Part 1

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Talking, laughing, and chewing filled the entire kitchen of the burrow. Fred and George had grown a spinach plant to the size of a house within a week. Mrs. Weasley and Dobby had used it to make spinach pie, salad, and spinach spread. They'd spent time comparing recipes over term and we're trying out some new ones over at the Weasley household.

Dumbledore had found someone to fill in as Hogwarts matron over the break, so she was able to be home. Dobby on the other hand, apparently didn't need one.

Harry laughed to himself as Hermione kept grilling Ron about transfiguration. "And you know how to transfigure a newt?"

"Yeah. It's pretty easy."

"And you can even cast the Borelis charm?"

"Borolis charm." Ron said. Harry did a double take. Fred and George looked at Ron. Ron stopped. "Must be the Borelis charm."

"No you were right." Percy bit into a salad bowl and swallowed before speaking. "The Borolis charm. Bit of a weird name for a spell with Borel Patris as its incantation."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in shock. Hermione raised an eyebrow at their reaction. Harry patted his friend on the back. "Maybe you should be the one tutoring Hermione." Ron laughed and Hermione rolled her eyes.

Hermione thought for a moment before looking at Percy. "Uh…Professor Weasley." Fred and George snickered.

"We're not at school. Just call me Percy. Besides, you were a classmate of mine." Percy said.

"Right…I was wondering if you knew anything about spell creation?"

Percy furrowed his brow. "Spell creation? I believe you asked me about that earlier this semester. It's not really my area of expertise, so I don't know what more I can tell you."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. Cedric managed to create a counter spell charm. I've been looking into such spells, but haven't been able to find anything useful."

Percy scratched his chin. "Counter spells huh." He turned to his older brother. "Bill. Haven't you done some study on those?"

Bill nodded. "Since you mention it. Curse breaking involves counter spells quite a bit. But I don't really invent new spells. When it comes to dealing with curses, any kind of real experimentation can be really dangerous. It's more about applying what we already know and making it work than trying to invent anything new."

"Does that mean you don't know anything?" Hermione asked.

"Well…" Bill thought for a moment. "I did read a little about someone named Pandora Lovegood. She was one of the world's leading experts in the subject. Unfortunately she died during one of her experiments. That's part of the reason regulations are so strict for the field. If you and Cedric want to do this, be very careful."

"Uh…Hermione?" Ron said. "Didn't Cedric say it stopped someone from casting a spell? I thought counter spells undid a spell?"

Bill shook his head. "Prevented a spell? I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that. Did it stop the wand from working?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not really. It just affected the at spell. And once Luna cast a different spell, her wand was able to cast Lumos again."

The room had been getting quieter and quieter, and now it was completely silent. Everyone was listening, except Dobby who was struggling with Crookshanks who was sitting on top of his chest.

Percy was the first to say anything. "How exactly did this spell work?"

"As strange as it sounds." Hermione said. "He held his wand backwards. Well technically Maxine O'flannery was the one who did it."

"Interesting." Percy looked at Bill. "Uh, Bill…would you mind trying that on my wand?"

Bill shrugged, pulling out his wand. He held it backwards aiming at Percy. "What was the incantation?"

Harry laughed to himself. "Not Lumos."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Ok…so what is it?"

"Uh…" Hermione said. "That was it. Not Lumos is the actual incantation. Say that phrase."

Bill aimed the wand handle. "Not Lumos." Nothing happened. "Was something supposed to happen?"

"I don't remember. I don't think there was any way to tell until Luna tried casting a spell."

Percy looked at his wand. "Lumos." Nothing happened. "Lumos." Again nothing happened. "Accio spoon?" The spoon next to Percy's plate flew to his hand.

Bill blinked. "Well, everything I've ever known about how spells work has just been proven wrong."

Bill and Percy spent the next hour canceling different spells. In the end they were able to stop: Lumos, Expelliarmus, Protego, Wingardium Leviosa, Stupify

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Part 2

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Barty Crouch Jr. and Lord Voldemort sat in the minister of magic's office discussing plans for killing Albus Dumbledore. "Do you believe you can beat the elder wand?"

Voldemort was silent, deep in thought, but eventually spoke. "That remains to be seen. I believe that can only be determined in a duel. We need a contingency. Some way to catch that geezer off guard."

"We already have an award ceremony for 2 people he knows. He'll almost certainly be at the event, but we don't know what he's prepared for."

"He's a master of transfiguration, and his skill in the use and defense against the dark arts is second only to me and maybe Severus. If he has a weakness, I don't know it."

A knock came on the door. "Come in." Cornelius Fudge said.

Percy Weasley walked in. "Sir. I believe I've discovered something that could aid in fighting Grindelwald."

An intrigued look crossed the minister's face. "Go on."

"A Hogwarts student created a spell that prevents proper use of a wand. I believe it can be used to prevent the use of dark spells."

Voldemort and Crouch glanced at each other. "This could be a problem." Voldemort changed back to speaking through Fudge. "How exactly does this spell work?"

"It can only counter 1 spell at a time. At least for now. As far as I can tell, it uses the opposite of a spell."

Fudge raised his eyebrows. "Really…that is interesting. Can you show me how it works?"

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Part 3

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The Burrow was quiet with almost everyone having left. Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny had gone out to a pub in Diagon Alley; Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charley had returned to work; and no one knew where Percy had gone off to. Fred and George showed Harry some of their new inventions, including a firework that could phase through walls. Ron and Dobby were playing chess.

Ron moved a pawn diagonal to Dobby's King. "Checkmate."

"How does Ron keep beating Dobby? No one beats Dobby at chess."

"Look, why don't you play with someone else for a while." Ron looked at Harry. "You up for a game of WIzard's Chess?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure, why not." He sat down where Ron had been as Dobby moved a pawn. Harry moved his own pawn.

Dobby moved his queen. "Checkmate."

Harry blinked a few times, not sure how to react. Ron laughed, shaking his head. "Forgot how bad you are at this game."

Harry rolled his eyes and began another game with Dobby. This time he lost in 4 moves, then 5, then a few more. But he kept losing very quickly. Ron's face kept a smirk as Harry lost again and again. Harry threw his hands in the air, giving up. "Dobby, how are you so good at chess?"

"He's not. You're just really bad." Fred took Harry's seat and proceeded to lose almost immediately. Then he lost again, and again.

George leaned over to talk to Fred. "Apparently you're not much better."

Fred looked at him annoyed. "All right. Why don't you try then?"

"Nope, I'm good. Why don't you have a go, Ron?" George pulled the chair toward his younger brother.