Chapter 15

Arriving at the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Harry realized he was the last to come along. His arrival brought whispers, and Alphard Black was standing at the front of the room glancing at the clock. The class had not changed much in his time away. The large windows looking over the Hogwarts Grounds still brought in the warm rays of sunlight from the September skies, and the wizard grimaced remembering his final few defense lessons with Snape.

Harry knew he was not late, so merely walked to the nearest seat at the front, and took a seat next to none other than Amelia Bones as he ignored the stares, and glances from his classmates. His hope was to sit next to Andromeda or Nate, but they had taken up a table with a pretty blonde woman Harry did not recognize.

The long desk around the room each sat three, and a boy in Ravenclaw colors sat next to Amelia, but the nose ring was an immediate giveaway to the man's identity. Kingsley Shacklebolt, a well-respected man in Harry's time sat on the end, and when the two made eye contact Harry offered him a respectful nod that was returned. A bell chimed as soon as Harry placed his book on his desk, and Amelia spoke softly in his direction, "Cutting it close there, Potter."

"It's what I do." Harry offered casually with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Across from him, Harry noticed James and Sirius offering him solemn looks, but Harry just winked at the duo, making them both grin mischievously. Next to them was Remus, and at the table behind them were Lily, Alice, and Frank. Harry noticed Frank and Alice were sitting very close to each other, and Frank offered him a wiggle of the eyebrows that made Harry nearly burst out laughing before the Professor began speaking.

"Welcome to your 7th year, NEWT students. I assure you that all your years in studying defensive magic will pale in comparison to what we will cover this year. I intend to throw every possible bit of curriculum that you could be quizzed on in your exams, and then some. There is trouble brewing outside the walls of this castle, and I intend to send every single one of you out in the world with the ability to defend themselves, or at the very least, run away."

Some of the Slytherins, headed by Corban Yaxley snickered at this, causing the Professor to frown, "Was something I said funny?"

This silenced the group of Slytherins, and Professor Black glared at them, "There is no shame in running. There is no shame in living another day. I assure you if a member of my family decided to put you in their cross hairs the only intelligent thing to do would be to run. There are other families like mine that have produced many talented witches and wizards, and if you quarreled with any of them the likelihood of your survival is nil. This would leave you with only one wise decision, and that would be to flee. Sometimes the best defense against the dark arts is to run and live another day. Is that understood?"

"Yes, professor." The class answered.

"Good. As most of you know my name is Professor Alphard Black. You will address me as Professor Black, or sir. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Most of the class muttered back.

"Is that understood?" The man barked, and the class sat up straight at the wandless magic amplification of the man's voice.

"Yes, sir!" The class called back in an instant. Harry was grinning now at the man, something the Professor noticed, "Did I say something funny, Potter?"

Not removing the smile from his face he said, "No, Professor."

"Then why are you smiling son?" The man demanded.

"I am just happy to be here, sir." Harry answered, and total silence fell over the class.

The Professor stared at Harry for a long moment, "My uncle says you have power. Given who raised you, I am inclined to believe him. There are others in this room who will wish to see it. Wish to test it. Get up, Potter."

Frowning now, Harry stood from his chair, but did not draw his wand, "Professor, I don't think-"

"I did not ask you to think, did I, boy?" The Professor barked back.

The frown turned to a thin, emotionless line that stretched across Harry's face, "I will ask you not to address me in such a way, sir."

A pen drop could have been heard in the classroom, and Alphard Black looked at him with a dangerous expression as he stepped towards Harry, "What did you say, Potter?"

"I addressed you with respect, sir. I will ask you to do the same." Harry said only moderately irritated by the situation. Dorea had warned Harry that Alphard's best ability was to rile up, and disconnect his opponents from logical thinking. This was not something that would work on Harry any longer.

The room was very tense, and finally, James stood up near the front of the class, "Professor, I think there has just been a misunderstanding, Harry-"

"Sit down, Potter." The Professor shouted as he moved closer to Harry, but to James' credit he did not.

"It's alright, Prongs." Harry said easily, "The big bad Professor Black is trying to show his superiority. A shame too. I expected better from a Black."

Gasps went up throughout the room, and the wand of Alphard Black shot to his hand, "Draw your wand, Potter."

"I don't think I will." Harry said stubbornly.

"Harry." Andromeda said warningly, but Harry held his hand towards her in a gesture that said to be silent.

Black stepped so close to Harry that they were practically nose to nose. Anticipation grew, and Harry was starting to wonder if he had underestimated the man. Was he actually about to get cursed? His eyes never left the elder Black family member, and suddenly a grin started to stretch across his professor's face. Then he began laughing, "Good gracious, Potter! Nerves of steel. Take 20 points to Slytherin. Half the class looks like they are about to start hyperventilating."

Harry tried not to show his relief that the man had not tried to curse him, and Alphard Black returned to his desk, "Could've been a Gryffindor with those nerves, Mr Potter. You may have a lot of your mother in you, but your nerves are all Charlus."

Lily raised her hand, and the man gestured towards her to ask a question, "Professor, what was the point of that exercise?"

Alphard raised his eyebrows at the woman, "You don't understand, Miss Evans?"

His eyes then drifted across the room, "Who understands? Who can tell me what we all just learned?"

Sirius shook his head, "That Harry is a lunatic?"

"Wrong, Mr Black. Anyone else?" The man asked, glancing around the room.

A voice from the back of the room gave the answer, "We learned what we must do in the face of uncertainty."

All eyes went towards the back of the room, and Harry for the first time noticed young Severus Snape. The man's black hair was as long as it was in his time, and his pale face from spending too many hours over a cauldron was the same shade it would be in 1991 when they first met. The man looked gaunt, and sickly with how skinny he was, but Harry knew how talented he was with a wand.

Professor Black nodded his head, "Tell me your name, son, and then explain."

"Severus Snape." The young man said in a drawling voice that caused an uncomfortable chill to go down Harry's back, "Standing your ground, and learning what you can is crucial when combating the ever-evolving intricacies of the Dark Arts, and its practitioners. In the face of panic, Potter remained composed, and tried to determine whether the threat was real before reacting."

Nodding his head, "Excellent answer, 5 points to Slytherin. Had I pointed my wand at Mr Potter we would've seen a different outcome. Am I wrong?" The Professor asked, looking at the young man still on his feet.

"No, Professor. Had you pointed your wand at me, a fight would've broken out." Harry said with certainty.

"I would've expected no less." The man said a nod of his head, "Potter kept his head during the entirety of the situation. He never disrespected me, and knew that I was his professor despite the grizzly attitude I took toward him. He had to trust that I would not attack him outright with everything he knew about Hogwarts and its reputation. In the face of danger, he kept his cool, which was the point of the exercise. There is time for nearly everything, but there is never a time to panic."

Nods of understanding followed the man's words, and Harry finally took his seat as the Professor continued, "Now I will be assisting the running of the dueling club this year, and I would like to get a taste of what I will be working with. Potter, Harry Potter, that is I would like to see you first. Let's see a little house rivalry, and bring up Mr Lupin to start. Nothing crazy boys. I want all non-lethal spells, and preferably nothing aimed at the head."

In acceptance, Harry rose from his seat once again, and crossed to the front of the classroom where he was looking at a weary Remus Lupin. Harry offered the boy a respectful nod, and Lupin returned it as he drew his wand from his sleeve.

With a flick of his wrist the Wampus wand shot into Harry's hands, and Professor Black stood in the middle of the two as he waved his wand several times expanding the area to fit a small dueling ring. He then pointed his wand toward the middle of the classroom where the rest of the students had gotten to their feet to watch and he whispered, "Fianto Duri."

A translucent wall rose from the ground to the ceiling, and the Professor called out, "You boys both recognize this ward, yes?"

Two nods of assent were given, and the man accepted this, "Good. Ensure nothing you cast is capable of breaking it. If one of you does break it, there will be a week's worth of detentions, and 50 house points deducted. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor." They both answered.

"Good. At the count of three, then."

Harry barely heard the numbers as he watched Remus carefully. The young Potter was defeating Remus twenty years in the future in the man's magical prime. He doubted very much that the Marauder stood a chance against him now, but he would not underestimate the werewolf.

When the final number was called Harry casually deflected the first stunning spell that came his way, and returned three quick low-level jinxes making Remus shield. Allowing the werewolf a chance to get a few spells in, Harry dodged the following curses, and tried to slip spells into the Gryffindor's defense with little effort. Unsurprisingly Remus had the reflexes of a magical creature, and stayed on his feet.

Deciding to test the boy, Harry conjured two small dogs and sent them after the werewolf. In surprise, Remus attempted to vanish them both, but Harry hit them with a gemino charm multiplying the little ankle-biters while simultaneously deflecting incoming spells. In an effort to rid himself of the creatures, Remus fired a blasting charm at the ground, point-blank nearly knocking himself off-balance. Harry capitalized on the mistake in two swift moves by first disarming the young man, then binding him.

The Gryffindor boy was sweating, while Harry didn't even look like he had exerted a single bit of effort. Applause was hesitant as Professor Black clapped the loudest, "Not bad, boys. Lupin, remember the lesson about panic. It is one of the hardest emotions to overcome, but it is what cost you here. Your desire to get rid of Potter's little dogs cost you. Had you overcome a small amount of pain, and dispelled them properly I am certain the duel would have lasted longer. Potter, I want to see more. You are staying up there. Shacklebolt, you are up."

The large seventeen-year-old Ravenclaw rose from his chair without a hint of nerves displayed on his countenance. He patted Remus on the shoulder as he passed, and turned to face Harry with an even expression. Professor Black called the countdown, and this time Harry was forced to shield immediately as the reducto curse rocked his shields. Kingsley was not as docile as Remus had been. Kingsley was on a mission to prove a point, but Harry weaved his deflecting spells into the ward causing them to shimmer under the impact. Kingsley frowned at the move, and Professor Black called out the large Ravenclaw's name in warning. Harry cheekily winked at the man, who grinned as he began firing stunner after stunner at the Slytherin. This time Harry began batting the curses back at the man who struggled to shield, and cast so quickly. When Harry began slipping his own curses into it the man was stuck with a body bind curse that followed a shield breaker in an instant. This time the class was stunned.

Harry had still not even broken a sweat. Black slowly clapped, and this time walked through his ward to address the teenager, "Well, we have a little King of the Hill going on right now. Not bad, Potter, what do you say to a 2 on 1?"

Shrugging, Harry did his best to look bored, "Whatever you think is best, sir."

"Bones, Evans. Front and center." Alphard called out.

Amelia and Lily rose from their seats and walked through the ward the professor had summoned as he stepped back out of the ring. Harry eyed his mother, knowing from Professor Flitwick that the woman was a charms prodigy. He also knew that she was gifted enough to defy the dark lord three times. Amelia Bones, on the other hand, had risen to become the head of the Auror Department at a young age, and knew she would be no slouch either.

This time when the countdown was given Harry did not waste time as he slipped two jinxes that came his way, and blasted the floor apart below them. Both witches combined their shields to block the attack, but Harry did not give them even a moment to breathe as he transfigured the rubble from his blasting charm into snakes. Neither witch batted an eyelash at this as Amelia dismantled the transfigurations, and Lily summoned multiple paper birds, set them on fire, and launched them at him with a quick swish of her wand. Harry turned the paper mache into sand, and whirled it around his body, and turned it into a swarm of bats, and sent them right back at the two girls. At this time he was forced to shield himself from a curse that looked like it could have been a bone breaker from Amelia, and slipped under a stunner from Lily.

Amelia stepped in front of Lily as she attempted to vanish the bats, but to the redhead's dismay the gemino charm once again plagued the two as the bats multiplied, swarming the area. As Amelia attempted to curse Harry again a bat intercepted the spell, and Harry flashed his wand in a wide arc creating a blast of sound that made both girls cover their ears. In an instant Harry stunned Lily, and began firing rapid curses, jinxes, and hexes at Amelia. To her credit her defense was impeccable, but her mistake was allowing Harry to close the distance between the two as he fired non-stop spells. As the spells increased in tempo the girl's shield began to flicker, but still held until Harry was close enough to reach out, grab the young woman's wrist in an iron-type grip, and cast petrificus totalus at point blank range. Harry carefully guided the woman to the floor, and turned to face his professor with a raised eyebrow.

Professor Black nodded as if he met his expectation, and dispelled the ward, "Not bad, Potter. Not bad."

With two subtle wand movements, both females were revived and looking at Harry in surprise. Black started with compliments, "The fact that you two lasted as long as you did against what was a completely different dueling style than the first two fights you witnessed is very good. You worked as a team, and pushed the lad to actually work for his victory. I doubt any other two would've had much more luck."

A blonde boy in green robes snorted at this, and Alphard frowned, "Something I said amuses you, Yaxley?"

The Slytherin bowed his head before responding, "Not at all, Professor."

"Perhaps you would like to face Mr Potter then?" The Professor challenged.

Yaxley frowned at his words, "My type of dueling would not be of any use in this type of scenario. My family did not teach me to cast with stunners and basic curses."

Sirius turned to face the boy with a roll of his eyes, "Of course, they didn't, Yaxley. There wouldn't be any point learning anything that isn't dark magic, right?"

Most of the class gasped at his words while Professor Black frowned at the young man, "That is quite enough, Mr Black."

"Let him use whatever magic he wants, Professor." Harry said suddenly.

The Defense Professor turned to face his student that stood in front of the class with his eyebrows furrowed, "You could get hurt, Mr Potter. I would not want to have to explain that to your family."

"I assure you, Professor, that the only person that will have to explain any injuries would be myself." Harry assured the man, "My father would be…let's call it disappointed, and leave it at that."

Many stared at Harry in confusion while he shook his head, "Sir, I am certain you are capable of casting stronger wards. Mr Yaxley does not seem to think highly of my abilities. I would like to see him do better than Miss Evans and Miss Bones since he seems to think so little of their performance."

There was little choice at that point as Yaxley shot to his feet, "I accept."

Professor Black looked between the two boys before shaking his head, "Very well. Better to test each other here than elsewhere. Let's see a clean fight. Nothing lethal, boys. If I see any blatant use of the Dark Arts up there I will have that person scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush, and I mean it."

Harry nodded as Yaxley ignored the Professor, and strode towards his end of the dueling ring. Knowing already how he would handle what happened next, Harry closed his eyes, and gathered his magic as he felt the Professor raise the wards around them.

He heard the numbers being counted, but his eyes remained closed as he slowly moved his wand from side to side quietly focusing on the magical presence in the room. At the call of 1 Harry felt the spell coming towards him, but with a slash of his hand the wards that had been erected were ripped into his control, and used to absorb several curses that came at him at a breakneck speed. Harry wasted no time in pulling the young man forward with a summoning charm with his bare hand, and blasting the boy in the chest with an under-powered reducto charm from his wand, launching him into the back wall. Fortunately for Yaxley, Harry cushioned his crash, before disarming him, gagging him, and putting him in ropes. The duel had lasted less than ten seconds, and unlike the previous, he had hardly drawn a breath of exertion.

No one was clapping this time, not even Professor Black. Harry then waved his wand dispelling the wards with ease, and returned to his seat without further prompting. Alphard walked to the front of the room, dispelled Harry's ropes and gag, before instructing the red-faced Yaxley to return to his seat. The Slytherin Prefect did, but not before glaring at Harry as he picked up his wand and made his way back to his table where each of his friends looked stunned.

Professor Black decided that testing Harry any further was unnecessary and summoned another pair to duel after an awkward pause. It took a moment to bring the class back to focus, but as the next set of duels started, Amelia leaned over and whispered to him quietly, "How did you do it?"

Watching as Snape dueled with Frank, Harry kept his eyes on the pair with interest as he whispered back, "I ripped control of the wards from Professor Black to absorb all of Yaxley's curses. Then a little bit of wandless magic, followed by some very basic charm work."

"Oh, is that all?" Amelia snorted.

"Very simple magic, Miss Bones." Harry said back with a slight smile, "I was looking to humble one of my housemates, not show off the powerful magic of my family."

The deep rumbling voice of Kinglsey talked quietly from the side of the table, "You did more than that. I was last year's dueling champion for the sixth years. It was foolish of Yaxley to challenge you after beating me. Even more so after you handled Evans and Amelia. I wouldn't cross either of them, much less together."

Frank knocked Snape down to his knees with a barrage of stunners, but in a whirl, Snape flicked his wand into a spin, and launched Longbottom into the ward making him bounce off hard. Harry was surprised the ward did not break under the force of his body, but Snape had the man disarmed in a heartbeat, and looked expectantly at their professor.

The Professor started the applause before congratulating them on a well-fought duel before offering minor critiques, and dismissing the boys to their seats. Next, Harry saw James and Nate get called to the front, making the time traveler take interest in the coming match.

Amelia shook her head, "This could be a good duel. With no rules, I would put my money on Greengrass, but with the limits in place I like James' chances."

Kingsley nodded his head in agreement, but said nothing. What followed was one of the better duels in Harry's opinion. James was fast. Faster than he had imagined. Nate was well-skilled too. His shielding was precise and quick, but he lacked the variety that James was putting forth. Prank magic and basic charms was something James clearly excelled in, but turning Nate's conjurations against him with basic battle transfigurations is what made the difference as James tied the man in ropes that he transfigured from the avis charm.

It was clear to Harry that while James was a talented wizard, he had never pushed himself in combat. Not at this point in his life. The carefree smile, the risks he took casting prank magic in his duel, all demonstrated his actions were not calculated properly. Even against Lily or Amelia, Harry doubted that James would have measured up.

More pairs were called, and Amelia quietly made comments to Kingsley about her thoughts on each duelist, while the Ravenclaw mostly just nodded in acceptance of her words. The duel between Peter and Elaina was pathetic in Harry's opinion. The girl had beaten him faster than Harry had beaten Yaxley. It took a five-spell chain that Harry had never considered before to see Peter thrown back by a gust of wind, and disarmed with accuracy even Harry would have struggled with. Professor Black was quite impressed, and seemed interested in testing her further, but Elaina walked out of the ward, quickly returning to her seat in the back of the class.

The other impressive duel that Harry noted was between Andromeda, and the blonde at her table that was identified as Pandora.

Pandora was very creative with her magic, but Andromeda was a powerhouse. She was fast, and fought with clear intent. Every time Harry thought the blonde was finished she found a way to stay in the fight. Their duel would go down as the longest in the day, and at the ten-minute mark Amelia grunted, "I have to give it to Lovegood, she's good. Her husband is nuts and bolts, but the girl is gifted with a wand."

Harry's head jerked in Amelia's direction. Lovegood? This was Luna's mom? The things we lose always have a way of coming back to us. Those were words Luna had said to him. Words that were often said by her mother, but how was she already Pandora Lovegood?

"Lovegood?" Harry asked, "Any relation to Xenophilius?"

Kingsley nodded, "Aye, he was in my house last year. Graduated, and married Pandora over the summer. He started his own newspaper. It is quite…unique. Xeno was a nice enough man, but an oddball. Pandora is much more…let's kindly call it down to earth."

Amelia nodded, "She's Nate's cousin too. On his dad's side. She was Pandora Greengrass before this year."

Harry frowned at this. That meant Luna and Daphne were closely related. Luna had never mentioned this to him. Maybe the family wasn't close to her mother's side of the family after her passing. It was sad to think that Luna struggled through the school without much support through her first four years, and it seemed none of the Greengrass clan did anything for the girl.

At last, Andromeda pinned the girl as she closed the distance between the two. Looking victorious in the end, Andromeda helped her friend up, and laughed at whatever she said. Professor Black seemed satisfied with the duels he had witnessed, as he repaired his classroom with casual flicks of his wand, and dispelled his wards with ease. "I admit I expected worse. This is a gifted group of students, and it will be a pleasure to find ways to push each of you to your limits, and beyond. It is beyond these limits that we will determine the type of witch and wizard each of you are."

Nods of assent and understanding were given by most, while some appeared cautious of the man's words. Harry briefly wondered how many of his classmates may drop the class when they realized the challenge that lay before them. The Professor dismissed the class, but before Harry could speak with Lily and the other people waiting to talk to him he heard a voice call out to him, "Harry Potter. Come speak with me."

James, who had an excited smile on his face, frowned at the Professor, but Harry shrugged at the Marauder, and walked to the front to speak with the Defense Professor.

Professor Black was a middle aged man by Harry's guess. His facial hair was a healthy dark black color, much like what he remembered of Sirius in his adulthood. His hair however was much shorter than Sirius and Arcturus. Alphard's hair was short and curly instead of the long locks of Sirius and Arcturus, but the man's eyes were what had Harry's attention. They were eyes that had seen war, but at the same time, Harry knew the man was too young to have fought in the Great War, so was curious about the man's experience.

The two held a long quiet stare down before the Professor broke the silence, "How much were you holding back?"

"I fought to the level of my opponents." Harry admitted, but did not commit to answering the question in the full, "With the exception of Yaxley. I had heard rumblings that the members of my house were looking to see what I was made of. I hope my demonstration will dissuade any further unpleasant business."

"They would be foolish to attack you after that display." Alphard said in agreement, "Ripping the wards from my control was no easy feat. I believe I will be quite interested in seeing your work in the dueling club."

Indecision was on Harry's mind when it came to the dueling club, and decided to inform his Professor of his thoughts, "I don't think I will bother, Professor. There is nothing to be gained in the dueling club for me."

Professor Black frowned at his words, "There are some outstanding duelists in this school. My niece and nephew are both talented. Longbottom too, if the kiddy gloves were taken off. I assure you the level of magic being thrown in the competitions held in the Great Hall with all the professors watching is much higher."

"I understand, Professor." Harry accepted without much thought but shook his head, "Revealing my skill set in that kind of environment is something I am not sure I am comfortable with. That isn't how I was raised, and I think I would rather remain anonymous. I will save the glory for the Quidditch pitch, or for my cousin."

If possible the frown deepened, "You are quite the mystery, Potter. You come from nowhere with formidable skills, and yet you have no desire to prove yourself."

"I have nothing to prove, Professor." Harry added feeling an edge of steel entering his voice.

"If there is anything I can do to change your mind you will let me know." The man commanded, "Your father expressed his desire for us to cross wands, and I am in agreement that it could be beneficial to us both. I would not be willing to do so within the walls of Hogwarts. While I respect the Headmaster a great deal, I would not have him learn of a private arrangement made between our families."

"Perhaps on the grounds then?" Harry proposed carefully, "My father says beyond the wards there is still a lot of the Black Forest left. We can create our own wards, and duel behind those."

Professor Black offered a bow of his head, "Let us plan on it tomorrow morning then. We can determine from there how often we wish to continue our little bouts. Let us meet on the south side of the Quidditch Pitch, and make our journey into the forest together. Better to be safe than killed by arrogance venturing into the forest alone."

Returning the show of respect Harry chose to seek dismissal after nodding his head, "If that will be all, Professor, I believe I will have Potions with my head of house shortly."

"Very well, best get to it then. Good work today, Potter." The Professor said dismissively as he flicked his wand towards the door allowing his next class entrance, and providing Harry with his way out.

Curious looks came from the incoming fifth-year OWL students as Harry walked past them with an even expression. He would be looking forward to a real test, but he had a feeling his new friends, classmates, and even James would have some questions for him this evening.

(A/N) Always love a little action in the Defense classes! Guys if you aren't following my discord for FREE you are currently missing out on 6 additional updates, very soon to be 7! It is very easy to access, and as I said, absolutely free with no obligations. I have little over 2200 people and while most are quiet we would love to change that and build a little more activity onto the server with all of YOU. Now if you are really loving the story you can read all the way to chapter 29 on pat(reon) by just paying 1$ a month! That's all I have for now. See you all in two weeks, or hopefully sooner on discord, just delete the space in the link below and join today! Patr(eon) OrionB15

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