Chapter 9
The days and weeks after Halloween passed relatively quietly, lessons continued normally, and Harry and his friends grew closer as they spent more time together. And they were joined on occasion by Hermione, though she only joined them in the library when Neville was with them, the two being somewhat outcasts in the house of lions.
Harry had shared the warning from Professor Flitwick with Terry and soon found himself with a permanent companion, always accompanied by at least one of his friends, rarely was he able to enter a room alone as his friends took their roles as bodyguards seriously. Though he had put his foot down when Terry half-jokingly followed him into the boy's bathroom on the first floor. This meant that his solo trips to the Room that they had commandeered in the Charms corridor had come to an end, so his forays into the more advanced and interesting magic he had found in the library ended abruptly as well. He had been tempted to share the spells he had learned with his friends, but the comments and bullying Hermione had received for being a few lessons ahead had put him off. He doubted that Terry and Susan would be bothered by his advancement, he was still behind the both of them in Transfiguration, but still the fear lingered and so he instead practiced the spells that they had learned in class more.
The second Quidditch match of the year soon arrived and despite his arguments that he would be able to see very little of it, Terry and in a surprise turn Neville, wouldn't let him stay in the castle alone, claiming that it would be all too easy for someone to attack him in the empty castle if he were there alone. Annoyingly they had a valid point and so Harry found himself sat in the stands as Slytherin and Hufflepuff played against each other.
Though Harry could extend his sight if he needed to, he still could not extend it far enough to encompass the entirety of the Quidditch pitch, the strain grew painful if he tried to push his awareness much further than a hundred or so feet in any direction. So, he settled for keeping a view of the centre of the pitch, though it was a little disorienting when players would fly into and then out of his awareness in a matter of moments. The game was enjoyable despite his limited viewpoint, and he found himself cheering alongside Terry and Neville for goals that he couldn't see and groaning at near misses that he heard about thanks to the boisterous commentator.
It was shortly after one of these near misses that he caught sight of something on the very edge of his awareness, one of the balls had stopped in mid-air, hovering still in one place as brooms flew around it. The ball was a bludger, its enchantments easily distinguishable from the basic protection charms on the quaffle and its size meant it couldn't be the snitch. As Harry found his attention drawn to it, he watched as the grey symbols that swam across the surface of the heavy iron ball twitched and slowed as new symbols, crimson and burning, branded across it. The ball twitched as the red magic covered its surface and then it was moving, shooting across the pitch, it collided with the tail of one of the riders and spun them violently, but continued its straight path. Harry heard Terry let out a sympathetic groan as the player crashed into the ground with a sickening thud, but most of his attention was on the bludger that was now rocketing towards the stands.
The heavy iron ball swerved upwards, soaring over the front of the stands until it was almost directly above Harry, and then it dropped. Shouts rang out around him as spectators noticed the ball's erratic movement as it plummeted into the wooden stands. With a desperate dive, Harry managed to push himself and Terry out of the bludger's path as it shattered the now empty wooden seats, disappearing into the hidden framework of the stands. Moments later another crash echoed from below and the bludger erupted from the floor next to where Harry and Terry lay, splinters of wood showering the two of them as a line of hot pain carved across Harry's arm. He was distracted from the pain when the bludger stopped its vertical flight and once again began to plummet towards the stands, he scrabbled urgently for his wand and had it pointed at the bludger when he realised, he knew no spell that could stop it.
Fear filled him as he desperately ran through the list of spells he could try, the iron ball wouldn't be stopped by the pathetic shield charm he knew and nothing else would be much use against it. The bludger was closing in when he recalled a spell he had read about in the Advanced Charms book Professor Flitwick had given him. It was vaguely described, only a few lines and an incantation, but it was all he could think of to stop the dense cannonball heading for him.
With his wand gripped tightly he pointed it and cried out "Vald Rike!" focusing on the space the seemingly unstoppable bludger was passing through mere meters above his own very fragile body. He felt his magic rush from his wand, flooding down his arm with a now familiar warmth, though he had never tried control so much at once and the comfortable warmth quickly grew, becoming a searing heat and then a volcanic burning that filled his arm and chest.
For a moment he thought it had worked, the bludger had stopped. Then he noticed the strands of blue magic wrapped around the bludger, holding it firmly in place as thinner strands of magic surrounded the bludger until it was trapped inside a tight cage of gossamer thin blue light.
"Pacem adhuc!" A pulse of soothing magic travelled along the strands and the angry red brands across the bludger cooled, no longer moving eagerly around the ball. Harry let his arm and head fall back onto the wooden planks beneath him, now that the imminent threat was handled the burning pain in his right arm and the cut on his left caught up with him and he clenched his teeth, biting back a cry of pain.
"Thanks mate, reckon I would have been brained by that thing if you hadn't pushed us out of the way." He heard from his left as Terry clambered to his feet, offering a hand to Harry as he stood.
"If you let me stay in the Castle next time, we can call it even." Harry accepted the hand, leaning on his cane as he stood just in time to see Professor Flitwick making his way through the crowd from the top level of the stands.
"Mr Boot, are you injured?" The short professor asked as he kept his wand pointed at the bludger as it hovered above the broken benches.
"No sir, Harry pushed me out of the way, but I think it clipped him." Terry answered as he pointed at Harry's left arm.
Now that he had a moment to focus on something other than the rogue bludger, Harry briefly focused on his left arm and spotted the source of the warm blood trickling from his hand. A splinter of wood as thick as his thumb was jutting from his forearm and piercing through his shirt sleeve, even as he watched he could feel more of his blood leaking from the wound. He absently brushed his cloak away from the wound, wincing as it caught briefly on the wood. As he uncovered his injured arm, he heard a few gasps and one scream from behind him that he recognised as Susan.
"Ah Mr Potter, that is a rather nasty wound. Madam Pomphrey will need to see you for that. Mr Boot if you could escort him to the Hospital Wing?" Professor Flitwick turned to the rest of the crowd that had gathered. "The match is over, if you could all leave the stands and return to the Castle immediately." Terry guided Harry towards the stairs and as they began to descend, he heard Professor Flitwick begin to mutter under his breath as more of his magic swelled around the bludger until the bludger shone like a small star above them, surrounded by arcane symbols and runes of blue and white.
It turned out that the splinter that had been poking from his arm had not been wood, but was in fact his own arm bone. He had been clipped by the bludger when he had pushed himself and Terry out of the way and the blow had broken his arm, but in rush he hadn't noticed the wound. Madam Pomphrey was able to mend the bone and repair the gash, though he was forced to wear a sling for the day to avoid agitating the freshly healed bone. Shortly after he was healed, Professor Flitwick visited.
"I am glad to see you healed Harry, it was rather a shock to see you like that." The short wizard said as he summoned stool from across the Hospital Wing, hopping onto it and leaning towards him. "And I must apologise, I warned you to be careful but once again you were very nearly gravely injured and it was not your fault." Filius sighed deeply as he waved his wand in a loose circle around the bed Harry was sat upon, a curtain of his magic, like the one he had made in Diagon Alley, appearing around them. "Certain members of the Board of Governors and a few of the teachers would disapprove of me sharing this with you Harry, but you have a right to know. The bludger was not faulty, it was cursed. Someone cursed it during the match to attack you, the others that were injured were collateral damage."
Harry leaned back as the new information sunk in. It wasn't surprising, he had already suspected this, but to have it confirmed by Professor Flitwick was still a shock. As the professor continued, he twisted his wand in his hands, finding comfort in the warm wood as he brushed it with his fingertips.
"Now, unfortunately the list of potential suspects is not short. Though the Troll incident would have required a knowledge of the Dark Arts that is rare, the bludger was actually rather clumsily cursed - "
"I thought all Quidditch equipment was enchanted to prevent interference? Terry gave me a book about Quidditch and it said the brooms and balls were all enchanted to stop cursing and jinxing after a snitch was jinxed to avoid a team's seeker?" Harry interjected, his brow furrowing as he recalled the rather dense book that his friend had insisted he read when he discovered Harry's ignorance of the 'sport of kings'.
Flitwick sighed as he leaned back, wiping a hand down his face before responding.
"That is indeed usually the case, however Madam Hooch informed me after the match that the bludger in question is one of the oldest we have at the school, unfortunately after twenty odd years, the enchantments on it have started to weaken. The bludger was to be replaced in the Winter Break, the school's budget for Quidditch equipment is managed by the Governors and they deemed the equipment as a lower priority than other repairs and maintenance this year. Had the bludger been a little newer, the enchantments lasted a little longer, then the curse would have failed. As it is I believe that someone noticed the bludger was old and in disrepair and took the opportunity to make an attempt on your life, or at least injure you." Here Flitwick shook his head and muttered under his breath, glancing back in the direction of the tall Hospital Wing doors. "My apologies Harry, I have failed in my duty to protect you twice now. We will speak more on this later, for now I must go and speak with someone who has a little more experience with curses." The professor hopped down from his seat and turned to leave before he paused. "I should have asked sooner, did you recognise the magic that was cast upon the bludger?"
"No, I'm sorry Professor, it was different. Angry. I haven't seen anyone with magic like that before." Harry resisted the urge to shudder as a shiver of fear ran up his spine at the memory of the magic that had surrounded the bludger. It hadn't been the most elaborate or complex spell he had ever seen, but the sheer depth of the red, the cruel symbols it had formed, they were stuck in his mind. He could almost see them, lingering at the edge of his sight, waiting hungrily.
"Never mind Harry, for now just rest." With a pat on his leg, the charms master turned and walked over to the doors, opening them just enough to slip out and letting them close behind him with a gentle thud.
As Harry lay back in the surprisingly comfortable hospital bed, he shivered again. He had almost died twice now, but this occasion had shaken him far more than the Troll. At least with the Troll, it had been explainable – Troll's were near insatiable, their hunger driving them to attack most other creatures on sight, it was in their nature. But the bludger… someone was trying to kill him, or at the very least severely injure him, and he had no idea why.
As he thought back over the incident, one thing stuck in his mind throughout. He needed to learn a spell to protect him, and his friends, better than the one Professor Quirrell had taught them. Luckily, he knew from the contents page in the Advanced Charms book that Flitwick had given him that there were several other shield spells and protective charms he could learn and he resolved to study as many as he could once he was released from the Hospital Wing.
He would not be as useless against a threat to him and his friends again.
As Christmas approached, the school began to transform, great pine trees gathered by Hagrid were brought into the castle and one popped up in most of the classrooms (though not in the Potions labs) decorated with chains of red, green, blue and yellow paper, elaborate glass and metal ornaments that looked so delicate that no student dare touch them for fear of them breaking, and dotted across most were merrily burning candles that never seemed to dwindle. The smell of pine and woodsmoke filled the corridors and to the relief of many, managed to overpower the smell of garlic that permeated Professor Quirrell's classroom.
The group of first years had even been pleasantly surprised by a slightly smaller, but no less welcome, tree in their room in the Charms corridor. Along with the tree, there was now a small fireplace in the back of the room that warmed the previously cold stone floors nicely, though none of the group knew how it had appeared there.
It had taken a few weeks for Harry to find a new shield charm that he could actually cast, most of the charms listed in his book were too advanced for him to manage and it would be several years before he would be able to make a decent attempt at them. But he had found one that he was able to cast with some confidence.
Arx Murum, a predecessor to the Protego charm, was used by the battle mages in the Roman Army and was designed to imitate the Testudo formation the army used. The charm allowed the caster to create a rigid shield in a dome shape around them, the spell could block most offensive spells as long as the caster could hold the spell and it also blocked physical damage unlike many shield charms. There was a downside to this though, the shield was immovable, once cast it was stationary and would need to be dropped or dispelled and it was not a one way shield like Protego, so you couldn't cast a spell out of the shield while it was up. The shield had another major benefit, it wouldn't shatter if it was pierced or broken by another spell, instead a hole would be left in the shield that, with enough skill and practice, the caster could fix, sealing the gap in the defences.
The description in the book sold it for Harry, each spell had a little paragraph describing the spell in use and for this one the author depicted three wizards stood side by side in front of an army, wands aloft with no fear as a cloud of arrows, ballista and stones rained down on them, held at bay by a shimmering barrier conjured by the three of them. He wanted that. That bravery, that knowledge, that power. To know that you could protect yourself and your friends.
It took him nearly two weeks after finding the spell to manage to cast it with any real reliability. At first the shield that he could create was like a soap bubble, it shimmered viridescent, but it would burst at the slightest disturbance. But with practice, what felt like endless hours spent with Terry and Neville taking turns to poke the fragile barrier and then throw scrunched up balls of parchment at it, he had managed to reach a point he was happy with. For now, anyway. His barrier could hold up to nearly anything the two other boys could throw at it, quite literally as in his excitement Neville had picked up a small chair and thrown it at Harry when they were testing it. Luckily the barrier held, sending the chair clattering loudly to the floor, leaving a gawping Terry and a stunned Harry to stare at the plump Gryffindor who was staring at his own hands in shock at his actions.
"Wow, well I think after that we've run out of ways to test this mate" Terry said as he clapped Neville on the back to shake him from his stupor.
"Ye-yeah, sorry about that Harry, just got a bit caught up in the moment…" Neville muttered quietly, his cheeks pink as he picked up his toad Trevor from the table beside him. The toad had gone missing earlier in the year but had reappeared before Halloween, according to Neville it was a gift from his great-uncle for getting into Hogwarts, though why he had chosen a toad neither Harry nor Terry had been able to figure out.
"It's fine Nev, I said to try anything you could think of, I'm just glad it held this time!" Harry laughed as he tapped the glassy barrier with his wand, dispelling the shield and stepping forward before he collapsed into a nearby chair. The shield was the most difficult spell he had learned since getting to Hogwarts, and left him feeling like he had run a mile every time he cast it, but the results were worth it.
"Yeah, I'd hate to have to tell Flitwick that Nev had flattened his favourite student." Terry laughed as Neville audibly swallowed. "Though Snape might thank you Nev, he always looks constipated whenever you answer one of his questions in Potions." Harry tapped his cane on the ground before Neville could reply and both boys fell silent for a few moments before there was a gentle knock on the door to their practice room.
"Is it the girls?" Neville asked as Harry pointed his wand at the door, a whisper of magic darting to the brass doorknob.
"Nah, Susan and Hannah are in a house meeting." Terry said as the heavy latch the boys had taken to locking shifted and the door swung open to reveal their charms professor in the doorway.
"Good afternoon gentlemen, might I borrow Mr Potter for a moment?" The charms master asked as he peered curiously around the room, his gaze settling on Harry who was still sat on his chair for the moment. "It should only take a moment, and I have a letter from your aunt for you as well Harry."
With a nod Harry stood and, after grabbing his cane from its place next to his chair, made his way to the door and out into the corridor with the professor, leaving Terry and Neville to discuss what they could do to test Harry's spell next. Worryingly, the last words he heard as the door closed behind him were "…but surely someone would notice if we took a whole tree Terry?"
"Ah to be young and eager again. I am glad that you are making the most of your free time here Harry. I must confess I caught the remnants of the spell you were practicing, some kind of protective charm. To block physical projectiles perhaps?" Professor Flitwick asked as he led Harry along the corridor to his office. For a brief moment Harry froze, memories of doing well in a test that Dudley failed, of studying to impress his uncle but ultimately falling short flit across his mind before he shook his head. Professor Flitwick was not like his uncle, he was the Head of Ravenclaw House, the home of the studious and eager to learn.
"Yes, it was in the book you gave me professor. The Testudo shield charm?" Harry dug into his bag and pulled out the book, the page with the Testudo charm marked with a scrap of folded parchment. He handed it to the friendly charms master who gestured for him to take a seat as he opened the book and with a wave of his wand, began to read the pages describing the spell. Only a few minutes later, Flitwick held his wand in front of him and called out clearly.
"Arx Murum." Immediately royal-blue magic pulsed from the wand tip, ballooning out until a nearly solid wall of blue and silver light surrounded him, stopping just short of Harry's seat. A moment later the light began to fade and the wall fragmented, falling to pieces and drifting out of sight, even for Harry. "Hmmm, an interesting alternative to the standard shield charm. Immovable, but that can be useful with physical projectiles. Can you cast it at will now?" At Harry's hesitant nod, Flitwick prompted him to demonstrate.
For a moment, a spike of jealousy shot through Harry as he recalled how long it had taken him to manage even a fragile bubble with the spell when his professor had seemingly mastered it in one attempt. But then logic quashed the errant thought as he remembered that he was eleven and in his first year of learning magic, Professor Flitwick was older, more experienced and a master of charms, so of course he would have less trouble with it. Besides, he had progressed a lot farther than the flimsy attempts he had started with.
He took two slow breaths, mostly out of habit as he let his magic flow quicker through his body, the normally slow and steady pulse of green quickening as he drew his wand and with the form of the spell fixed firmly in his mind, he spoke the words.
"Arx Murum."
Green light burst from his wand, and though it wasn't as clear or steady as his mentor's display, a solid and reliable dome appeared around him, faint white lines marking the hexagonal panels that made up the shield. It was, he thought to himself, his best attempt so far. There were no tremors or flaws that he could see, he almost wished Terry and Neville were here with that tree just to test it.
Although that thought fled his mind when a burst of red collided with the barrier to his left, a resounding chime ringing out through the office as Harry spun to face Professor Flitwick who had his wand pointed at the shield. He felt the strain on his mind as the shield flickered for a moment, before he brought his focus back to the spell and the barrier settled again.
"Oh, very good, Harry! I dare say even a Troll would have difficulty breaching that barrier." Flitwick clapped with a wide grin on his face as Harry let the spell go, leaning heavily on his cane as he did so. The drain of casting that spell had hit him harder the first few times, he nearly blacked out the second time he had tried to cast it, it was getting easier, but it was still a demanding spell. It had been a shock for him, to learn that some spells took a toll on the body and mind, he hadn't grown tired from casting magic before. The spells they learnt in their first year were all minor workings, he was fairly sure he could cast most of them all day and not be out of breath, but as it turned out there was a good reason they were taught magic in a specific order.
"I must admit Harry, I am very impressed. I don't think I have a single second year student who could cast that spell with any real results, let alone a first year." Flitwick clapped Harry on the arm and then made his way over to his own chair, with several thick tomes stacked on the seat so he could sit level with visitors it didn't look particularly comfortable, but he hopped up without complaint as Harry collapsed into the simple wooden chair in front of the desk. "You remind me of your mother Harry, she was a very gifted witch in all areas, but she truly shone when casting charms."
"Thanks professor, but I don't think so. It's taken me nearly two weeks to be able to cast it that well, and it still almost collapsed." Harry sighed, he knew he was being hard on himself, but the next time a bludger tried to brain him or a Troll fancied a snack, he wanted to be able to protect himself. He tucked his wand back into its sheath under his arm and gripped his stick tightly, resisting the urge to tap it on the floor as he often did when upset.
"Harry tell me, can Mr Boot or Mr Longbottom cast the Testudo charm? What about Miss Bones or Abbot? Or even Miss Granger?" Flitwick asked as Harry shook his head after each name.
"No, but to be fair they haven't really tried. Terry and Nev both gave it a go a few times, but I think they preferred throwing sparks and quills at me than casting the spell." Thinking back, Terry and Neville had both given up suspiciously quickly on trying the spell once the testing method was decided on. He would have to get them back for that.
"Perhaps." Flitwick said slowly, weighing each syllable before letting them sound. "Regardless, I am pleased you are not resting on your laurels Harry, I have heard good things from all of your teachers. Although Minerva believes you are not giving your full effort in Transfiguration?"
At the mention of Transfiguration, Harry couldn't stop the twitch of his hand that tapped his cane against the stone floor. He had hoped to avoid discussing the subject, in fact he preferred not to think of the subject at all if he could.
"I see. Could you demonstrate a transfiguration for me Harry? Any transfiguration spell you like." Flitwick asked as he reached for a goblet on his desk and took a short swig from it, a faint bubbling sound escaping the rim as he did so.
Harry wasn't particularly fond of any of the transfiguration spells they had learnt so far, but for Professor Flitwick he would attempt one.
He fixed the form of the spell in his mind, focusing on the change he wanted to make before he made a counterclockwise twist of his wand and spoke the incantation. "Mutatio Cerafilum."
The handily placed matchstick on Flitwick's desk twisted and grew, pale wood changing to wax and the red head shifted and sparked until, with a little wobble, a burning candle sat upon the desk where the matchstick had before. It wasn't perfect. The wax had the woodgrain printed on the outer layer and the candle flame was unusually red, but it was still a candle.
"Well, that's not bad at all Harry. A little practice and you should have that perfected, its easy to forget things like textures or exact colours when you first start out." Flitwick poked at the candle as Harry sank back into his chair and did his best not to let his disappointment show. He didn't do a great job of it though as Flitwick looked up from the candle and frowned. "What is wrong Harry? This isn't a bad attempt at all, with a bit of practice you can fix the mistakes."
Those words did it as Harry felt the sobs burst out, his eyes burning as tears they couldn't shed tried to swell. He wasn't aware of the professor moving until he felt the short man's surprisingly strong arms pull him in for a gentle hug. He didn't know how long he cried before he was able to drag himself back under control, but once the last sobs hiccupped out he was able to explain himself to the confused charms teacher.
"I can't … I can't see the textures properly, so I can't picture them in my head, and if I can't picture them then I can't transfigure them properly." He explained as he gestured at the gestured at the odd candle on the desk, the cherry flame swelling briefly as he did so.
Professor Flitwick nodded as he cast a look at the candle and leaned back, stroking his beard as he inquired about the colours.
"They're the same, some colours are the same in my sight but most of them are brighter, or duller, and if the object is magical, then the caster's colour is always in there somewhere, normally just little specks but sometimes its more." He shrugged despondently. "I don't think I'll ever be as good at Transfiguration as I am at Charms professor."
"Nonsense Harry. Just because your transfigurations might not look identical to the examples, doesn't mean you aren't good at the spells. Tell me, could you make that candle taller? What about changing its shape, could you make it a cube?"
After a moments pause and an eager prompt from Flitwick, Harry demonstrated that yes, he could make the candle taller and then a cube, though the woodgrain on the wax remained and the candle flame continued to burn bright red.
"I will speak with Professor McGonagall about this, I may need to share some details of your particular method of viewing the world, if I have your permission?" Harry nodded with a shrug, he trusted the charms teacher with the secret and if he trusted McGonagall then it was good enough for Harry. "Your way of seeing the world has many advantages, but it comes with its own difficulties. I will try to keep this in mind going forward, but please do come to me if you are having difficulties, I am here for all my Ravens."
Harry smiled as the professor made a note on a piece of parchment on his desk before he picked up an envelope and offered it to him.
"I did have another reason for wanting to speak with you, I received this letter from your aunt, she asked me to pass it onto you."
The letter was printed using his old braille typewriter, he could tell because the 'e' was crooked from the time Dudley had knocked it to the floor and bent the key.
"Dear Harry,
I received your letter, I am glad you are enjoying school, Lily always had marvellous stories when she came back on her breaks, and I can't wait to hear yours in person.
Which leads me onto the purpose for this letter, Vernon's sister has invited herself over for Christmas this year. In light of this, I would suggest you stay at Hogwarts this break, I have already sent my permission note to Professor Flitwick. I will miss you Harry, but I believe you are getting the better deal this year, Marge is bringing Ripper and I can already see the carpets being ruined.
All my love,
Aunt Petunia"
Harry was disappointed to not see Petunia for Christmas, she would wake up early and give him his present before Dudley and Vernon woke up normally and the memories were some of his favourites from his childhood. However, he couldn't pretend to be unhappy that he wouldn't have to deal with Marge. She was a singularly unpleasant woman, much like her brother she was obsessed with being seen as "normal", though how anyone could think her and that demon dog Ripper were normal was beyond Harry.
"Your aunt's letter to me mentioned that you might be spending the Winter Break here at the castle Harry, is that the case?" Flitwick asked as he took another long sip from the goblet on his desk. Harry nodded as he ran his fingers across the page once more before folding it and tucking it into his bag. "Hmm, well I would need to get permission from your aunt, but would you like to join me on Christmas evening for a meal? Castamir is hosting a small gathering, just a few of us with nowhere else to be on Christmas day, you would be most welcome to join us."
"Wow, really? I mean if you're sure Mr Leventis wouldn't mind." Harry couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, although spending Christmas alone in the castle wasn't a terrible prospect, spending it at the Copper Artifice would be much more enjoyable.
"I will write to your aunt and Castamir to confirm, but yes I doubt it will be a problem Harry, now I do believe I have kept you from your compatriots long enough." Flitwick waved a hand towards the door as it opened gently to reveal a nervous looking Neville with his hand raised as if to knock.
"Thanks professor. Hey Nev, good timing." Harry said as he made his way to the now open door, cane in hand and a broad smile on his face.
Christmas came around quickly, and Harry was left as one of only a dozen students still in the castle, though most of the other students were older and spending the time revising for exams so he was as good as alone for the week running up to Christmas day. Harry spent much of the week with Hagrid who had invited him down for tea regularly, the two spending the time on walks along the forest's edge and whittling outside Hagrid's home by the brazier.
Harry had never whittled before, unless you counted peeling carrots and potatoes with his aunt, but once Hagrid had shown him the basics Harry had found it a very relaxing pastime. It had come in useful as well, he had been able to carve a present for each of his friends and Hagrid had taken him to the Owlery to show him the school owls he could use to send them off.
Hagrid was a true gentle giant; he had spent may hours telling Harry stories of the forest and the creatures that lived inside. Centaurs, Imps, Will-O-Wisp's, Unicorns. All manner of beings resided in the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid seemed to know them all. Though Harry was grateful he had eaten his aunt's rock cakes before, so he knew to dunk the very dense bun in his tea before taking a bite, a little moist but very tasty overall.
Christmas morning was a solitary affair, Harry was the only Ravenclaw left in his year so spent the morning opening the small pile of presents that he had awoken to at the foot of his bed alone. He was surprised at the amount of presents, a book on Medieval Charms from Hermione, a warm fur-lined jacked from Hannah, a box of chocolate frogs from Terry, a book on charms used with magical plants from Neville (along with a note that expressed Neville's eagerness to test a few of them that made Harry chuckle), a scarf and fingerless gloves from Susan and some new clothes from Petunia, woolly jumpers and cardigans to keep him warm.
The last gift was wrapped in brown paper with a braille note that read "Your father left this in my possession before he died. Use it well." It was unsigned but as he peeled back the paper, he had a good idea of who it was from. Folded into a neat square was a cloak or robe of some kind, made almost entirely of magic. A familiar magic dotted with stars of white that drifted in the dark violet depths. Professor Dumbledore's magic. He reached out a hand and lifted a corner of the material, freezing as he did so. The moment his fingers had brushed the silky material it had changed. Emerald green spreading from the point he had touched, spilling across the entirety of the cloak until no trace of violet remained, though the white specks did linger, continuing to float among the now green magic. Unsure of what to do with such an item, Harry carefully folded it and wrapped it back up in the brown paper, tucking it into his trunk for safety.
He spent the rest of the morning sat in the common room by the fire, reading the book Neville had gotten for him. It was surprisingly interesting, there were spells to create sunlight, change the temperature even to create little rain clouds for the strange plants that needed more watering.
Soon though he was disturbed by a gentle cough and looked up to see Professor Flitwick stood in the entrance to the common room waiting for him. He packed away the book and picked up the small bag by his chair before he followed the professor out of the common room, down the stairs and out onto the grounds.
They crossed paths with Hagrid who was making his way through the heavy snow up to the castle, he stopped to wish them both a merry Christmas before carrying on up the path. It was cold enough that Harry was already grateful for the jacket and gloves he had received that morning and he resolved to thank the girls when he saw them again.
Once they had made their way past the tall wrought iron gates that marked the edge of the school grounds, Flitwick stopped and turned to Harry.
"Apologies Harry, but I'm afraid we will be apparating again." Without another word, the short professor gripped Harry's arm and they disappeared with a quiet crack.
Their feet hit cobbled stone a moment later, though Harry had to lean on his cane to avoid falling over as a wave of dizziness hit him. It passed quickly but it reminded him how much he wasn't looking forwarded to learning to do that.
"I am sorry Harry, but I find that sometimes it is better to get it over with quickly. It feels much better when you apparate yourself, I promise." Flitwick said as he led the way out from the side street they had appeared in, following the same path as they had back in August as they made their way down the eerily quiet Alley.
The cobbled stone was covered in a thin layer of crisp snow, their steps crunching as they passed Ollivanders. The empty street was unnerving to Harry, his experience of it being very different the last time he was there. As they rounded the corner, the Copper Artifice came into view, its wooden sign swinging creakily in the breeze.
Professor Flitwick opened the door and let Harry in before leading him to the counter at the back of the shop, weaving a path between tables and shelves all covered with heavy cloth sheets. As they reached the counter, Castamir's warm voice called down from the door at the rear of the store. The door was covered in a web of purple magic, runes and symbols that made up the strands moving quickly across the wooden surface.
"Filius, come on up. You are the first ones here." At the invitation, the web of magic shimmered, the symbols slowing to a halt.
The charms master led Harry behind the counter and opened the door without a hint of worry, revealing a staircase leading up to the second story of the building. At the top of the stairs was another doorway, this one already open, to a large open room. A warm fireplace crackled to one side with five comfortable looking armchairs gathered around it. A long table stretched down the middle of the room covered in silver plates and dishes of various sizes and stood in front of them, wearing long robes and holding a goblet that occasionally spat out sparks of blue and green, was Castamir Leventis, his arms wide to welcome them.
"Filius, Harry, Merry Christmas! Come come, would you like a drink? I am afraid food will not be ready for a little while yet, but I have plenty of drink, in fact I think I have a bottle of that mead you so love Filius." Castamir gestured to a silver trolley that wheeled itself across the room from the far corner, a variety of bottles of different shapes and sizes stacked atop it.
"As long as you are offering Castamir, then I will have a glass of the mead and a bottle of Butterbeer for Harry I think." Flitwick turned to Harry as Castamir turned to the trolley and opened a tall bottle, a honey-sweet scent escaping as he did so. "You will like the Butterbeer Harry, its far better than Gilly Water."
Harry, who had no clue what either of those drinks were, settled for nodding in what he thought was a wise manner as Castamir turned back around and handed the two of them their drinks, a goblet filled with the thick sweet-smelling liquid for Filius and a glass bottle with a foamy liquid within for Harry. Professor Flitwick took a deep swig and let out a sigh of satisfied approval as he made his way over to the chairs by the fire, Harry followed and took a tentative sip of his own drink as he did so. It was unique. Fizzy like the lemonade his aunt would make in summer, but creamy and without the slightly bitter aftertaste, it tasted of butterscotch and warmed him pleasantly as he swallowed. Evidently the look of relief on his face was noticeable as Castamir and Filius let out chuckles as he sat down.
"Haha you didn't think it would taste of actual butter did you Harry?" Castamir asked as he joined them on the chairs, leaning back deeply into his as he rested his drink precariously on the arm of the chair. Harry did his best not to blush as he took another sip, he had in fact been a little worried about that.
Luckily, they were distracted at that moment by a pop as a short creature appeared next to Castamir's chair. It stood around three feet tall, with wide floppy ears and long thin limbs. Wearing a simple grey cloth robe of some kind, it's magic was silver with stripes of purple and it bowed to the three of them as it turned to face Castamir.
"The food be's ready in fifteen minutes sir, would you's like me to be bringing it straight in?" He asked in a happy sounding voice.
"Ah, thank you Arka, yes please do, and make sure to set enough aside for yourself." Castamir said as the short creature bobbed its head once before disappearing with another pop. "Now, what's this I hear about you slaying a Troll single-handed Harry?" Castamir asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Oh no, I didn't kill it, I barely even slowed it down." Harry said, taking another sip from his bottle as he leant his cane against the chair on his right.
"Oh really? That's not how I heard it, something about a dangerous fire curse and scarring the beast permanently?" Castamir looked to Flitwick as he asked the second question who nodded slowly.
"There was no fire curse, but yes Harry did succeed in scarring the beast, he actually managed to manipulate a sparks charm to do it. The Parlux charm I believe."
"Really?" Castamir cast an appraising look Harry's way as he sank back into his chair and took a long slow drink from his goblet before speaking again. "Very impressive, its not easy to manipulate a spell on the fly, especially with enough potency to scar a Troll. You've actually beat my record as well."
"Merlin not the damsel story again." Professor Flitwick shook his head and got up from his seat, making his way over to the silver drinks trolley. "I need another drink if I'm going to hear this again."
"Ignore the old grump Harry," Castamir said as he stood from his seat and took a stand in front of the fire. "Now, when I was but a young lad, barely twelve, I snuck out from my home, looking for adventure in the woods near my village. The moon lit my path as I delved deeper into the forest before I came upon them. A young woman from the village, she was beautiful with long flowing blonde hair and clear blue eyes. And in front of her, club raised in the air, an enormous Ogre-"
"When he first told me this story it was an Imp about to leap at a bunny rabbit, so take it with a pinch of salt Harry." Flitwick interjected as he settled back into his chair with a refilled goblet of mead and a grin on his face causing Harry to laugh, though he quickly schooled his expression as Castamir glared at the charms master.
"Ahem, an Ogre Harry, at least twenty feet tall, of course I couldn't just abandon the damsel in distress. So, with a war cry I leapt into the clearing and did battle with the beast, it took me but a single spell to scare the Ogre away and the maiden, well she was so grateful she took me back to her home and-"
"He's eleven Castamir!" Flitwick coughed.
"Ah…yes, she gave me a bar of gold as reward I suppose." Castamir grumbled as he sat back down. "Anyway, you beat me by a year Harry, and a Troll as well, not an easy creature to best."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before there was a loud GONG and the floor trembled slightly. Harry was more startled by the sudden weave of vibrating purple magic that appeared in his vision, strands of light that stretched through the walls, floor and ceiling, running through the walls and even the chairs. Castamir waved a hand absently and the strands of magic settled before they began to fade, even from Harry's sight, until they had vanished completely.
"Alastor is here." Castamir said simply as he winked at Harry's befuddled expression.
Soon the sound of wood on wood echoed heavily from the staircase before a figure rose into view. Tall and broad shouldered, Alastor also leaned on a cane, although his was much thicker and taller than Harry's and was carved with symbols and runes that glowed a burnt orange in his sight. He was wearing a heavy leather overcoat and as he stepped into the room Harry couldn't help but flinching. The man's left eye burned with magic. It was like a small star, its light spilling from it in waves. Golden orange magic swirled so brightly that Harry was amazed the man's head had not exploded.
He limped into the room and greeted Castamir and Filius gruffly, accepting a tankard of some kind from his host, though he did wave his wand across the drink before taking a deep gulp from it.
"Harry, this is Alastor Moody, the infamous Auror Captain." Castamir introduced him and the grizzled man offered his hand to shake as Harry stammered a greeting.
"Good to meet you Potter, I knew your parents, good people and fine mages the both of them." Alastor said as he dragged one of the chairs around until it faced the door with the back to the wall beside the fireplace. He draped his overcoat across the back before collapsing heavily into the chair, a clawed metal leg stretched out as he did so. "Leventis, what have you been up to with Dearborn and why did I get a letter from Fudge's office about bringing you in for questioning?" He growled out as he took another deep swig from his tankard.
"Ah, well Percival was out in the Black Forest for Gringotts and they found a crown, supposedly its from a Duke of Bavaria, its cursed to drive the wearer mad. The duke beat his sons to death and spent his last days scratching prison walls, apparently his brother wanted the title and hired a witch to get it. Anyway, two curse breakers nearly killed each other over it, it inspires jealousy, paranoia and rage in those around it. Percival was on the team that recovered it and convinced Gringotts I was the one to deal with it." Castamir explained, Harry did his best to follow the conversation but some of it was beyond him. Then another GONG and again the strands of magic appeared, vibrating wildly, interestingly Alastor seemed to notice them as well as he poked one with his wand before Castamir waved his hand again and they disappeared. "Speak of the devil, Percival is here."
A few moments later and a younger man bounded up the stairs, tall with fair hair, his deep grey magic was tightly contained in his chest, very little spilling to his limbs unlike most wizards Harry had met whose magic seemed to fill their whole bodies.
"Merry Christmas you old grumps!" The young man, Percival, cried as he strode in and sat down in the last armchair, his wand appearing in his hand for a moment to flick away a burst of magic from Alastor with a laugh. "Oh cheer up, I come bearing gifts." He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a bottle far too big to fit. "Ogden's Finest 1942, an excellent year or so I was told by the pretty lady who sold it to me."
"Hmph, still alive then Dearborn." Moody grunted as he inspected the offered bottle, waving his wand across it as he spoke before nodding and handing it off to Castamir.
"Indeed, the wilds of Borneo and the Black Forest couldn't end me, though there was an Acromantula nest that did its damnedest in Borneo." Percival seemed to take note of Harry's presence then and let out a short breath. "Well blow me down, you look the spitting image of James."
"Ah yes, Harry, this is Percival Dearborn, he was in the year below your parents in Hogwarts, he is a Curse Breaker for Gringotts." Filius said as he introduced the two.
"Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Percival, now don't let Alastor's grumpy persona put you off, he's a teddy bear underneath it all, starved for affection I reckon. OW!" Percival shot up with a yelp as Alastor tucked his wand away, the burst of pink light that had hit Percival's arm so quick Harry had barely caught it.
"Stow it Dearborn, now you explain to me, why am I meant to be questioning you on a smuggling charge?" Alastor asked with growl as Percival spluttered and Professor Flitwick laughed.
"Bah, trumped up charges that's all Alastor. Some Undersecretary pulled us in when we got back and threatened us with Azkaban if we didn't tell her what was found in Germany, wouldn't take no for an answer. In the end we had to get a message to Ragnok to get us out." Percival paused here to look at Castamir. "Speaking of which, Cas I've got an answer for you from Ragnok. If you can bind the curse you get twelve percent of the final sale price, but if you can break the curse then you get fifteen." Percival handed a folded piece of parchment to Castamir as he finished relaying the offer, but Castamir just tucked the letter into a pocket and nodded.
"I had guessed as much; I'll need a few weeks at least. Now I am sure food will be ready shortly, and I doubt Harry here wants to hear about horribly cursed objects, so a brighter topic perhaps?" Castamir suggested and, almost as if summoned, there was a brief pop as the previously empty plates filled with all manner of foods. Roasted meats, vegetables, pies, and bowls of stew covered the table with warm bread rolls on each corner. It smelled fantastic.
Harry was actually rather interested by the topic of the cursed crown, but let it go in favour of piling a plate high with food and returning to the chairs to find that a table had appeared in the middle of the chairs for them all to rest their plates on. Harry turned to the gruff Auror who was sat on his left with a bowl of stew and a bread roll.
"Uh, Mr Moody sir, I was won-"
"None of that sir stuff, not unless you join the Auror Office anyway, Alastor will do." Alastor said as he took a sip of his stew and waited for Harry to continue.
"Oh okay, well Mr-Alastor, I was wondering, what do Auror's do exactly?" He asked curiously, Curse Breaker and Enchanter seemed fairly self-explanatory but he had never heard of Auror's before.
"No I suppose you wouldn't have heard of us before. Well lad, Auror's are Dark Wizard hunters, or we're meant to be anyway. We're like muggle detectives and soldiers rolled into one, the Ministry has a Department for Magical Law Enforcement, most folk call it the DMLE, and in that are the Auror and Hit Wizard departments." As Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, the Auror evidently guessed it as he added. "Hit Wizards are like police, the requirements to be a Hit Wizard aren't as strict, so we have more of them, but one decent Auror is worth ten Hit Wizards. We work alone or in pairs if we're training someone, and we hunt down Dark Wizards or dangerous criminal elements." Alastor explained, pausing to take a spoonful of stew and a mouthful of ale to wash it down. Harry was jostled from his listening as a fresh bottle of Butterbeer was placed on the table in front of him by Professor Flitwick before Alastor carried on.
"For instance, recently I've been hunting a werewolf for the past few weeks, now I should say that lycanthropy is a curse; it doesn't make a person evil just because they have it. But this guy, he was rotten before the curse, now he's a monster no matter the time of month. And I chased him halfway across the country before I caught up to him in Dover, I had him in my sights before he slipped away. Someone got him a portkey before I could get the ward up and he got away. But anyway, that's my job."
"Much better to be a Curse Breaker, Harry. The money is great, and you get to travel all over the world." Percival piped up as the Auror grunted before he turned to join in a conversation Castamir and Filius were having about the Lycanthropy Curse.
"So, you're like a tomb raider, right? Terry said his cousin is one and he spends most of his time in Egypt." Harry asked curiously.
"Ah yes, Egypt is full of tombs, see the Ancient Egyptians were very clever and managed to hide away a big chunk of Egypt from the rest of the world, the spells only started to fail a hundred years or so ago and ever since then it's been a race by Curse Breakers to get tot the best bits. They uncovered a whole new city recently, Thinis, and the curses and traps are very dangerous. You see, curses are an interesting branch of magic, some people will try to tell you that curses are just like charms or transfigurations, but they are not." Percival paused as he seemed to struggle for the right words before he continued. "Dark magic like curses can only be cast with true hatred, you need to want to hurt for them to work. Now, after a few decades or even centuries, that hatred just grows, and the curses begin to change, they twist. So, the normal counter-curses might not even work, it's very dangerous but the rewards are equally weighty, Gringotts pays very well, and the ladies love a dangerous man." Percival winked and laughed as Harry blushed and spluttered.
"Leave the poor boy alone Percival, now I believe we have gifts to exchange?" Castamir announced as Percival chuckled with Filius. Noticing Harry's discomfort, Castamir added. "Don't worry Harry, we don't expect anything from you, Filius told us it was a surprise for you."
"No I do have some presents, I didn't know how many people would be here so there are a few to choose from." Harry said as he reached down for his bag.
"I'll go first." Percival declared eagerly as he pulled a small leather sack from his pocket and handed them all small, wrapped gifts from within. "Now I have got you all the same thing, for different reasons." Harry carefully unwrapped the small parcel to reveal a chain with a small metal symbol, a little like a snowflake, hanging from it. The whole chain pulsed with golden magic and the metal felt warm in his palm as he held it. "We ran into an enchanter in the north of the Black Forest, he was pretty good, and he had these for sale. They are protective amulets, the symbol is The Aegishjalmur, the Helm of Awe, and it should protect you from minor curses, there is a limit obviously, but we tested one and it did surprisingly well. So, Filius and Cas, I thought you would enjoy testing them. Alastor, it might come in handy one day so just keep hold of it. And Harry, well you never know, besides maybe you can have some fun with it."
"Thanks Percival, its brilliant!" Harry exclaimed as he turned the small pendant over in his hand, enjoying the way the magic shivered as he touched it.
"Yes, thank you Percival."
"Cheers Dearborn."
"Thank you, Percival."
Professor Flitwick stood next, pulling out gifts of various sizes from his pocket and handing them out. Harry received a thick book on Elemental Magic, a branch of magic that combined Charms and Transfiguration. Castamir got a leather glove he seemed very happy about, Percival got a different book but seemed equally pleased and Alastor received a flask that was covered in Professor Flitwick's blue magic.
Castamir went next and gave Harry his gift first, a small box which he opened to reveal a ring.
"Hey Cas, don't you think he's a it young to – urk." Percival began before another burst of magic darted from Alastor's wand silencing the young curse breaker.
"I enquired with a friend in the Ministry and found that your family ring is missing, it could be in Gringotts somewhere or it might have been lost that night. Either way, until you can find a replacement, this should do." Castamir explained as Harry picked up the ring and turned it in his hand. It was a simple signet ring, silver, with a stylised 'P' in front of two crossed wands. "I'm afraid I couldn't find the Potter family crest in the records, so I had to improvise." The ring had a single thin thread of purple magic running through it that Castamir explained was to stop it from being damaged, but apart from that it was a simple ring. Harry loved it, a reminder of his family.
As Harry slid the ring onto the chain alongside the pendant Percival had given him, Castamir distributed the rest of his gifts. A brass ring that Alastor slipped onto the end of his staff, a small glass sphere filled with crackling white magic for Flitwick and a copper key brimming with purple magic for Percival.
"That will unlock almost any door Percival, even ones behind most wards so for Circe's sake don't get caught with it or lose it." Castamir said as he sat back down.
Alastor handed Harry an unwrapped miniature telescope that spun on its axis, a sneakoscope from his own collection apparently that Harry should keep next to his bed and it will wake him up if someone nearby wants to hurt him or steal from him. Castamir is just given a slip of parchment, Percival a new pocket watch and Professor Flitwick a thick tome on Wards.
Finally, it is Harry's turn, so he takes out the contents of his bag and places them on the table. There are five of them in total, carved by Harry each one is a different magical creature that Harry was shown by Hagrid either on the borders of the forest or as a carving the groundskeeper had done himself that Harry had used as inspiration. A Unicorn rearing on two legs, a Phoenix with its wings spread wide, a Cerberus with three heads all baring their teeth, an Acromantula and an Imp with a wide grin. Harry was rather proud of all the carvings and was pleased when the older wizards all praised his efforts.
"I think it only appropriate I get to have this after its older cousins tried to eat me a few months ago." Percival said as he snatched up the carved Acromantula and rested it on the book he had also received.
"Well, the Unicorn is a rather impressive specimen, so I'll have that if nobody objects." Castamir said as he picked up the carving and thanked Harry.
"I'll take the Cerberus, might enchant it to scare some of the trainees." Alastor said as he lifted it up to examine it. "Good likeness there Potter."
"I will have the Imp then; Phoenixes are a little … extravagant for my tastes." Professor Flitwick said to a chuckle from Alastor. Harry shrugged and tucked the Phoenix back into his bag, glad they had enjoyed his gifts at least.
The rest of the evening was spent with full bellies in front of a warm fire as the old friends began to regale Harry with stories from their youths, even the irritable Auror shared a funny tale about a drunk wizard who thought his wife was missing, but it turned out he had apparated to the wrong house.
By the end of the night, Harry was given a standing invitation by Alastor if he ever wanted to join the Aurors, Percival had insisted Harry write to him the next time something interesting happened at Hogwarts and Castamir had declared that Harry was now a required guest at all future gatherings of the group.
It was a very tired but very happy Harry that made his way back to the Ravenclaw Dorm rooms that night, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face as he fell asleep.
A/N Hey everyone! Apologies for the very late upload, I unfortunately caught COVID and then Christmas happened, it's a shame because I wanted this to be out for Xmas day but better late than never!
I hope everybody had a good holiday whatever you celebrate.
I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story, it means a lot to know that so many people enjoy my work. I will do my best to be a bit more prompt with the next chapter. There will be a bit of a time skip in the next chapter.
Please review and let me know if you liked this chapter, and if you didn't then what could I do differently?
Many thanks for the support!
Daedalus Smythe