Control
By Fatpunk
Chapter 6
Pranks (repost)
A/N: Hey there after some feedback and directional changes later ive changed a small part of this chapter. Doesn't make much diffence but I did it any way seems better this way when I think about it
Cheers
Harry woke early the next morning, as was his custom, dressed in loose fitting but warm clothes. He crept out of the first years dorm before any of the other boys were considering rising to meet the new day, with the full intension of returning before they did. He quickly worked his way across the common room out the portrait hole down through the school and out the front doors. Every morning since the second week he would make his way to the lake on the school grounds and practice his hand-to-hand combat skills. This morning was no different. After a quick run around the lake he moved through the forms centring his mind and sharpening his body. It surprised Harry that the school didn't teach any sort of mental focusing or physical training considering the link between the mind, body and magic, there wasn't even an optional class for the senior students. He resolved to always keep up his training for himself and would never let anyone prevent him from the pursuit.
What Harry didn't realise was that he wasn't the only student to rise this early in the morning. There was a Slytherin who also enjoyed the early morning peace, although he never did anything as beneficial or stimulating as Harry. Draco Malfoy was a believer in all things pureblood, always had been, but ever since his first meeting with Harry on the train he wondered why. He knew he was right, but his Slytherin mind was finally forcing him to find a reason, surely there had to be one. Each morning he would sit outside looking over the castle grounds pondering that question rarely disrupted by anything. Today was the first day that his look out position allowed him to see the school lake. It was from here that he saw Harry working through his muggle dance. He decided then to call Harry on that maybe challenge him to a duel and narc on him, getting him put in detention. 'Yes' Malfoy thought 'that would serve him right challenging me, a Malfoy we answer to no one
Malfoy placed his mask back on his face and returned to his dormitory at much the same time as Harry. Harry crept back through the school and up to his room pleasantly observing that the other boys were still asleep but slowly stirring for the new day. He went into the showers and finished his morning routine of showering and brushing his teeth. He returned to the room where the others were rising groggily and dressed for the new day. Ron glared at Harry and mumbled something about 'arrogant git' before slumping into the bathroom as well.
Harry ignored the comment, met Hermione in the common room and left to find Daphne before proceeding to the Great Hall for breakfast and to observe their first prank.
The hall slowly filled as Harry had a large breakfast starting with cereal and fruit coupled with a glass of orange juice, followed by a full cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages, hash brown, and grilled tomatoes with a cup of tea to wash it down, the girls just had a bowl of cereal.
The hall was full of students and the prank was set into motion. Harry kept his composure for a while along with Hermione and Daphne waiting till the rest of the hall started laughing as well.
The plan was exceptionally simple. The potion they had found would cause any phrase they wanted to appear on the recipients' chest and back. The best thing about it, though, was that the person under the spell wouldn't know what was happening and every time someone tried to explain what was going on they would burst out laughing. It was a difficult potion but they ignored the difficulty and did it anyway. They then gave the potion to Dinky for him to add it to the drinks of both Draco and Ron, what the girls didn't know was Harry targeted the Weasley twins as well.
The trio sat sending furtive glances at their victims, trying not to give away a tip to anyone. It was then that the shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson tore across the Great hall as she screeched "What on earth Draco!"
Every head in the hall seeing what was wrong. Scrawled across his chest was 'Consider the House-Elves they have rights too' and on his back was 'Who doesn't love a Weasley?' When the crowded finally saw what was written they all started laughing turning towards Weasleys to see what their reaction was. Across the twins chest was 'we love Slytherin's' and on their back was 'Talk with the Elves their freedom has a price', on Ron's chest was 'love is mutual give me a Malfoy!' and across his back was 'restrictions cause failures for Elves, Power to everyone'
Soon the entire hall was in hysterics to see the students professing their love for their hated enemies while at the same time proclaiming the rights of House Elves. The Gryffindors, who have unlikely had many dealings with House Elves and the other who suffers an extensive superiority complex. What really got everyone laughing was the potion itself, that they couldn't actually tell them what was so funny and their ignorance of the situation. The potion lasted for the entire day, with one of them knowing what everyone's problem was. None of the teachers could work out the problem all the counter curses they used had no effect. Harry found it amusing that Snape never thought to apply his own speciality to the problem, he would never consider helping the Gryffindors by Harry, and the girls for that matter, thought he may help Draco.
The trio left for their first class of transfiguration ducking into some of the secret passages and laughing their heads off at the oblivious nature of their victims. They slowly regained their composure as they arrived at the classroom Ron tried to intercept them but the groups laughing interrupted them. They went through the class learning to turn a pin cushion into a small wooden box. Their next class was potions which was slightly more interesting.
Harry and Hermione separated from Daphne, who headed towards charms, while the others went down to potions in the dungeons. Outside the potion's room Draco confronted Harry, who promptly dissolved into laugher, closely followed by Hermione.
This certainly didn't please Malfoy "What are you laughing at Potter?"
"Not much really, just looking" replied Harry, smirking quietly.
"Are you insulting my intelligence?"
"One must be intelligent if I was to insult it"
A confused look flashed across Draco's face for a fraction of a second before he smirked "Well then Potter I challenge you to a duel"
"What are the rules?" Harry didn't want to be trapped into a duel if he didn't know the rules.
Draco was surprised, he expected Harry not to know what a wizard's duel was to have to define the rules. He thought for a moment.
He looked at his companions Crabbe and Goyle "No seconds, legal spells only"
"And the prize?" Queried Harry.
"The loser declares their loyalty to the other and from now on they have to listen to everything the other says" Malfoy smirked thinking he would gain control over the Dark Lord's most hated enemy.
Harry was concerned by the conditions, it was asking a lot to risk his free will to anyone else. Harry was afraid of losing and as a result he was willing to use his aura reading to get an idea of how strong Draco really was. It went against Harry's morals to invade someone's privacy by reading their aura but he felt that he had to know what he was up against.
Harry stretched out his senses and saw the power of his magic flowing around Draco's body. The pale green shimmer indicating and above average magical potential, the brighter the colour the more of the potential has been reached. Harry knew that purely magical creatures gave off an aura in the ultraviolet spectrum while muggle's gave off an infrared spectrum. Witches and wizards gave off a spectrum in visible range and allowed Harry to see the aura. It ranged from red at the lower end of the magical power moving up through orange, yellow, green, blue and the most powerful was violet. It was a continuous spectrum (you get different strengths in each colour) and green was a bit above average. It was then that realised how much of a danger Malfoy could be if he turned to Voldemort's side.
Harry was still confident though, the house elves at Potter Castle always told him of his exceptional magical power, that and he knew so many spells and could learn spell's on the fly.
"I accept. A no show is paramount to a loss with all the winnings still being forfeited. Tonight, midnight, trophy room" Harry agreed reaching out his hand to seal the contract.
Malfoy reached out this hand finalising the deal and causing a magical surge around their hands to seal the contract between the pair.
It was then that the door to the potions class opened and everyone entered, with Ron Weasley being one of the first in considering how he could get Harry for hassling him the previous weeks.
Hermione, who had stayed quiet the whole conversation, finally broke her silence "Harry! What are you doing? What if you lose?" she panicked speaking in a hushed but urgent tone.
"Don't panic. Look I won't lose, trust me, besides I'll have to explain this to Daphne as well so I'll tell you both then."
Hermione still wasn't too sure, the thought that Harry could have to listen to everything Malfoy had to say, listen to him insult anyone not of pureblood ideology, it just seemed wrong. She entered the potions dungeon having to recompose herself or face the wrath of Professor Snape.
The class proceeded as always with Harry and Hermione quietly making their potion without error, Snape sneering over their shoulders making snide comments about their potion and deducting house points for everything from cutting the ingredients differently to "glaring at the teacher", Snape putting all of the animosity for Harry to use and punishing him in anyway possible. They made their way to the great hall and prepared themselves for lunch and their afternoon classes.
After classes Harry lead them to the room of requirement to pacify Hermione and to explain what he needed Hermione and Daphne to do during the duel, he also had to teach them the spell to ensure that neither party broke the rules of the duel.
First he went through and explained to Daphne what had happened, who had a similar reaction to Hermione though it was because she knew that Draco had been taught a number of dark arts spells before he reached school. It was then that they got to the guts of the conversation.
"Look, guys, I know I can beat Malfoy because I checked his power level." This statement silenced any argument, but only due to shock.
"What do you mean you checked his power level?" enquired Hermione slowly.
"It means he can see magic in a person," replied Daphne "remember how he said he could see the magic in his first transfiguration class? What I want to know though is how he knows this, that's like a rare magical gift and only those who are in an apprenticeship are able to learn their gifts!"
Harry smiled realising that he would never have got away with it for too long, "well Daphne, I brewed the reveller potion before I came to school, illegally, and have learnt to harness some of my skills. I know I have a destiny and need to be prepared, I just don't know what that destiny is yet. But your wrong about magical sight being rare, the gift is very common, magical child who needs glasses have the skill, it causes their sight to be changed meaning they need glasses, its just that few people have learnt how to harness the skill ever since house elves went into the service of wizards. It was always the house elves who taught wizards the skill, and what person wants to learn from their servants?"
The rhetorical question was indicative of the superior beliefs of so many of the wizards in the magical society and it was one of the things that Harry really had a problem with, because he was raised by goblins and house elves Harry was aware of the vast knowledge and abilities of other magical communities and it disgusted Harry that so many wizards would disregard the knowledge just because of its source. Harry wondered whether Dumbledore had the aura reading and magical reading abilities and whether that was part of the reason his eyes had their tell tale twinkle.
"Have you read our auras'?" asked Hermione.
"No. I think it's an invasion of privacy. I'll just do it if there's some threat to me, like Malfoy's challenge" replied Harry.
"Can you read my aura, please Harry. I really want to know" pleaded Hermione.
"Mine too," Daphne bubbled.
Harry, seeing the look in their eyes, resigned himself to their wishes. He took a deep breath and focused his magic. Looking at them he was unsurprised, Hermione's aura was a faded forest green colour, while Daphne's was turquoise. It proved both were above average in magical strength (with average being a pale yellow colour).
"Well Hermione," he began "you're strong, stronger than Malfoy, and Daphne, you're above average and stronger than Malfoy. But that would all come to nothing without knowledge" Harry advised trying to warn them about being complacent.
Both gave Harry a look telling him that they would always live in the pursuit of knowledge and his warnings were unneed and unwarranted.
"Anyway," Harry began diverting the conversation away from his warnings and any discussions on his own talents "during this duel I need you two to make sure Malfoy doesn't cheat. There is a spell that I know that will ensure that all participants of a duel follow the rule agreed to before it starts. Can I trust you to do it?"
Harry smiled as the girls nodded enthusiastically. The next couple of hours were spent learning the compliance bind, a spell used for all formal duels to ensure that neither party cheats and so the judges know who cheated and when it happened.
After dinner they went back to the common room where Harry spent his time studying and the girls tried to study while fretting about what could happen in the duel. Harry knew a couple of very basic duelling spells, other than his sorcerer spells, like the disarming spell and a basic shield spell, he though they would be enough for the duel and if they weren't he would subtly use a bit of sorcerer magic to win. No matter what happened he would not let Malfoy win the duel having to listen to him spout on about pureblood superiority without reasons would be too much, quite aside from declaring loyalty to him.
Slowly the common room drained of all occupants and by 11 o'clock the trio were the only ones left. At 11:30 the trio packed up their things and started heading towards the trophy room. The trio arrived about ten minutes before the duel was about to start Malfoy following just after.
"Ready to lose Potter?" Malfoy sneered hoping to put Harry off his game, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind him.
"No Malfoy, I am quite prepared to win. However, gaining loyalty from someone due to a bet is not particularly tempting to me perhaps that could be left out of the prize? Perhaps not?" Harry replied aware that Malfoy would never pass up the opportunity to gain control over anyone.
"I see you brought someone to carry you back to your room, good to see you thinking ahead."
"Indeed you did the same, the only difference is that my friends are going to help, have you heard of the compliance bind?" Malfoy nodded "well they are going to perform the spell to ensure that no one cheats; you, me or your little friends" said Harry sarcastically.
"Fine! The rules no illegal spells, first to be disarmed or incapacitated loses"
"Agreed. Ladies?"
Hermione and Daphne stepped forward. Hermione started the binding.
"Step forward and join your wands at the tip" the pair followed the instructions, Malfoy looking some what displeased having to follow the instructions of a muggle born. "Do you both agree to the rules of this duel?"
"Yes" Harry and Malfoy answered in unison
"Do you agree to the prize offered for this duel?" Asked Daphne
"Yes" Malfoy said instantly
"No" said Harry.
"What terms do you disagree with and what do you propose?" Daphne said continuing the binding.
"I do not want his loyalty instead I offer that he must consider all suggestions and advise I offer logically"
"Malfoy, do you agree?" asked Hermione.
By this time Malfoy was grinning thinking he now had the better end of the prizes. What he didn't realise was that while Harry would have to listen to everything Malfoy said he didn't have to follow the ideas. Likewise while Malfoy had Harry's loyalty it just meant that Harry couldn't oppose Malfoy publicly. It was a lesson in semantics but Harry knew it was important.
"Yes" Malfoy agreed without hesitation. A red light shone out from where their wands were joined.
"Then you are bound to the rule and prizes agreed and any deviations will result in the disqualification from the duel"
When Hermione finished the binding a white light shone out from the duellists, encompassing them both. Finally the light split off with Malfoy's going to Daphne and Harry's going to Hermione, connecting each to their judge.
The duellists separated from each other by about 10 feet and turned to face each other.
"Bow to your opponent and take up you stance" announce Daphne.
Harry bowed on a forty five degree angle showing respect, but not too much. Malfoy, however, barely bent his neck before the pair took up their duelling stance. Harry's was an aggressive stance, standing side on (reducing his profile) with his wand raised in front prepared to cast his first spell. Malfoy's was somewhat lose, he stood front on with his wand to raised, ready to cast a spell like he was in a classroom. There was now barely 5 seconds before midnight.
"At the stroke of midnight begin the duel" Hermione announced.
The combatants waited and moments after the announcement the first of 12 chimes rang out through the trophy room.
"Diffindo!"
"Protego! Expelliarmus!"
Malfoy's severing hex raced towards Harry as he set his shield, Malfoy's plan was obviously to incapacitate Harry. The shield deflected the hex while his disarming charm hit Malfoy unimpeded, Malfoy's wand flew over to Harry and a flash of blue light signalled the duel was over before the 12th sound of the clock.
"I win
Malfoy, and…"
Harry's gloating was interrupted, however, by
the screeching meow of Mrs Norris, Flich's cat.
"I suggest that we leave, Flich is sure to follow soon" said Harry, wondering who dobbd them in.
Though loath to admit it Malfoy agreed. He spun on his heels and left the trophy room with Crabbe and Goyle close behind.
"Quick Harry we better leave" whispered Hermione starting to panic at being caught.
Harry nodded and left out a different door to Malfoy. As the trio left the room he heard Flich say "check the corners my pretty. That red headed by said there would be a duel on in here tonight" and Harry knew Ron had squealed on them.
The trio swept out of the room and cut across the third floor. They were just about out of Flich's hearing range when disaster struck; Hermione tripped falling into a suit of armour.
"Quick run!" Harry implored.
And run they did. They raced across the third floor and up to a locked door. Harry, wand still in hand muttered "Alohomora" and the trio burst through the door, slamming it shut behind them.
The group pressed their ears against the door and listened for Flich. After waiting about a minute Harry slumped to the ground in relief "I think we lost him"
Daphne, eyes wide croaked out "out of the pan into the fire though" while Hermione started muttering "Oh my god, oh my god" under her breath.
Rising before them was a giant three headed dog, a Cerberus.
The three heads started to bark to each other and at the trio, something Harry was fortunately able to hear.
"Attack"
"What are you doing here?"
"Food, fresh food"
"Wait" Harry screamed addressing the centre head which asked the question and was (fortunately) in charge. The Cerberus stopped.
"You understand us human? Why are you here?" the Cerberus asked.
"Yes I understand you," Harry barked back (though he did not realise he had taken on the dog's tongue) "we were merely trying to escape Flich we didn't realise this was the out of bounds corridor" Harry explained.
"That human's always picking on our master" reasoned the left head.
"But we were told to remove any from this room" countered the right head.
The centre head was thoughtful for a moment "if you and you companions leave now, human, we will let you go unharmed"
Harry looked at the girls whose faces sported strange mix of fear and surprise. Harry decided that the would ask one question and leave, but just to be safe he gather his magic ready to cast a sorcerer's physical shield spell.
"We shall leave but my I ask who your master is? Perhaps I could help him with his problems with Flich, or at least I'll try" Harry questioned.
"Our master is Hagrid but do not speak of us with anyone! Now go!"
"Thank you" Harry said to the Cerberus and muttered "let's go, quick!" to the girls.
They all turned and fled to the Gryffindor common room running all the way with Daphne in the lead and Harry taking the trail.
When the got to the common room Hermione gasped out the password and entered with the girls flopping down on to the couch and glaring at Harry.
"What the hell was that!" screamed Hermione in a whisper so she didn't wake anyone.
"And what was that barking that you were doing? It seemed like you were talking to it?" asked Daphne in a slightly calmer tone (she'd gone to the Gryffindor tower with the others and would make her way to the Ravenclaw common rooms soon.
"I was barking?" said Harry slightly confused, he shook it off before continuing. "Well yes I'm a beastspeaker just one of my other skills."
"How many skills have you got?" asked Daphne
"Better still what are they?" countered Hermione.
Harry paused for a moment. He didn't really want to tell them what his talents were but he knew he could trust them and he knew he'd have to tell them sooner or later. He sighed and began to explain "well you know about my magic seeing and aura reading, and you just found out about my beastspeaking ability. I'm also a sorcerer and a mage, and have some elemental control mainly with lighting and fire but I haven't learnt to control it yet. I have significant mental fortitude, I'm a multiple animagus, and a metamorphgus." Harry took a breath and smiled "quite a list I know" he said laughing.
"Wow," commented Daphne using her most eloquent speech she could "most people only have two or three gifts, five at most, but you! You've got like 9 gifts I don't think anyone's had so many since Merlin was alive" she finished slightly awed.
"So what are your animagus forms?" asked Hermione less overawed being not as aware of magical gifts as Daphne was.
"Ah, well I've got five a jaguar, snake, griffin, crup and a phoenix but I can't transform into my griffin or crup form yet, I need to spend more time with them."
"Three magical creatures? Dear Merlin!" was the only response Daphne could come up with.
"Wow, but I thought magical animagus forms were extremely rare, most people take on normal animals, don't they?" asked Hermione starting to develop some insight into how rare Harry's gifts were.
"Well yeah, but your animagus form is just a reflection of dominant personality traits, most non-magical animals provide enough scope for many people. You get some, like Dumbledore, who need the extra power and scope provided by magical creatures" Harry explained.
Slowly as the shock wore off Daphne decided "I think I need to go to sleep, this is a bit to take in right now."
"I'll walk you back if you want," Harry offered "but I've got to ask that you don't tell anyone about my gifts, I'd like to keep them quiet for as lone as possible."
"Thanks Harry that would be great, I don't really know the quiet paths back yet" Daphne said blushing slightly.
Harry hid a smile wondering if the blush meant what he thought it meant. After years of living with only the house elves and goblins for company he wanted to learn to interact more personally with someone, while friends were great, he needed a bit more. They spent most of the walk back to the Ravenclaw common room.
As the got to a quiet corridor Daphne asked "don't you think it's too much?"
Harry was slightly confused "what's too much?" he enquired.
"Your gifts you have so many. Don't you feel that people are going to expect a lot from you? I mean you're already the 'Boy-Who-Lived'."
Harry thought for a moment, he had never considered other peoples expectations. As much communication his parents had with him it wasn't the same as seeing their pride or disappointment etched across their faces. "I don't know that it matters. People will think what they want to think and there's very little I can do about it. If look around when we walk through the corridors to classes lots of people turn and stare or mutter under their breath. What can I do about it?"
"Doesn't it get to you though? The whispering? The worshiping?"
"I suppose. I try not to think on it. I try to focus on what I'm doing and make sure it's enough for me.
"If I try to please everyone I'll end up pleasing no one."
The logic was not lost on Daphne and she decided to ponder on what was said over night. She wondered if the same logic could be applied to her, her parents weren't overly please she didn't get accepted into Slytherin, the rest of their family were members of that house, but weren't too displeased with Ravenclaw 'better than Gryffindor' they thought 'at least Ravenclaw's were thought to be smart.
By this time they had arrived at the Ravenclaw tower and Daphne whispered the password to the statue. She entered the common room, whispering "Good night Harry" over her shoulder.
Harry decided to put his animagus forms to good use transforming into a midnight black jaguar with startling green eyes. He was around 4 feet long with a 1.5 foot long tail and weighed in at around 200 pounds. He was still a small jaguar but would grow in time.
He started to race though the halls of Hogwarts, keeping himself hidden in the shadows and virtually silent. Harry quickly arrived back at the fat lady's portrait and transformed back into his human form the trip took scarcely a quarter the time it normally would. He quietly spoke the password to the fat lady and entered the deserted common room before making his way to bed. As he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep he wondered how he would confirm who snitched on him and started to plot his revenge, no more would he have to make political statements in his pranks now they'd be for fun and revenge. And with that though a smile appeared on his face and he drifted into a peaceful sleep.
AN
Hey cheers to everyone who reviewed.
As many people have commented I seem to make lots of small annoying mistakes, the type of mistakes a beta reader would pick up on. After careful consideration (I read some reviews) I have decided to put the job up for grabs. If anyone would like to beta my story for me I will be grateful. The payment will be my eternal thanks and the privilege of reading the new chapters first.
I decided to change one of Harry's forms in this chapter. I went back and up dated any previous mentions of the panther, it doesn't need to be reread everything else fits just a different cat.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Hyphenated: yes he is staying rather cool when he has time to think and isn't under any pressure, when the squeeze goes on I plan to have Harry reacting and not thinking as much that's what Hermione and Daphne are for. I figured that this Harry could fit in any house and Gryffindor would be the first house that needs to change it seems they are a bit bigoted (evil Slytherins) and everyone else (Slytherins) just start living up to their stereotypes.
jabarber69: thanks for the comments. I probably need to get me a beta really I don't do much proof reading I more just write it use the spell checker and post. As I said if anyone's keen let me know.