Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, objects, or anything else that comes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Warning: This story will contain scenes of violence, bad language, and maybe other themes that some audiences may find unsuitable. You have been advised.
When You Have Nothing Left to Lose
Chapter 14:
"Even though I have not known you long, I can tell something's on your mind. What's going on?" Daphne asked as the door to the Room of Requirement closed behind her.
Harry tore his gaze from the fire he was staring into at the sound of her voice. The room around him was the same one he had first shown her the night before. "Daphne." He stood from the leather couch and turned fully towards her. "Please, have a seat. You gave me a lot to think about."
"You mean what to do now that you have accepted that you're stuck here." Daphne sat in the chair across once more.
Harry nodded as he returned to his own seat on the couch. "Yes. I started mentally going over everything that I know that happens to try to reason out some solutions, but I realized there's something I need to do first."
Daphne motioned with her hand to continue.
"Well, no matter what I want to plan, I need to share this knowledge. It's too much to analyze alone and could easily consume me."
"Plus you already told me that you would share the whole story." Daphne remarked.
His signature grin appeared again. "Who says I'd be telling you? I could have picked-" Harry's eyes widened slightly before glancing down at the paper on the table in front of him. Quietly he muttered, "Sirius."
"Sirius?" Daphne looked on in confusion. "Someone from the future?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Our present, but one I will save from the future… That does remind me though… We'll need to go over my past. My Hogwarts years were decently documented by the time we met in the future so my adventures were a little bit more well known, but as of now, all of it is just rumors. That is if you're still interested in a partner?"
"No, I have changed my mind since last night." Daphne crossed her arms and rolled her eyes before curiosity got the better of her. "How were they documented so well? You haven't exactly seemed like the kind who shares everything willingly."
The time traveler let out a mirthless chuckle. "My wife pressured me. She always cared more about money, saying how we needed to ensure a stable family home for our children… Pressured me to make as much as I could then complained when I was working all the time. She ended up leaving me because of it… Yet she never even contributed. 'You're the Man-Who-Conquered,' she'd say. 'You should be able to handle taking care of all the bills."
"Wow." Daphne spoke softly then took a moment to take everything in.
"She sounds like a right cunt."
Completely caught off guard, Harry burst into laughter. "I'm inclined to agree with you."
"Who was it?"
Harry gave her a look. "Who do you think?"
Daphne sighed. "From the description, I doubt it was Granger… maybe… the youngest Weasley?"
"First of all, Hermione and me? Nope. Just… no. That would be like marrying my sister." The young man shuddered. "But correct on your guess."
"I'm glad you have changed because anyone can see how she cares only for what she gets back." She shook her head.
"Trust me, I'm glad I did as well. Now, after we go through everything, I think while I'm here we'll need to prioritize a few things. We have a lot of information, but I imagine as we change things, it'll be less and less useful. We'll need allies to make up for that besides the fact that we can't do this alone."
"What are you trying to do? This is sounding like steps towards a goal, but you haven't actually named it."
A devious smirk grew on the Shadow Wolf's face. "Simply? Eliminate Voldemort and replace the ministry with a competent government, however we can."
"Ambitious much? Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?" Daphne quipped.
The wolflike grin grew even wider.
"You don't know the half of it. If we're changing the future, we're using what I know fully to our advantage."
Over a week later, Harry was strolling through the third floor corridor towards a stone gargoyle two hours before curfew, ready to start enacting some of his and Daphne's plans.
Stopping in front of the statue, the Shadow Wolf examined its details for a moment. It was still relatively clean from the year prior when the entire castle had undergone a deep cleaning, but he could spot the chips and slight cracks revealing its age.
"Headmaster Dumbledore. I know you are currently avoiding me to prevent further trouble for us, but I think you will find it prudent for us to talk immediately. I know everything." He paused for a moment. Letting the Wolf out a little, the man continued, "Now, unless you want me to start proving what I know in the middle of the corridor here, I'd advise you to let me in."
A minute passed, and the Shadow Wolf shook his head before flicking up a privacy ward around himself and the gargoyle. "I know how Tom survived."
Still, nothing. The Wolf sighed in frustration before removing the wards with a flick of his holly wand. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Horcruxes."
The gargoyle immediately jumped aside revealing the staircase. "Always making things harder than they need to be." Harry muttered as he made his way up the spiral. At the top, the headmaster's door was already open, and the young man could easily see the older one without his normal grandfatherly appearance.
As soon as Harry crossed the threshold of the door, it snapped close behind him, and Dumbledore rose, the Elder wand at the ready. "You have fallen far if you know about those things, my boy."
The defeater of Grindelwald was then shocked when he saw the boy he had watched grow up merely seem to drift off into thought when confronted.
"Eh, I haven't really 'fallen,' per se. War is messy. It is more often than not kill or be killed. Don't get me wrong, there should be rules of engagement, but we both know our shared enemy has no qualms about attacking civilians and noncombatants." The Shadow Wolf shrugged.
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who are you?"
"May I retrieve my wand and swear a vow? That should suffice, I think, in you realizing I really am Harry." The teen implored.
There were no twinkles in the old man's eyes. "Slowly."
With the famous Potter smirk, Harry removed his wand and pointed it up into the air in front of his face. "I swear on my life and magic, that I am Harry James Potter." A bright flash of light sealed the vow. "Now to show you I mean no harm."
The holly and phoenix feather wand twirled in his hand until he gripped it by the tip. Slowly he stepped forward with the handle of the wand outstretched towards the professor.
Cautiously, Dumbledore grabbed it before slipping it inside his bright blue robes. His eyes never left the young man opposite his desk.
Meanwhile Harry just sat down casually once he felt the wood slip his grasp. Motioning towards the bowl of candy on the headmaster's desk, he asked, "May I?"
At a simple nod, the young man grinned once more before grabbing one of the sherbert lemons. Popping it into his mouth, the grin morphed into a content smile. "Mmm. Even better than I remember. Never thought I would miss 'em. I'll have to get your source soon, but, first, I think we have other matters to address, don't we?" His casual mask quickly morphed into his one of indifference.
Dumbledore's gaze still had not drifted, but he did return to his own seat. The Elder wand remained pointed at Harry. "It seems so."
"Relax, professor. This conversation has no reason to go the way you may think. I have never made nor have any interest in making any Horcruxes. I just care about destroying Tommy boy's. All seven of them." Harry tapped his scar.
The colour left Albus's face. "H-how?"
"We'll get to that in a minute, don't you worry. I have a lot to share, but first, I have a question for you."
Between the boy's casual demeanour and words, Dumbledore couldn't prevent a feeling of unease spreading through his body.
"What is the most remarkable feat of magic you have ever heard of?" Harry waved his hand after his question, a small spark igniting. "I don't mean a simple spell or anything of the like, and I'm not asking for ideas. Just please. Humour me."
"I would say your mother's sacrifice that saved your life."
Harry leaned back in his chair. "Well, prepare for something maybe even more shocking. Through an accident, I have been sent back here from 15 years in the future."
Once again, Dumbleore's eyes narrowed. "Even if I believed you, why would you tell me?"
The time traveler nodded his head in acknowledgement. "You're right. I didn't have to tell you, but Voldemort is here. I can eliminate all of his horcruxes, but I need the ability to leave when I need to without others knowing. I'd rather work for a better future with you than against you." The man turned teen paused. "The Ministry, Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix. There's already too many sides."
"You're trying to change the future. Harry, my boy, that is dangerous."
"You cannot expect me to know all that I do and not act on it. A lot of people will die otherwise and not just people we know. Things go very wrong in the war. We barely win. Do you want to know how many of our friends are killed? How about children? Innocents? I didn't ask to be sent back, but now that I have, I am going to do everything I can to save as many lives as possible."
The Shadow Wolf took a breath and looked down in remembrance. "I won't change my mind whether you choose to help me or not, Albus, but I could use it. I know that this isn't what you had planned, but how could we waste a chance like this?"
Dumbledore was too distracted by Harry's argument to fully acknowledge the use of his own first name. He sat silent in thought but kept his wand pointed.
"We can work on eliminating the horcruxes together… You are right. We need to stop Tom before he gets as strong as he was before. The only trepidation I have is that I feel like you are asking more of me than just that… What else do you have planned?"
"Obviously Voldemort is the most important target, but if we don't want the Death Eaters to return, we need to take out the inner circle as well. We need to take the war to them." The Shadow Wolf was looking straight into Dumbeldore's eyes.
"I cannot condone murder, especially of those who have not committed any crime yet."
A wolflike grin grew on Harry's face. "I have no intention of punishing those who are currently innocent. That being said, I am not going to pretend to like certain people, and I will be making my own choices based on what I've learned…
"And as far as killing goes, this is war, Albus. We either sacrifice our own people or theirs, and I hope you don't need to guess my choice. You should know in my timeline, I sacrificed myself like you plan for me to, and it ends up working out, but you have no idea why. The final battle takes place here. We already lost so many beforehand, but our losses were even heavier here. So many students, so many friends… How could I let them sacrifice themselves and not when it was my turn?
"I lost so many people close to me. Sirius, Dobby, Fred, Hedwig, Moody, Remus, Tonks…" Tears start to well up in Harry's eyes. "They ended up having a child together, those two. Teddy Lupin, another orphan. My godson. I raised him. Isn't that ironic, Dumbeldore? An orphan of Voldemort raising another who suffered at that bastard's hand."
"I… I understand." Dumbledore spoke, shaken. "I can't believe how poorly everything goes… Are you sure you can stop him?"
"This time things are different. I have a lot more experience and a lot more training, though I could help prove it to you if you wish as well as take care of one of Tom's anchors…"
Dumbledore's eyes widened. "There's one here?"
Harry nods. There's seven, including me. The two hardest ones to dispose of will be Nagini and Helga Hufflepuff's cup, which is in the Lestrange Gringotts vault. What do you say? Fancy a spar and getting rid of Ravenclaw's Diadem?" The Potter grin emerged.
"Why are you so intent on fighting me, Harry? Are you that keen on getting the Elder wand?" Albus raised a brow.
"Not quite. I've had a good amount of training and experience, but it is not often one can test themselves against the renowned Albus Dumbledore. I'm sure it would be an invaluable lesson…" The Shadow Wolf raised one of his own brows.
Both men froze, and even time seemed to stand still. The Elder wand was firmly gripped in its owner's hand pointed at Harry. It hovered barely an inch over the wood of the desk. Dumbedlore's other arm leaned against the piece of furniture. The defeater of Grindelwald observed both of Harry's arms laying on the rests of his chair. If he didn't know any better, he would think the boy was relaxed.
A twitch was all it took.
Harry twisted first his right then his left wrist not even half a second later. Dumbledore's focus was on the wand emerging from the Wolf's right sleeve and not on the one emerging from his left. Albus cast the first spell, a stunner. It met a protego from Harry's right wand. His left unleashed a concussive blast against the desk, sliding it into the headmaster, who quickly transfigured it into two separate phoenixes made of magic as he stood. By the time they reached the air, both men were standing, poised against each other. The Wolf positioned slightly facing his right, his right wand pointed forward near his face with his other wand outstretched underneath. Dumbledore held the Elder wand out in an overhand grip with his left arm swept back behind him. Neither had uttered a single word throughout the exchange.
"A dual wand style… interesting. It is not unheard of but extremely rare. I take it you prioritize mobility and agility?" Dumbledore commented.
Both men remained still. Even the headmaster had ensured only his lips had moved when he spoke.
"That is one way to put it… Most opponents are not able to handle two separate spells coming towards them at once."
"Do you only use both?" The headmaster asked.
"No, I train with each hand individually as well. Never know when I'll need a hand free…" The Wolf's eyes were scanning the entire room, analyzing the two pieces of magic and their caster.
"The mark of a fighter, not just a dualist. I can only imagine what you've been through."
A mirthless chuckle escaped Harry's lips. "You have no idea. Now, if you really want to test my abilities, might I recommend a different venue? I doubt you wish to wreck your office."
The magic phoenixes returned into the headmaster's desk, and, slowly, Dumbledore lowered his wand. Harry mirrored the movement. Once all three wands were pointed towards the ground, the Elder wand was sheathed into its owner's robes, and the other two wands disappeared back into Harry's sleeves.
With a spell cast using an easy 'come here' motion of his hand, Harry slid the desk back into its original place.
"You are full of surprises." Dumbledore smiled amusedly.
"Wait until you see where I'm taking you. The night's not over yet." Harry removed his father's cloak and wrapped it around himself, disappearing from view. "I will meet you in the seventh floor corridor across from the painting of a wizard teaching trolls in tutus how to dance."
Ten minutes later, Albus had followed Harry's instructions and saw a door he knew was not normally there. The boy in question appeared right after, quickly stuffing his cloak into his back pocket.
"May I present the Room of Requirement." The time traveler waved his hands before opening the door and beckoning the headmaster inside.
Dumbledore couldn't hold the gasp that escaped his lips as he looked around at the sea of mountains consisting of different disregarded items from throughout the school's history. Harry quickly stepped beside the headmaster after closing the door.
"It can become whatever you ask for, but the diadem is hidden in this version of the room." He started to make his way forward, discussing the room and its possibilities to the old wizard as they made their way through the piles of disregard.
Finally, they arrived next to the ugly bust of an old warlock. On a table next to it rested what they sought.
"Ravenclaw's diadem… How could Tom taint such a precious artifact?" Dumbledore lamented.
"He's obsessed with trophies. To him, everything is his to do with as he pleases." Harry removed a large glass vial from his robes. A basilisk fang rested inside, its tip buried in some sponglike material. As he unstoppered the vial and removed the fang, he noticed Dumbledore's gaze. "One of the few things that can take care of a horcrux. Last time this one was taken out by fiendfyre." The sponge was removed, leaving the fang bare and venom already collecting at its tip. "I think we both can agree this is much more pleasant."
The Shadow Wolf plunged the tip straight down into the sapphire that rested at the diadem's center. Immediately the gemstone broke, letting out a large crack with it. A dark cloud escaped from the cracks in the sapphire and condensed in the air before fading away into nothing.
Quickly, Harry replaced the sponge at the fang's tip and slid the two back into the glass vial. As soon as the lid was replaced, he returned the makeshift weapon to his robes. Looking over, he noticed the headmaster observing him closely.
"That's two down and one in our possession. I'll need Sirius's help to get the next one. I'd recommend letting me head back to headquarters to meet. I won't need long, but I would also appreciate the chance to head to Gringotts and sort out a few things in preparation of eliminating the others." The Shadow Wolf stood tall. His days as the leader of the Death Eaters had permanently changed his demeanour.
"You are able to cast fiendfyre and much more dark magic, aren't you?" The Elder wand was barely visible in Dumbledore's grasp.
Harry held the older man's gaze. "Like I told you in your office, Albus, war is messy. It's kill or be killed. We can't afford to let our enemies revive each other after being stunned. It's either put them down or let them massacre us."
"You talk like a dark lord, my boy."
"No." The Wolf shook his head. "I talk like a warrior. If you think I'd harm an innocent or use what I know outside of battle, then I doubt you ever really knew me."
"Even in a duel?" A smirk played on Dumbledore's lips.
Harry's Potter grin grew on his face. "As much as you have gotten on my nerves, sir, I don't wish to kill you." He closed his eyes and the room began to shift around them.
The piles of junk disappeared from sight and wards created a massive circle around the two, with the walls of the room just outside their reach. The walls towered almost 14 meters high.
Opening his eyes, Harry continued. "That being said, I am looking forward to this." Both of his wands emerged. As he took his stance with them, the smile widened into more of his wolflike grin. It lasted only a moment though, replaced with a firm look of focus and determination.
The ground between the two men had widened considerably, and across the space, Dumbeldore stood poised at the ready as well.
"I would be careful what you wish for, Harry."
The Shadow Wolf began the duel with a quick flick of his wand conjuring a large flock of midnight ravens towards his opponent, effectively blocking himself from sight once he added a light cloud of smoke around the arena. Silently, he launched himself to the ceiling and vanished with a disillusionment spell.
Dumbeldore's eyes flicked quickly but methodically through the smoke. His wand remained steady in his hand.
Once he was right above the headmaster, Harry removed the sticking charm on his left hand and regripped his secondary wand. He stood on the ceiling hanging down with both of his wands pointed above him at his opponent.
Silently he rained down a barrage of spellfire, keeping the spells mostly tame, the worst a few bone crushers aimed at Dumbledore's wand arm. Right before the first of the spells was about to impact its target, though, the bearded wizard acted. He deftly, albeit a tad slowly, dodged most and deflected the last two with quick flicks of his wand.
The ceiling around Harry began to change. First, rope sprang up as if to wrap around him, accompanied a millisecond later by a metal cage. A quick cutting curse disabled the rope, and the Wolf quickly canceled his sticking charms, falling outside the cage just in time.
Dumbledore delivered the next array of spellfire as the teen started to plummet towards the ground. To his surprise, Harry just twisted his body out of the way of each piece of magic. Anticipating where he was to land, Albus transfigured the floor into a pit massed with strings criss-crossing its expanse every which way. A sticky charm completed the trap.
The Shadow Wolf grinned, though, having already pointed his feet back down towards the ground. He pointed one wand down and the other off to the side slightly and behind him. Using the force of his concussive blasts, he easily avoided the pit.
As soon as the teen landed, though, he was forced to conjure a shield with his left wand, as he used his right to go back on the offensive. The two wizards continued to exchange spellfire, shields erecting and disappearing, spells whizzing by each other. Conjurations and transfigurations attempted to force a mistake. Harry continued to reposition himself using his flight magic but eventually was forced to remain on the ground. Both were losing steam, but the Wolf's more numerous shields and mobility spells taxed him much more heavily.
It was due to his unexpected exhaustion, he quickly dismissed the couple spells that impacted the floor right near him once the effects were unapparent.
Then, Harry found his right wand locked with Dumbedlore's in a magical feedback loop. At the same time, the teen's left was fighting against another of Dumbledore's conjured phoenixes.
Harry had known Dumbledore was a formidable wizard, but he had thought himself no slouch either and did not expect to be so quickly pushed to his limits without the usage of his 'dark' spells. Had only facing inferior opponents stunted his growth?
'Well, that's exactly why I asked for this. I wanted to see what I could learn. I shouldn't be upset about getting what I want.' No sooner had the thought entered Harry's mind, then the trap activated, and he realized his mistake.
He tried to lower his left wand away from the phoenix to propel himself upward away from whatever Dumbedlore had in store but was unable to quickly enough. Harry saw the wards spring up around him but was stunned as soon as they completed.
Seeing his success, Dumbledore eliminated what remained of his magic, including the wards, before taking a large sigh of relief and bending over to take a breath. Sweat dripped down his nose. He had not fought so hard against an opponent in years. Harry's techniques were not perfect, and he had a suspicion as to why, but Dumbledore was convinced that Tom would struggle to defeat Harry as he was now. With some help, victory was very much closer in sight.
Wasting no more time, the old wizard revived his opponent without leaving his spot. "Well fought, Harry. I must say, you are quite an impressive adversary. I have never seen someone maneuver across the air as you do."
"I discovered it relatively- well, I suppose, recently for only me." Harry groaned as he got up, not at any physical pain but at the mental acrobatics of wording time travel.
"It's not like it was able to best you, though."
"I would not say that, my boy." Dumbledore conjured 2 comfortable chairs for them and sat in his own before continuing. "You made me work harder than any other has since the last time I faced off against Riddle. The magic you wield is potent and quite creative. If I may lend you some advice?"
Harry nodded in reply and sat down, the room transforming as he did. Instead of a dueling arena, they now sat inside an exact replica of the Gryffindor common room.
Dumbledore's eyes gained an extra twinkle and a small smile graced his lips at the room's magic before he continued. "Your fighting style seems suited to dealing with multiple opponents at once, and even when fighting one on one, you are trying to perform multiple actions at the same time, draining you faster than necessary."
"Are you suggesting another style of fighting?" The Wolf raised a brow in curiosity.
"No. Just modifications to your current form with additions of some other spells and techniques." The wizened professor smiled amusedly. "An opponent like you, Tom, or I has a lot of magical power, so we often forget how to bide our time in a fight. We have so much magic at our disposal that we do not worry about conserving our energy. When opposing the average wizard or witch, we can use almost anything we wish and find our reserves aplenty afterwards. That is not the case when we face each other as you just experienced."
"So I need to hold myself back? That seems like the opposite of what I should be doing when Tom and I meet again." Harry was clearly skeptical.
"That is one choice available, yes, but we are not trying to have you adopt my fighting style." Seeing the younger man's face, Dumbledore elaborated. "I have learned to fight and duel, but I am not a warrior, Harry. As first a student of magic, I quickly learned how to conserve my power and force my opponent to make the mistakes in a fight. Then use my opening to win. You, however, have no such dilemma, but that does not mean there is nothing to learn from it. Tell me… how well can you sense the magic around us currently?"
"I can tell it is there…" Shame laced his voice at the inadequate answer.
"I thought as much. I take it I never taught you as closely as I intended in your timeline?" At the shake of Harry's head, Dumbledore sighed. "I am grateful that we have this opportunity then. Start focusing more on the magic around you at all times. Stay aware of it, especially when you cast. Overpowering a spell can be useful at certain times, but most often it will not change its effect and ends with you needlessly wasting your power."
The shadow Wolf's eyes widened in realization. "That is how you knew where I was attacking from when I was on the ceiling."
Dumbledore smiled proudly. "Very perceptive, my boy. Yes, I was able to sense your magic before you even cast your first offensive spell at me. Your disillusionment coupled with the visual distractions were wonderful, but the extra magic you imbued into your sticking and illusionment charms alerted me to your presence as well as the magic that naturally rolls off you. As powerful a wizard as you are, your presence is commanding, which can be useful but telling."
"Am I draining my magic by allowing that?"
The headmaster nodded. "You are, but I have faith you will be able to gain control quickly. You have the advantage of being familiar with your magic. Practice will hone it. When you do, though, I might make another suggestion."
Harry chuckled. "Your next lesson from our duel?" Seeing the professor's look, he quickly explained. "You have always had a way of using one lesson to move to the next. It is nice to experience again."
"As I said, I am first and foremost a student of magic as well as a teacher." Dumbledore nodded. "You are right. As I observed your flight magic, I was reminded of wandless levitation. Are you familiar with it?"
"Just in seeing Tom do it many years ago. Do you know how?"
Again the old man nodded. "Once you sense your magic and learn control over it, much more is possible, especially without a wand. Keep that in mind. I cannot give away all the answers, but I recommend not trying to make yourself weightless. If you combine self levitation with your propulsion spells, I imagine you won't need to put as much force into the latter and will also receive better control over your movements."
"I could have escaped your wards by just using wandless magic to jump in time… And I would have been able to still fight at the same time…" Harry leaned back in his chair, his mind going over the possibilities he now saw in front of him.
"With these lessons alone, I would feel comfortable sending you on to continue your training, but I do have one more to impart to you possibly." Harry nodded. "Have you ever deflected a spell?"
"No. Admittedly, it never seemed useful as an auror as our enemies were more likely to use the killing curse." The time traveler internally smirked at giving his ally a bone but not his whole story. 'No need to chance a real fight between us, especially before I learn more.'
"Deflection is much less taxing than a shield and is a useful solution when you're unable to dodge. All you need is to project some of your magic to the tip of your wand and time it correctly." Dumbledore withdrew the Elder wand once more. "May I? It will only be a stinging hex."
Harry's right wand snapped into his hand. Both remained seated. "Be my guest."
"Make sure to flick the spell away. Don't let it impact your wand."
With a nod from the Wolf, Dumbledore launched the stinger. Harry quickly had his wand aimed at it, ready to intercept. When the spell hit, he attempted to divert it away but was only able to slightly alter its course. The stinger quickly met his left shoulder, but the man gave no indication otherwise that he had failed.
"Again." He demanded.
The next attempt was better than his first. The stinger didn't hit him this time, but the Shadow Wolf had not intended for it to go up as well as off to the left.
It took only a few more exchanges before the Wolf was satisfied with his level of control. "Thank you, Albus, for the opportunity to duel and the lessons that accompanied it. I am grateful."
Dumbledore nodded with a small smile and stood. "You are quite welcome, Harry. I would of course appreciate you refraining from using my first name in the company of others, but tonight gives me hope for the future. I think in private you have earned the right."
Harry stood with the Potter grin across his lips. "Of course, professor. It is better not to give anyone a reason to expect anything. With that in mind, I see you have come to the same conclusion I have that it would be better to continue our discussion another time."
"Indeed. I will send Fawkes to arrange our next meeting." The headmaster turned to start exiting the room but was halted by the other man.
"Headmaster. I would appreciate my Holly wand back before you go."
A small smile played on Dumbledore's lips. "My mistake. I almost forgot." He removed the wand from his robes and tossed it over. "Have a great evening, Harry."
"You as well, Albus."
Once the door closed behind the older man and his old wand was returned to his belt, Harry transformed the room once more back to his training arena, the chairs disappearing with it. A mat replaced it in the center of the otherwise sparse floor.
Kneeling down, Harry began to meditate, sensing first the magic around him before turning inward at what resided inside. Minutes later, he began to expand outward once more, feeling where his magic left his body from different pores as it surged through his veins and muscles.
His familar emerald green cloak appeared on him once more but condensed over his skin instead of twisting and spinning off like flames. Slowly the cloak retreated further into his body until it was no longer visible, but Harry could still feel and sense it. A collection of his magic appeared on his palms which rested in his lap. Again after some time, his magic disappeared.
Then, Harry's feet glowed with his magic, his black shoes encased in green light. A smile graced his lips, and the magic disappeared. Slowly, hours after he began, the time traveler opened his eyes once more.
"Control." He reaffirmed to himself as he stood before stretching.
"First things first." The room morphed slightly. Each of the walls were now covered in padding. Satisfied, Harry pointed both of his empty palms down and felt his magic pool beneath them. Remembering the feeling of the spell when cast through his wands, he attempted to recreate it wandlessly. He felt his magic ready to unleash like a taut spring. Finally, he released the spell.
In an instant, Harry rocketed upward. Surprised by the force of his spells, he had no time to recover from the impressive speed and crashed into the ceiling. Dazed from the force of the impact, he immediately began to plummet back down. Quickly he cast cushioning charms on the floor below to attempt to lessen the inevitable next impact. As he picked himself up off the ground with a groan, he was indebted to them. He had no doubt he would have needed to head to the infirmary and an irate Madame Pomfrey if he hadn't.
Casting some more cushioning charms on the ceiling as well as the floor, Harry restarted his efforts. This time, he was able to launch himself up without hitting the ceiling.
Emboldened by his success. The Wolf quickly regained his composure in the air, the medium he always had felt comfortable in ever since the first time he rode a broom. Similarly to how he would use his wands, he began angling his hands to emit propulsion spells in small bursts to alter his course.
Satisfied with his progress, he finally landed back down easily, casting a final spell with each hand right before he hit the ground to cancel his momentum. An unabashed smile adorned his face.
Despite the sweat dripping off his skin, Harry was determined to continue.
Similarly as he had to his hands, he began the process once more on his feet. While he wasn't sure on levitation yet, the ability to at least propel himself while keeping his hands free seemed the logical next step to him. This would at the very least give him an advantage over his opponents as he tried to learn the other wandless spell.
By midnight, when he finally called an end to his training, Harry's clothes were soaked in his own sweat. Knicks and scrapes covered his body from his failed attempts, but the man could not be happier.
It had taken many attempts, but his intentions had been successful. He could not wait to show Daphne. He knew he needed much more practice to be able to confidently use his new abilities in a fight, but he also knew he was very much on the right track. He had not survived two wars to give up now.
With Dumbledore in his corner, Daphne at his side, and the knowledge of his past behind him, Harry Potter, the Shadow Wolf, was already beginning to feel ready to start his plans against Voldemort and the Ministry.
The past would not be repeated. Not if he could help it.
AN: Hey, everyone! This chapter took a bit longer to complete as I wasn't really sure where I was wanting to take everything, but I finally have decided. I'm excited for what's to come. I hope all of you are chapter I focused a bit more on the magic itself as I feel like it sets up a lot for the future and is different to a lot of HP fiction I've seen. Feel free to leave a review with your thoughts though.
Until Next Time,
Occidere Prima Vel Occidi