~An Emerald amongst a Sea of Stone~
Chapter Nine
The past couple of weeks had passed quickly. Almost too quickly
Between his attempts at mastering the disillusionment charm, his forays into the world of curse-breaking, and his continued efforts to improve at duelling, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise.
But as Harry sat there, on one of the worn-down benches littering the window side of Myrtle's bathroom, he found it to be just that.
Surprising.
Even being used to never-ending summers at Number Four, initially, it had felt as if time sometimes stood still within the weathered walls of the castle. Class, homework, research, repeat; it had been easy to lose himself in the monotony of everyday life.
Monotony, after all, was what Harry knew best.
He curled his lip, remembering the days he'd slaved away in the annoyingly perfect house with the annoyingly perfect garden in the annoyingly perfect neighbourhood.
In retrospect, his research sessions had been not much different, even if they had originally served a purpose.
Not anymore though…
It pained him to admit, but except for the odd piece of knowledge he'd picked up along the way, his weeks spent in the library looking for any semblance of information on the Cruciatus Curse, had been utterly wasted.
If only he had received that letter earlier…
Initially, he'd been somewhat paranoid of his mysterious friend, but, truth be told, most of these worries had faded with time. These days, he was merely glad to have accepted the offer.
Just last week, his friend had forwarded him the exact ward scheme protecting the restricted section from unauthorised entry.
Harry didn't know how his contact had managed to acquire the plan or where it had come from, but hadn't cared to ask either. Plausible deniability and all that.
He'd been surprised to note that the scheme turned out to be a relatively common one. He found it a little odd, considering just what the ward was supposed to protect.
In all honesty, he might have even been able to circumvent the ward if they were to undertake the heist tonight.
Though that seems rather unlikely, considering the celebrations will last late into the night…
Harry's lips pressed into a thin line as he shook his head.
My time is better spent practising anyway…
He hadn't been outside of Myrtle's bathroom since breakfast, deciding to bury himself in research and spell practice instead of pretending to join today's festivities.
And despite his restrained anger, he had managed to improve on his disillusionment charm a decent bit; although the progress of course faded in comparison to where he had started.
By his estimation, he would need another month at most until they'd be ready for the break-in.
His charm wouldn't be perfect, of course, but it didn't need to be; just good enough for any potential onlookers to dismiss the ripples in the air as a trick of the light.
He'd relayed as much to his partner in crime.
Getting up from the bench, Harry yawned, conjuring a handful of golden digits into the air. He grimaced.
I should probably head off. Don't want to be late to my duel with Flitwick…
Grabbing his copy of Cursebreaking for Novices, which he had illegally borrowed from Hogwarts's library, he vacated the lavatory. As he cancelled his silencing charm, he briefly glanced back.
Wonder where Myrtle is…
He paused.
Probably off terrorising some innocent bathroom elsewhere in the castle…
With a faint smile, he made his way up to the third floor, where the Charms classroom was located. Passing by the forbidden corridor, he came to a halt in front of its gates.
Wonder what awaits me…
They had agreed on a duel, of course, but Harry had certainly picked up on the fact that assessing his skills had been far from the Professor's only motivation.
Or he wouldn't have chosen Halloween…
Flitwick was among the few people who knew how strongly he felt about his parents; and even though Harry needed neither comfort nor pity, he couldn't fault the man for trying to provide him some company.
Especially not after everything he's already done for me…
That aside, more duelling practise - especially against an actual champion - couldn't possibly do any harm. Flitwick would certainly have some advice in store.
Steeling his features into a polite smile, he knocked.
'It's open!'
The door to his classroom opened with a quiet creak. Harry stepped inside, looking as composed as ever. Filius offered a warm smile as he greeted the boy.
'Harry,' he said with usual cheer. 'Good Evening.'
The boy mirrored his smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
'To you as well, Professor,' Harry bowed.
The teen's eyes trailed over towards the dozens of scrolls littering the table to Filius' left.
'I'm not disrupting, am I?' he asked.
Filius waved him off, chuckling. 'Of course not, Harry. It's quite alright. Just some stuff I've been dealing with. How have you been?' he asked.
The boy smiled faintly. 'Well enough, sir. The essays have been tough, but nothing I couldn't handle.'
'Well, you're certainly doing fine in my subject,' Filius agreed. 'I hope it hasn't hindered you from pursuing your extracurricular research too much?' he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry shook his head. 'Not at all, sir. It's going better than ever. I found your recommendations to be most interesting.'
'Oh?' Filius chuckled in relief. 'Well, that is good to hear, my boy.' He paused. 'Though I heard you managed to find yourself in some trouble a few weeks back. Poppy mentioned it,' he said.
Something in Harry's expression hardened.
So there was more to it than Severus or Albus let on…
A few weeks back, at a staff meeting, he'd been informed that there had been an incident which had landed a handful of Slytherin students, including Harry, in the Hospital Wing. And while Severus and Albus had claimed that it had been nothing more than a minor spat between students, Filius hadn't been quite convinced.
In fact, he had openly criticised how untransparently the matter had been handled at the staff meeting; even though there hadn't been any long-lasting consequences as a result of the confrontation.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. 'It was nothing major, sir, just a small concussion. Madam Pomfrey fixed me up quite nicely, I think,' he answered.
Filius nodded, a little calmer on the inside. 'I suppose that means you're up for our little duel. You didn't just come here to keep your old Professor company after all.'
Harry's lip twitched. 'If you're old, sir, what exactly does that make Professor Dumbledore?'
'Even older, I suppose,' Filius smiled, drawing his wand. 'I suggest we use the standard skirmishing ruleset. Meaning?' he prodded.
'Nothing considered a Tier 3 spell and above or anything else capable of causing grievous injury,' Harry replied evenly.
'Very good,' Filius chortled. 'I see you've been keeping up with the theory side of things. I suggest we duel to two points, one for each disarmament.'
Harry nodded in agreement.
No point wasting time then.
Filius brandished his wand in a great arc, pushing the benches in which midst they stood aside with a silent wave. Without having to say a word, Harry strode over towards the opposite end of the classroom, coming to a halt right before its doors.
'Ready?' Filius asked, taking his stance.
Assuming his position, the boy nodded.
'Your turn to open.'
Not even a second after the words had left Filius mouth, Harry's lips parted and a red flash burst from the tip of the boy's wand. It dissipated against Filius' shield charm with a hiss.
He's quick…
Without wasting time, Filius countered with a disarming charm of his own. The maroon spell rushed at Harry, but was absorbed by an Aego Fortis before it could hit its mark.
Filius nodded to himself. Good basic shield… he noted, sidestepping the knockback jinx coming his way. He also knows how to chain spells…
Another disarming charm flew his way, just as vibrant and quick as the last had been. Filius blocked and countered using the same spellchain Harry had.
Again, the teen shielded. Quick reflexes, certainly… Dodging seems foreign to him though. Let's see how that shield of his holds up…
Filius began an onslaught of spells, chaining one into the next, not allowing Harry an opportunity to counterattack. Flash after flash slammed against the boy's golden shield, effortlessly dissipating against the barrier.
That was, at least, until Filius decided to fire a banishing charm.
The blue flash raced forward, the Aego Fortis shattered, and Harry was knocked off his feet.
Thump.
Slamming against the wooden gates, Harry's wand clattered to the floor. Groaning, the boy tried to catch his breath.
'A point for me,' Filius commented almost cheerfully, walking over to offer him a hand. 'Are you aware why you lost?' he asked.
Harry dusted off his robes, getting up from the floor. 'Because the Aego Fortis doesn't hold up against banishing charms,' he answered, a hint of frustration in his voice.
'Meaning?' Filius probed.
'I should have chosen a superior shield.'
A superior shield? The charms master blinked. The step-up of the basic shield charm was Protego. In all his years, Filius had never seen a first year cast it. Successfully, at least.
'What about dodging?'
Harry pursed his lip. 'After I had the shield up, I wouldn't have been able to cancel it and dodge in time. Your spells were coming too quickly, sir.'
Filius nodded in acknowledgement. Harry was right, after all. 'Quite,' the charms master agreed. 'So?'
The teen's emerald eyes flashed, his hands briefly twitching. The barest hint of distaste showed on his face, almost as if he had bitten into a lemon.
'I shouldn't have shielded to begin with,' he answered, speaking more to himself than Filius.
'Indeed,' Filius smiled. 'In most cases, if you are able to dodge, doing so is preferable to shielding. Not only does it conserve your magical stamina, it also prevents you from being forced onto the defensive, additionally eliminating any vulnerability to spells your shield doesn't protect against.'
Harry nodded in understanding. 'If I can dodge a spell, I'm dodging it,' he summed up.
Filius nodded. 'Most of the time, yes. Shielding is usually reserved for scenarios where you are too slow to dodge a spell, but have enough time left to shield. Choosing a superior shield charm would have solved your issue in this particular instance, but in general, excessive shielding is a technique best reserved for experienced wizards or witches with large amounts of magical power to spare,' he explained.
'I understand…' Harry murmured, looking up once more. 'Are you ready for a revanche then, sir?' he asked.
Filius smiled. 'Gladly, my boy. My turn to open this time.'
Assuming their stances, the two wizards began their second duel of the night. Filius opened just as Harry had; with a disarming charm. This time, the boy dodged.
Good.
They traded a handful of spells, neither of them resorting to a shield. Even though Harry was visibly struggling, the boy held up surprisingly well against Filius' onslaught of spells.
Quick enough on his feet…
There was a certain sluggishness to Harry's footwork, but that was only to be expected from a beginner. Filius didn't find it to be subpar of what he expected from his club's younger members.
Deciding to push the boy some more, Filius increased the tempo of the duel. Harry was forced onto the defensive again, as dodging and counter-attacking at the same time became impossible.
Filius saw the end approaching.
Harry stumbled to the side, barely averting a sea of red and yellow, before finding himself confronted with another pale-blue flash. Somewhat ironic, considering how their last duel had ended.
But just as the banishing charm was about to graze the boy's shoulder and end the duel, a brilliant, silvery-shimmering dome burst forth from the tip of his wand. The pale-blue flash was absorbed into the glowing barrier without dealing even an inkling of damage.
Filius didn't bother stopping the disarming charm heading his way. Eight and a quarter inches of beech arced across the classroom, caught by Harry's hand. The charms master blinked.
'By Merlin…' he murmured, taking a few steps forward and meeting Harry in the middle of the classroom.
The boy offered back his wand. He was smiling ever so slightly.
'Sorry, sir. I didn't quite fancy making the wall's acquaintance a second time.'
Filius discarded the apology with a scoff. 'No need, Harry. I was merely surprised. That shield of yours was simply magnificent.'
The boy inclined his head. 'Thank you, sir.'
Filius twirled the tip of his moustache, humming to himself. 'You wouldn't mind showing it to me again, would you?'
Harry shook his head. 'Of course not, sir.'
The boy brandished his wand, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Filius watched expectantly.
'Protego.'
The same, blinding-silver shield sprung forth. Standing right next to it, Filius could even see the air around it brimming and crackling with energy. He shook his head in astonishment.
Even more talented than his mother indeed…
'Truly magnificent…' he murmured. 'Thank you, my boy. How much have you practised?'
Harry exhaled. 'A lot,' he admitted. 'I figured making sure I knew how to protect myself was more important than expanding my repertoire of offensive spells. Protego is probably my best spell.'
'A wise approach,' Filius nodded. He paused, his electric-blue eyes finding Harry's emerald-green ones. 'I hope it has served you well so far?'
Slowly, Harry nodded, clearly having understood the insinuation.
'Definitely, sir.'
It's a good thing I gave him those books…
Filius smiled. 'I'm glad. Are you up for one last round then?' he asked. 'For the win,' he added, his eyes sparkling ever so slightly.
Harry mirrored the smile. 'Of course, sir.'
'Let us not waste time then,' Filius said cheerfully, taking his stance. 'Your turn to-'
Protego.
The banisher fizzled out against the surface of Filius' silver shield. His lip twitched.
Cheeky.
The charms master responded with a leg-locker and the trade of spells began.
Over the course of the next minute, Filius noted that Harry's hexes were both gaining power and becoming notoriously more fierce. It seemed that the teen had decided to win the duel no matter what; at least if his narrowed, emerald eyes were an indication.
He has the spirit to compete…
Of course Filius could have ended the duel at any point, but winning wasn't his goal. He wanted to assess the boy's abilities and, if needed, teach him a lesson,
Sidestepping another disarming charm coming his way, he took the opportunity to take a closer look at his student. Harry's chest was rising quickly, his face littered by droplets of sweat.
It would have been a lie to say Filius wasn't surprised to see just how long the boy had managed to hold his own. By now almost two minutes had passed, which - considering they were skirmishing - was incredibly long for an inexperienced duelist such as Harry.
Due to the absence of heavier-hitting, more difficult spells, skirmishing had about the quickest-pace duelling ever got to. The ruleset allowed for lots of low-power spells cast in rapid succession; which was perfect for practising footwork and spell-chaining.
In the end, it was the former of the two skills, which cost Harry the win. The already exhausted teen sidestepped a spell, lost his balance and was hit by a knockback jinx.
He slammed into the gates with a dull thud, the air leaving his lungs. His wand clattered to the floor.
Filius aided him a hand. 'Well matched,' he said.
Harry sighed. 'Well matched,' he agreed, accepting the handshake.
Filius motioned for him to follow. 'Your footwork needs practice,' he said as they strode over towards his lectern. 'That aside, however, you did extraordinarily well. You certainly won't be out of place at the club.'
In fact, Filius was inclined to say that Harry might very well turn out to be the best student he'd ever taught. Of course it was a little too early to say that yet, but looking at it from a perspective of raw, unrefined potential…
He's a mentor's dream.
Harry inclined his head, lips pressed into a thin line. The mild frown creasing his forehead indicated to Filius that the boy was more displeased with the outcome of the duel than had been initially apparent.
'Thank you, sir.'
The charms master shook his head, looking out the window, up into the star-littered night sky. He sighed.
'You should be proud of yourself, Harry,' he said. 'The reason for your loss is one easily fixed. Holding up for more than two minutes in a skirmish is a magnificent result, no matter whether you won or not.'
He paused, considering whether saying what he had in mind wouldn't perhaps be out of place. He looked up at the moon.
'Lily would have been.'
Silence. He couldn't see what emotions lined Harry's face, but deep inside, he knew that, somewhere, a terrible sadness and anger was buried within the boy's emerald orbs.
Filius took a breath. 'Perhaps it is not my place, but I would like to think I understand you better than most, Harry. Do not allow grief to keep you from enjoying the pleasures of life. Lily and James… they wouldn't have wanted that for you.'
A tense silence hung over the classroom. For a moment, Filius wondered whether he had overstepped and the boy had perhaps already left the room.
His worries were nought, however, as Harry's voice cut through the quiet like a well-sharpened knife through a piece of paper.
'I'll keep that in mind, sir,' the boy said.
Filius turned around, a bittersweet smile on his face. 'Then that's all I can ask.'
He could've saved himself the last part… Harry thought darkly as he began to make his way down to the dungeons. He grit his teeth.
Why does he always speak about my mother as if she's already dead?
It was obvious the Professor had only intended to offer some comfort-spending words, but all they had done was remind him of today's date and its implications.
Losing the duel against Flitwick was annoying. Nothing more. The matter of his parents' fate, however?
He had managed to bury his fury for the majority of the day, but something about the Professor's words had rekindled the acid clump of emotion that hung in his chest. Involuntarily, his hand found the wand in his pocket and clasped it tightly.
A wave of irritation welled up his throat, the exhaustion in his bones forgotten.
Fuck curfew…
He needed to vent.
With long, brisk steps he made his way into the abandoned wing of the castle. It seemed the festivities in the Great Hall were still going on in full swing, since Harry saw no one as he passed through the halls of the castle.
The thought fuelled his anger even more.
National holiday… National bloody holiday. For what?! Because the big bad Dark Lord was stupid enough to blow himself up by trying to kill a kid?
Longbottom was a fraud. A spoiled brat who'd had his arse buttered since the beginning of his pretty little life. Oh boo-hoo, he'd lost his mother. And?
Just how many children had lost their mother or father in the war? Did they also get national holidays and Orders of Merlin awarded for their parents' sacrifice? Of course not.
Because no one fucking cared.
But it was different with Longbottom. He was the boy-who-lived. The boy who had survived the killing curse and killed the Dark Lord when he was a mere babe. A national celebrity.
Harry grit his teeth. As if the wanker had managed some majestic feat. He'd been lucky, nothing more.
Then there was the boy's father. The man who had carted him off to the Dursleys because of his all-so-terrible burdens. Just thinking about Frank Longbottom made Harry want to punch someone's face in.
Not even a fucking letter of explanation… Nothing.
He pushed through the door of an abandoned classroom, almost forgetting to cast a silencing charm in his rage-induced haze.
'Reducto!' he spat, aiming at the next best thing in sight.
The wooden table in front of him crumbled to dust under the impact of his blood-red spell. He wasted no time following up, as he dealt its respective chair the same fate.
And now I need to find a way to get him to sign that stupid permission slip for the exchange!
Only that Longbottom Sr. probably wouldn't, seeing as Harry had already estranged himself from the man's son weeks ago. He bit down on his tongue so hard it drew blood, thinking back about the flying lesson.
No, he didn't regret having cursed the brat. Whatever potential bridges with Longbottom he'd burned that day, he had burned gladly. Even thinking about the boy's words made the blood in his veins boil.
'Bombarda!'
The nasty orange hex, even brighter than usual, crashed against the blackboard, smashing it into a thousand pieces with a harrowing screech. One of the shards flying through the room graced his cheek. Warm, red liquid trickled down the side of his face.
Harry exhaled, shaking. Slowly, his hearing returned.
He wiped the blood from his cheek, involuntarily tasting a drop of the salty substance. For a moment he felt the urge to tear the large skeleton of what he assumed to be a dragon from the ceiling, but then thought better of it, biting the inside of his cheeks.
It had been so long since he'd allowed his emotions to flow freely. And despite the fact that he absolutely hated giving up control, for once, it felt good.
He took a deep breath. No.
He couldn't allow anything or anyone to make him lose composure like this, especially in public. He wanted to draw as little attention as possible. He had too many secrets to keep, and getting angry was the perfect way to let some of them slip.
He cleared his mind.
I'll deal with the permission slip business when it's time. Perhaps Flitwick can assist me with the matter…
Any resentment he'd felt for the man because of his earlier words had already faded. As Harry had rightly said earlier - the man had done way too much for him to be judged for trying to help.
He felt his muscles ache.
Perhaps it's time to head to bed… Let's hope no one catches me on the way down to the dungeons. He snorted. Thought that's unlikely seeing as-
He cut off that trail of thought with a shake of his head.
'Sleep,' he repeated to himself.
With a yawn, he dispelled the hastily cast silencing charm covering the door and stepped out into the hallway. As he neared the dungeons, this time for real, a terrible, rotten smell filled his nose.
Harry frowned. Had there been a potion accident gone wrong? It almost smelt as bad as the abominations Thomas and Finnigan brewed in class. Thinking of it, perhaps the boys were trying to improve their grade - to no avail, apparently.
Ignoring the stench, he continued his way down the corridor. He rounded the corner…
…and froze.
A lumpy beast, at least twelve feet tall, with grey skin and a wooden club in its gnarly hand, stood at the end of the hallway. It seemed to be busy staring at one of the torches littering the walls, but the moment it heard Harry come to a stop, it turned around.
Its face was fat and ugly, and full of warts and moles. A thin crown of hair, the same listless colour of its skin, topped the creature's head, probably amounting to the same amount that was growing out of its nose and ears.
A troll?!
Harry barely had enough time to draw his wand on the beast before it started charging towards him, bellowing angrily. Desperately, he tried to think of anything he knew about the horrid-looking and even worse-smelling creatures, but his mind drew a blank.
Quirrell had mentioned them in passing, but beyond that he couldn't think of anything.
The adrenaline drowning out any exhaustion he might've had, he brandished his wand, readying himself to dodge.
'Stupefy!'
The pale-red flash collided with the troll's torso, doing absolutely nothing. The unfazed beast merely continued to charge ahead, forcing Harry to jump aside as it crashed into the wall behind him.
The troll's dazed state gave him barely enough time to realise that, as with most magical creatures, its skin was probably resistant to spells. Getting up from the floor, he readied himself once more, taking a step back.
Growling, the beast turned around, blood running out of its nose. He needed a way to take it out for good. His eyes flickered towards the troll's open, roaring mouth. Praying his plan would work, he narrowed his eyes, taking aim.
The troll charged. Harry cast his spell.
The beast's head exploded in a shower of blood and gore. Its body crashed to the floor with a sickening crunch of bones.
For a moment, Harry just stood there, staring at the disfigured creature in pure disbelief. The troll wasn't moving. Too many questions at once flooded his mind, as he failed to form a coherent thought for a second.
What was a troll doing in the castle? How had it gotten in here? How had no one else bloody noticed? Was it dead?
He shook his head, a short burst of humourless laughter spilling from his lips at the ridiculousness of the situation. If he hadn't thought of a solution so quickly, he might have been paste. A stain of grease on the castle's floor.
Thank Merlin I didn't take my chance with a stunner the second time…
A bombardment hex to the head wasn't a particularly merciful way to end the beast's pathetic existence, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to particularly care. The troll had gotten what it deserved for trying to attack him.
For a second longer, he stood there, staring at the beasts' gory remnants. He'd escaped with his life. What to do now though?
Alert the Professors? It seemed like the sensible choice. Somehow though, Harry neither fancied the idea of drawing the attention of the entire Great Hall, nor did he want to return to Flitwick's classroom. He frowned.
I can't just leave, can I?
Involuntarily, a yawn escaped him. The adrenaline fading from his bloodstream, the fatigue of a day's worth of spell practice returned. His eyes trailed down the hallway. The Slytherin Common room awaited him just beyond another corner. He looked back at the troll, shrugging to himself.
Seems like I can.
Spelling his robes clean of the beast's brain matter, he strode down the hallway, and not before long, found himself in his and Blaise's room. It took no longer than a minute until he fell asleep.
Author's Note:
Sup?
A bit of a shorter chapter this time. I hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless.
I know it's more of a filler than anything else, but I also have to say that skipping to all that jazz with the duelling club and the restricted section break in without having something to bridge the gap didn't feel quite right.
So here we are. Hopefully it was still entertaining enough.
Once again, I can't really say when the next update will roll around, but I am looking forward to writing more again in the coming weeks and months.
Another thing I wanted to mention is that I'm currently looking for a beta for this story, not just to proofread, but mainly to brainstorm and storyboard with. So, if you're interested, feel free to join the discord and DM me.
https :/ discord . gg / zwpshsfKJn
Until the next one.
Cheers