Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
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Chapter 1209 Mar 2024
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This time on Duel of Fate: U14 Tournament Madrid and a life changing event…
A/N: Ok, you all get a treat this week. Because I messed up and posted Chapter 12 for like 60 seconds before posting the correct chapter, some people have already seen it. TO prevent questions on reviews, here is Chapter 12 as well.
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June 12, 1995Madrid, Spain
The portkey dropped the large group into the centre of the arrival ring. Harry stumbled as Hannah bumped into him. She grabbed onto the arm that had wrapped around her waist. Her mum had allowed her to come along with Mr and Mrs Tonks being the chaperones. From the look Mrs Tonks gave her she wasn't sure she would be able to sneak into Harry's room again.
Mr and Mrs Li were here this time.
Sue had landed without much fuss, landing with as much grace as a stalking tiger. Her parents weren't much different and stepped out with a grace Harry didn't have in portkey travel.
"If I didn't know better you just wanted me to hold you," Harry whispered in her ear before kissing it.
She giggled, "I'm not complaining," she told him.
"Move along. The next portkey is due in fifty seconds," a man told them. She didn't let go of Harry's hand as he followed Professor Flitwick towards a doorway that led into a large tent. Harry moved his hand to her shoulders to make it easier to walk.
"What are the rules for today?" Mr Tonks asked from next to them.
"Ten-minute limit. Single elimination for the winner's bracket, and a wild card of the top four after the top eight are chosen," Harry replied.
"And if I remember, forty-three have qualified," Mr Tonks said. Hannah was learning the man was as enthusiastic about duelling as her boy.
"And five more were offered invitations," Master Flitwick told him. "It will be a long three days because Madrid only has two rings."
"You will win," Hannah encouraged.
"Thanks, luv," he said to her. Hannah beamed on the inside even if Harry looked distracted as he scanned the crowds around them.
"Are you disappointed you will miss the third task tonight?" Mr Tonks enquired.
Harry made a face. "As long as Longpiddle loses, I don't care."
Hannah quietly agreed with him. Longbottom had been particularly nasty to Harry and his friends the last few weeks. Professor Flitwick looked ready to say something as Sue snickered when someone suddenly called out his name in the crowded reception hall.
"'Arry!" a French girl suddenly yelled out.
Hannah caught the light blonde girl streaking towards them. She moved to put herself between him and Gabrielle Delacour. There was something about the French hussy that set off all sorts of alarms… and jealousy. She was simply happy she didn't see the other French girl, Fleur.
Gabrielle didn't seem to notice Hannah's attempt as she side-stepped and wrapped her arms around Harry in a big hug. Hannah's eyes narrowed. "Eet has been too long! Are you ready for this weekend? I hear Lavrov is not going to be here," the curvy French girl said.
Harry smiled, until he saw Hannah's face, then he pushed Gabrielle gently away. "Easy girl," he said with a laugh when Gabrielle huffed. Hannah was a little happier as Harry moved further away. "I haven't heard anything about Lavrov. Gabrielle, I assume you remember my girlfriend, Hannah?"
Hannah moved in and grabbed his arm rather tightly. Gabrielle's eyes narrowed just a bit as Hannah met her gaze. There was definitely something there, Hannah thought to herself.
"Oui, I remember Mademoiselle Abbot."
"It's hard to forget a Delacour," Hannah said a little icily, hoping the girl got the message that Harry was hers.
Professor Flitwick put a hand on Harry's other arm, effectively stopping the cat fight that was brewing. "We should move, Harry. You and Sue need to register. The first matches start at ten."
"Yes, Master Flitwick. We'll catch up with you later," Harry said to the French witch.
"Oui. I will try not to beat you too badly," she said with a broad smile and a wink. Harry just laughed at her, then winced as Hannah squeezed his arm more. Hannah wanted to see the girl lain flat on the duelling floor. When Gabrielle bounced away back to her master, and what looked like her parents, he leaned down to Hannah.
"I need that arm for the competition, you know," he said in a light tone.
Hannah huffed but let up her grip. "I don't like her," she said.
Harry kissed her cheek. "She isn't you, luv."
Hannah preened a little at the attention. Harry didn't cast another look at the veela wench. Sue smirked at them. "What?"
"Nothing," Sue said. "So, no Lavrov?"
"So Gabrielle says. Maybe you'll have a chance this time," he said cheekily.
"As long as you beat that blonde," Hannah said softly. Sue looked to Gabrielle before giving Hannah a look. There was an understanding there between them.
"Sure, Hannah," Sue said.
"I thought you wanted me to win anyways?" Harry asked with a grin, which earned him a hit on the arm from Hannah.
-oOo-
June 13, 1995Madrid, Spain
Harry was eyeing up his opponent. The rather stocky girl from Norway had a slightly stumpy wand for a dueller, but he had seen her power yesterday and wasn't going to underestimate her.
"Señorita Mishna Otterson of Oswald Academy in Sweden is to face off against Señor Harry Potter of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the announcer declared in English before repeating it in Norwegian.
The girl was tense. Her fist gripping her wand and her eyes boring into him. He wasn't sure, but he thought he felt a slight tingling on the edge of his mind. She was attempting legillimency, which would explain how she had won her first two matches yesterday. She was one of the special invitees. Harry knew the people she went against, and they should have won, being ten and twenty seats above her in the tournament.
Harry gave her a slight grin as she seemed to concentrate more. Harry may not be able to do deliberate legillimency, or even passive legillimency yet, but he knew his occlumency was better than most. He opened his barrier just a little. She seemed to intensify her stare as they waited on the countdown.
"Four."
Harry let her in just a little more.
"Three."
She pressed and he started to worry about his plan.
"Two."
There was a certain smugness that came over her features as she seemed to see his opening salvo.
"Begin!"
Harry slammed his mental shields closed, pouring as much magic and non-thought into them as possible. The sudden disconnection had the girl stumble back. He twisted and prodded his wand before it started a quick dance. Three quick stunners, followed by a bludgeoning hex and then a thick black snake erupted from his wand. She just barely circled her wand, crying out something in Norwegian. The shield absorbed the first stunner. Cracked on the second. Shattered on the third. Otterson screamed as the bludgeoner threw her back. He hadn't put as much power into it as he wanted, silently casting in Goobnarg to keep her from seeing anything in his mind, so she landed heavily on her back only a few feet away, instead of being flung out of the ring like he wanted.
The black snake hissed menacingly as it slithered towards the girl.
Scare. Don't attack, Harry hissed.
He lazily spun his wand as she sat up. Cutting hexes leapt from her wand as she frantically backed up on her arse while the snake tried to dodge the deadly hexes. She had just cut it to four pieces, the conjured snake turning to smoke, when she was hit with a silent 'Expelliarmus'. Her short, thick wand went sailing into the air. Harry deftly caught it as she was sent arse-over-teakettle a few times at the force of the spell.
"Winner, Señor Potter!" the referee called out.
Harry grinned as he walked over to her. She looked a little dazed as she pushed herself off the floor on shaky arms. He held her wand out to her. "Good match. Next time, don't try to poke around in my head or I may not be as nice," he told her.
She looked up at him wearily. "You occlumens?"
He shrugged. "Getting there. Here's your wand. I look forward to facing you again."
She took her wand before taking his hand to help her up. She gave him a formal bow, which he returned, before they both walked off the stage. Many clapped at the sportsmanship. She eyed him wearily, unsure if his threat that he went easy on her this time was a ruse or not.
-oOo-
A little while later…Madrid, Spain
Hannah was watching Harry in his second match of the day. He had done very well in his first, knocking out that big Norwegian in twenty-eight seconds. She thought it was rather slow with how he was casting, but Mr Tonks had said he needed to drag it out a little bit to get more points. Hannah thought it was stupid to drag it out and could tell Harry did as well.
This time he was lining up against a boy about his own height and build, but in duelling cut robes, not the suit that Sue and Harry preferred. The boy he was facing was from Spain. She was just looking at the way he held himself when Mr Tonks came back from a snack run.
"You just made it, Ted. They are just about to start… what's wrong?" Mrs Tonks asked.
She took her eyes off the ring as the judge announced the match.
"There's a problem back home. I need to talk to Filius as soon as possible," Mr Tonks said.
"What happened?" Mrs Tonks asked. He held a newspaper out to her in response. Mrs Tonks brow furrowed. "Is that a French newspaper?"
"It's the only other language I know, but five other papers from around Europe had the same thing on it," he said concerned.
Hannah tried to see what the picture was when Mrs Tonks gasped. She caught sight of what looked like Krum and Longbottom. The match started and she was caught between watching Harry and wanting to know what happened to them. There were a few bright flashes of light from the duelling pitch, so she turned to watch.
Harry was stepping back, his wand whirling to deflect or shield a barrage of spells from his opponent. Hannah had never seen anyone so young, even including Harry, moving his wand so fluidly. Each motion had a spell leaving his wand. Harry was just barely getting a small shield up or deflecting the spells. Her boy was concentrating hard.
Mrs Tonks gasped, then let out a strangled cry next to her. Hannah took her eyes off Harry for just a second or two. "Ted, they are saying that You-Know-Who may be back."
Hannah's eyes went wide.
"The paper said Longbottom and Dumbledore are claiming it, but Fudge is denying it," Mr Tonks replied.
Mrs Tonks scoffed. "And you believe that fool that is in office? Nymphadora will be on the front lines of this."
She was distracted from listening to them when there was a huge flash from the duelling run. She didn't look up though. Her eyes had finally fallen on the picture of Krum and Longbottom. Krum was on the ground, a few cuts on his face and neck with trickles of blood that looked partially dried. What caught her eye was the way his eyes looked empty. He didn't breathe or anything as Longbottom tried to keep people away from the lifeless body. Longbottom looked even worse for wear, but there was one key difference between the boys. While Longbottom was alive, Krum was not. The headline read La Mort d'un Champion. Even if she couldn't read French, she could get what the headline meant.
There was the sound of an explosion. Hannah jumped, screamed and looked towards Harry, her hands over her mouth. Harry looked beyond pissed as the referee was trying to get between the two boys. Harry's wand was moving rapidly as he sent a rainbow of spells at his opponent. The boy from Spain was looking tired, a bit of fear on his face as he shielded. There was another explosion as the boy's shield failed. He was hit by three spells. She watched as the boy flew five feet in the air, spinning arse-over-teakettle to land on his head.
Harry's wand stopped as the referee finally stepped into the ring. She could see a large gash on Harry's cheek, and he was holding his side. Blood was clearly on his fingers. The referee ran over to his opponent, wand moving. Harry didn't drop his wand. It stayed pointing at the boy until a Healer and Mediwizard rushed onto the stage. It was a few long moments and only when a stretcher was conjured that the referee moved to the centre of the duelling run. By now, the arena was abuzz with noise. As many people were looking at the arena as at papers. There was a current of confusion and fear around her.
"Maxim Herst of Sorenesta Spanish School for Wizardry has been disqualified for using illegal, dark curses. Harry Potter of Hogwarts will be fined ten points for continuing the match after disqualification was called. Match to Harry Potter of Hogwarts," the referee said.
Harry nodded before falling to his knees.
"HARRY!" she cried out. She didn't care that she wasn't allowed onto the floor as she rushed towards him. It was better to make sure he was alright before worrying about Krum.
-oOo-
That night…Madrid, Spain
Harry was sitting up in bed. He made a face as the Healer handed him a potion. He had to forfeit his next match due to the way his side had been opened up by that arse Hurst. The prat had gotten frustrated as Harry had stopped every attack and had started in on the arrogant Spanish boy when he started to tire.
Hurst's strategy wasn't bad, and Harry had to admit he couldn't beat the boy on sheer volume of spells, but the spells were weaker because he was casting them so fast. He doubted the magic was properly formed before it left the wand. Even so, he had been hard pressed to avoid the initial onslaught. Master Flitwick said it had lasted for seventy-four seconds before Harry was able to retaliate.
It was almost three minutes in when Hurst finally realized he was going to lose, and used a spell chain Harry hadn't seen before. The shield buster had surprised him, but not as much as the black and purple cutting hexes that looked like a shiny mirror reflecting the night sky. One had gotten his cheek, the other had ripped through his armour like a hot butter knife, and then his side.
The fact they were cursed spells, the Healers were unable to close the wound right away and he had been taken off to the infirmary as they figured out how to counter the spells. The wounds were still being resistant to close properly. He was furious that he had to miss his next match, meaning he was now out of the tournament.
The only consolation was that Hurst had to be taken to the local hospital. Harry hadn't used any dark magic, but the boy was in a world of hurt and would take a few days to recover.
Hannah was holding his hand as she poked her fork into her food. There was something else going on, but no one had wanted to tell him until the Healers were certain he would be alright. After a few hours they had found the appropriate counter curse and closed the wounds, but he was going to have to take potions for the next week to make sure all the dark magic was cleansed from him, and the wounds healed properly. As it was, they still looked red raw, ragged and inflamed when the healers had checked not long ago before putting more salve on them and covering them. The bandages were wrapped tightly around his chest.
He nudged Hannah with his hand. "You alright?"
She shook her head.
"You going to tell me what happened?"
She looked close to tears now. "Are you going to be alright?"
He took her hand. "You were here when the Healers said I would be."
She swallowed hard and looked towards Ted and Andi, who were talking in hushed whispers. Sue and Professor Flitwick had gone with her parents to the ball the tournament was putting on tonight. He waited as she seemed to get up her courage.
"Krum is dead," she told him.
Harry blinked. "What?" he questioned; unsure he had heard her right.
When she looked up, tears were falling down her cheeks. "Krum is dead. The newspapers had it today. They are saying Longbottom and Dumbledore are saying You-Know-Who is back, but Fudge and the ministry is saying it's a lie. The French papers are leaning towards Dumbledore and Longbottom because Mister Delacour says it's true."
Harry's mouth had gone dry, and he was looking at her dumbfounded. This couldn't be true! It had been Death Eaters that killed his parents and put his godfather into St Mungo's for the last thirteen years. It had been that man that had killed his grandparents, as far as he knew. If this was true, then Harry's entire world had just been turned upside down. His love of duelling, a way that he felt he could honour his parents who were rumoured to be excellent duellists, had just taken on a whole new meaning.
"You're sure?" he asked quietly.
Hannah nodded.
Harry reached over, pulling her up on the bed. He tried not to wince as she wrapped her arms around him and started to cry into his shoulder. Andi and Ted must have noticed. They had gotten up and started to walk towards them.
"Did Hannah tell you?" Ted enquired.
"Is You-Know-Who really back?" Harry asked.
"We don't know, but something serious happened at the tournament last night. You can't go back until the Healers release you tomorrow. Sue and her parents decided to stay for now. There is nothing we can do if we race back there," Ted replied.
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered.
-oOo-
June 14, 1995Madrid, Spain
"'Arry," a girl said as they waited in line to get their portkey. Harry turned to see Gabrielle. She looked ready to cry as she moved into hug him. Hannah didn't protest this time. "Please look at ma soeur. Make sure she leaves."
"I will. Congratulations, by the way," he told her.
Gabrielle backed up and had a sad smile on her face. She had finished third, with Sue taking the tournament this morning. "Merci. I would have preferred to lose to you though."
"There is always next time," he replied.
"Harry, they're calling our number," Hannah said, her hand slipping into his.
"I have to go," he told Gabrielle.
"Please, make sure Fleur gets home in one piece," she said.
"I will do what I can," he promised.
As they walked away, Hannah lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed the back of it. "She isn't that bad, I guess."
Harry gave her an uncertain smile. "You sure about that?" he asked. Hannah didn't sound that sure of her statement after how much she had indicated she didn't like the other blonde.
Hannah shrugged. Gabrielle hadn't used her allure or anything. She seemed honestly concerned for her sister. Hannah may still not like her, but… "She can't be that bad is she cares for her sister that much."
He kissed her forehead as they moved to the portkey attendant. Not long after they were landing in the Ministry of Magic in London. When they landed it was in a far more dignified way than when they had landed in Madrid. Hannah had both her arms around his and it was only a slight stumble by both of them before they stood straight.
"Come along. We must get back to Hogwarts right away," Master Flitwick said.
Harry said a quick goodbye to Ted and Andi before following with Hannah. Sue quickly joined them as they were led to the public floo's. There was a tense atmosphere and the newspaper stand in the atrium was oddly absent of any foreign papers. Instead, only the Daily Prophet and other local publications, like Witch Weekly and Teen Witch Weekly, were on display. He caught a quick headline of Tragedy sends Longbottom around the Twist.
Harry had no love for Longbottom, but something seemed wrong about what he saw after seeing the papers from France and other countries the last two days. Hannah stayed close to his side as they moved in the queue of the line.
Sue leaned over, "I would have thought there would be more Aurors around."
Harry scanned the atrium. He frowned as he didn't see any Aurors, only a single guard. "You would figure there would be more security," he said to her.
"The Ministry doesn't believe him," Hannah said.
"Our turn," Master Flitwick told them. Harry made sure that Hannah and Sue went through first. He cast one more look around the atrium before tossing in the powder and saying, "Hogwarts."
After thirty seconds or so, he was stepping out into the headmaster's office. Sue and Hannah were waiting for him. There was a soft, soothing cooing from the phoenix that was on the stand. Professor McGonagall was standing off to the side.
"Afternoon, professor," Sue was saying as he stepped over to Hannah.
"Afternoon, Miss Li. Is this all of you?" she enquired.
"Professor Flitwick is on his way," Harry told her.
She nodded. "Very well. Professor Dumbledore wanted me to meet you. Our security measures are changing around the school, and he asked me to open the floo for you. Ah, Filius, I assume you have heard?"
Master Flitwick stepped out of the flames and up to them. "Only what was in the papers. I assume it's true?"
"The headmaster believes Mister Longbottom. We will discuss this more later, Filius. If you would, I would ask all of you to go straight back to your dorms and pack your belongings. All students that don't need to do their OWL's or NEWT's will be taking the Express back to London day after tomorrow," Professor McGonagall informed them. She gave Harry an odd look that made him uncomfortable. He knew she didn't care for him, but that was almost loathing on her face. "And do stay out of trouble." Her eyes lingered on him." The Ministry has some Aurors around as the Bulgarians and the ICW have been trying to investigate the death. Neither are being allowed on the grounds. I would hate for a student to run afoul of the Aurors."
"Yes, professor," Sue said.
"Okay, professor," Harry replied, returning her hard stare.
"Why would the Aurors bother a student?" Hannah questioned.
"Go back to your dorms and pack. Potter and Li, I will want to meet with you in the morning to discuss the summer. I will want to work out a training schedule and look at the tournaments in August," Flitwick said.
"Ten?" Harry questioned.
"That will work. I'll see you then."
When they left, the door shut a little hard behind them. Sue looked at him. "What did you do to crawl up McGonagall's craw?"
Hannah snickered. "That is just disgusting."
Harry made a face as they walked down the spiralling stairs. "No bloody clue. She always has it out for me. For all I know Longpiddle is blaming me for what happened."
Sue snorted. "Probably. I'll see you in a bit?"
"Yeah," he said as Sue went to the right and Hannah and him went to the left. When they passed the first alcove with a suit of armour in it, Hannah pulled him in, then pulled him down for a snog. It had a certain desperate quality to it that her kissing didn't usually have. When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead on hers. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I just have a bad feeling. Walk me down to the badger sett?"
"Of course," he said.
They looked around the suit before walking away, hand in hand. As they made it to the main tower and moving stairs, he caught Longpiddle and Weasel walking up another set towards a picture of a fat lady. Weasel was spouting off about something while Longpiddle still looked beat to hell and glum. Harry figured if he saw someone die, he might be a little down. That slight sympathy towards the boy ended quickly when Longpiddle caught sight of them. The look he gave Hannah and him from the other side of the tower had Harry want to reach for his wand. It was such a hate-filled look that his fighting instincts were screaming at him.
Weasel stopped. The look he gave them was almost as fierce and loathing, but Longpiddle took the biscuit on the 'if-looks-could-kill'. He looked ready to attack Harry across the expanse.
Hannah pulled on his arm. "Forget them," she whispered. Harry started to move, not taking his eyes off the boys. He hadn't trusted them before and felt even more on edge about them now. When they were into the next hall, Hannah let out a breath. "I'm glad Granger is no longer with him?"
"I am too, but do you think we should worry?" Harry enquired. She may not be a friend like Sue, Susan or Luna, but he still considered her his friend.
Hannah looked back contemplatively. "I think she'll be alright. As much as I hate Longbottom, he still cares for her."
Harry still wasn't sure. "If you say so," he told her, making a mental note to check up on her the next chance he got.
-oOo-
June 15, 1995Hogwarts, Scotland
Harry felt distracted today. Ravenclaw house was unsure what to think about the last few days. Some believed the Headmaster and Longpiddle. Others were scared or confused or refused to believe it. He found more than most were buying into what the ministry and minister were spewing.
His distraction was coming from a conversation he overheard in the common room. Edgecombe, and the others that he had so soundly beat over Luna's missing stuff, were talking about the rumours that his family were Death Eaters. The girl had taken to glaring at anyone she thought had wrong her after Chang had left a few weeks ago. There were rumours, but Harry kept his mouth shut about what he knew.
His wandering thoughts turned back to the Ravenclaw common room. According to Edgecombe, they had been hunted down for doing something to betray the Dark Lord. Harry knew that was tripe. He also knew that Sirius and the Tonks had been working to counter those notions.
Once Sirius was able to leave St Mungo's, which should be soon, he was going to be talking with the board of Directors for the Daily Prophet. For months now they had been dragging up his family. He was sure it was Longpiddle's gran that was doing it. An article yesterday evening had brought up his parents and slandered their memory. The paper had insinuated his parents were Death Eaters. Ted and Andi had been trying to sue the paper and stop then, but Tonks just didn't have the sway that a Lord Black would. Not to mention that Sirius said he owned some of the Prophet.
"The wrackspurts are all around you today," Luna said as they walked towards the great hall. It was getting close to lunch.
Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Luna, what was that?"
"The wrackspurts. They are all over you and keep going in and out of your ears," she told him in a serious tone.
Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, well, you know," he said in a non-committal way.
She gave him her airy smile. "You know I don't believe what the Daily Prophet and others say about you. They're all woolly, you know," she replied.
Harry chuckled at her. "Is that because of the wrackspurts?"
She looked at him as though he had just said the most ludicrous think. "Merlin, no! Wrackspurts are attracted to those that are distracted, have confused thoughts or are just being spacy. The woolliness comes from the hairs on the blumhingers that surround those that are mean, bullies or afraid of losing power. There are blumhingers around some in our house when they look at you."
Harry wasn't surprised. Since Christmas he had noticed one of two reactions. Most, probably because of Clearwater, thought Harry was a good bloke. His grades overall, and the way he performed in the underage duelling tournaments, had earned him respect as a valued member of the house. He was bringing Ravenclaw the recognition it deserved. Then you had the minority that hated him, those that had been bullying Luna and others. Professor Flitwick had really come down hard on those that didn't follow the Hogwarts' Code of Conduct in the last few months. Harry didn't have proof, but he heard a few, like Edgecombe and Corner, were on probation for bullying.
"You're giving into the wrackspurts again," Luna said after a moment. She looked a little concerned.
Harry chuckled as he shook his head. He really was distracted and felt a little fuzzy today. They were approaching the moving stairwell on the fifth floor. "I'll try not to let them get me any more today."
"See that you don't. They can be very distracting," she instructed him.
"They can…" he started to say when there was a sudden shouted, "DEPULSO!"
Only the last three years of training with Professor Flitwick had Harry moving without thinking. He felt the magic behind them. He shoved Luna out of the way as he spun to the opposite side of the hallway. Luna gave out a little scream as the hallway was full of the sound of metal clinking and clanging. Harry's wand had just shot out of his holster and his hand grasped it when he caught sight of the armour. If he hadn't pushed Luna out of the way he could have had his wand up. Instead, the armour slammed into his left shoulder, sending him spinning and to the ground.
That action saved him as he saw a cutting hex fly to his side and a stunner just over his head. He hit the floor hard as someone barked out, "Confringo!"
Harry rolled. The blasting hex hit the floor just before him. It sent stone chips and large chunks into his back. His clothes and cloak took up most of the impact, but he knew he would have bruises. Rolling over to his knees, he brought up a shield.
"Luna! Go get Professor Flitwick!" he yelled. Rage started to build in him as he caught sight of his attackers. Three redheads and a blonde were throwing spells at him. He knew the Weasley twins but had never had an issue with them. They were casting stunners, bindings and silly stuff. Next to them, though, Longpiddle and Weasel were definitely not casting innocuous spells. The Weasel cast a cutting curse towards Luna. Harry swiped his wand to the side. His deflection spell had the cutter going wide and slicing through a painting. The occupants screamed and yelled at them.
That was the last he could do to protect her as he was bombarded with spells. He gritted his teeth as pain lanced through him as his left shoulder moved as he was forced to roll. He cast another shield and got to his feet. Weasel turned his attention away from Luna as Harry snarled. He started to deflect the spells, ropes and even a few dung bombs or other prank items that came his way. He returned a few spells, getting a piercing hex to graze one of the twins. The boy looked surprised that he would be hurt.
None of them were the calibre of duellist he was used too. They were better than what he had faced in Ravenclaw house, as though they had been through some training. Harry felt he should be able to take them, but still, three or four on one was enough to throw Harry off his game, not to mention the way his shoulder and arm sent shards of pain through him every time it moved.
The Weasel was preferring cutting, bludgeoning and banishing hexes while Longpiddle kept up a barrage of piercing and blasting hexes. Harry was able to get off another piercing hex before he was forced to shield against stone shards from a blasting hex to the flagstone floor. This one caught the already injured twin one in the leg. The redhead cried out in pain as he went down.
"George!" the other twin called out.
Harry didn't pay attention to the blood as he was forced to step back as another blasting hex hit the floor. He shielded against the shrapnel, missing the Weasel casting a summoning charm. He was about to go on the offensive with only the Weasel and Longpiddle attacking him when he was hit in the left shoulder again from the back. He was thrown to the floor as the armour bowled into him. The pain from the impact and the jarring stop on the floor had him seeing black spots. Through the pain, his training had his body still moving. If you could still move, you could still fight. He rolled over, bringing his wand up. A rather nasty cutting hex left his wand. It was thrown rather wildly, causing Weasel to duck as Longpiddle shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Harry's wand was ripped from his hand. He was going to reach for his spare wand when he was hit by a bludgeoning charm in the chest. He felt the air rush out of him. He was thrown into the air then jammed his bad shoulder back into the floor when he landed. He let out a cry of pain as his vision blurred again. It was enough for him to grab at his chest and shoulder as he tried to take in a breath of air. It felt like sharp needles in his chest as he tried to breathe.
As he struggled, Longpiddle and the Weasel walked up to him. There was a look of rage on Longpiddle's face while the Weasel looked smug as hell. "Some great duellists you are," the Weasel mocked.
Longpiddle kicked his left shoulder. Harry thought he felt something snap. He only gave out a small cry of pain, not wanting to give the arse the pleasure to know how hurt he was.
"He's a little Death Eater," Longpiddle spat.
"Neville, Ron, we need to get George to Madam Pomfrey," the other twin said to them.
"In a few. I want Potter dead," Longpiddle said. He kicked Harry in the shoulder again. The pain had his eyes rolling in his head as the boy crouched down. "I met your master, Potter. He told me all about how your parents worked for him. He found it quiet amusing how they betrayed my parents."
Harry had tears running down his cheeks as he came back to himself from the searing pain.
"He told me that you would be accepted with open arms. I always knew you were lying and that your parents were rubbish. My gran said you should have been drowned like a bad puppy. I think that is what I will do," he said.
"Come on, Nev, let's just kill him," the Weasel said, his wand coming up.
"I want him to suffer like I have. We can levitate him over to the windows and throw him into the Black Lake," Longpiddle replied.
Harry could see the intent in the boy's eyes. He rolled, hoping to reach the wand on his broken left arm when Longpiddle punch his broken collar bone. Harry cried out. Spots swam across his vision again. He had never had any bones broken this bad before. He had the stray thought that they must be shattered.
"Neville, I think this is going a little far," one of the twins said.
"You only asked us to teach him a lesson, not kill him," the other added.
Neville looked down at Harry. The hatred had the boy's face twisted in a horrid way. "This little Death Eater doesn't deserve to live. His master wants him. Do you want him to go to Voldemort?"
He could see Weasel shiver at the name. "Do you have to use his name?" the boy complained.
"Lovegood is going to be back shortly with a professor. George must see Madam Pomfrey," a twin said.
"Levicorpus," Longpiddle incanted. Harry was lifted off the stones. His shoulder shifted as his left arm hung limply. He fought the urge to cry out in pain. His teeth ground together. He was going to find a way out of this, but he didn't know how without getting to his spare wand. "Open the window," he ordered the Weasel.
There was the sound of rushing feet coming up the stairs.
"Someone is coming!" a twin shouted.
Neville cursed as the Weasel couldn't unlock the window.
"We are leaving. This is too much," a twin said.
"Open the window," Neville said in a little more of a panic.
"It's not opening. Alohomora!" Weasel said for the fourth or fifth time. Harry tried to move, reaching for his broken arm to pull it up and get his spare wand.
"Now! Merlin, Ron! It's a simple spell," Longpiddle yelled in frustration.
"What are you doing!" a girl yelled out.
Harry's heart sank. He knew that voice.
"Hannah! Watch out," he groaned as loud as he could.
"Stop her!" Longpiddle yelled. Longpiddle turned towards the stairs, dropping Harry in a heap on the floor. The sudden jarring stop had his eyes roll up into his head. He fought to stay awake, using every trick that Master Flitwick had taught them.
Spells started to fly around the hallway again. Harry managed to focus enough to realize his bad arm was caught under his own body. He moved his head to see Hannah and Susan fighting Weasel and Longpiddle. The fight was about even between the four of them. His concern was that Hannah and Susan were using more standard DADA duelling spells, which were meant to incapacitate and stun, not seriously hurt. The Gryffindors were using far more harmful spells.
Gritting his teeth, Harry rolled over. He let out a whimper of pain as his left arm and shoulder shifted. He was gritting his teeth as hard as he could as he reached for the holster on his left arm. His right hand had just reached the wand and he managed to pull it out when he heard a sound that sent a shiver of dread through him.
"HANNAH!" Susan cried out.
Harry shifted as fast as he could, his wand coming up. He stopped to see the blonde girl bounce off the edge of a banister at the top of the stairs. The stairs must have been moving as a banister was coming out of the wall. She bounced off the stationary banister there before falling through the crack before it close.
He just caught the fear in her eyes before she was out of sight. He heard her scream. Susan cried out, rushing towards the banister, only to be hit by a spell from Longpiddle that had her wand flying out of her hand and it sent her rolling down the hall.
Everything seemed to stop as her screams echoed in the stairwell. Harry cried out, "Accio HANNAH!"
He felt his magic respond. Longpiddle stumbled backwards, as though stunned by what had just happened. As he stepped back, he stumbled over Harry. Harry let out a scream of pain as the heavy boy fell on him. The wand in his hand snapped and he felt the pull on Hannah stop. She screamed for another second or two before it was suddenly incredibly quiet.
Having Longpiddle's full weight falling onto his broken shoulder had his world going black…
--oOo-
The next time on Duel of Fate: Hannah's fate…