AN: Alright so not the chapter you may have been expecting, but its better than nothing...right?
Interlude: Dueling Dumbledore and We Band of Badgers
"Hey Potter!"
Harry briefly turned his attention away from the bacon on his plate to find the source of interruption. His eyes landed on Cedric, and one of his brows shot upwards in silent response.
Cedric handed him a piece of parchment. "Congrats, you're in the team. Here's our practice schedule."
Harry took the parchment and skimmed through it. "You have any problems with it?" Cedric asked.
"This will suffice." Harry answered curtly, nodding to his Captain, before returning his gaze to the neglected food on his plate. As luck would have had it, a hawk suddenly and inconsiderately landed on his plate, dropped a letter on Harry's lap before it promptly snatched a piece of bacon and flew off.
"That's strange behavior for a hawk, Potter." Cedric commented, grinning.
Harry didn't bother dignifying that quip with a response, and deftly picked up the envelope. It was a crimson red letter, which could only mean two things in the magical world; either it was a love letter or a howler. And seeing as it was from his parents, he very much doubted it was the former.
"Might as well get on with it, I suppose." Harry muttered, tearing the envelope. The parchment inside shot up into the air, as the charms placed on it activated. A face began to appear on the parchment, and soon, the Great Hall was treated to Lily Potter's shrill voice.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Harry winced visibly, more at the volume than at the anger in the voice. "WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING? ASSAULTING YOUR PROFESSOR LIKE THAT! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER! I THOUGHT I HAD RAISED YOU TO HAVE ORE MANNERS! YOUR FIRST CLASS IN SCHOOL AND ALREADY IT SEEMS YOU ARE DOING YOUR UTMOST BEST TO DISGRACE YOURSELF! YOUR FATHER WILL HAVE WORDS WITH YOU, YOUNG MAN!"
Harry groaned at the prospect of getting berated by his dad as well. Turning his head, he could see his brother and sister both sitting at the Gryffindor Table, smirking at him in a "You're going to get it now" sort of way. "HEY HARRY, THIS IS YOUR DAD. SORRY IF THE VOLUME IS TOO LOUD, BUT LILY SET THE VOLUME TO THE MAX AND I CAN'T REVERSE IT. ANYWAYS, I'D JUST LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT WHAT YOU DID IS WRONG. KEEP IT UP! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! THE MARAUDERS LIVE AGAIN!"
Harry blinked. "That was unexpected." He muttered to no one in particular.
"JAMES! DO NOT ENCOURAGE THE BOY! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF YOU GETTING UP TO YOUR SCHEMES AGAIN YOUNG MAN!" The letter ended the show by blowing up in all its fiery glory.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Hannah smirking at him. "I told you that you would get in trouble for hexing the professor."
"Don't you mean the 'handsome and dashing Professor Lockhart?'" Harry said, grinning when her face suddenly resembled a tomato. "And I'm not really in trouble. My dad seems to think I'm awesome for doing it. My mum probably needs some time to cool off. If all goes well, everything should be right as rain by the time I go back for the Holidays." Harry said, not at all worried.
"So Hannah, tell me. What are you planning to ensnare Professor Blondie?" Harry asked mockingly.
"I was hoping to offer your head on a platter to him. That's sure to get me into his good graces at the very least." She said.
Harry stared at her, not sure if she was actually thinking about it. "Relax Harry, it was a joke. You'd think someone as crude as you would be able to take a few seeing as you certainly like to dish it out." She said, rolling her eyes.
"Jokes I can take, Hannah. Death threats are a whole different thing. I have to look out for myself."
"Cedric wasn't kidding when he said you really sound like a Slytherin."
"Better a snake than a marshmallow."
"So much for Hufflepuff loyalty." She huffed.
"If I remember correctly, you yourself claimed that it was my honest and impartial observations that made me a good arbiter. Well, consider this as my completely unbiased assessment then."
"Touché." She paused to leer at his plate. "You really should finish up eating. We have Defense Against the Dark Arts in five minutes."
"Typical Hannah Abbott, so concerned with schedules and never taking time to appreciate the small things in life." Harry said in faux condescension, shaking his head. "Although I do wonder if Lockhart is still going to teach us today." He said more seriously, munching on a bit of buttered toast. Suddenly, he stood up, a feral grin replacing his previously pensive look. "It should be fun to find out."
Hannah shuddered at his words. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Honestly Hannah, stop being so paranoid. You're starting to sound like Alastor Moody. Now hurry up, weren't you the one who wanted to see Blondie?" Harry called out, not even slowing his gait. His wand was spinning in his hand, as had become his habit.
Hannah scowled at his back, before hurrying to catch up with her "friend". Most of the third year Hufflepuffs, as if on cue, scampered after Harry like wolves following their alpha. Hannah resisted the urge to connect her palm with her face when she realized this. Honestly! Just because he was a prodigy, scary and a tad bit domineering does not mean that he was automatically their leader. The way they were acting now and one would think they had gathered under his banner or something to that effect.
"Harry?" She called out nervously.
"Yes?"
"Are you aware that most of our batch mates in our house are following you?"
"Are you sure they're not following you? A fair deal of them seem to be blokes and you are rather pretty." Harry mused, coming to a halt. Following his lead, everyone stopped dead in their tracks, waiting for him.
Hannah blushed at his praise, if it could be called that. "I'm positive it's you. Are you going to do something about it?"
"Am I supposed to?" Harry asked, confused and amused at the same time.
"People might think you're the next Dark Lord or something if you don't put an end to this."
Harry snorted. "A Dark Lord in Hufflepuff? That's ridiculous." Hannah gave him a glare that conveyed "I'll murder you for that."
Harry raised his hands in faux surrender. "Alright, I'll admit that was a bit prejudiced of me."
"It was."
"Anyway, I always did want to start my own gang. We could get matching tattoos or something and strut around school." Harry said contemplatively. "Then again, it is such a hassle." He turned to face his "followers", all of whom were paying their complete attention to him. "Alright, you lot. Why are all of you following me?"
"Because you're our leader!" Someone shouted.
Harry frowned. "I am?" They nodded vigorously. "Pleased as I am to have my own minions, how did you manage to figure that out?"
"Because of what you did yesterday." Another informed him.
"What? You mean beating up Lockhart?" Harry snorted. "That's not much. I bet half of you could have managed, albeit not as well as I did. But you still would have managed."
"That part was impressive, and partly entertaining, but we're referring to what you did in general." Harry raised a brow at them, urging them to elaborate. "The advanced runework, the glowering praise, the number of points you won despite baiting the teachers, your skills in dueling, and managing to get into our Quidditch team. Heck, you even managed to scare a Slytherin. And you accomplished all that even though you've technically only been to school for a month and four days." A voice Harry recognized to belong to Ernie Macmillan elaborated.
"If you could do that much, think of what you could do given a year or two. You could be the thing this House needs to finally get some respect around here." Justin continued. Those around them started nodding in agreement.
"You guys figured that I was a prodigy with an attitude who may or may not bring some glory to our House and you decide to stalk me?"
"It seems that way." Hannah remarked dryly.
"Right, so why are you guys following me?" Harry asked again, genuinely curious.
"Because you're our leader!" Someone shouted again, followed by more nodding of heads.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, getting a bit irked by the vicious cycle that was starting to happen. "Why is it you've suddenly formed a gang to follow me around, is what I mean. And why are you all so at ease with this whole let's elect Harry Potter as Supreme Overlord thing."
"It's tradition." Harry stared incredulously at them. "Whenever someone really powerful or talented arises in Hufflepuff, we take to following them around. Every batch has one eventually. Take Cedric Diggory for example. He always has a huge crowd with him because he's their leader. Without one, the other houses would eat us alive. Do you know how many of us get bullied by the other houses because they think we're a house full of cast-offs? We're 'Puffs. We have to stick together, and preferably around a powerful person."
Harry looked gobsmacked. "How come I've never heard of this before?" Now that I think about it, Hufflepuffs always did seem to clump together.
"Well, you're the first Hufflepuff of your family, aren't you? This isn't exactly something we shout out so everyone can hear." Justin said, shrugging.
"Okay, so all of you are just going to follow me around to see if I do anything spectacular and act as my personal cheering squad?"
"I think that's more or less it Potter." Hannah answered.
"Now, now Hannah. Don't be bitter that you didn't get your own gang." Harry chided. "Say, is there anyone here opposed to getting matching tattoos?"
"What is a tha-two?" One of the many unfamiliar purebloods asked.
"Sort of like an ink marking. Right, let's get to class first then. I don't want to be late just be cause I found out I inadvertently began my own gang. Dad will be so proud." Harry said, wiping a fake tear from his eye as he began walking towards class again. Like a well-oiled machine, the entire body followed behind him, and only Hannah walked beside Harry.
"You're seriously going to play along with this?" Hannah asked incredulously.
Harry shrugged. "It would be cruel to turn them away." Harry replied, opening the door to their class. "Ladies first." He said, waving her in. She glared at him, but went inside anyway. Harry entered after her followed by his minions.
What lay inside was surprising. Dumbledore watched them enter with a twinkle in his eye and Lockhart was surprisingly absent. "How nice of you to join us Mr. Potter. I see you've managed to gather your own following, not uncommon among your House. Take your seat."
Harry sat beside Hannah, while his minions surrounded them so that he was in the center.
"Professor Lockhart is absent today because he had to speak with his solicitors due to urgent affairs." Dumbledore tilted his head towards Harry as he said this. "So, I will be acting as a substitute until he returns. Now, what have you learned so far?"
"Never underestimate your opponent." Neville supplied.
"That's better than nothing I suppose. Mr. Potter, would you care to join me on stage?"
Harry groaned. Lockhart was one thing, Dumbledore was another. "For what purpose, Headmaster?"
"Why to duel, of course! I haven't fought in quite a while, but I may prove to be a challenge for you yet." The aged man said, smiling not unkindly.
Karma's a bitch. Harry thought grimly, as he stood to face Dumbledore. "Ready? Begin!" Dumbledore exclaimed.
Harry immediately raised his left glove, ready to deflect any incoming spells, while his wand was pointed at Dumbledore, ready to cast a shield if needed. And he waited for Dumbledore's attack.
And waited.
And waited.
Harry blinked, uncertain why Dumbledore hadn't done anything aside from watching him with that twinkle in his eye. They both stood impassive for a good two minutes, before Harry got impatient. "Diffindo" he muttered. The dark red spell shot out of his wand, only to slam into an invisible wall in front of Dumbledore.
"Care to try again, Mr. Potter?"
Harry blinked again. Is Dumbledore mocking me? He shifted his feet into a better position, before launching a Blasting Hex at the elder. The stream of light, once again, hit the invisible wall.
"Come now, Mr. Potter. I expected more from the student who bested one of my staff in combat."
"Even if that man had no experience in fighting?"
"And you're implying you have this experience?" Harry stayed silent at that, refusing to compromise himself by answering. "I'm not sure what to make of you, Mr. Potter. You are quite the enigma to me."
Harry tilted his head curiously, but did not speak. He was well aware that everyone was waiting for him to make his move. Sighing, he pocketed his wand, to everyone's surprise, and bowed to Dumbledore. "I yield, Headmaster."
Albus's eyebrow shot up like a rocket. "We've barely begun!" He remarked loudly, but not unkindly.
"Fight only the battles you can win."
"A wise saying, Mr. Potter, but why do you say you cannot win?"
"You've managed to conjure an invisible wall, most likely of transparent metal. In any event, it must be something strong enough to withstand that blasting hex I sent you without even leaving a scratch. With that in mind, you could most likely defeat me by sending transfigured objects flying towards me. The only reason you have not finished me off yet - and you are perfectly capable of finishing this anytime, mind you - is because you want to see what I can do and I am a student in your school. If I was, say, a Death Eater, I would be dead by now or worse." Harry analyzed coolly.
"An accurate and highly uncanny analysis, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore followed Harry's actions by pocketing his own wand in return and bowing slightly, a sign that he had graciously accepted his surrender. "You are wise beyond your years, Mr. Potter." His twinkle was in overdrive now.
Harry shrugged indifferently at the adulation. "Not really. I'd suppose many would rather drop their wands before facing you."
"True. Take your seat, Mr. Potter, and we will begin the lesson." Harry obeyed immediately. "What Mr. Potter has said is correct. The first rule of fighting is to avoid it when possible. Of course, one cannot completely abstain from violence. This isn't a perfect world after all. There are three general ways to defend yourself. Who'd like to guess? Mr. Longbottom?"
"I suppose dodging a spell would be one way sir."
"You are correct. Anyone else care to try? How about young Draco?"
Malfoy sneered. "Shield charms should be obvious enough."
Dumbledore, if he was affected by his attitude, never let it show. "Also correct. The third, Ms. Bones?"
"I suppose blocking the spells with something?"
"Very good. Each method is imperfect when used alone. Shield charms drain your energy quickly and can be broken by powerful spells. It also cannot block the killing curse. Dodging is good, but in places where movement can be constricted, it is difficult. It is also physically tiring and far more risky. Area of effect spells can also diminish the advantage of this method. Blocking, whether by moving behind something or using transfiguration, takes energy as well and more control and coordination. The key to a good defense is to use each in moderation, and never relying on one alone. Now how about a demonstration? Everyone form a circle around me." With a flick of his wand, every table, chair, and article of furniture was moved to the side, leaving a large area clear.
"Quickly now! I am an old man, and I don't have all day." The students hastily formed a circle around their headmaster, some fidgeting nervously, others looking uncomfortable. "Whoever can manage to land a hit on me will get an O for today's marks." The students looked at him in shock. "Go on, don't be shy now! I didn't survive two wars without learning a thing or two."
Even the Slytherins looked afraid of following those particular instructions. Must be their sense of self-preservation at work.Harry thought. With due haste, he sent a few well-aimed stunners around the Headmaster, hoping to limit his mobility. The Hufflepuffs quickly followed suit after their appointed leader and the Slytherins followed just for kicks. A cacophony of spells, hexes and curses of varying deadliness were sent flying with the intent to hit the Headmaster.
Their attempts had no such luck. Barely moving his wand, the air around Dumbledore was suddenly filled with conjured objects, rotating around him at breakneck speeds as if he were a planet, and they his satellites. Th stunners barely got within a foot of him before each was intercepted. "What I am doing now is called the Whirlwind!" Dumbledore yelled gleefully at his students, relishing in the flabbergasted looks. "A most excellent example of blocking, although quite difficult to control." He remarked, watching as several more spells attempted to get through the defensive debris.
Harry frowned, and stopped to analyze the situation. Clearly, the method he and his batch mates were using had a slim chance at success. A reevaluation of tactics was required. With a quick twirl of his wand, one of the previously discarded tables was banished towards Dumbledore. The desired affect was achieved when many of the debris circling the man was destroyed or pushed aside by the larger object. Harry, determined to capitalize on his move, sent several stunners following after the table.
Sadly, a moment too late. Reacting instinctively, Dumbledore had blasted the table away and erected a shield to deflect the spells. Harry, still frowning, became all too aware that he was rapidly losing energy, and could not maintain his volley of spell fire. An unfortunate result of his weakened state was his lack on endurance in fights of attrition. A weakness he would have to rectify for the upcoming Dueling Tournament he intended to win.
Tightening his grip on his wand, he twirled it above his head before bringing it out in front of him and holding the tip of it against his opposite palm. Without a second to lose, a series of runes materialized in front of Harry, giving off a faint eerily orange glow. They flashed brightly thrice, before disappearing. All of a sudden, the various debris that were still circling had a rune engraved into them. In unison, they dropped to the floor loudly. Dumbledore seemed vaguely surprised, though showed no ado to it.
"An impressive magical disruption field, but I'm afraid you're not the only one who knows how to manipulate runes." He said, adding his own set of inscriptions to the debris.
Harry watched him work with curiosity before realizing what he had did as every spell suddenly fizzled out of existence around him. "You reversed the directions and made it into a disruption shield." Harry accused.
"Guilty as charged." Dumbledore replied, shrugging. "It also seems time's up." He said, eying the grandfather clock nearby. "This has been most entertaining. I can't remember having this much fun in years. I do hope the fifth years will be as much of a challenge! Now run along children. Don't be late for classes." He shooed them away.