Chapter 24 - REFINING IN THE FLAME WITHIN
Daphne POV
"Here comes the aeroplane!"
Harry then fed me a spoonful of treacle tart. At first, it took a while for Harry to explain the muggle saying he just said when feeding me. After a long explanation about muggle airplanes and how the analogy works, I finally got it. I was pretty impressed and surprised that muggles had found a way to fly without magic.
I then shifted next to Harry and leaned in to rest on his shoulder. He then wrapped one arm around my waist as we sat together on the picnic cloth on the grass floor. We sat there together in silence and stared out at the glistening water in the Black Lake. I then spoke up after we sat together for a bit.
"Harry?... Do you think you could… um… perhaps teach Tracey and I how to do a patronus… I know that not all wizards can do this… actually, you don't have to teach me, just Tracey cause she-"
He then gave me a playful nudge, interrupting me.
"Of course, I was going to suggest that I might teach Tracey and you as well how to do a patronus, I knew the bad reaction Tracey was having. She got out of the hospital wing today and declined to go to Hogsmeade. Tracey would never resist going to Zonko's or Honeydukes at Hogsmeade! She clearly is still affected by the dementors after that previous traumatic experience, I mean I definitely would…"
I then leaned over and kissed him. The kiss then turned into a full-blown make-out sesh. After a while we parted lips, each gasping for breath.
"What was that for?" asked Harry.
I then smiled before giving him and another quick peck on the lips before pulling away.
"For being such a great and caring boyfriend".
We then packed up our picnic and started to walk back towards the castle. Someway along the way back, I latched onto his arm and pressed my body against his.
Harry POV
I woke up early next morning, the twins and Lee were still asleep when I got dressed and headed for the empty great hall. Nobody woke up this early on Sundays. Once I got there, I quickly grabbed some before walking towards the Room of Requirement. After pacing around the hallway three times, I entered the large room with training dummies I envisioned when practicing fiendfyre.
"Alright Harry, like last time, cast aguamenti and practice redirecting and flowing the water around first, wandlessly of course. Then we will train with the firestorm charm before we start using fiendfyre".
I nodded at Godric's instructions and shot out a jet of water from my wand high into the air before putting my wand away. Then motioning with my free hands, I caught the water right before it made contact with the floor and began to bend the water around the room. I bended the water around the room in a figure eight motion, before I started to weave it in between the target dummies.
Godric had me do this and the firestorm charm before using fiendfyre to get me warmed up. He explained that the concept was fairly similar, that you can only redirect the fire. It was impossible to entirely suppress the growing flame. A strong wizard would know to leave enough power to stop and cut off the flame before it grew too large. However, although difficult to master, a wizard could delay this process by forming an animal of their choosing out of the flame and redirecting the fire to stop it growing so fast, thus keeping it under control for long periods of time.
After bending the water around the room for ten minutes, I vanished the water before taking out my wand and raising it above my head. I then started to chant the firestorm charm while performing large circular wand movements above my head. I still haven't quite gotten down the incantations for the spell yet, so I couldn't perform it nonverbally. A ring of fire started to appear around me as the flames grew larger.
I then took aim as I separated large bolts of fire from the circular flame and had them sent at the training dummies. I precisely struck a couple of them. Each burning for a while before quickly automatically cutting the flame off and repairing itself.
After striking all the dummies a couple of times I willed the firestorm around me to stop. The circle of fire then slowly start to die down. I lowered my wand and took a deep breath before Godric told me to start. I then slashed my wand horizontally in front of me, shooting out a small arc of fiendfyre. I quickly pointed my wand and my free hand at the fire and formed a stag, like my patronus. I then started to manipulate the fire and have my stag bolt around the room. I had the stag run through some of the training dummies, burning them to ash.
However, the dummies still somehow managed repaired itself afterwards. After ten minutes or so, I was approaching my limit, I then with one large circular motion and a slight finesse with my wand cut the fire out cleanly. I let out a sigh and panted slightly. I had started to sweat a bit.
"Well done Harry, you certainly have improved since last time!"
Really? I still did not last as long as last time when controlling the fiendfyre.
"Ah but Harry, your control of the flame has improved and your redirection of the fire is improving. You managed to burn every dummy to ash cleanly without having the fire lingering and trailing so wastefully behind. Last week if you recall, you didn't have this finesse with the spell as your fire was slightly rampant and a bit over the place as you couldn't redirect all the flames smoothly and left trails of it behind".
Really? It doesn't feel that way though, I still feel like I am struggling, the fire still feels...sluggish? I am not quite sure how to explain it Godric.
"Don't worry Harry, you are doing well. Now, why don't we do something less tiring before your girlfriend and Tracey show up?"
Okay, Godric…
"I will now guide you in the steps of attuning you with your magic".
I was immediately confused at what Godric was saying.
What do you mean attuning me with my magic?
"Harry, have you ever why Dumbledore has been able to see through your cloak of invisibility? Despite it being the cloak of invisibility, one of the Deathly Hallows?"
At first, I didn't understand, but then an idea formed in my head.
"Yes Harry, it is exactly what you are thinking, Dumbledore can't exactly see you, as your cloak is incredibly unique, but can roughly guess where you are due to the unique magical aura of the cloak. What I will be teaching you will help strengthen your bond with magic and help you analyze magical auras of not only objects but people as well. This is a skill that I used to avoid the traps Salazar placed in my bed once...
Hmmm, so this kind of magical detection is like a sixth sense in some way?
"Yes so to speak, it will be handy for you in the future as you can recognize and identify stuff that is maybe poisoned in your food or traps behind a door".
Are you sure I can do this Godric? You just said it was something that Dumbledore could do... that automatically means to me that not a lot of people can do this...
"I am certain you can Harry. If your performance with wandless magic is any indicator, I'd say you have quite a high magical affinity and a strong magical core. You should be more than good enough to grasp this skill".
I nodded excitedly at this, this was indeed very useful and could prove vital in saving me and my friends in dangerous situations. Although I had my rings, it was best if I didn't purely rely on them. Godric then told me to meditate first and try to feel the magic around me. Hogwarts, being one of the most magic attuned places on earth, felt like a sea of magic.
It was like I was a sponge and soaking in the magic around me. I could feel the strong waves of magic that were being emitted by Hogwarts itself.
"Brilliant Harry! Good! Usually, most people can barely detect slithers of magic around them. Seems like you are well attuned to magic itself. You will just need some refinement. Next, I suggest we transform the room into something more useful, maybe a room with a bunch of unfamiliar objects? That way you won't know what you are looking for".
That's a good idea Godric. I then stood up and started walking towards the door.
I'll pop out and perhaps wish for a room with all hidden objects? That way, I won't know what I am looking for.
Godric then beamed at my idea. I then walked outside and quickly wished for a room where all things were hidden and was about to walk in when I heard footsteps from down the corridor.