night of they year. And that was even when they even knew what spells were put in place in the first place. The first lesson had ended in disaster with it taking them a half hour before they even had everyone organized to cast spells together. As Harry had added to the intensity of the spells, it really took them all to take down the firework spells and round the hyperactive niffler. When they were finished the heard a single set of clapping but when they turned to see who it was, no one looked out of place. It was then that they noticed that Harry was gone.

I took them a while to realize that Harry was the one who had clapped but immediately left after. He magically took the box they forced the niffler in and disappeared. They took it as their dismissal.

A deep wave of groans had come form the students who returned for the second lesson when Harry announced they should be able to beat their time from the previous lesson. But someone attempted to be a wise guy and said it would be a piece of cake. If Remus knew who it was, he would have strangled the boy as Harry decided to take the spells up a notch. They ended up taking up the two hours trying to dodge the benches that were spelled to drag across the floor at odd variables, periodic splashes of rain from indoor clouds, and Peeves who decided it was a delightful party to join.

Each student felt bruises the size of oranges in various places of their bodies the next morning. There was only so long you could dodge the benches and Peeves' spit wads all the while not slipping in rain puddles. One false move and you were done for.

The Marauders wanted to talk some sense into the older boy, or at least question the lesson he was supposedly teaching, but he was not to be found. After each lesson, he would simply vanish before they had caught their breath. And when they checked later, he was not found on the Marauder's Map. He simply disappeared days at a time, only coming back to the castle to speak with the headmaster about some person Remus never cared to look up.

So when they found the message saying that the third lesson was only a few days away, the cursed the headmaster for forcing them to go. When they continued reading and found the note telling them to wear light clothing and running shoes, they felt their hearts fall past their stomachs. If the lessons so far were doable in regular clothing, he didn't want to know what his lesson had in store for them.

"I see that we are lacking some of the youngest years, aren't we?" Harry asked as if questioning the weather. He calmly strolled up the house tables' lengths to stand in front of the High Table oblivious to the mounting discomfort of his students.

They were not looking forward to another lesson with him. The first two only seemed to harm them physically, and mentally when he thought about it. At first Remus thought it was Harry's way of making the Marauders pay for even thinking about setting a prank on him. They had to feel their own prank's wrath and the other students would somehow get their own retribution for getting them in that position in the first place. But when it continued the next lesson, he couldn't be so sure.

He then thought it could be Harry's way of undermining Professor Dumbledore's authority. When he first came, he didn't want to teach the lessons but some manipulation on the headmaster's part made him change his mind. Did he regret that decision and was then taking it out on them? Did he think that their suffering would in turn harm the headmaster?

"No matter," Harry continued, "as long as we have those who are supposed to be here, we can continue. Anyone missing?"

It wasn't as if any of the students were going to tell him if one of their classmates had the fortune to miss class somehow. It only made them wish they were one of those few. Some were already trying to figure out what they could do to get out of the next lesson.

"I'll take that as a no. Okay, when you are in battle you need to be thinking clearly and be light on your toes. We will get into the spell part later, if you actually make it to the second month, but until then we shall be getting you into shape. That would be why I asked you to wear light clothing. Could I have everyone stand behind the High Table please?"

It only took a minute or two for all of the students to do as they were asked. With a few waves of his wand, Harry moved the tables to the walls, one stacked on top of the other for added room. In their place was set up an obstacle course of some sort, with strange hoops set in a zigzag pattern, some forms of rope, and a balancing beam the rest of the length of the Great Hall. On the stacked house tables on either side of the hall were little bags which looked to be filled with some small hard material. Someone had said they were called 'bean bags' or 'hackysacs'. When those were put in place, Harry looked around with a sense of happiness. Then he turned to the students.

"Today, I figure we could have a little bit of fun. I would like each of you to line up on either side of the balance beam. Now, each person will have a turn to go through the course. The key of today's lesson is speed and balance. First, each student will run through the hoops, one foot per loop, like so. Then you pick up this rope and jump rope twenty-five times before setting the rope down. Make sure you set it down where you got it so that the next person doesn't have to go far to retrieve it. Then you get to the balance beam. To get across, you have to make sure you touch only the balance beam or else you will get penalized. If you touch the floor, you have to go back three meters from where you touched the ground and then start again from there. All the while dodging hackysacs as they will be thrown at you by your peers. But only one at a time. I don't want anyone being pulverized out there."

It really seemed to be looking up as the first person started through the obstacle course relatively fine, but when he got to the balance beam his best friend was able to pelt him in the face. With a mocking glare to his friend, he continued and made it all the way across relatively unharmed. And then the next person went up with all the determination she could muster and practically flew up to the balance beam. When someone was able knock her off the beam, she took up the hackysac and threw it back to her attacker, successfully hitting him square in the chest.

Almost everyone's eyes went to Harry to see his reaction. But instead of get angry, he only chuckled and motioned for her to continue with the balance beam. It seemed as if he didn't mind if they were taking a little fun with this lesson, and so they had fun.

So after she was done, the next person went on and she almost made it to the end of the beam before laughing as her boyfriend started making kissing faces to her. And then Sirius tried to get passed, but the Marauders ignored Harry's rule of only one hackysac at a time and pelted him with three. Harry definitely looked the other way for that one. They knew it was because he knew it wasn't with malice. And then the next went and the next.

Soon everyone had made their way across the obstacle course but wanted to still continue. But Harry motioned for them to stop before they carried on.

"I didn't want these lessons to be something everyone didn't want to go to, but I'm at a loss about how to deal with so many students. Now, I know that a lot of you aren't going to come back after the headmaster stops forcing you, but I don't mind. If you are going to come, make sure to be ready for anything. I don't really take too well to those who don't listen, so in that case I'm very strict. That being said, have fun. You are allowed to stay out here as long as you'd like as long as you are going through the obstacles, I'll be back later to correct the hall, so you don't have to deal with that. Again, have fun." And with that, he left.

There were some who decided to get out while they could, but many stayed behind to go through the course again and again. There became a mass bet about who could make the best time. The winner of that bet ended up being Samuel Greenway of Hufflepuff who somehow managed not to be hit at all when he was crossing the balance beam.

Compared to the other lessons so far, this one was much more fun. They hoped the others will be more like this one.

End of Chapter 7 – 1,621 of words

Posted: 4 June 2007